The old man realized that at this rate the boy's training would progress at a monstrous speed. After waiting a bit, he looked at Kai and said:
"Alright then, you little brat, time to knock some sense into that head of yours!"
He wanted to see how the boy would handle studying. Maybe fate had given him a monstrous talent for martial arts in exchange for brains?
Stopping near the cave entrance, Master Mo lazily sat down in the lotus position. A faint smoke-like aura appeared around his finger, and he began writing on the stone surface. It looked as if he were simply drawing on soft clay. Wherever his finger passed, clear and even lines appeared.
Master Mo began explaining the meanings of the symbols and how to read them. He told him that the writing system was hieroglyphic, where combinations of simple symbols could contain whole concepts and mysteries. At the same time, each symbol on its own represented something quite mundane and everyday.
He also explained that some elements of Array Technique were also based on writing. But just copying the pattern of the characters was not enough. Only by understanding the true meaning of the hieroglyph and correctly infusing it with energy could it become part of a formation.
You could call it spiritual writing, or writing with energy. By combining hieroglyphs into meaningful formations and correctly pouring energy into them, one could create astonishing things. It was a whole separate craft. Without understanding, if you just doodled symbols and randomly channeled energy into them, nothing would happen. In the worst case, the energy could fall into disharmony and cause an explosion!
That was why Mo had said that for mortals, complex hieroglyphs and formation systems were too incomprehensible. To them they were nothing but strange squiggles…
The old man also told him that the use of energy had become the basis for many different crafts. All of them were similar to Array Mastery in some way and were inaccessible to ordinary people. There were many of them, for example: Alchemists, Blacksmiths, Beast Tamers, Artifact Forgers, and many others.
"I understand, Master! I'll remember everything!" Kai said firmly and nodded.
He was incredibly drawn to all the information his master shared. It felt to him as if a divine book had been opened before his eyes, revealing the secrets of existence. Back at the orphanage, he had never had the chance to learn even a fragment of such knowledge!
"Good! Study diligently, you have to live up to your master!" Mo said in a didactic tone.
But at that moment, a different phrase echoed in his thoughts…
Yeah… I don't even know how to react… Which is stronger, his will or his mind? How lucky I am to have found such a gem… Must be fate!
The old man spent a long time showing Kai various basic elements of the hieroglyphs, which, when combined, could form different meanings and words. Kai, in turn, carefully and attentively memorized everything…
When Mo had written enough different symbols, they finally wrapped up. The old man said that this was enough for the day and that over the next few days Kai had to learn them all perfectly. Only then would he write new ones for him. Kai simply nodded and agreed to everything.
Then Mo began telling him a bit more about the world around them…
"Kid, this world is saturated with energy. It's everywhere—in the air, in fire, even in the deepest ocean! There are many masters who absorb it and even control it. They're called martial masters or cultivators.
"The strongest of them can even fly and destroy mountains with a single move! And these aren't fairy tales for children. You're from a tiny village… To you and the people you knew, such things might seem like miracles. But the world is vast beyond your imagination…" the old man muttered thoughtfully. "Right now we're in the Forest of Silent Death. It's mostly filled with ferocious beasts that can tear apart even people at the peak of the Warrior stage. They avoid us only because they fear me. I came here on purpose so no one would disturb me. And then you showed up. Heh-heh," Mo added with a laugh and warmth in his eyes.
"The Forest of Silent Death isn't some top-tier forbidden land. For true martial masters there's nothing of interest here, and for weak people it's deadly, hence the name.
"It lies on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Dranglik. Your village is somewhere to the east of the forest, near the borders of the Empire of the Ghostly Halberd. To the west of us is the sea…" the old man continued enthusiastically. "The Kingdom of Dranglik is part of the Moonlight Empire. I hate to say this, but the people who killed your loved ones weren't from the Empire of the Ghostly Halberd. More likely they were just bandits disguised as them…" He seemed to hesitate for a moment, unsure whether he should say this… but then decided to tell the truth.
"Since the Moonlight Empire, the Empire of the Ghostly Halberd, and two more empires are all under the control of a far greater power, they can't openly fight one another. All four empires pay tribute to this power every year and pray that their descendants will be accepted into its ranks. That power would never allow a war to break out in its territory. So if you have a score to settle with your attackers, you'd best look around your own village. But for now, you're far too weak…" Mo added honestly.
"I understand, Master!" Kai replied seriously.
He had already decided to seal all emotions about his past, at least until he became strong enough.
"Good… What a wonderful sprout," Mo said with praise, patting Kai on the shoulder.
Over the past week, they had slowly begun to grow used to one another.
