Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

Alex narrowed his eyes, while Pearl widened his.

"You're coming with me, grandpa?" he asked with an excited voice.

"Yes," Bai Jingshen said. "That is the only way to be confident that you can be safe there."

"Wait, you can do that?" Alex asked. "The trial sounds quite important. Are you allowed to get help from someone else?"

"No," Bai Jingshen said. "But what else is there to do? I can just adhere to the rules while protecting him."

Alex scratched his chin, wondering if such a thing could be done. "From what I'm hearing, the trial sounds like a ritual more than anything. Something traditional and sacred. Wouldn't you participating be the same as breaking something sacred?"

Bai Jingshen shrugged. "So what?"

Alex had no response to that. Could anyone do anything to Bai Jingshen? Maybe punish him? But that would keep Pearl safe, which was all that mattered.

But then, Pearl would likely fail the trial.

"Wait, I forgot to even ask. What exactly is this trial for?" he asked. "I have been thinking of it as a sort of coming of age ritual for a young White Tiger."

"That is as close to it as you can get," Bai Jingshen said. "It's an opportunity to show prowess and talent, to show the world just how good of a White Tiger you are. The other beasts go through it as well, so you will have quite a few opponents to fight against and improve yourself."

"All four clans send their young beasts there?" Alex asked.

"Not just them, but anyone and everyone," Bai Jingshen said. "A young beast being sent to the Fighting Island is considered to be someone who is quite valued by their society. Almost everyone of the four clans is sent there, except for very few who don't want to fight and get alternate chances instead."

"Alternate chances? What sort?" Alex asked. "Maybe Pearl can use that."

"No, the alternate chances they get these days are going to the lower world to rule over the humans peacefully for now. And there are so many spots left open there. Not that Pearl would've ever taken that option. Only two types of people take that option: those that are afraid of the main trial, or those that know they are weak."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Which one were you?" he asked.

Bai Jingshen smiled. "Someone trying to appear weak," he said. "I don't like standing out here. The more you stand out, the more expectations they have of you. The more they pile responsibilities. I just want to be free of all burdens."

"But you've now taken the biggest burden, grandpa," Pearl said.

"Well… I could skirt it only for so long," Bai Jingshen said. He looked to Pearl. "Don't worry too much about the trial. Since I'm going with you, nothing wrong will come out of it."

Pearl smiled. "That's great, grandpa."

"Anyway, how long do you plan on staying here? The trial itself is going to take 10 years, so you will have to stay at least that long," Bai Jingshen said.

"I'm fine with that," Alex said.

"And what about your family? Will you be okay waiting for so long when you're so close?" he asked.

"That's fine. The situation has been temporarily dealt with. My master will leave in a few weeks, so she will send over all of my concerns to the Sky God when she can."

"I see. That is good," Bai Jingshen said. "Then you will be able to focus on breaking through freely as well."

"I will," Alex said.

Bai Jingshen nodded. "By the way, is it true that you have 8 Origins?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Alex smiled. "Do you want to see it?" he asked.

"Yes, absolutely!" Bai Jingshen said.

A moment later, Alex and the other 3 beasts arrived inside Alex's Spiritual Sea. Alex rarely prompted Pearl or Whisker to come see things here, so it had been a while since they came too.

The moment they arrived, Pearl and Whisker were shocked to see the state of Alex's Spiritual Sea. The wide expanse seemed far vaster than anything they had inside their own minds.

The water underneath looked so much darker and stronger too, and the overall feel of the world was as though they had come to visit the mind of someone far stronger than they were.

Bai Jingshen's reaction was something similar as well. He looked around the space with a slightly agape jaw, stunned at what he was sensing. Beyond what Pearl or Whisker could tell, Bai Jingshen had a firmer understanding of the Spiritual Sea.

And he could tell that this one had long since reached the point where it should have turned into a Divine Sea. However, it hadn't.

It hadn't fulfilled the one requirement that was considered absolutely necessary in order to have a Divine Sea.

There was no Creation.

"What happened here?" Bai Jingshen asked. "How is it so big?"

"It grew with time back in Hell when I had to fight through a seal placed on me by the Storm God," Alex explained. "My Intent grew back then, and so did my spiritual energy."

"Really?" Bai Jingshen asked. "You didn't consume any treasure?"

"Not… really," Alex said, scanning his own Spiritual Sea. There was something strange that had happened though, which he still didn't know about. "Actually, I might have. Or at least something had to have happened to me."

"What?" Bai Jingshen asked curiously.

"My Spiritual Sea grew after I left Hell," Alex said. "It's far bigger than it used to be. I might have done something when I was in that other realm."

"The Realm within Realms?" Bai Jingshen asked.

Alex nodded.

"But you don't remember anything, do you?" he asked.

Alex shrugged.

Bai Jingshen said nothing and turned toward the 8 glowing Origins that hung in the air above the sea.

"There it is," he said softly. "8 total Origins. I thought I was going to change the trajectory of your future by allowing you to gain 2. Who could've imagined you would somehow form 8 instead."