Chapter 39: Trouble on the Horizon

Amrit lay soundly asleep beneath the majestic spirit fruit tree, its branches adorned with glistening, golden-hued leaves and flowers that cast a warm and comforting glow over everything in its vicinity. The serene atmosphere was accompanied by a gentle breeze that weaved its way through the surrounding landscape, causing the delicate herbs and flowers to sway gracefully in its wake. The tranquil, golden-gilded pond mirrored the beauty of the sky above, its surface disrupted by the playful dance of the fish as they leaped and created mesmerizing ripples that added to the enchanting scene. The setting presented itself as a magnificent work of art, reminiscent of a masterstroke from a grandmaster. Only the word paradise was apt for describing this scene.

 It was the kind of scene that would continue to captivate, no matter how many times one had experienced it. Yet, Amrit was unable to experience the grandeur of such a breathtaking sight. Even when the sun had hidden behind the mountains and dusk was falling slowly, Amrit was asleep. There was nothing like having a great dream or an epiphany, he was just tired from non-stop training. He was simply asleep. His grandparents and Radha had returned to the waiting room. Punya also came from the door outside. Seeing Amrit sleeping under the tree he picked a little pebble and threw it at Amrit. This was a simple pebble throw without much strength and killing intent but at that time something surprising happened. When the pebble was about to hit him, Amrit suddenly opened his eyes and as if by reflex caught the pebble without even looking at it. This was only possible if a cultivator was in the foundation building realm because this realm entails divine sense. But even with divine sense, if a cultivator was asleep or was caught off guard, it was possible to hit them with a pebble lacking any intent and had the potential to harm them in any way.

But Amrit was not at the foundation building realm or had divine sense. Even more, the pebble did not contain any intent or had much power behind it. After capturing the pebble, Amrit's eyes which had opened suddenly became groggy again. After yawning and stretching his arms, his eyes opened fully and became clear. He had caught the pebble in his sleep. Then he looked at his hand and found a little pebble in his fists. He threw the pebble into the pond creating a ripple and got up. On the other side, Punya stood still with a shocked face. He was a battle cultivator with good instincts and reflexes but he may not be able to do what Amrit had done under similar conditions. He didn't know what to make of it. To have such instincts and reflexes was obviously a good thing, it could save one's life at critical moments. But having such an ability on his son made him worried about the legacy he got.

Just from this event, anyone could make out that the legacy he had received was truly extraordinary but, what if his son had to pay a great price for his power? After all, things are seldom found for free. Every legacy comes with disadvantages, even if there were no conditions attached, the line of karma would still be woven between them. But since Amrit didn't explain to them about the legacy, but instead gave those inheritances to the clan he let go of his worry as whatever will happen is bound to happen. Instead, he became happy, with those reflexes and instincts, Amrit was sure to be a battle cultivator when he breaks through the foundation building realm.

Amrit slowly rose to his feet, feeling the soft blades of grass under his bare feet. As he gazed across the field, he spotted his father making his way towards the house from a distant corner. A glance at the darkening sky revealed that the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the surroundings in the gentle hues of dusk. "Looks like I have slept the whole afternoon. No wonder I am feeling so fresh," he mused, relishing the sensation as he extended his limbs in a leisurely stretch. While stretching he found that his senses had improved a little and his qi, soul, and body had sublimed a little making them in more harmony with each other. He thought this was due to the first good rest he had in a week. Walking towards the crossroad he waited for his father. After a minute his father arrived and said "Looks like you have slacked off for a whole afternoon. It is good to have a rest sometimes. Rigorous training without rest may result in the opposite effect." Nodding at his father's word the father-son duo went towards the house. His grandparents and his mother were already seated at the table talking about their progress. Seeing the two of them entering the house, Radha went to fetch the lunch she had placed inside the container. 

As Amrit and his father sat on the chair Keshab asked "How did it go at the clan hall today?" Punya looked toward Keshab and told him about everything that went down in the clan hall. He told about how the fifth elder helped him get the upper hand and the requests of the elders to make the inheritances cheaper. As they were listening to Punya, Radha brought the dishes and put the food on everyone's plate. Punya was describing about how he released his pressure and made the elders silent, about supreme elders finding the inheritance, the main inheritance being demonic and supreme elders destroying it. This was all pre-planned for when the clan elders asked about the source. As they listened the lunch eaten at dinner time was gradually coming to an end. Punya then asked Keshab "Father although the elders seemed to believe it today, there may be loopholes in what we have prepared. And we still haven't found the spy among the elders. When the news reaches the other clans they will focus on the demonic part of inheritance making it justified to wage war against us."

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