About noon after the whale’s return, Corin and Loeus left their study session and headed to the Forge Institute. On the way, they met and, upon arrival, received the news that the whale had returned and was waiting for them.
So they went up and entered the room...
As they took a step inside, a strange atmosphere hung in the air. They saw the whale and Ruri side by side. The girl breathed a bit irregularly, but Loeus was completely indifferent, oblivious to anything, and waved, taking a step forward.
Corin, on the other hand, noticed, with a strange look, that Ruri’s lips were extremely red, and her gaze seemed distant as if she were in another world. He looked at his master, a bit stunned, but saw nothing in him; his face was impassive as always.
’That sly girl... she really cried when Liumi died, and it melted us.’ Alm spoke, a bit disturbed. ’She caught us off guard again; we can’t afford to give an opening.’
Little did they know that Ruri’s mental power was being used outside their senses, in a way quite different from what they could imagine. The technique Ruri developed was fatal at the first opening. She used it with her mental power, and because they had no guard against her, Ruri managed for the second time to use it without them noticing.
’Well, after all, it felt like we had returned to our dark past. Now, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. She earned it this time.’ Bruno added lightly, and Alm didn’t retort.
Corin and Loeus approached, and the whale quickly recounted what happened. Both clenched their fists in anger. The contact with the Grassrunner was short, but she treated them well. Then, Alm and Bruno explained the situation; they would have to work hard. Passing the exam every six months was not enough; they had to gain influence to defend themselves in the central zone.
"In the inner zone, there are divisions among the disciples. That’s where various areas in the sect with many rewards and dangers exist, so disciples form factions to get resources," the whale spoke to everyone.
"You must divide yourselves and create your factions, attracting a lot of attention so that you can stand out. Our goal now is not just to go to the secret place; many powerful enemies are targeting us, and things have become dangerous if we go alone. We have to deal with them first. Among common cultivators, status and influence are as important as cultivation," they concluded lightly.
Of course, their mere prominence and slight influence were not enough. But, the whale leading the institute could contribute with the maximum value of a forger. Now, they wouldn’t mind forging weapons and selling them, not just for money but also for more influence. Stacking so many fronts, and with the institute backing them, not even the clans could ignore them and do as they pleased. They would have internal arms with the disciples and also with the institute.
So, Alm and Bruno completely sealed the room using their laws of the earth. Soon, all the Qi they sucked from that Fey was prepared for everyone to use. They went out to get resources for everyone and came back with much more than they expected.
A week passed with them in closed cultivation. Soon, Loeus was the first to come out; he ascended four levels and stopped at the ninth level of the Core Formation Realm. Corin came out next; he ascended three levels, reaching the fourth level of the Heaven Stage.
Then the whale focused on cultivation and allowed Ruri to accompany him; with the array, she ran the risk of rising much more than she should, which could harm her understanding. After a week, it was all over. They used 80% of all the Qi they brought: 10% stayed with Corin, 7% with Ruri, and the last 3% with Loeus. But even so, the whale only reached the third level of the Heaven Stage Realm. They used more than almost ten times what Corin used and rose one level less than he did.
As for Ruri, she was the weakest in the group at the first level of the Core Formation Realm, and now she broke through several times, reaching the ninth level. With the help of the array, she quickly approached the cultivation of Alm and Bruno. Soon, she would ascend a realm, and only her understanding of the realm was her limiter.
Ruri felt the power flowing through her veins, and her eyes trembled. Now, living in the sect as a disciple, she had access to common knowledge among cultivators. All cultivators say that understanding was something only time could solve. Therefore, young people, even with resources, did not rise so quickly for fear of never being able to rise again.
But, with her master teaching her correctly and guiding her to fight and have her own experiences, it was easily resolved. She turned to the whale thoughtfully, and in her eyes, only admiration reflected.
Meanwhile, Alm and Bruno were tense, analyzing the gains. Then Bruno commented with a snort. ’We got an incredible gift that we’ll hardly find again. And in the end... we only gained this.’
If Corin absorbed the same as them, he should easily reach the ninth level. Thanks to the two types of cultivation and the array, advancing became something impossible to do in the usual way. Resources were the most important things for a cultivator, and for others, cultivation was a challenge of understanding and seeking resources; for Alm and Bruno, it became something bordering on impossible.
’We have to manage to steal those laws of the earth that are sealing the Fey and escape, or it will take us years to ascend to the next realm.’ Alm concluded coldly.
They had already thought a lot about various scenarios, in all of which death was certain. First, there was that extremely powerful demonic beast guarding it. Then, even if they got rid of it, the one responsible for the seal would certainly be alerted. Someone at the peak of the mortal realm could easily break through space and cross the planet in seconds.
As they reflected, Ruri looked at the round figure, and her heart raced; part of it was excitement for her cultivation. Alm and Bruno belatedly felt her gaze, and her joy broke their thoughts. In the end, they felt that the difficulties had given them a lot in return.
So, they spoke lightly. "You shouldn’t advance now; creating a spiritual root is an important thing. You and Loeus should do it together at the right moment. Focus on studying now; I’m not good with formations, and you studying that can be very useful for me."
Ruri’s eyes shone with those words; it was everything she wanted and needed to hear. Then Bruno felt a cold sweat down his back. ’Damn, I just gave her an opening to ask for rewards.’ Bruno thought, frightened, reading Ruri’s thoughts.
Alm then remembered something, causing his mind to jump. He quickly spoke to the whale, "Ruri, you will be essential soon. We need you to learn the incomplete Dao that uses spatial laws. It’s a kind of formation that can stretch space, but I want to do the opposite and shorten space to escape."
Ruri clenched her fists in excitement. She had studied this Dao perfectly and everything about others similar to formations in the city at her master’s request. She couldn’t learn much, but she built a foundation for herself, which was useful now that she was learning the basics of formations at the institute.
"I won’t disappoint you!" She quickly spoke. "But I’ll need to get to the inner institute first. There are spatial formations in that place for me to study. I’m sure that after that, I’ll be able to meet the master’s expectations."
The whale nodded, and Ruri ran to the institute with an unusual determination. She couldn’t have more motivation at the moment, and Alm and Bruno knew very well the reason for that, but they ignored it.
’If she succeeds, we can escape in a second after the heist. Alone, it would be really impossible, but with everyone and her help, things can unfold,’ Alm commented, and Bruno quickly understood.
Soon after, the whale handed over several herbs and materials from the forest missions and obtained several million spiritual crystals. They didn’t consume that; they wouldn’t level up a single level.
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Then, they focused on studying all the rules and knowledge about the sect that the institute could provide. They soon went to the forge to work; a large stock of weapons was made by them. During Corin’s breaks, he helped with the practice of elements along with the enchantment runic seal. Nothing was sold to the public yet; it wasn’t worth the attention in the outer institute. So everything was prepared for the right moment.
Months passed, and the sixth month in the sect arrived. The day of the test for the older disciples was approaching, so the group gathered and headed towards the location.