Fourth day- Dream Domain
The Shadow Serpent
Under the morning light in a rainforest, a large black-scaled serpent slithers across the damp forest floor, its body weaving around thick roots and fallen branches.
The mist clings to its scales, giving it a faint glimmer as it moves.
The serpent slides into a small clearing and slowly makes its way toward the centre, then stops.
Low growls ripple through the dense trees surrounding the clearing.
Moments later, a wolf's head emerges from the shadows, its golden eyes fixed on the serpent.
One by one, more wolves step out from all sides, forming a loose circle around the serpent, their bodies tense, muscles coiled, ready to strike.
The wolves snarl and, with a flash of teeth and muscle, leap toward the serpent.
But the black-scaled serpent, without a hint of fear, moves with frightening speed.
Its thick tail whips through the air like a hammer, meeting the wolves mid-leap.
Each strike forces the wolves to yelp and retreat, the power behind the blows too much for their bodies to withstand.
Dark shadow magic begins to seep from the serpent's scales, gathering around its tail, extending its reach and increasing the force of every attack.
Wherever the tail lashes, the shadow magic tears through flesh and bone, severely injuring and killing the weaker wolves instantly.
The serpent remains constantly alert, its tongue flickering as it picks up the heavy, sharp scent of another—one not human, but a lower demon, just like itself.
Caution flashing in its cold eyes, the serpent dispatches wolf after wolf with brutal precision, the ground soon littered with wounded and dead beasts.
Then, in the middle of its assault, the serpent suddenly feels a shift in the wind.
It spins around, its tail wrapped in thick layers of shadow magic, and strikes.
A thunderous collision echoes across the clearing as the serpent's tail meets the claw of a much larger wolf.
This wolf's claw is coated in fierce, swirling wind magic, the sharp gusts clashing against the dense shadow energy.
The impact blasts the ground beneath them, sending dust and leaves into the air as the two lower demons face off, their powers colliding in a contest of strength.
The serpent hisses, its tongue flicking as it circles the large demon wolf.
The demon wolf growls lowly, muscles tensed, green wind energy swirling violently around its body, slicing the grass and leaves under its feet.
The serpent moves first, its body a blur of black scales and shadow magic as it strikes with terrifying speed.
The demon wolf dodges to the side, its sharp instincts saving it from a direct hit, but the serpent's tail grazes its side, tearing open a gash.
The wolf howls in rage and retaliates, wind magic gathering at its paws as it lunges, slashing at the serpent's body.
The serpent twists midair, the wind-infused claws barely missing its vital points but still managing to leave a shallow wound along its scales.
Landing with a heavy thud, the serpent lashes its tail again, sending a wave of shadow magic crashing toward the wolf.
The wolf snarls, lowering its body and leaping through the attack, its body spinning like a whirlwind, wind blades forming around it.
The serpent coils tightly, letting the storm of wind blades crash against its thick scales, gritting through the stinging cuts.
Shadow magic pulses stronger from the serpent, a thick mist beginning to fill the clearing, making it hard to see.
The wolf hesitates momentarily, its ears flicking, sensing the danger.
The serpent strikes again, this time from an unexpected angle, its tail slamming into the wolf's shoulder with the force of a battering ram.
Bones crack.
The demon wolf yelps in pain, thrown violently into a tree trunk, which splinters from the impact.
Snarling with blood dripping from its mouth, the wolf staggers to its feet, fury blazing in its eyes.
It roars, and the wind around it surges wildly, forming a barrier as it charges straight at the serpent.
The serpent, calm and predatory, waits.
At the last moment, it dips low and strikes upward, shadow magic exploding from its tail as it connects with the wolf's exposed chest.
The wolf crashes backwards, coughing blood, deep wounds crisscrossing its body.
Its limbs tremble, breath ragged, magic unstable.
The serpent slithers forward slowly, dominance radiating from its huge body.
The demon wolf bares its fangs, but its confidence has crumbled.
It knows.
If it stays, death is certain.
