A duel had been called forth by the Shining Son some years ago, and William used this duel to deal heavy injuries that Crixus carried to this day. Until now, with William holding a cultivation level in the Saint Realm, Crixus was still left behind at Transcendent Realm!
Crixus became despondent and acted more and more like a wastrel as the years passed, eventually gaining the title of Wastrel of the Profound Astral Sect that he held now.
He finished his last drink as rage and jealousy filled his head, looking at the direction that William left in as he left the establishment himself. Crixus did not even gaze at the bystanders who were bashing him as his drunken mind filled with rage moved out of the establishment, and his eyes landed on the red light district once again as he went forward to find a place to quell his anger.
Among the many bystanders that he was not paying attention to, a single one had a thoughtful expression on his face as he left the establishment along with Crixus, following closely behind him as their two figures disappeared among the masses on the Sunset Paradise.
Chapter 254 - A Perfect Identity
Crixus weaved around the mass of beings around him with ease as he made his way over to the red light district.
His body was at the Transcendent Realm, being such a genius that he almost entered the same cultivation realm as his father, an Elder of the Profound Astral Sect that had yet to break through the Saint Realm and into the Void Fimmerment Realm.
With how rapid he was used to breaking through cultivation ranks, the blow of this speed being halted at the Transcendent Realm was too heavy for his mental mind to take.
He was weaving through the masses when a tingling voice that seemed to be coming from his head whispered how annoying the beings around him were, making him want to go through the darker alleys where there were fewer people as he made his way towards the red light district.
It was only a small voice at first, but it became gradually louder over time as he shook his head in a drunken stupor and turned away from the bright streets of Sunset Paradise and began weaving through the dark alleys.
His figure only made it another block before something completely unexpected occurred.
POP!
A bizarre dark circle appeared out of nowhere, and in the span of less than a second, a Dragonoid head erupted out, swallowed the figure of Crixus, and then quickly returned into this small dark spot.
Less than a second!
Silence reigned among the small alleyways of the buildings hidden by darkness as a few minutes passed with not a single being in sight.
A few minutes later, the figure of a young genius wastrel reappeared in the dark alley of Sunset Peak.
His eyes held a different light, where one could distinctly see sparks of ingenuity and confidence briefly before they went back to looking disorganized and drunken as the Core Disciple of Profound Astral Sect changed directions from the red light district he was going to, and began heading towards a particular peak of the Profound Astral Sect.
In the span of a few minutes, a core disciple of the Profound Astral Sect had disappeared, and an entirely new being took his place, with nobody else being the wiser!
The figure of the wastrel made its way towards the Pill Pavillion Mountain of the Profound Astral Sect, the location where Elder Baldwin, his father, acted as the Mountain Master.
Elder Baldwin occupied a unique position in the sect, his power as an Elder being average at the peak of the Saint Realm, but it was his skills in pill concoction that etched his status in stone.
Even after the Core Disciple William had gained the Sect Title of Shining Son, he still could not do too much against Crixus, the duel that injured his mental state and kept his cultivation base at Transcendent Rank being the most he could do currently without causing an eruption of rage against two parties that were both favored by the sect.
Crixus entered the Pill Pavillion Mountain and made his way towards his living quarters while bringing as much attention to himself as possible. The disciples on the mountain that saw him could only describe his face being that full of drunken wrath and anger, a face that seemed to say that enough was enough!
His body let out vigorous essence at the Transcendent Rank as a unique energy signature released from him and opened the large door to his Cultivation Abode, a wide cave that was expertly architectured into the Pill Pavillion Mountain.
"Our little mountain master seems to have been humiliated by the Shining Son yet again. He looks fed up with it, but how long do you give him before he gets frustrated from his cultivation and goes out to drink again?"
"Hah, how long? I give him a day at most before he rushes back to Sunset Paradise."
"A day?! You're looking too highly at him, I think a few hours is more like it!"
Hushed voices talked among themselves as they talked behind the one they called 'Little Mountain Master', the title of the son of Elder Baldwin, the Pill Pavillion Mountain Master.
All the disciples then continued about their business after witnessing Crixus fumingly rush back to his cultivation abode, with some even taking bets on how long the wastrel could last while cultivating.
In the grandiose Cultivation Abode that Crixus entered, a convergence of essence that was more than three times what could be felt outside permeated the luxurious cave, a large golden bed by the side, as well as a naturally formed spring that was flowing with clear blue water into the crevices of the mountain.
'Crixus' entered this Cultivation Abode as he immediately sobered up and stood straight, his gaze overlooking the area around him as he waved his fingers...and a rotating miniaturized Spiritual Land appeared in front of him.
Only a second passed before the Spiritual Land was set down among the granules of sands around the Abode, and his figure swiftly disappeared.
Unbeknownst to anyone, an otherworlder had infiltrated one of the three Supreme Sects in the World of Cultivation and began hatching a scheme that nobody would know the grand effects of in the future!
