Myrathis is the continent of humans. In Sonox, there are many races, and one of them is the humans. They have four powerful kingdoms, among which Caprath is one of the cities in the Althea Kingdom, ruled by the Althea family.
In Caprath City, although not the capital of Althea Kingdom, there are still some of the most powerful people and businesses. There are also many merchant families, of which the Alderford family is one of the leading merchant families.
They have many businesses and auction houses, and they offer various services regardless of what you need. They thrive in the world of commerce. John Alderford, the head of the Alderford merchant family, has many wives, all of whom have borne him children.
His third wife, perhaps his most beloved, has a single daughter—Lilian Alderford. She is a prodigy who rose to the peak of the Root Master stage at just 19. Many praise and adore her, but many also envy her.
Perhaps due to this, she has been bedridden for the past five months, and regardless of how hard the healers on the Alderford payroll tried, they never seemed to understand what was happening.
“Master Shadrach, do you know what is wrong with her?” a beautiful lady who seemed to be in her late 30s asked, tears rolling down her cheek.
This lady is Cynthia Alderford, the third wife of John Alderford and mother of Lilian Alderford. The man she asked was the best alchemist and healer they had in the family. But even he didn’t have an answer for what was happening to Lilian.
There were no signs, no symptoms, nothing strange to suggest a diagnosis. She had simply fallen asleep and never woken up. She looked peaceful as if resting, still alive but not fully here.
“I’m sorry, miss, but even my abilities have their limits,” Master Shadrach said, standing to leave. He had no cure. Without a diagnosis, he couldn’t even begin to prepare one. There was nothing more he could do.
After he left, a woman in her late 20s, probably a servant, approached Cynthia, taking her trembling hands in her own. Cynthia’s tears had soaked her face.
“Unity, do you think she’ll ever wake up?” Cynthia whispered, her voice breaking. She called the woman Unity.
Unity stayed silent for a few seconds, then replied softly, “Let’s just give it a little more time. Her temperature has been rising these past few days. Maybe… maybe that’s a sign.”
“What if it’s not?” Cynthia’s voice was desperate. “What if something terrible happens? I can’t lose her, Unity. She’s my only daughter,” she sobbed, her tears flowing freely.
“She won’t die, my love.” A deep voice suddenly filled the room as John Alderford entered. Unity stepped back as he approached his wife.
“I’ve sent people to search for healers and alchemists across the kingdom,” he said gently. “Anyone who can help our daughter. I’ll offer a generous reward, even if it means giving her hand in marriage to the one who saves her. I just want her alive.”
Cynthia looked at him, torn. “You can’t do that, John. You know the Ashland family won’t accept it. Lilian is supposed to marry their second son. I want her well, but we can’t make enemies with them.”
John let out a sharp breath, showing how little he cared about the consequences.
“It’s too late now,” he said firmly. “The best healers and alchemists are on their way. They’ll start arriving in two days.”
He took her hand, his gaze intense. “When I sent word to the Ashland family about Lilian’s condition, they had no response. Not a word. So why should we care about their feelings? If it comes to it, I’ll go to war to give my daughter a full life.”
Although he may not look it due to his slim physique, John Alderford is actually a powerful cultivator at the peak of the Root Saint stage. He’s quite skilled with the spear, so if it came to it, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight. After all, he has some of the finest cultivators under his payroll and control.
Cynthia wanted to say something, but seeing the firm look in John’s eyes, she held back, letting him vent his anger in his own way.
***
Back on Forest Hill Mountain, inside the makeshift apartment where Master James Hogan used to live. Kent, who had been practicing his Sword Mind technique for the past four days, suddenly snapped his eyes open. In his silver-purple gaze, a flash of golden energy appeared.
“I’ve made some progress, but not enough to finally step into the Adept Swordsman stage,” Kent muttered, reading the message that appeared as he opened his eyes.
[Congratulations, Master. Your understanding of the sword grows stronger. Current Progress: 65%.]
He had gained just 20% progress more after four full days of practice. The Sword Mind technique required him to train his mind to connect with the sword’s intent, achieved through constant visions of sword battles he experienced while practicing.
It was a strange way to learn the sword, but somehow, Kent loved it.
Now, he has moved past the visions of sword battles, which were actually sword intent being projected into visions, so he could watch while practicing the sword firsthand in his mind.
As his mind enters the sword, his consciousness begins to practice based on the hidden teachings embedded in the technique he is studying.
Kent doesn’t fully understand how, but somehow, he sees sword moves in his mind, which he only has to replicate.
Complex? Yes.
Weird? Definitely.
But is it effective? 100%. Although he hasn’t held the sword yet, he can tell his mastery is already very high, and he would be able to use it more effectively regardless of how he’s practicing.
He even asked the Tower how it was possible for him to see those visions and sword moves, but all it said was that everything is linked to the Sword Tower and his Legacy, and that he would learn more about it in the future when he unlocks the Tower.
“Huh, I have some visitors,” Kent suddenly said, standing up. Five kilometers away, five soldiers riding in a carriage were headed toward his small home.
His master had left it for him, after all.
“Huh, Tower, how was I able to see that far even though I wasn’t looking at them directly?” Kent asked, puzzled. Just now, he had sensed a disturbance, and strangely, he could see them as if he were facing them.
“[It’s called Divine Sense, which you awakened when you broke through to the Root Blossom Stage. However, because of your strong mind and soul, you can see ten times farther than the average Root Blossom Stage expert.]”
“Awesome,” Kent smiled, using his senses to keep track of the soldiers as they approached his home. He could tell their cultivation base, though the Tower had already informed him he didn’t need to, as it could help him with that.
Nonetheless, he wanted to test if he had the ability to perceive the depths of others’ cultivation bases.
A few minutes later, they arrived and knocked on the door.
“Master James Hogan, you have been summoned.”