Tasia's Radiance and Aerich's Resolve

Chapter 13: Tasia's Radiance and Aerich's Resolve

"That girl is quite talented. At such a young age, she's already at the Foundation Establishment Realm..." Starry Sky began to praise Tasia but stopped abruptly when he noticed Aerich glaring at him from outside the locket.

"S-Sorry! I thought you forgave me," Starry Sky stammered, immediately realizing its mistake. How could it forget that when it had fallen beside Aerich, the boy had already reached the Fourth Layer of Foundation Establishment and was on the verge of breaking through to the Fifth?

"Son, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?" Yu Zhong, seated beside him, noticed Aerich had stopped eating.

Currently, they were in the dining room, enjoying lunch. In honour of their guests, the chefs had prepared a grand feast.

But the food wasn't great—at least not compared to the modern world's standards. Many spices either hadn't been discovered or simply didn't exist in this world.

As cultivators, they didn't need to eat, but as a form of courtesy, Yu Zhong had decided to host the guests with a banquet.

"I'm full."

Aerich forced himself to finish his food, cleaned his mouth, and stood. Leaning close to his father, he whispered, "Father, I'm tired and would like to rest."

"Go."

After getting permission to leave, he politely nodded at Draec, Tasia, and Berlotte before exiting the dining area.

In the dining room after Aerich left:

"Yu Zhong, tell me honestly—is he really your son?" Draec knocked on the table with his finger, his gaze fixed on Yu Zhong.

"Hehe... What are you talking about, Draec?" Yu Zhong chuckled at his friend's thoughts.

"It's not necessary for children to inherit all their parents' traits," Yu Zhong explained, clearly addressing Draec's doubts.

"True, you're right about that. Even Tasia is completely opposite to me in nature..." Draec admitted.

They continued their conversation, reminiscing about their younger days.

Yu Zhong turned his attention to Tasia and Berlotte. "Well, you girls aren't bored listening to us old men, are you?"

"No... What should I call you?" Tasia asked, trying to be polite.

"You can address me as 'Uncle,' like my son does with your father," Yu Zhong offered, smiling to ease her awkwardness.

How cute.

"U-Uncle. No, I'm not bored. I enjoy hearing about my father's teenage years."

On his way back, Aerich noticed that of the three targets Starry Sky had detected earlier, only one remained. At least one of the others must still be in the Yu Family estate.

Ding!

[One target is within range. Do you want to bind? Yes/No]

'Yes.'

[Target successfully bound.]

'Open target's status.'

[Target's Status]

Name: Tasia Lowlance

Talent: Heavenly Fate

Physique: None

Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment Realm

Techniques: Blossoming Moon Slash (Offensive), Aegis of Verdant Grace (Defensive), Silver Lotus Barrier (Defensive), Phantom Echo Mirage (Movement)

Wow! We're only a year apart, and she already knows so many techniques. But her talent is slightly worse than Hua Lian's...

Creak!

Aerich opened the door to his room and entered, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Ding!

[Do you wish to receive Tasia Lowlance's cultivation? Yes/No]

'Yes.'

The surrounding spiritual energy madly poured into his body.

Instantly, Aerich's cultivation began to rise. He broke through the First Layer of Foundation Establishment, then the Second, Third, and Fifth. His cultivation soared to the Eighth Layer and stopped just shy of the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"It's happening again. Boy, what kind of otherworldly physique do you have?" Starry Sky was shocked.

This boy, whom others either sympathized with or disdained, was a complete monster. Even in the Upper Realm, only those from immortal clans had the talent to break through one major realm in a day. But this boy had done it in less than an hour.

"Shut up... I've been accumulating spiritual energy for years to make my foundation invincible. I'm just using it the right way," Aerich snapped, making up an excuse to cover his sudden power-up.

Damn! I got carried away. Next time, I need to avoid increasing my strength like this.

Aerich clicked his tongue in frustration.

After changing into simpler clothes, he decided to visit the Technique Hall to choose some techniques.

When Aerich arrived, the hall was mostly deserted; most people visited in the morning.

At the entrance, an elder sat quietly. Though the elder would've allowed him to enter directly, Aerich still showed his entry token as a matter of courtesy.

This is how corruption begins—when you start to think everything belongs to you.

In reality, nothing belonged to him. The respect and privilege he received were due to his father's status, not his own.

Aerich was surprised upon entering the Technique Hall. From the outside, it looked like a single-floor building, but inside, a circular staircase descended to another floor.

The walls were adorned with carvings of dragons, phoenixes, and other mythical creatures he couldn't recognize.

The pillars, made of dark green jade, reflected light that bathed the hall in a serene jade glow.

Aerich noticed a few others in the hall as he began exploring. All the techniques on this floor were Earth Rank.

He assumed the Sky Rank techniques must be stored on the lower floor.

Today, however, he was here for Earth Rank techniques. Picking up a few books with interesting titles, he quickly lost interest. He decided to test his luck and see if some super-legendary book was waiting for its successor in a forgotten corner.

A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Unlock advanced chapters and exclusive content on my Patreon!