Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 157!
Do check Episode 11 of my A Knight Journey's YouTube Series(Audiobook/Visual novel) here: https://youtu.be/jctHc3yqBDQ
Title: (Visual Storytelling)(AKJ)Episode 11 - Skin and Muscles Strengthening Stage, Novice Martial Artist
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
In the same way as her mother before her, in the following few hours, Seraphine went through her Heart cultivation breakthrough as easily as drinking water, crushing every Heart Demon pushing her toward her own fall, while a massive Plant, which Demian, after checking through his Identity token, identified as the 'Shadow Plant', whose real name is Calathea Leopardina, was pouring Shadow Elemental Energy inside her body.
The reason behind her ease stemmed from something simple.
Although human Will differed from Soul Power itself, they were still intricately related, with the stronger the Soul Power, the more positive feedback one's Will received.
In the same manner, if one's Physique and Mana reached great heights, one's Will would be improved alongside it.
Will was what Mortals called consciousness, something difficult, if not impossible to fathom fully, its mysteries eluding even the strongest cultivators.
At least, that was the case in the Mortal World.
Everyone had differing opinions about its structure, some calling it the sum of memories, others the Soul's manifestation, while some merely thought of it as electrical input in the physical brain.
Only a scant few in the Mortal Cultivation World, those at the Peak of cultivation, with merely a step away from Immortality, possessed a slightly greater understanding, though still lacking.
For them, consciousness, or Will, was the combination of Physique, Soul, and Mana.
It was the fulcrum used to gather the Divine Trigram of Vessel, Energy, and Soul, elevating them into an Immortal Body.
With any of them lacking, one's Will would be flawed, and thus, condensing an Immortal Body would be virtually impossible.
Naturally, if one's Physique, Mana, and Soul Power were to exceed a certain threshold for one's cultivation level, then the Will would become impregnable from external temptations.
In both Adeliya and Seraphine's cases, with them having remedied the most glaring flaw in their respective Will, coupled with the fact that they had both condensed Golden Immortal traces, facing those Heart Demons was like having an adult fighting a baby, with the only 'difficulty' being their numbers, forcing them to spend more time on it.
That was the so-called innate advantage that normally, only some Immortal Beings' descendants could enjoy, along with an extremely few Heaven's Prides whose talents were unrivaled.
While others struggled to find their way around the mountain, the Mikhailovs simply blasted their way through, as if the mountain itself was not there in the first place...
Back to reality.
A few hours quickly went by before the breakthrough ended, with Seraphine's Aura turning much more refined, as if having shed dust and grime, which left her with a certain ethereal quality, the latter being the hallmark of a cultivator having reached the Refining Seed level.
On the Leaping Yang Fish, Mikhail let out a subconscious sigh of relief.
"This time, it was close."
Indeed, while the four Mikhailovs were busy standing together on the tribulation Plateau, oblivious to the outside world, Mikhail was in constant contact with the two Core Elders who were monitoring the City's Void Layers.
Unlike with Adeliya's own heart breakthrough, this time, both sensed a few gazes filled with killing intent coming from beyond their Soul Senses.
Although none showed up directly, the threat Eldoria and Pietr felt from those gazes made it clear that the latter came from Emperor Demon Beasts, though their exact cultivation and numbers were still a mystery.
Nodding his head, Sergei replied.
"With two Foundation Building youngsters reaching the Refining Seed Level back to back, especially since those two are linked to Demian, I'm more surprised that those Demons opted to endure instead of attacking directly. They're much more composed than I expected. Uncannily so..."
As Mikhail was about to say something, Ling interjected thoughtfully.
"Well, it may be because of the fact that the girls are only at the Foundation Building Rank. After all, even Immortal-Grade prodigies like Demian would take hundreds of years to become a threat to them, let alone two Peak Heaven-Grade talents like those two."
Both Mikhail and Sergei agreed with her analysis, with the former adding.
"That's most likely the case. Still, they won't hesitate to act if they find any opportunity, so all of you need to stay alert. Don't let them catch you unguarded."
