Everbright Kingdom, Thousand Mountain City.
"Young Master, please hurry, Lord Fraser is already waiting for you to choose your Spirit Serpent"
A maid who looks to be in her mid-twenties speaks to a youth approximately 14 to 15 years of age while looking at him with adoration in her eyes.
The Young Master in question can be seen sitting in his courtyard with a book in his hand. Around him were plants with vibrant green color from various plants. There were also some small fruit-bearing trees around, their leaves falling gently.
He was wearing a pure white shirt and pants devoid of dirt. His face exudes youthful charisma, adorned with gentle features. His silver-white hair swayed lightly in the gentle breeze brought by the surrounding trees.
Kyrell Zade Evander, the Young Master of the Evander Family, a Minor Clan in the Thousand Mountain City.The Evander family might be far from being a top-notch force in the City but they are stronger and more influential than your average family.
Even a Minor Clan has considerable power and resources. They are one of the 'Nobility' inside the City. Aside from the other stronger Clans, they do not have anyone to fear. As the Young Master of such a clan, Kyrell was well-fed and taken care of.
It was no wonder that he grew up to be this handsome and unblemished as if his family wouldn't let even a mosquito bother him.
"Thank you for your reminder, Melissa" Kyrell replied gently and he closed his book titled "Spirit Serpent Art".
That book was not just a mere book but the basic cultivation manual of the Evander Family. Only its members have access to it. As the Young Master, Kyrell naturally has a copy.
"Please take the manual back to my room" he ordered and a man clothed in black from head to toe appeared at his side with one of his legs kneeling on the ground.
This man respectfully received the manual from the Young Master before vanishing as if he was not there in the first place.
"Serpent Death Guard..." a title appeared in Kyrell's mind.
"To think that as someone from the modern earth, I would have a slave that I can decide the life and death of" Kyrell chuckled internally.
As cliché as it sounds, he was originally not from this world but from a planet called Earth. His previous world might not be the best but at the very least there are no slaves, or a 'formal slave' because some people live no different than a slave.
He died due to a car accident and when he regained consciousness, he found himself transmigrated into this new world as a baby.
As cliché as it might be, this is now Kyrell's new life and reality.
"Well, as long as I am not the slave but the Master, it's fine. This is all thanks to my father"As selfish as it sounds, one would rather be the master than a slave. That is natural and part of human nature.
"Fortunately, although my clan is not the most powerful, at the very least I am part of the 'Nobility' or the upper class"
Kyrell doesn't know how he would live if he was living as one of the Serpent Death Guard enslaved by his father and forced to serve the Evander Family faithfully until death.
While throwing the unnecessary thoughts at the back of his head, Kyrell let his personal maid guide him to the "Spirit Serpent Chamber" where the Serpents of the Clan are raised and kept.
On the way, despite appearing calm on the surface, Kyrell was actually extremely excited inside. He was just keeping his calm because of the upbringing he had as part of the Nobility.
Today, he is finally embarking on the path of a cultivator and the start of this is him choosing his Spirit Serpent and he can't wait anymore!
Cultivators... in this world, this is a group of people capable of wielding unimaginable power. Any power that you could think of is possible as long as they have the right Cultivation Art.
While suppressing his excitement, Kyrell and his maid arrived in front of the Spirit Serpent Chamber, the lifeline of the Clan.
As a vital part of the family, there are many visible and invisible guards guarding the chamber. However, as the Young Master, Kyrell naturally can enter the Chamber easily. No guard will dare make things hard for him.
As soon as he entered, rows and rows of cages along with the constant hissing sound greeted him. These cages contained all sorts of serpents with varying appearances and attributes. However, most of them are serpents that look like they are made from wood called Wood Serpents.
Out of all the species that the Clan breeds, they are the most common and easiest to breed. But common does not mean weak. Once they are refined as the clan member's Spirit Serpent, they provide quite a boost in power.
"Father" Kyrell greeted, a hint of excitement visible in his eyes and tone.
"You're here" Fraser Evander said with a smile as he looked at his son proudly. This only son of his from a young age shows intelligence that does not match his age.
This was not surprising. After all, inside Kyrell's body was the soul of a 20-year-old man. If you add the years he spent after transmigrating, he would already be in his mid-thirties. How can he not be more intelligent than his peers?
While intellect does not always equal great talent in cultivation, it is still a sign. How can Fraser not be proud of his son?
"You can choose what Serpent you want here. From the most common Wood Serpent to the strong Fire Serpent, or even just like my own, Curse Serpent. The choice is yours"
"However, I must warn you. A rare breed of serpent does not always mean greater power and a common breed does not mean that you will choose a serpent with low potential!"
