Guidance in Cultivation

Olivier greeted Fane, then went straight to find Blumer and returned to the Duke Mansion with him.

Once home, he did not rush to teach Blumer. Instead, he told him to come to his courtyard at dawn the next day.

"My lord, you're back. What does the War God look like?"

Seeing Olivier return, Jessica asked excitedly.

To the sisters Sophie and Jessica, the War God was powerful, mysterious, sacred, and a source of endless curiosity.

"He has one nose and two eyes, just like anyone else. Most importantly, he isn't as handsome as your lord."

Olivier said with a smile.

"This is the War God Token. Keep it. Seeing the token is like seeing the War God himself. From now on, we can swagger through the O'Brien Empire."

Olivier casually tossed the token representing the War God to Jessica.

"Is this really the War God Token?"

Jessica turned the token over in her hands, examining it from every angle, while Sophie leaned over to inspect it as well.

"If you give us the token, won't the War God blame you?"

The two sisters had also confirmed that it was truly the War God Token. Olivier would not deceive them.

"Don't worry. You represent me now. Besides, the War God gave me the token, and he never said I couldn't let someone else use it."

Olivier said.

"Did you sisters miss me today?"

Olivier pulled Sophie and Jessica into his arms. With such soft, fragrant beauties in his embrace, he felt utterly comfortable.

"Of course we missed you. Other than practicing magic, all we did was think about you."

Jessica said sweetly.

"I missed you too, hehe."

As he spoke, Olivier's hands began to wander.

After that...

The phrase "rise and train at the crow of the rooster" was made for diligent people like Olivier. Every day before dawn, he climbed out of his warm bed to practice Taiji Fist.

Before dawn, at first light, and when the sky brightened fully—Olivier chose this stretch of time because it gave him a special feeling.

While it was still slightly cool, Blumer had already arrived in the courtyard. However, he did not interrupt Olivier's practice. Watching that seemingly soft and powerless fist technique, Blumer truly could not understand what use it had or why his elder brother persisted with it.

In truth, Olivier had long tried to teach Taiji Fist to Blumer and the Sophie sisters. Yet neither Blumer nor the sisters could grasp its essence. Over time, Olivier had stopped expecting much from them.

"Blumer, you're here."

Whenever Olivier practiced Taiji Fist, he immersed himself completely, entering a state of comprehension toward the profundities of the Laws.

"Taiji Fist may seem completely powerless, but it contains the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. When practicing, you must empty your mind of distractions and merge yourself with heaven and earth. Only then can you perceive the profundities of the Laws within them. A great part of your elder brother's strength was cultivated through Taiji Fist."

After finishing his Taiji Fist practice, Olivier's mind was clear and tranquil. Still unwilling to give up, he wanted to teach Blumer again.

"What we cultivate is our understanding of the profundities of the Laws between heaven and earth. Those profundities exist throughout heaven and earth, yet they are formless and shapeless, impossible to see or touch. Only by merging with heaven and earth can we perceive them. Once we comprehend these profundities, our strength rises, and we can unleash tangible attacks capable of destroying heaven and earth. But have you ever considered why formless and shapeless profundities can become tangible?"

With his mind clear and tranquil, the profundities of heaven and earth's Laws seemed to lie right before his eyes. Olivier had long considered how to teach Blumer, and in the end, he decided to begin with the most basic yet most profound principles.

Blumer understood Olivier's words, but he had never thought about such things before.

"If we analyze heaven and earth from two perspectives, one is the formless and shapeless profundities of the Laws, such as the Light Elemental Profundity. The other is the visible, tangible things of heaven and earth, such as sunlight and flames. The Light Elemental Profundity and sunlight, the Laws of Fire Elements and flames—this shows that formless profundities are manifested through tangible matter."

As Olivier spoke, it seemed as though he was expounding the Great Dao, while Blumer listened.

"Formless profundities are difficult to perceive, so we can begin with the tangible things through which they manifest. Do you know why I choose this time of day to practice Taiji Fist? Because it is precisely when light and darkness alternate, when darkness recedes and light shines across the world. It is when the profundities of the laws of light and darkness are most active, making them easier for us to comprehend."

Having said that, Olivier felt he had explained enough.

"Elder Brother, I understand. From now on, I'll cultivate at daybreak too."

Some things could not be learned merely through instruction; one had to comprehend them personally. Olivier did not care how much Blumer could understand, so long as he grasped the principle.

Cultivation depended on comprehension. Olivier could only guide him as best he could; whether Blumer achieved anything would still depend on his own insight.

"Blumer, let Elder Brother see your strength. Attack me with everything you have."

After being back for so long, Olivier knew Blumer had comprehended a little of the Profundity of Light Speed, but he had never seen him use it or witnessed his techniques.

"Here? We'll destroy the place."

When Saint-level experts fought, they could destroy heaven and earth at the drop of a hat. Let alone the Duke Mansion, even destroying an entire city was no difficult feat.

"Can't you even control your own techniques?"

Olivier asked sternly.

"But didn't you tell me to use my full strength?"

Blumer replied weakly.

"Of course you need to use your full strength. Otherwise, how can I know what you've comprehended? Come on, we're going to the barren mountains outside the imperial capital."

Olivier said.

