Kael stepped out of the middle room with the relics secured—a heavy cauldron, a mysterious spear, and the ancient golden scripture still pulsating with a faint, otherworldly glow. The corridor was dimly lit by sporadic lanterns, their light dancing on the worn stone walls as if whispering secrets of long-forgotten eras. The air was cool yet carried an undercurrent of latent energy, the quiet before an inevitable storm.
Waiting at the corridor's end, Jin Mu stood. As soon as Kael appeared, Jin Mu turned his gaze toward him. After just staring at him for a few seconds, he noticed a change in Kael's aura. The Kael that had stepped into the treasury possessed a belligerent confidence bordering on extreme arrogance. The Kael standing before him now held the charm of a true cultivator. His eyes still held a fire, his will unwavering, but there was a tempered calm around him that belied an intense desire to improve.
Kael noticed Jin Mu waiting for him. He approached and asked, "Were you able to find it?" Before Kael had stepped into the corridors leading to the treasury, Jin Mu had set off to find the Scripture Pavilion, hoping to find something to improve his strength and gain qualifications to stand beside a monster like Kael.
"I found it, but I couldn't get in," replied Jin Mu. "There is a high-grade defensive formation protecting the pavilion. I'm beginning to think that Serpent Fang is not as simple as it appears. There has to be a hidden history about this sect.
Kael merely shook his head, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his lips. With a fluid motion, he reached into his pouch and produced a storage ring he had found in the middle room—a silver-colored ring with intricate, lifelike serpent carvings winding around its surface. Its design was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic, as if each scale told a story of ancient power and forgotten lore. Jin Mu couldn't help but gasp, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of it.
"You—what is that?" Jin Mu stuttered, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes flitted between the ring and Kael's calm demeanor.
Kael looked down at the ring nonchalantly, as if it were just another trinket. "It's a storage ring," he replied simply, his tone betraying no hint of excitement or surprise.
Jin Mu shook his head vigorously, his agitation rising. "It's not just any storage ring," he insisted, his words tumbling out in a rush. "This is a high-grade spirit ring, possessed only by experts at the Soul Transformation Realm or those favored sons and daughters of the ancient clans. Even the sect master of the Golden Lotus Sect does not possess one!" His voice was a mix of awe and exasperation, his normally reserved manner fraying at the edges.
Kael simply nodded, his eyes betraying a fleeting spark of respect for the artifact, yet he remained indifferent as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. Without another word, he strode purposefully toward the other two rooms, intent on emptying them of whatever treasures lay hidden within. His steps were measured, each one echoing his silent determination.
He moved with an effortless grace that belied the weight of the relics he carried. The corridor's cold stone underfoot seemed to vibrate in response to his presence. As he passed by, he caught a glimpse of Jin Mu still standing, his face a picture of shock and lingering disbelief. Jin Mu's eyes darted nervously, but the silent moment soon passed as Kael pressed onward.
Eventually, Jin Mu recovered his composure and broke into a hurried run after Kael. Panting, his voice barely concealing his excitement and anxiety, Jin Mu called out, "Where did you get that?" His words tumbled out in a stuttering rush, each syllable laced with genuine curiosity and a trace of envy.
Kael glanced back over his shoulder with a slight, almost imperceptible smile. "In the middle room," he replied matter-of-factly, as if recounting a mundane detail. "I found it alongside some very good things."
Jin Mu stood there, speechless, torn between admiration for Kael's unflappable demeanor and the exasperation he felt. He decided that any more talking to this insufferable man who always tried to act cool, even if he did not know it, would drive him crazy. The corridor echoed with silence as Kael continued forward, leaving Jin Mu behind, lost in his own tumultuous thoughts.
After a short while, Kael and Jin Mu emerged from the corridors into a vast, open area dominated by a grand building. Bold, sweeping characters adorned the facade—"Scripture Pavilion," they proclaimed, a name that resonated with both promise and mystery. The building stood as an imposing edifice of ancient architecture, its weathered stone and intricate carvings speaking of a legacy steeped in wisdom.