With a last, hateful glare at the serpent, the demon wolf gathers the last of its wind magic and, with a mighty leap, disappears into the dense rainforest, its wounded body vanishing into the mist and trees.
The serpent watches silently, its tongue flicking.
It does not give chase.
Because it cannot outrun a wolf and a wolf-demon with wind magic.
Blood seeps into the soil, the clearing littered with the bodies of slain wolves.
The black-scaled serpent thinks that if he had not entered the space while sleeping and practised his shadow magic, the result today would have been different.
He turns his cold gaze toward the corpses of the ordinary wolves.
Opening his mouth from a distance, a black swirling vortex appears in front of him, pulling the wolf corpses toward it.
As the corpses are drawn in, the vortex destroys their physical forms, preserving only their energy, which flows into the serpent's body.
With the infusion of energy, the serpent's wounds begin to heal, his black scales regaining their lustre.
After resting for a while under the thick canopy, his long body coiled quietly, he finally uncoils and slithers away from the clearing.
Moving smoothly across the damp forest floor, he travels a long distance before arriving at the base of a large hill.
Without hesitation, the black-scaled serpent finds a hidden entrance and slips inside, disappearing into the darkness of a cave within the hill.
Inside the cave, the black-scaled serpent takes a deep breath, feeling the dense shadow magic energy thick in the air.
His cold eyes scan the surroundings and spot dark crystals embedded along the cave walls, pulsing faintly with shadow power.
Without slowing, he slithers through the winding corridor, drawn forward by the sound of distant voices—voices only a serpent of his kind can understand.
As he reaches the end of the corridor, a vast cavern opens before him.
His gaze sweeps over the scene: all around the cavern walls, perched on ledges, are serpents like him, black-scaled and brimming with shadow magic, their gleaming eyes focused intently on the centre of the cavern.
In the centre, two shadow serpents clash fiercely, their bodies blurs of black scales and surging magic.
Every strike echoes through the cavern as the watching serpents hiss and murmur in approval or disdain.
Today is the yearly meeting of their Shadow Serpent Clan's lower demons—a sacred day when those who have not yet ascended to higher demon ranks compete.
The top ten strongest among them would earn a reward.
The reward for entering the top ten is the right to submerge themselves in the Shadow Lake—the holy place of their Shadow Serpent Clan.
It is where the dense shadow magic energy of the world condenses into liquid form, gathering into a deep, dark lake.
The shadow liquid nourishes the body, strengthens the bloodline, and greatly enhances their mastery over shadow magic.
It is every lower demon's dream to enter it.
After observing a few battles, the black-scaled serpent slithers forward, taking centre stage to issue his challenge.
His body coils with tension, shadow energy flickering around his scales.
Last year, he had ranked 68th, a nameless figure among the crowd.
This time, his first challenge is to the 59th-ranked shadow serpent.
The crowd hisses and murmurs with interest as the two serpents face each other.
With sharp, explosive speed, the black-scaled serpent strikes.
The battle is fierce but short—his honed skills from the dream space and his mastery of shadow magic overpower his opponent.
Victory is his.
Following the rules, he challenges higher-ranked serpents, each time moving ten ranks forward.
Every battle grows harder, the opponents more experienced, but he fights with ruthless precision and alertness, conserving his energy wisely.
After a few exhausting hours of continuous fighting, his body battered but his spirit unwavering, he now coils in front of the 10th-ranked shadow serpent, ready for the most important battle yet.
The two shadow serpents coil and hiss, their tails thick with swirling shadow magic.
The cavern buzzes with the low growl of dark energy as the two figures clash.
The black-scaled serpent—the challenger—moves first, his tail lashing out, shrouded in heavy shadow.
The 10th rank serpent counters easily, his experience showing, his tail moving like a storm, defending and attacking in one breath.
Every collision sends ripples through the shadow magic.
Each strike of the opponent feels heavier, sharper.
Slowly, the black-scaled serpent realises he is falling behind—his tail numbs, his reactions slow.
He grits his teeth internally.
If it continues, he will lose.
