Grimoire of Cultivation

Chapter 77: Unexpected Results

'The aura he emits is overpowering, like he could swallow the world.' Watching Haku rise from the flames, Darius's breathing steadied. 'How powerful have you become, little brother?'

Encircled by the remnants of fading flames and lingering smoke, Haku stretched, his new body crackling loudly, echoing across the farm. He yawned, a lazy, rumbling sound. "I'm hungry."

Darius's expression tightened, a hint of amusement mingling with annoyance. With a slight shake of his head, he vanished from his spot, reappearing beside the control stone at the farm's entrance.

Pressing his hand against the stone, Darius's eyes briefly glazed over. Almost instantly, the skies above the farm darkened, ominous clouds swirling together. A deluge of rain erupted, dousing the lingering flames across the farm.

Shielding himself with his water mana, Darius remained dry amidst the downpour as he strode towards Haku, his hands clasped behind his back, "Congratulations!"

At the sound, Haku whipped his giant head around, his face splitting into a broad toothy grin. "Big brother! I broke through!" With a burst of energy, Haku bounded towards Darius, each thunderous step sending vibrations through the wet earth as the rain evaporated around him.

Darius's laughter rang out, his smile wide as he watched Haku approach. "Tell me, how do you feel? I was worried my interference might have been too much. Any abnormalities?" As Haku skidded to a halt in front of him, the rain stopped as quickly as it had started and Darius immediately began to inspect him, his hands pressing into the beast's fur, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"Stop that! I'm fine, really—I feel amazing! The amount of mana within me has at least—"

"You formed a core?!" Darius's eyes widening in astonishment as he gazed through Haku's body.

Puffing out his chest proudly, Haku shifted his feet, barely containing his excitement. "It's my beast crystal. And I think it's turned into a mana-core—just look at it, it's completely smooth!" His smile waned into a frown of contemplation. "Though, I've never heard of a grey beast crystal."

Darius toggled his gaze between Haku's beaming face and the cloudy core within his chest, then suddenly erupted into peals of laughter. He bent over, clutching his side with his functioning arm, laughter shaking him deeply.

Haku's expression shifted from annoyance to concern as he spotted Darius's gauntlet-covered arm hang limply, no longer held behind his back but dangling oddly as he laughed.

But before Haku could voice his confusion, Darius cut him off, still chuckling, "You don't have a beast crystal, you nitwit. You've developed a core. You're Gaia's first core formation stage cultivator!"

"Formation stage?" Haku cocked his head, puzzled.

Darius's laughter gradually tapered off, but his smile remained undimmed. "I should have realized," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "Considering I didn't modify the Celestial Beast Soul Mantra. You're cultivating the original technique, so of course you'd form a core."

Noticing Haku's perplexed expression, Darius shook his head, chuckling lightly, "You're forging a path that's never been walked before. But it seems you've developed something from my original world."

At the mention of Penglai, Haku's ears perked up, his fascination with tales from Darius's homeland evident. "What's a core, then? Can I learn martial techniques with it?"

"Sorry, no, it's primarily a reservoir for your qi, well in your case fire mana. In Penglai, the path of a core stage cultivator is well-defined, but here, with you? It's uncharted territory. What's certain is that cores evolve with their cultivator, refining and enhancing their qi. If yours functions similarly, you might very well pioneer new forms of mana that this world has never seen." His eyes glowed with excitement, his scholarly curiosity thoroughly piqued.

As steam wisped around Darius from Haku’s rising heat, the beast's voice carried a playful note, "There’s something else I've gained. Wanna see it?"

Rolling his eyes at the needless question, "Obviously. Show me."

Grinning at his brother’s typical impatience, Haku's blue flames intensified. "Celestial Blaze Phantom Art!" Instantly, twin jets of flames surged from him in high arcs, crashing into the ground. From the impact, two fiery replicas of Haku materialized, their forms shimmering entirely in blue flames.

Haku's grin widened, a spark of pride in his eyes. "What do you think? The name's a bit lengthy, but it flows, right?"

