Ch 41 : Grimoire Creation

"Has anyone found anything yet?" Old Chris asked, his voice tense.

"My tribesmen haven't picked up any scents," Chief Moonclaw replied, shaking his head. "It's like the abyssal's presence vanished entirely."

"Soldiers, anything?" Old Chris turned to his staff officer.

"Nothing, sir. The area is clear. It really looks like the abyssal self-destructed," the officer responded.

Old Tim scoffed, his voice laced with frustration. "I've chased that damn thing for months. It's tougher than a cockroach—no way it would just self-destruct. It's probably lurking somewhere, biding its time."

Old Chris frowned. "Expand the search perimeter. Check for any underground tunnels or escape routes. I don't believe it's truly gone."

As the soldiers spread out to comb the swamp, night fell deeper, casting long shadows across the camp.

---

Meanwhile, far away from the battle, Auron lay awake in his room, flipping through the heavenly rune books his friends had been cultivating. His mind buzzed with the concepts he'd absorbed.

"So, a heavenly rune can be composed of multiple smaller heavenly runes—almost like minor daos," Auron mused.

"That sounds about right," Xiao Yu chimed in from the back of his mind. "After all, there's an old saying: all dao paths lead to the same destination."

Auron nodded to himself. "The enhancements I've received from my first heavenly rune are way beyond ordinary. This means my rune must be a grand one—something primordial. After all, 'Primordial' represents the beginning of the universe, doesn't it?"

"It does. This world seems to follow similar principles as the ultimate dao mentioned in cultivation novels," Xiao Yu agreed.

Auron's eyes gleamed. "Since I already possess such a powerful heavenly rune, I need to balance it with one that governs control. The rune that represents 'Order' would be a good fit for the middle dantian, don't you think?"

"Perfect choice," Xiao Yu replied. "The middle dantian is the center of your body. It's the ideal place to control the flow of celestial aura."

"Right. And for the upper dantian, I'll carve the rune that represents 'Omniscient' to boost my intelligence. It'll increase my intelligence as it will enhance my brain function too," Auron said, feeling the edges of a breakthrough approaching. He had nearly reached the barrier of the Foundation Nurturing stage.

"I'll wait to make the breakthrough outside the academy," he decided, already planning his next steps.

He turned his thoughts to his combat skills. "I've infused fiery celestial aura into my Void Shatter Fist, which now bursts with flames upon impact. My Ripple Palm sends fiery celestial aura into enemies, burning them from the inside out. But I've noticed a problem with my Shadow Step—coating my legs in fiery celestial aura disrupts the stealth aspect. It's not compatible with the shadow element. But Shadow Glide infused with fiery celestial aura gave it balzing trail to it. It's cool,"

"Seems like you'll have to delve deeper into your shadow element to resolve that," Xiao Yu suggested.

Nodding, Auron cleared his mind and began meditating on the Blazing Sun heavenly rune. As his consciousness connected with it, he was engulfed by an intense wave of heat and blinding light, much like the searing energy of a real sun. The rune radiated power, and sudden flares erupted like solar storms.

"This rune perfectly embodies the sun's nature," Auron marveled, feeling a deeper connection to its essence. "These eruptions… they must be solar flares. And to think it only took me a short time to understand it!"

"Your comprehension is definitely improving," Xiao Yu remarked. "But don't forget—your Primordial Fire heavenly rune was incredibly complex. This rune might just seem easier in comparison."

"True. I'll use the circulation of celestial aura as the foundation and infuse the Blazing Sun heavenly rune meaning into the Grimoire. That should enhance its destructive capabilities," Auron decided, already envisioning the formation of the Grimoire.

Taking out a blank booklet from his ring, Auron carefully wrote the techniques, imbuing the pages with the essence of his Primordial Fire to increase the Grimoire's potency. When finished, he handed the booklet to Alice the next day.

"Alice, I've completed the Grimoire for you. It includes the mana circulation techniques as well. Let me know if anything feels off," Auron said, passing it to her.

"Wow, that was fast! I'll test it out at the Spell Training Ground later," Alice said, immediately snatching the booklet from Auron's hand.

Thyra, watching from the side, pouted. "Hmph, why does Alice get hers first? You should've made one for me, too!"

"Yeah, that's not fair," Eliot chimed in with a grin.

Alice smirked playfully. "Well, of course Auron gave it to me first. I am the most talented, after all."

Auron chuckled awkwardly, hiding the fact that he had created the Grimoire himself. "I'm working on yours, too. It'll take a bit more time—just a few more days, I promise."

---

Throughout the week, Auron shifted his focus away from the Primordial Fire heavenly rune, dedicating his energy to crafting Grimoires for his friends. As he meditated on the Silent Tempest heavenly rune, he felt the gentle breeze graze his face—an illusory sensation that soon sharpened into a cutting wind. The heavenly rune, as described by Seraphael, was deceptively calm but capable of immense danger.

The Guardian Tide heavenly rune, by contrast, brought a sense of peace and healing. Auron felt as though he were being cradled by gentle waves, the water nurturing his body from within. The feeling was serene, yet undeniably powerful.

Lastly, Auron meditated on the Terra Guardian heavenly rune. It embodied the solidity of a grand mountain, unwavering and eternal. A sense of firmness and reliability filled Auron's mind, as if the rune offered itself as a shield for all life under its protection.

"Each of these runes represents an aspect of their elements in such a profound way. The more I understand, the closer I feel to breaking through to the next stage," Auron thought, filled with anticipation for what was to come.

"Although I've grasped the Terra Guardian heavenly rune, I'm still unsure how to create a Grimoire with body refinement functions," Auron reflected. "I need to draw inspiration from the Genetic Ascension Art."

He revisited the Genetic Ascension Art script, poring over its complex details. The script focused on genetic modification, which made pinpointing body refinement techniques challenging. After some time, Auron identified a specific pathway used in the art for refining the body.

"This pathway could serve as a foundation for the Grimoire," he thought. "But how do I integrate the heavenly rune's functions into it?"

He spent several days contemplating this. Then, a realization struck him: "When I carved the Primordial Fire heavenly rune, it not only enhanced my soul but also affected my body, imbuing it with fiery characteristics. Perhaps I can apply the same principle here—infusing the meaning of the heavenly rune directly into the body. This would allow the body to inherit the rune's attributes."

Excited by his discovery, Auron almost leapt from his bed. "If I can weave the heavenly rune's essence into the body refinement process, it will enhance the body's attributes according to the rune's characteristics. This approach should make the Grimoire much more effective."

With newfound enthusiasm, Auron set to work, eager to develop a Grimoire that combined the principles of body refinement with the powerful attributes of the heavenly runes.