Above The Sky
Chapter 40 - 40 38 Choice Thanks to Zuo Bo Jia Ye Zi for the alliance leader's reward!

40: Chapter 38: Choice (Thanks to Zuo Bo Jia Ye Zi for the alliance leader’s reward!) 40: Chapter 38: Choice (Thanks to Zuo Bo Jia Ye Zi for the alliance leader’s reward!) The fragrance of the Spirit Focusing Herbal Water was refreshing, but even more potent was the fresh aroma of the fish flesh.

Although many people highly praise the fresh taste of eating fish and seafood, regrettably, Ian preferred strong flavors; without chili peppers he found eating meals unappealing, and he didn’t like dipping fries in ketchup, preferring a bit of salt and pepper instead.

As for fish, at the very least it needed some steamed fish soy sauce, right?

Unfortunately, none was available.

One thing that dissatisfied Ian on the Terra Continent was that spices and various food sauces were quite precious here—even refined salt was a luxury, and everyday cooking could only involve coarse salt.

“Eat?

That’s not urgent.”

Upon entering the house, Hiliard observed the fish fillet on the plate seriously.

The steaming orange-red flesh of the fish was cooked perfectly, its oils slowly seeping out, emitting a fragrance that stimulated the appetite, with a small spoonful of salt beside the plate.

Salt was rather expensive in the Empire, but that only applied to refined salt.

At Harrison Port, coarse salt was abundant.

Not to mention the salt fields in the surrounding villages, there were also rock salt mines in the nearby Bison Mountain Range that could be exploited.

“The cooking is excellent, very fragrant.”

Feeling quite hungry, Hiliard turned his head and praised, “And you’re really lucky to have found a Primordial Beast…”

“No.

Wait…”

Gazing into his apprentice’s green eyes, the old knight seemed thoughtful.

He corrected himself with sudden realization, “It’s not luck…

Is this your Spirit Energy?”

Ian did not answer.

He just smiled slightly, and Hiliard did not press further, but simply laughed heartily and turned back to the fish fillet, “It seems that even without me, you could live quite well, even exceedingly well!”

Since Ian did not ask where he went in the afternoon like a typical child would, he would respect Ian’s secrets.

Drawing on his experience, Hiliard deduced from Ian’s attitude toward himself and the features like ‘finding the hard-to-detect Primordial Beast in the pile of fish’ that Ian’s Spirit Energy included traits like ‘Emotion Grasping,’ ‘Clairvoyance,’ ‘High Precision Observation,’ or even ‘Essence Observation.’

In short, it was an extremely rare compound class of observational-type Spirit Energy.

This type of Spirit Energy didn’t have a direct combat strength, but it greatly aided an Awakener’s growth, the more so the higher the Energy Level.

If it weren’t for this Spirit Energy, Hiliard would probably not have considered taking Ian as an apprentice.

Because he would ultimately have to leave.

If the apprentice didn’t have the potential to become stronger on his own, why would he take him into the dangerous world of Sublimators and let himself be burdened by his identity?

But if he didn’t take the other as an apprentice, he wouldn’t be able to discover Ian’s talent on the path of a Sublimator.

“Your Spirit Energy is truly a luck-bringing ability,” he remarked.

Then, eyeing the steaming fish fillet, the old knight noticed Ian’s smiling expression but shook his head, “You eat more of it.

This kind of thing is very useful for a beginner Cultivator like you, but for me, it has no effect.”

“It’s just dinner, Teacher.

Consider it tuition,” Ian insisted.

Looking into his student’s eyes, Hiliard laughed and conceded, “Okay, okay, I’ll eat a bit, just to taste your culinary skills.”

He wasn’t pretentious.

He stepped forward, forked a piece of fish, and took a bite.

Instantly, Hiliard’s eyes brightened.

Ian had prepared the fish flesh very well; he had thought there would be some bones or residue, but there was none, just smooth and tender fish flesh.

Moreover, the degree of grilling was perfectly suitable.

As soon as the tongue and the roof of the mouth pressed down slightly, the oil and the essence of the fresh juices from the flesh and fibers spread to all taste buds, and the fresh and pleasant flavor of the magic salmon was something he hadn’t tasted in a long time.

Of course, by his standards, the taste of this fish flesh was a bit bland, but one couldn’t expect an eight-year-old child to measure up to a palace chef in using seasoning.

“It’s hard to imagine,” Hiliard thought with amazement, “My student, aside from cultivating, could it be that he is also a natural-born chef?

If he were properly trained, just with this pair of eyes that can discern good ingredients, he could be a top palace chef…”

After another bite, he was reminded of some past memories and couldn’t help but sigh, “Remarkable.”

When Hiliard looked at Ian again, he saw the boy’s curious gaze.

“Teacher.”

The boy asked, “What is a Primordial Beast?”

“Are there many types of Magical Beasts?

This fish is so weak, can it still be considered a Magical Beast?”

Ian was very interested in this knowledge; after all, he was young in this life, and didn’t know much about what might be considered common sense on the Terra Continent.

Fortunately, his teacher seemed to be very knowledgeable and, aside from common sense, perhaps knew many ‘secrets.’

