Chapitre 30: Just One Drop

Normally speaking, such an attack would never hit that elder. He was in the Foundation Establishment Realm, while Denil was only in the Third Stage of the Qi Gathering. Doesn't matter how good a skill might be. There was no way Alm and Bruno could bridge that gap in cultivation.

It's just that the elder truly thought Denil couldn't do anything other than use beast cores. In fact, even if Denil had more of them, with the difference in cultivation, the elder would still not be afraid of Denil.

The only reason the Non-Lethal Strike hit at all was because the elder completely underestimated Bruno and Alm. Who are they? They are old monsters that lived for tens of thousands of years. When the elder approached, his defenses were thoroughly open. Alm and Bruno only had to use a split of inattention from that elder to activate the skill.

That's why, while it looked like Denil did something unbelievable in that elder's vision, it looked nothing at all in the vision of others. The skill was so useless that all that elder had to do was use a little bit of his Qi to create a barrier around his body. That alone would have been more than enough to fend off Denil's skill. Alas...

When the elder finally stopped spinning uncontrollably, a voice thundered through the training arena, echoing in every corner.

"How was it again...? Oh, right! The strongest fist prevails! Hahahaha!" Alm declared with a mocking tone.

The fallen elder immediately sat on the ground, visibly healthy and practically unscathed. His own condition left him speechless as he tried to make sense of what had happened.

'Why is he making a fool of himself?' thought another elder, still bewildered by the situation.

The right side of the seated elder's face was completely red and swollen, leaving no doubt about the meaning of Alm's words. He didn't feel physical pain, but his mental anguish and humiliation were at a level he would have preferred facing death.

All ten young disciples in the arena clearly heard the sound of the slap, and some even caught a glimpse of the elder spinning out of control. This only exacerbated the elder's situation, and he trembled with anger on the verge of exploding.

However, Alm didn't give him a chance to do anything. Before the elder could react, Alm already had the two rings in his hands, taking long strides toward the arena's exit. Bruno, with his back turned, didn't miss a beat in waving at the stunned elders watching them. In a matter of seconds, they were at a considerable distance from the arena. Well, they had to. They knew they would never succeed if they tried it again.

"How can he run so fast with that body?" the elders wondered, still dazed.

Alm felt that they lost a good opportunity, though. 'You're a coward. We could have had more fun beating them up.'

Bruno replied quickly. 'Don't be foolish. You know that it only worked because of the circumstances. If they had teamed up, we would have gotten a beating. Remember, this technique is non-lethal; the damage is purely mental. Save it for opportune moments.' Then he chuckled. 'You took it seriously when I said it would come in handy for some fun? I didn't think you'd waste time reading and learning it.'

'You keep me from killing like a coward. With this technique, I can vent my anger a bit. The manipulative Heaven's Will seems to have prepared this technique especially for me,' Alm vented in frustration. 'Give me something I can cause chaos and destruction with, make the blood flow like a river, damned system.'

Bruno sighed. 'Well, you always complain about everything in the end... But we gained a lot today. Also, something seems to have changed in our bodies. I sense something in our blood.'

A few minutes later, Alm and Bruno were back in their room. Upon entering, they saw Ruri sitting in peaceful meditation, enveloped in a soft light. In her hands, a violet spiritual lotus flower gently spun, matching her maid outfit.

Sitting on the stone bed, Alm commented quickly, 'Can't you feel it? The hunger is much more bearable. It seems that the power of the laws of the earth has some significant value for this bloodline.'

Bruno pondered for a moment and then spoke. 'We need to obtain a greater quantity and density level of these laws. But on this planet, there's only one known place with a high level of earth laws.'

'The worst part is that we're quite far from that place. The entire planet consists of a single massive continent, and we're in the far west. In the Far East, there's a region known as the 'Eastern Mountains.''

'It's a vast mountain range, so high that it obstructs the view of the opposite horizon. Nearby, a vast and dangerous desert hosts several demon clans. We'll have to traverse the continent to get there,' Bruno concluded thoughtfully.

Alm liked the idea, but he didn't forget their plans. 'We have a clear goal in this insignificant place that we must take care of first. Afterward, we'll head there. Take a look at the girl; she's improving rapidly. It won't be long.'

Hours passed slowly as they both thoroughly analyzed the changes in their bodies. Eventually, they concluded that everything was practically the same except for one thing: a single mystical drop circulated within their blood.

It was a viscous brown liquid, and upon feeling it, they realized its properties were similar to that of earth. 'This... just one drop made us use that strange power,' commented Alm.

'It was a powerful magnetic force. It matches with the blood's property; magnetic and gravitational power is intrinsically related to the laws of the earth.' Bruno continued to think. 'What a powerful bloodline. Just one drop and such a result. We definitely need to go east.'

Alm began counting the crystals in the two rings. 'Hopefully, we can find some reasonable things with earth power in the nearby city. It's better than staying...'

He was abruptly interrupted when he felt a slight tremor in his soul. It lasted only a fraction of a second, and both turned to look at the small maid next to them.

Ruri opened her eyes, and a delicate violet light shone through them. Her gaze met theirs as a radiant smile blossomed on her face. The impact of that smile resonated in various ways with Alm and Bruno.

"A small success," said Bruno, his tone reflecting satisfaction.

Alm, however, was momentarily stunned before regaining his composure. "It seems the level of the technique has reached the maximum limit of her superficial cultivation. That's good."

***

Hours passed, and midnight shrouded the main building in a cloak of darkness. A shadow moved silently through the corridors, advancing toward a deep section of the structure.

Gliding along the ground just inches above, Ruri followed closely behind Alm and Bruno. They concealed themselves perfectly within the shadows, avoiding detection by anyone's keen senses. Ruri, with her soul technique, could easily divert any potential threat.

'It seems she's already becoming a potential stealthy assassin. We just need to teach her how to silently cut off heads,' commented Alm, reflecting on the situation.

'Don't corrupt her innocence!' replied Bruno, with an incredulous expression.

Alm saw some deficiencies, though. 'The fact is, she's still immature in efficiently manipulating Qi. Using this simple technique is already consuming all her energy, counting the trip there and back. Soon, there won't be anything left inside her.'

Arriving at the door with the formation, Alm and Bruno instructed Ruri to pay close attention to the opening method. They knew there was still much for her to learn, but with her dedication, perhaps it wouldn't take too long.

Both quickly descended through the tunnels without wasting time. However, Bruno noticed something strange. Ruri's aura was in disarray, and she was walking more and more slowly ahead of them, obviously afraid of something.

"You don't need to worry about anything. We don't expect you to be perfect right away," Bruno said gently.

In a trembling voice, she replied, "I... I'm sorry... it's just... this place is narrow and closed in. If Master falls... I'll have to desperately run away while you roll down the hill."

Denil's mouth twitched as Alm and Bruno felt like crying but had no tears...