Above The Sky

"I know this path is arduous."

At this moment, it seemed to confirm Hiliard's thinking.

When faced with his teacher's advice, Ian answered firmly, "But I need it."

"So take it."

He didn't hesitate at all.

"Very well, it looks like you know what you need."

Hearing the satisfactory response, Hiliard didn't waste any more words. He raised his hand again, lifting his index finger, and said in a deep voice, "A Sublimator's cultivation begins with the 'Primordial Seed.' The Primordial Seed is life, and the power of life is the source of sublimation."

"Next, feel the power of the 'Virtual Primordial Seed' carefully—you are too young, your body won't withstand many occasions, cherish every opportunity!"

Upon seeing his student signal that he was ready, he pointed his finger toward Ian's chest.

Hum—

This time, the old Knight's fingertip still carried a strange heat, the golden specks in the Foresight View were more concentrated than before.

The moment they made contact, Ian felt his blood as if heated too, flowing rapidly within his body, and even the sound of his heartbeat echoed clearly in his ears.

——Thump, thump, thump——

Listening to the tidal sound of his blood surging, Ian completely immersed his spirit, his will seemed to wax and wane with the rhythm of his heart, circling his body following the direction of his blood vessels, passing through the chest, back, face, neck, limbs, and then gathering back at the heart again.

And with just this one circulation, the boy's body slightly trembled; he even felt somewhat unsteady on his feet, his whole body breaking out in a fine sweat.

His already thin clothes were soaked through, as if he had just been fished out of water!

"Life..."

Yet Ian was utterly unaware of this; he clearly perceived all the pulsations.

He began to understand that the scorching heat that swept from Hiliard's fingertips, like a blast furnace, and the heat that started from his own heart and swept across his body, represented 'the power of life.'

The flow of the blood, the stretching of muscles, the rhythm of breathing, the wriggling of organs... everything was the power of life.

And the source of all this... seemed to originate from a hot point in the centre of his chest.

Instantly, wisps of power emerged from the centre of his chest, twining around and spreading to his whole body, unceasingly flowing with the circulation of his blood.

——Though his young heart was still tender, it was like a seed that would inevitably grow strong and become a sturdy tree, stirring a raucous tide of leafy waves.

Hiliard watched Ian's expression, and when he sensed that the boy had begun to try and grasp the rhythm of his heartbeat and blood flow, he couldn't help but be slightly astonished.

"Could it be... so fast?!"

——Didn't it take himself nearly half a month under the mentor's guidance to grasp the rhythm of 'Vitality' and resonate with the Virtual Primordial Seed?

Even so, he was an unparalleled genius in the northwest of The Empire, being able to condense a Primordial Seed by experiencing the Virtual Primordial Seed once and beginning formal cultivation.

His disciple...

"Good. Very good!"

After a brief moment of being stunned, Hiliard showed a genuine smile, his eyes burning as he gazed at the boy who had completely immersed himself in the rhythm of life: "Remarkable!"

He fell silent.

Over ten minutes later, only when Ian ceased sensing and voluntarily lifted his head to look at him, did the old Knight speak, "Sublimator, its true meaning is 'one who sublimates their own Life Essence.' Through the Primordial Seed within their body, they accumulate the power of Origin Quality, enhancing their very essence of life, and in turn, becoming superhuman."

"And consolidating the Primordial Seed is the first step for all Spirit Energy Users and Sublimators to elevate their rank of life."

"However, consolidating the Primordial Seed is far too dangerous; recklessly attempting it is merely courting death, causing one's heart to suddenly stop and the organs to fail—thus, Pioneers have sought out a path, leading the later generations with the guidance of a Virtual Primordial Seed."

His voice, neither soft nor loud, was clear and forceful, allowing the boy to listen to each word distinctly, "Ian, the Virtual Primordial Seed will probably last about a month. During this time, you need to slowly comprehend its rhythm and details on your own."

"Then, attempt to consolidate your own Primordial Seed."

"If it doesn't work out within this month, then I will give you the Virtual Primordial Seed a second time... But you're too young, you can only withstand the gift of the Virtual Primordial Seed up to three times. If after three times you still haven't got the hang of it, then you cannot continue the practice of a Sublimator until after your body develops again during puberty," he said seriously.

After speaking so solemnly, Hiliard let out a laugh. He reached out his hand and gently patted the boy's back, "Don't worry, Ian. Trust me."

"You are definitely a genius in this regard!"

His tone was one of unwavering belief.

After encouraging Ian, Hiliard then changed into the appearance of Orison, hobbling on one leg with bandages all over his body, and went outside the house to venture outside and also to fetch some food.

According to him, what Ian needed most right now was ample food to replenish his nutrients. Although the boy did not have any lingering illness, he had indeed been starved under his uncle's care for years. Without sufficient nutrient replenishment, it would greatly impact his future path of Sublimation.

Not to mention, with an empty stomach, even the pulsations of the Virtual Primordial Seed couldn't be clearly perceived.

Furthermore, each time one senses the pulse of life, it makes the blood surge vigorously, consuming a tremendous amount of physical strength. If Ian were to explain it, it felt like consuming a great amount of blood sugar, stimulating the whole body to become more active, which can effectively cure most affluent diseases and strengthen the body.

The precondition is having an abundance of blood sugar; otherwise, one would simply exhaust themselves to death through practice.

Meanwhile, Ian was sitting on the bed with his eyes closed.

He was still sensing the lingering movement of life within his body.

At his heart, it seemed as if a new organ had emerged, seemingly existent yet illusory, vibrating faintly with each heartbeat and releasing a gentle flow.

That was the 'Virtual Primordial Seed.'

"This feeling..."

Conscientiously sensing the feedback from the Virtual Primordial Seed, Ian's expression was not one of excitement from his initial contact with Sublimation training, but rather peculiar, "Why does it feel like a 'second heart'?"

The boy murmured, "No, this is a second heart!"

"If we say that, on Earth, genetic modification creates a physical second heart."

He had felt this familiarity from the beginning, and now it was confirmed, "Then on Terra Continent, it is the Life Essence that consolidates into an 'Origin Quality Heart'!"

"Perhaps the difficulty in consolidating the Primordial Seed comes from the Terra People's inability to control a brand-new organ they have never had before? It's like how ordinary people cannot imagine what it feels like to have a third hand, let alone how to control a third hand, hence the need for a Virtual Primordial Seed as a buffer, to gradually get accustomed to the sensation of such a new organ?"

Unlike Earthlings who begin modifications from the embryo or even zygote, Terra Ascendants are all achieved through later life practice; naturally, they cannot adapt to this odd sensation... and their cultivation is as risky and dangerous as performing heart surgery on oneself.

No wonder without prior adaptation to the Virtual Primordial Seed and guidance from predecessors, the Path of Sublimation is almost tantamount to certain death.

"If that's the case."

Understanding in his heart, Ian opened his eyes and couldn't help but smile, "Then indeed, I am a 'genius'!"

At the same time.

Along the Southern Sea coast, in Bison Sequoia Forest.

Amidst an eerie and solemn atmosphere, more than a dozen pairs of eyes were coldly fixed on Harrison Port across the river.