Then, memory stirs inside him—the last time he entered the dream space, he had trained with Omar and Omar's sword attack some time cuts through his shadow magic.
He had tried to imitate Omar's techniques, moulding them with his shadow magic.
A risky move, but now, his only hope.
With fierce concentration, he wills his shadow magic to change.
Around his tail, the swirling blackness tightens, stretches, sharpens—until it forms the shape of a blade.
A black sword tail gleams under the dim cavern light.
When the two tails clash again, the difference is instant.
His sharpened shadow sword cuts cleanly through the opponent's thick magic shield, slicing into the flesh beneath.
A howl echoes in the cavern.
Seizing the advantage, the black-scaled serpent moves with merciless precision.
Again and again, his sword-like tail strikes, cutting through defence, forcing the 10th rank serpent back.
Blood splashes on the stone floor.
After a few more heavy blows, the wounded opponent can no longer withstand it.
With a growl filled with both anger and submission, the 10th rank serpent coils back, surrendering.
Victory.
The black-scaled serpent lifts his blood-streaked body and slowly slithers to the seat meant for the 10th rank.
He coils there, silent, waiting.
Minutes pass.
No one steps forward to challenge him.
Hours later, a deep, rumbling voice fills the cavern.
An elder, larger than any among them, appears from a hidden corridor.
His scales shimmer with ancient power as he calls out their ranks in order, voice like a drumbeat.
In this clan, names were reserved for those who broke through the Divine Seal Demon Beast realm.
Until then, rank was everything—rank was identity.
The black-scaled serpent—now the 10th rank—answers the call, slithering forward along with the others.
They follow the elder through the winding stone tunnels, the air growing colder, heavier with magic.
Finally, they emerge before a vast, black lake.
Above the lake, enormous black crystals hang like stalactites.
Drops of black liquid fall rhythmically from the crystals into the lake, each drop sending out dense ripples of shadow magic.
The elder speaks in a commanding tone,
"10th rank—three days.
9th rank—four days.
8th rank—five days.
7th rank—six days.
6th rank—seven days.
5th rank—eight days.
4th rank—nine days.
3rd rank—twelve days.
2nd rank—twenty days.
1st rank—thirty days."
The rules laid clear, the black-scaled serpent and the others slithered toward the lake's edge.
Without hesitation, he slides into the black waters, feeling the liquid shadow embrace him like an old friend.
His body sinks, and the nourishing, chilling power of the Shadow Lake begins to seep into every scale, every bone, every thread of his being.
Inside the dream domain,
Talun and Omar are practising. Talun meets all of Omar's sword strikes with his spear, sometimes using his snake tail to launch swift counterattacks.
At a distance, Sulla practices the body movement method he learned from the guard training school. Although practising here does not strengthen his body directly, it helps him become more familiar with the technique, making it easier to master in the real world.
After a few minutes, Qi and Ivy enter the room one after another. After three days inside this space, they have grown somewhat familiar with each other and decided to hold a meeting after everyone arrives to discuss what they experienced during the day.
Omar says, "I will start."
Ivy says, "Wait, where is the serpent? He should have come before me."
Talun says, "Looks like he won the 10th rank in his clan competition. So, he didn't come."
Ivy asks, "What clan competition?"
Sulla says, "The serpent told us last time that he would enter his clan competition. If he ranked inside the top 10, he would get to enter the Shadow Lake, a holy cultivation place for their shadow serpent clan."
Talun replies, "I am sometimes jealous of the serpent. He was born extraordinary, and when he reaches adulthood, he will become a Divine Seal realm demon beast. Meanwhile, my clan is strongest only in the third realm of the mortal realm, two small realms lower than the serpent when he matures."
Song Qi says, "I have become a menial disciple of the 1000 Crane Sect. Now, I have to work as a servant daily, but we are allowed to enter the library. I checked, and breaking through the Divine Seal realm is ten times harder than breaking through realms in the mortal realm. So, it is called a large realm breakthrough."
Talun asks, "Anything else you learned from the library?"
