A while later, the afternoon sun dipped lazily toward the horizon as Qin Wei rode comfortably inside the horse carriage, gently rocking with each bump in the road.
Vanessa sat in front, holding the reins with practiced ease while her eyes continued to wander as usual.
This time, Vanessa, despite wearing plain clothes and riding a plain horse carriage, released her Rank-8 aura, keeping any possible troubles away.
Inside, Qin Wei leaned back against the cushion, staring at his character interface that was displayed on the holographic screen.
Currently, he was flipping them one after another in the system's library.
"Let's see…" he mumbled, flipping through the categorized lists. "Basic Seals… Combat Enhancements…"
His finger paused at one, eventually.
Exploding Seal: A sealing inscription technique that absorbs and stores compressed natural energy and releases it as an explosion upon detonation. Note: Any kind of energy that comes in contact with the seal will trigger the detonation.
Cost: 1300 Credits
Qin Wei grinned. "Perfect."
With a mental confirmation, the system chimed softly.
[Skill Acquired: Exploding Seal]
Blueprints and formation structures were just sent directly to his brain, and he understood how to make one, imprinting the seal on anything instantly.
However, he wasn't done yet. He swiped a few pages and stopped again.
Energy Absorption Seal: Absorbs energy from contact-based opponents or imbued items. Stores it for short-term use.
Cost: 2800 Credits
His finger hovered for a second.
"Tempting… but I don't need two types of weaponized sealing techniques at the moment. I don't want the people to wonder which one is better. I want them to pick up both. And I need something that can be used by even non-combatants." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, hesitated a breath longer, then swiped past. "So, Nope."
He kept flipping. Ten more minutes passed before his eyes sparkled again.
Storage seal: Inscribe spatial seals into any non-living material, and turn it into a vessel to store objects in a pocket dimension.
Cost: 2200 Credits
Qin Wei chuckled. "Now this is useful. Practical, subtle, and universally in demand. With storage rings incredibly expensive in this world, this one might just make me rich. For starters, let's make it like a talisman, cuz those papers are incredibly cheap. Once I earn enough money, I can inscribe the seals onto normal rings and turn them into storage rings, too. Haha… who knows… I can just monopolize the market in the future…"
[Skill Acquired: Storage Seal.]
With that, his credits dropped, leaving him with just 2200. He exhaled in satisfaction. "Hmm… I can buy another sealing technique, but let's keep it for a rainy day. Who knows whether I might need to buy an offensive or defensive technique in a battle?"
He closed the interface after checking out the new skills.
Then, as the distant scenery began to blur into trees and stone paths, he slid the curtain aside and stuck his head out. "Vanessa, stop the carriage."
She pulled the reins without question, the horses snorting as they came to a gradual halt by the roadside.
"What is it?" she asked, peering over her shoulder.
"Buy me some empty rice paper scrolls, worth one gold coin."
Vanessa blinked. "Rice paper scrolls? What for?"
"You'll see." He smirked, crossing his arms with a mysterious air.
She narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious, but finally sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll find a stationery shop nearby."
Later in the evening at the Griffin estate;
Inside his study room, Lord Kaelan Griffin sat cross-legged, his brows furrowed in deep focus.
The glow of lanterns flickered over a large goatskin map stretched open before him. Scrolls, parchments, and loose diagrams cluttered the room around him as if he were desperately researching something.
He tapped a finger over a particular region drawn near the eastern mountains, murmuring to himself. "Where… is this so-called Divine Temple truly hidden? This path doesn't match the records… As long as we find the cradle of ancient civilization, we can open the pathway to immortality. Ugh… I don't think I can work on this alone. The only one who is known to have ever reached the doorstep of the Divine Temple is no longer alive. And Aegis Phoenix was missing. Should I ask Thea to consult her Guild Master? But the problem with the Immortal Guild is that some of its elders are known to be involved with the imperial court. The best ally right now is the Arhat Temple and Abel Tower. Hmm… Maybe, the Duke of Dawnmere can help too, but our relations aren't that good..."
Suddenly, a shimmer pulsed in the air, interrupting his studies.
With a soft rustle of wings, a spiritual sparrow appeared midair, descending gently to the desk.
A tiny scroll was bound to its leg with fine red thread. The bird ruffled its feathers once and settled.
Kaelan raised a brow.
"Vanessa's messenger…" he mused aloud, reaching forward. "What's that son-in-law of mine sent this time? Another tantrum or a surprise?" He unrolled the letter and read it. In an instant, a frown appeared on his face. "A fight?"
But the more he read, the deeper his frown became, and then lifted in astonishment. "He defeated four opponents… three of them are rank-4, and one is even a rank-5?" he muttered, voice rising slightly.
His gaze narrowed. "And he carried multiple elemental affinities of fire and lightning, alongside light, too?"
He leaned back slightly, eyes gleaming with interest as his mind raced.
"But… only those born with at least a Sky Pulse Meridian can possess multiple affinities. Such constitutions are exceedingly rare, like only one can be born in a decade… and more importantly, he didn't have one when I examined him. I would've noticed if he had one."
He stroked his beard in deep thought.
"Unlike the mana that can be expanded or refined over time, a Sky Pulse Meridian is congenital. Either you're born with it… or you aren't. Vanessa mentioned that he had the Emperor's Celestial Sword of Destiny. So, the only thing that makes sense is that his unique constitution might just let him copy others' techniques as his own. But, does such a unique constitution truly exist, unless..."
Kaelan's eyes turned to the goat skin map, or more specifically, to the image of what seemed like a rectangular-shaped building. "Late Princess is rumored to have entered the Divine Temple and brought out an artifact, but no one knows where it is now. Surely, she should have passed it to her child. Maybe… Icarus' unique constitution is the result of the artifact?"
Then, a chuckle escaped him before he shook his head, "Oh, Kaelan... You are so obsessed with Divine Temple that you want to make such absurd theories?"
He set the letter down gently, casually drumming the old desk with his fingers in thought.
"I don't know what's changed inside you, Icarus…" he murmured. "Or what kind of secrets you hold, but if this path makes you draw out your power, then I will support you. I will polish your strength and also refine your character…"
After a pause...
"And maybe, just in case, I should inspect his body and confirm the source of his power."
Moonvilla Residence;
It was the time of midnight. The lanterns inside the study room flickered softly, casting long shadows across the wooden floor while a faint scent of ink and spirit paper lingered in the air.
Qin Wei sat on the floor with his sleeves rolled to his elbows and his face illuminated by the soft glow of yellow talisman papers stacked beside him.
His brows furrowed in concentration as he placed his palm on a fresh sheet.
"Exploding Seal… activate."