The aftermath of the duel left the arena silent. As Lassim stood over Kaito’s fallen form, then the crowd erupted into cheers. The sound was deafening, a roar of approval for the unexpected victor.
Whispers and shouts about the new and strong servant rank disciple spread like wildfire among the spectators.
"That servant disciple took down an Outer Sect leader!"
"He really showed Kaito the difference between them!"
"Did you see that technique? That explosion was incredible!"
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As Lassim left the arena, he noticed the extra stares and looks he received. Some were filled with awe, others with curiosity, and a few with a hint of apprehension.
His display of power had left a mark on the sect, and his reputation as someone able to jump two stages in power was quickly becoming the hottest gossip.
Jiro walked beside him, his steps slightly uneven from the bruises covering his body. "Thanks for the help, Lassim," he said, his voice a mix of gratitude and reluctance for getting him involved. "But you know, things might get more complicated now. Offending one of the top Outer Sect disciples isn’t something to take lightly.
Once Kaito recovers, he may seek revenge or make your life more difficult, just like he did with me."
Lassim shrugged, his demeanor calm despite the warning. "I’ll just challenge him or his lackeys to more duels until they understand. Plus, once I start advancing in sect ranks and even learn the way to break through to Spirit Ascension stage, I’ll soon overpower him even further."
Jiro raised an eyebrow at Lassim’s mention of Spirit Ascension. "Wait, you don’t know how to break through to Spirit Ascension?"
Lassim shook his head. "I’ve had a unique cultivation journey so far. Since I just arrived at the sect, I haven’t been able to visit the library without getting kicked out. I haven’t been able to learn what the barrier is to overcome."
Jiro sighed. "It’s not much of a secret, but it’s probably best to ask Riku to explain it since he’s already in the Spirit Ascension stage. I’m still a long way off from peak Spirit Transformation, so he might be able to give better advice."
They returned to the servant disciples’ residence, where Mirana was waiting.
She had already heard about what happened it seemed and immediately fussed over Jiro, approaching and touching him all over, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?"
Jiro, slightly embarrassed with how much she was touching every part of his chest and arms, tried to brush it off. "I’m fine, Mirana. Really."
But Mirana wasn’t convinced. She saw the bruises and began nagging him. "You shouldn’t have let them bully you for so long! You want to be a powerful cultivator unlike your farming parents that gave up their path to higher stages to lead a simple life, right? So you need to do better and not get walked all over. Thank the heavens Lassim was able to help you.
These bruises are horrid."
Lassim watched the interaction with an odd sense of curiosity. It was clear there was more going on between Jiro and Mirana. The redness in their cheeks as she fussed over him and he tried to get her to not worry was impossible to miss, though they both tried to downplay it.
Mirana then turned to Lassim, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for sticking up for Jiro. I really appreciate it. Let me cook us a meal right away."
She quickly whipped up a nice soup and vegetable mixture with some slices of bread that filled Lassim and Jiro up.
After a night’s sleep, Lassim awoke to see that Riku still hadn’t returned from wherever he had gone, so Lassim decided to make his way to the Tempering Fields once more to gather Thunder Source Stones. It was again a new week and he had another quota to fulfill.
This time, he realized he would need to venture further than before, having already scanned the closest parts of the fields for stones.
He informed Mirana and Jiro of his plans. "I’ll be gone until I gather all the stones again, probably four days this time as I have to go a bit further out," he said.
Mirana nodded. "Stay safe, Lassim. Don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll keep a close eye on this carpet that calls himself a cultivator until he’s healed."
Jiro added, "Hey, I’m not a carpet! Don’t say that! Anyways, we’ll be here when you get back."
With their well-wishes in mind, Lassim set off for the Tempering Fields once more.
The only change this time was the countless stares and whispers he noticed in his direction as he made his way towards the sect’s entrance. He activated [Tempest Steps] to avoid them and exit the sect as the attention was a little too much.
As he made it to the Tempering Fields, the stormy landscape stretched out before him. Its wild beauty and glass pillars tempered by the ever-present lightning was still a remarkable sight even after the third week in a row of seeing it.
