For an average person, they could easily repeat the Requiem syllables in their mind under normal circumstances. Naturally, when a person was in the water, they would have trouble breathing, and that would be enough to prevent them from calmly recalling the syllables.
It was even harder for any of them to ensure their pronunciation was accurate.
In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.
He could finally recite the entire thing underwater. Of course, he spelled it out in his mind. His brainwaves were turned as tightly as a rope through the power of syllables.
It was an incredible thing.
Hearing thunder in a silent place was a special feeling that allowed one to fully experience the power of lightning.
The subtlety of the syllables could only be truly experienced in a noisy place because one could only listen to it through one's dedicated focus.
As Jonathan sat at the bottom of the river, he no longer
needed the Ultra Sun Moon Mantra in order to silence his mind.
All the sensations of his body had been abandoned, and there was nothing but serenity left in his mind.
Then, he began to recite the syllables in his mind. The immortal god of the valley is called truth. The door of truth connects heaven and earth. If it exists, its use of it is not diligent. The five colors blind the eyes. The five sounds deaf the ears. The five tastes pleasure the mouth. Hunting makes the heart race.
Arare good blocks the path...
The mysterious syllables danced in his mind as they harmonized with his brain waves.
At that moment, power surged into his calm mind. His brain waves immediately compiled the syllables into a sort of power-like spirit.
It was then something truly profound occurred.
It could be described as a mysterious wonder.
Once the Syllable Power was formed, he felt as if he had obtained a powerful spirit that he could control in his body.
Sounds were the oldest form of power, and each syllable represented different power.
That particular Syllable Power allowed the user to understand the mystery of the body and find the mysterious Bloodgate.
It was then he understood the principles of Bloodgate's existence.
Bloodgate was the same as the Braincore in the mind because it was equivalent to the Haemocore in a person's body.
It was the origin of power.
It was as though Jonathan lit up a light in his body that he used to search for his Haemocore.
Whoosh! After an unknown amount of time passed, his body began warning him that he could no longer endure the pressure of the river.
After all, a human body had its limits.
Knowing he could not delay it, he immediately resurfaced and headed to the shore.
Being a smart man, he knew when to stop.
I've been cultivating Requiem in order to hear thunder in a silent place and listen to the subtlety of the syllables in a noisy place. However, now that I've experienced the wonder of the syllables, there's no need to return to the bottom of the river anymore. Grandpa didn't go there every day, after all. It's just a cultivation method. | have developed my own abilities now.
Once his train of thoughts halted, he sat by the river and meditated.
It did not matter if the wind was loud or his body was freezing. He was able to ignore it all and enter a silent place in his mind.
The Syllable Power formed in his body quickly as he continued to use it to look for Bloodgate.
The Syllable Power swam crazily in his body.
Unfortunately, despite his efforts, he could not find where the Bloodgate was.
Jonathan opened his eyes and stopped his cultivation.
At the same moment, the Syllable Power vanished instantly.
That was because the Syllable Power was the same as spirit. Once breathing resumed, it would vanish.
He began pondering his failure. Why can't | feel the Bloodgate? Why? It took a while before he realized something. | think | know what's going on now. The Bloodgate must be hidden deep inside my body. If it's that easy to find, many experts would've found it. It's not something | should search for. It's something | should feel for. Requiem's Syllable Power and the Bloodgate complement each other. | should feel, not search! His eyes were filled with determination before he took in a
deep breath to continue his cultivation.
Soon, the Syllable Power formed in his mind as he went motionless.
He sat there for three hours before a mysterious feeling guided him through the Syllable Power.
It was the Bloodgate! He immediately used the Syllable Power to chase after that mysterious power.
Finally, the Syllable Power arrived at his layer of cells.
“Break!” He used the Syllable Power to pierce through the layer of cells.
When the layer broke, the fierce power inside immediately sucked in Syllable Power.
It's the Bloodgate! The Haemocore! Jonathan was overjoyed as he could feel the center of his blood.
It was like the ocean that all rivers flowed into.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtRequiem stored all the blood inside the Haemocore to condense and hide it.
At that moment, he had achieved the Door of Enlightenment.
His Bloodgate, his Haemocore, was opened.
He suppressed the joy in his heart before letting his Haemocore absorb his body's blood.
After a while, he felt dizzy because he was rapidly losing blood to his Haemocore.
He was experiencing anemia.
That prompted him to halt his cultivation so he could stop losing more blood.
Then Jonathan began to create blood with his bone marrow.
His bone marrow created blood while his Haemocore absorbed them.
It was a mysterious wonder.
