Soran imdiately kneeled, placing a hand over his chest in a gesture reminiscent of a knight pledging fealty. His voice was soft yet resolute as he spoke. "I greet His Highness."
Caine raised an eyebrow, surprised by the greeting. "You've kept your mories? How much of them?"
"All of them, Master. But I perceive them through a third perspective. I am Soran, but I am also not Soran. I am… new."
Caine nodded thoughtfully and closed his eyes for a mont, sinking into his Bond Space. His attention turned toward his arcane ring.
'Hm… I suppose I'll call this technique [Naless Call].'
As soon as he decided on the na, countless runes materialized, arranging themselves into a complex formation. The formation slowly shrank, folding into a singular three-dinsional rune.
The rune floated toward the arcane ring, shrinking further until it branded itself onto an empty section of the ring. With this step complete, Caine could now replicate the process he had just perford with Soran using nothing more than a thought.
It would be automatic, seamless, and instantaneous. Such was the terrifying efficiency of his arcane ring—capable of automating tasks to perfection. And this was only one of its many passive abilities.
Opening his eyes, Caine waved a hand, and pristine white robes draped over Soran's form.
'Let's run a few tests.'
With a tap of the air, Soran's body abruptly disintegrated into ashes. The arcane ring trembled, and within the lands of Caine's Bond Space, a new egg materialized.
Monts later, the egg hatched, and Soran reappeared outside, once again kneeling as if nothing had happened.
'Perfect,' Caine mused, a smile forming on his lips. 'My summons will be immortal as long as I live. But more importantly…' A realization dawned upon him, and his smile deepened.
'…My Bond Space contains Qi—a flood of neutral Qi that it independently produces. Beyond that, it's filled with elental Qi ford by my stars. How did I not notice this before? This changes everything.'
Now that Caine had decided to use atmospheric Qi once again, he'd been mildly concerned about the upcoming Clan Gathering. He knew most of his opponents would be Sages or half-step Sages, aning they could block his access to atmospheric Qi while using True Qi stored within their bodies.
But now, he had a solution.
Not only could he tap into the neutral Qi produced by his Bond Space, but he also had access to the True Qi of his stars. The difference between Neutral Qi and True Qi was monuntal—akin to comparing earth to sky.
'Yet another mutation in my favor,' he thought, though his expression turned more serious.
'I'll need to have a conversation with Zao about this. Not all mutations are beneficial. This needs careful consideration.'
Turning his focus back to Soran, Caine spoke calmly. "Sorry, I just wanted to test sothing. I won't do that again."
Soran's voice was steady, his tone unwavering. "Do not apologize, Your Highness. I am the hilt of your blade, the arrow of your bow—use as you see fit. My immortality serves you, Your Highness."
Caine nodded, unsurprised by Soran's newfound loyalty. "Tell , do you still have access to your Innate Circle? Can you cultivate?"
Soran raised his head, eting Caine's gaze directly. "Master, my Innate Circle has been reshaped and remodeled. It now aligns entirely with the Heavenly Elent I resonated with during my transformation."
"Oh? Elaborate."
"My previous Innate Circle stood at the cusp of the Boundless Grade, making it one of the finest Origin Grade circles in existence. But now…" Soran hesitated briefly. "Now, it feels… gradeless. It's as if its grade no longer depends on but rather… you."
Caine fell silent, his thoughts churning as he processed this revelation. His gaze sharpened, and he clenched his jaw, though his expression remained calm.
The implications were staggering.
If Soran's Innate Circle was now tied to Caine, it ant he could potentially create an army of summons, each equipped with Innate Circles built around the strongest Heavenly Elents—and all at the Imasurable Grade. The prospect was exhilarating, a dream co true for any cultivator.
But alongside this power ca imnse risk.
The world operated on balance and equivalence. If Caine was permitted to perform such heretical acts, the tribulations he faced in the future would surely scale to match.
'If I attempt to ascend to the Sage Realm,' Caine thought, 'I'll face a tribulation designed for two Sages with Imasurable Innate Circles. And that's only if Soran remains my sole summon. If I create more…'
He could already see the path before him: an army of summons, but at the cost of tribulations that would border on the impossible.
For a fleeting mont, doubt and fear tried to take root in his heart. But then, his Dragon-Coiled Star trembled, his Will surging forth like an unyielding fla, snuffing out all hesitation.
'I'll be ready to face it all when the ti cos.'
Elura appeared suddenly, perched atop Caine's head, her expression tinged with concern. "That confidence of yours will be your downfall one day," she said, her tone laced with worry. "It's okay to step back sotis—to make concessions."
Caine's eyes narrowed, his resolve unwavering. 'I've given up far too much in the past. I've endured too much and seen too much.'
'In this life, I'll take it all—or die trying. I'm not leaving anything behind.'
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His Embryonic Will Star trembled fiercely, resonating with his determination.
'I'll either reach the sun and conquer the stars, or fall from the Heavens with my wings torn. I'll be content with both.'
Elura sighed, sensing the intensity of his Will. "Then I'll support you through it all," she murmured.
Caine's aura cald, and a faint smile crossed his lips. He turned his attention back to Soran, who was drenched in sweat, trembling as the pressure of Caine's Will dissipated.
With a gentle pat on Soran's shoulder, Caine eased the tension. The fear that had gripped Soran lted away.
"Alright," Caine said, his tone steady yet commanding. "Recultivate to the Sage Realm as quickly as you can."
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