Chapter 11
Azrath's Guidance and the Three Clans' Proposals
Cold morning mist drifted endlessly through the mountains surrounding the Ashvaris Clan.
The distant sky remained covered beneath pale gray clouds while faint rays of sunlight slowly descended across the enormous black cliffs resting between the endless mountain ranges. Massive waterfalls crashed violently from the heights above, their thunderous echoes spreading throughout the clan territory like the roar of ancient beasts.
The entire training area near the waterfall was covered beneath a thin veil of drifting mist.
Cold water droplets floated endlessly through the air.
The wet stone ground reflected the pale morning light while freezing mountain winds continuously swept across the area, causing the nearby ancient trees to sway softly beneath the heavy atmosphere. Moss-covered rocks rested around the waterfall while streams of cold water slowly flowed between the cracks spreading across the dark stone ground.
At the center of the training grounds—
A lone figure stood silently.
Eryx tightly held a wooden sword within his small hands while facing the roaring waterfall ahead of him.
His dark hair moved gently beneath the cold winds while his crimson-black eyes remained completely focused.
The loose dark robes resting over his young figure fluttered softly beneath the mountain breeze while faint water droplets continuously landed across his face and shoulders.
The surrounding world almost seemed to disappear from his senses.
Then—
He moved.
His small figure suddenly stepped forward across the wet stone ground.
The wooden sword sliced through the cold air with surprising sharpness.
Swing.
Turn.
Step.
Another movement followed immediately after.
Although his body still lacked the strength and balance of a true cultivator, every movement carried strange precision far beyond his age.
Eryx's feet shifted lightly across the ground as he continued reproducing the flowing sword movements engraved deeply within his memory.
The style he performed was elegant—
Yet dangerous.
Every movement flowed like water while maintaining hidden sharpness beneath its graceful appearance.
It was the sword art of the Sylvaris Clan.
The same sword dance Eryx had witnessed his mother practicing beneath the moonlight the previous night.
His body twisted once more.
The wooden sword moved diagonally upward before descending like flowing water crashing against stone.
The waterfall mist swirled continuously around him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Eryx repeated the sequence countless times without stopping.
His breathing gradually became heavier.
Several movements suddenly became unstable midway through the sequence, as if something invisible was interrupting the natural flow of the technique.
His arms trembled slightly.
The final stance collapsed once again.
Eryx immediately tightened his grip around the wooden sword.
"No…"
A faint frustration appeared within his eyes.
"The fourth movement broke apart again."
He slowly exhaled while cold air escaped from his lips before raising the sword once more.
His body stepped forward.
The sword danced through the mist again.
However—
Just as he reached the middle of the sequence—
A calm voice suddenly echoed from behind him.
"Your footwork is already impressive for someone who has never properly learned the technique."
Eryx's body immediately froze.
He quickly turned around.
Several meters away—
Azrath Ashvaris stood silently beneath the drifting waterfall mist.
Dark layered robes rested over his tall figure while faint crimson patterns shimmered subtly near the sleeves beneath the pale morning light. His long black hair moved gently with the mountain winds while his reddish-black eyes calmly observed the training ground before him.
The heavy pressure surrounding him almost made the cold air itself feel heavier.
Even while standing silently—
His presence alone carried invisible dominance.
For a brief moment—
Eryx froze slightly.
He had not even sensed when his father arrived.
Azrath slowly walked forward before stopping beside him.
The wet stone ground lightly cracked beneath each calm step he took.
His gaze shifted toward the numerous sword marks spread across the training ground.
The surrounding mist drifted quietly between them while the waterfall roared endlessly nearby.
Then—
A faint smile appeared within Azrath's eyes.
"You've been secretly observing your mother."
Eryx looked away slightly before answering.
"...Yesterday, when I talked with Mother about cultivators and immortality, she went to sleep afterward."
His voice remained calm.
"But I couldn't sleep."
Cold winds swept through the training grounds while distant waterfall echoes filled the mountains endlessly.
"So I went outside."
Eryx lowered his gaze toward the wooden sword within his hand.
"And then I saw Mother practicing here alone."
A faint light appeared within his crimson-black eyes.
"Every movement she performed looked like water droplets dancing across her sword."
A slight hesitation appeared in his voice afterward.
"I only observed her… just a little."
For a moment—
Silence filled the area.
Then Azrath lightly laughed.
"A little?"
His deep voice carried faint amusement.
"You were reproducing nearly half of your mother's sword sequence from memory alone."
Eryx blinked slightly.
Azrath's gaze slowly returned toward the waterfall ahead.
"Even awakened cultivators would struggle to imitate sword intent after witnessing it only once."
The cold mountain winds swept across the training grounds once more.
Then Eryx quietly tightened his grip around the wooden sword.
"I have to become stronger quickly."