The human body is really unfathomable and mysterious! That thought shot into his mind. It's such a shame that a normal person only really uses their Haemocore to create blood platelets and strengthen their body's mechanisms.
Bone marrow created blood according to a person's volume.
In just the blink of an eye, he had created enough blood to fill a warehouse.
Three days later, his Haemocore was finally full.
If his cultivation went well, he could instantly release two thousand kilograms’ worth of power.
An attack like that needed to be executed perfectly or else he would explode.
Also, the reason Haemocore became full was that it had a pretty small volume. The reason being Jonathan still needed training. As he continued to strengthen his body, his Haemocore would grow stronger.
The volume of the Haemocore was the same as the brain cell development. Both were equally unimaginable.
Another three days passed before his body reached an equilibrium.
Currently, in front of the river, he shouted before releasing the Great Sage Seal and Rolling Thunder Punch.
The vitality in his body was flowing like a mighty torrent. His eyes turned red as he entered a crazed state.
Each of his punches displayed strength that matched two thousand kilograms' worth of force.
It was basically the equivalent of Peak Celestial Soul.
Ten seconds later, he stopped. His body shook, and he fainted.
His body was not prepared to harness that much power yet.
After a long while, he finally woke up.
The moment that he did, he felt extremely exhausted, and his entire body was in great pain.
Furrowing his brow, he began to heal his body motionlessly.
Vitality began to flow into his Haemocore and body.
Half an hour later, he was fully recovered. This isn't good. If I can't kill my opponent in ten seconds, I'll be dead. Even if | can take them out in ten seconds, once | pass out, any random thug can kill me.
Standing up, he took a deep breath. I'l fix the next attempt at eight seconds.
His blood was flowing rapidly as he unleashed two thousand kilograms’ worth of power.
Eight seconds later, he managed to stand mostly still.
The blood in his body was like a mighty torrent; the blood in his mind was in a similar state.
He was getting pretty dizzy. No! This won't do! ‘When Jonathan recovered, he tried it again.
After a few rounds of experimentation, he found out he could sustain his powerful state for five seconds.
Once he went over that timeframe, his body would begin to
break down, and side effects would start appearing.
Nonetheless, he was still pretty happy with the result because five seconds was enough for him to do a lot of things.
Besides, with continuous cultivations, his body would grow stronger, and the duration would extend as well. Once he reached Peak Celestial Soul, he would be able to unleash four thousand kilograms worth of force.
Four thousand kilograms! Haha! | can't imagine how powerful I'll be when I'm that strong. Right now, | feel as if I'm driving a race car with a nitrous oxide system installed.
I'll be able to unleash an unbelievably explosive power in an instant! Those who drove a race car would know once the system was turned on, the speed of their vehicle would increase rapidly.
Exhaling deep breath, Jonathan raised his head. It was already five in the afternoon.
Night in Yaleview came quickly as the sky was already
quite dark.
Feeling rather cold, he drove his car back home swiftly.
‘When he was back in the Harrington mansion, Yareth and Catherine were eating their dinner.
Jonathan greeted the both of them.
Giving him a plain glance, Catherine resumed her meal.
On the other hand, Yareth smiled. “Come and eat with us.
We didn't know when you were coming back, so we started eating first.” “It's fine.” Jonathan smiled.
As he sat down, Bruce promptly put a plate and utensils in front of Jonathan ‘When he was seated, he stared at Yareth and informed, “I've opened my Bloodgate, Grandpa.” “Oh?” The old man was unsurprised. “That's good.” Even if Jonathan did not tell him, he could already tell.
The reason Jonathan kept quiet about it until that point was
because he believed he had not achieved the proper cultivation for it yet.
Catherine was surprised. “You got it?” “Yes,” he confirmed with a nod.
Smiling, Yareth chimed in, “You may be a genius, Catherine, but Jonathan is not necessarily worse than you.” Growing silent, she continued to eat her meal somberly.
Thinking about Polly and Mabel, Jonathan turned to Yareth.
“Can | teach Requiem to other people, Grandpa?” That was what he was like. Whenever he got something good, he would share it with his friends.
Hearing that, the old man smiled slightly. “You'll be the head of the Harrington family in the future. Since Requiem belongs to the Harrington family, I'll respect your decision on the matter.”
“The head of the family?” asked Jonathan in shock. He froze for a moment before continuing, “How can that be, Grandpa? My last name isn't Harrington, after all. | promise to do my best to protect the Harringtons, but | can never become the head of the family.” Yareth looked at Jonathan with an ambiguous grin and said, “Don't think too much, kid. Do you think I'm testing you? | already passed you the secret technique of Requiem and let you marry my only granddaughter. What else do you think I'm keeping from you?” Jonathan felt a sense of guilt. “Grandpa, |—" Yareth interrupted, “To be honest, fame and family legacy aren't really important to me. Throughout all these years of living, I've already gone through many trials and tribulations. There's nothing | don't understand or see- through. I'm just worried about the Harringtons' safety. All | want is for my children and grandchildren to live in bliss. As for their wealth or last names, they don't matter too much to me.”