The couple, plainly aware of the situation, nodded solemnly.
Still, they were also aware that, as long as they grew strong enough, lethal danger would turn into a mere nuisance, something they could solve with a slight effort instead of now being forced to be on constant alert.
Turning their heads toward each other, the husband and wife noticed the resolve in each other's eyes, a knowing smile simultaneously on their faces, before their attention was suddenly attracted toward the front.
Indeed, the four Mikhailovs, having accomplished what they had wanted to achieve by coming to the Tribulation Plateau, had decided to go back to the Mansion, with all but Bryn's face filled with satisfaction.
Indeed, the latter felt a tad despondent due to being the only one still 'stuck' at the Peak of the Red Dust Level.
Seeing the small pout on her face, Demian's lips twitched from repressed amusement.
Still, although he found her attitude adorable, he preferred seeing her in a happy mood instead of the opposite, and thus opted to utter a few reassuring words to her.
However, the woman brushed him off with a simple 'I know' before turning her head away.
Letting out an inward sigh, he contemplated.
'Honestly, these three are always so competitive with each other. I mean, sure, Liya and Sera are both ahead of Bryn when it comes to Heart Cultivation, but when it comes to Mana Cultivation, Bryn's still ahead with her Peak Fourth Level, while the other two are only at the High Fourth Level... Never mind, since it's only a sub-level of difference, I think I get why she's getting a bit anxious.'
With his mind full of random thoughts, the four flew back to the Leaping Yang Fish, landing in front of the three older cultivators.
Like with Adeliya previously, the three congratulated Seraphine for her consecutive breakthroughs before Sergei informed them about his decision to trigger his own Tribulation, the 'Nine Elemental Law Lightning Tribulation'.
Now, as one went further along their cultivation path, the tribulations encountered became more and more terrifying until it became close to 99 chances of death for 1 chance of life.
At Peak Tier 1, one had to face the Nine Lightning Tribulation, filled with destructive heavenly lightning energy.
At Peak Tier 2, the Lightning bolts from the Nine Elemental Lightning Tribulation also contained a hint of Elemental Law, akin to the level of Intent, with the Element(s) used depending on the Elemental Energy of the cultivator going through the tribulation.
However, the danger increased drastically as one reached Peak Tier 3 with its Nine Elemental Law Lightning tribulation.
Though with its name only differing by one word compared to the previous tribulation, the two were worlds apart in terms of lethality.
Indeed, not only was the level of Law used one or two 'levels' higher than the previous Tribulation, but one would also have to deal with a Heart tribulation while doing it.
With Heart Demons rising inside one's mind, even if one could resist the illusions without falling, avoiding being distracted was... Pretty much impossible.
Thus, with those factors, it was easy to understand that the odds of passing the Nine Elemental Law Lightning tribulation successfully were extremely low.
Still, the Heavens always left a way, and, with his own extensive preparations and relatively high talent, Sergei was fairly confident of passing his tribulation successfully.
Of course, the chance of failing was still there, but, in view of the potential benefits, that was a risk he was willing to take.
After all, the only other option would be to stay at the Core Formation for the rest of his life, like many in the Federation who dreaded going through their own tribulation.
Of course, many were also stuck there out of helplessness due to a lack of talent or resources, and not really by choice.
Still, as the saying goes, 'cultivation is like swimming toward the sea surface, if you stop swimming, the only outcome is drowning powerlessly'.
Some could not, but still tried anyway, so for him who could, and whose chances were somewhat high, it would be a supreme waste not to try.
Hearing his teacher explain his decision in a detached tone, Demian's face turned solemn as a surge of concern appeared in his heart.
Don't look at how the Mikhailovs went through their own Tribulation as if they were merely on a forest excursion.
In reality, for the overwhelming majority, Tribulations were a life and death ordeal, with more death than life.
It was especially worrying as the young man learned that both Sergei and Ling had 'only' 8 Acupoints unlocked, making their foundation somewhat flawed.
