A routine had taken root. During the day, Sirius would go to the library to learn about martial arts and the world at large. At night, he trained relentlessly to reach the mid stage.
In truth, once the upper daitan was unlocked, sleep became less necessary. One or two good nights of rest per week were enough. The energy circulating in the upper daitan seemed to enhance endurance and reduce fatigue.
Thanks to his hard training, and perhaps some innate talent in guiding his inert energy through his body, the initial two weeks usually needed for advancement seemed to shorten each training. Maybe, just maybe, he could reach the mid stage before leaving Bright Village.
Sirius had just finished his nightly training session and now headed toward the library.
The middle-aged woman who worked there no longer looked at Sirius with fear or hatred. How could she despise someone who came every day seeking knowledge? Wasn't this the very reason she had taken the job? So what if he had red hair? She had even asked him how long he planned to stay in the village, and he'd answered: five more days. She hadn't expected death to loom so closely.
The book Sirius was currently reading was titled Jade City. It contained everything about the Imperial City, the great city of humanity.
Its size, population, prices, average martial level, the identities of the king and queen, their children, the princes and princesses. Even its food specialties, and the names of the evil sects on the run from the guards.
Sirius learned that the king and queen had eight children, all of them martial artists. Yet they didn't share the same realm, either due to talent or age.
One princess had reached the Pinnacle Realm. Two princes and one princess were at the Crimson Step Realm. Another prince and princess were in the Echo of Resolve Realm. One prince was at the Completion Realm. And the youngest, an eighteen-year-old princess, was said to be at the Self Vision Realm.
The Imperial Family and their guard, were the reason humanity stood atop the other races of the Ash Realm. Three individuals had reached the Pinnacle Realm, more than four hundred were at the Crimson Step Realm, and five thousand at Echo of Resolve. As for those in the Completion Realm, they were too numerous to count.
Such was the power of the Imperial Family.
Yet their power was not absolute. Even if they had three Pinnacle Realm experts, ten others existed in the world. Most of them, however, maintained good relations with the Imperial Family. If the empire fell, humanity itself might fall with it.
In fact, only two Pinnacle Realm martial artists were considered enemies of the Imperial Family. The first resided in the Solkara Continent, openly conducting grotesque experiments on monsters. The second? No one knew where he was. Last rumors placed him in Tharagon, the worst continent to live in by far.
Aside from Jade City, twenty other cities dotted the Aerindel Continent. They were all large, yet none could compare to the might of the Imperial Capital. The city Sirius wished to reach, Sephoria, was one of those twenty.
Though Echo of Resolve and Completion Realm martial artists seemed common among the Imperial Guard, they were in truth quite rare. Most martial artists were either novices or at the Self Vision Realm.
Completion was the first realm where strength truly earned respect. Until Sirius reached it, he believed people would continue judging him by his red hair.
It was already eight in the evening. The library was closing. Sirius had no choice but to leave. He returned to the inn, bought a simple meal for two silver coins, went up to his room on the second floor, and resumed his training.
Originally, his goal in Bright Village had been to study human interaction and behavior while training. But after what happened two days ago, he believed that purpose had become meaningless. As a red-haired boy who had cut someone's fingers, he doubted anyone would try speaking to him again.
Two days passed.
Only three days remained before Sirius would leave Bright Village. During that time, he studied the topography of both the Tharagon and Solkara continents, learned about monster cities and the many races that inhabited the world.
In fact, monsters came in more than twenty different races: dragons, giants, devils, lizardfolk, unicorns, pegasi, even centaurs. All kinds existed.
He also learned the detailed geography of the Aerindel Continent, knowledge that would no doubt prove useful later.
As for his training, everything was going well. His martial techniques continued to improve, and he was doing much better at circulating his inert energy. It was no longer exhausting to maintain both efforts at once, it remained difficult, yes, but not nearly as overwhelming as before.
Sirius succeeded in guiding his inert energy through his head, and had now begun to channel it through his arms. The mid stage was drawing closer with each passing day.
That evening, like every other day, Sirius closed his door, bought dinner, and just as he finished eating, the innkeeper approached him.
"Hey, junior. Want to come out to the courtyard with me?"
"Why are you calling me junior?" Sirius asked, puzzled.
"Because you're a fellow martial artist of the Self Vision Realm."
Sirius's eyes widened. He had never once imagined that the innkeeper could be a martial artist, and not just a novice, but someone in the Self Vision Realm as well.
"So... you're asking for a spar?"
The innkeeper nodded.
"Indeed. Sparring is one of the best ways for martial artists like us to reach enlightenment. One good bout can be worth days, maybe even weeks, of training. Don't worry, we'll use wooden weapons. You won't get hurt. I've even prepared a long Hendirun saber for you, just like the one you carry."
"I accept your challenge," Sirius replied with a small smile. "But tell me, why are you so confident you'll win? If you're too sure of yourself, you might be the one lying on the ground."
"Haha! I'm at the late stage. You seem to be, at best, mid stage. How could you possibly beat me?"
They laughed and chatted as they walked to the courtyard.
Sirius wore a long Hendirun saber, while the innkeeper carried a wooden dao sword. Though both weapons were made of wood, Sirius was certain that a strike from that blade, especially one delivered by someone at the late stage, would hurt far more than just a little.
Then, they took their positions.
Sirius smiled.
His first true battle was about to begin.