A slow travel ensured, but none of them complained, welcoming the rarely peaceful passage instead.

During their travels, Kairos had been focusing on his cultivation, and his primary concern is to create a martial art that could strike from afar.

In his research, he became fascinated with the storm wolves’ black wind blade and the thunder storm techniques. Both of which are more akin to magical spells than actual Ki activation, but he has a feeling that they work on similar logic.

“I don’t have wind and lightning Ki yet, so maybe a fire version instead?”

It would be a technique he create from scratch, and he chose to mimic the projected Ki strikes that Calculus sent towards him when they first clashed. This is the first time that he ever tried to do something like it, and without any teacher’s guidance, he gathered the Ki in his body towards his hand.

He was surprised with the ease of succeeding that, it came natural to him, like breathing. Compared to keeping his Ki barrier from dissipating, this is a straight-forward skill.

With confidence now, he aimed at a tree on the side of the road and released the gathered energy with basic Ki emission technique.

An extremely slow, colourless, ball of energy flew into the tree, instead of crashing into it. Suddenly, without any signs of being damaged, the tree instead brightened in appearance as if it was infused with life.

Jim who is seated next to him, nearly fell off the wyrm from laughter.

“Captain, your ranged attack… was created for gardeners?”

Everyone was obviously stifling their laughter.

Kairos blushed, jumped, and with an impossibly acrobatic move, sent Jim rolling off with a kick.

“You’re running until you mastered the two combat arts used by your grandfather!”

Then, as if struck by an idea, he suddenly added after a short pause, “Everyone too.”

“Tommy, you got to try and bring your physical strength up to Titan rank. I know that external martial artists need years of hard physical training to reach that level, but we really don’t have the time. You have the talent, and as an Origin Energy you will definitely leave the others in the dust.

Edward, you need to think of a way to make your melee techniques even more deadly. Don’t let your arrows be the only things that become stronger.

And Alan…well, until now your Acupoint martial arts is not completed. It’s a brilliant technique, and you have to finish it. Also, I think your weapon has great defensive potentials. If you can combine the two, your potential will increase steeply.”

They nodded in agreement and without a single complain started training as they travelled.

All of them thought themselves as strong warriors back in the black forest and grew complacent. Such an attitude gave their foes a chance and indirectly caused the death of many grey wolves. Watching their animal companions die by the dozens, even if they didn’t mention a word, the five of them took time to reflect upon themselves.

There was a short moment of silence as Kairos turned to Vouno and sought advice on improving one’s physical strength quickly. Improving one’s strength is the most assured method to have less friends dying. His father thought for a moment then gave him a dubious suggestion.

Kairos hesitated, but finally used that strange suggestion, “Take a barrel and run! If you guys waste any water, then you’ll be running this way the whole time.”

Despite the fact that they are on a time crunch, they will make every effort to enhance their balance, control, and stamina.

“You sure this would work?” One of them looked at the barrels suspiciously, but an ‘hmph’ from Vouno silenced them all.

The rest also wanted to join in, but for them, their focus should be on raising their ranks.

Kairos had prepared beforehand, and he quickly handed out Origin Cultivation Method that is catered to each for them to start training in their new arts.

At this time those youths did not know that this is the changing point to their lives. Which heroes of old did not rise up to their saga because of their unique cultivation method?

Yet none of those legends past could have anything that match what they are learning.

At least not from Gaia.

The Origin Cultivation Method may not grant much special abilities but it increases one’s potential and change what should be latent. That alone makes it more than terrifying.

For cultivators, sailing down the ranks without blockades and have bottlenecks widened is a faraway dream. If told possible, it is enough to drive most crazy from the promise of power, safety, and more importantly, longevity.

Which ancient practitioner which is an age old and a foot in the grave will not turn unscrupulous if told they can breakthrough to the next rank and live a couple of centuries more?

Of course, this doesn’t make the Origin Cultivation Method the best there under the heavens.

There are plenty of incredible cultivation methods that exists. Yet what makes the cultivation method truly superior is Kairos customising it to fit the practitioner specifically.

This may sound to be only of slight advantage but even the best Cultivation Methods may prove useless in the wrong hands.

For example, a pure yang Ki type cultivation will make a man more robust and thickly muscled but if given to a petite woman, it could turn harmful instead.

Suitability is often more overlooked until one wears a pair of unfitting boots and fight.

The Origin Cultivation Method that Kairos taught them are not only tuned to the present, but it adapts to a person’s growth.

This alone opens up to a whole array of variations that other Cultivation Methods do not permit.

Taking the same example as before, should a person who have practiced pure yang Ki cultivation wants to pick up a new martial art, it is unwise to choose a clashing style like a pure Ying combat art, and this severely limits a fighter.

The Origin Cultivation Method, as is its namesake, provides the Origin Ki refinement method and does not limit its practitioner.

Vouno became the only one left with time on his hands.

He laid down on Wyrmy’s back toying with two strange objects in his hands.

Being the only person idle, everyone soon noticed.

“What are those?” Kairos is unable to push down his curiosity and asked, those nearby perked their ears to listen in. They had been waiting for someone to ask first and from the looks of it, those items are surely nothing simple.

“Haha. You finally asked! Do you have any idea how tiring it gets to keep on jingling these around until you noticed?”

“Uhhh.., I was… distracted, Father… What are them?”

