Secret Space Exploration

With spring fast approaching, Shui was eager to return to Cyrus as a worker. He had made much progress over this winter, but he also felt more pressure. Especially now that he had reached his first bottleneck in energy cultivation. Even attaining the ability to complete mid-level inscriptions wasn't enough to get him out of the frustration and depression he felt.

"Shui, do you want to enter the ancestral lands that'll be opening soon?"

This question from Bartos reminded Shui of something he read from Grandpa Carlos' journal, but since he didn't think he was supposed to know he asked, "What's that?"

"Oh, I guess Suiri wouldn't have told you about that. There's a special place that normally has a seal placed on it and is guarded by the three clans. Every five years this area opens. It's supposedly the resting place of the progenitor of the three clans, who had supposedly reached the peak of the Master Realm. The area was sealed by our ancestors and only opens for descendants who are fifteen and under and each clan is only allowed five spots."

"That sounds cool. What's in there?"

"Basically whatever you can think of. Rare treasures, evolved beasts, mutated flora and if you're lucky you can be acknowledged by the residual spirit of the progenitor and become his disciple."

He acted surprised, but Shui knew even more than Bartos explained. He knew that due to faction disputes and such, the original clan of the progenitor split up into the three clans, and how their original cultivation method had been lost. He even knew that those with 'los' at the end of their names were the disciples of the progenitor's residual soul. It was a surprising fact that Carlos was one of these disciples, but after reading the journal Shui grew suspicious of this residual spirit. Though it seemed to have the memory of the progenitor, he had a feeling the truth wasn't as simple as how everyone described it.

Although those in the Master Realm were certainly powerful, the progenitor died around a thousand years ago. How could the soul of someone merely in the Master Realm last for so long?

Investigating could be very dangerous, but it was a topic he was too interested in to ignore it.

"I'm interested, but will they allow me to go?"

Bartos knew Shui was referring to the opposition that he may face from certain elders so he quickly reassured him.

"Don't worry, you won the inter-clan competition so you have the right to go. But what level are you at by the way?"

"Ninth."

"..."

Shui's answer silenced the table. He didn't need to show it through his aura for them to believe him. Shui was still bothered by not finding the path to the perfect limit of the Mortal Realm but that information would make them beyond speechless. Kate was still a bit away from reaching the eighth level yet he had already reached the ninth level. They knew he was talented but it was even more freakish than they thought. Hearing Shui's cultivation, Kate was also speechless but then she showed a vexed expression.

"So, you've been holding back during our spars?"

"Of course I was."

"You!!!"

Kate pointed at Shui with blatant exasperation but he couldn't help it. Not only was he two levels above her, but he had also attained a two-star saint body. He should actually be praised for holding back as much as he did.

Since he had no way of reducing her irritation for the time being, Shui returned his focus to Bartos.

"Is it enough Uncle Bartos?"

"Uh, yeah. With that cultivation there should be less than five that can be your match."

Bartos believed this was an accurate description of Shui's strength, but he didn't know that Shui could already sweep through majority of those in the early Soul Realm.

"Hmph, I'm coming too."

While Bartos and Lilia had wide smiles from finding out Shui's achievement, Kate asked to join the trip. At this point, everyone looked at her with concern. Bartos and Lilia looked uncomfortable while trying to figure out what to say, so Shui spoke for them.

"No way."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous," instead of Shui, Lilia answered.

Bartos also jumped in on Lilia's point.

"That's right. There are measures in place to prevent death, but they aren't perfect. And even if you don't die you could get seriously injured."

"Then how come Shui gets to go?"

"Well,"

"That's..."

Kate's comeback had her parents speechless. She had a point, if it was so dangerous then why was Shui allowed to go but she wasn't? Bartos was completely fine with letting Shui go but Lilia was actually a bit apprenhensive, so she found that question even harder to answer. However, the reason why he was allowed to go but not her was very simple.

"Because you're too weak." Shui said.

"Huh?"

"Kate, have you forgotten what happened at the inter-clan competition?"

"That's, I could beat them now."

"And what if they have the same cultivation as I do"

"Ah, well,"

Shui knew what she was thinking. She didn't have any particular interest in the ancestral lands but since he was going she wanted to come too. It was odd how their positions seemed to have changed, but it wasn't a change she could accept.

Looking at the nervous and hesitant Kate that could no longer talk back, Shui showed a small smile.

"You're not the only one though. If I was strong enough then I could just protect you."

"Shui..., hmph, that's rather arrogant don't you think."

Despite his attempt at cheering her up, she snorted, turned her face and puffed up her cheeks. But this was the Kate he was used to.

"Well, maybe if you beat me I'll stop being so arrogant."

"Just you wait, I'll beat you soon enough."

As the two conversed, Bartos and Lilia thought the same thing while looking at them with wry smiles on their faces.

'He knows how to deal with her.'

A few days later in a different location, Kalos had a meeting with his clan elders regarding two important matters.

"What?! Why am I just learning this!?"

"My apologies, Patriarch. Most only know that there's something wrong with his eyes, but only a few know how special they are." an elder replied.

Close to a year had passed and Kalos had only now found out that Shui's eyes were special. He had suspected something when he saw his face, but he didn't think much of it at the time. Only after the agent they sent had been killed, did he start looking deeply into it. Even those high up in the Heaven clan didn't know exactly what his eyes were, but Kalos had a clue.

'It might a form of atavism.'

His thought wouldn't have made much sense if it was a normal Heaven clan member, but Shui had an outsider's blood in him, so he could have inherited a trait from that side of his bloodline.

With this new information, Kalos wondered if Shui really did have a master since if he found out how to use his eyes and that was how he was so talented and skilled, then his master might be someone they couldn't mess with.

"Ahh! I can't deal with this anymore. Is there any chance we can persuade him to join us?"

"..."

It would be the best option, but not a single elder was confident it would work.

"Fine then, we'll go with the original plan. How are the preparations for the opening of the ancestral lands?" Kalos asked after rubbing his forehead.

"Everything's going well Patriarch. We should be able to take care of all the buds."

"Good."