Jacob felt amazing. He looked up at his teacher, unaware of what he had done, but he could not help but look at him in reverie. He did not even begin to imagine that he would lose all his recently gain power, yet come out stronger than before.
Death lowered his head in acknowledgment, then turned his attention to L and the Sovereign as he addressed the duo. Jacob, his focus redirected to those who had engineered such insidious plots against him, felt the flames of fury within his heart blaze anew, more intensely than before.
Jacob fell to his knees and bowed again, his head touching the ground. "Teacher, please, I ask that you punish them for their heinous actions against me." Jacob clenched his fists and grit his teeth.
"Don't worry, young disciple, I have just the thing."
Death gestured with an air of finality, and the Sovereign emitted a spine-chilling shriek as he dissolved into ethereal mist. Harnessing the remnants of the Sovereign's soul, Death meticulously forged a vessel that was not only entirely compatible but also imbued with its forsaken power, subsequently merging L with this newly crafted body.
Once this intricate process was complete, Jacob sensed the emergence of an additional connection, one that bestowed upon him an overwhelming sense of dominion and authority.
"From this day forth, I have gained a disciple, and my disciple has gained two slaves" said Death, completely satisfied with his work.
"Assign a name to your vassals, Jacob; this name will be intricately woven into the fabric of their souls by the laws of the universe itself, thereby eternally affirming their role as your slaves."
Jacob found the notion of possessing a slave unappealing, particularly given his upbringing in a joyful household devoid of such experiences. However, in light of their machinations against his life, he became more than amenable to the idea.
Jacob gazed upon the creature, now reduced to the height of his kneecap, a mere shadow of its former grandeur, as Death had relegated it back to the realm of mortals, obliterating all of its cultivation advancements. The beast regarded Jacob with trepidation, trembling in fear. "You shall henceforth be known as Raijin," Jacob proclaimed.
Suddenly, ominous dark clouds gathered above the Chimera, and a formidable bolt of lightning struck it with ferocity. As the smoke began to clear, a robust black chain was revealed, encircling the creature's neck and slowly dissipating.
"Bare in mind that the name you select will significantly influence the karma of the vassals," remarked Death from the shadows, though he was somewhat amused that a mere slave had inadvertently acquired the moniker of the Thunder Immortal.
He could hardly contain his excitement for the news to spread. Raijin, however, was utterly shocked to his core when he sensed the name permanently engraved on his soul and bound. He understood that the consequences would be disastrous, yet who could possibly defy Death?
Jacob directed his gaze towards L, and a wave of anger surged within him as he reflected on the extent to which he had placed his trust in L's assurances. L, who bore the appearance of a youth with jet-black hair and a sculpted visage, felt his heart plummet as Jacob turned his attention to him.
"From this day forth, you shall be known as Sonnie," Jacob declared, recalling the protagonist from one of his cherished novels about a young boy who acquired extraordinary powers through a harrowing nightmare, only to become a slave by an enchanting girl who possessed the power of fire, destined to endure misfortune at every turn.
Immediately, the resonant chimes of bells akin to those of a Catholic church reverberated throughout the room as Sonnie let out a piercing scream, his soul subjected to excruciating torment.
"Great!" Death said as he clapped his hands, drawing attention to himself. "Now that that's over with we can move onto the main event. You to are very blessed to be vassals to my young protege. Now you can also learn from me as only the very best can serve my disciple."
Death looked at Sonnie formerly known as L and said "Since you loved your Sovereign so much I made you a body from his soul and gave you his power, however, he is still conscious and can do naught but watch as you grow stronger, using his power to serve my disciple. A fitting punishment, if I do say so myself."
L obediently nodded, secretly grateful that he had been selected to inhabit the body rather than to become the body itself.
Jacob looked around the room, his fists clenching as he lightly hopped, eager to test the newfound strength surging through his body. Death turned his gaze toward Jacob and began elucidating the fundamentals of cultivation, imparting a technique meticulously crafted for him.
Jacob sat cross-legged, fully engrossed in the teachings imparted by his mentor. As he closed his eyes and reached out to sense the mana permeating the environment, he perceived the area pulsating with an abundance of mana. He had anticipated that this endeavor would be straightforward, given his prior experience; yet, the sheer magnitude of it was utterly overwhelming!
He sensed the mana with heightened clarity. Jacob opened his eyes in astonishment as he gazed up at his teacher. Death chuckled as he spoke to Jacob, "Don't give me that look; it's actually very simple. You are my very first disciple, and that alone is more than sufficient to inundate you with an abundance of positive karma. Your body has been meticulously modified by me, and your race has been elevated to new heights by the laws of the universe themselves. To say that you are favored by the cosmos would be a tremendous understatement."
Death continued to emphasize the importance and effects of karma on cultivation, illustrating its profound impact on a cultivator's journey. He emphasized to Jacob that simply living his daily life, with all its ordinary moments and interactions, was sufficient to positively affect his karma. There was no need for Jacob to go out of his way to seek positive karma through monumental acts.
Jacob followed the step-by-step process his teacher imparted to him on drawing mana into his body. Apparently, the very first step of true cultivation was the Qi Gathering realm.
As Death explained it, that was the process of absorbing mana into the body and saturating the body as much as possible while keeping the mana stable without exploding before breaking through to the next realm called the Foundation Realm. This would involve establishing his foundation for the next realm, known as the Golden Core Realm.
Death assured Jacob that his potential was too great, and he would be able to surpass all three realms in one go.