Chapter 316 - Grand Soul (Patreon)

A green-skinned, and leaf-haired, ten-year-old dryad jumped. Not too soon a tongue of flame engulfed her previous place. With a yell and palm glowing green with nature’s energy, she clashed with the flaming shield that the fire elemental conjured. The clash resulted in both getting knocked back, however, they both were forcibly getting sucked by a squall.

Against the creator of the wind technique, the dryad made roots in the shape of two hands appear beside the cloud elemental. The hands clasped together and sank back into the earth.

Before that, the cloud-being managed to create a lightning bolt at the fire elemental, and while the dryad was focusing on the cloud, the living flame made use of the air current around him to engulf the dryad with a flaming tornado.

Dia, Futon, and Faiya were not exactly fighting; they were training.

“Owie, owie… Faiya, you’ve gotten stronger.”

“Yaa!”

“Aww, thanks. Futon, you too.”

“Fuu, fuu!”

Their strengths grew daily. With the enriching environment of Dia’s Biome, plenty of high-vitality monster meat to eat, and various natural treasures their master had accumulated, not growing rapidly was a sin.

However, strength was useless without the skill to complement it, so they trained. Their current focus was on how to synergize their different elements in a fight. Viers had shown them the door, but it was they who must open it and go inside.

Actually, Viers had said to not have a three-way rumble. They were still unskilled. He didn't want them to get hurt by accident. With the level of strength they had, it could result in some serious injuries. Except, they were still children at heart and sneakily did so, since Viers was not looking. They simply wanted Viers’ praise.

As the three were about to begin their next bout, they stopped. It was akin to a heartbeat of the world. An invisible wave engulfed them that lasted for less than two seconds. Subdued, massive, and mighty. They never felt anything like it. Still, it carried no malice so they were not panicking.

And they knew the person causing it.

“Kin is coming! Quick, heal the wounds and tidy up the fields!”

***

Far from Dia and the others, Viers opened his eyes. He was in a Power Spot attuned with soul affinity. He had been creating this place for some time, slowly adding soul plants and natural treasures. By now, the place was potent enough in soul affinity it could be categorized as a rudimentary Power Spot. The ethereal and beautiful place was perfect for what he was doing: a breakthrough.

Will-o'-the-wisps in the area were frantic. The soul butterflies scattered away. The glow of the weeping willow fluctuated. It was like a big stone thrown into a calm pond, it disturbed the serenity of the place.

I’ve missed this feeling.

Viers’ soul sense encompassed a large area of the Biome. During the epic battle in the final stage of the Book World, Viers used this ability to grasp the situation on the massive battlefield.

This act was akin to a flex of a stiff muscle. He also wanted to check if there were complications during his deep seclusion even though he should be safe in the Biome, but Viers was paranoid like that.

He expected the worst. After all, it was a common troupe in xianxia stories that the MCs were often beset by enemies and difficulties as they made their breakthrough, only to succeed at the very last moment and epically fight back against their attackers.

Despite the distance, he could see what his familiars were doing as if he was right there watching them. Realizing immediately what they had been doing, Viers made a wry smile and shook his head.

Yare-yare daze.

Viers made no attempt to scold them again. He’d let them fight. He was not talking about Godzilla fighting some other kaiju. Kids will be kids. If they get hurt, let it be a lesson that makes them wiser.

Viers put his mind inwards.

A million human souls, or their equivalent, were needed for one’s ascendancy to Grand Soul. At least, according to the ways of the Myriad Souls in One Arte; it was just the one that Viers had. There were other ways out there but Viers was using this one.

It was a sinister Arte that consumed the souls of their fellows to strengthen the user’s soul. Viers was a human so he needed human souls. If an elf were using it, he or she would need elven souls. Because of moral reasons, some would be too disgusted to utilize such a revolting Arte.

Viers didn't think more than five minutes before deciding to use it.

Improving one’s soul was difficult. Some needed years or even decades of grueling discipline to achieve the peak of Mortal Soul, let alone leaping across the great chasm into the stage of Grand Soul.

Viers had no desire to waste that much time, not even when he suspected he was possibly immortal since he could replenish his life force.

The world, particularly this magical one, had too many wonders to experience.

Like the villain he was, he took the dark path to power. The power of the dark side was not necessarily stronger than the light -like a certain little green sage once said- but it was easier.

Since he could gain power faster than others, he should also not lose against his righteous, hero-wannabes close to his age that would undoubtedly become his enemies because they couldn't tolerate his way of living.

But as long as he was stronger, Viers didn't care what those people prattled. He had long mastered the technique of ignoring hateful Twitter comments, an invaluable skill in the old world.

As long as he was stronger. That phrase was Viers’ dogma. It would be key in his struggle against his mortal enemies, the righteous people.

Once he was stronger, he could rise to an even greater height of power! Furthering the gap between them further!

That way, those fellows wouldn't be able to defeat him, no matter how much they hated his guts.

