Eddie stretched out his hand and gently pressed it on the silver grimoire, carefully sensing with his mind.
It seemed as though there was a very subtle energy deeply stored within the grimoire, elusive and constantly changing, giving Eddie the illusion of something intangible.
It was as if a naked beauty stood right in front of him, separated by a mere glass wall—close enough to touch, yet impossible to grasp.
The only certainty Eddie had was that this silver grimoire held a secret yet to be unearthed.
Understanding it completely would undoubtedly deepen his knowledge and proficiency in handling summoning grimoires.
Little Wenli blinked her adorable eyes, watching Eddie's clumsy sensing attempts. Wishing to help but unable to speak, she tugged gently on Eddie's arm.
"What's up?" Eddie wondered, curious about the little loli's idea.
With a delicate touch from Little Wenli's tender fingers, the diamond grimoire was summoned.
"How did you do that?" Eddie had long wanted to learn this skill.
While he could summon the grimoire without speaking, it took as much time and concentration as vocal summoning. The ability to summon a grimoire instantly with a finger's touch was something Eddie had yet to master.
Eddie was intrigued to find that aside from Laura, the city lord of the Falling Flowers City, he hadn't seen anyone else with such an ability. Instant summoning was different from quick summoning. Quick summoning, no matter how fast, required time and thought, whereas instant summoning needed neither.
To Eddie's embarrassment, Little Wenli could effortlessly summon and retract the diamond grimoire repeatedly with a touch, a feat even the talented Sophia struggled with, requiring at least half a day's rest before re-summoning.
Eddie had seen even more extraordinary abilities in Queen Vivien.
She could effortlessly take things out of her grimoire without summoning it and even transform the indestructible grimoire into a crystal coffin with ease—powers Eddie believed were currently beyond his reach.
Yet, he was determined to learn the technique of instant summoning. He observed Little Wenli closely, sensing her thought waves and the flow of spiritual energy in her body, hoping to unravel the secret of her remarkable ability.
Eddie realized that when Little Wenli stretched out her hand to summon the grimoire, her spiritual energy naturally resonated with it.
It was as effortless as a person reaching out to eat or walk, completely instinctive and seamless.
Compared to her method, the traditional way of summoning by other contractors seemed as clumsy as crawling on all fours.
After sensing for quite some time, Eddie felt he had grasped the essence and excitedly attempted to replicate it.
He tried to align his whole being with the grimoire, extending his hand, guiding the spiritual energy through his fingertips, and resonating with the grimoire.
Boom!
His head nearly exploded with the force of the failed attempt, experiencing the intense discomfort of summoning backlash, something he never knew could be so unpleasant.
Realizing the pain that came with failure, Eddie understood why ordinary warriors would faint when their summoning was interrupted.
Despite the discomfort, Eddie, known for his stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat, persisted through numerous attempts.
Each failure brought a bit more experience and gradual improvement.
Finally, after countless attempts, Eddie once again extended his hand, this time with full confidence.
He successfully summoned the silver grimoire instantly, much to his own disbelief.
Overwhelmed with excitement, he jumped and cheered, feeling like a genius for mastering such a difficult skill.
Meanwhile, Little Wenli yawned adorably, perhaps thinking Eddie a bit slow for taking so long to learn something so simple.
Fortunately, she couldn't speak, sparing Eddie from any potential embarrassment and allowing him a few moments of pride.
Eddie affectionately kissed Little Wenli's cute face, lifted her into the air, and caught her as she spun around.
"Little one, can you teach me the trick to putting items into the summoning grimoire? "
"How do you store your Frost Blades into the Diamond Grimoire?"
"There must be a trick to it, right? Tell me, how can I store items into this grimoire?"
Little Wenli blinked her bright eyes, seemingly ready to share her technique with Eddie. However, she suddenly transformed into a rainbow light and floated into his body. At that moment, Eddie sensed footsteps approaching from outside.
"Is that Grandpa Five?" Eddie opened the door and saw an elderly man rushing toward him with a package in hand.
