The Departure
After their fight, Aldrian and Eleine returned to the village. Aldrian still felt obligated to ask for permission from two people. He arrived at the front of a simple house made of wood with a straw roof. A beautiful garden, neatly arranged with all kinds of fruits and vegetables, adorned the front of the house, with a flow of water from underground passing through the side of the garden, adding to its beauty.
An old man with white hair and a long white beard was leaning on a wooden chair in front of the house. He looked serene, his eyes closed as he seemed to enjoy the tranquility of the village. When Aldrian and Eleine arrived, the old man sensed their presence and opened his eyes.
When he saw Aldrian, he smiled at the boy who seemed to have grown so fast, remembering when he was just a newborn. When Aldrian stood in front of him, the old man spoke to his visitors.
"When the night comes, the stars will shine beautifully. When the sun rises in the sky, the stars lose their light, but in the end, the sun is also a star. What brings you here, young master?"
Aldrian, hearing this old man's nonsense, felt embarrassed and sighed. "Grandpa, don't you think it's embarrassing? Every time I come to you, you always say something like that."
Aldrian knew that his complaint would fall on deaf ears, so he just let the old man have his way.
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WeiJun Rivas
Age : 5000 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Peak Earl
Cultivation technique : The Blessing of Rain
Attack techniques : Water blessing,Giant Waves, Water sprout, Water Needle, The Water's Judgment
Defense techniques : Water Wall, Body of Water
Movement technique : Cloud steps
Supporting technique : Seven firmament fire
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Aldrian looked at Wei Rivas's information. What he knew about Old Wei, who was in front of him, was that he was his mother's physician as well as an alchemist. Aldrian had heard that Old Wei was quite amazing in the outside world. A physician and an alchemist are two different branches of knowledge, but they are still connected.
Becoming an alchemist of the lowest tier is not difficult, but nurturing talented ones who can develop into future grandmaster alchemists is challenging. It requires enormous time and resources to train one. But what about someone who is both an alchemist and a physician? It's a rare talent and one of the most sought-after in the entire continent.
"Have a seat, young master," Wei Rivas said.
Aldrian then took a seat in one of the chairs beside Old Wei, while Eleine stood beside him. Just as he was about to tell Old Wei about his plan, the door of the house opened, revealing an old woman. Her white hair bore witness to the passing time, and her clear blue eyes amidst the wrinkles on her face were remnants of her youthful beauty.
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Lina Rivas
Age : 4967 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Middle Earl
Cultivation technique : The Blessing of Rain
Attack techniques : Water blessing,Giant Waves, Water sprout, Water Needle, The Water's Judgment
Defense techniques : Water Wall, Body of Water
Movement technique : Cloud steps
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She was the wife of Old Wei and also a physician like him. She was one of the people who helped his mother give birth to him. Aldrian, seeing her come out of the house, smiled and stood up to show his respect.
"You are still as healthy and beautiful as ever, Grandma."
They were the ones Aldrian considered to be his grandparents in this secret realm. Even though he knew he had grandparents in the outside world, his 12 years of life had been colored by Old Wei and Lina. They were among the people who had accompanied him since his childhood, besides his parents and Eleine.
"Ah, young master, you've surely grown up so much. Look at your sweet talk."
They exchanged pleasantries for a while before Aldrian finally told them about his plan.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I think I need to go to the outside world." He then explained his reasoning, similar to what he had told Eleine first. When the old couple heard his reasoning, they sighed but were not surprised.
"So it comes to this, huh? As I thought, your talent in cultivation is unheard of, so it's natural for you to soon reach a bottleneck." Old Wei said.
"Child, can't you wait until your parents come to pick you up?" Lina said, worry evident in her voice.
"Sigh, I wish I could cultivate in peace, but this bottleneck is bothering me. If I don't try to seek enlightenment, I'm afraid I will develop an inner demon."
When they heard this, they realized it made sense. Inner demons appear when a cultivator's dao heart harbors lingering negative thoughts because each heart can have doubts, traumas, impatience, and chaotic thoughts. They were afraid that Aldrian would develop an inner demon at his young age due to his current bottleneck in cultivation. They didn't want anything to hinder his development and talent, so they finally accepted that it was time for Aldrian to see the outside world.