Azrath slowly looked toward him.
"And why do you wish to become stronger so quickly?"
Eryx's crimson-black eyes remained fixed toward the roaring waterfall ahead.
"Because I made a promise to Mother."
A serious expression appeared across his young face.
"One day… I'll take her back to meet Grandmother in the Sylvaris Clan."
For the first time—
Azrath's expression softened slightly.
A faint smile appeared within his eyes while the waterfall mist drifted quietly around them.
"You truly are her son."
Eryx then lowered his gaze slightly.
"But… I still can't perform the techniques exactly like Mother."
Azrath calmly nodded before placing his hand upon Eryx's head.
"It seems you need some guidance."
For a moment—
Eryx became slightly stunned.
Then excitement quickly appeared across his face as he immediately looked toward Azrath.
"Can you guide me, Father?"
"Can you teach me?"
Azrath looked toward Eryx's excited expression.
A calm smile appeared upon his face.
"Mmm."
"As for teaching you the Ashvaris Clan's sword arts…"
"You are not ready yet."
The excitement upon Eryx's face slowly faded.
He lowered his head slightly with visible disappointment.
Azrath naturally noticed the change in his expression.
"But for now, I can still guide you."
"And I can tell you why you are unable to properly perform your mother's techniques."
Eryx slowly raised his head once more.
"And…"
A faint smile appeared within Azrath's eyes.
"I can also teach you one of the techniques I created myself."
Eryx's eyes instantly widened.
Excitement filled his face once again while a faint glow almost seemed to appear within his crimson-black eyes.
"Really, Father?"
"You'll teach me the technique you created yourself?"
The mountain winds suddenly became stronger.
Azrath's long black hair and dark robes flowed heavily beneath the cold winds while the waterfall roared endlessly behind him.
A calm smile rested upon his face as he looked toward Eryx.
"First… you need to understand something."
"Sword techniques are not merely movements."
"They describe the person wielding them."
"You must learn to slowly guide your spiritual energy from your body into the sword."
"And to perform a technique perfectly, a cultivator must maintain the flow of spiritual energy throughout their entire body."
Azrath slowly raised one hand before pointing toward the unstable stance marks spread across the wet stone ground.
"The reason your balance collapses midway is because your spiritual pathways have not awakened yet."
Eryx silently listened.
Then Azrath completely turned toward him.
"However…"
The surrounding air suddenly became heavier.
A faint invisible pressure spread silently throughout the training grounds.
"The technique I created requires almost no spiritual energy."
Eryx's eyes widened slightly.
Azrath slowly extended his hand toward the wooden sword.
"This technique…"
"...is called Mortal Strength."
The moment those words left his mouth—
The atmosphere around the waterfall subtly changed.
Azrath slowly grabbed the wooden sword from Eryx's hands before calmly walking toward the center of the training ground.
Cold mist drifted endlessly around his figure while streams of water flowed quietly beneath the cracks across the dark stone ground.
Then—
He stopped.
The mountain winds became strangely quieter.
Even the sound of the waterfall itself almost seemed distant.
Eryx silently stared toward his father's back.
Azrath slowly lowered his stance.
One foot shifted backward.
The wooden sword rested calmly within his hand.
Then his voice echoed once more.
"Most cultivators rely upon spiritual energy."
"But Mortal Strength is different."
"It draws power directly from the body itself."
"Muscles."
"Breathing."
"Blood flow."
"Bone strength."
"The stronger the body…"
"The stronger the technique becomes."
Eryx's eyes remained completely focused.
Azrath continued calmly.
"This technique contains three movement phases."
"Each movement releases four consecutive strikes."
"Twelve strikes in total."
A faint invisible pressure slowly spread outward from Azrath's body.
"However…"
"The burden placed upon the body is enormous."
"If the body lacks enough strength, the technique will forcibly consume the remaining spiritual energy within the user to compensate."
"And if even that becomes insufficient…"
His reddish-black eyes slightly narrowed.
"The body collapses."
Cold winds exploded outward across the training grounds.
The nearby trees shook violently.
Water splashed upward across the waterfall pool while cracks slowly spread beneath Azrath's feet.
Even Eryx unconsciously took a small step backward.
Azrath slowly raised the wooden sword.
"Even I…"
"...can only perform it three times using pure physical strength alone."
"After the third time, I must reinforce my body with spiritual energy."
Eryx's eyes widened slightly after hearing those words.
If even his father had limits while using the technique—
Then just how terrifying was it?
The surrounding mist suddenly became restless.
Azrath's robes fluttered violently beneath the rising pressure.
Then—
He moved.
BOOOOM—
The wet stone ground instantly shattered beneath his feet.
Eryx's pupils immediately shrank.
Azrath's figure completely disappeared from sight.
Only a violent shockwave remained behind.