"What are we going to the barren mountains outside the imperial capital for?"

Blumer asked in confusion.

"If we don't go there, do you want to tear down our home?"

Olivier said.

"Oh, all right, Elder Brother, haha~"

The two brothers turned into streaks of light, flying over the imperial capital toward the barren mountains where Olivier had once cultivated bitterly.

Olivier wanted to see Blumer's level, so he kept his speed only slightly faster than Blumer's. Yet his speed gradually increased, forcing Blumer to go all out.

Elder Brother is such a freak.

Watching Olivier fly unhurriedly ahead of him, Blumer, who had already exhausted all his strength, thought to himself.

It did not take long, yet Blumer felt extremely miserable. Olivier constantly urged him to go faster, and not only urged him on but launched surprise attacks to test him. The mysteries of the Profundity of Light Speed lay in speed itself, and this stretch of travel was enough to reveal some clues.

Before long, the two arrived atop the barren mountain.

Olivier had once cultivated on this barren mountain for three years. Blumer had also often come here to seek advice on cultivation. Blumer's Light Shadow Sword had been mastered on this mountain, and the place held many memories for the two brothers.

"Ah, I'm exhausted."

The moment Blumer landed, he began complaining. The journey had been short, but every second felt as though he were being roasted over a fire. Time crawled by like years. Blumer had never gone out to gain experience; ordinarily, he only sparred with his senior brothers. His most dangerous battle had been the one against Wharton. Yet during that flight, every second had demanded his utmost effort, leaving him miserable beyond words.

Every attack Olivier made struck at precisely the right point. Like a precision machine, he could calculate exactly where someone's limit lay. Each attack pushed Blumer right to that limit without harming him. Such circumstances consumed enormous mental and physical energy, which was why Blumer complained.

"If I had been your enemy just now, you would already be dead. If you encounter someone stronger than yourself while you're like this, are you just going to wait for death?"

Olivier said with a frown.

Blumer did not dare make a sound. He understood that Olivier was right.

"Second Brother, you have always cultivated in a safe environment and never experienced life-and-death struggles. That is an enormous weakness. What true expert has not been tempered through blood and fire? You can't even endure a little challenge like this. How could you possibly cultivate into a deity on your own?"

Olivier was somewhat disappointed in Blumer. He was clearly an eaglet raised beneath protective wings. Even with Saint-level strength, his mentality was far too lacking. Back then, Olivier had challenged opponents all the way through countless brushes with death. Under Haydson alone, he had nearly died twice.

"Follow me for now. In three months, you'll go out and gain experience."

A flower raised in a greenhouse could not grow without experiencing wind and rain. Blumer was already Saint-level, and given Olivier's reputation across the continent, other Saint-level experts would give him some face. There would not be too much danger.

"Attack me now. Use your fastest speed and strongest attack."

Olivier knew that too much talk was useless. He first needed to understand Blumer's situation.

"Elder Brother, then here I come."

As he spoke, Blumer began attacking Olivier.

What Blumer had comprehended was the Profundity of Light Speed. Though he was not as fast as Olivier, he was still extremely swift, leaving behind one afterimage after another in the air as he attacked Olivier without pause.

It was like Olivier's spar with Fane, except Blumer was now the attacker and Olivier the defender. The difference was that Fane had looked extremely miserable each time he received a move, while Olivier took Blumer's attacks with effortless ease. No matter how Blumer attacked, Olivier casually blocked every strike.

After a while, Blumer had used every technique he possessed, and Olivier had gained a rough understanding of his condition.

"Second Brother, I'm going to counterattack now. Watch carefully."

Though Blumer's attacks could not hurt Olivier, having a living target to strike was still immensely satisfying. Especially after personally seeing Olivier beat Fane until he had no power to fight back, Blumer had begun dreaming of the day when he too would possess such strength. It gave him the feeling of brutally beating a Saint-level peak expert.

It felt great, but upon hearing that Olivier was about to counterattack, Blumer instantly fell from heaven into Hell.

"Feel my attacks carefully."

The situation reversed in an instant. Blumer was immediately sent flying by Olivier. Only then did he finally understand how First Senior Brother Fane had felt. Every moment demanded his full effort, every moment felt as though he would be killed in a single blow. He struggled desperately to defend, yet he simply could not stop the attacks.

Fortunately, Olivier's attacks did not last long.

"Second Brother, the final move. This contains all the Profundity of Light Speed that I have comprehended. Watch carefully."

This move was enough to kill Blumer instantly. It contained all of Olivier's comprehension of the Profundity of Light Speed. Though his Profundity of Light Speed was inferior to the Light Elemental Profundity and had not reached its limit, he had still comprehended more than half of it.

With this move, a point of light suddenly appeared. Although it was daytime, that point was exceptionally brilliant. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, it shot toward Blumer at an unimaginable speed.

Swift, blinding, dangerous.

That was all Blumer could sense, yet he had absolutely no idea how to receive the move.

Fortunately, just as it was about to strike him, the light suddenly vanished.

Blumer was frightened senseless. It was his first time experiencing power close to the Saint-level limit. The scene kept replaying in his mind, and he seemed to gain some insight.

Olivier did not disturb him and quietly waited for him to awaken.