Valerius flipped through The History of Arcanis, his eyes scanning pages filled with tales of ancient battles and long-forgotten legends. The stories told of powerful forces that shaped the world, but none intrigued him more than the War of the Four Legendary Beasts.
Long ago, the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermillion Bird Gods clashed with a terrifying creature, the Crimson Howl Beast, born of the blood moon. Its immense power struck fear into the hearts of all who lived.
Only through their combined strength were the four divine beasts able to defeat it. However, their victory came at a great cost. Severely weakened, the divine beasts withdrew from Arcanis, retreating to lands beyond. They left behind only their bloodlines to continue shaping the world in their absence.
Valerius closed the book, his mind racing. The divine beasts were gone, only their bloodlines remained... What did that mean for him, for the world?
"So, this world was once guarded by divine beings… but now their descendants rule in their place."
He turned the pages and continued reading, moving on to the geography of Arcanis. Valerius flipped to a page marked with an intricate drawing of a dragon coiled around a towering waterfall. Below it, the text read:
"The Azure Dragon Continent, a land of rivers and mystical forests, where kingdoms rise and fall under the rule of dragon-blooded royalty."
He traced a finger over the inked illustration, picturing the landscapes. His mind wandered. What kind of power did the dragon bloodlines hold?
As he flipped through the pages, Valerius discovered that there were eight more continents and four great seas. His brows furrowed as he absorbed the information.
"This world… it's far bigger than I expected."
Curious, he picked up General Cultivation next, eager to confirm his understanding of this world's cultivation system. The book detailed the six cultivation realms he already knew, Mana Core, Mana Disciple, Arcane Shaper, Elemental Warden, Elemental Sovereign, and Elemental Ascendant, but strangely, it made no mention of any realms beyond that.
It also described mana as the foundation of cultivation, a concept he was already familiar with from his past life.
After finishing the book, Valerius closed it and returned it to the shelf. He had learned enough for now.
'The divine beasts were gone, and only their bloodlines remained... What did that mean for him and the world?'
"Let's go," he said, glancing at Seraphina.
Together, they descended to the first floor, where he gave a polite nod to the woman at the counter.
"Thank you," he said before stepping outside.
As soon as they exited, he spotted Bram Ravenflame, Alaric Ashrend, and Ronan Ashrend waiting for him.
Bram stepped closer, his smirk widening as he leaned in. "Look at this. The 'bookworm prince' thinks reading will change anything." His voice was filled with mockery.
Valerius remained still, watching.
Bram clicked his tongue and chuckled. "You are not stupid, are you? If a trash like you truly attends the academy, you will surely regret it..."
Valerius stood still, his gaze was sharp, but he said nothing. Seraphina's grip on her sleeve tightened her expression a mix of concern and silent fury.
Without waiting for a response, the three turned and walked away, their laughter echoing down the street.
Valerius watched them go, his expression cold.
"Regret it…?"
He exhaled slowly.
"Luxombra Royal Academy will surely be interesting."
When he returned to the palace, he would need to start working on clearing his meridians, nine more meridians remained to be cleared before the academy started, each one more difficult than the last. If he could break through to the Mana Core Realm in time, he would seek real combat experience in the forest beyond the city walls.
With his goal set, Valerius turned and began walking.
Seraphina followed closely behind, her usual calm expression unchanged, though she silently noted the shift in her young master's demeanor.
As they made their way through the bustling streets, Valerius ignored the murmurs and side glances from passing nobles and commoners alike. Whispers floated around him.
"Useless prince." "Even the servants look down on him."
Once, those words would have rattled him, Now? They were nothing more than echoes of a past he had long shed.
The palace gates soon came into view. With each step, anticipation grew in his chest.
By the time Valerius and Seraphina returned to the palace, the sun hung high in the sky, marking the approach of lunchtime.
"Seraphina, bring my lunch to my room," Valerius requested as they entered the palace.
"Yes, Young Master," she responded before leaving.
Once his meal arrived, he ate in silence, his mind already focused on his next goal. After finishing, he dismissed Seraphina.
"Do not disturb me unless it's urgent," he instructed.
Alone in his chambers, he sat cross-legged on his bed and began circulating the Waterfall Regeneration Technique. Valerius sat cross-legged, inhaling deeply as he guided mana through his body.
The moment his mana reached the first blocked meridian, a searing heat shot through his veins, like molten iron pouring into his blood. His breath caught, and his vision blurred with the intensity of it, but he pressed on. His body tensed slightly and then...
Crack.
The meridian shattered open, and a flood of mana rushed through him, bringing both relief and exhaustion.
There were eight more to go.
An hour passed, and he managed to clear two more meridians. Sweat clung to his skin, and his breathing was slightly uneven.
"This is getting harder… At this rate, I won't clear all twelve meridians before the academy begins."
His thoughts drifted back to the General Cultivation book from the pavilion. It mentioned resources that could accelerate cultivation, alchemy pills, and natural treasures.
"With the money I have, I might be able to afford something useful."
After a quiet dinner and a long bath, Valerius lay in bed, his thoughts swirling with plans. There was still much to do, much to overcome. But if he could manage to clear all the meridians before the start of the academy his starting point there would be easier than what other people must have expected.
---
As dawn broke, Valerius stirred awake, feeling slightly refreshed. He exercised briefly to ease the soreness from yesterday's training. After finishing, he called out:
"Seraphina."
Moments later, she entered the room, as composed as ever. "Good morning, Young Master. Do you need anything?"
"Good morning, Seraphina. Bring me breakfast. After that, we will head into the city again. I need to buy something from the pavilion we visited yesterday."
She gave a small nod. "Understood, Young Master."
A short while later, she returned with a tray of food, setting it neatly on the table before stepping away to let him eat.
Once Valerius finished, he dressed in a fresh robe and reached for the pouch in his room.
Ninety-one gold coins.
He weighed the pouch in his palm. 'I hope this is enough,' he muttered to himself.
Exiting his room, he found Seraphina already waiting outside.
"I'm ready, Young Master."
"Let's go," he said, striding toward the palace gates.
Valerius and Seraphina walked through the bustling streets of Luxombra, weaving past merchants, nobles, and commoners alike. The city pulsed with life. Hawkers shouted their wares, the aroma of grilled meat and fresh bread lingered in the air, and the occasional shimmer of magic flared as cultivators practiced their spells.
After a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance to The Falcon's Ascent Pavilion, its towering structure adorned with intricate carvings of soaring falcons.
Stepping inside, Valerius felt the shift in atmosphere, refined and controlled, exuding an air of wealth and power.
Approaching the front desk, he spoke calmly.
"Hello, can you show me the Arcane Grade Pills you have for sale?"
The receptionist, a woman dressed in elegant yet practical robes, nodded politely. "Of course."
She retrieved a thick book from beneath the counter and placed it before him. "This is our catalog of pills. If we do not have a particular one in stock, our alchemists can refine it for you."
Valerius flipped through the pages, scanning the list of various pills. Each had detailed descriptions, effects, ingredients, and prices.
Arcane Grade pills were the lowest tier, followed by Enchanted, Runed, Ancient, Mythic, Legendary, and finally, the rarest and most powerful, Divine Pills.
His fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the book.
Ninety-one gold coins. It should be enough for a basic Arcane pill, but what if he needed more? I will have to make this one count.