Brangara plucked a ripe fruit from a tree and gave it to Yarsha.
She bit into it, relishing the taste. Her eyes lit up as she announced, “What the heck is this fruit? Why is it so tasty? Moreover,”
She exclaimed, “It’s faint, but there’s Prana in it.”
“That’s thanks to the Yoked Wyrms,” Brangara explained, “Their existence enriches the Varahan Enclave. As long as their population is kept in control, they are a resourceful asset. They are why the Varahan Enclave was rich enough to accommodate Gold Grade Pranic Beasts in the past.” 𝑜𝔳𝗅𝐞xt.𝓬𝑜𝗆
“Amazing!” Yarsha was amazed.
Seeing her response caused Brangara to feel pride for some reason. He then brought her to other scenic locations throughout Varahan Enclave, treating her to a variety of forest produce.
“How is it?” He asked at the end of a month-long tour, “This place is great, right?”
“I like it.” Yarsha nodded and slapped him lightly, “I knew you were a fun guy, despite your infamy.”
“Of course, I am.” Brangara boasted, “I just never had a reason to be that person before this.”
As they continued to walk, Yarsha arrived at a stop atop a plateau, overlooking a marsh. The water here was clearer than in the other regions while the trees growing were larger too, causing the air to be fresh and dense with vitality.
She liked the place immediately.
Brangara had been observing her expressions all along. And upon seeing that she liked the place, he stepped forward and used the Rockatrice’s ability to erect an intricately carved fortress.
The rocky walls morphed in colour to blend in with the environment. Brangara activated a bunch of the Yoked Wyrm’s Primary Nature and refined the mineral deposit of the region, infusing his Prana to aid the growth of the tree roots, causing them to cover half the walls.
In a matter of minutes, the fortress looked as if it was a natural formation of the region, a product of nature.
Yarsha had been observing everything, but even then, she couldn’t make sense of things, asking in disbelief, “Is there anything you couldn’t do?”
“With a bit of preparation, there’s nothing I cannot do.” Brangara flexed, “There’s a reason I’m a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast.”
“By the way,” He grunted and spat out a tiny gem, turquoise in colour, shaped like a pebble, sporting patterns of gold in the shape of lightning. He cleaned it a bit and gave it to Yarsha, “What do you think of this?”
“This is…?” Yarsha stared at the tiny gem and fell into a daze, only breaking out of it a few hours later, stunned to the extreme, “W-What is this mineral?”
“It’s called Sumatra Gold.” Brangara explained, “It’s by far the most valuable mineral in Sumatra, hence named after the continent.”
“Sumatra Gold…this is Sumatra Gold?” After a moment of reverie, Yarsha shouted in a fluster, “This is real? That legendary Sumatra Gold exists?”
“Is it really that big of a deal?” Brangara scratched his ear.
“Of course!” Yarsha grabbed Brangara by the shoulder, “This is the legendary mineral every human cultivator desires to get their hands upon. Legends state that a human cultivator from the Brimgan Empire managed to figure out a way to integrate Sumatra Gold into his Human Avatar. Even though it was a tiny sum, it allowed him to become the strongest human cultivator to date, possessing power surpassing a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast.”
“This is that valuable, huh?” Brangara nodded, making a funny expression, unable to figure out whether to laugh or cry.
“Why are you making that face?” Yarsha seemed angry, “Are you mocking Sumatra Gold?”
“Do you know how it forms?” Brangara asked.
“I don’t,” Yarsha shook her head like it was obvious, “If I knew, I would have found it by now.”
“Sumatra Gold is a tumour that grows in a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast’s Spirit Container.” Brangara said, “I don’t know the cause or reason, but it steadily accumulates in our Spirit Containers. When its size reaches a certain point, it causes us pain. So, we generally extract them.”
“It’s a tumour?” Yarsha stared at the Sumatra Gold in a daze.
“The Mystic Tentacles tried to research upon Sumatra Gold generation after generation, but they failed to find an answer.” Brangara continued, “They are as mysterious as Parute Trees.”
He then asked, “Are you able to build your Human Avatar using it?”
“As a mineral, it qualifies. This is the best there exists. But,” Yarsha sighed, “I need to devise a suitable cultivation technique first. I need to find a mineral that’s compatible with Sumatra Gold and derive a cultivation technique that merges them seamlessly. Only then can I start building my Human Avatar.”
“Why do you need to integrate it with another mineral?” Brangara frowned, “Isn’t it better to primarily fuse with the best mineral?”
“Well, that’s obvious.” Yarsha nodded, “But where will I find that much Sumatra Gold? It’s impossible to get enough for a single Human Avatar, not to mention the rest I’ll have to build at the Life Stage.”
“You needn’t worry about that,” Saying so, Brangara took out a small bag filled with Sumatra Gold, “This is my stash alone. Give me some time and I’ll find the stash of the Mystic Tentacles.”
“They have been becoming Mystic Grade Pranic Beasts for hundreds of generations. They all must have stashed Sumatra Gold somewhere.” He said, “Sumatra Gold is useless for Pranic Beasts anyway. So, they’ll remain untouched to date. Give me some time and I’ll bring you as much as you need to reach the peak of cultivation.”
“Wow! You’re the best!” Yarsha cheered, “I’ll start creating a suitable cultivation technique then.”
“Here, take this. They’ll serve as a valuable reference for you.” Saying so, Brangara took out two slabs of granite and infused a cultivation technique in each. This granite slab was the Bone Slip equivalent of the Zahara Kingdom.
Brangara had obviously been there before and had learnt their cultivation techniques too.
Holding the two granite slabs, Yarsha frowned upon seeing the level of detail present in the cultivation techniques within, “What the heck are these? Are you telling me such an intricate cultivation technique exists?”
“Of course, they are Mystic Grade Cultivation Techniques, after all.” Brangara nodded, “They are the two pinnacle cultivation techniques of Sumatra.”
The Mammoth Clan’s Mystic Bone Art!
The Cooter Clan’s Mystic Mist Art!
Both were the highest grade of cultivation arts that could exist. Brangara had stolen them both after devouring a bunch of Empyrean Tusks and Empyrean Snappers. And now, he gave them to Yarsha, “Using these two as the base, you can create a Mystic Grade cultivation technique suitable for yourself. Our children too will learn it.”
“I’ll help you perfect it using my vast knowledge.” He concluded. It was the start of the rise of the third power in Sumatra Continent, following the Cooter Clan and Mammoth Clan.
The Wean Clan!