---
In the outside world, disciples were shocked to find out that an entire 2 days passed since the little mountain master entered seclusion in his Cultivation Abode after being bullied by the Shining Son once more.
Shock spread throughout as some disciples lost their Spirit Stones from losing bets, with others putting up even more bets on how long Crixus would continue staying in his Abode for this time around.
Three more days passed, and the little mountain master still had not left the mountain!
Even more disciples lost their money as word began to spread around the Pill Pavillion Mountain, gradually making its way to Elder Baldwin and even the Core Disciple William not too long after.
Elder Baldwin was floating next to a huge cauldron forming spectacularly colored pills as he got this new information.
"Has this unfilial son finally come to his senses after all these years?"
Not just the Elder, but many were wondering- what exactly had happened to the wastrel Crixus?!
Not a single being knew, but when the days he locked himself up in the Cultivation Abode reached 8, disciples could not help but crowd around the entrance of the Abode to see just what would happen.
"He...couldn't have ended his life in there right?"
"Don't say useless things, the son of the amazing Elder Baldwin wouldn't be that much of a wastrel."
"But...could he really be cultivating all this time?"
Questions continued to spread with no answers, until this day, even the Master of the Pill Pavillion Mountain himself could not take it!
Elder Baldwin came out of his dwelling as the powerful aura came in front of the entrance of Crixus's Cultivation Abode, his appearance bringing reverent faces among many of the disciples as they bowed with greetings. Elder Baldwin ignored all of this as he called out.
"Unfilial Son, come out!"
His words rumbled as a strong essence at the peak of Saint Realm activated the hidden mechanisms of the Cultivation Abode
.
RUMBLE!
The cave door was opened forcefully as the father went forward to see if his son was actually cultivating, or if the stupid words of the disciples in the surroundings were actually true.
The sight that opened up to him was stunning to see though, as it was the figure of Crixus meditating peacefully on the ground as his body elevated up and down, the unstable milky white aura of a Saint being clearly visible!
Seeing the milky white aura, an expression of elation appeared on Elder Baldwin's face as he saw this.
"My son! You have finally destroyed your inner heart demons and advanced! Haha, that's my son!"
Prideful laughter came out of the entrance of the Cultivation Abode as the surrounding disciples peered in with shock on their faces.
The wastrel of the Profound Astral Sect had actually advanced in rank?!
Chapter 255 - A Hunt?
News spread out across the Pill Pavillion Mountain about how the wastrel of the sect had actually broken through to the Saint Realm!
This came as a shock to many, as they had watched this fallen genius waste his life for the past few years. Many disciples then recalled the tension between the Shining Son of the Profound Astral Sect and Crixus, and they wondered how things would play out from here on out.
Back in the Pill Pavilion Mountain, Elder Baldwin waved his hand as the cultivation abode they were in closed and granted them privacy, his face going up and down as he looked proudly at his son.
"Good, good, good!"
Words full of pride came out as he saw the milky white light gradually stabilize, Crixus opening his eyes and showing elation on his face.
"Father!"
The two beings gazed at each other as different thoughts passed through their heads. The proud father looked at his son as old dreams and hopes reappeared, already looking forward to the changes in the future of Pill Pavillion Mountain as at this moment, both father and son were at the Saint Realm!
Elder Baldwin knew the genius of his son, and thus was the one that was most disappointed when his cultivation was affected so heavily after one roadblock. Yet now, his son was back.
These thoughts were only true to his head though, as the being standing in front of him was someone completely different from the son that he knew!
Their brief gaze seemed to portray all of their powerful emotions as Crixus cleared his throat and looked over to his father with a firm expression.
"Father, I want to try and get my hands on the Absolute Space Technique of our sect once more."
…!
A gasp came out of Elder Baldwin's mouth as he heard extremely bold words as the first thing after Crixus's advancement. His gaze turned serious as he seemed thoughtful.
"Historically, only the Shining Son of the sect would be given the favor of entering the Resplendent Abode to try their luck on learning this treasured skill…"
His thoughtful gaze looked carefully at Crixus as he saw a determined expression, hearing powerful words come out of his son's mouth.
"If need be, I will duel with William again for the title of Shining Son!"
The words were full of conviction as they stated a longing wish that seemed to have been welling up in Crixus for ages. Elder Baldwin saw this and sighed as he weighed the possibilities.
He knew his son had just advanced, but William had already been in the Saint Realm far longer, with his realm consolidation already done and continuing to advance forward. Even on the slight chance that Crixus won, there was still the Council of Elders whose decision he would have to face if he wanted to be deemed fit as the new Shining Son! Elder Baldwin was thinking rapidly of the possibilities as he became hesitant, because he knew of one particular way that might just make it possible to grant his son's wish.
'Crixus' was looking at his father's face with a careful expression that hid the true thoughts floating in his mind as he became thoughtful at this hesitation from Elder Baldwin.
A sigh came out of the Elder as he sat down in front of his son and began slowly.
