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2.41% Life After Reaching The Pinnacle / Chapter 2: Chapter 02: Maple Town

章 2: Chapter 02: Maple Town

In the StarHaven lower realm, there existed a vast landmass called Haven Continent, surrounded by the Endless Sea and dotted with small islands. The continent was ruled by five major empires, each presiding over several smaller kingdoms.

"So, just the typical aristocratic setup, huh?" Asty remarked after hearing Aadi's description of the StarHaven lower realm.

Currently, they sat on a hillside, gazing toward the walls in the distance.

"And what about the power system?" Asty asked, glancing away from the walls.

"Well, it's actually pretty simple. This realm—or rather, the whole world—has an energy called Profound Energy. People who practice and wield this energy are known as Profound Artists," Aadi explained.

"So, it's just another cultivation system," Asty replied, her tone flat.

"Why are you even asking me all this? Just check for yourself," Aadi shrugged nonchalantly.

"I've sealed almost all of my cultivation so I can genuinely enjoy this adventure with you. You should do the same. Try living like an ordinary person—you might get something unexpected out of it," Asty suggested, and Aadi could almost see a halo above her head.

Only then did Aadi check her cultivation level. He felt a strong urge to smack Asty on the head after what he discovered.

'This is what you call normal? Show me any 'normal' person who could erase hundreds of Azure Divine Worlds with a snap of their fingers!'

Though Asty had indeed sealed most of her power, her very existence was too uniqueand powerful to be anything close to ordinary.

"Anyway, I won't go into details. Just remember, there are five Saint Lands backing each of the empires, along with a multitude of sects and academies spread across the continent."

"The cultivation stages are: 

★ Foundation Profound Stage 

★ Essence Gathering Profound Stage 

★ Spirit Profound Stage 

★ Origin Profound Stage 

★ Earth Profound Stage 

★ Heaven Profound Stage 

★ Ruler Profound Stage 

★ Saint Profound Stage 

★ Monarch Profound Stage 

And finally, Divin—"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't need an info dump. Let's just go," Asty interrupted, leaping off his shoulder.

'But you're the one who asked,' Aadi wanted to shout but held back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching Asty alter her appearance. She looked the same but no longer carried the majestic aura of a Beast God, resembling instead an ordinary neighborhood cat.

"Why am I not surprised?" Asty sighed. "Just change your appearance, too. Do you think these mere mortals can handle our presence? Especially those eyes of yours—Celestial elders might lose just by looking into them, let alone these mortals."

Aadi quickly understood so he transformed himself into an ordinary 25-year-old man in plain clothes. His figure was still lean and looking frail because of the clothes.

He now had sky-blue eyes, a somewhat average face, whitish-silver hair, and stood at 6'2". As for Asty, she became what she truly was… a white cat.

Aadi picked her up and placed her on his shoulder, but she climbed onto his head, raising a little paw, declaring, "Let the ride begin, my unworthy mount."

Aadi's eyes twitched. He grabbed her face, announcing, "It's an RKO out of nowhere!" and promptly slammed her head to the ground.

Asty sprang up, growling, "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS HUMILIATION!" She pounced on him, her intentions crystal clear.

Naturally, Aadi didn't stay idle and counterattacked, marking the start of what would later be remembered as the thousand-year blood war.

After 'playing' with Asty for a while, Aadi finally reached the town's entrance and stepped inside.

Since this was a small town populated mostly by mortals, security was light, and people could enter and leave freely. The people were also mostly mundane humans so the town was quite peaceful.

One thing, however, captured Aadi's attention—a massive Maple Tree near the entrance. It towered over the entire Town and from the from the ground it seemed to touch the heavens. The peaceful atmosphere the tree provided relaxed the tired souls and bodies of everyone.

"So this is why it's called Maple Town," he murmured, observing the tree. "But it has a Divine aura, so why haven't any practitioners utilized it?"

"Ignorance isn't always bliss," Asty responded, overhearing him.

Aadi hummed in agreement. "Well, it's none of our concern. Let's see what we can do about opening our bookstore here."

He began wandering around, getting familiar with the town.

After a couple of hours exploring every corner, he arrived at a rundown house on the outskirts of town. Rather than a normal house, it looked more like a haunted house.

There, Aadi found himself in a staring contest with a middle-aged woman.

"Are you certain, boy?" Rose Milan, the house's owner, asked once more. "Why this place? Not even birds crap here. The only good things about it are the peace and that restaurant a little way down."

"I'm sure, Aunty Rose," Aadi replied politely. "Besides, it's all I can afford, and since I plan to open a bookstore, a quiet setting is perfect."

"Fair enough. Since you're sure, go ahead and make the payment, and the house is yours," Rose said, handing him a wooden plaque with some characters carved into it.

Aadi took the plaque, gave her a few coins, and, after confirming the amount, she went on her way.

He turned to face the house, raising his hand, but before he could act, two small paws covered his eyes.

"What is it, Asty?" he asked, lowering his hand.

"Remember, we're staying 'normal.' Money is fine, but you're going to set up the bookstore without using any powers."

Aadi stayed silent for a moment, then sighed, "Fine, I'll do it, but you're in on this too."

"But what can a small, weak cat like me possibly do?" Asty asked innocently.

Aadi snorted and ignored her. He just began walking toward the house that would now be his new home. He was quite excited for this new journey as it had been so many years for his last journey. It was always fun.