Yareth's state of mind reflected his transcendent cultivation stage.
Jonathan couldn't help but respect the elder even more than before.
At the end of that discussion, Yareth changed the subject and said, “By the way, the time limit of one month is up. The examiners from Divine Realm have already arrived at ‘Yaleview. Tomorrow, every candidate will attend the assessment at a military base in Yaleview. The two of you should prepare yourself. I'll send you guys there.” It was at that moment Jonathan finally realized the final assessment had already arrived.
However, he was already filled with confidence.
That night, Jonathan continued sleeping together in the ‘same bed and sharing a blanket with Catherine.
During the silent night, he called out abruptly, “Catherine!” She immediately opened her eyes and sat up. “What's wrong?”
Jonathan got up as well.
He could faintly see her gorgeous face even in the dark night.
Then, he reached out to hold her hand.
As soon as he touched Catherine's icy hand, he was startled. Our room is cozy, and she's already wrapped in a blanket while she sleeps. How is her hand still freezing cold? Jonathan couldn't help but inquire, “Why is your hand so cold?” Catherine frowned slightly and wanted to pull her hand back, but she resisted the urge to do so after some contemplation. “My body's temperature is always low since I'm a cold-blooded human,” she answered.
Hearing that, he immediately reached out to feel for her forehead. Indeed, it's cold too.
“How did this happen?” he blurted out, furrowing his brows.
She shook her head. “I don't know. It's been this way since
I was a child.” She paused and knitted her brows. “What's wrong with you?” Maybe this is the reason why she's emotionless ever since she was young. If she's born this way, | should be more considerate of her.
He organized his thought briefly before asking, “Catherine, do you know what it means to be husband and wife?” Catherine was visibly stunned momentarily, then replied, “I know. It means a man and woman getting together to breed the next generation.” Jonathan smiled bitterly. “That's not quite right. Being husband and wife means being intimate with each other. It's a relationship that is way closer than the relationship with your parents and siblings. Being husband and wife means trusting each other the most.” “What are you trying to say?” she asked promptly.
He answered, “I'm just trying to say that we're husband and wife now. | don't know if you feel or think the same, but we're considered the closest people to each other. In the
future, | will protect you from any harm because you're my wife. Tomorrow will be the day of the final assessment, and we'll be in deep waters from then onward. | hope you can be on the same side as me regardless of what happens in the future, okay?” He was quite worried that she would betray him at a critical juncture.
If that happened, he would feel humiliated and disappointed at the same time.
She merely glanced at him and responded expressionlessly, “I'll try my best.” Seeing her reaction, he fell silent.
The night went by quietly.
At seven o'clock the next morning, Jonathan and Catherine woke up and freshened themselves up before having breakfast with Yareth.
Afterward, the trio got into the car driven by Bruce.
Then, the Bentley limousine they rode in sped away.
In the car, Yareth asked Jonathan gleefully, “Are you confident?” “Yes,” the latter responded with a grin.
Yareth said reassuringly, “I believe in you.” After an hour, the Bentley stopped at an empty lot in the suburbs.
There were three military aircraft parked in the middle of the land.
Luxury vehicles then arrived at the location one after another.
As soon as Jonathan's group exited the car, he asked Yareth curiously, “I noticed they utilized military aircraft and rented a military base. What's the relationship between Divine Realm and the army, Grandpa?” The elder explained, “Divine Realm has always been working closely with the government. Back then, while the Emperor of Chanaea was a general, he brought honor to our country. Now, Divine Realm is protecting the country
from external threats as well. They basically provide mutual aid to each other. However, Divine Realm is not that involved in the country's matters currently. Even then, the government will still provide help for them as a way of maintaining their contact.” Jonathan was enlightened.
There were four luxury vehicles that arrived in front of them, and they made up a group of five cars, including Jonathan's group's Bentley.
Also, there were twenty-five candidates in total, including Jonathan and Catherine.
He looked around and realized the candidates were all highly skilled in their cultivation. Even the weakest ones among them were already at the early stage of Nascent Soul.
Meanwhile, the majority of them were at the middle stage of Nascent Soul, while some of them were even in the final stage.
It was, as expected, a group of outstanding candidates.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmJonathan learned that these candidates were all young, and the eldest one wasn't even over thirty years old.
