Rise of an Overlord

Chapter 9- Strengthening

"Didn't I say am gonna do my cultivation this afternoon?!" Hio said in a gloomy face.

It's late afternoon, Hio and his brothers are currently traveling back by boat for their island trip. They just finished their snorkeling and deep see diving activity. Hio enjoyed it so much that he forgot about the time. He just remembered his plan when they're heading back home.

"Yeah, you said it. And its your plan not ours." Kio said innocently.

"But you can have the conscience to tell me about my plan!!" Hio protested.

"Conscience? Can that be eaten?" Kio asked confusedly as if he is not familiar with the word.

"But you enjoyed it at the least." Leo added smiling sweetly to his youngest brother.

"Hmpf!" Hio just crossed his arms with a smugged face and silently sat beside the boat.

When they got to the port, they paid the boat owner and thanked them for the ride. They just walked the seaside and followed its trail till they got to their beach front.

Since the three brothers are cultivators, it took them just a short time to walk the bay and reach their destination. Unlike humdrums that may take a while before they can cover the distance.

"How was your trip young masters?" butler Elie asked as he welcome the three back.

"It was so nice! Someone reaaaally enjoyed it." Kio answered with a teasing tone.

"Fuck off!" Hio just said and proceeded to his cottage to wash himself and changed his clothes,

Later that evening, they once again lit a bonfire from the same spot they built yesterday and sat around it. Hio and a servant beside him were toasting marshmallow from the fire while his two other brothers are drinking again but this time, they are drinking with butler Elie and the other two servants for this is their last day here and tomorrow they'll be going back to the mansion.

While they are all enjoying the bonfire, the owner of the boat that they boarded for their island trip passed by.

"Hey Manong Kanor! Join us for a drink!"

Kio Invited the man enthusiastically but he got no response. Instead, Manong Kanor just walked past them as if he didn't know those people and his name wasn't called.

"Had this guy took a joint or something?" Kio asked in confusion when Manong Kanor ignored him.

Due to his curiosity, Kio stood up and walked by Manong Kanor's side. He then waved his hand in front of the man's face but the man ignored it and his mind seems to be flying somewhere. Manong kanor just proceeded to sleepwalk.

"Hey manong, are you alright?" Kio then shook the man a bit.

Manong kanor was awoken from the guy's shaking and got a bit startled when he noticed where he is.

"hu-huh?? Where am I? why am I here?" The fisherman asked confusedly.

"I am also curious why you're walking mindlessly at this hour. I was about to invite you to drink with us but seems like you overworked yourself today and brought it to your dream." Kio explained.

"What? Haha funny child, I was with you the whole day. But I guess it's the setback from a week of continues work." Manong Kanor said scratching the back of his head. "Anyway. I'll head back home. Thanks for waking me up kid!" Mang Kanor added and walked back home.

Kio just watched the back of the man walking away from him with his brows almost meeting each other.

"That's weird." Leo said behind him.

"Really weird. I didn't sense him sleeping." Kio said seriously.

Hio and the others are also starring to Leo and Kio as they look at the old man walking away with serious look written on their faces.

"Rico..." Kio called one of their servants.

"Young master." Rico then walked closer to them and bowed slightly.

"I would like to ask you a favor to do a discreet investigation regarding this matter. I sensed that not only him was wandering mindlessly at this hour." Kio instructed the servant then turned to the butler and nodded.

"Hey li'l bro, Kuya Lance and I are just going to follow manong Kanor. We'll be back in a moment, okay? Love you!" Kio shouted while following manong Kanor's tracks with his older brother.

"Young master Hio, I think it's time for you to practice your new plan for your cultivation." Butler Elie stood up and faced Hio.

"Uhmm... now? Didn't we agree to do it tomorrow when we get back to the mansion?" Hio asked

"There might be some change of plans young master. So I would like to ask you if you can completely sense all the essences around your current range until tomorrow." He said with a straight face. "Faye and Renzo, please follow me and setup a barrier around the yard." He added as he turned away.

The two servants followed the butler leaving Hio alone by the camp fire.

"So, I guess am alone again." Hio said looking at the three servants leaving. "Welp.... Guess its time to continue my cultivation."

Hio just stay seated crossing his legs. He held his hands and put it over his knees. He then relaxed his muscles and steadied his breathing. Once again, he slowly manifested his core power to the physical world and began his essence sensing. He started sensing his surroundings, from the ground where he's sitting, to the essence of the dancing flames, the slightly pulsing essence of the log and the stagnated essence of the chairs scattered around the fire. He also sensed the burning woods cracking. From his spot, he started sensing the essence around him. He is now sensing the essence of the whole yard and still expanding.

When he reached 30-mile radius, his sensing stopped. It might be that wide but Hio can only completely sense up to 15 miles, he can clearly see and hear everything in the form of essence. After that, he can only sense movements of shadows from the active essences in the next 7 miles and only hazy silhouettes for the rest of his sensing radius.

Expanding the sensing capacity of a majin is already hard and strengthening the sensing capacity is harder, more essence will flow as more data floods the brain. Hio, as a newly awakened majin, may have the power on par with nascent baron cultivators but his brain capacity is still only slightly above average of a humdrum. That is also why he needs to train from primary.

Hio began opening all his senses and all the data and informations entered his brain. May it be a dog's loud barking, or an insect crawling on the ground. Everything was sensed by Hio. For five months, Hio learned how to absorb all of those informations from essence without damaging his brain and receiving an internal injury.

Reaching 15 miles, his essence sensing began to fade as he goes further his sensing area.

Hio got overwhelmed with the capacity of essence he sensed but he still managed to relax and take all of it. He maintained his breathing for minutes and calm himself. He then let the essences flow and proceed to widen his covered area.

"Time to stretch my brain again. Whew...."

He inhaled deeply first and started to moderately expand his sensing area. Letting the essence flow inside his brain, Hio felt the weird sensation stretching his brain again. The first time he experienced this in their mansion, all his awareness was only focused on his spiritual body. But when Hio started to divide his awareness, giving some to his physical body, He felt the searing pain as he let the essence flow into his brain feeling his head like its inflating as he expanded his sensing capacity.

During the first time he experienced this, He tried to force himself to absorb all the information the essences are giving making it harder for him to take it all in. But he learned to relax all his muscles and let the essence flow inside his mind like a free fish swimming in a lake.

From 15 miles, He started completing his sensing area moderately and letting all the essence flow inside his mind. As the essences flow, He felt like his head is inflating again but he relaxed and took it in calmly.

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Manong- is a Filipino term commonly used to address male people that are way older than you.(Manang for women)