If it were those Peak tier 1 or Peak Tier 2 tribulations, then it would be another matter, but the Peak Tier 3 was when things started to become 'serious' with even some unlucky Heaven-Grade cultivators falling from time to time.
Of course, his teacher was anything but rash and had most likely made considerable preparations.
However, no matter how extensive those preparations were, they could only lower the odds of things going wrong and not reduce them to zero.
With all those thoughts swimming in his head, Demian's face was anything but delighted at Sergei's decision, even though he knew, were he in the older man's shoes, he would certainly do the same thing.
Seeing the worry on his student's face, the mustache-sporting man felt a surge of warmth washing over his heart, prompting a thought.
'It seems like I still have a good eye for people.'
While he patted himself on the shoulder inwardly, outwardly, he commented reassuringly.
"There's no need for worry, Demian. I'm fully confident in passing my tribulation. To be completely honest with you, I would've even gone through with it much sooner if it weren't for wanting to wait for your Aunt Ling's heart breakthrough."
Although tempted to protest—despite knowing how true his words were—, Feng Ling knew it was not the time and thus kept her 'grievance' to herself, instead adding.
"Sergei is right, kid. With his fighting prowess coupled with all his preparations, there's at least 70% chance of passing his tribulation safely. Keep in mind that even 20% is enough for most Peak Core Formation to attempt a breakthrough, let alone 70%."
Well, Demian was aware of that information already, but in the logic of a glass half full was also half empty, 70% chance of success also meant 30% chance of failure.
The problem was that failure meant death in that case, making it difficult for him to just 'trust the process'.
For someone who possessed some heaven-defying Perks, those odds were frankly too low to accept.
If only he could share some of the benefits from his Perks with his teacher...
'Wait a damn moment! Damn it, Dem, why did you forget about that?'
While berating himself for his forgetfulness, Demian's expression suddenly lost all its previous gloom.
'Although it feels a bit rushed, it's my teacher's life on the line, so I'll just go with it.'
Having made his decision, the young man's expression became unprecedently serious as his gaze met his teacher's own while asking cryptically.
"Teacher, do you trust me?"
Feeling a bit baffled by the sudden question, Sergei still nodded, as, despite having known the young man for barely a few months, the older man had witnessed more than once the young man's steadfast loyalty to his loved ones.
"Of course, I do. Why do you ask?"
Hearing those words, Demian gazed briefly at the three Mikhailov women, who were quick to nod when they understood his intention.
With the women's agreements, Demian felt a lot more confident with his decision, though a hint of worry was still present in his heart.
'Forget it. Without Sergei finding us, we'd still be struggling in the Origin Islands. Sometimes a man has to take some risks...'
Taking a deep breath while giving himself a pep talk internally, he then instructed.
"Then, when you feel it, just accept it. Do not fight it or it won't work."
Despite feeling puzzled at the cryptic words, Sergei could tell from the solemn expression on Demian's face that he was extremely serious, and thus prepared himself for whatever the younger man was warning him about.
An instant later, the older man felt something brushing against his mind before going much deeper, reaching somewhere that would normally be impossible for any Mortal cultivator to reach: his Soul Origin.
Although he knew next to nothing about the 'Soul Origin', what he did know was that anything linked to it, whether directly or indirectly, had to come from higher Worlds, as a Mortal World like Earth was severely limited in its creations.
To say that he was surprised by his own student possessing that level of treasure would be a lie, as both his wife and he speculated as such due to the many 'miracles' the young man had performed over the last few months.
No, instead of surprise, what the older man felt was delight, as sharing that sort of heaven-shattering secret with him, though indirectly, meant that he was now firmly inside Demian's trusted circle.
For someone with few friends, if any at all, it was a heart-warming feeling...
After daydreaming briefly, Sergei's attention was suddenly attracted by a change from the 'Soul touch', or whatever that strange energy was.
Indeed, though no words were explicitly said, a foreign thought still appeared in his mind, his own mind instinctively understanding the 'foreign language' as a question.
'Do you accept the Secondary Bond?'
