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Chapter 245: Training to Maximize His Domain Ability 1
The man frowned as he looked at them, first at Hector and then at Aldrian. Aldrian, in turn, maintained a calm expression as he met the man’s gaze.
"The second prince, Prince Alderia."
It seemed he wanted to meet with his father. Judging by the direction he was taking, he coincidentally passed by them. Alderia narrowed his eyes, intending to ask Hector something. However, he stopped when he received a voice transmission from Hector.
"Don’t ask anything. I will tell you about this matter later, but for now, let me escort this man first."
"Your Highness, please excuse us. We are in the middle of something important, and it concerns His Majesty," Hector said, bowing slightly to Alderia.
Alderia was speechless as he watched his elder brother put on an act, but he chose not to stop him as Aldrian and Hector walked away. He was deeply confused about what had just happened, yet his curiosity was piqued as he stared at Aldrian’s back. For his elder brother to personally escort someone, that person must be important. With that thought, Alderia turned and walked in the opposite direction, heading toward the location of his father.
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While Aldrian and Hector walked, Hector sent a voice transmission to Aldrian.
"Sir Aldrian, my younger brother Alderia is trying to find you—or rather, to uncover the identity of the mysterious alchemist who concocted the six-stripe pills. He is quite passionate about learning alchemy and was amazed by your capabilities. If it’s not too burdensome for you, when he eventually learns who you truly are, please don’t be upset with him for his eagerness. He’s the type who loves to learn, after all."
"Is that so? Then it’s okay. I’ll try to satisfy his curiosity and intent to learn. I understand how he feels because I’m also someone who loves learning new things," Aldrian replied.
"You are amazing, Sir Aldrian. You already have outstanding talent, yet you still enjoy learning something new. I really admire you, *Sigh* If only my third brother..."
Hearing Hector mention his third brother, the third prince, Aldrian asked him curiously.
"The third prince—what is he like? I’ve only heard that he’s untalented and timid, and that everyone scorns him behind his back because of the stark contrast between him, you, and Prince Alderia. However, I never judge people based on hearsay; I prefer to see for myself. Is the third prince really that kind of person?"
"Yes, Sir Aldrian, that is true. There is no falsehood in those rumors, it’s already an open secret," Hector replied. "He was born with a premature dantian, which severely slows his ability to absorb the energy of heaven and earth. Because of this, he struggles greatly in cultivation and relies heavily on pills to progress. This has given him an inferiority complex. Even though Father doesn’t place much pressure on him, it still weighs heavily on him, making him timid and withdrawn."
"I see. No wonder Grand Duke Gouvard’s decision to support him is seen as an attempt to create a puppet emperor. Then, with their persuasion, was the third prince also drawn into the succession struggle? Given the personality you described, I don’t think he would willingly enter this race."
"Sigh, that’s right. Also, his mother—the second wife of my father, my second mother—is actually the little sister of Grand Duke Gouvard, so my third brother is heavily influenced by them. There’s a good chance he only entered this race because of their push."
Not long after, they finally arrived at the hidden chamber with the secret path that led outside the palace.
"I can only escort you this far, Sir Aldrian. Once you take this path and reach the outside, you will find yourself at one of the houses in the eastern district. You don’t have to worry about anything because my men are already expecting your arrival and will take you back to the tavern," Hector explained, then gave a slight bow.
"Thank you for coming here. I hope you have a safe journey back. Until we meet again."
"The pleasure is mine, Your Highness. Thank you for inviting me here," Aldrian replied.
He then walked down a long underground alley wide enough for three people to stand side by side. After about 30 minutes, Aldrian finally saw a door. When he opened it, he stepped out of a wardrobe inside a room where someone was already waiting for him.
"Sir, His Highness has already given me his message. Please follow me to the carriage; it’s already prepared in front of the house," he said.
Not long after, Aldrian was on his way to the tavern. His visit to the imperial palace had succeeded without any mishaps. He had also gained many benefits from the trip, which put him in a good mood. Now that his visit was over, it was time for him to enter seclusion. With the imperial family tightening their surveillance, he doubted that the master of the Alchemist Association would try anything funny or even attempt to escape.
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The sun had not yet risen when Aldrian left the imperial palace. Inside a dimly lit bedroom within the palace, a figure stood behind a window, gazing upward at the moon. The man had a youthful and attractive face, with features that resembled Emperor Durand’s.
While he seemed to be enjoying the beauty of the moon, something suddenly appeared outside his window. It emerged from the shadows and took the shape of a shadowy hand, which grabbed a folded piece of paper. The young man then took the paper, unfolded it, and read its contents. As he read, a smile spread across his face, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was a cunning grin.
He burned the paper and took a long breath.
"Finally, this is about to end," he thought.
He looked at the moon again.
"Soon, soon," he murmured.
------------------------------ 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
After his visit to the imperial palace, Aldrian entered his room to meditate. He sat cross-legged on his bed, concentrating to feel the extent of his entire domain. He intended to push himself to optimize his domain ability. His domain, which already encompassed the concepts of Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniscience, would be a waste if he did not fully maximize it.
He soon found a vast land, devoid of any living beings. This land, located in the southern part of the demon territory, seemed perfect for his test. For this first trial, he wanted to attempt unleashing an elemental technique. The concept was almost the same as his ability to create formations from afar, as long as it remained within his domain. He simply needed to shift from creating formations to elemental techniques.
However, unlike formations, where he only needed to place the points of the formation using his energy, or take advantage of the surrounding nature for a nature-based formation, unleashing an elemental technique required circulating the energy within his body and releasing it to form the technique. The question was, how could he unleash a technique in the demon territory while his body remained in the Doria Empire?
"Now, how do I do this? It’s not like I can just imagine the land splitting, and then it splits itself, right?" Aldrian thought.
"If casting a technique requires circulating energy within body and unleashing it, how can I make a technique appear beyond my perception, beyond my senses?"
"Energy circulation... body... how do I do it?" Aldrian kept thinking, trying to shape a possible concept that would allow him to unleash a technique in the demon territory.
Suddenly, he paused, struck by a sudden realization.
"If casting a technique requires energy circulation within our body, then what if I consider my entire domain as my body?" As this idea dawned on him, Aldrian felt his mind clear, flooded with countless possibilities. Although it might sound ridiculous to others, using his domain as a substitute for his physical body was something he could accomplish.
He could feel it, and he was confident in his theory. Without hesitation, he tried to implement it. He focused on sensing more of his domain, striving to merge himself with it. He could feel the air, the energy, and all living beings, from the smallest to the largest. He could sense the flow of energy throughout his entire domain, and all the laws that governed it.
The number was immeasurable. He couldn’t count it, nor could he sense every detail, but he could feel all of these presences.
A stinging pain pierced his mind, yet he didn’t stop. He continued to expand his connection, striving to become one with his domain. His mind felt overloaded from the vast amount of scenery and information flooding through his entire domain, but with time, he began to sense it. Slowly, he felt himself becoming one with the domain, able to perceive the entire environment within it more clearly.
He could feel the flow of energy more clearly, and he could feel himself become the domain, with the domain being him. He stayed in this state until he felt something within his body, within his domain.
"This."
