Daily Life

Yulan Calendar year 10003, late spring.

Akes pushed open the door to the cultivation room. The morning sunlight slanted in, casting a long shadow across the floor. He stood in the doorway and stretched his limbs, his joints popping with a faint crackling sound.

Eighth-rank high stage.

There had been no earth-shattering phenomena during his breakthrough last night; his internal magic power had simply surged a few times, and then that thin barrier had been crossed. The Fallen Heart Flame burned as usual, and the Five Spirit Wheel continued its rotation, as if it were just an ordinary session of cultivation.

Quite good.

Akes returned to his room, took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went to the dining room. Aunt Martha had already laid out breakfast: fried eggs, bread, bacon, and a bowl of hot milk.

"My lord, the bacon today is fresh from the market. Please, have a taste." Aunt Martha stood to the side, her face filled with anticipation.

Akes took a bite and nodded. "Not bad, it's more fragrant than the last batch."

"That's good, that's good." Aunt Martha smiled and retreated.

After finishing his meal, Akes went to the study. Kaman was already waiting at the door, holding a stack of documents in his arms.

"My lord, these are this month's accounts, and there are several reports regarding the territory that require your review."

"Come in."

Akes sat behind the desk and took the documents to begin reading. The Earl's Mansion here in Yulan had a small territory under its name; it wasn't large, but the harvest was good, providing an income of several thousand gold coins each year.

He went through them one by one, signing where necessary and adding his approval to others. Kaman waited to the side, occasionally answering a few questions.

"My lord, there is one more thing." Once Akes had finished processing the documents, Kaman spoke up. "Sir Holman has sent an invitation, requesting your presence at the coliseum the day after tomorrow to watch a match. He says it is the ninth-rank magical beast battle that was previously agreed upon."

Akes remembered; Holman had indeed mentioned this while they were drinking last time.

"Understood. Reply and tell him I will be there on time."

"Yes."

After Kaman withdrew, Akes leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. Old Tom was busy in the garden, and the Flame Flowers were in full bloom, their fiery red petals dazzling under the sunlight.

Moving from the seventh-rank mid stage to the eighth-rank high stage was a significant step forward. However, he was still a long way from the Saint Realm; the magic power required to go from the eighth rank to the ninth was several times greater than that of the seventh to the eighth, and the gap between the ninth rank and the Saint Realm was an even deeper chasm.

No use being impatient.

Akes stood up, left the study, and went to the martial arts arena in the backyard. He had specifically commissioned this space for practicing magic control. Four stone pillars stood at the corners of the arena, each engraved with complex magical patterns used to test the precision and power of his spells.

He stood in the center of the arena and raised his right hand, condensing the Fallen Heart Flame into a fireball the size of a fist in his palm.

The fireball was small, but its temperature was extremely high, causing the surrounding air to distort.

With a thought, Akes split the fireball into four, each shooting toward one of the stone pillars. The four flames traced graceful arcs through the air, striking the magical patterns at the tops of the pillars simultaneously and emitting four soft, explosive sounds.

The precision was fine.

He raised his left hand, this time condensing ordinary fire-attribute magic power without invoking the Fallen Heart Flame. It was the same four flames, and they struck simultaneously, but the power was significantly weaker.

With or without the Fallen Heart Flame, his strength differed by at least two levels.

Akes extinguished the flames and walked over to the stone pillars to inspect them. Where the Fallen Heart Flame had struck, the magical patterns already showed fine cracks. These pillars were specially crafted to withstand the impact of eighth-rank magic, but they were still no match for the exotic flame.

He nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave the arena.

With nothing to do in the afternoon, Akes changed into casual clothes and left the Earl's Mansion alone. He wanted to stroll through the imperial capital's market to see if there were any rare magical materials.

The imperial capital's market was vast, divided into four districts: East, West, North, and South. Akes headed to the East District, which was a hub for magical materials and artifacts, lined with shops of all sizes.

He walked aimlessly, occasionally popping into a store to take a look. Most shops sold common goods—magic cores below the sixth rank, common magical herbs, standard-issue staves, and the like—none of which interested him.

Deep in the market, an inconspicuous little shop caught his eye. The storefront was small and somewhat weathered, but the sign hanging at the entrance depicted a ball of flame, with a few words written beside it: "Old Shop Specializing in Rare Fire-Attribute Materials."

Akes pushed the door open and entered.

The light inside was dim, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sulfur. The shelves were cluttered with various bottles and jars, and a few ores of different colors were piled in the corner.

"What does the guest need?" An aged voice drifted from behind the counter.

Akes followed the sound and saw an old man with gray hair sitting behind the counter, examining a fiery red ore in his hand.

"Just looking." Akes walked to the counter, his gaze falling on the ore. "Is this Flame Essence Gold?"

The old man looked up, a glint of sharpness flashing in his cloudy eyes. "The guest has a sharp eye. It is indeed Flame Essence Gold, produced deep within the southern volcanoes. You wouldn't find a few pieces even in ten years of digging."

"Is it for sale?"

"It is, but the price isn't cheap." The old man placed the ore on the counter. "Three thousand gold coins, no haggling."

Akes picked up the ore and weighed it; it was indeed genuine Flame Essence Gold, which could be used to craft a Saint-level fire-attribute staff. Three thousand gold coins wasn't cheap, but it wasn't expensive either.

"I'll take it."

The old man paused, likely not expecting him to be so straightforward. Akes pulled a gold note from his robe and handed it over; the old man took it, checked it, and tucked it away once he confirmed it was correct.

