20 A Sword Cultivator IX

Amon walked in silence. He had a sour expression on his face. His lips were tightly pursed and somewhat pale from the pressure, but his golden eyes were glowing with decisiveness.

He was walking to the Northern Station, but, naturally, the trip was taking longer than usual. His movements had smoothened somewhat, and he was slowly growing more used to the changes in his body.

Lya watched his clumsiness in silence, not even trying to laugh. She had seen Rebecca's reaction when Amon left, and it had bothered her deeply. She understood what Amon was trying to do, but she would have to teach him a thing or two.

However, this was not the moment to say anything. He was really bothered by the situation too, even if he didn't know what happened after he left the room.

It took Amon almost three times longer to get to the Northern Station than usual. His movements were still a bit awkward, but were already acceptable. The real problem were his five senses. He wouldn't be able to adapt to them so easily, and the heightened sounds and perception were starting to really get under his skin.

Every small noise that like an explosion right next to his ear. He felt he was turning deaf, but as time passed, he could hear even clearer as his body adapted even further.He wanted to cover his ears and scream, but managed to refrain from doing so. Adding that to the conversation with his mother, he was overall in a terrible mood.

He made his way into the Northern Station and walked through the streets with a cloud above his head. He entered the main street and went past the Exchange Pavilion. Behind the Exchange Pavilion was a small plaza.

The plaza was covered in grass, and small trees provided shade for those that wanted to take a break and enjoy the breeze and the sound of the rustling of leaves. To Amon, however, the breeze was like a chilling wind, and the rustling of leaves was like grating of steel in his ears.

He shuddered in discomfort, but kept going. The sooner he finished this, the sooner he could return home.

The biggest building in the plaza was the Administration's Pavilion. It had lustrous golden walls, and just looking at it made Amon's eyes hurt. He had to squint his eyes to just barely be able to see the path to take without being blinded by the damn building.

"What a great idea." He grunted to himself. Hearing that, Lya turned suspicious of what was truly happening to him, but didn't say a word. She decided to see how things would play out before doing something.

Inside theAdministration's Pavilion were the usual counters and the clerks dressed in purple. When he entered, he was sure the guards dressed in white direct their looks at him, what made him even more annoyed.

Amon made his way to a line and started to impatiently move his right ankle up and down, stomping the ground. It made a loud noise that annoyed him even further, but he didn't stop. The longer the line took to move, the faster he hit the floor with his foot.

When it was finally his turn, the clerk that attended him rolled his eyes, clearly unhappy, and the previous person on the line gave Amon a reproachful look as he walked past him. Amon's face fell even further and he creased his brows.

"What can I help you with?" The clerk asked after giving an almost unperceivable bow. The way he looked at Amon, including the almost unnoticeable disdain in his eyes as he looked at his hair made Amon start to fume in anger.

"I want to measure my strength and update my records, as I reached Body Tempering." Amon said with his voice still uneven. The clerk raised his brow, but stood in silence. He simply nodded and called someone from a side door.

A burly man dressed in purple came from the door. He had a shaved head and had ripped the sleeves from his purple clothes, so he could show his bulging arms. The man reeked of someone who needed attention and Amon was instantly displeased when he laid eyes on the man.

"So, little boy, I heard you just went through your first round of tempering?" He said with a smile, ignoring Amon's hostile expression. To Amon, it felt as if the man was screaming at his ears.

"Yes, I did." He managed to say while gritting his teeth.

The man's smile didn't disappear as he presented himself. "My name is Brandon. Please follow me outside, so we can properly gauge your strength with a Measuring Pillar."

Amon forced himself to nod and followed Brandon through the side door. Inside it was just a small room and a set of black, spiraling stairs.

"We go to the third floor." Brandon continued to smile. To Amon, it was unnerving seeing that damn smile. He could see with detail every little yellowed patch in Brandon's teeth, as well as the slightest misalignment and imperfection. Amon closed his eyes and crackled his neck, trying to get ahold of himself. He was starting to lose control.

They climbed to the third floor and Brandon opened the small door that they reached. He politely gesture to Amon go first. Amon walked in, refusing to look at Brandon's smile.

The third floor was a simple, but vast open space. There were no rooms or any kind of division. The only thing in the floor was a large pillar made with black stone covered in golden runes that moved through it, as if alive.

Amon already knew that the runes were Divine Language, and they formed an array formation. They would probably measure the strength of one's punch and display the corresponding numbers. A simple, stupid array.