With no context, Sergei hesitated for a brief moment, wondering if he should accept.
After all, anything linked to the Soul Origin was not something he could deal with, so if anything went wrong, then he was done for.
However, when he saw the sincere look on his student's face, a look that the other three Mikhailovs mirrored, the last vestige of doubt in his heart vanished.
'I may have become slightly too paranoid.'
Shoving that thought to the side, he then declared firmly in his mind.
'I accept.'
As soon as he did, a surge of energy appeared from somewhere inside him, washing over his body for what felt like both a blink and forever at the same time, before it suddenly receded, disappearing from his Senses as if what had just happened was merely a figment of his imagination.
However, the earth-shaking changes his body went through made it very obvious that it was neither a dream nor an illusion.
Firstly, there was the fact that he could now feel the four Mikhailov's existence, not through his 'normal' senses but instead as if something was linking him to the four of them.
'Is it that secondary bond that the foreign entity mentioned?'
Sergei pondered while analyzing the other benefits he gained from the bond, as sensing the other four's presence was most likely something incidental, and not the main 'perk'.
After a brief introspection, he quickly realized that his assumption had been entirely correct.
Indeed, although his ninth Acupoint was still locked, while both his Soul Power's purity and his Physique bearing no visible change, the reality was that whether it was the speed of Energy absorption, his comprehension, or anything else cultivation-related, all of it had gone through an enormous upgrade.
In other words, externally, he was still the same Mid-Heaven-Grade prodigy, but he now effectively possessed every advantage of someone with a High, or even Peak-Heaven-Grade talent, which should have been impossible, as it was akin to creating something out of thin air, but no matter how much he denied it, reality was reality.
'No wonder those four progressed so quickly. With that sort of advantage, I might even be able to unlock my Ninth Acupoint during my Tribulation.'
What the older man did not know was that the effect was merely one-tenth of the efficacy from Demian's Perk, and that without including the eight-time multiplicator granted by the three women's Primary bonds.
In other words, it was merely the effect of 10% of Demian's Immortal-Grade-talent coupled with his basic perk.
If asked to describe the change, he would say it was akin to having his body shed its innate shackles, along with removing the dust previously obscuring his mind.
Truly, it was a sort of rebirth for him, something that only someone having gone through a similar experience could truly understand.
If before, he had 'only' 70% of confidence in passing through his Tribulation safely, then now it was closer to 95%, or even 99%, which was, in his opinion, absurdly high.
After all, only immortal-Grade geniuses could realistically say that they had 100% confidence of going through their Tribulation without falling.
Thus, having his odds reaching 99% success was akin to saying that, unless he did nothing to defend himself during his tribulation, reaching the Void Seed Rank was now virtually a sure thing.
Even with his strong Will, Sergei felt his emotions almost going out of control, his eyes suddenly replaced by burning crimson flames filled with streaks of Azure light, while his body started leaking a few strands of Aura powerful enough to instantly obliterate swaths of mortal buildings.
Fortunately, both Mikhail and Ling were quick to protect the others from the unexpected commotion, avoiding the 'awkward' situation of Sergei injuring or even killing someone due to losing control over his own emotions.
A brief moment later, the mustache-sporting man regained his calm, reining in his Aura, and turning the two heaven-searing flames burning in his eye sockets back into his usual green-colored eyes.
Still, the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his true emotions, though after realizing what had almost happened, he still apologized to the others.
On the side, noting Sergei's barely hidden excitement, Mikhail and Ling's minds were full of questions, as none of them could sense the changes inside the green-eyed man.
However, although both were burning with curiosity, they opted to keep their questions for themselves out of consideration for the young Immortal's privacy, Demian's new nickname having been adopted since the event a month prior.
Still, their minds were filled with speculations, wondering what could have been so great that the usually unflappable man had suddenly lost control of his emotions.
Objectively, even if a Peak Tribulation Transcending cultivator were there and used their Soul Sense to investigate his body, they would only find a cultivator with Mid-Heaven-Grade talent, with no trace of the 'talent improvements' Sergei could sense, let alone two people with cultivation respectively at Peak Core Formation level and Peak Void Seed level.