"I'll lift the veil of mystery a little, so you'll have motivation! Once you become strong enough and your body and mind are tempered… then your control over every muscle will be perfect, and I'll teach you three techniques!" Master Mo said, building suspense.
"The first is the Ghost Blade Technique. It's not incredibly powerful, and it doesn't even require energy to use. You could say that even mortals can learn it. If I had to describe it, I'd say it's the perfect killing technique! The blade is 'ghostly' because anyone it touches becomes a ghost. It teaches you precise movements and all the vital points and weak spots on the enemy's body. Once you master it, any of your movements will be able to take a life, because each one will be lethal. Never underestimate fundamental, basic techniques! Another advantage of this technique is that in the future you'll be able to combine it freely with other offensive techniques.
"Next is a movement technique—it's called the Dance of Shadow Marks. Believe me, boy, it's incredible! But to use it, you'll need energy. For now it would be too difficult to explain its essence. But remember how I appear next to beasts in the blink of an eye? Heh-heh…" the old man chuckled mysteriously. "That was only its most basic function." When Mo said this, Kai's muscles trembled with excitement, and his fists clenched in awe.
"And the last technique is a cultivation technique. Cultivation techniques are methods that teach a unique formula and mantra. You must repeat them while meditating, guiding the energy through your body along the strict route described in the technique. Each technique is unique… Some are simple, others are incredibly powerful and difficult! Some focus on a natural element, others on strengthening the body. There are countless techniques… In major Sects and Clans, the stronger techniques are passed only to direct descendants and kept in the strictest secrecy…" Old Man Mo went on.
"The name of this cultivation technique is… the Torture of Invisible Kings Technique!" Master Mo said gravely.
"Tch… Boy, I would've never given it to you if not for how impossibly difficult it is… and for the torment you'll have to go through while cultivating it. It's an incredibly mysterious technique I found in a forbidden land, during one of my travels around the world," he said, as if watching old memories flash before his eyes.
"Unfortunately, when I acquired it, I was already old. For a very long time I'd been cultivating a different technique that was the foundation of my Sect. It's impossible for me to replace it with a new one now…
"That's why I abandoned my duties in the Sect and came here, to try my luck with this technique. But it turned out to be useless… This technique must be cultivated from the very beginning, starting at the Warrior stage… Which means the only option is to destroy the cultivation I've built up over my entire life and start from scratch," Mo said with a crooked smile. "But alas, I am not immortal… I simply no longer have the time…" the old man sighed melancholically.
It was clear that he was somewhat saddened, but not crushed. He seemed to have come to terms with it long ago.
"Boy, I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like this is fate. I'll pass this technique on to you. But remember, a technique is not so easily handed down… It can only be recorded by someone who has reached its pinnacle! No one else can copy it, even if they write it down word for word!" Mo explained seriously. "It's like with the Array Technique. Without understanding, it's just strange writing. That's why Sects exist—so many people try to join them. Only there can they obtain powerful cultivation techniques written by the Sect's own Masters—or even by its Ancestors!" Master Mo said, pulling out a pitch-black scroll.
It looked as if it were made of some strange stone, with inscriptions faintly visible on it. In the very center was a raised relief in the shape of some creature's head…
"This technique is one of a kind! No one in the world can copy it, because there are no masters who know it to the highest level. And if any once existed, they've long since died! Even I don't know what it's capable of at the higher stages," the old man said frankly, then continued, "To understand each subsequent stage of this technique, you must have perfectly mastered the previous one. I only tried cultivating the initial stage and have no idea what lies beyond. But even having only attempted the first level, I can say this much: it is… unique!" Old Man Mo said with utter seriousness.
Listening to all three techniques, Kai was completely stunned! He quickly bowed and said:
"Thank you, Master Mo! I value you from the bottom of my heart! No one has ever shown me so much kindness in this life! Once a master—always a master!" Kai spoke these words from the very depths of his heart.
"Alright, alright, enough of that! We're done with today's lesson. Let's go eat, and after that you've still got night training for your reflexes and other senses," Old Man Mo said quickly, a little embarrassed.
In truth, he was just trying to change the subject. When Kai spoke his last words, something tightened in the old man's chest.
He had never taken disciples… They had all been either rich brats, greenhouse flowers, or overly polite. Throughout his entire life, he had refused every single one of them! But in the end, he found someone he truly acknowledged as his disciple.
He had no family; all his life he had pursued only strength and the peak of martial arts. But today, it felt as if he had gained a grandson! What's more, Kai's behavior made their bond obvious. The old man suddenly realized that right now… he was very happy.