Song Qi says, "The serpent mentioned that the Divine Seal realm is divided into five small realms. That is correct, but the names of the core stages are different in my sect—or at least around me, I don't know if it's the same everywhere."
Talun says, "What are the names of the realms?"
Song Qi says, "The first small realm inside the Divine Seal realm is called the Skin Refinement Realm, then the Muscle Realm, Bone Realm, Vein Realm, and Organ Realm."
The other four nod. Talun says, "It may be different because he is a demon beast, and you are human. The names of the five small realms could also differ for my and Sulla's races."
Ivy says, "Talking about race, I checked and found information about the Naga race. They are found to the west of my continent, in the Sunkern Crown Ocean."
Song Qi repeats the name Sunkern Crown Ocean several times in his mind, then claps his hands, drawing everyone's attention, "From my continent, the Sunkern Crown Ocean is to the north."
Ivy says, "Woah! Then, when our strength becomes stronger, we can meet each other."
Talun says, "Is there more written about the Sunkern Crown Ocean, like mountains peeking out of the ocean?"
Ivy says, "Yes, it's mentioned."
Song Qi says, "Mine here also."
Talun says, "Then we will meet when we three break through to the Divine Seal realm."
Ivy says, "Not just the Divine Seal realm. It would be best if we met when we reach the Divine Core realm. For me to go there, I would have to cross the IronClad Mountain Range."
Sulla says, "Did anyone find any sky islands?"
The three shake their heads. When Sulla looks at Omar, Omar says, "You forgot, I am still embroiled in the war."
Then they discuss how each other's day is spent. Omar killed one enemy today and another yesterday. Now, with difficulty, he can perform the 10th movement.
According to the captain of his team, whose cultivation has reached the warrior realm, if Omar can kill one enemy each day for ten days, he would be able to perform the 12th body movement and could try to break through to the warrior realm.
But it might take longer, as in a week, the war is expected to end because negotiations are nearing conclusion over who will mine the newly discovered iron mine on the border of the two cities, the reason behind the war.
Sulla's routine remains the same. He goes to the training school in the morning, returns home to study, and then attends school again in the evening.
Song Qi only entered the sect today, so he had not received any work yet.
However, starting tomorrow, he is assigned to cut ten Golden Leaf trees. It is said these trees are thrice as hard as ordinary trees. Because of this, at dawn tomorrow, they will be taught an external body refining cultivation method.
Hearing about the external body refining method, Omar says, "Then tomorrow we check what difference in our cultivation methods."
Song Qi nods and agrees.
Ivy's situation is the same as Sulla's, spending her day going to her master's house to practice.
Talun releases explosive news that after awakening from the dream space, he would go on a hunt. According to his chief, he is now strong enough, and the tribe will hunt a lower ferocious beast for Talun so he can use the heart blood of the beast to break through and become a hunter.
Everyone congratulates Talun and wishes him success as he will be the second among the group, after the serpent, to break through the Mortal realm.
After the meeting, everyone returns to their practice. After a few hours, one by one, they disappear from the dream world, awakening in their homes. Talon opens his eyes inside his home.
Fifth day- Dream Domain
Talon
Under the ocean, light dances through the currents, illuminating schools of colourful fish and drifting sea creatures. In the shimmering blue, a group of nagas swims swiftly, spears gripped firmly in their hands. Their bodies weave through the water with smooth, powerful movements as they head toward a colossal mountain submerged beneath the ocean, its peak barely breaking the surface above.
The mountain is alive with growth. Towering underwater trees stretch from its sides, their thick trunks wrapped in vibrant corals and long strands of kelp. It is an ancient ocean forest, and the nagas slip into its shadowy depths without hesitation.
They navigate through dense vegetation, weaving between massive coral structures and swaying plants. Hidden within the mountain, they find a wide cavern entrance. Without slowing, they dive into the hole, descending deeper into the mountain's heart.