That being said, as soon as he would mobilize his Mana, whether to invoke a Spell or absorb ambient Elemental Energy, discrepancies would start to appear, as the efficiency would be way too high compared to his current level of talent.
In other words, the cause could be hidden, but the effects could not.
As someone who roamed the Federation and a very small part of the endless sea beyond for a while now, Sergei was quick to calm his excitement and realize the risk of those 'benefits'.
As the saying goes, 'For the weak, merely carrying a treasure is a crime'.
If those powerful cultivators from the Main Continent caught wind of that sort of opportunity, they were bound to risk everything to capture the young man to pry the method of improving their talent from him.
Granted, that method may not work for them, as anyone reaching Tier 6 would have certainly unlocked their Nine Acupoints, but that would certainly not stop them from acting.
After all, what if it worked?
Even a slight improvement could be the difference between ascending another level, gaining more lifespan and power, instead of being stuck at the same level until their lifespan ran out.
The more one had, the more one wanted to keep it.
Thus, when it came to Tier 6 cultivators with millions of years of lifespan and cataclysmic levels of power, most of them would do practically anything to gain more lifespan and more power, especially since the price was simply the death of a Foundation Building 'insect'.
Sanctity of life? Admiration for the young and talented? Accepting one's fate?
In front of Immortality, those were worth nothing in those old monsters' eyes.
Of course, outliers existed, a scant few who would protect and cherish the weak.
However, there was no way to tell what was in someone else's mind, as sometimes, bright light merely hid a deeper darkness behind.
Pondering for a split-second, Sergei decided.
'What I need to do is use Demian's gift to unlock my Ninth Main Acupoint, perfecting my foundation, which should be able to hide most of the abnormalities his gifts brought to me. Maybe if I use my Tribulation, tracing along...'
While the green-eyed man was lost in his thoughts, Demian felt a surge of relief, quickly turning into delight as he exclaimed inwardly.
'It worked even better than I expected!'
Indeed, although he learned about the new type of Bond during his previous breakthrough, gaining information about its core effects, the form it would take was uncertain.
After all, what did 10% of his cultivation talent mean? What about himself gaining 1% of the other's comprehension?
It was like asking someone to picture a billion dollars.
Sure, the number itself was relatively easy to imagine, but when you tried to picture one billion in one-dollar bills, that was when the problems arose.
In Demain's case, it was only when he actually established a secondary soul bond with his teacher that he realized what those numbers meant.
Although the secondary bond was merely a watered-down version of the Primary one, it was also a lot more flexible, not only allowing for more bonds to be established, but also removing the inconvenience of having his thoughts and emotions 'read' by the other bonded people.
Aside from that, there was also a 'information protection' mechanism contained inside the secondary bond, stopping any bonded person from mentioning Demian's Perk to anyone not involved and, should Demian terminate the bond, the bonded person would have their memories erased, with new memories implanted to make sure that not the slightest inkling of his Perk could be found by an external party, even through a Soul Search.
Of course, the main advantage of a secondary bond was not the security but the cultivation benefits, and on that point, there were plenty.
As mentioned previously, although being a watered-down version of the Primary Bond, Demian's comprehension still received a very slight boost, though nothing earth-shattering.
After all, gaining 1% of someone's comprehension when it was weaker than his own was bound to only grant him a minor improvement.
But still, whether it was a single drop of water or an entire lake, in the end, it was still free water, so Demian would certainly not complain, especially since comprehension was a somewhat fluid notion that evolved positively with cultivation breakthroughs.
That being said, even if he had gained nothing himself, the fact that his teacher's Mid-Heaven-Grade talent could now match a Peak-Heaven-Grade one was already a good enough reason for him to establish a bond with him.
After all, it cost Demian nothing, so why not?
Speaking of talent's efficiency, Demian also realized that he could now monitor Sergei's state, whether it was the cultivation stage, energy absorption speed, or even health status, as long as he tried.
