Chapter 151: The Legendary Path
The night was getting deeper.
Soren sat on the cold rock with a goose feather pen in hand, facing a stone table that had been split open with a curved blade, and in front of him was a spread-out spell scroll. For an adventurer like him, the ability to adapt to the environment was undoubtedly strong; whether in a quiet, comfortable inn or a desolate cave, he could focus on what he needed to do. Beside him was Princess Anna, tilting her head, her small face a bit round from resting her chin on her hand, looking quite cute and lovely.
The princess certainly wouldn’t be slender.
Soren wasn’t sure how long he had been analyzing the spell model, but when he lifted his head, Princess Anna was already a bit drowsy yet still held herself up beside him without any intention of disturbing him. Soren put down the goose feather pen, set the spell scroll aside, and turned to her, saying, “If you’re tired, you can sleep. I have a tent and blanket here for you to spread out and rest.”
Soren had three low-level dimensional bags, which contained a lot of items.
Without enough wealth to buy larger storage items, he could only rely on quantity to win the game. There used to be a popular joke about it, the specifics don’t need to be mentioned, but it gave rise to teasing among the disciples of the Beggar Sect. For example, Soren now could be considered a “Three-Bag Disciple” of the Beggar Sect. This was relatively better; there were some who had too many items yet lacked sufficient financial means, and they were directly teased as the “Nine-Bag Elder” of the Beggar Sect. Soren had even seen an “Eleven-Bag Grand Elder,” who was a truly impressive figure, covered in all sorts of low-level dimensional bags.
One couldn’t carry too many of these things as they significantly affected combat. After all, dimensional bags also have weight; although the weight is reduced by over 90%, fighting with so many bags would definitely be frustrating. The disciples of the Beggar Sect were all trained in their skills to avoid the effects of carrying numerous bags on their combat. In Soren’s memory, there were many ordinary disciples with two or three bags around.
As for the Nine-Bag Elder and the Eleven-Bag Grand Elder, they were indeed just rare special cases.
When Anna heard him speak, she obviously perked up a bit. She stood up and shook her little head, saying, “No need. You’re remembering spells, and you need to focus. I can keep watch for you at night, and I’ll wake you if there’s any noise outside.”
Such a well-behaved princess.
Soren didn’t expect such a good-natured side of the princess, and a smile appeared on his face as he instinctively reached out to pat her little head, but he quickly remembered that she wasn’t Vivian, so he simply smiled and nodded, saying, “Alright then. If you feel sleepy, just go ahead and sleep. I have set traps outside.”
Princess Anna nodded gently, her face slightly flushed, seeming to be in a good mood.
Soren continued analyzing the structure of the spell model.
As he learned more spells, he became more adept in the field of spell models, and many spells that seemed very difficult could be solved through some simple steps. That was to first learn their prerequisite spells. For example, Soren was currently analyzing the Featherfall spell. This was a relatively simple levitation spell, with far fewer spell circuits and nodes compared to the Flight Spell. Then there was the advanced Levitation spell, a complex version of the Featherfall spell, where many of the spell model structures were identical; the spell model of Featherfall was part of the Levitation spell.
Therefore, if Soren learned Featherfall first, then the Levitation spell, and then studied the Flight Spell, the time consumed would significantly decrease because the previous spell models were already contained within the higher-level spells. Learning Featherfall equated to learning one-third of the Levitation spell, and mastering the Levitation spell was like mastering one-fifth of the Flight Spell. These minute details in the structure of spell models helped Soren grasp more advanced spells. He was now on a path, and in the future, when learning higher-level spells, he could completely rely on prerequisite lower-level spells to enhance his speed and success rate of mastery.
The night quickly passed.
When Soren put away the goose feather pen, Princess Anna already looked a bit drowsy. She had truly stayed awake all night, just sitting beside him in a daze watching him research the spell models. Occasionally, she would listen to the noises outside. Due to staying up all night, her beautiful big eyes had slight dark circles; the princess had probably never pulled an all-nighter before; given her status, she would have maids at her side serving her until dawn.
“Get some sleep,” Soren said.
He stood up, reached out to touch her forehead, then took out a blanket and spread it on the rock, softly saying, “Close your eyes and sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you up to eat later.”
“Um… no… don’t!…”
Seemingly very sleepy, Princess Anna still wanted to hold on a bit, softly saying, “You’ve also stayed up all night; how about you sleep for a while first, and then I’ll sleep after you wake up?”
Soren smiled, unconsciously ruffling her hair, and said slowly, “This isn’t anything for me; it’s normal to go without sleep for ten or fifteen days during an adventure. On the contrary, you probably haven’t experienced such things before, so you should rest well and regain your spirit. We might have to stay here for another two days.”