Inside, they enter a vast, open space. The ceiling above glows faintly with phosphorescent moss, casting an eerie light over the massive trees that grow in the submerged cavern. Thick roots and vines twist through the water, creating natural pathways and hiding places.
The Naga group fans out, scanning their surroundings. Their sharp eyes catch movement ahead. They halt silently, spears ready.
In the distance, a herd of ferocious beasts grazes among the underwater forest. These creatures have the upper bodies of massive buffalo, complete with heavy horns and muscular shoulders, while their lower halves resemble the sleek, powerful tails of sharks. The herd, ten strong, moves slowly through the forest, crushing smaller plants and scattering fish as they roam.
The nagas tighten their grips on their weapons, watching the beasts closely.
The Captain of the hunting team glances at the hunters and signals with his hand—they have found their target.
Talon and the others nod, quickly fanning out to surround the Tidehorn herd. Among the creatures, the distinction is clear; the leader stands taller and more imposing, sporting two pairs of thick, curling horns—a mark of a low-level demon beast. The rest, with only one pair of horns each, are ordinary Tidehorns, fierce but manageable.
After everyone is in position, the Captain gives the final signal.
The hunt begins.
Talon, alongside another young naga named Keir, darts through the forest of corals and towering underwater trees. Their bodies slice through the water with trained
The hunt begins.
Talon, alongside another young naga named Keir, darts through the forest of corals and towering underwater trees. Their bodies slice through the water with trained efficiency, their spears gleaming under the faint light. They close in on a Tidehorn, and with a series of coordinated strikes, they attack. Talon drives his spear into the beast's side while Keir slashes across its throat. Blood clouds the water as the Tidehorn thrashes once before going still.
Around them, other nagas are also engaged. Shouts and bubbles fill the cavern as the hunters bring down the remaining ordinary Tidehorns, one after another, each battle swift and brutal. In a short time, the forest falls silent, save for the struggle at its heart.
Talon and the others turn their gaze toward the final battle—their Captain against the Tidehorn leader.
The Tidehorn leader, seeing the massacre of his herd, roars, steam pouring from his massive body. The surrounding water churns violently, growing hotter with every passing second as the creature unleashes his innate magic.
Facing him, the Captain stands unshaken. His body glows faintly as he, too, releases his power, control over the Tidehorn magic that he once absorbed when he used a Tidehorn's heartblood to break into the hunter realm.
This is the reason they sought the Tidehorn leader.
Within their tribe, the heartblood of the Tidehorn is used to break through into the hunter realm.
It is an ancient method passed down through generations because when breaking into the next stage of the hunter cultivation path, the magic power already within the body must not conflict with the new magic power that enters through the heartblood.
The harmony of the two powers is crucial, or the cultivator risks crippling their foundation forever.
In their tribe's cultivation path, the first realm requires the Tidehorn's heartblood,
The second realm demands the Coral Golem's heartblood,
And, the third realm calls for the Crystal Hunter's heartblood.
So far, the highest cultivation realm reached by anyone in the tribe is the third realm. They have yet to research or find a ferocious beast whose magic power could merge perfectly with the strength already accumulated after the third breakthrough.
Talon watches intently. The blood of this Tidehorn leader will be prepared for him. It will be the key he needs to break through and officially step into the ranks of the hunters.
The hunting captain darts forward, his spear flashing with cold light under the ocean water. The Tidehorn leader roars, steam bubbling from his massive body, heating the surrounding water until it churns. Magic power swirls around the Tidehorn's twin horns, and with a sudden charge, he slams toward the captain like a living avalanche.
The captain spins sideways, narrowly avoiding the crushing charge, and counterattacks. His spear thrusts deep into the Tidehorn's shoulder, but the demon beast thrashes violently, a tail swipe nearly knocking the captain off balance. Recovering quickly, the captain circles, forcing the Tidehorn leader to bleed more into the water, weakening him little by little.
The Tidehorn leader, sensing death approaching, unleashes his magic in desperation, the water temperature spiking dangerously. Even at a distance, Talon and the others feel their skin sting. But the captain remains calm. Channelling the hunter realm magic within him, he strikes the ground, kicking up a cloud of debris and swirling currents to blind the beast's senses.