As he turned to leave, the old man spoke up again. "By the way, if the guest is interested in fire-attribute materials, you might want to come back next month. I heard that someone discovered an ancient ruin in the south, and some good things might surface."

Akes paused his steps and glanced back at the old man.

The old man had already lowered his head, continuing to fiddle with the items on the counter as if that last sentence had been merely a casual remark.

Akes didn't ask further and pushed the door open to leave.

Returning to the Earl's Mansion, the sky had already darkened. He stored the Flame Essence Gold in the storage room, where a small collection of materials he had slowly gathered over the years was already accumulating. Once he had enough, he planned to commission a custom-made Saint-level magic staff; although he had no use for it yet, he would need it sooner or later.

After dinner, Akes went to the study to write a reply to Yale.

The letter did not mention his breakthrough, focusing instead on daily life and inquiring about Yale's recent situation, ending with a brief request for him to keep an eye out for any rare fire-element magic materials.

Once finished, he sealed the letter and handed it to Kaman, instructing him to send it out first thing in the morning.

Deep into the night, Akes stood by the window watching the nightscape for a while before turning toward the cultivation room.

Pushing open the door, a familiar scorching heat rushed to meet him. Akes removed his outer robe and sat cross-legged on the cushion. The Fallen Heart Flame circulated within his body, and the Five Spirit Wheel turned slowly, absorbing the fire elements from the night air.

Two days later, Akes arrived at the arena as promised.

Holman was already waiting at the entrance and waved when he saw him: "Over here, over here! I thought you were going to stand me up again."

Akes walked over: "A promise is a promise; I wouldn't forget."

The two entered and found their seats. The arena was massive, capable of holding tens of thousands of people, and it was nearly full today. In the center of the field, two enormous magical beasts were confronting each other—a Level 9 Thunder-Patterned Tiger and a Level 9 Red Flame Lion King.

"How about it, exciting right?" Holman said excitedly, "These are both adult Level 9 magical beasts; the fight is bound to be spectacular."

Akes nodded, his gaze fixed on the Red Flame Lion King. As a fellow fire-element user, he could sense the violent power contained within the creature. A Level 9 magical beast was equivalent to a peak Level 9 human expert, or perhaps even stronger.

The battle began quickly.

The two beasts clashed, lightning and flames intertwining as deafening roars echoed over the arena. The audience cheered and shouted, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.

Akes watched quietly, his attention not on the outcome of the fight, but on the combat styles of the two beasts. The Thunder-Patterned Tiger was incredibly fast, every pounce carrying the power of thunder; the Red Flame Lion King possessed formidable defense, and its fire breath was terrifyingly powerful.

Each had its strengths and weaknesses.

As he watched, he pondered how he would fight if he were to face such opponents. Could the Fallen Heart Flame break through the Red Flame Lion King's defense? Could a Frost Barrier withstand the Thunder-Patterned Tiger's pounces? Could Teleportation play a role in the heat of battle?

The fight lasted for half an hour, until the Red Flame Lion King, proving slightly more skilled, crushed the Thunder-Patterned Tiger's skull with a single swipe. The stands erupted in thunderous cheers, and Holman stood up to applaud along with them.

"Worth it, totally worth it!" Holman's face was flushed with excitement, "That was a satisfying match!"

Akes stood up: "Let's go, I'll buy you a drink."

"Hey, it's rare for you to be so proactive." Holman's eyes lit up, "Let's go, I know a great place."

The two left the arena, and Holman led Akes through several twists and turns before ducking into a small alley and stopping in front of an inconspicuous little tavern.

"Don't let the location fool you; the wine is truly excellent." Holman pushed open the door, and the fragrance of alcohol wafted out.

There weren't many people in the tavern; a few old men sat in the corner drinking and chatting. The two found a table by the window, and Holman skillfully ordered two jugs of wine and a few side dishes.

"Do you come here often?" Akes asked.

"Occasionally." Holman poured himself a cup, "This place is run by an old friend of mine. He used to be an adventurer, traveled far and wide, and has seen a lot; he keeps only the best wine."

After the wine arrived, Akes took a sip. It was indeed good—smooth going down, with a potent aftertaste.

As they drank and chatted, Holman began recounting the strange tales he had heard from various places. He spoke of a noble in the O'Brien Empire who kept a Saint-level magical beast as a pet, a rare Deep Sea Magic Whale appearing in the Northern Sea, and adventurers discovering ancient ruins in the southern volcanoes.

At the mention of ancient ruins, Akes recalled what the old man had said a few days ago.

"Is it quite lively in the south lately?"

Holman paused: "You heard about it too? It seems someone discovered an ancient ruin. The specifics aren't clear yet, but quite a few people have already rushed over. Why, are you interested?"

"Just asking." Akes raised his glass, "Even a Level 8 would be walking to their death."

"That's the truth." Holman laughed, "With our strength, it's safer to stay in the Imperial Capital, drinking and watching the show."

The two drank for a while longer until the sky had turned completely dark before they parted ways.

When Akes returned to the Earl's Mansion, Aunt Martha had already prepared dinner. He ate a few bites before heading to the study to handle the backlog of mail.

One of the letters was a family trust report from the Fenlai Kingdom, the contents quite mundane, dealing with estate harvests and shop operations. Akes read through it, signed it, and placed it in the folder for outgoing mail.

Deep into the night, he stood up and walked to the window.

The night in the Imperial Capital was as quiet as ever; in the distance, the direction of the arena still showed faint lights, likely indicating that the night matches were still ongoing.