Chapter 4 Sacred Four Forces

• Seeing Sebastian's expression change, Isabella laughed softly. "Don't worry, there's no way I'd marry that guy from the Andersons. I've heard he's terrible."
• At just 14 or 15, Isabella already possessed the strength of the Earthly Sixth Realm, marking her as a prodigy in all of Naverra. The Andersons had their young talent—a 16-year-old capable of refining elixirs, and many thought he and Isabella would make the perfect match.
• Sebastian, however, stayed calm. With his Ultimate Celestial Veins and two mysterious, skilled women guiding his cultivation, he was confident he'd soon surpass that young alchemist prodigy.
• Grinning, Sebastian reached out to touch Isabella's elegant face. "Why don't you just tell the Andersons you're already engaged? If he doesn't like it, he can come and challenge me."
• Sebastian's confidence delighted Isabella. Standing on her toes, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Blushing, she whispered, "Sebby, you have to work hard. I'm worried my family will stop at nothing to keep us apart."
• With that, Isabella gracefully leapt away, soaring out of the courtyard. Her movements were light and fluid, leaving Sebastian standing there, dazed, replaying the kiss over and over in his mind.
• He licked his lips and smiled. "She has grown up a lot."
• Just then, a playful voice echoed in his mind. "So, Sebastian, who's prettier? Your little fairy or us?" It was Melissa's voice.
• Sebastian coughed awkwardly, chuckling. "My wife is beautiful! You two are, of course, just as lovely. By the way, Melissa, you need to start teaching me those sacred techniques and alchemy skills."
• "What do you mean by that?" Melissa teased.
• "Oh, nothing ... " Sebastian scratched his head with a sheepish grin, his eyes glinting with determination.
• He knew he'd have to train harder than ever to avoid disappointing Isabella. Day and night, he would push himself to new limits.
• Just then, his hand—adorned with an invisible ring—emitted a faint glow, and Hayley and Melissa appeared before him, both dressed in regal purple robes that added to their air of nobility. Sebastian figured these outfits must have been stored in the ring.
• Despite the afternoon sun's harsh rays, both women seemed to bask in the intense heat, finding enjoyment in the scorching sunlight.
• "The spiritual energy here is so weak. Without elixirs, it's hard to break into the Primordial Realm!" Melissa muttered, gazing up at the sun.
• Sebastian felt a bit uneasy. These two could freely come and go from his ring, even able to hear what was happening outside.
• Following them into the small house, he noted its modest size—a main hall and four rooms, relatively small compared to the vast Stone Mansion.
• In the small hall, Melissa and Hayley sipped the spiritual tea Sebastian had prepared—a rare treat he usually saved for special occasions.
• "With such weak spiritual energy, the fastest way to advance would be through elixirs," Melissa said, setting her cup down. "But first, you'll need to cultivate a true energy flame. Given your Ultimate Celestial Veins, this shouldn't be too difficult."
• Sebastian nodded earnestly. "I'm ready to learn."
• "Come here, then. I'll start by teaching you Harmony of the Heavens and the Sacred Four Forces." Melissa's voice softened as she combed through her hair gracefully. Recognizing Sebastian's boundless potential, she was eager to train him well—after all, a powerful ally could be invaluable in the future.
• Melissa placed her hand gently on Sebastian's forehead and closed her eyes. Soon, words began to form in Sebastian's mind, dense and cryptic, yet somehow he found himself grasping their meaning effortlessly.
• "This is me using divine sense to impart my techniques to you," Melissa explained. "I'm not only passing on the sacred techniques but also my understanding of them. All you need to do is follow along and practice."
• Sebastian felt a flicker of surprise. He hadn't expected Melissa to have a divine sense—an advanced skill only attainable at the Earthly Sixth Realm, a fusion of mental and true power into a formless, intangible force.
• "Keep this between us. Not a word to anyone, including that little wife of yours!" Hayley said sternly, her tone icy.
• Melissa added, "We've made many enemies over the years, any one of whom could take your life with ease. You must keep this a secret! We'll stay hidden within the ring as much as possible."
• A chill ran through Sebastian as he realized the danger he'd unwittingly invited into his life. He nodded quickly, and with that, Hayley and Melissa vanished back into the ring.
• Though Harmony of the Heavens and Sacred Four Forces were only the basics, Sebastian was ecstatic. Few people had access to sacred techniques like these.
• In the warrior's world, techniques were divided into Earthly Rank, Spirit Rank, Arcane Rank, Earth Rank, Celestial Rank, Sacred Rank, and Divine Rank, with each rank further classified as superior or inferior. Elixirs followed similar classifications, divided into High Rank, Mid Rank, and Low Rank. While Celestial Rank techniques were rare treasures, Divine Rank techniques were even rarer.
• Sacred techniques, however, were legendary skills of the gods, granting immense power to those who mastered them—enough to defy fate, break the boundaries of the physical world, and ascend to godhood.