The next moment—
Twelve sword sounds exploded throughout the waterfall training grounds almost simultaneously.
SLASH—
SLASH—
SLASH—
The air itself screamed violently.
The enormous waterfall ahead suddenly split apart for a brief moment beneath the terrifying pressure created by the strikes.
Eryx froze completely.
His crimson-black eyes widened in disbelief while violent winds crashed endlessly against his face and hair.
Then—
Azrath calmly reappeared several meters ahead.
The wooden sword slowly lowered within his hand.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
A deep line suddenly appeared across the massive cliff beside the waterfall.
Then—
BOOOOOOM—
The entire cliff exploded apart.
Eryx remained completely frozen.
His crimson-black eyes stared toward the shattered cliff in absolute disbelief while cold winds continuously swept across the training grounds.
Pieces of broken stone slowly fell from the sky into the waterfall below.
BOOM—
Another deep echo spread throughout the mountains.
Several birds suddenly flew away from the nearby forest in panic.
The waterfall itself remained divided for a brief moment before violently crashing downward once again.
At the center of that destruction—
Azrath Ashvaris stood calmly with the wooden sword resting within his hand.
The drifting waterfall mist surrounded his tall figure while the pale morning sunlight slowly descended across his face.
Then—
Crack.
A small fracture suddenly appeared across the wooden sword.
Eryx's eyes widened slightly.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The entire wooden sword slowly began breaking apart into countless tiny pieces before scattering into the cold winds.
For several seconds—
Eryx could not even speak.
His eyes remained fixed upon his father.
"I…"
A faint shock remained visible across Eryx's face.
"I couldn't even properly see Father's movements."
His voice sounded almost absent-minded.
"When he moved…"
"...his body completely disappeared."
Eryx slowly tightened his fists.
"But I can still remember the movements inside my mind."
"They're blurry…"
"...because he moved too fast."
The mountain winds swept across his dark hair while his crimson-black eyes continued staring toward the destroyed cliff.
"So this is the power…"
"...of Mortal Strength."
"The sword technique created by Father himself."
A faint disbelief appeared within Eryx's eyes once more.
"He didn't even use spiritual energy…"
"...yet he shattered an entire cliff."
For the first time—
Eryx truly understood how terrifying Azrath Ashvaris actually was.
Not as a clan head.
Not as a cultivator.
But as a monster standing at the peak of strength itself.
The surrounding waterfall mist slowly drifted apart.
Azrath calmly walked toward Eryx.
Every step he took felt heavy despite his calm appearance.
His dark robes moved gently beneath the cold winds while faint sunlight reflected across his face through the drifting mist.
A calm smile rested upon his face—
Yet the overwhelming pressure surrounding him made his figure appear almost impossible to approach.
As if a terrifying beast had concealed itself beneath human skin.
Then Azrath stopped directly before Eryx.
His reddish-black eyes calmly looked toward him.
"Eryx."
His deep voice echoed quietly beneath the roaring waterfall.
"Did you see…"
"...what this technique is truly capable of?"
A slight change slowly appeared within Eryx's expression.
Shock.
Fear.
Excitement.
All three emotions mixed together within his crimson-black eyes while cold winds continuously swept across the training grounds.
His gaze remained fixed toward the destroyed cliff behind Azrath.
Then Eryx slowly looked back toward his father.
"Yes, Father…"
His voice carried visible excitement.
"But your movements were too fast."
"I couldn't properly see them."
A faint seriousness appeared within his eyes.
"Yet… I can still remember those blurry movements inside my mind."
The waterfall roared endlessly behind them while cold mist drifted through the air.
Then—
A faint smile slowly appeared across Eryx's face.
"One day…"
"...I will also master the Mortal Strength technique."
For a moment—
Azrath remained silent.
Then a deep laugh escaped from him.
"Haha…"
The heavy atmosphere surrounding the training grounds slightly relaxed.
Azrath placed one hand upon Eryx's head before lightly rubbing his hair.
"Yes."
"You can."
His reddish-black eyes calmly looked toward Eryx.
"But from now on…"
"...you must also train your body and muscles."
"The Mortal Strength technique places enormous burden upon the body."
"If your body remains weak, the technique itself will destroy you before your enemy can."
Eryx immediately nodded.
A confident smile appeared upon his face while he suddenly raised his fist into the air.
"Yes, Father!"
"I will!"
The morning sunlight slowly reflected across his excited expression while cold winds moved gently through his dark hair.
Azrath quietly looked toward him for several seconds.
A faint calm smile remained upon his face.
Then he slowly walked toward a large rock resting near the waterfall before sitting down calmly.
Water droplets continuously fell from the nearby cliffs while the roaring waterfall echoed endlessly throughout the mountains.
Azrath slightly raised his gaze toward Eryx.
"Come here."