Next to the pillar, a small ball glowing with a golden light was floating above what looked like an altar. Behind the altar, about twenty people waited in a line. The age and clothing varied greatly. Amon could see a middle-aged man with gray hair, and behind him a small girl who was certainly even younger than Amon.

Not to his surprise, the youngest had the most luxurious clothing. It was proof of the power their families had to invest on them and make their strength quickly rise. Talent might not be something you can buy, but you certainly could make the most of your potential if you have the resources you need.

Brandon gestured Amon to stand in the end of the line. As he was walking, he heard a high-pitched voice that deeply annoyed him and made him squirm. The voice was no different to a screeching bird to him.

"What is Old Grandpa doing here?" A girl asked with surprise.

Amon stopped in his tracks, looking to the source of the annoying voice. She had brown eyes and hair, and a somewhat pretty face. To Amon's misery, one of Erin's followers, Amber, stood on the line.

Amon's breathing turned rough, his chest started heaving up and down, but he somehow managed to control himself. Lya was watching carefully with her divine sense, as Brightmoon was still hidden inside the interspatial ring.

"Everyone, you know the drill! Just punch the pillar with all you have and I'll oversee the results. This will be the basis we will use to measure your stages of Body Tempering in the future, so don't hold back!" Brandon said as he stepped next to the pillar, still using that horrible smile.

"As I call you, swipe your identification cards on the ball in front of you and punch away!" Brandon instructed them and started calling them forth in order.

The first on the line was a teen that seemed to be about sixteen years of age. He had a confident attitude. He took a purple card from his clothes and swiped it at the ball. The ball started spinning as the youth positioned himself in front of the pillar.

He took a deep breath and then punched out, his strength surging like a river.

"Bam!"

The pillar trembled as his fist struck a golden light surrounding it. Amon felt as if someone had given a loud shout right in his ears. His head buzzed as the runes moving in the pillar seemed to be in disarray for a moment before they stopped in place and a huge number showed on top of the pillar.

"Two hundred and fifty units, not a bad punch." Brandon nodded in approval.

The youth smiled in satisfaction and quietly left.

"Next!" Brandon called.

A small girl made her way to the pillar. She had a blue skirt made of silk, and was somewhat chubby. She was without a doubt from a rich family.

She had some difficulty reaching the glowing ball in the altar, and had to tip toe and stretch her arms to manage to swipe her card, making for a cute scene. However, when she punched the pillar, everyone's smiles disappeared.

"Bam!"

The pillar shook violently, just slightly less than the youth before her. Amon had already covered his ears, but it wasn't of much help. He still felt as if he was going to go deaf at any moment.

"Two hundred units! Amazing! When you go through your growth spur you can easily increase this number!" Brandon smiled widely. Body Tempering wasn't lost over time. If it was done properly, one would maintain that level throughout their lives. This meant that any new tissue produced after healing an injury or growing would still be filled with Qi.

When the girl was fully grown, she would certainly get even stronger. Brandon was really satisfied seeing the results.

"Next!"

As people stepped forward to punch the pillar, the floor started emptying. The numbers varied greatly, from one hundred and fifty to almost three hundred units. The best results were naturally from those of rich families. Even if the kids were weaker, it was not by much, and when they grew, their strength would soar.This was the effect of having good Body Tempering techniques and resources.

However, to Amon's disgust, the highest result so far came from Amber.

"Bam!"

The pillar shook and the ground quaked weakly. Even Brandon had a surprised expression as he looked at the numbers shown.

"Three hundred and twenty units! Incredible" He couldn't stop praising Amber as he looked at the numbers. Every hundred units was more or less the same strength a bull would produce when charging ahead. This meant that one of Amber's punch was equivalent to three charging bulls hitting someone in the chest. It was more than enough to instantly kill anyone that had not tempered their body.

Amber looked extremely satisfied with herself. She look at Amon without hiding the derision in her eyes.

"I think I'll wait a bit. I want to tell Erin how you will embarrass yourself." She said as she gave a poisonous smile. "And you certainly should dye your hair again, that ashen color hurts my eyes."

Amon was still covering his ears, but he heard every word. He looked at Amber with a burning gaze filled with rage. He started trembling and he was about to step in her direction, but he managed to turn away in the end. He wanted to kick her teeth away. He wanted to see her smile with a mouth full of blood. He really wanted to punch her.