Princess Anna indeed didn’t insist further, curling her small body on the blanket, and quickly fell asleep.
She closed her eyes, breathing evenly, and sleeping very soundly.
Soren glanced at the sleeping girl; her appearance was very cute and charming, making one want to lean down and kiss her. But he merely brushed off the dust from her hair with his fingers, then moved his body and walked toward the cave’s entrance.
Treading the legendary path is so arduous.
If one can’t endure even the smallest temptation, Soren wouldn’t be the current Soren, nor would he have the qualifications to stand against deities as a legendary figure.
Enduring solitude and resisting temptation.
A third or fourth-level professionist, if they give up on continuing to hone their strength and will, could easily become part of a city’s management tier. Or become a leader of a gang, with power, money, and women all within easy reach. They could control a portion of the underground forces or become a well-dressed official nobleman, marrying a rich noble lady. Hiring or purchasing three to five exquisite maids, and if they had heavier tastes, they could even buy beautiful slaves through channels, living a life of extravagant indulgence wouldn’t be difficult at all.
But the consequence of doing so is complete corruption, losing all ambition.
How many professionists have not fallen under the hands of vicious monsters? Not perished in harsh living conditions—they have endured the tests of death, faced countless dangers, yet ultimately were easily eroded by the indulgences of life.
That’s why legends are legends.
Because legends are so different from the ordinary!
Why are legendary wizards so powerful? It’s because they have spent countless days and nights in the tedious study of spells! They pondered deeply in towers, gazed at the starry sky at night, and pursued the essence of the world’s power of laws! They are the richest professionists, their wealth surpassing that of royal nobles! As long as they wish, they can enjoy the most luxurious life!
Throughout history, how many intelligent beings with decent talent exist, but how many have reached legendary status across thousands of years?
Strength is not just strength.
It also represents immortality. It signifies a long life; do you wish to stand at a high vantage and laugh while overlooking the vicissitudes of the world, or would you rather willingly become a handful of dust after a hundred years?
The River of Underworld is merely a consolation.
The soul, when remolded, is utterly erased, reconstructed using power from the ‘Origin.’
There is no concept of ‘Tao’ in this world; perhaps many professionists cannot encapsulate what ‘Tao’ means, yet in their hearts, they hold their own beliefs, and that belief is the ‘Tao’ they pursue. For example, the ascetic Master of Fist. For example, the Sword Saint Soren met in the small village—they possess power that could easily bring them power, wealth, and beauty, yet they still strictly hold themselves to high standards, pursuing the legendary path!
If there is ‘immortality’ in this world, then beyond legends lies ‘immortality’!
Only legends can oppose deities.
You must stand at the pinnacle of humanity, overlooking the world; the tempering of your will is the stairway to your ascent.
…………
Outside the cave.
Soren stood halfway up the mountain, gazing into the distance at the vast snow-covered earth, with mountains lingering in the distance, many sights obscured by the wind and snow. Even though he was only halfway up, standing here, he felt a sense of openness in his heart. He silently observed for a moment, then began practicing spells, attempting to master the specialty of [Spell Control].
He didn’t possess the Bloodline of the Demon Son, nor did he have particularly astonishing talent.
To reach legendary status still required him to climb step by step. He had many enemies to confront, and he might have to face deities that had looked down upon this world for millennia.
Vivian was still waiting for his return. The Demon Son of Fear was still engaged in mutual slaughter.
The shadows of deities have already cast over the world!
He was not yet at a point where he could stop to rest and indulge; this does not mean he has become indifferent to desire, but simply because he cares deeply for certain things.
No one wishes to endure ascetic practices in the icy cold, nor does anyone wish to constantly face life-and-death struggles.
The pain left on the body is still pain, and every scar remains a scar; fighting on the edge of a blade will never be a form of enjoyment. The approach of death, for any living being, inspires fear. Soren rarely shows his feelings, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel pain when injured or discomfort when bleeding. Pain is always pain; it doesn’t turn into joy or pleasure. It appears in your body, is engraved in your heart, and branded on your soul.
Make it stronger!
His name is Soren, and he has already embarked on the path to becoming a legend; injury has become routine for him, and bloodshed is countless.
Yet, he still hasn’t fallen, and his will remains as solid as steel!
…………
(PS: Originally, this chapter was supposed to be split into volumes since it just reached Chapter 150. However, I haven’t had time to write a summary recently, so I’ll save that for later and also include the summary of the first volume.) (To Be Continued ~^~)
