The Mystical universe

"I steadied myself against the wall while walking towards the exit of my room. However, I stumbled on my steps and, in a moment of panic, exerted too much strength to keep myself up." Awkwardly smiling, he explained to the boys.

When you make a new breakthrough, especially in physical aspects, it's often difficult to gauge your strength accurately and control it.

Refining the heart immediately increased Thorin's and Raizel's strength by fifty thousand pounds. Controlling such power will take time.

"Now, both of you are in Xiantian and have reversed refined your heart, making you exceptional cases within that realm. It seems I need to breakthrough soon. By the way, Thorin, how come you didn't awaken your bloodline when you broke through? And you, Rai, Gramps said you should gain some control over yours after reaching Xiantian. Did you?" Kaeln inquired.

"Not everyone awakens their bloodline at the same time. I awakened mine when I was in the Houtian stage, which helped me pass the Houtian tribulation quite easily. However, during the breakthrough to Xiantian, I did get an additional strength boost from my bloodline in innate divine strength, even more than in Houtian. According to the body refining secrets, individuals with powerful bloodlines gain a surge in strength with every great realm breakthrough. Though it's not equal for everyone, my strength should be at around a hundred and fifty thousand pounds," Thorin explained, making a fist with his hands.

"I did feel a surge of strength when I initially broke through as well. Now, with using the secret method, my strength should be around a hundred and twenty thousand pounds. It seems like the gain from my bloodline is lower than Thorin's," Raizel shook his head as he explained his situation.

Hearing both of them, Kaelen thought to himself, "I wonder how much gain I will get from awakening my bloodline."

While lost in his thoughts, a figure quickly approached them from the sky. It was Teacher Long.

Arriving, he sensed the three boys had become much stronger in the last week, especially Thorin and Raizel. He felt a beastly strength emanating from their yet smiling bodies. Thinking back to his conversation with Elder Miao, he understood the reason.

"These boys are really incredible." As a talented person himself, he had reached the extreme stages of Xiantian when he was younger. So how could he not know the pain of refining the heart, especially without the experience of refining the rest of the body first, leaving the eyes, heart, and brain for last? "It probably took them twice the regular time it usually takes because of their inexperience, and they had to withstand that pain during the whole process." In his thoughts, the middle-aged man couldn't help but admire the two.

"As for Kaelen…" Looking next at Kaelen, he felt the boy was like a straight spear that could pierce the heavens, a sharp aura emaneted from him. Scrutinizing the boys body, he saw his rough and calloused hands and the bloodstained spear on the ground. "Lord, so much blood. How long was he practicing for?"

"Kaelen, were you practicing the foundational Spear technique?" Curious, he asked the boy.

"Yes, teacher," the latter answered.

"How long were you practicing for?"

"I don't know exactly. A few days ago, I practiced for a whole day after the sect master and Su Yao visited. Oh right, Rai, Xue Qing came to see you for sparring." He didn't forget to remind his friend. "Anyway, while I was practicing, I entered a mysterious state and forgot time and space. When I woke up today, six days had passed." Kaelen furrowed his brow as he tried to remember what happened the last week.

"A mysterious state? Could it be… Impossible! So young?" Shocked, Teacher Long took a moment to think, shaking his head before changing the subject.

"Kaelen, someone came to see you. Come with me. As for you two, there was supposed to be another lecture today, but it'll be postponed for a few days." As he said that, he grabbed Kaeln by the wrist and soared into the sky.

Watching the two disappear, doubt clouded the other two's faces, especially Rai.

"Who could be coming to see Kaeln? Grampa? It's probably him," he thought to himself.

"Hm, I just broke through and don't feel like cultivating just yet. Hey Thorin, let's spar and see how much stronger we are." He proposed to his friend as purple lightning flashed in his eyes.

"I was thinking the same thing." His eyes flickering with ruby light as his arms bulged, overflowing with strength.

Rushing toward the training area, the two faced each other.

Purple lightning flashed as Raizel's slim and tall body was surrounded by a purplish blood qi. His short, blueish-purple hair seemed to float as his whole body was coated in Qi and Blood energy. His exceptionally handsome face took a ferocious turn as he shouted, leaping towards Thorin with a fist.

"Ahh!"

Thorin, on the other hand, had a ruby-like blood Qi surrounding his more muscular, tall body. His short black hair also wavered in mid-air as he coated his entire body with ruby Qi and blood energy.

In response to the approaching Rai, he also leaped forward and made a fist of his own.

Before their two fists met, their blood energies clashed as they approached each other, creating purple and ruby sparks in the air.

Soon, they clashed.

"Boooom!"

A large noise was heard as the two fists met. On the first clash, Thorin seemed to have the physical advantage as Raizel was slightly pushed back. However, small burns appeared on his fist as parts of it had been charred by the latter's innate lightning energy.

"Again!" Shouting loudly, they slammed towards each other. With each slam, they formed a powerful room-sized purple rose energy orb that was the culmination of their energies. On each clash, they sent each other flying dozens of meters away, but they would cross that distance with a power step in a second.

In the first minute, they clashed over fifty times. Occasionally, they would crash near a boulder and use it as ground to rush forward. Shockingly, inches-deep footprints would appear on the boulders as they exploded outward.

"Ahaha, this is the best. I enjoy this even more than sparring with Kaelen; that dude is a monster. Truly, I always get beat up. But there's no one else my age that even comes close to standing a chance, so I have to take the abuse. But I finally have another rival." Laughing hysterically, Raizel poured his heart as he rushed once more towards Thorin.

"Me too, I would always spar with my older sister, and she'd bully me completely. Now I have someone of equal strength that I can fully fight with. It's truly the best feeling." The latter shared the same sentiments as his newfound rival, punching at him while he spoke.

