Chapter 168: Earthen Core Realm!?

"I'm a fast learner"

Viel said as he raised both his thumbs towards Tilly.

"O...okay", seeing Viel's confidence, she could only nod her head, "Then, shall we start now?", she said as her eyes also started to glimmer a little.

"Sure", Viel nodded his head, "Let's do this"

"Then… just follow what I do", Tilly said as she crossed her legs. Viel did the same as he sat back on the ground. Aluel, who has been quiet all the time so as to not disturb the two, also joined both of them.

"Try to breathe slowly as you put pressure just below your stomach with your fingers...", Tilly said as she took in a huge breath, "...then slowly, once you begin to feel your stomach tightening, lift your fingers up, but try to keep the pressure"

"Oka--"

Before Viel could even say anything, a bright light swallowed his entire body. The bright light then suddenly formed into a ball resting on Viel's stomach, and after a few seconds, it got smaller and smaller until Viel let out a very tiny… fart.

And the ball of light was gone. Just like his dignity, he thought.

"..."

"...", Viel's eyes could not help but twitch as he quickly cleared his throat loudly to hide the fact that he farted, "What… what else is there?", he said awkwardly.

"You…", Tilly's voice contained a bit of nervousness, "y… you did it!"

"What!?", Viel opened his eyes wide and furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Tilly, "What are you saying? I… I didn't fart!", Viel said as he slightly looked to the side.

"What?", Tilly's face was filled with confusion, but then after a few seconds, she stood up and clapped her hands joyfully.

"What I meant was…", she took a deep breath, "You have already broken through and have become a cultivator at the Earthen Core realm!"

"...What?", Viel furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief as he stared at Tilly.

Tilly nodded her head in excitement, "You just let out your impurities… although it was too little", Tilly slightly looked to the side with a blush on her face as she said that, "But… I can feel it, you are already in the Earthen Core realm!"

Aluel clapped his hands in cheer.

"Really?", Viel squinted his eyes in disbelief, "I don't feel any different. Shouldn't I feel like 10 times stronger?"

"Hmm…", Tilly placed her hand on her chin, "Why don't you try lifting that huge boulder over there?", she said as she pointed at a huge boulder.

"That…", once again, Viel squinted his eyes. He hasn't noticed it earlier, but what is a boulder doing in a place like this? But he shook his head as that wasn't important right now.

And so, he slowly approached the huge boulder, sighing a couple of times.

And then, without any effort, he lifted the boulder with one hand. Viel widened his eyes in shock as he easily lifted the boulder to the air.

"I...I lifted it!?", Viel was slightly taken aback.

"Ah!", Tilly raised her hands in the air, "See!? You really are an earthen core realm now!"

"Wait…", Viel's smile then slowly disappeared as he realized something,

"I could lift this even before--"

But before he could finish his words, a loud banging sound reverberated throughout the air as someone suddenly barged inside the building.

"Who successfully broke through to the Earthen Core realm!?"

It was a bearded disciple. His eyes seemed frantic as it wandered across the building. His eyes then stopped as soon as he saw a green-haired kid lifting up a huge boulder.

"You…", he squinted his eyes, "Who… are you?"

The bearded disciple has not seen this green-haired drifter before, could it be that he was new? Does that mean that no one has claimed this drifter yet!?

"Move it!"

But before he could even approach the green-haired kid, someone pushed him to the side-- Liu Bai.

"I can��t believe it. It's you!?", Liu Bai could not believe his eyes as he stared at the green-haired kid, "You have broken through already, Xia Ka Ri!?"

He was about to rush over to Xia Ka Ri, but before he did so, he looked at the bearded disciple beside him. "He is mine, I brought him here", he said as he waved his hand repeatedly, "So go now, shoo shoo"

"Tch", the bearded man could only click his tongue as he walked away. Liu Bai waited for the bearded disciple to fully disappear before finally approaching Xia Ka Ri.