The villains that lost to the heroes despite achieving a faster rise in prominence were being lazy. The classic rabbit and turtle race case.

As for those old monsters that were already stronger than him, good or bad people, Viers had no pride that prevented him from running and hiding until his strength matched theirs.

Of course, there were a lot of other reasons for a villain’s fall. For example, undue gloating, excessive ego, redundant greed, trading brains for strength, the power of love, not killing the hero after they were defeated, and so on.

Even Luffy got beaten by Kaido THREE times! He didn't kill him on three separate occasions! Oh my God… I don't care if you’re one of the Four Emperors or not, that’s just dumb! Don't agree? Lo and behold! Did Luffy kick your ass to the center of the earth or not?! You can kiss that One Piece goodbye, dragon guy!

Viers, watching the failures of those villains since he was old enough to understand that he was watching Power Rangers and Kamen Riders, had been vaccinated against those villain diseases. He was immune to their fallacies!

And thus, empowered with the power of genre savviness, as long as he was stronger than the hero, there was no reason for him to lose.

As simple as that.

This logic was airtight in Viers’ mind.

As a human, the Myriad in Souls Arte was quite suited for him. Unlike the elves or other species with a scarce population, the human race bred fast.

In other words, they were a renewable resource. Objectively speaking.

Viers didn't need to actively cull his fellow man. Hell, people like to do war. They would do it without his push. Why else in the old world the history of the human race was filled with it?

That was the case where humans were the dominant species in the whole world. In this place, there were monsters and demons, and whatever else. Conflict was never going to be a scarcity.

Conflict bred war and war bred death on a massive scale.

Even without war, people died every day. Whichever the case was, it didn't matter for Viers.

He just needed to cast his net wide, chomp-chomp their soul for a bit, then release their inedible soul essence back into the circle of life and death.

Actually, the strong Pathseekers had greater soul value for the Myriad Souls in One Arte so it was somewhat doable for species who didn't have a large population but eating smaller fish lots and lots was easier for sure.

The two attempts of Viers’ of reaching Grand Soul were filled with weaker souls than strong souls such as Level 4s’. Viers never got his hands on a Level 5 soul. It was too difficult.

That said, the soul eating Arte was not without deficiencies, otherwise everyone would be using it. It was a common danger of eating other souls, it made the eater deranged. The stronger they were, the more mad they became and the hungrier they were for souls; it was an ugly downward spiral. In their attempt to quench their insatiable thirst, they wreaked havoc on the world until they were put down.

Then why was Viers not subject to this dilemma? The answer was Aletro’s soul attainment. Viers’ soul knowledge and mastery were equal to a Level 5 soul Pathseekers with centuries of experience.

He wished he could say it was child's play resolving the issue but it was actually not. It was a fundamental problem in this method of cultivation but he succeeded.

Other notable soul-user villains in history also must conquer this problem before their true rise to greatness.

Viers reaching Grand Soul was a feat that most Level 5 didn’t even accomplish and he did this twice. In the past had cut down his own soul foundation and breathed life into the two elementals, Futon and Faiya.

Their potential was boundless, Viers didn't regret his actions.

Viers was now a soul Pathseeker with Grand Soul, the next step after Mortal Soul, but what did it mean exactly? What were the benefits of Grand Soul?

A more solid soul foundation, more resilient soul, soul sense, all soul Artes increase in power by several fold, yadda-yadda. Pretty much the whole package of soul cultivation like in the Fables. With this, I’ve cleared one of the requisites to advance to Level 6, according to Clarissa.

To his estimate, rounding down because he didn't want to make a greater estimate of his abilities than it should be, in purely soul combat abilities, he was 2.5 stronger than before.

And it was without factoring in his other abilities, first and foremost, the Horizon Aspect.

Or his Hyper Artes. His lifeforce to power conversion had become much more effective after integrating Max’s technique.

My soul feels so… wholesome. What an incredible feeling. I wonder what it's like at the next stage.

Grand Soul was not the end of soul cultivation. There was another stage above it. Viers only knew its name, Hallow Soul.

Not to be confused with hollow. The word ‘hallow’ meant honor or holy.

The term is similar to Deathly Hallows, Viers chuckled at the similarities.

In the past, Viers failed to make any other step forward after stepping on the Grand Soul stage. He still hadn’t a clue now. Myriad Soul in One was not Aletro’s Arte; he plundered it from Farley’s dad’s soul.

Who was a Dumuzin cultist so it is probably of a demonic origin. The members of that cult are known for their soul and mind specialties… If I make no improvement even after I reach Level 5, guess I’ll pay them a visit. I’m not gonna ask nicely though. There was also Mr. X who attacked me, who I’m sure is a member of that cult… Dumuzin cult, we’ve got a score to settle.

Still filled with the euphoria of maxing his soul cultivation for the foreseeable future, Viers struck when the iron was hot.

Next is energy cultivation. Let’s see how useful the Nutra really is.