Breakthrough, Mid Level Nascent Soul Stage

In the Redemption Tower, the third floor.

Davis, who was subconsciously cultivating the Sacred Luminance Mist, slightly shuddered.

A bright golden luminance surrounded him as he made a breakthrough to Mid-Level Nascent Soul Stage. His cultivation climbed higher until his foundation stopped rising to a point and remained incredibly stable at that level. He opened his eyes, and he could feel with his soul that only six hours had passed while he spent ten years in that hell.

"What a scary heart demon! It had me in its palm for over ten years, little by little connecting me with my past self."

"First, pain."

"Second, emotions." 

"Third, a state where I could only watch mindlessly and not make a move.."

'If I hadn't realized at the last moment... If I had managed to torture and kill the girl, would I truly be the one to return here?' Davis trembled.

He suddenly felt as if this question should be left unanswered for the time being. In any case, he felt he was the same as ever, not much different from the time he entered the Heart Demon Trial. 

However, there was something about him different that he couldn't put his finger upon.

He didn't ponder much, so he quickly stood up and exited the tower.

When he came out of the tower, he could see a figure run up to him extremely fast. That figure instantly closed the distance before he could even react and hugged him giving him pure warmth.

He smiled, "I'm back, mother."

"... You silly." Claire released him as she looked at him.

Davis realized that her eyes were red. She looked like she had cried for a long time.

Logan came closer, walking slowly. He angrily stared at Davis, but he was inwardly delighted.

"What happened? Why is mother's eyes so red?" 

Davis felt that he should be the one who was angry this time around.

"Davis, you idiot! The Heart Demon session doesn't even last over an hour, and you have been there for over six hours! Just look at how your mother was worried sick about you, hmph! If you hadn't come out, I would've killed you myself!" 

Logan explained with an angry face, but he didn't mean it one bit.

Instead, at that time, he was fidgety and indecisive about whether he should stop the formation to rescue Davis.

But if he were to do so, he believed that there might be unimaginable consequences. Hence, he decided to put his faith in his son.

Fortunately, they saw him come out after six hours. Otherwise, they would have no choice but to stop the formation.

"After you entered the tower for more than an hour, your mother couldn't help but leave the Imperial Castle! She waited for two more hours in this place worriedly, but then she cried for about an hour and fainted. She just woke up just now. You are such a disgrace! What if something had happened to her and the baby in her womb!?" After seeing that his son was fine, Logan wanted to scold his son severely.

"Mother, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you worry. I promise that I'll never make yo-" Davis realized his fault and hurriedly apologized but was interrupted.

"Silly, you can't make that promise. You are meant to spread your wings in the future. No matter where you go, mother wouldn't stop worrying about you." 

Claire knew that her son would soar higher than anyone else in the future. That is the confidence that she had for her son, her pride.

Davis pursed his lips and felt moved.

Even though it wasn't directly his fault, he felt that it was better to apologize and comfort his mother with words because he learned that pregnancy posed a greater danger to cultivator women more than mortal women.

There were just too many complications that could harm the baby if the pregnant women weren't properly taken care of... And he, Davis, made his mother who was pregnant with a child cry till she fainted.

This might inadvertently worsen her situation. Hence, he couldn't help but feel extremely sorry at the same time.

"Alright, let's return to the Imperial Castle..." Logan shook his head and said.

"Mhm..." Both of them nodded.

=====

In the Emperor's Quarters.

"So? You did make a breakthrough, right?" Logan asked, quite in doubt.

The amulet Davis had on him was concealing his Soul Forging Cultivation. Hence, Logan found it difficult to tell.

"Yes, I've advanced to the Mid-Level Nascent Soul Stage," Davis replied with a smile.

"Good!" Logan nodded in satisfaction.

"Davis, use your soul sense," Claire said as she touched her glabella.

Davis spontaneously used his soul sense as he knew how to extend his soul sense from reading the basics.

A transparent form of energy tinged with light golden luminance spread around fifty meters of him in a spherical radius. In this space, he could perceive everything that is within his range. It was an uncanny and strange feeling that left him momentarily stunned. 

Davis lost himself in a trance, perceiving his surroundings while Logan and Claire had their jaws drop.

"I know that his soul is powerful, but not this powerful..." Claire muttered.

Davis became confused. What part of him did it cause them to say that his soul is very powerful, but he immediately realized it.

"An average person with a Mid-Level Nascent Soul Stage cultivation could only extend his Soul Sense for about ten meters while, on the other hand, you can extend up to fifty meters."

"This precisely denotes that your soul is five times more powerful than an average person who trains in Soul Forging Cultivation," Claire explained.

"But then, why can't I extend my Soul Sense up to five meters when I was in Low-Level Nascent Soul Stage?" Davis expressed his doubts.

"Silly," Claire giggled. "It simply doesn't work that way. Average cultivators of the Low-Level Nascent Soul Stage can only make their soul escape once their body is destroyed. Even then, their souls would quickly evaporate if they couldn't find a compatible treasure to secure their souls."

"Weak Low-Level Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators are simply unable to use soul sense at that cultivation base. Only people with powerful souls can use their soul sense to scan their bodies two or three times when in Low-Level Nascent Soul Stage, like your father," Claire explained patiently.

Logan produced a proud face when he heard her say that, but once he thought about how his son had beat him, his face deflated.

"Davis, you should have unlocked the first layer of Sacred Luminance Mist by now, display it for mother."

"The first layer? Okay." Davis nodded and circulated his soul to perform according to the first layer of Sacred Luminance Mist.

Layers of a Cultivation Technique can be easily comprehended, unlike Battle Techniques, which requires manual comprehension. The only prerequisite was that one should reach the required stage and trained in that specific cultivation manual.

Of course, if one was stupid and talentless, then even that one will find it difficult to comprehend the layers of a cultivation technique even if they reach the required cultivation stage.

A bright golden force field spread ten meters from Davis. Davis felt like nothing could damage his soul in this space.

"The Sacred Soul Shield you formed is powerful as well." Both of them weren't surprised this time.

"Even Peak-Level Nascent Soul Stage cultivators will find it very difficult to break that." Logan sighed in submission. He didn't even realize that he was competing with his son.

"That's it?" Davis expected more, like a flamboyant move capable of thrashing around everyone around him.

*Cough* *Cough*

"Hah, if this is the end, then it won't be any different any than other Soul Forging Cultivation Manuals, which enables you to deploy a Soul Shield." Claire confidently said and added, "Try shrinking it till you cover your entire body with it."

Davis nodded his head and tried to shrink the golden force field.

The golden force field shrank until it only covered his body.

Logan and Claire looked at how his soul is not only powerful but pure as well.

"Thi.. this, wouldn't even Infant Soul Stage cultivators find it hard to break this Sacred Soul Shield of his?" Logan muttered.

Claire became dumbfounded as well.

She uttered absentmindedly, "Yes."

The Infant Soul Stage is the Second Stage of Soul Forging Cultivation.

Davis was kind of happy but, at the same time, disappointed thinking that his shield was not useful against Young Soul Stage Cultivators. He didn't know that his parents were comparing him subconsciously with other cultivators who cultivated in other Sky Grade Soul Forging Cultivation Manuals.