In that moment of confusion, the captain closes in. His spear pierces directly into the Tidehorn's chest, where the heartblood pulses strongest. With a final, earth-shaking bellow, the Tidehorn leader collapses, blood staining the water dark.
Quickly, the nagas move forward. They work skillfully, applying thick gelatin made from special underwater plants onto their wounds. The gelatin seals the injuries, stopping blood from leaking into the water and attracting unwanted predators.
Without resting, they bind the corpses of the Tidehorns and the leader with strong seaweed ropes and start dragging them back. They weave through the coral forest on the mountain's slopes and find another path leading into a second mountain. This path leads into a hidden water hole.
One by one, the nagas climb through the water hole into a wide cavern above. The cavern is dry, the air thick and cool. Inside, stone houses, glowing crystals, and the bustle of naga life fill the space. Their tribe's hidden sanctuary.
After a few hours of preparation, Talon sits alone inside a stone room. Before him, a large shell filled to the brim with the freshly prepared heartblood of the Tidehorn leader. The blood glows faintly, shadowed with fierce magic.
Talon breathes deeply, calming the excitement pounding in his chest. With steady hands, he lifts the shell and, without hesitation, gulps down the heartblood. It burns like molten fire as it flows down his throat, beginning the transformation that will lead him into the ranks of the hunters.
Talon feels the fire spreading from deep inside his body, a scorching pain licking at his bones and muscles. The overwhelming desire to rush out, to dive into the cold ocean waters and soothe the burning agony, rises within him. But he grits his teeth, locking himself in place, refusing to move.
The pain grows sharper. Talon feels as if his body is breaking apart from the inside. Then, just as quickly, it starts reconnecting, reorganising itself in ways he can't understand. His scales loosen and fall away, blood seeping from his skin in thick, dark streams. Dizziness crashes over him from the blood loss, the edges of his vision blurring and spinning.
Yet Talon endures. Every second, though blood leaves him, the heartblood potion works just as fiercely, replacing it-no, no, merging it. His new blood forms, a perfect mixture of his old blood and the power-infused heartblood of the Tidehorn leader.
After an agonising period, a sudden coldness wraps around him. Something unseen begins to seep inside his body, cooling the fire and washing over his torn insides. Then deep in his core, Talon feels a furious churning, a violent storm building.
The moment he feels the churning, he knows he must let go. If he continues to resist, the raging force could tear apart his mind, leaving him broken and mad. He releases his grip on consciousness.
Everything goes black.
When Talon opens his eyes again, he finds himself standing inside the dream space. He quickly notices he is surrounded.
Talon asks, "Why are you all in this room?" Normally, they did not spend time in the hall, preferring to stay inside the combat training or simulation rooms. But today, they are all waiting inside the hall.
Sulla says, "For you to see if you were coming."
At the same time, Song Qi asks, "Are you not going to break through today?" and Talon to Sulla replies, "Are you all going to wait for me the entire time?"
Sulla says, "No, for a few more minutes."
Talon says, "I am in the process of breaking through the hunter realm. Magic energy started to form in my body, and during that time, keeping conscious is foolhardy as the pain will tear apart the mind. So, I let go of consciousness and woke up here."
Then, they discuss more about Talon, and each mentions their own day, which was unremarkable. After that, they went to do their own thing, and after spending more than half of their whole day inside the dream space, they started vanishing one by one, except Talon, who still did not regain consciousness.
The Sixth day- Dream Domain
Ivy
Ivy opens her eyes, waking from her sleep. She doesn't go to wash her face or do anything else. Instead, she sits cross-legged on her bed and begins to breathe, her breath slowly settling into a rhythm.
Inside her mind, Ivy visualises her own body. First, the skin forms, then her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Except for the hair, the face looks exactly like hers. From her face, she starts perfecting the rest of her body, moving downward, and after some time, even her toenails take form. She then begins visualising the texture on her skin, capturing every detail of her body.
