Refining the Heavens 2 (炼天二)

Chapter 46: The Treasures Pavilion (Part 4)

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It was few weeks ago, when Kairos were still together with his disciples.

"Ah Pui, tell me about Lord Yue. Just how strong exactly is he?"

"Master, he is definitely already at the top of triple S rank, and is one of the top pugilists of the Empire. May I share your concern for asking?"

"I am merely wondering, why had he not taken any actions against me directly yet? It doesn't seem to make sense for him to hold back, when he could nip the problem at its bud. And from what you told me, he certainly seem like the unscrupulous kind"

"Master Kairos, you're definitely right that he is that kind of person. He used to be a commoner like us, but managed to become one of the top 3 noble house by his cunning ways"

"A commoner?! That's a surprise"

"It was before your time, but since Lord Yue was young he was brought to the royal palace and groomed as a rare talent. We can only say it is expected for his current position.

He was an incredible genius when it comes to cultivating, and has his unique way of getting things done the way he wants without caring the process. The Emperor himself has praised him several times, and that eventually allowed him to grow his family to today's size. Regrettably, I can say for certain that Lord Yue still has his sight on you, perhaps he is merely watching what you can do until the time turns ripe for him to strike"

"I see, I understand now. This means I need a quicker way to become much stronger. Ah Pui, which nation has the strongest pugilists?"

"Hmm, it would be those from the southern countries, I suppose?"

"What are their unique points? Would I become stronger if I learn it?"

"I believe that's difficult. They actually use a unique kind of Ki, which do not depend completely on cultivating their power within their bodies. Instead, it is used to interact with nature itself, and by doing so they don't have to fork out anything more than 1/3 of the energy needed to attack. The rest will be provided by nature.

This power, they called it mana and has guarded it secretly since time immemorial, just like how we guarded our cultivation methods. Those that mastered the art of using mana are called mages, people who could walk within storms, or summon fire from the skies with what they called spells or magic.

Rumour has it that our Emperor knows both Ki and Mana, but that was never verified. Unfortunately, other than his majesty, there are no news of anyone else in our empire that knows the secrets to that special type of Ki"

"I know who could use mana within our Empire" Kairos said suddenly, silencing Ah Pui who became deathly quiet. The meaning of having a rogue mage in Saint Empire is an incredible news. It would be considered treason to not report this to the crown.

"Orcs" the young Viscount suddenly added on, shocking Ah Pui even more, "Don't be too surprised, those... 'beings'", he decided to use that term instead of 'monster' which is what is normally used, "they are able to easily throw those odd energies around"

Ah Pui answered with a nod, "It is a fact that Orcs and quite a few magical beasts knows mana. But, how is master planning to learn mana from an Orc?" It is a ridiculous notion, to say the very least.

"I have my own plans. Ah Pui, why are those mages the greatest among pugilists?"

"Hmm, Master Kairos, how powerful do you imagine one is, if every single attack one launches are equalled to the power of top ranked talismans?"

"That.... Are those mages truly so powerful?"

Ah Pui shook his head gently then said, "It's true that they have impressive firepower, but that is only if manage to unleash their 'spells' on their targets. I heard that except a few individuals who are talented enough to cast instantaneously, the rest requires a longer time than our techniques to launch any attacks. And since they do not cultivate their own body unlike Ki users, most of us can knock out their mages with a single punch if we could get close enough to them. Lastly, without a strong physical strength there are limited kinds of attack they can unleash. Of course the visa verse is also true. Without being able to unleash large amount of Ki, we cultivators are just as limited.