One hour had passed after Tyler's speech. After the joy of the meeting, when everyone had dispersed, the old master wanted to take Dante to meet the ancestor Hai.
However, the elders convinced him to allow Dante to clean himself and leave the items with a specialist. And that is exactly what he did.
Dante cleaned himself, having spent three days in the forest—nobody likes being dirty—and then handed over the lion's bones and skin so the exoskeleton armor could be made. He also requested a coat for Viviane, made from the lion's mane.
At that moment, Dante had just arrived at the residence of the ancient leaders, standing there waiting for the ancestor Hai to appear.
— "Kid, why are you so excited?" said old Tu Sheng, looking at the animated Tyler with some disdain.
— "Master, evaluate Dante's body using your aura," Tyler replied, eyes anxious.
This caused the leader of the seventh generation to approach and press Dante's pulse. His eyes widened, and his hand began to tremble before a joyful expression appeared, and he started laughing vigorously, just like Tyler.
Dante didn't like that laughter much, so he lowered his head, saying little, while both master and disciple continued laughing.
— "Hahaha!"
— "HAHAHAHA!"
— "Young ones, why are you so cheerful? You are disturbing this elder's rest," a monstrous old man appeared suddenly, looking at the three.
— "Mas—"
Before Tu Sheng could call him, he was already in front of Dante. Dante knelt and saluted:
— "Greetings, ancestor Hai."
Dante held great respect for this ancestor, silent, instinctive, requiring no words.
The old man placed a hand on Dante's shoulder, helping him up. He widened his eyes and, unlike the eccentric Tyler and Sheng, began to laugh with a distinct calm:
— "Good, good, good."
He repeated the word three times before continuing:
— "You have done very well, young one. If it is as we think, you might become the first to reach level 3 in our village."
As the words left his mouth, Dante was confused, perhaps perplexed, but old Hai did not allow him to speak and began his explanation.
— "There is something called the fundamental concept. We call it that because it is the perfect foundation, and it must be developed at level 0.5. At this stage, there is no mana in the body, which allows one to reach the limit without breaking levels. By my estimation, you have two concepts and the potential for a third."
— "Did you find a lotus? And did you fuse with it?" The question brought Dante back to reality.
— "Yes. It was at the foot of the Blood Gourd Tree, but when I touched it, it lunged at my chest and disappeared."
Old Hai smiled:
— "As expected. If there was blood on your hand, you refined it. This was the Crimson Effort Lotus. Its simple effect is to double the results with minimal effort. The founding ancestor also fused with one, which made us curious, as we had already found three, but all had been refined and absorbed as mana."
— "After many tests, we discovered that it can only be refined and implemented at level 0.5, for without the influence of mana, it is unabsorbable, making it permanent in the body. This is your first fundamental concept."
— "The second is the mark of the Taboo Battle Realm. You heard your master mention it, but besides you, only one other person achieved it: the venerable ancestor, the strongest being ever to walk this village. He possessed level 2, with eight stars, one step from the ninth. Additionally, he had two concepts and one pseudo-concept, and with his magma aura variant, he could even fight beings close to level 3. This is your second fundamental concept."
— "Furthermore, when you consumed the blood gourds, with the help of the lotus, you managed to transform your blood to the maximum level, bringing it to perfection: pseudo-spiritual golden blood. Normally, countless purifications are required. Once you elevate your bones and muscles to the maximum, you will have the triple foundation, which will be your third concept. And with the lion's heart, you can achieve a pseudo-concept, becoming the village leader with the most potential."
Dante looked at ancestor Hai, surprised. He had accomplished all that?
The old man placed his hand on his shoulder, but before he could speak…
— "Sssshiii!"
A bite came toward the old man, who dodged and laughed:
— "Hohoho! I thought this little one would manifest sooner; he is quite patient," said old Sheng, while Tyler simply nodded. All were level 2 masters; this little snake could not escape their eyes.
— "So, who is the new friend?" asked old Hai, looking at the small snake on Dante's shoulder.
— "Sorry, I forgot he's still with me. This is Slay, a small snake who decided to follow me and helped against the lion."
— "Slay really fits: jade eyes, playful, strong… an excellent choice," said the old man, stepping back slowly.
— "Well, that would be it. Go to little Ronan and ask him to help you make a beast contract with the snake and the lion. I imagine your concern now is speaking with Viviane. You may go; there is no need to waste time with us old ones. However, you have not yet completed your triple foundation, nor absorbed the lion's heart. So, do not sleep with her."
When he finished, he sat down and closed his eyes. Dante, not paying much attention to his words, simply saluted and left.
Tu Sheng's eyes widened: "This kid is his granddaughter? Impossible!" If Tyler hadn't held him back, he probably would have hanged Dante, who quickly departed.
— "This kid only respects the ancestor," said old Tyler, calmly laughing.