Unaware, as she visualises, her breathing changes, slipping into a strange rhythm that seems to echo with something unseen. As she breathes through her nose and mouth, a white mist starts to enter her body with the air. Even the morning sunlight peeking into her room through the ventilator seems to carry mist into her body.
In her mind, Ivy sighs in relief as she feels she has perfectly visualised her body. She starts running her meditation technique, and after a few minutes, she hears a sound like breaking glass. Cracks begin forming on the black imaginary barrier in her mind, and white mist starts pouring through.
In shock, she watches the mist enter her visualised body. Moments later, light appears in the eyes of the visualised figure, as if it has come alive. The body starts breathing on its own. Ivy's real body loses consciousness and falls onto her bed.
From outside, she looks as if she's sleeping, but inside her mind, she awakens in the next second, watching everything from a _ perspective, unable to intervene.
The black imaginary barrier shatters into thousands of pieces, revealing a white expanse with her visualised body at the centre. The white mist continues to pour into it. She watches as the once lifeless skin now shows the lustre of real flesh, her fingers and toes move with her breath, and her eyes blink naturally. Her mouth takes a deep breath, her eyes turn white, and a wave of power bursts out from her.
The next thing Ivy sees is her visualised body rising higher and higher, eventually breaking through the white expanse and entering a new space, where another black barrier awaits.
Feeling her control return, Ivy opens her eyes. She quickly turns to look at her watch as the pendulum ticks away. To her amazement, only five minutes had passed, even though it felt like days.
A ripple of joy spreads through her body. Looking down at one fingertip, she sees it shining with a white light. She has become a spiritual doctor.
She wants to share the news with her parents and her master, but she checks the changes in her body first. Now, she has awakened her mental energy and can sense the structure inside her body—the number of muscle fibres, her bones, her organs. If her mental energy strengthens further, she would even be able to see her cells.
Closing her eyes again, with a simple thought, her visualised body appears. From now on, before meditation, she no longer needs to reconstruct her body each time. As she thinks this, the skin of her visualised body vanishes, revealing that her muscles are made from the white mist.
To reach the next realm in her meditation or spiritual doctor path, she knows she must visualise her muscles in greater detail, down to the number of individual muscle fibres.
After a few hours, Ivy walks into a secluded part of her town and enters a path surrounded by pointed pine trees whose leaves have turned orange and started falling. She says to herself that autumn has come and thinks about how, where Song Qi is, it is spring. Talon lives underwater, so the seasons are hard to tell. Sulla always lives in spring, as the sky island he stays on keeps moving and follows the spring belt. Where Omar is, it is summer, with sweltering heat because of the two suns in the sky.
This time, Song Qi had asked Omar for some distinctive features around him to find where Omar might be in the world. But when Omar spoke about the two suns—one rising from the east and one from the north—it became clear that Omar is not on the same world as they are. Maybe even Sulla is not, as no sky islands are ever seen from the ground.
After a few minutes of walking, Ivy reaches an iron gate. She opens it and steps inside, coming into view of a large mansion belonging to her master, Signe.
She first met her master when she entered the apprentice nursing school. Her family didn't have the money for her to become a doctor. She completed the six-month course in three months and seventeen days. Because of that, she was accepted without tuition into a medical academy, studying in the nursing course, where she met her master. Without knowing why, she became her master's disciple, and her course shifted from nursing to training as a doctor, learning meditation techniques to become a spiritual doctor.
Now, she has entered the first realm of the spiritual doctor path, all because of her master. Ivy knows that even without meeting her master three months ago, she would have eventually stepped onto the extraordinary path because of the dream space. But she wouldn't have become extraordinary so quickly.
Feeling grateful, she happily opens the mansion door and steps inside. Closing it behind her, she walks into the drawing room. Finding no one there, she doesn't think it strange and starts climbing the stairs to her master's room.
She walks through the corridor, glancing at the moving paintings on the walls. According to her master, the paintings were created by a fourth-realm spiritual painter who is her master's friend.