Even if the young man thought with his feet, it was impossible to miss the fact that his Soul Bond Perk had now evolved into the perfect tool for growing an elite Force.
'Wait!'
As soon as that thought came to his mind, Demian glanced toward Ling and Mikhail's direction, who were both looking at him quietly with more than a hint of curiosity filling their eye, before his gaze rested on the guards who were standing at a few key points on the Leaping Yang Fish's deck.
Seeing the thoughtful look on the young man's face, the rest of the group waited silently, instinctively sensing that the young man's next decision would be one that might have heaven-shaking consequences on their lives.
Even the guards, who were monitoring the surroundings, felt as if something was brewing in the air, as if the World itself was holding its breath, waiting for some unknown event.
On Demian's side, however, the latter's mind was too focused on his own thoughts to notice the strange phenomenon.
'Although I can't force myself to use up all my Primary Bond just to get the cultivation boost, using the Secondary one might be a good alternative. Sure, the direct benefits I'd get are worlds apart, but in terms of indirect benefits, it'd still be plenty. Not only would the people close to me grow much stronger, but the girls and I would also be much safer. Two birds with one shot. Well, I guess three birds, since our comprehension would also improve somewhat along the way.'
Indeed, if he bonded with those stuck at the Peak of the Void Seed Rank, for example, the chance of them breaking through to the next Rank would increase exponentially.
Thus, the Federation would gain a few more Void Sapling cultivators, which would logically increase the overall safety of both the citizens and his own group.
Of course, only trustworthy individuals should be granted a bond, but since the bond demanded a certain amount of trust from both parties before being able to be established in the first place, it was truly a non-problem.
As for betraying him once bonded?
Even if one ignored the fact that Demian could terminate the bond with a single thought, the other failsafe included in the bond, which he called the 'loyalty fostering' mechanism, would make that impossible.
Of course, disagreement could still arise as the mechanism would not transform them into puppets, but simply erase any thought of betrayal that could appear in the bonded's heart.
In other words, using up his secondary bonds was all profit and no cost for him.
Still, it was not a light decision, and since he was not the only one in the team 'Mikhailov', it was better to consult the others.
Turning toward the three Mikhailov women, he sent a Soul transmission through the bond, explaining his idea and asking their opinions.
It took only a brief moment before the three gave their agreement, though, aside from Mikhail, Ling, and the Mansion's employees, they suggested waiting until they could assess others' trustworthiness before granting them the secondary bond.
After all, all of them knew that it was better to choose someone with slightly lower cultivation rather than choose someone stronger with questionable moral character.
Having received their agreement, Demian then turned toward Mikhail and Ling, who had both been waiting quietly on the side, though whether they were as calm internally as they portrayed themselves externally was unknown.
Strangely, as soon as the young man made his decision, everyone around, from Mikhail and Ling to the guards around, felt as if the World had started to breathe again, with the oppressive atmosphere vanishing as if it had merely been a dream.
"Aunt Ling, do you tr..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Ling, a strange feeling of excitement surging in her heart, as if her entire being was rejoicing from an impending life-altering transformation, interrupted him while waving her hand.
"Yeah, yeah, of course I trust you, kid. Now, do your worst, I won't resist."
With his lips twitching at her choice of words, Demian wondered inwardly.
'Why does it feel so wrong?'
While quickly shoving that random thought to the side, he sent a 'bond invitation' to the Asian beauty, the latter being so quick to accept that Demian felt a surge of disbelief in his heart.
'Well, when she said she trusted me, she really wasn't lying...'
As Ling was busy receiving the bond's benefits, her reaction swiftly became even more exaggerated than Sergei's previous one, with a massive pressure erupting from her body while Shadow and Light Elemental flames danced around her figure.
Fortunately, with both Sergei and Mikhail present, no damage was done.
Instead, the latter felt even more intrigued, his attention focused on the raven-haired young man whose Aura seemed to gain an added layer of mystery.
The young man in question swiftly turned his gaze toward the powerful general before declaring in a heavy tone.