Amon was focusing all of his attention at his feet. He was moving his right ankle again, incredibly impatient. He was covering his ears, trying to isolate himself from the world. Still, it was in vain.

Amber was watching him as if he was crazy, an amused smile adorning her face.

"Next!"

Brandon finally called to him. He was still smiling with those terrible teeth. Amon walked looking down. He took his purple identification card from his clothes and swiped at the ball. When it started spinning, it emitted a swishing sound that pierced Amon's ears.

He stood in front of the pillar, gazing intently at it.

"Hey Old Grandpa! Just so you know, Erin got four hundred units!" Amber shouted from behind. "Don't get too demotivated."

Amon heard all of that, but he was too busy picturing Amber's face in front of him. He really wanted to punch her nose and make her annoyingly high-pitched voice stop. He stepped back, took a deep breath and shouted with all he had as he punched out.

"BAM"

The pillar shook and the ground quaked. Faint cracking sounds could be heard coming from the floor beneath the pillar. Amon shivered at the sound his own punch produced and he quickly covered his ears. He had a pitiful look on his face as he retreated.

"This…" Brandon's mouth was gaping with surprise as he looked at the numbers the pillar displayed. "Five hundred units… we only have this kind of result in the Inner Sect…"

Amon started walking away, not caring at all. His ears were ringing and his head was starting to spin. He just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

"What did you do!?" Amber's annoying voice pierced his ears. He was starting to feel a strong headache. He ignored her as he made his way to the door leading to the stairs.

"You dare to ignore me, Old Grandpa?" Amber grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back.

Amon looked coldly at her "Get your dirty hands away from me."

He shook his arms and freed himself from her, still trying to make his way to the door.

"Don't ignore me you filthy son of a…" Before Amber could finish, Amon's fist was already on its way to her face.

She knew what she was about say, and it was the last straw. He wouldn't be taking any more of her stupidity. He did not hold back at all in the punch, putting all of his strength into it.

Amber's face paled and Brandon shouted, but he was too far from them to do something.

As Amon was about to hit her, his fist stopped in place, as if it had hit a wall. Amber fell to the ground as her legs gave in. Her was face deathly pale, her lips were trembling and her eyes were misty. She had clearly not expected such agressiveness from the alwasy passive Amon.

"Amon!" Lya shouted in his mind. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Amon didn't answer, he just silently glared at Amber, who was paralized on the ground. He raised a foot, about to stomp on her legs, but something grabbed on it and pulled him away, carrying him through the open door.

Amon was dragged down the stairs all the away to the ground floor. He felt as if there was a rope tied around his body, keeping him immobile. He was floating slightly above the ground, as if an invisible force was carrying him.

"Lya…" He was about to say something, but she interrupted him.

"Shut up and get back home!" The ties binding him disappeared and he was able to move again.

He stormed away from the Administration's Pavilion and soon was out of the Northern Station.

He was as silent in his return home as he was in his departure. He knew he had made a terrible mistake.

When he finally got home, it was already night. A sea of twinkling stars covered the dark sky, and a crescent moon smiled at them.

Yet, Amon didn't oay attention. He entered the house and went straight to his own room and closed the door.

Lya materialized by his side. Her face was full of anger and incredulity as she stared at him, trembling in fury. Her black hair waved around as she floated from side to side in the room, trying to calm herself.

"Did I ever tell you to use the Soulrousing Technique after you left the house!?" She shouted in his mind. He could feel how upset she was.

"I…" Amon couldn't formulate an answer. The truth was, ever since he had the conversation with his mother he had been channeling the first part of the Soulrousing Technique.

"What is wrong with you?" Her blue eyes were cold and ruthless and Amon could see no forgiveness in them. Dark lines creased her forehead as she glared at him like a predator at the prey.

"I just wanted to train…" He said in a low voice, looking away from her eyes.

"You would have at the very least gravely injured that stupid girl, if not killed her!" Lya was still taken somewhat shocked by what had happened. She never thought he would go to such lengths after he lost his nerve.

"Is that what you wanted to do with the strength I helped you obtain?" That was the final nail in the coffin.

Amon fell to his knees, in a daze. What had he done? He knew he hadn't been acting like himself, but he just couldn't stop.

"It is not." He said full of regret. She was right; he didn't want to use his power for such things. "I am sorry."

"Good." Lya nodded, but was still angry. "Do you know why I said nothing to you, even if I realized what you were doing?"

