5 Cultivation Arts
Riel awoke hours later after his mind had been overloaded with this new information. He felt slightly lost within his mind. He was awake of course but he still couldn't see so, it almost felt like he never went to sleep at all almost like he was trapped in a distant dream. His mother's light breathing was the only thing that assured him he was still awake.
"What happened to me?" He thought silently. After he thought this almost on command all the information that poured into his brain previously went into the forefront of his mind at full speed. Except this time, he didn't feel overwhelmed to the point of passing out like the previous time.
From the information he received he understood that the world he was in was one in which the strong prey on the weak. If you weren't powerful your life and death was never truly in your hands. And from that he was even more sure that the situation he was in, was far more precarious than he realized. "This is a world of cultivation if I don't adapt, I'll be destroyed." He thought silently.
"Lucky for me in that information I received I've got two techniques one of which can help me with my biggest problem." Along with the minor information he received about cultivation and the situation he was in, the larger part which his mind found hard to process was the two cultivation arts implanted within his brain.
One of them was called the Chaotic Soul Art and the other was called the Yin-Yang Heavenly Demon Art. Just lightly reading over these techniques caused Riel a headache but luckily, he only had to focus on a single one, which was the Chaotic Soul Art.
The Yin-Yang Heavenly Demon Art, however, couldn't be practiced until his awakening, so he chose to put it in the back of his mind for now. He didn't truly understand what this 'awakening' meant but he knew that every cultivator had to go through with this process so even if he didn't know now, his parents would eventually tell him everything.
What Riel was most excited about however was the prospects which the Chaotic Soul Art brought him. He found out that by practicing this art it would allow him to develop a stronger soul as well as a host of other abilities and with it he would be able to see his surroundings even though his eyes were sealed. This excited him to no end, after a lot of training he would be able to see even if he couldn't lift the first part of his seal just yet.
To Riel this was a godsend, from his siblings he learned that even though his life just started many problems would arise in the near future, and a lot of people would be trying to plot against him. If he gained his sight back through this technique it would be one more secret that could protect his life.
He had the urge to immediately practice this technique, but he wasn't sure if his mother would notice so, he had to wait until he was finally able to sleep alone.
Unfortunately for Riel, an entire 8 months passed before he was able to get his chance. During this time period he was a source of shock to his clan as well as the maids within the palace. Riel began speaking fluent sentences when he reached 5 months old, and just after the 6th month mark he began to walk around the palace halls.
His parents and siblings were very surprised but also very happy at Riel's development however, the other members of the clan felt indifferent. even though these feats were impressive it still did not change the fact that he was a blind prince. The citizens of the empire who heard about this had mix feelings, although it was great the 2nd prince appeared to be a genius he still couldn't live up to his full potential as someone of the Nightray royal clan.
The palace maids however, had nothing but headaches due to the young prince. Since he was blind, he would often run into things while stumbling his way around the palace and every time it happened the empress would be furious, and she would punish whoever was in charge of watching him at the time.
Riel wasn't too happy about this either, but he had no choice but to train in order to make his blindness manageable as he didn't know how long it would take for him to practice his technique to the level where he could see with his eyes closed.
As he was training, he heard footsteps on ground moving toward him. The steps felt very vigorous, powerful and also straightforward. From these small details he could confirm who it was walking toward him and with a childish voice he called out. "Father how are you today."
Klein was shocked hearing his son call him out but after all the many surprises he had been given by this boy it faded rather quickly and with a light smile he greeted this son of his.
"Haha, you never cease to amaze me my son. How did you know it was me?"
Riel turned toward his father as he explained. "Every one's foot-steps sound different and I remembered yours.
"Oh, I see that's good son keep it up. Aria is worried about you and its almost time for dinner and then bed in a few hours so don't give the maids anymore trouble today okay?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about mother I was going to ask her for something, but I don't think she will agree can you convince her father?"
The Emperor raised an eyebrow at this question. "What is it you want you know your mother spoils you why would she say no to what you ask of her?"
Riel looked at the floor and twittled his thumbs as if he was nervous, but this was all a part of his act to make his father pity him. he had gotten away with many things with this act before, and he hoped it would work this time.
"Well father, my brother and sisters all have their own rooms and I want my own room too can I please!" Riel said sounding very childish but also excited.
It took some convincing and a lot of promises on Riel's part but, eventually his father agreed to give him his own room in a courtyard that was directly across from his parents, that way if anything happened, they would be there in a flash.
