19 Discussion with a Dragon

"My name is Oli. And yours was Trada, right?"

"Correct," Trada replied, "I'm sorry that Brak caused the death of your father. I was thrown aside by Brak, waiting for him to return and finish me off after he recovered the egg. It was obvious that you hadn't gotten far, and I had given up hope until my aura sensed the approach of your father. When he jumped levels to scare off Brak, I was startled yet I was too weak to even move from my spot. By the time that I had gained enough strength to move, he had passed before I could thank him. So, I quickly put out the flames with a flap of my wings and slowly made my way to find you and your clan in the middle of the burial ceremony. From there, you already know what happened."

Oli nodded and sighed. So much had happened in so little time, he still hadn't gotten over the loss of his father, only managing to suppress the emotion temporarily so that he can function. Trada noticed his grief, as well as the strange item clenched in Oli's hand and asked, "What is that in your hand?"

"Oh," Oli stammered, "it's something my father left me. Wait, you might know what it is. Can you take a look for me?" He approached her again and held it up for her to get a good look at it. She peered down and immediately jolted her head back in shock. She didn't say anything, so Oli questioned, "Do you know what this is?"

"If I'm not mistaken, that's an ancient relic from before our recorded history. And it's not just any relic, it may be a soul jade," Trada answered but she noticed that he was still confused and continued, "A soul jade is an item of legend. I've only seen paintings and descriptions in old recorded texts, but I've never actually seen one. Record says that a cultivator can bond a soul jade with their core if it's done during the core's formation. They would be given unknown benefits, some of which allow the increase in a soul's strength. This is priceless, worth more than everything I have."

Hearing that last sentence made Oli's heart skip a beat. He looked back at the mountain of wealth and powerful items and then looked back at the soul jade in his hand with a new admiration for his father.

"Do you know where he got this?" Trada pleaded.

"I'm not sure how he got it," Oli spoke honestly, "but I'm sure that my father was famous in the past for his accomplishments. Even Brak recognized him during their fight, saying something about being a former champion and being wanted in a prefecture, or something like that."

"Wait, your father was Dioro!?" Trada instantly figured it out. "Dioro, the former mortal champion, was the one who gave his life to protect you and my child?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'm not sure what that even is, to be honest," Oli spoke.

"Then let me explain a few things. Your father was the West Quadrant Mortal Champion. In other words, he was the champion of the mortal class across the entire West Quadrant. The way land is divided is first into territories, which are within a region and under the control of the region's ruler. Each region, in turn, is within a prefecture and under the jurisdiction of the lord of that prefecture. And the final government that rules over the prefectures and covers one-fourth of the globe, is a quadrant. So, for your father to be the West Quadrant Mortal Champion, he was once one of the four strongest mortal cultivators in the entire world."

Oli's brain had all but exploded trying take in this information. He had the impression that his father was well known for his fighting, but this was far more than he expected.

Trada continued, "Actually, it was debated that he was the strongest mortal cultivator. He was always a brutal fighter and had once even defeated an initial-perennial as a mortal cultivator, making him the first to do so in recorded history. But then he vanished, using the one wish he earned from winning the West Quadrant Mortal Championship to enter Devil's Canyon, never to be seen again. Or at least until now."

Oli stood there motionless, still processing the achievements of his father. The father that he had lived with for the past eight years and the man Trada described were so different. It was more than he could take in at once. Trada noticed his struggle and patiently waited for him to calm his mind.

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After a minute or so, she continued, "I imagine that he got that soul jade from the depths of Devil's Canyon. It's one of the few places in the entire world that such a thing like a soul jade can be found untouched. A place like Devil's Canyon is the equivalent to death for most mortal cultivators, but it is also the reason why those that survive always find something that was worth more than their life. He must have never told you or anyone because if anyone were to even mention it casually, your entire clan might be hunted down just to obtain it."

Oli took that to heart and swore to himself never to reveal it to anyone, even his family. Learning what it was and how grueling it must've been for his father to get it made Oli even prouder of his father and more excited to use it to make himself stronger.

"Oli, I have a question," Trada redirected the conversation. "Do you know how Dioro was able to leap levels and fight with Brak?"

He thought to himself for a moment before deciding to trust Trada fully. "He ignited his soul using a forbidden soul art. Sadly, that meant that even though he gained immense power, his life and very soul were given in exchange."

"Are you sure that his soul dispersed entirely?" said Trada in surprise.

"Yes, my mom could tell when she noticed his core missing and when I checked myself, I couldn't feel a single trace of his soul," Oli said sorrowfully.

Trada's eyes widened after hearing that.