"There might be another way for you to get your hands on that technique without clashing with William…"
The hesitation of Elder Baldwin's face was gradually wiped away as he continued to speak.
"...Only the Elders know of this as of right now, but we have received word from the Sect Master that the Infernal Hunt will be initiated a century earlier than usual, and that we will soon be sending disciples to one of the Infernal Realms, the First Hell!"
Shocking words came out of the Elder's mouth as Crixus held a surprise expression that was not false, he was actually hearing a new piece of information he had not expected.
"I wasn't even planning on letting you go, thinking you were unfit and would simply lose your life. But now…"
He gazed towards his son with powerful emotions as he made up his mind and continued.
"...I see that you have come back to your old self, and have a chance in redeeming your reputation, as well as obtaining great rewards through this Infernal Hunt!"
An Infernal Hunt! Something that Noah had only briefly seen and ignored in the many pieces of his stolen memories had popped up. He listened carefully as his knowledge was expanded, pulling out as much information as he could from this Elder Baldwin.
The Infernal Hunt that many powerful worlds at the level of Prime World and above were under a treaty to act on would actually occur a hundred years earlier than expected.
After many Infernal Hunts, the norm had been established that Powers would send their disciples and beings they were nurturing as a way to empower them and also reduce the Infernals that continued to propagate throughout the First Hell.
Over the years, The Infernal Hunts became more of a competition, and especially so in worlds like the World of Cultivation, where scores were kept and disciples of the three Supreme Sects were ranked based on how well they did in the Infernal Hunt.
Once they entered the First Hell, they would be faced with droves of powerful Infernals that they would have to take down, with those being able to face and take down powerful infernals gaining more recognition.
"Infernals are diametrically opposite to us, with their very origins being extremely vile and evil, only seeking destruction on anything they come across. They have a unique source of essence that when killed will be absorbed into one's body, giving them cultivation comprehension and a boost to their power!"
Powerful words continued to come out of Elder Baldwin as he explained more of the history and undercurrents of the Infernal Hunts.
"But it is the same with us, where if the infernals kill any of us, they also gain power much faster, and explosively increase in rank."
Thus, it had been crucial to make sure that Infernals were not given a chance to grow with their forces throwing themselves in the Infernal Realms and dying, while at the same time reducing the number of infernals as time passed. This was the Infernal Hunt came to be!
Noah's mind soaked in all this new information as behind his carefully listening exterior, his mind began working rapidly as excitement was blooming from the many possibilities.
Chapter 256 - An Event for the Ages
"Our Profound Astral Sect will be among the many sects participating in this coming Infernal Hunt. The Sect Master expects an outstanding performance from our disciples this time around, so the rewards will be reflecting that!"
The Mysterious Sect Master of Profound Astral Sect had informed the Elders and told them of the coming Infernal Hunt, with this information soon being released to everyone as soon as the preparations were complete.
"Among the top rewards for the disciples that outshine and outperform...is the Absolute Space Technique of our sect!"
Noah's eyes shone at this new piece of information as his mind worked at high speeds, the face of the being he was portraying showed an interested look that expressed his enthusiasm.
"I will show them my power in this Infernal Hunt, Father! I will take down a higher number of Infernals
than anyone else!"
His face was that of a young man with his blood boiling in excitement as he looked at the proud gaze of his father. 'Crixus' sharply turned his shining eyes towards elder Baldwin as he spoke carefully.
"When it comes to stabilizing my cultivation though, I used up all of my Spirit Stones while breaking through, and have completely run out as of right now though…"
Haha, don't sit on the ceremony with your father. Spirit Stones, Pills, and even the Saint Realm techniques you haven't looked at yet, I'll bring them all here and prepare you for the Infernal Hunt to come."
An expression of appreciation was plastered on Noah's face as he nodded, his vibrant power at the Saint Realm still showing signs of instability as Elder Baldwin moved out of the Cultivation Abode and went out to grab some of the less restricted techniques of Profound Astral Sect, as well as an abundant amount of refined [Core]s, also known as Spirit Stones, for his 'son'. His face was full of pride as his figure disappeared in the skies.
Noah rose up as he observed silence in the Cultivation Abode once more, his gaze turning calm as he thought about his great use of time this past week.
For 8 days, he had been able to coop himself up in the Time Space of the Spiritual Land as he used [Budding Farmer] on the plots of lands he made in the Time Space for an even faster growth of the Medicinal Fruits and Herbs that he then turned into resplendent pills through the {Forge of the Silver Flame}.
He was also able to raise the proficiency of many of the Saint Rank skills he held, the ones he obtained from the Devilish Time Unveiler and Black Serpent already being maxed as he was able to effectively use the time period of more than 2 months in the Time Space to his advantage.
New possible combinations for the space and draconic based attributed skills from the Devilish Unveiler and Black Serpent which would optimally combine with the [Aberrant Saint] to bring about a terrifying skill of the next rank were already swimming in his mind as he continued to move forward.
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