Upon entering the room, Aaran noticed that the walls were made of whitish stone instead of metal and covered in even more inscriptions. Most of these he recognized were purely to strengthen walls, but some added additional privacy, which was a pleasant surprise.
Eighty years is not long enough for civilization to reach such a level of cultivation knowledge, so most of the human expertise comes either from ruins that appeared after Change or from Alysians. And because of their natural aptitude for Essence, Alysians tend to focus more on elemental arts, neglecting body cultivation.
Humans didn't have such qualities, so they had to research that field by themselves, as Shui did.
After nodding approvingly, Aaran proceeded to cultivate. He was currently in the Saturation realm, the second of the three minor realms in the Tempering stage. While everyone could cultivate up to the Abode tempering stage without any cultivation technique, having one would not only make it safer but also speed up the process.
Twelve years passed without him being able to cultivate. Finally, Aaran could feel this rush of Essence again with his trusted Absolute Rebirth.
Standing ready in position, Aaran started moving slowly. There were no sharp moves, and his actions were smooth, like a flowing river. Slowly but surely, his movements started changing. With each step, he moved faster and faster, his actions no longer smooth but sharp and heavy, like myriad spears falling onto helpless legions of soldiers. Sometimes, his body felt like it was ascending together with Essence toward the highest heavens, and sometimes, the very Essence buried him in the deepest parts of hell.
While immersed in cultivation, his movements and aura constantly changed. Countless naturally opposite concepts slowly merged—robust and fragile, slow and fast, happy and sad, old and young, first and last, chaos and order, and many more. Anyone who sees him would feel cognitive dissonance of the highest order.
While Aaran was engrossed in the profoundness of his Absolute Rebirth, the tendrils of Essence around him, acting in accordance with his movements, gushed into his body with tremendous effectivity.
...
A few days later, Aaran was reading some books he borrowed from the library while flipping a coin. Lately, that was his usual relaxing time before sleep. Just as he was ready to sleep, someone knocked on the door. After opening it, he found Sheela holding a thick book with her natural, indifferent face. Her black hair was accented by the weak light from the bulb, which only emphasized her light blue eyes.
"You look exhausted; something happened?"
She moved her tired eyes toward him.
"There were more procedures than expected, but I made it," Sheela said while giving him what he had requested a few days before.
Then she proceeded to explain to him how exhausting it was and how many tests she had to go through to get this book. Aaran wasn't surprised by that. His grandfather spent decades trying to help his wife. If anything, it was expected that giving her complete medical history wouldn't be done without sufficient preparations.
After Sheela's explanation, they went to sleep. For Aaran, tomorrow was another busy day, while Sheela needed some well-deserved rest.
...
When the sun was just starting to grace campus with its morning rays, a good-looking teen with long, fabulous white hair and a loose grey robe decorated with bronze runes was already revising the materials he had prepared for the presentation.
'That should be enough. Now, I can entirely focus on cultivating. Absolute Rebirth is much more effective than anticipated, not to mention it speeds up the retention of knowledge from my past.'
After ensuring everything was ready for his first lesson, Aaran walked around campus, satisfying his romantic side of the soul. Early dawn was his second favorite time, just after deep midnight. The morning fresh air within silent streets and the empty canteen, where only the static sound of refrigerators echoed, were the only things that accompanied him.
'It looks like Samsara's body positively impacts the stability of my foundations. Does my talent help with the 'digesting' of Essence? But that means I can spend more time cultivating every day. Even while dividing my time between different things, reaching the Abode tempering realm in two more weeks should be possible.'
After cultivating the first day in indoor training grounds, Aaran decided to find a more pleasing location. After a little bit of exploring, his choice fell on the vast, dense forest behind the principal office. Such an undisturbed place perfectly complemented his peaceful daily life.
Going through the already-known paths between trees, Aaran felt the cold morning wind mixed with the earthy smell of the woods. Close to the middle of the forest, there was a clearing he self-proclaimed as his. Just as Aaran was nearing it, he heard some unusual sounds.
Hua!
Bang!
Hua!
'Somebody else decided to use the same spot as me? So not everyone gathers at training grounds after all.'
Aaran sneaked behind the last tree in line and curiously observed. He found a good-looking 14-year-old boy with short dark hair and black eyes wearing a simple black training suit who was busy cultivating, unaware of his surroundings.
'So he can trigger Chiron's influence as well? Color me impressed.'
Even someone busy like Aaran knew about that person. His name was Ying Lialo, and he was a pretty unique individual. At age twelve, he started his cultivation journey, and in less than one and half years, he reached the second major realm, which is the Derivation stage. That classifies him as one of the most exceptional prodigies in the human race. But the very next day, his cultivation regressed to the Abode tempering realm, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't temper it enough to breakthrough again.
'Now, half a year later, he's still stuck in the Abode tempering realm. He really is an excellent specimen. Not only can I investigate his case, but I can also find more information about Chiron's influence. And he's an orphan, unlike someone who has a huge giant of the royal family behind her back.' Mused Aaran.
Ha!
Hua!
A few minutes later, heavy breathing and sweaty, Ying lay on the floor.
Seeing him finish his cultivation, Aaran knew it was a cue to say hello.
Rustle.
Hearing something, Ying turned his head toward the sound. There, he saw a white-haired boy. Although that person was younger than him, his whole being emanated a steady, peaceful, but aged aura—just like the oldest tree that stood through the ages. Combining that with his perfectly fitting outfit and the kind look on his handsome face, even the straight Ying was stunned.
"Hello, my name is Aaran Sirius. This year, I'm starting my senior school."
Hearing Aaran introduction, Ying stood up and brushed his clothes off the dirt.
"Ying Lialo, third-year junior school. But aren't you too young for senior school? How old even are you?"
"I had my 12th birthday a few days ago; why? Can't genius skip a few classes nowadays?" Asked Aaran without losing his good-natured smile.
"And you are that genius? And what are you doing here?"
'Not the most polite one, huh?' Aaran considered briefly before answering.
"I was going to cultivate here, but now that you are here as well, how about we spar?"
"I'm in the Abode tempering realm, so I don't think it's a good idea." Ying shook his head.
"That won't be a problem. I'm a little special, after all. You don't need to worry about that." Said Aaran with an even more compassionate smile.
Ying looked weirdly at him. Even if Aaran was a genius, as he said, he could not reach Abode Tempering in a few days. That means he either lied about being so young or didn't understand the differences between realms. If his surname was Sirius, then it shouldn't be the first option. And about the second? Well, everyone has to learn it one way or another, and Ying didn't mind helping his soon-to-be senior, even more so if he got paid for it.
"Alright, but it will be boring to just spar, how about making it more exciting with a bet?"
'So young and already into gambling? But that makes things easier for me.' Aaran pondered briefly and agreed.
"Sure, so what do you want to bet?"
After acting like he was deep in thought, Ying answered.
"How about five first-tier Essence crystals?"
Essence crystals were solidified Essence and were one of many new resources that humanity came into contact with. The first tier meant they were the worst kind possible, but any Essence crystals were used as middle-level currency nonetheless.
Aaran raised his brow.
'I wonder if he even has five of these. He probably doesn't think I can win. Well, I can work with it.'
"That works just fine. By what rules do you want to go?"
Now, Ying really had to think about it. There were quite a few ways they could spar, but most of them weren't eligible in their situation.
"How about pure fight without any skills?" Ying wasn't stupid. The most likely reason Aaran thought he could win with him was some special skill, so Ying wanted to prevent any mishaps.
"Sure," nodded Aaran, and he moved a little further into the clearing to prepare for his first spar with someone his age.