When dinner time rolled around his father pitched the idea to his mother and after a lot of coaxing, she finally agreed reluctantly to allow Riel to have his own courtyard. Riel was overjoyed. "Finally, my own courtyard now I can practice my cultivation art without worries."
With these thoughts in mind Riel sped past dinner at lightning speed and after he finished, he asked his mother if she could get a maid to escort him to his new home. His mother agreed after giving him many warnings and reminding him not to leave his courtyard until morning.
After nodding his head multiple times like a pigeon, he quickly left with the maid almost dragging her by the hand out of the dining room.
"Is it really okay to let him do this dear, ever since he could walk, he has been very solitary, Yaya and Rize practically have to drag him away just to go play with them I'm afraid with him having his own courtyard he would never want to spend time with us." she said sound very worried.
"Mother, he has probably understood what we have been saying even before he decided to let us know he could talk, I think he knows that not being able to see isn't a good thing in our clan. I have seen him practice every day since he could walk to conquer his weakness; even though it looks like he is causing trouble if you look closely you would notice that every day, he has gotten a little better at it. I think it's good that he gets his own courtyard." Leon smiled giving his thoughts before his father could speak.
"Yes Aria, Leon is right did you know the boy can tell us apart just by our footsteps if he didn't care about us at all he wouldn't even bother to memorize those things."
"That's why he can always hide from us humph... i'm going to beat him up for tricking us." Rize said looking very angered.
"No, you can't hit our little brother I won't let you; it's just hide-and-seek." Yara said glaring at her big sister.
"Oh, fine I guess your right, but I can't help but worry about him." After the empress voiced her opinion everyone went back to eating.
...
"This is your new home young master we have already walked the perimeter so I'm sure you understand how big it is, please don't leave the courtyard before morning I really don't want to get in trouble."
Don't worry I know what to do, you are dismissed. He said sounding very monotone. The maid quickly left after his comment not at all surprised by it.
Riel was always like this, toward his family he was more willing to show his emotions but toward others he was very unfeeling. After doing a few rounds around his courtyard in order to become more familiar with it he went into his new room and laid down on his bed.
He was very excited to practice cultivation for the first time and he had already read over the first layer of his Chaotic Soul Art thousands of times since he received it, so he knew it by heart and without hesitation he began to practice. He mouthed the incantation for the technique while focusing his mind toward his soul as he chanted.
He felt his body becoming more relaxed as he chanted and even though he couldn't see it, he felt a strange energy enveloping his soul before being absorbed, as he repeated the chant constantly. Like this he chanted in his mind until it became second nature as he drifted off to sleep late into the night.
Little did Riel know that him being able to sleep while cultivating was shocking, a vast majority of people would find this incredibly hard to believe even if they saw it.
...
"Shadow, I'd like a report on my son how is he doing." The emperor asked seemingly speaking to the air as he sat within his office sipping a cup of tea.
"the young prince is fine your majesty, but something is strange... His body seems to be absorbing a small amount of soul energy while he is sleeping. Should we be alarmed?"
"Soul energy? hm... I thought that might be the case, his soul should be quite powerful for him to be able to learn so well and already be able to speak. It's fine leave him alone for now but, if something changes let me know."
"Yes, your majesty." The voice replied calmly.
After the emperor ended his short conversation he sat back in his chair with a sigh.
"What's the matter boy you sound disappointed." A voice sounded from the air before an old man with black and gray hair appeared from the void.
"Father I'm not disappointed but the more outstanding he appears to be the more he is in danger even though our clan is strong we don't have eyes in every direction he may be plotted against in the future." The emperor smiled ruefully.
"We will deal with everything when it comes besides with your great-grandfather still alive not even the Regalia Empire would dare to take us lightly, let alone the other empires." He said calmly.
"Your right father but still if his potential is too great who knows what could happen besides you know as well as I do the clan isn't completely unified after the war." said the emperor sounding worried.
When the old man heard his son's comment his expression became very pained, but he quickly recovered. "Don't worry about Riel our current power is enough to keep the foreign enemies at bay as for internal threats." He paused for a moment then he spoke in a cold tone.
"Take care of it."
Once the old man finished speaking, he disappeared silently as if he was never there.
The emperor looked at the spot his father left at and sighed once more.
"I wish we could back to the days before the fight for the throne, big brother."
