A week had passed since the evaluation ceremony, and rumors about what had happened in the Blackthorne family mansion had spread quickly. However, the news didn't cause much of a stir; it was something expected, considering William.
In the royal palace of the Amberfall family, the voice of a young girl echoed with anguish.
"Father, you have to do something. It's impossible for him to survive on his own, given his condition. You must send someone to find him," pleaded Althea, visibly worried.
"Calm down. I've sent the best trackers. However, he was abandoned somewhere between our empire and the Ithynar Empire. If they detect suspicious movements, they might send their warriors and complicate things for us," replied Cedric, though in truth, he hadn't sent anyone. He already considered Adam to be dead.
"Thank you, Father. I can't ask you for more," Althea murmured, lowering her head. She knew how difficult it would be to find him. Most likely, he had already been devoured alive.
Unbeknownst to anyone, two people were hidden in a cabin deep within the Ithynar Empire: Adam and Selene.
Adam had spent the entire week sleeping. Selene, though not an expert in healing, had managed to accelerate his body's recovery, leaving him completely exhausted.
Finally, Adam opened his eyes slowly, only to be greeted by the same scenery as always: complete darkness.
"Nice eyes, I didn't know you could open them," commented a feminine voice as she observed Adam's light blue eyes, which looked unfocused.
"Princess Selene? How long have I been asleep?" Adam asked. Before losing consciousness, Selene had told him about her background.
"You don't need to call me princess. You can call me master, as from now on, you'll be my disciple. As for your question, you've been asleep for a week," Selene replied kindly, aware of all that Adam had endured in recent years.
Adam was eager to begin his training with Selene. He knew he had been given an opportunity for which even the strongest in this realm would kill. He had no intention of wasting it.
Sensing Adam's thoughts, Selene interrupted with a warning:
"Don't be impatient. We won't begin practical training yet. You didn't receive a proper education, so you lack a lot of basic knowledge. First, I'll teach you general concepts, along with some secrets that no one else in this realm knows."
Excited at the prospect of learning new things, Adam nodded with determination.
"I'll do my best, Master."
"Fu, fu, fu. Good boy," Selene said, letting out a maternal side she didn't know she had.
"Let's start with the mortal plane. This plane is divided into three continents of equal power. The only difference is the races that inhabit them. We are currently in the human continent, where only humans and spiritual beasts reside. The second is the demonic continent, mainly inhabited by demons and all kinds of malevolent creatures. Lastly, there's the bestial continent, where beasts dominate, although there are also talented races such as elves and some beastmen," Selene explained clearly.
Adam wasn't too enthusiastic about other races, as he couldn't even see humans. However, he carefully memorized the information Selene had shared.
"Continuing with the human continent, it is divided into four empires, and above them lies the Golden Phoenix Academy. This academy trains the greatest talents of the continent, granting it immense power due to its influence over the four empires," Selene explained, outlining the political structure of the continent.
"Where are we now?" Adam asked.
"We're in the Ithynar Empire, which borders the Amberfall Empire and the Azur Empire," Selene continued.
Adam couldn't help but think of Althea when Selene mentioned the Amberfall Empire.' Had she already found out about his disappearance? Would she even care? Probably not,' he thought, considering they had only seen each other for a day.
A growl broke the silence.
"Grrr..." Adam's stomach rumbled as he remained lost in his thoughts.
"That's all for now. You've gone a week without eating, and I don't know how you're still conscious without being a cultivator," Selene remarked, intrigued.
Adam lowered his head in embarrassment.
"I-I'm used to it..."
"Humph! If you want to be a cultivator someday, you'll need a strong body. From now on, you'll eat properly. Don't worry; I'll take care of everything as your master," Selene said proudly, puffing out her chest.
Suddenly, Selene made meat from some kind of spiritual beast appear out of thin air, a phenomenon Adam couldn't witness due to his blindness.
In just a few minutes, Selene prepared the food. Despite being a princess, she had spent a month in this realm and had learned some mortal skills, including cooking.
The aroma of the meat filled the air, and Adam couldn't stop his mouth from watering. He had never tasted spiritual beast meat before, as it was usually reserved for the most talented members of noble families due to its exorbitant price.
"You can eat as much as you like," Selene said, enjoying his reaction.
Adam didn't think twice and dove into the food, devouring plate after plate.
Selene frowned as she noticed that Adam didn't seem to get full. 'How is this possible?'
"Do you feel anything different in your body?" she asked, curious.
"No, my hunger has just lessened," Adam replied, confused.
'This is strange. Even if it wasn't enough to fill him, the energy he consumed from the meat should have been enough to make him explode,' Selene thought, troubled.
"I need to examine your body to ensure everything is fine," Selene said seriously.
Adam nodded, fully trusting her.
Selene placed both hands on his head and began channeling her energy to explore his body. What she discovered left her even more perplexed.
'He's absorbing all the energy I'm channeling into his body,' she thought, stunned. This should have been impossible since she was using immortal qi—something that no ordinary cultivator could manipulate, let alone absorb, and certainly not a mere mortal.
But what truly left her speechless was the fact that there was no trace of where all that energy was going. No being she knew could make qi simply disappear. The only plausible explanation was that something inside Adam was preventing her from seeing what was absorbing the energy.
'A seal, perhaps? But how?' No one in the mortal plane should have the ability to create a seal of this magnitude. Yet, she couldn't dismiss the possibility when the evidence was right in front of her. All of this led her to ask a question she couldn't ignore.
'What are you really hiding, Adam?'