• Harmony of the Heavens was the primary technique, focusing on refining both the mind and body. Deep and powerful, it was designed to harness and cultivate energy. The Sacred Four Forces, on the other hand, included the Azure Dragon Technique, Tiger Swiftstrike Technique, Vermillion Bird Technique, and Shadowback Technique. Each of these techniques supported either offense or defense and, once mastered, could unleash extraordinary martial abilities.
• Sebastian moved to the back garden, surrounded by lush, vibrant trees and fresh air. He could distinctly sense the five-element energy around him.
• While ordinary Soul Veins were attribute-specific, Sebastian's Ultimate Celestial Veins encompassed all five elements, enabling him to draw upon five-element energy.
• Although Harmony of the Heavens was an advanced cultivation technique, Melissa's divine sense had made it clear to him. As he circulated the technique, the Celestial Mark within his energy center began to spin, drawing in spiritual energy that poured into his body like a rushing current.
• High-level Soul Veins could already absorb spiritual energy quickly, but the Ultimate Vein made the process even faster. Sebastian sat cross-legged at the edge of a secluded grotto, channeling Harmony of the Heavens as spiritual energy entered his body and was instantly refined into a warm, pure white flow, which circulated through his bones, muscles, and meridians, nurturing his internal strength.
• To become a formidable warrior, one needed to cultivate both inner and outer strength. Sebastian was strengthening his internal body, generating true energy within himself—a potent force that would one day grant him immense power.
• Lost in his training, Sebastian absorbed spiritual energy at an astonishing rate. Anyone watching would be stunned.
• With the power of his Ultimate Celestial Veins and Harmony of the Heavens, Sebastian's absorption and refinement of spiritual energy progressed rapidly, pushing him forward on his path to mastery.
• Sebastian now possessed both the Harmony of the Heavens and Sacred Four Forces, two Divine Rank warrior techniques. To fully unleash the power of these sacred techniques, he needed a tremendous amount of true energy.
• Among the Sacred Four Forces, the Azure Dragon Technique and Tiger Swiftstrike Technique had the strongest offensive power, while the Vermillion Bird Technique focused on fire abilities and the Shadowback Technique provided defense.
• When true energy reaches a superior level, it could manifest physically within the energy center. If Sebastian mastered the Sacred Four Forces, he would be able to conjure symbols of the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, Tiger, and Onyx Turtle within his energy center—essentially embodying the essence of these four legendary beasts. This meant that, unlike others, Sebastian would have to train with the intensity of four warriors, but the power he would command would also far exceed the ordinary.
• As spiritual energy flooded into his body, he used the Harmony of the Heavens to refine it into pure true energy. This energy flowed through his veins, making his meridians sturdier and more resilient.
• The next morning, warm sunlight spilled into the courtyard, bathing Sebastian. He opened his eyes, sharp as lightning, and the white mist surrounding him dispersed, revealing dark impurities covering his skin. He had now reached the Earthly Fourth Realm.
• The journey from the Earthly Fourth Realm to the Earthly Sixth Realm was another stage of progression, and Sebastian had finally overcome a barrier that had hindered him for years. Closing his eyes to focus inward, he observed the Celestial Mark in his energy center and noticed five swirling true energy vortexes positioned in the four directions and center—while ordinary people had only one, he now had five. His true energy density was astounding.
• With this level of true energy, his strength was almost on par with the Earthly Fifth Realm.
• "Finally, the Earthly Fourth Realm. I won't need to gather herbs for those people anymore!" Joy surged within him—he had achieved a breakthrough overnight.
• But when he recalled that Isabella had reached the Earthly Sixth Realm at just 15, his excitement tempered. Remembering the young alchemy genius from the Andersons family, who had designs on his fiancée, Sebastian's determination sharpened. He would train even harder and challenge that Andersons genius head-on.
• "Let's begin practicing the Azure Dragon Technique," Melissa suggested, her divine sense gradually recovering, allowing her to monitor external changes.
• Though the Sacred Four Forces was a single sacred technique, it encompassed a vast range of skills—fist techniques, palm techniques, kicks, agility arts, and more. With a complete understanding, he would be able to wield these techniques at will, their applications nearly limitless.
• The Azure Dragon Technique was rooted in the wood element, which also contained the wind and thunder elements. Mastering it would enable him to unleash warrior techniques imbued with the power of wind and thunder.
• After washing up and having a hearty meal, Sebastian returned to the courtyard to resume training with the Azure Dragon Technique.
• The Harmony of the Heavens and Sacred Four Forces were now woven into his very soul; no matter how complex they were, he could comprehend them fully.
• Half a day passed as Sebastian focused on guiding his true energy according to the Azure Dragon Technique. A gentle green glow began to radiate from his body, flickering with streaks of lightning, while a light breeze seemed to drift from him.
• He had learned to release the power of wind and lightning from the wood element's true energy, though his current level was still not strong enough. To fully unleash the techniques within the Azure Dragon Technique, he would need to transform the wood element's true energy into powerful thunder and fierce winds.
• Carefully controlling the wood element within him, Sebastian circulated it through his meridians in an unusual flow. The energy alternated unpredictably—sometimes surging like a rushing river, other times trickling like a gentle stream.