"Time for the carpenter Aadi to shine!"


章 3: Chapter 03: The Heart's Desire

A pair of a silver-whistish young man and a white furry cat stood before a two-story house, looking at it with a strange satisfaction on thier faces.

After a full week of work, they had finally completed the bookstore. Though it wasn't luxurious, it had a simple charm with clean and welcoming atmosphere.

Surrounding the building was a small, open patch of land and a pond bordered it with marble stones on its shore. At the top of the structure, a black plaque proudly displayed the words "Cosmic Valve."

A strange look appeared on Asty's face when her gaze landed on the plaque as some distant memories surfaced in her mind.

"It's not perfect, but it'll do," Aadi smiled, clearly pleased with their work. "Now, we just need the books. But first, this garden could use some herbs, and the pond needs filling."

With a wave of his hand, the garden suddenly bloomed with divine herbs, the kind for which entire worlds might go to war. Plants like 'Twin Dragon Fruit,' 'Chaos Thunder Grass,' and 'Ice Spirit Flame Grass' sprang up like ordinary grass, blanketing the garden with their rare presence.

At the same time, Asty flicked her little paw, forming an invisible barrier that concealed the herbs' divine aura from the outside.

As the pond absorbed this energy, it transformed into a soul pond. Drinking just a cup of its water could elevate a person's soul to the next stage.

Inside the bookstore, shelves lined the walls, neatly organized and filled with various books. In the center of the room, tables and chairs awaited their first readers.

"You infused something into the books, didn't you?" Asty noted, eyeing the shelves.

"If this were an ordinary bookstore, how could I ever pass as a hidden expert?" Aadi replied with a smirk. "I just added a few enhancements so readers might gain some benefits. But whar they receive depends on their cultivation and how they actually are."

Asty rolled her eyes, only half-listening as Aadi continued his explanation.

With that, Aadi and Asty settled into a quiet life managing their little bookstore. Since the town was mostly populated by mundane people, the visitors were mainly locals looking for entertainment.

They had not stepped on the path of cultivation so they received nothing from the divine herbs or the enchanted books except enjoyment. Aadi also minimized the Profound aura emanating from the herbs to protect these locals, otherwise there would have been major consequences.

---

One Month Later

A young man with silver-white hair sat in a comfortable chair, absorbed in a book. Beside him, a white cat dozed peacefully on a cushion atop the table.

Asty stirred awake, rubbing her eyes with her little paws. Her gaze then drifted to Aadi, or rather, the book he was reading.

"'Battle Against the Hell'? You even changed the title," she remarked, reading the cover.

"It's not like you're the one dealing with copyright issues," Aadi replied with an amused grin.

Asty shook her head, speechless. She changed the topic, "Does this realm have a chosen one? I sense a calamity coming, so the chosen should already be born."

"Of course," Aadi answered. "Normally, I'd ignore him—most of them are self-righteous pricks anyways—but this one interests me. Do you know why?"

 He paused for dramatic effect.

 "He has 'The Heart's Desire.'"

Asty blinked, dumbfounded, then asked, "Are you serious?"

"Apparently, Azure Divine World's Heaven's will tried to mimic the original and succeeded, sort of. While this copy doesn't come close to 1% of the original's power, it's still 'The Heart's Desire.' This should get interesting if he ascends to the Divine World." Aadi chuckled, imagining the chaos this would cause.

Asty exhaled in relief. She understood the true power of 'The Heart's Desire'—and though it was no longer a threat to current her, she had witnessed its terrifying might so she knew just how much pain in the ass the owners of The Heart's desire can be.

Just then, they heard a thud from outside as if something heavy dropped on the ground. Aadi raised an eyebrows as he sensed the depleting life force. Curious, he went outside with Asty still sitting on his shoulder.

As soon as he opened the door, a bloodied figure of a young girl came into his sight, plastered on the ground turning it red from her blood. Her clothes were in tatters, her face and and hair smeared with dirt.

Her heart was barely showing any signs of working and her breathings was also rapidly decreasing. 

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Asty remarked, her voice flat as ever.

Aadi, on the other hand, stared at the girl, his surprise turning into a quiet laugh. "Fate truly is a strange thing."

Curious, Asty glanced at him. "What's so funny?"

Aadi was someone who became happy over little things from the start, so she wasn't very surprised seeing him laughing like this. Calming down, he finally said, "Let's get her inside and heal her. I'll explain everything soon."

Asty nodded, helping Aadi bring the girl inside. They laid her on a bed, and Aadi gave her some healing pills he'd crafted in his spare time.

"So," Asty began, curiosity evident in her voice, "what's the story behind this?"

Aadi looked at her. "Remember when I mentioned the chosen of this realm?"

"Yes, but how does that relate to her?"

"Well, there's a high chance this girl will end up being the chosen's fated rival. Their karmic threads are already intertwined."

"Ordinarily, she'd be a stepping stone for him, but her blood complicates things" Asty mused. She paused, then asked, "Which bloodline could stand in the way of 'The Heart's Desire'?"

"The Rulers' Bloodline," Aadi replied. "Though it's diluted, it's still there."

Asty's eyes widened in shock. Even learning about 'The Heart's Desire' hadn't startled her this much. Composing herself, she asked, "So what do you plan to do with her?"

Aadi's smile widened. "It's time for me to take on my first disciple."


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