Everyone remained distant, and none of them would speak with each other.
Since the candidates were all from different locations and were egotistical, nobody wanted to interact with anyone else.
There were some elders who were accompanying those candidates, and Yareth had a great time conversing with them.
Shortly after everyone boarded the military aircraft, it took off smoothly.
Confused, Jonathan went up to Yareth and asked, “Grandpa, are we the only candidates attending the assessment? There are only over twenty of us.” The latter smiled and answered, “Of course not. There are many foreign candidates who'd taken the military aircraft to
the military base directly. | think they've already arrived yesterday.” Realization dawned on Jonathan after listening to Yareth's explanation.
The military aircraft flew across the sky above a dense forest. Almost half an hour later, they finally arrived at the secret military base.
It was an enormous field surrounded by electric fences.
The core of the military base was built like an indestructible castle, with many gun-wielding soldiers guarding the area.
At last, the military aircraft landed on the field.
The weather that day was terrible. The wind howled violently, and the sky was overcast.
It was also slightly snowing, and it seemed like it would become increasingly heavy at night.
As soon as everyone alighted the military aircraft, a female officer welcomed them. There were a few attendants following behind her closely.
The female officer seemed to look like she was twenty-four years old, dressing in a military uniform that made her look valiant and formidable.
The sharp-eyed Jonathan noticed that her military uniform differed from the others.
It wasn't a Chanaean military uniform but a custom-made one that had unique patterns of the Fire Dragon Troop.
It piqued his curiosity, but he had no one to seek clarification from. Soon, he discovered that the female officer's name was Lailah Hall, and she was an inner disciple of Divine Realm. She was one of the examiners who would oversee the assessment. Not only that, but she was also wearing a custom uniform that belonged to Divine Realm's stationed army.
Other than that, the attendants that were following her belonged to Divine Realm as well. Unlike Lailah, who had already achieved Celestial Soul, the attendants were only experts at handling various tasks and running errands.
They didn't possess high cultivation.
After a glance, Jonathan could already tell that Lailah's cultivation was on the same level as Mabel's.
However, he would never expect himself to have a life-and- death relationship with Lailah in the future.
Of course, that would be a story for another time.
“Long time no see, Ms. Hall. You're still as beautiful as ever,” Yareth complimented Lailah with a smile on his face.
She returned a polite grin and replied, “You look healthy and strong as well, Old Mr. Harrington.” There were a few other elders who greeted Lailah too, but the latter maintained a neutral tone in response. Judging from her attitude, it was apparent that she was an arrogant lady.
Still, it wasn't a surprise, as most accomplished people were always slightly prideful.
A few seconds later, Lailah ordered, “All candidates are required to gather in the center of the field right now.” Upon receiving the instruction, Jonathan, Catherine, and
the rest of the candidates quickly walked toward the center of the field.
At that moment, Jonathan noticed that there were already many candidates gathering at the destination. All he could see from afar was a sea of people.
After the candidates gathered, Lailah walked toward them along with the attendants and other elders.
Jonathan stood beside Catherine and scanned the surroundings. There were at least a hundred candidates on the field at the moment, which was way more than the number that Yareth had told him.
All of the candidates were exceptional.
However, they were mostly scattered around the field, and there wasn't even a slight display of discipline at all.
After all, it was common for capable people like them to be rebellious and eccentric. It would be absurd to ask them to form a line like rookies.
“Everyone, get down now!” Lailah ordered sternly at this
moment.
Instantaneously, Jonathan dragged Catherine downward and crouched.
Eventually, most of the candidates did the same, except for ten of them.
The ten candidates who refused to follow the instruction felt that crouching down was disrespectful and humiliating.
“Step forward!” she yelled at the candidates who refused to obey.
The ten candidates glanced at Lailah fearlessly and took a step forward, separating themselves from the crowd.
“The ten of you are eliminated. Now scram,” she uttered heartlessly.
Jonathan's expression changed slightly because he hadn't expected her to be so straightforward. After all, the ten people who were disqualified were all aces and Nascent Soul elites.
It seemed like Nascent Soul elites were merely a bunch of
ordinary folks when they were attending this assessment.
However, that didn't mean that all Nascent Soul elites were worthless. They were a few selected people who successfully got to the final assessment.
The ten candidates were bewildered upon hearing Lailah's demands.
Finlay Kiehl was one of them. He had achieved the final stage of Nascent Soul.
The final stage of Nascent Soul was the same cultivation stage as Logan's.
There was no way that a person like that would stay humble. Right then, he glared at Lailah icily and protested, “Why? | refuse, Ms. Halll”