"One of your father's belongings. After discussing with Haye and the elders, we've decided to entrust some of your father's possessions to you. "
"This is your father's battle technique, which might be useful to you, though it requires a specific beast to resonate with. "
"Haye and I think you might not be suitable to fully learn it, so perhaps it's better to study it for inspiration. Also, there's your father's broken sword; maybe you'll find some clues. Finally, a key."
Eddie didn't find any key among the given items.
"Where's the key?" he wondered, puzzled if it might be invisible.
"Little guy, do you know the biggest difference between the head of the Yew family and all other family heads? It's fairness! "
"Regardless of personal favoritism, the head must ensure fair competition among the family members. He didn't help you in the past because the more he did, the more others would resent you, putting your life in danger. "
"The same applies now. You've risen to power and seek revenge against Yehky and Blaze. He won't stop you as long as you don't kill them. You can now enjoy the privileges of a strong warrior, mock and even beat them, just as they did to you. "
"The Dragon-Rise Continent respects strength, and so does the Yew family. If you're weak, stay low-profile and live your life in White-Stone City; it's the smartest move. "
"Conversely, if you're strong, you can act unrestrained, like now. Don't be dissatisfied with reality; the world is full of competition. "
"If you can't compete within your family, how can you compete with outsiders? You must be stronger than anyone to gain the family's recognition and respect from others!"
After a pause, Grandpa Five added, "The key Haye gave you is just a phrase." "A phrase?" Eddie wondered if it was a password to unlock the Puppet Palace.
"Haye said when you believe you have the strength of a sixth-level Grandmaster, you can find him, and he will give you the actual location of the Puppet Palace, containing the Yew family's true secrets. "
"When you reach the level of a seventh-level Tyrant, he'll provide you with the map to the ruins explored by the Yew ancestors. "
"Only then will he reveal the existence of beings beyond common knowledge, even stronger than what's known. "
"Eddie, your journey of cultivation has just begun. Don't think that reaching a Grandmaster or a Tyrant is the peak; rather, for the true strong, it's just the beginning."
Grandpa Five left, leaving Eddie deep in thought. The stronger existence he mentioned must be the Innate Realm.
But what exactly defines the Innate Realm, and how does it relate to the common classification of warriors?
Eddie's curiosity was further piqued by Grandpa Five's mention of the true location of the Puppet Palace.
Was it not beneath the Yew family castle as everyone in Dragon-Rise Continent believed?
Everyone knew that the Yew family's enduring strength stemmed from the mysterious Puppet Palace underneath their castle, constantly producing countless puppet beasts. Could it be that the real Puppet Palace was somewhere else?
"Don't be anxious, Eddie, and don't worry about Mother Grace's safety. I assure you, as long as you're alive, they won't suffer any harm. The stronger you become, the better their lives will be. That's the reality of this world; you can't change everyone's views, but you can change yourself. You can become stronger and make everyone respect you," Grandpa Five said, patting Eddie's shoulder before riding off on a deer, laughing heartily.
As Eddie pondered Grandpa Five's words, he saw the sword-wielding Jean rushing toward him. He quickly shut the door. Jean was clearly not here for a friendly visit, and it was best to avoid her.
"Hey, I'm not here to fight you. I want to form a team. A royal exploration team has gone missing in the ominous Eagle-Cry Valley, and the national seer's tracking gift detected a massive energy reaction there. Let's check it out together. If we discover anything and find treasures, we'll distribute them as needed," Jean proposed, intriguing Eddie. Was the Dragon-Rise Continent already practicing communism with such generous sharing?
Seeing Eddie's interest, Jean pressed on: "Even if we don't find treasures, I can request the royal treasury to reward you with a Water-Avoidance Pearl, allowing you to summon beasts underwater."
Eddie immediately jumped up from the bed, excitedly agreeing: "No problem! I was born to explore Eagle-Cry Valley!" Jean began to wonder if she had approached the wrong person.