"Uncle Mikhail, as you've probably guessed, I've stumbled upon something in the past."
Well, stumble might be an understatement as he literally had to die to get those Perks of his, but that was not something he needed to explain to the other man.
Instead, he simply said.
"I'm sure you already have some guesses in your mind, though I'm fairly certain that they're way off the mark."
A few chuckles left his lips with those words before he continued.
"Still, let's just say that I can give you a bit of a boost in your cultivation, maybe even give you some help to reach the Void Sapling Rank... But for that, you'll need to trust me."
Seeing the fiery glint appearing in Mikhail's eyes as soon as he mentioned the breakthrough possibility, Demian knew the other man's mind was already made up with no need for further convincing.
In a way, it was not really surprising, as most cultivators would do anything for a sliver of possibility for advancement, let alone such a clear promise of help.
To be fair, if it were any other Foundation Building cultivator, Mikhail would have certainly scoffed at the ridiculous statement, even 'reeducating' them through physical punishment.
A Foundation Building cultivator claiming to be able to help a Peak Void Seed cultivator break through the next Rank?
How foolish would one need to be to believe that sort of nonsense?
However, coming from the mouth of the young man standing in front of him, whose Aura had unknowingly become unfathomably deep, the Protector General, whose life spanned thousands of years, had his instinct screaming to him to accept, the urge almost instantly overwhelming his reason.
In a way, his reaction was disturbingly similar to a water-starved Mortal man wandering in the desert who suddenly discovered an oasis.
Seeing the clear water, every cell of the Mortal's body would push them to drink as much as they could.
It was an instinct that went beyond rationality, something carved inside every living being, whose purpose was to survive and propagate.
Still, although he usually trusted his own instinct, the visceral reaction did raise a few alarm bells in his mind.
Not only that, but every gift had its price, no matter how insignificant.
The only question was: What was the price in this case, and was it worth it?
However, it seemed as if those questions were destined to remain unanswered, at least until he made his decision...
Glancing briefly at Sergei and Ling's excited grins, Mikhail gritted his teeth while thinking.
'Forget it! As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If I don't take that risk, who knows how long it'd take me to break that bottleneck, if I can even do it in the first place.'
His last shred of hesitation vanished when the image of a smiling, young-looking Eldoria appeared in his mind while he was standing with his back bent beside her, his hair white and his skin filled with age spots and wrinkles aplenty, a true representation of a decrepit elder.
That possibility was horrifying...
Steeling his resolve, he gritted his teeth and, as his expression turned overly serious, he declared.
"I'll take that gamble, lad. I'm ready."
With a playful grin, Demian replied while glancing toward the guards.
"Let's all gamble together then. What do all of you fine gentlemen say?"
As soon as those words left his lips, the nine guards present knelt on one knee and, with their right hand placed on their hearts, shouted, their powerful voice shaking the surrounding Void.
"We'll follow the young Immortal to the death."
Watching the guards' declaration, neither Sergei nor Ling protested, as it was something they had both agreed on a month prior, after Demian's Immortal-Grade talent identity was established.
After all, it was just a matter of a few years before the four Mikhailovs, and especially Demian, overtook them in cultivation, so they had decided to make it official a bit earlier.
Since the two did not care much about secular power, they were fine with letting the young man direct the Mansion's staff instead of them, as it would free the couple some time for other pursuits like cultivation and growing their professional skills.
Back to the situation.
Hearing the guards' declaration of allegiance, Demian chuckled lightly before replying light-heartedly.
"I'd rather you all live instead, but I'll keep your sentiment in mind."
Hearing his playful words, whether it was Sergei, Ling, or the Mikhailov women, all felt a hint of amusement, though none broke the somewhat solemn atmosphere.
Even the usually mischievous Asian woman stayed quiet despite her excitement.
Nodding his head, Demian then declared solemnly.
"Then let me repay your trust with this small gift of mine."
That single sentence heralded the birth of the greatest Force this World had ever seen, whose existence would shake the previously stagnant Heaven and Earth.
'And so, it begins.'