As he moved further into the fields and fell into his routine, his spirit sense sharp and attuned to the fluctuations of lightning mana that signaled a Thunder Source Stone, he found himself thinking about the disciples cultivating on the glass pillars.
So far, the storm had avoided striking him directly, seemingly according to his wishes, allowing him to focus on his hunt for stones. But the sight of the disciples enduring the lightning strikes had finally started to pique his curiosity. He couldn’t help but wonder about the potential effects the tempering might have on his body.
He watched as disciples stood or sat in meditation stances, their bodies rigid with concentration, as bolts of lightning struck them repeatedly. Most of them had their faces twisted in pain, but there was also a sense of determination and resilience in their stances that radiated from them.
"Their bodies must be getting a lot stronger, more resilient if they’re willing to endure so much pain," Lassim thought to himself. "I wonder how painful it would be for me? Would it improve my physique as well?"
He imagined himself standing on one of those pillars, feeling the power of the lightning coursing through his body, strengthening his bones, muscles, and spirit.
The thought was fanciful to imagine, but he knew better than to rush into something he wasn’t authorized to do yet. He still had much to learn about the sect, the resource area permissions and many thunder source stones still to gather.
He thought about enduring a rogue lightning strike, but the warnings of how painful it would be from his fellow sect disciples initially gave him on his first day dissuaded him.
With a sigh, Lassim turned his attention back to his task. He scanned the area, his spirit sense picking up the faint signatures of Thunder Source Stones buried beneath the earth. Using his shovel and pickaxe, he began to dig, the familiar rhythm of the work calming his thoughts.
The first day passed in a blur of digging and collecting. He managed to unearth several stones, 12 to be exact.
As night fell, he worked through the night to try and find more stones, only rewarding himself with 4 before sunrise came. A total of 16 of the required 50 for the week.
The second day brought more challenges. The further he ventured into the Tempering Fields, the more difficult it seemed to become to find the stones. The storm grew thinner but for some odd reason, the lightning strikes became more frequent and powerful. But Lassim pressed on. He only found 7 additional stones.
After another restless night where he obtained only 2 more stones, he began his third day where Lassim found himself near the edge of the fields.
He had gathered a significant number of stones, half of the weekly amount, but he needed a lot more to complete his quota.
As he scanned the area, his spirit sense picked up an excessively strong concentration of lightning mana nearby.
Intrigued, he made his way towards the source, his steps carrying him across the barren and tempered ground.
Arriving at the source of the lightning energy disturbance, he found a small, hidden clearing in the middle of tall jagged rocks, the ground scorched and blackened by countless lightning strikes.
In the center of the clearing, half-buried in the earth, was a large Thunder Source Stone sticking out of the ground.
Lassim’s eyes widened in awe. The stone was unlike any he had seen before, its surface crackling with condensed lightning mana and incredibly massive.
He approached it, his heart pounding with joy at the massive find.
As he reached out to touch the stone, a sudden surge of lightning shot out, striking his hand.
The pain was intense, but Lassim gritted his teeth and endured it. He focused his energy, channeling his mana to absorb and contain the overcharged static lightning.
The stone pulsed with power, its energy resonating with Lassim’s own before the charge balanced out. Once it was settled he shattered the tempered ground surrounding the stone. Then, with a somewhat strenuous pull, he managed to pry the stone from the ground.
To his shock, as he freed it from its dirt prison, he uncovered a cluster of Thunder Source Stones just beneath the surface. Lassim’s jaw dropped. There were dozens, no, hundreds of them, each glimmering with raw lightning energy.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, scarcely able to believe his luck.
He spent the next few hours diligently digging up all the stones, his hands moving swiftly yet carefully to extract each one.
It was well past midday as he finished. He sat backward onto the floor, wiping the dirt off his brow as he stared at the mountain of stones in front of him. He did a quick count and found he had gathered 217 Thunder Source Stones.
With the large Thunder Source Stone and the cluster of smaller stones collected securely inside his magic pouch, Lassim debated what he should do that he had finished not only his third week quota but had more than enough to cover next week’s with loads left over.