"I suppose it was a test." He had a sad face as he added "And I failed."

"No." Lya shook her head. "This was a warning."

She looked directly into his golden eyes, demanding absolute attention. "I just told you before you left that cultivation takes time. There is no shortcut."

"You just barely started using the Soulrousing Technique. Do you really thing you are ready to keep your emotions in check if they are as strong as you made them today?" She asked with a serious expression. The cold stralight made her face feel menacing in the dark room.

"I… no." Amon admitted, downcast.

"Then why did you do it? Just because you felt upset? Just because you wanted to get stronger faster?" Lya's gaze turned even more serious. "To punish yourself for lying?"

Amon tried to look away in shame, but she held his face in place with two walls of Qi. This made him even more embarassed and regretful, as he had no choice but to face her.

"Do you take such things as a joke? Cultivation is not something you do at a whim, nor is it something you do when you are mentally unstable, especially in Soul Cultivation!" Lya was slowly getting closer to him as she spoke.

"Mess up with your cultivation and it will ruin you. If I weren't there to stop you, you would have killed that girl, Amon. Do you realize that? Are you ready to take the burden for something like that?" Amon's face was alternating between red and pale as Lya's words hit him.

"You would have killed her just because she offended you! A few words! Damn vibrations in the air!" She looked at him outraged. "Is this the cultivator you want to be?"

Amon was desolated as he stood on the floor. Lya's outburst was ruthless, and he knew she had reason in all of her arguments.

"Killing people is not a walk in the park. And if the day comes when you feel it is easy, then I will cut you down myself." She had her eyes closed as she spoke, but Amon could feel the coldness in her voice. He grew incredibly pale hearing her words. He knew Lya was not joking.

"I'm horribly sorry, Lya." He was shocked at himself. As Lya spoke, he became as disappointed on him as she was.

"I promise you, I will never do such things again." He said, looking in her eyes.

"Promises are to be kept, Amon." Lya was looking at him coldly as she said the same words Rebecca said. "Can you truly keep this one?"

Amon was taken aback. He knew Lya wasn't happy about him lying the way he did. As he looked at her in misery, she said, "For us, Soul Cultivators, promises are of extreme importance."

"I want you to make that promise to me and to yourself." She said with a weary voice.

"Promise… to myself?" Amon didn't understood the meaning behind that.

"You know, breaking a promise made to others is not uncommon." She look up, as if trying to remember words from long ago. "Things change. People change. Therefore, sometimes you cannot help but break a promise made long ago. " Her eyes were hazy as she continued. "That is forgivable."

"The problem is if you break a promise you made to yourself." Tears started spilling from her eyes, looking like pearls under the dim silver light coming from the sky. "That means you changed, thatyou are no longer the same."

"If you were decisive enough to the point of making a promise in the first place, then maybe the changes that you've been through are not good ones." She closed her fists tightly, and they started to tremble.

"So, tell me," She looked at Amon, crying in sorrow for a memory he couldn't know of. "If you live for centuries on end, how many promises you made to yourself will you end up breaking?"

Amon stood in silence for a long time. The look in his eyes was blank, and he seemed lifeless. He was blaming himself. He had acted brashly and made a series of awful mistakes.

As he thought on Lya's expression, he knew she had remembered a painful memory. He had made her cry. Just like she cried as she said her goodbyes to Alexei, she cried now because of him. Seeing her crying face hurt him much more than her words did.

He wasn't sure why he was so affected by it, but the guilt he was feeling was immense. There was only one thought in his mind: he didn't want to see her like that ever again.

Lya observed him, trying to recollect herself. She shouldn't show him such miserable sights.

"Lya, I don't know how long I'll live. I also can't even fathom what kind of man I'll be if I ever life for centuries." His golden eyes were clear as he looked at her. They were limpid, pure. Genuine. "But what I can say is that I myself don't like the person I've been today."

"As such, I promise to you, and I promise to myself: I will become a cultivator you can be proud of. No matter what happens, I'll be sure you can put a smile on your face as you remember me."

Lya raised her head, looking at him with those glowing blue eyes.

"Do you really understand what this promise means? Are you ready to bear the responsibility for that promise?" She asked in a weary voice.

"I am." Amon looked in her eyes as he said that, nothing but determination on his face.

Lya gave a bright smile hearing that, even if a few tears still streamed down her face. It was a smile that could eclipse the beauty of the moon.

"Then you are ready to learn about swords."