Upon reaching her master's door, Ivy knocks. Hearing no answer, she moves forward and soon sees vines creeping along the walls. These are devil vines, meant to attack intruders trying to reach her master's laboratory.
After some time, she reaches the laboratory door. Before she can knock, she hears a voice from inside, "Come in."
She pushes the door open and enters, finding her master behind a steel bench. In front of her lies a lizardman, his chest and stomach opened for examination.
Her master's eyes train sharply on her, narrowing, and then she says, "You've awakened your mental energy."
Ivy replies, "Thank you, Master. It's all because of you."
Her master only hums and keeps staring at her.
Ivy starts fidgeting under the gaze and, after a few seconds, asks, "Is there anything wrong with me?"
Her master says, "Did you eat something? With your talent of six, you shouldn't have become a mage apprentice so quickly."
Ivy is shocked, hearing about her talent and becoming a mage apprentice. She thought she had only become a spiritual doctor. She doesn't understand what talent means or what a mage apprentice is.
She asks, "What is talent, and what is a mage apprentice? This is the first time I've heard you mention this."
Her master replies, "Talent is talent. The talent I'm talking about is the talent for awakening mental energy. It's divided from 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest and 10 the lowest. Those with talent between 8 and 10, even if they practice meditation techniques their whole life, may not awaken their mental energy without using spiritual resources. Those with talent from 4 to 7 will awaken their mental energy through practice, but it will take anywhere from two months to two years. The lower the talent, the longer the time."
Understanding dawns on Ivy. She realised why her master stared at her and asked if she had eaten something strange.
Ivy didn't have any unusual adventures except entering the dream space, which she doesn't want to reveal to her master. She says, "Other than using resources, no one can break through ahead of their talent."
Her master replies, "Yes, unless they master their meditation technique."
Ivy sighs in relief, finding an answer that can satisfy her master's curiosity. "Master, I mastered the first stage of the meditation technique you gave me."
Her master says, "Then show me."
Ivy asks, "How?"
Her master says, "Connect your mental energy to mine and send me your understanding of your meditation."
Ivy nods. A light appears at her fingertip. She touches her master's fingertip with the same light and sends her understanding.
After that, her master says, "Your talent may be six, but your understanding raises it to about four."
Her master continues, "I wasn't going to tell you all this so soon because of your talent being six, but now you have become a mage apprentice in three months. I should tell you—do you want to join my school?"
Ivy is surprised and says, "I'm not already studying in your school?"
Her master smiles, "Not this school. Here, I'm just a teacher. At that school, I am still a student. I'm talking about my mage school."
Seeing Ivy's shocked look, her master says, "I should start from the beginning. I came here and became a teacher because of a task assigned by my mage school. To complete the task, I had to come here."
Ivy asks, "Then, where are you from?"
Her master's eyes twinkle as she says, "I'm not from this realm."
Ivy makes a small, shocked sound.
Her master continues, "Our world is vast, with innumerable mortal realms, 287 spiritual realms, and 16 divine realms. This world is one of the mortal realms. My school's task is here because the founder of our mage school was born on this continent. So senior apprentices like me are sent here for three years in different regions to find students for the school. Those with talent four or higher are directly sent to the mage school in the Azure Spiritual World."
"And for those with talent five to seven," her master adds, "senior apprentices like me take them as students. If they reach the senior apprentice realm before turning thirty, they can also join the school."
Ivy says, "But Master, my talent is six and I haven't reached the senior apprentice realm yet. Can I still join?"
Her master replies, "With your understanding, it's very likely. I will call for an inspector from our school—a mage—who will come in two weeks to evaluate you. If you pass, you'll have to leave your parents and go to the Azure Realm. You can only return after becoming a senior apprentice and taking on a task like mine."
Ivy, unable to decide immediately, says, "I'll discuss it with my parents. But Master, what is a mage?"
Her master starts laughing and says, "Ah, yes, I forgot to even explain what a mage is before asking you to join the mage school."
Then her master begins to explain what a mage truly is.