9. Legacy I

Although his cultivation is yet to even step into the earliest stages, he was already pretty energetic.

"Shill, thank you." Hal handed the towel over to his personal maid Shill after wiping his body before putting on his robe.

After this, Hal would eat. His food would consist of easily digestible food that still contains a lot of nutrients.

"Is mother still processing papers?"

"Yes, she is young master. The matter of our western borders is in dire straits after Elder Tian's death happened there."

Elder Tian, the one who came to his birthday when he turned one had already died. Hal didn't think much of it and only hoped the Elder's soul doesn't end up like his, but because it happened in their territory, his Mother is busy handling some papers.

Daryun is currently out on a job up north, and his sisters are presently taking an exam to an Immortal Sect he does not know the name.

They say it would be a surprise, so no one told him what is happening. At the moment, he is left to do whatever he wants.

"Did mother at least approved of my request to enter the Martial Pavilion?"

"She has, and the young master is allowed to enter all the way up to the fifth level."

When Hal heard her speak of that part, Hal's expression bloomed.

He finished his food in a hurry and ran to the Martial Pavilion. The Martial Pavilion is a nine-story pagoda, and each level has a coinciding level of martial cultivation.

From what Hal knows, there are five stages of cultivation once the Soul Seed's been created.

«Core Formation»: «Heaven's Wheel»: «Soul Blossom»: «Mandate Seeking»: and «Nihility».

The Fifth Level of the Martial Pavilion tackles up till Nihility Realm.

"Okay, I'll be staying here for the day, you can rest for the day, Shill."

"Thank you, young master."

Three guards guarded the Martial Pavilion. Two at the front entrance and one at the back.

When Hal entered, none of the two guards moved. The two heavy doors opened as Hal approached it and as he entered, a good number of arranged bookshelves were neatly placed on the first floor.

No one was in the Martial Pavilion other than Hal and an old man reading some form of story on the back of a counter.

Hal ignored the old man and went up the levels. Heading straight to the Fifth Level of the Pavilion, he was greeted by fewer bookshelves.

If the First Level has hundreds of shelves, the fifth has a total of twenty. And going up from the fifth level, the number of shelves would number less than the last.

There are only five Nihility Realm Cultivation techniques in the Fifth Level, and only three of them cultivates Immortal Martial Spirit.

The great number of cultivation techniques in the Martial Pavilion came to be because of the many wars Daryun and Arya get involved in.

Dayun had many notable accomplishments, the Fight in the Northern Plains, Massacre of the Clearing, Scarlet Moon Bloodbath, and the Soul Inquisitor's Hunt.

These are the names of his endeavor that spread through in their territory named Aurora Province.

The name of the province stemmed from the fact that every twenty years, an aura will appear and bless the people with an immense amount of heavenly essence falls from the heavens improving the cultivation of the people.

Many Sects and Cults wished to take the Aurora Province, but in the fight for power, Daryun and Arya swept the province and established the Prosperity City where the Estize Manor is built on.

Also, the Martial Pavilion contents stemmed from the number of fights his family has been in. Treasures and cultivation manuals were all ransacked from their enemies; it was said that his father has a great number of manuals stored on the top floor.

It was said that the Immortal Soul Cultivation technique of the Soul Inquisitor and his Soul Jade is in his possession, or their mercenary troops are training the Revolving Dragon Sword technique of the Northern Pillar Sect in secret.

In short, there are a great number of stories regarding their family despite its brief history.

Hal looked at the cultivation manual's name and began to think what the best choice would be. He was hesitating as he read the name of each cultivation manual.

«Dragon Reverence»: «Thunder Lord Cultivation»: «Earth Sovereign», such is the name of the cultivation manuals.

"Hmmm, so these are what they call cultivation manuals, interesting. But I can't use them as reference; they are far from my ideal physique; I can't learn much from them."

These cultivation manuals are considered as specialized techniques. In the world of cultivation, one can cultivate even without a manual. A manual is but a way to direct a cultivator to a much easier path and grant him powers that will be harder to gain in normal circumstances.

However, anyone could cultivate without a manual. The heavenly essence is not controlled by any God as it is a gift to every being.

A Soul Seed is an example as anyone can form it without a manual giving everyone the same stance as anyone else.

Anyone can become a genius if you are given a heaven-defying cultivation technique. But cultivating with ease is not always so simple as hardships are needed for growth.

'Cultivators treks a steep mountain for longevity, those who struggle at the very start will get accustomed to it and become adept to climbing. But those who are given a headstart and gets boosted through external means will find it hard to climb up once the flattened path given to them turn steep.'

This is a philosophy of not only applies cultivators but life overall.

Those who are birthed with a silver spoon will find it hard to live once they lose their wealth; Hal had seen these a thousand times.

Not that he condemns those who use cultivation manuals, no, far from it. He merely sees that hardships as a form of tests.

He still believes that if an opportunity arises, like if a heaven-defying manual appears, one should grab it and cultivate it to gain power. But one should never forget that even though they are improving fast, it is not merely because of their genius, a big part of it is because of the manual and the hard work they put in cultivating.

'Now that I think about it if I can get a cultivation manual that is higher than anything else in this world, and become the strongest because of it. Who is the true genius? The one who created the manual or me…? It should be the author of the manual, right?

'But then again, manuals are created to teach the younger generation of the past and maintain a legacy. Those who failed to live for eternity will leave a legacy so that their name will forevermore be remembered, so it doesn't matter now, does it?

'…Must be nice, leaving their names and legacy as proof they were once alive…'

Hal has no legacy of his own, the one who has legacies are the people whose death he experienced. No one remembers him because the one they remember are the ones he controlled.

'Someday, I wish to create a legacy of my own. But…I also don't want to die. Hmmm, I'll just create a legacy while I'm alive then, a legacy that everyone will remember even while I am alive – a legend.'

Hal thought to himself as he took three books of martial arts and the way of cultivation that is not associated with Immortal Martial Cultivation.