"Sit down."
His deep voice remained calm.
"I also have something important to tell you."
Eryx quietly walked toward the large stone resting near the waterfall before sitting beside Azrath.
Cold mist drifted continuously through the air while the endless roar of the waterfall echoed throughout the mountains surrounding them.
For several moments—
Neither of them spoke.
Only the sound of flowing water and cold winds filled the silent atmosphere.
Azrath calmly stared toward the distant mountains ahead while his long dark robes moved gently beneath the wind.
Then—
His deep voice finally echoed quietly.
"Eryx."
"There is something important I must tell you."
Eryx immediately became attentive.
Azrath's expression remained calm.
"Yesterday…"
"...during the clan meeting, several alliance proposals arrived from other clans."
The cold mountain winds swept quietly between them.
"The Veyrath Clan."
"The Dhairvans Clan."
"And the Jyorath Clan."
Eryx silently listened.
Azrath continued calmly.
"They proposed marriage engagements between you and their daughters."
For a brief moment—
Silence filled the area once again.
The waterfall continued roaring endlessly nearby.
Then Azrath slowly looked toward Eryx.
"I accepted their proposals."
Eryx's eyes widened slightly.
"The daughters of those clans will arrive here after seven days alongside their clan representatives."
"They will come to officially sign the engagement agreements."
The mountain winds became slightly colder.
Then—
For the first time since the conversation began—
A faint trace of apology appeared within Azrath's eyes.
"I should have asked for your opinion first."
A quiet sigh escaped from him.
"Sorry."
"I made the decision without asking you."
The atmosphere suddenly became strangely calm.
Eryx remained silent for several seconds while staring toward the roaring waterfall ahead.
Cold winds drifted quietly between the father and son while water droplets continuously fell from the nearby cliffs.
Then—
A faint smile slowly appeared across Eryx's face.
"There is no need to apologize, Father."
Azrath slightly looked toward him.
Eryx's crimson-black eyes remained calm.
"I understand."
"You made this decision for the sake of the clan."
The waterfall mist drifted softly around them while pale morning sunlight slowly illuminated the distant mountains.
"I accept your decision."
Azrath silently looked toward him.
However—
A slight frown suddenly appeared upon Eryx's face as if he had just realized something important.
"...Wait."
He slowly turned toward Azrath.
"Did you accept all three proposals?"
For the first time—
A faint amusement appeared within Azrath's eyes.
"Yes."
His calm voice echoed naturally.
"You will be signing engagement agreements with the daughters of all three clans."
Silence.
Eryx completely froze.
"...What?"
His crimson-black eyes widened in visible shock.
Cold mountain winds swept violently across the training grounds while the waterfall roared endlessly behind them.
"Three engagements?!"
For a brief moment—
Even Eryx's usually calm expression completely broke apart.
Azrath calmly looked toward his son's stunned face before lightly laughing.
"Haha…"
A faint smile rested upon his face.
"The three clans are powerful allies."
"And all of them wish to establish deeper relations with the Ashvaris Clan."
Eryx still looked visibly stunned.
His mind almost became blank trying to process everything.
Three fiancées.
At the same time.
Meanwhile—
Azrath looked strangely calm about the entire situation.
Then a faint proud smile appeared within his eyes.
"You truly are just like me."
Then he slowly added calmly:
"No…"
"You may become even better than me."
The drifting mist moved softly around his figure while sunlight reflected faintly across his face.
"One day…"
"...you will become a greater clan head than I ever was."
Azrath's deep laughter echoed throughout the waterfall training grounds while cold mountain winds swept endlessly across the cliffs surrounding them.
"Haha…"
The heavy atmosphere around him slightly relaxed for the first time that morning.
Meanwhile—
Eryx remained completely frozen beside the large stone.
His crimson-black eyes still carried visible disbelief while the roaring waterfall continued endlessly in the background.
At that moment—
Even his mind felt strangely blank.
One engagement alone had already been enough to surprise him.
But three?
Eryx slowly lowered his gaze toward the wet stone ground beneath him.
A faint complicated expression appeared across his young face.
In his previous life, he had never even properly thought about marriage.
Yet now—
Before even becoming strong enough to properly cultivate—
He was suddenly engaged to the daughters of three powerful clans.
The cold mountain winds brushed against his face while countless thoughts continuously filled his mind.
Then—
Eryx quietly sighed.
"One engagement…"
"...I could still somehow understand."
He slowly looked toward Azrath.
"But Father accepted all three proposals."
A faint helplessness appeared within his voice.
Azrath only continued laughing calmly while the waterfall mist drifted around him beneath the pale morning sunlight.
And at that moment—
For the first time since arriving in this new world—
Eryx truly began feeling that his future might become far more troublesome than he originally imagined.
End of Chapter 11
To Be Continued...