As they clashed, they gained better control of their strengths, managing to punch many times on each clash and avoiding wasting excess energy.

"Boom-boom-boom!"

Subsequent 'booms' loudly rang through the training field as the two clashed several times in mid-air before sending each other flying again.

As they stood facing each other, their clothes completely torn, revealing different parts of their upper chest and legs, no injuries as of yet, except on their fists.

"From now on, you can call me Rai; you're my second brother and rival." Looking happily at the boy he faced, the bluish-purple haired boy shouted.

"Alright, and you can call me Thor." Smiling, he accepted the latter's feeling. "Now come again." His face turned serious as he took out his giant heavy blade.

"Hm." Nodding, Raizel took out two short blades.

They coated their weapons in ruby and purple Qi and Blood energy, respectively, as they disappeared from their positions, reappearing in mid-air as they swung their weapons.

An 'X' shaped energy ring formed as they clashed, one ruby red, the other purple.

"Clangggg-clang-clang"

An even larger noise erupted, as a sonorous metal clashing noise reverberated in their section of the ascending dragon mountain, scaring the surrounding animals and enraging the students.

"What the heck, who the hell is making so much noise?"

"Damnit, I'm trying to meditate here, you bastards."

"If I see who's causing such a ruckus, I'll give him a taste of my mind."

…

Free Immortal Sect entrance.

A valiant old man was standing near the entrance doors with his hands behind his back. He looked into the depth of the Free Immortal sect as if he could see through the distance and the mountains.

"Oh? That boy can actually keep up with my grandson at the same stage. To actually find such a talented kid in these lands. Hm... he does give me a familiar feeling, but that clan is said to have been irreparably damaged untold years ago. To actually find a remnant in this world and for him to befriend my grandson, whose clan suffered a similar fate. Is it destiny?"

As he looked across endless mountains, he could see Rai sparring with Thor, their strength relatively equal. The boy reminded him of a clan that once stood amongst the greatest races, until something happened and they faced the siege of many other powerful clans, barely surviving the siege and left in ruins. They lost their place amongst the strongest and disappeared from the world. The boy's circumstances were very similar to Kaelen's and Raizel's, making Old Dai have a favorable feeling towards him.

"Sigh… What will be, will be. It's good that you made such a dependable friend. People from their clan are generally strong-charactered individuals with good hearts. You can trust such people with your life."

Turning his gaze, Old Dai closed his eyes as if he were waiting patiently.

Soon, two figures flying across the sky landed beside him. Opening his eyes to see the people that stood in front of him, he smiled.

"Old Dai? It's you." Seeing the old man, Kai jumped to his embrace.

As he received the young mans embrace, the old man tapped the young boy's head. "You've gotten stronger, Kaelen." 

"But why are you here? Ohh… Is it for my breakthrough?" Released from the embrace, Kai asked.

"Yes, it is time for you to breakthrough to Xiantian; your bloodline and innate divine might will be awakened. I came to take you to a secure place," he explained softly.

Looking at the unfathomable old man speaking with Kaelen, Teacher Long's heart was widely shaken. "This old man gives me an even more terrifying feeling than master. Are there such beings in the world?"

Sensing the old man's aura that only a powerhouse like himself could distinguish, Teacher Long couldn't help but be shocked.

"The aura surrounding him is somewhat similar to Rai, but very different from Kai's. He must be related to the former and not the latter," he thought to himself.

"Senior, I'll leave him in your hands." Bowing respectfully, he said.

Glancing at Teacher Long, Old Dai's face had a hint of appreciation. "You're Jiu Long Feng's disciple, Long Ao, aren't you?" He lightly asked the middle-aged man.

Hearing his master's full name, the already shaken man was surprised once more. He looked at the unfathomable senior; the latter's eyes seemed like two purple black-holes that sucked his soul into them. Lowering his head for fear of losing his mind, he asked, "Does senior know my master?"

"Yes, I met him a few times; he's quite an interesting person," Old Dai said lightly.

"Does senior know where he went?" Sensing this mysterious old man might have an idea, he asked hopefully.

"You don't have to worry about him. If he needs to be here, he will be. For now, he has other places where he needs to be." Lifting his head to look up at the vast skies, Old Dai responded.

Hearing this, a light flashed in Teacher Long's green eyes as he lifted his head to look at Old Dai and then at Kaelen. "Senior, you're his...?"

"That's not for you to worry about." Refusing to answer, Old Dai turned around as a purple light covered Kaelen.

"Wait, senior. I have one last thing to ask. About the Nine Dragons Immortal Art, do you know its origins?" Taking out an ancient crimson book, with dragon-like characters on the front page, he asked the old man before he departed.

Hearing that name, Old Dai turned to look at the book in his hands, a complicated light flashing in his aged eyes. "That book was left in the True Dragon Cave for him. Since he's the only one in this world who can practice it, he would eventually find it. You may give it to him when you feel it's most right." He telepathically said to the man.

"Shouldn't he learn it when at the early stages? It's a cultivation method after all." Confused, Teacher Long retorted.

Kaelen, who was standing by him, also looked at the crimson book. At the sight of it, a sudden heart-wrenching pain assaulted his head as he dropped to his knee.

"Arghhhh." Grunting loudly, he held his head with both hands as he felt unbearable pain.

"Sigh…" Seeing him react like this, Old Dai gently tapped his head, making him unconscious, before looking at Teacher Long.

"If you feel now is the right time, then you can give it to him now." He waited for the teacher's answer.

Glancing at the unconscious boy, Teacher Long thought about it for a minute before putting the book back in his storage ring.

"I will wait for his return." He said.

"Alright." Accepting the man's decision, Old Dai turned to depart with the unconscious boy in his hand. Their bodies turned into motes of purple light as they disappeared completely.