Darius was already by one of the phantoms, his Arcane Gaze ignited, "What capabilities do they have?"

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure yet. Right after my breakthrough, there was this voice reciting a new mantra in my head, in a language I couldn't understand, yet oddly I could when I spoke it. There are three sentences to the Mantra, I only grasped the first, the rest remains foggy. But from what I could figure out, once I fully master this technique, I should be able to summon something known as a Flame Tyrant."

"Flame Tyrant..." Darius murmured, racking his brain for any relevant knowledge. "It's a title many fire cultivators, treasures, and even a few deities bear. We'll just have to see what unfolds as you master each layer."

"My technique has layers?!" Haku's excitement was palpable, a spark of fire in his eyes. "Just like yours!"

Darius massaged his temple, exhaling slowly. "Think about it logically, Haku. The segment of the mantra you comprehended outlines the first layer. I presume you've figured out how to utilize these phantoms and enhance their power?"

Haku bristled slightly at Darius's tone, "I have. They possess about a third of my strength and speed. They lack spells, but any physical attack they do will burn their enemies."

"Not bad," circling the burning phantom, Darius observed its uncanny resemblance to Haku, down to the newly sprouted horns. Curiously, he extended his hand, feeling no heat from its flames. With a tentative touch, he stroked the fire-formed beast, "feels smooth, interesting."

Haku's eyes twinkled with mischief, excitement bubbling. "Watch this." Closing his eyes for a moment, the two blazing phantoms snapped to attention. Suddenly, Haku's eyes shot open, "Go!"

On cue, the two fiery duplicates sprinted toward the farm's center. Reaching the middle, they halted abruptly, sat down, and detonated in a massive explosion that sent shockwaves across the field, causing nearby trees to sway violently.

Darius, eyes wide with a mix of awe and irritation, took a step back as he watched the mushroom cloud hit the artificial sky. "Now that, is a devious technique. New rules, no using that inside the Vault and during sparring."

Slumping onto the ground, Haku protested with a whine, "That's not fair! I can't even see some of your techniques until they hit me, why can't I have an advantage?"

Darius’s expression softened. "For now, it doesn't matter. Until I advance with my Arcane Talisman Technique, sparring isn't on the table."

He smiled warmly at the pouting Ember-Fox, memories of their time together flashing in his mind. "You've achieved a lot, be proud. But stay sharp; there's much more ahead."

A flush of red spread across Haku's black fur as he sat up, curiosity piqued. "How long was I cultivating? Actually, it's been bugging me, what's going on with your arm? You look odd."

"Odd?" Darius raised an eyebrow, amused. "I wasn't trying to hide it, just didn't want it to be the first thing you noticed." With a focused thought, the black metal of his gauntlet retracted, gathering into an orb, floating by his side.

As Haku saw Darius's crystal arm, his eyes widened, and a deep, rumbling growl echoed from his throat. "Who did this?"

Darius exhaled slowly, bracing himself, 'he's not going to like this.' Meeting Haku's gaze steadily, "Remember the last thing you heard before your breakthrough?"

Haku’s growling ceased as he nodded. "Yes, I heard you..."

"When I got here, you were in trouble. The ambient mana was rejecting the Celestial Beast Soul Mantra, so instead of aiding your advancement, it forced the technique to start consuming you. I had to act," Darius explained, lifting the orb that was once his gauntlet. "I used a Mana-Core to stabilize you, at the cost of my arm. A fair exchange, I’d say."

The flames around Haku flickered low, his eyes glistening as he stared at the skeletal outline of Darius's arm. "I didn't mean for this to happen... I'm so sorry, if it hadn’t been for me—"

"Stop that," Darius cut him off firmly, his tone light but firm. "There’s no need for apologies. You’re my little brother, and I'd give an arm again without a second thought if it means keeping you safe." He managed a wry smile, giving his limp skeletal arm a playful shake. "It's not like there's no way to heal it, besides, look at it, tempting as a chew toy, right? If you were into that sort of thing..." With a thought, the black metal flowed back over his arm, reshaping into the gauntlet.