"While a breed like the Wood Serpent is the most common and might appear weak, our Clan also has the most cultivation art paths with this breed"
"While my own Curse Serpent might look strong, the cultivation art path and notes our clan owns for this serpent is one of the lowest in number. If the limited manual that we have does not suit your taste or the path that you want to take, you will need to develop your own Cultivation Art Path"
Although Kyrell already knew this, he still listened intently as this was related to his future development. As a man who transmigrated into a world where flipping mountains and parting the seas is possible, how can he not want to be a top expert?
In the Evander Family, everyone starts cultivating the "Spirit Serpent Art" but that will only last up to the peak of the Genetic Awakener Realm, the starting point of Cultivators.The Spirit Serpent Art is just the basic and no matter what serpent you choose, this is the Cultivation Art that you will start with.
However, to break through the Genetic Awakener Realm and reach the Genetic Strenghtener Realm, one must 'specialize' in a path.
For example, those who choose the Wood Serpent as their Spirit Serpent will need to cultivate "Wood Serpent Art" and even with the same cultivation art, there are different specializations.
For example, there is the "Hard Wood Serpent Art" specializing in defense. On the other hand, there is "Nourishing Wood Serpent Art" which has the fastest speed of cultivation compared to other Wood Serpent Arts although the power in return is quite mediocre.
If a clan member chooses a Fire Serpent as their Spirit Serpent, there are also different paths. There is the "Extreme Fire Serpent Art" that emphasizes the extreme temperature of flames while there is also "Scorching Serpent Art" that although has a lower flame temperature is more sustainable when it comes to mana consumption.
While the clan breeds various Serpents, the clan members mainly choose around six or seven types of Serpents because the clan owns many Cultivation Art Paths for those species compared to a serpent like the Curse Serpent of the Patriarch.
"Speaking of which, the Spirit Serpent Art of the Evander Family is really something. While other cultivating families might have more than one Cultivation Art, they are not as special and flexible as the Spirit Serpent Art"
"Most of them only follow one path while the Spirit Serpent Art allows the cultivator to walk different paths depending on the Spirit Serpent that they will choose"
If not for the clan being a minor clan in the city, Kyrell would have thought that his family was a top-notch family with their special Cultivation Art.
As Kyrell already researched the species of Serpents that his family breeds, he had long decided what type of Serpent he would choose.
"Father, I choose the Jade Serpent" Kyrell said calmly causing his father to be a bit surprised.
This type of Serpent is harder to breed than most and the manual that the clan has on this serpent is very limited. As a smart kid, Fraser didn't expect that his son would choose such an unpopular serpent.
"Are you sure?" Fraser asked while narrowing his eyes. He believed in letting the younger generation choose and forge their own path but if possible, he still wouldn't want his son to choose the Jade Serpent.
"I am sure, father. While our manual for the Jade Serpent is limited, no one can argue about its strong abilities. It has a plant-type attribute and can also use some poison but not only that, it will also give me the ability to heal! Its defense might be weaker than the Metal Serpent but it is superior compared to most breeds of Serpents. It offers more attributes and abilities compared to the other serpents"
"I understand that its greatest disadvantage is not just the lack of manuals but also the high demand for the cultivator, especially the quantity of mana. However, I believe that I can overcome the challenges"
Kyrell's voice was filled with conviction to the point that Fraser could only sigh and shake his head.
"If that is your choice then so be it. At worst, before I die, I can just enslave more Serpent Death Guard to ensure that you can smoothly become the next Patriarch and also to have the power to defend against our enemies"
In the cultivation world, even if a clan is a minor clan, how can it be possible to not have enemies? After all, progress and growth are often forged by the blood of others!
"That's cruel but I agree. If I can't succeed in cultivation, I can only rely on father to gift me with strong slaves" Kyrell replied with a chuckle.
He already lived in this world for a decade and a half and naturally adjusted to the norms. While many despised cruelty, there are also many who are fine with it.
This is a world where the strong eat the weak after all. Kyrell is not a Saint, he naturally would prioritize his survival and well-being.
"That's the spirit!" Fraser nodded his head in satisfaction. This is the kind of son that he wants. A son that is able to become cruel if necessary.
Even the most noble and kindest clans definitely have blood on their hands. If you are too kind, that is just begging to be swallowed by other forces.
"Come, let me do the Spirit Serpent Sealing for you. In this way, we can make sure that no complications will occur. You can adjust the Seal later according to your body compatibility"
With that, Fraser led his son to the Sealing Room connected to the Spirit Serpent Chamber. The clan members often only come to the Chamber when they are choosing their Spirit Serpent. For convenience's sake, they built a separate yet connected room to it to initiate the Serpent Sealing.
Without sealing a serpent into one's body, one would not be able to cultivate the Spirit Serpent Art no matter how much time one spends.
After all, the Spirit Serpent can be said to be the core of this Cultivation Art.