Heaven, Earth, Me

The three books were worn out but with no signs of breaking down. Their condition was a clear consequence of constant use and diligence from those who possessed it. Tatyana gave the three books a look and hummed, interested. ‘What a peculiar way of storing cultivation manuals. Scrolls or jades are much more efficient and lasting.’

Gently, she picked one of the books and read its title. “[Eye Of The Mind].”

Garel was surprised. “You know the language of the book?”

Tatyana raised her eyebrow and looked at him. “You don’t?”

“I do,” Garel answered. Then, he clarified. “However, that language was basically impossible to decipher for the longest of times. It was only possible after we used a few tools left behind by the person I told you about before.”

“Hm~.” Tatyana made a sound and looked at the book. This one was a dark grey color with golden patterns around the edges. The letters were written in white, and a black vertical eye with a golden lining stood out in the middle of the book's cover. 

Angel was sitting by her side, so looking over, she asked. “Does this book contain Soul Cultivation?”

Tatyana shook her head. “This is not a Soul Cultivation Manual. It is a technique.” Flipping through the pages at a speed that wouldn’t damage the book, Tatyana muttered. “It uses the soul’s connection with the Heavens to create a way for you to look through items even without Spiritual Sense. It’s quite a nifty ability, to be honest. It also helps with your reaction speed and spatial awareness.” 

Angel didn’t look too interested, so Mirrory added. “It also helps you trace Formation lines better. It’s a convenient skill to have.”

“Oh!” Angel’s eyes sparkled, and she quickly asked, her eager and adorable gaze landing on Garel. “Can we learn it?”

Garel showed a hesitant expression. He couldn’t really stop them if they wanted to learn it. However, if they did learn it and this information somehow got out, he would probably be hunted down by the higher powers. Sharing these techniques was strictly prohibited. Only those who owned them could use them.

Fearing that his refusal might anger them, he explained everything in detail. After he finished, he saw the group of women looking at him with a stunned expression. Evelyn shook her head and sighed. “Narrow-minded and greedy. No wonder there are no strong cultivators in this world.”

Andrea smirked. “We have not explored everything, right? Perhaps beyond our spiritual sense, there are strong cultivators.”

Evelyn raised her eyebrow. “How could that be possible? A talentless, greedy bunch hoarding all the cultivation techniques will never give birth to an exceptional talent. Their experiences, fights, and insights are strangled, and they are never able to face other ideas. Elders will for sure force the ‘correct’ way down the throats of the juniors, never finding other cultivators that will break the vicious cycle.”

Tatyana chuckled and agreed. “Indeed. A family of cultivators isolated from others will eventually collapse as complacency and arrogance take root in their hearts. Keeping power from being challenged will always lead to its corruption.”

Garel listened to their insights with surprise. He thought about the state of the “high society,” and there certainly were signs of decline. He knew a few technologies that had been lost, a few innovative ideas that were shut down for being too outside of the “normal way,” and he had also seen talents be snuffed out because they didn’t practice like the rest.

Tatyana looked at the other two books and read their titles. One of them was a green book consisting of brown words with curvy edges. The book had some silvery embroidery, and there was an image of a cross-legged sitting man, painting by highlighting some internal paths that could be deduced as meridians. “[Spectral Soul Projection].”

Cecile snorted with a smile. “Funny name.”

Kali was curious. “What is this one about?”

Tatyana explained. “A technique that allows you to project your soul out of your body and move it around as a ghost entity. Whoever created this was either stupid or had a death wish.”

The girls were speechless as well. Revealing the weakest part of a person to use it to explore? That was certainly a way to spell doom for oneself. Cecile thought otherwise and asked. “Since the Soul is the strongest part of a Soul Cultivator, doesn’t this technique make sense?”

Andrea countered. “Leaving behind a vulnerable body and an even more vulnerable soul just to explore? Spiritual Sense is ten times better and a thousand times less risky. Even the [Eye Of The Mind] skill was much better than this one.”

Cecile hummed. “I still feel that it has its pros.”

Tatyana didn’t deny it, but she would not use this herself. Her gaze turned toward the last book, and her eyebrow finally rose with interest. “This one looks like a Soul Cultivation Manual. Moreover, it’s non-attributed, so anyone can practice it.”

Evelyn whistled. “So quick to evaluate. How did you know?”

Tatyana turned the book over, showing Evelyn the cover. Evelyn read it: “[Attributeless Basic Soul Technique].” After reading it, she laughed, “Okay, that’s quite a straightforward way to name your technique.”