"I only hope for the best for you, child, but please take care of yourself, even though you have Eleine with you." said Old Wei.
"Child, don't put yourself in danger wherever you go. I hope you can meet your parents in good health and spirits in the future." Lina added.
"Aish, we'll just need to wait here. If Lord Aldrey and Lady Irene return suddenly and you're not here, let me talk to them. Also, the villagers need us." Old Wei said again.
The villagers of this secret realm had no physician before their arrival, so when Wei and Lina first arrived and assessed the situation, the villagers greatly benefited from their services. Aldrian, who was ready to provide more persuasion, was stunned to receive their permission so quickly.
When he tried to reason with Eleine earlier, she had dismissed it as just his excuse to go outside the world. She didn't believe that a 12-year-old boy could reach a bottleneck and need enlightenment. What kind of enlightenment does a 12-year-old boy need? So he had prepared for another round of persuasion, but they had already given their permission. This understanding warmed his heart, so he stood up from the chair and bowed to the old couple in gratitude.
"Thank you for your support and understanding."
Wei Jun and Lina smiled when they saw him like this, feeling as though they were sending off their own child on his first adventure. After receiving their permission, it was finally time for Aldrian to prepare for his departure. He and Eleine returned to their respective homes and started packing, planning to leave the secret realm the next day.
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When night came, Aldrian carefully arranged all the items he felt he needed for his journey. On top of his bed lay several things that his parents had left behind for him to use if necessary. There was a sword, a ring, some energy stones, and spare clothes.
He first picked up the sword. It was 80 cm long with beautiful carvings on the scabbard and hilt. On the center of the handguard was a symbol that he didn't recognize. Unsheathing the sword, he marveled at the straight, double-edged sword in all its glory. From the quality it emanated, he felt it was more than sufficient to support him on his journey.
"With this kind of sword, I wonder what kind of family Father and Mother are from?" His curiosity about his parents family reignited at that moment. From the few clues he had gathered from stories he heard over time, he knew their family was not simple.
He then sheathed the sword and put it down to inspect the next item: the ring. This was no ordinary ring, but a spatial ring capable of containing various items. When he inspected it by inserting his sense into it, he discovered a space with the size of 1,000,000 cubic meters. It was a large storage space for a spatial ring, but since he had never seen another spatial ring he assumed it was common outside. If Eleine heard his thoughts, she would cry at his ignorance.
Next, he inspected the energy stones, which formed a small mound on his bed. The stones were the size of pigeon eggs and contained immense energy, making them valuable resources for cultivation. He remembered his father telling him about the spirit stones currency:
Low-level energy stones Middle-level energy stones: 1,000 low-level energy stones High-level energy stones: 100 middle-level energy stones Peak-level energy stones: 10 high-level energy stones
In front of him were 1,000 high-level energy stones and 10 peak-level energy stones. He hoped this would be enough for his journey. If Eleine knew his thoughts she wouldn't just cry, she would likely smash her head against the wall. With the energy stones he had he could buy a small fortress or build a small sect by himself. Additionally, the energy stones could assist in the cultivation of even grand duke stage or king stage, illustrating just how precious the high and peak-level energy stones were.
Feeling that everything was ready, he gathered all the items into his spatial ring and went to sleep, preparing for the journey that awaited him the next day.
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As the sun revealed only half of its body and the morning birds chirped to herald the new day, Aldrian and Eleine stood at the village gate. In front of them were old Wei, Lina, and a few villagers. Aldrian had lived here for 12 years and had formed close bonds with many of the villagers. Seeing them all gathered to send him off touched him deeply, and tears began to brim in his eyes.
"Take care of yourself," said old Wei, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes. Lina stood beside him, holding back her own tears.
"I will, Grandpa," Aldrian replied, nodding his head. He looked at Eleine, who gave him nod in return. He then began to walk away, but before he was out of sight, he turned and waved one last time before continuing on until he could no longer be seen.
"When the night comes, the stars will shine beautifully. When the sun rises in the sky, the stars lose their light, but in the end, the sun is also a star."
Old Wei smiled as he watched Aldrian's silhouette disappear, pondering what stories the future held for Aldrian.