After Almond was done fine-tuning his Regalon Spirit Engravings and Prime energies, he began training in his Emperor-ranked Prana Art—Devouring Eternity’s Law.
His Prana Sea was 2750, but he had his Soul Sea and Soul Avatar refined till 2898 with the new Soul Art he had brought four months ago from the Academy’s store. It cost him 100,000 Academy Points, but he chose it because he felt more proficient in it and progressed faster, which turned out to be true.
Rin and others also bought Soul Arts they found suitable for themselves after earning Academy Points.
Of course, the common theme of practicing Soul Art didn’t change—getting tortured. However, Soul Arts could let one choose what kind of torture they preferred to endure in the long term, and naturally, the rank of Soul Art meant faster progress.
However, there was a limit to the Academy Points they could gain and things they could buy, so they needed real currency of the second layer to progress faster as a whole organization.
And this big battle against Griminion Tide was an opportunity that could give them everything they needed.
…
With Prana Spirit that birthed from Emperor-rank Prana Arts, one’s speed of Prana absorption and refinement would increase because the Spirit would do half the work alongside them, storing Prana and refining it.
Wild Prana constantly entered Almond’s soul where his Prana Spirit, a faceless mouth with gray and black circulating streams within opened up—Maw of Awakening Embers Stage 3.
Prana Arts could do two things as each Prana Art had two types of techniques.
For Almond’s Emperor-rank Prana Art:
1. Refinement Technique—Maw of Awakening Embers: Used to absorb wild Prana in large quantities for refinement to increase the limit of Prana Sea within Soul Avatar.
2. Circulating Technique—Eternal Tapestry of Refinement: By circulating a self-created energy from one’s arsenal of powers with this technique, one can increase body’s physical parameters.
Emperor-rank Prana Arts had one additional feature, Prana Spirit. But not all Emperor-rank Prana Arts had this feature.
Prana Spirits could increase the speed of both techniques further on top of holding emergency refined Prana, exactly 100% of the user’s Prana Sea limit at first, but could be expanded up to 200% after mastering the Prana Art and completely learning it.
One could gain an Emperor-rank Prana Art like Almond, get liked by a naturally born Prana Art with a Spirit, or complete a quest from Grimworld after reaching the peak of Immortal King.
Grimworld also birthed phenomena periodically, like dungeon instances, and Immortal Emperors could collect them.
Almond had encountered a phenomenon once only so far during his mission two months ago. It was sort of like a dungeon, but the monsters didn’t drop anything. The only thing he got was an Emperor-rank Prana Art from a chest at the end after defeating the Emperor-rank boss.
That Prana Art had yet to choose anyone, so it was eating dust in the Earth’s Eternal Library.
Almond was good with his current Prana Art. In just two hours, he increased his Prana Sea to 2898, the same as his Soul Sea/Soul Avatar.
Prana Sea’s size depended on the size of his Soul Avatar since Prana Sea was within his Soul Avatar. He could make his Prana Sea forcefully bigger, but that wasn’t recommended.
So now, it was time to use Soul Art to increase his Soul Sea’s value and Soul Avatar’s size.
‘I have enough time, so I might just reach the peak of Immortal in a full-focused cultivation session,’ Almond glanced at his Soul Sea.
Soul Sea: 2898
He was just 102 short of reaching the peak of Immortal in Soul Constitution (Soul Sea/Soul Avatar).
99.9% of powerhouses progressed more slowly by ten times or more in increasing Soul Constitution than the 0.1% of people.
That was how hellish it was to train in Soul Art, due to the pain it inflicted in their soul with constant refinement.
Compared to training with Prana Art, it was a hundred times harder to train in Soul Art, and a hundred times slower as well.
But Almond, Lily, Admiral Rudra, and many old monsters, along with some Grim Breakers, were the exceptions as they came in that 0.1%.
When the current High-Mortals of Earth would start entering Immortal-rank, they would soon shift into elite and avarage categories purely because of Soul Art training.
With slowing down of overall progress, only those with relentless will to get strong and endurance of mind, body, and soul would progress fast and firm.
Slacking in training Soul Art because of pain, and failure to clear trauma birthed from various training could slow one down significantly and separate people, causing many to take shortcuts like valuable soul resources to increase their soul and take their time in training Soul Art by delaying it for not wanting to endure pain.
The three Immortal Emperors Almond encountered, who were Simon’s grandkids, were the same.
They had progressed not with pure Soul Art training, but by eating resources and taking their time leisurely since they were over a hundred years old.
Of course, Almond and others would also have to slow down soon, but not to that extent that they would take a hundred years jus to enter Immortal Emperor-rank.
…
Seven hours passed by before Almond opened his eyes as he successfully expanded his Soul Sea to 3000.
On the other hand, his Prana Spirit was expanding his Prana Sea alongside, so it also reached 3000.
Prana Sea: 3000
Soul Sea: 3000
Stats:
— Body Constitution: 2452
— Mental Constitution: 2842
— Soul Constitution: 3000
— Arcane Constitution: 8989
‘I’ll have to visit Vitalis Crucible Tower in the academy. It’s been a month now.’
Almond checked his Academy’s wristband that was placed within his spatial storage and saw he only had 2730 Academy Points.
‘Let’s hope Big D got some worthy missions for Mad Nuts’ top team,’ Almond internally chuckled.
*Hooos….*
Suddenly, a savage, deep, and buzzing roar-like sound swept across the battlefield.
“Almond, that…” Admiral Rudra looked in the river’s direction, his eyes narrowed and pupils glinting with a pattern.
“Yeah,” Almond nodded as he also looked at the river. “That’s one hell of a powerful Griminion Emperor, and it’s coming right in the front, all mad. Its corruption rating must be off the charts.”
His eyes saw over two kilometers ahead where sixteen Supreme Emperors were floating above the river’s entrance and had set up their formations. Hearing this sound, they all activated their domains, covering 10,000 kilometers of area with each one holding an area.
Meanwhile, the Hyper Speed 3 late-stage Immortal Emperors within 100 channels moved forward a bit, rousing themseleves and prepared to recieve the incoming hell.
Almond had never seen a Supreme Emperor make a move, but he was going to see a whole lot of them in action now.
‘Peak elemental masteries, peak level of Intents, fully developed Ability Trees, and limit broken Arcane Boards…’ Almond clenched his fist. ‘I’ll be there.’
*Swoosh!*
And it came. Like a nightmare about to end them all.
A huge whale with ugly teeth, thousands of giant fins, and flickering, corrupting patterns all across its body.
It was coming by exerting all of its power, its will overtaken by the impulse of utter destruction.
Almond could observe it, but Admiral Rudra could barely make out its movement before one of the Supreme Emperors made a move.
‘Let’s see…’ Almond’s eyes glinted with curiosity.