Haku’s mood lightened, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Shut it! That's bizarre, why would I—what in the world is that?!" Startled, he recoiled as his flames surged, his gaze locked onto the small head of Neko peeking out from the Immortal Beast Codex.

The weasels gaze flicked between Darius and the large figure.

Laughing, Darius gestured for the beast to join them. "Meet Neko. I found him right after you began your closed-door cultivation." At his cue, Neko zipped forward in a blur of purple, popping up right in front of Haku and standing on his hind legs. He chirped and barked, clearly excited.

At the sound of Neko’s chirping, Haku’s posture relaxed from its initial wariness to a more comfortable sit, his tail wagging energetically. Watching the massive beast, his ears twitching, engrossed by the tiny creature presented a comical scene to Darius. Encased in his flames, Haku then shrank down to his original ember-fox form, the fiery aura enveloping him completely.

Haku sniffed and yipped, circling excitedly around Neko. Abruptly, he whirled to face Darius, Neko perched triumphantly on his back, "He's funny! Can we keep him?! Please, please!"

Laughing, Darius responded, "He's already bonded to my Immortal Treasure. Consider him part of the family, your new little brother." With a sigh, he glanced toward the farm's exit. "Why don't you two get acquainted while I handle this arm?"

"Thank you big brother! I'll make sure to set a good example, just like you!"

'Neko! Big brother! Alone, gone!' Neko's thoughts bubbled with excitement in Darius's mind as the pair dashed into the woods, their playful noises echoing back like the laughter of children.

'Maybe I should ask Marcus to find another Mandrake Root. Little sister should be able to join in,' Darius smiled. His mind then wandered to the swamp-roach's peculiar tastes, "...maybe not." He brushed away the image of her swimming with corpses as he left the beast-farm.

----

While Darius searched for a solution in the resource room, a dark cloud hung over the Clarke household in the city of Floeur d'Alene.

Lady Clarke's return was anticipated with excitement by the attendant with the yellow cape and part of the remaining crowd. They waited, confident in their hero's triumphant return. However, their expectations were shattered upon seeing the terrible mood she and Titan returned with.

"Is there something wrong, my Lady? Did the rumors prove false?" The attendant asked nervously.

Lady Clarke ignored the questions and the crowd, her silence only stoking the whispers.

"Did she lose?"

"Shut your mouth! That's impossible."

"It must have been too easy for her."

"I'd wager that's it."

Her aura quaked with each step as she dismissed Titan, the giant reptile transforming into a ball of light and disappearing into her hand. Passing the attendant, she barked, "No visitors and no disturbances once I get home. I don't want to see anyone's face for a fortnight!"

"Yes, Lady Clarke! Move aside for my lady!"

'How dare that... that child dismiss me!' Clarke marched directly to her manor, her thoughts boiling as she passed through the city gates. 'Does he find me unsightly?!'

Stopping in front of a shop window, Clarke inspected her reflection. Reddening for a moment, she shook her head, 'Fucking brat!'

The attendant watched her lady wrestle with something internally but chose not to pry. "I'll rush ahead and prepare for your arrival." Knowing it was better to leave her alone when she was in a mood, the attendant jogged ahead.

Gritting her teeth, her yellow eyes shining, Clarke began to chuckle, 'He won't get away with this. I'll make sure of it.'

Clarke's rage simmered as she continued through the city streets, her thoughts a whirlwind of indignation and determination. 'Valdene... I'll make him regret it. I'll show him the true strength of the Mountain.'

Rumors began to ripple through the city that day, whispers spreading like wildfire. The strange newcomer, the old man only a Tier 3 knight, not only fought Sir Kinneman to a draw but now also challenged Lady Clarke. Excited murmurs filled the air, speculation and curiosity igniting imaginations.

Little did Darius know, his plan to avoid further attention was backfiring spectacularly. The name Feng became the hottest topic throughout the city.