“I earned these trophies from my bounty mission. A wind orb and a time-space orb. Apparently, the target I’ve been hunting down had been escaping capture using them.”

“And can you draw power from them?”

“Yes,” a simple and triumphant answer, shocking those who heard. The power of most artefacts are not meant to be drained. To be able to wield those items as a part of one’s power is utterly different from using those items.

“Is it permanent?”

“Maybe, but I haven’t managed to reach that stage yet.”

His thoughts exploded. The answer wasn’t a flat no.

It’s possible, maybe not yet, but Vouno thinks it is possible.

They were floored by the implications. Right now Vouno can already use the power of different artefacts without carrying them around, and this opens up a whole array of battle tactics. Just throwing out different powers that should not belong to him is enough to stump most enemies.

But that is only now. One day, he might be able to permanently hold the powers he want as his own and have unlimited trump cards. Of course, how many artefacts Vouno can drain from at once is another issue.

…..

At a distant place, inside of the Silent Lambs Empire, there was a soft huffing sound could be heard from an otherwise silent room.

The whistle of a whip followed by a loud crackle against skin and flesh became the constant companion of the two guards posted outside. There was a short moment of reprieve, as it always would. But this time, what followed is a sizzling sound and a heavy odour of burned flesh, as if the torturer want to exact revenge for the lack in response.

Still, the victim made no sound. No, no matter what was done, there was not even a frown.

For the past two months, the silence made the guards have their hair stand on ends. It was an unnatural, defiant quiet that even the apparent use of hot iron on their prisoner did nothing.

“What do you think he was put here for? Was he got caught stealing?” one of the guards outside asked his partner, earning him the whites of his eyes in return.

“Do you know you are guarding the royal dungeon?”

“Well, yeah?” the first guard said stupidly.

“Have you ever seen people thrown into the royal dungeon for simple theft?” the one replying felt his head hurting as he answered.

“No, I’ve never and that’s why I’m asking you?” it was an honest and sincere reply, but talking to this simpleton only set his teeth on edge.

Suddenly, he calmed down, and replied in a more serious manner, “You really are a bucket head. Is there nothing inside up there?

I’ll do you a favour and explain it to you once and for all. This here, is a boy so young that I doubt could steal anything of enough value to land him here. Besides, the way they are torturing him without asking questions, it isn’t likely. But, fool, you got me thinking. Maybe the boy isn’t here for any crimes he committed.”

His companion gave a dark look at being insulted, but it was a flash that disappeared without being noticed, and he asked again, “But why don’t they just kill him? Isn’t it a hassle to drag him in here and constantly torture him?”

Before the man could reply, there was a flicker and a whoosh and his head rolled off. Then a grim voice spoke to ‘bucket head’, the first guard who was deemed a simpleton, “You should stop getting your partner killed by purposely asking them silly questions.”

“Oh come on, you know I needed someone to entertain me.”

“Enough. I would not waste my men’s lives to keep you entertained… even if you are the best agent our empire has. One more death like this and you’re guarding the boy alone.”

“Well, then send me a man who can entertain me without pissing me off. Besides, technically, it was you that killed him, not me.”

“Fine fine, have you got anyone in mind?”

…..

The initial tests to conjure up a new technique failed unremarkably. Kairos realised that without another similar skill to guide him, it was difficult to project a formless energy into something like a spear.

It was after quite a few attempts that he finally made progress. The inspiration came from the dagger arts that Jim has now mastered. After much trial and error, he realised that the weapons were, in fact, unleashed together with a powerful and destructive Ki, using the Ki itself to direct the blades.

That night when they set up their infrequent camp to rest, Kairos stood quietly before a great lone tree. He gathered power into his hand like before, only this time, using the technique he copied from Failto Hope, his Ki turn into a tiny sphere that it floated a short distance from his index finger. He pointed at the tree, sending the harmless looking orb forward just like the scattering petals technique except without using a dagger as a physical medium.

With a thud, it struck the trunk of the tree leaving a small blacken circle but not much else.

“AWESOME!”

Despite the limited results, Kairos was thrilled. This is a major improvement compared to before, and more critically, it means that he is on the right track.

Next, he drew from the fire Ki that burned within. This time, he will complete his new combat art… with any luck. Repeating the same procedure as before, an orange sphere struck the tree trunk heavily. This time it left a slightly burnt spot.

“Oh…”

Looking at the disappointing attempt, he felt deflated.

“The fire goes out of control if I slightly add anymore Ki. How do I get huge explosive flames? Must I use weapons as medium?”

Kairos’ face turned serious as he mused over that line of thought, but when pressing on stockpiling more Ki in his technique seemed fruitless, an idea struck him. If the energy destabilises so easily then perhaps, he should draw upon something else besides his own instead. With a grin on his face, Kairos sent another pocket of Ki flying out from his finger towards the tree, and at a speed even greater than before.

This particular attack seemed half-formed. It struck the trunk at a blinding speed, only this time the wood did not catch fire immediately. The entire tree shook with a rage for a while, then a fiery explosion shattered it into dust. The bright flash of flames sucked into itself, disappearing into ash, along with most of the trunk.

Everyone jumped up from where they are, no matter they were resting or in practice, and they came running with shock.

“W..wha… What the hell happened?”

They looked at the charred mess before Kairos.

“Oh, that?” Kairos replied with a gentle smile on his face, “I made a tree implode.”