Of course, more importantly, Ian wanted to know exactly what it was he had consumed.

“Primordial Beasts are ordinary natural creatures that, upon being infected by the Spirit Energy Field, also known as ‘magic power’ and ‘spirit energy’ in common parlance, transform into Magical Beasts from normal animals.”

After putting down his fork, Hiliard thought for a few seconds, organized his words, and then slowly said, “And what people commonly refer to as Magical Beasts, scientifically known as Native Beasts, are the optimized species that inherited the genetic basis of Primordial Beasts…

inherited the Bloodline of Primordial Beasts and have stabilized the beneficial Bloodline.”

“Practically all of the Magical Beasts on the Terra Continent are Native Beasts.

A small number of Primordial Beasts continue to appear; the weaker ones mostly become food, while the exceptional Primordial Beasts’ offspring increase the variety of Native Beasts, enriching the complexity of Bloodlines.”

“But aside from these, there exists another type of Magical Beast that doesn’t belong to this chain—they have been present since ancient times, seemingly without an origin or derivatives.”

Saying so, Hiliard raised his hand, gazing at his palm, he spoke softly, “They are known as ‘Ancient Demonic Beasts,’ and they are the most powerful and the most mysterious among many Magical Beasts.”

At this point, the old Knight noticed Ian’s earnest expression as he listened and couldn’t help but laugh, “Explaining all this in detail is like giving you a biology class on Magical Beasts.

I will explain it to you in detail when we have time.”

“As for now…

since you can eat Beast Flesh, you can anticipate that your accumulation rate of Origin Quality and the condensation of the Primordial Seed will definitely be faster than I imagined.”

Nodding to signify Ian to sit properly, Hiliard said seriously, “Ian, the next question will determine the path of your future cultivation.”

He said earnestly, “Which Inheritance do you want to cultivate?”

“Which ‘Bloodline’ or ‘True Form’?”

“Eh?”

Upon hearing this, Ian, who had also become solemn, was slightly taken aback and said confusedly, “Isn’t it the same as you, Teacher—to inherit The Unyielding Fortress, starting from being a Sand Armor Apprentice?”

He still remembered the expression on Hiliard’s face that morning when he mentioned his own Inheritance.

The old Knight appeared as spirited as if he had turned fifty years younger, clearly filled with immense pride and self-regard.

He had thought that his teacher would have him cultivate the same True Form.

“That is the True Form that is most suitable for me, but it might not suit you.”

Hiliard shook his head and spoke frankly, “Moreover, although True Forms from The Unyielding Fortress lineage are indeed powerful, the ingredients for Magic Potion, the rare parts of various Magical Beasts, are all extremely scarce.”

“Sand Armor Apprentices, Rock Cast Knights, these might still rely on ordinary Demonic Beast Materials for transition.

But once you reach the state of ‘Lord of Stone,’ ‘Mountain Apostle,’ the required materials are mostly the organs of extremely powerful Magical Beasts, and the auxiliary materials are also sublimation plants that are as rare as gold.”

“As for ‘The Unyielding Fortress’…” Hiliard couldn’t help but smile wryly at this point, “Its core main material requires parts of ‘Ancient Demonic Beasts’, or let’s say, ‘Ancient Dragons,’ that are powerful beyond imagination.”

“The Heart Core of Ancient Dragons, Spinal Cord Gel, and the Spiritual Neural Network; even I…”

At this point, the old Knight paused and shook his head.

Hiliard spoke slowly, “Do you understand?

Power comes at a price; some Bloodline True Forms can only be cultivated by Sublimators from great forces.

You are my Apprentice, which makes you more systematic than an ordinary Sublimator who rose in the wild, but in terms of resources, you’re not much better off than a rural Sublimator.”

“This afternoon when I went out, I also took the opportunity to survey the distribution of Magical Beasts around Harrison Port.

Later tonight, I plan to list a few of the most suitable True Form Bloodline Inheritances for you that would allow you to advance to the Second Energy Level using only materials from nearby Magical Beasts.”

“By that time, you will probably be in your twenties, with strength sufficient to ensure your own safety.

You’ll be free to travel across the entire continent, looking for materials of the next caliber without me having to worry about your future.”

After finishing speaking, Hiliard said no more, but Ian understood very well.

The old Knight hadn’t expected Ian’s spirit energy to be so readily accessible, making it easy to find Beast Flesh as food; it seemed that the future would likely not be in short supply, and the pace of cultivation might be much faster than he imagined.

In light of this, subsequent considerations also needed adjustment—after all, if it were Ian, perhaps he could find some materials that are difficult for ordinary people to obtain.

However, Hiliard couldn’t be certain of this and could only leave the choice to Ian himself.

—To choose a path with the potential for a great future but destined to be fraught with hardships and obstacles.

—Or a smooth and steady path, but with a potentially limited summit.

“Indeed, objective circumstances must also be taken into account…”

With a slight frown, Ian mused softly to himself.

He looked up and said to the old Knight, “Then Teacher, apart from the Sand Armor Apprentice, what other Inheritances are available for me to choose from now?”

It wasn’t that he had already decided to change allegiances.

He simply intended to hear about the other options.

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