"How… is it possible that you have already broken through?", Liu Bai placed his hand on his chin as he scanned Xia Ka Ri, "You haven't been taught how to unblock your meridians yet…"

"I taught him"

A tiny voice reached his ears from behind. He looked to see who it was, only to see a familiar face. "Please, let me join the others"

"You are… Ti Lee?", Liu Bai furrowed his eyebrows. He recognized the girl since she was the fastest of the bunch to breakthrough to the Earthen Core realm. But she refused to train with them and caused trouble repeatedly.

Viel could not help but squint his eyes. What exactly was Tilly doing?

As he was thinking that, Tilly looked at him with eyes full of resolution.

As soon as she saw Viel breakthrough, a flare grew inside her. She just couldn't sit by and wait and let Viel do all the work.

Seeing Tilly's glimmering eyes, Viel could only sigh and nod. Maybe it's for the best.If it was only him, he might have a hard time convincing the others to join his cause since they didn't know him.

"Haha!"

As the two were talking with their eyes, Liu Bai could not help but laugh, "My lucky day!", he said. If he was the one to bring these two to the temporary disciple's villa, then that would mean that he would be recognized as having the two most talented drifters under his tutelage.

And so, with much excitement, "Come, follow me!", he beckoned the two to follow him, "I'll take you two to the villa so you can start your official training!"

***

The two were led to a villa, no, it was more like a small barred subdivision due to its size.

The contrast between the building that Viel and Tilly were in before and this villa was as clear as night and day.

There were trees, and they even had their own well for them to drink fresh water from. The drifters here looked livelier in comparison, their eyes and cheeks, full of life.

"Someone will be here to train you later"

Liu Bai's satisfied words resounded in the air. He then handed a small pouch to Viel, "Use them wisely to help in your cultivation", he whispered in his ears, "Remember... I gave that to you, okay?", he lightly touched Viel's shoulders as he started to walk away.

"...Thanks?", Viel could not help but raise his eyebrows as he looked at the pouch in his hand and Liu Bai's retreating back.

"Tilly!?"

As soon as Liu Bai barred the door to the villa, a harmonious voice called for Tilly from afar.

"Amira!?"

Seeing who it was that was calling for her, Tilly ran towards the girl and hugged her.

"What are you doing here!?", the girl called Amira breathed, "I thought you will never go here?"

"Pft", as the two were talking, a boy approached the two of them and scoffed, "She probably couldn't take it anymore there. So much for not submitting to the adults", he said mockingly.

"Drake!", Amira quickly reprimanded the boy, to which the boy only clicked his tongue in response. The boy called Drake then turned his attention towards the green-haired kid that was approaching them.

"Oi! Who are you!?", he shouted towards Viel, his voice full of angst.

Viel, however, completely ignored him as he squinted his eyes towards the girl called Amira. "Do you know anyone named Jiff?", he asked.

"How do you know that name!?", Amira quickly ran towards Viel and grabbed both his shoulders.

In response, Viel turned his head towards Tilly. "Let's all go talk in the corner", he said as he bobbed his head to the side.

And so, the three did go to the corner of the villa, near a tree, completely ignoring the haughty boy called Drake.

"I am here to rescue you"

As soon as the three were alone, Viel spoke his intentions bluntly with even a hint of hesitation, "Your brother is the reason why I am here"

"R… really!?", a huge smile quickly plastered itself on Amira's face.

"Yes…", Viel nodded, "Are you… really his sister?"

With this question, Amira could only tilt her head, "...Yes?"

"I... see"

As soon as Viel saw Amira, he knew that he had to be related to Jiff since they looked too similar to one another. However, he had his doubts since Amira… looked like a normal girl. Maybe because she was still young?

"W...when are we getting out of this place?", Amira said, her tone clearly excited.

"A few hours from now"

"!!!", Amira's eyes widened in shock. 'So soon!?', She thought.

"What is your plan, Viel?", Tilly let out a deep breath, trying to keep her excitement in check.

"You two come closer...", he said as his voice lowered in volume, "...Please help me spread some rumors"

"Rumors?"

The two leaned in closer to clearly hear the whispers and the genius of Viel's plan.

And even before Viel had finished laying out his plans, the two already had their eyes and jaws wide open.

"...What?"

"Are…

...Are you sure?"