Kael halted at the entrance, his eyes narrowing as he observed the structure with intense focus. The air around the building shimmered with subtle energy, a testament to the defensive formation that had been meticulously woven around it. The runes and inscriptions were laid out in delicate yet unyielding patterns, a barrier that had withstood countless assaults.
Taking a deep breath, Kael let his innate comprehension talent take over. He closed his eyes briefly, centering himself as he concentrated on the formation. His mind began to unravel the complex latticework of energy that enveloped the Scripture Pavilion. He could sense the flow of Qi within the formation, its pulse steady yet formidable—a design far superior to the one he had encountered earlier. It was clear that this was the work of a master, someone whose expertise in formation mastery was at least a grade three, if not an undisputed top-tier peak grade two.
What Kael did not know was that this was not the work of a grade three formation master but rather the work of a formation scholar. A formation scholar was someone above grade 6, a stage that carried alot of weight in the current cultivation society. A formation master at this stage could weave multiple layers of formations together at will.
Kael's thoughts churned with a mixture of respect and determination. This is no brute force solution; this is a lesson, he mused silently. I must learn to harness the power of formations, to internalize their secrets, and to refine my own technique. Talent alone will not carry me forward.
With deliberate calm, he began to move his hands, forming intricate hand seals that danced through the air like the strokes of an ancient calligrapher. Each motion was fluid and measured, designed to gently coax the formation into revealing its inner workings. He focused on the minutiae—the subtle shifts in the runes, the way the Qi flowed through the intricate channels of energy. Gradually, the rigid pattern of the formation began to soften, its defenses unraveling under the relentless pressure of Kael's disciplined will.
He entered a state of profound oneness with nature; the noise of the world faded away, leaving only the symphony of his Qi and the ancient rhythm of the formation. His feet moved in perfect harmony with his gestures, each step synchronized with the pulsating energy around him. Time itself seemed to slow, every heartbeat echoing the steady rhythm of the runes. With an effortless grace, Kael manipulated the defensive array until, with a simple snap of his fingers, the formation dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a faint trace of dissipating energy.
A smile tugged at Kael's lips as he stepped toward the massive door of the Scripture Pavilion. In that moment, he realized that he had taken his first true step toward mastering the ancient art of formations and he would embark on a journey of mastery for all paths he deemed useful —a path that would require not only his innate talent but also the relentless discipline of his will and the wisdom gained from his arduous trials.
As he reached out to push open the grand door, Jin Mu, now having caught up, panted beside him. His eyes were wide with a mix of astonishment and admiration. "Kael," he stuttered, "I—I can't believe what I just saw. You… you took control of the formation as if it were nothing more than a simple pattern to be rewritten."
Kael turned, his expression calm yet carrying an unspoken intensity. "It's not as simple as that, Jin Mu. Formations are more than mere barriers—they are the embodiment of ancient wisdom. And today, I've learned that even the most formidable design can be unraveled through persistence and understanding." the weight of the realization settling deep within him. "Talent is a gift, Jin Mu, but it is not enough. Without the will to work tirelessly, without the discipline to internalize every nuance of technique, potential is but a hollow promise. I must refine not only my body and Qi but also my mind—to understand and command the very essence of these ancient arts."
Jin Mu, speechless, could only nod in agreement. The journey ahead was fraught with challenges, but Kael's transformation was evident in every determined step he took. With a final glance at the dissipated formation, Kael stepped through the doorway of the Scripture Pavilion, a quiet yet unyielding resolve burning in his crimson eyes.
For Kael, this was not just another conquest of relics—it was the beginning of a path toward true mastery. The lessons of the past, the grueling trials he had faced, and the wisdom gleaned from every victory and defeat all converged in this moment. As he crossed the threshold, the echoes of his inner epiphany resonated in his mind: Cultivation was not a matter of innate potential alone; it was a lifelong pursuit of learning, of practice, of turning raw talent into something truly divine.
Outside, the world awaited with its uncharted challenges and untold mysteries. But within the quiet majesty of the Scripture Pavilion, Kael Varian took his first bold step toward transforming his extraordinary gifts into a power that could defy the heavens themselves