The girls chuckled and looked at it closely. Eventually, Tatyana hummed. “Not bad. It’s a Magic-Ranked Soul Cultivation Manual. The good part about this one is that it is universal. So, a person can use this technique to practice until they find a suitable technique. Going from this to another one is effortless. You just need a bit of patience.”

Andrea crossed her arms and asked. “What’s the drawback?”

“It is less than mediocre in every measurable attribute other than the one I just explained.”

Kali frowned. “Won’t this make the foundation unstable then?”

“That’s why I said you needed patience.” Tatyana chuckled. “After changing to your suitable technique, you must not advance and solidify your foundations. It’s a bit of a waste of time, but if you have nothing better to cultivate, it is not bad at all. I recommend that you girls use it; you will reach the third soul realm with it rather easily. Still, cultivating it further will do more harm than good.”

The girls nodded, and Tatyana stood up. “Well, Garel. It’s time for you to take us to experience the higher society of your world. I want to see if your superiors have a superior version of this technique.”

“Eh?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, and he asked, his voice nervous. “What do you mean, Lady Tatyana?”

Tatyana raised her eyebrow. “Won’t that spring open soon? Take us with you.”

Garel stood up, placing his palms on the table, and blurted, horrified. “That’s impossible!”

Tatyana rolled her eyes. “I am not asking, little Garel. I am demanding it.” Turning toward the girls, she commented. “Let’s return to the ship for now. Garel will tell us when to go out with him.” 

She took two steps before turning back and looking at the pale middle-aged man. “If he doesn’t, this entire place will puff out of existence.”

Before Garel could return, Tatyana waved her sleeves, and everyone disappeared from the room, leaving only Garel’s people. A guard blurted, shocked. “Instant Teleportation!?”

Garel sat back down and rested a hand on his forehead. ‘... Does she really mean it? Is she not afraid of those people? I understand that she is strong, but those people are monsters as well.’

A maid approached and served a cup of water. “Here, my lord.”

Garel nodded and sighed. Even if he didn’t want to and he feared those people, Tatyana’s threat was much more imminent. If he didn’t comply, his life would be a forgone conclusion. If he complied, he might have a chance. Suddenly, he paused and looked down at the table. His heart skipped a beat, and he asked, a noticeable tremble in his voice. “W-Where are the books?” 

Everyone looked over and then realized what happened. The silence was deafening. Garel leaned back and sank in his chair, his face looking as if he had aged ten years in a single minute. “Done… My family is done…”

In another part of the planet, a handsome man with a wide back and dark hair was looking out of expansive windows in his tall skyscraper. He was wearing a black suit and had his hands clasped behind his back. “Continental Lord, we have news from the Garel Port.”

The man frowned and turned around, his black eyes looking quite piercing. “Didn’t I tell you not to bother me at these hours? I was meditating.”

The woman that entered blushed slightly and bowed. “Sorry, Continental Lord. However, this is urgent.”

“Hm?” The man was surprised. At first, he thought that this secretary was trying to get in his bed, like many others did. However, that didn’t seem to be the case. “It seems that you actually have a reason. Speak up.”

The woman nodded excitedly and commented. “I discovered that a strange vessel has landed there. It looks like one of those boats from a few thousand years ago, made of wood and other luxurious materials. Moreover, the women that descended from the boat all seem to have enough strength and authority to push Lord Garel to make concessions and overlook their rudeness.”@@novelbin@@

This time, the man was fully interested. “Oh? Something like that actually happened? Do we know which group made such a move?”

The woman shook her head and approached the tall man. His muscular body and powerful aura made the secretary’s heart flutter. However, she reached this position with a lot of self-control, so she didn’t mess it up and showed him a tablet. “This is a small video of the incident. We took it from the security cameras on the landing pad.”

The man looked at the video and saw it. There, a strange flying ship landed, surrounded by a few captain-ranked vessels. Then, the camera zoomed in, and he saw a bunch of women walk down the ramp. Once he saw those women, his eyes widened. ‘This… who are they? How can such beauties exist in this world?’

He had seen countless beauties across his long lifespan. However, he had never met anyone like them. It was as if he had been eating mud, thinking it was a delicacy. Thankfully, he was looking at them through a screen, so their aura was greatly snuffed out. Hence, he reacted rather quickly. “I want all the information you can gather on my desk by tomorrow. Also, prepare to send a delegation to invite them here.”

The secretary blinked and nodded. “Okay, Continental Lord.”

The man saw the woman with gentle curves about to exist, but he stopped her. “Before you go, I need something else from you. Come here.”

The secretary stopped and arched her lips alluringly, looking back with charming eyes. “Okay~, My Lord~.”