262 Nothingness, Devouring, and Fear (2/2)
…
Outside, Princess Faelyn began performing her diagnosis on Leon's body. She placed her delicate fair hand on Leon's sturdy chest and sent out her energy to scan his body.
”Hmm…”
At the same, Heinrich blinked as he looked at this scene and hummed a low tune. Much as he was concerned about his son, he was also concerned about the future.
He was not stupid either. The elves' presence was a pleasant surprise, but their beauty was also a source of future trouble. No doubt, there would be friction between their two races due to blind and greedy people. The world never lacked idiots after all.
If the Supreme Elder were enraged due to such a conflict, the king doubt there was anyone in the Crawford Kingdom that could contain the rage of such a Seeking Insight-level Transcendent.
How could he bind their two races together more strongly? Something stronger than a verbal agreement between vassal and lord? A marriage agreement?
'Fuck it, he already engaged to multiple ladies. One more won't hurt.' Heinrich looked at his son's sleeping face and thought.
Like Grandmaster Don, Princess Faelyn found no irregularities with Leon's body condition itself. The problem seems to stem from the soul. As she swept her energy towards Leon's glabella to investigate, she gasped with surprise and retreated.
”Ah!”
”What happened?”
The Supreme Elder caught the princess and asked.
”I'm not sure… Something is wrong with his… his Highness's soul.”
The wood energy of elves had curative powers like any wood-user. It could mend any physical wounds, except mental ones. But as she was checking Leon's soul, she felt a strong tug, and her wood energy was wrestled out of her control.
She had decisively cut off her connection to that bit of energy before she sustained any more losses and damage to her own spirit.
”Allow me.” The Supreme Elder said with a serious look. He had said that the Princess Faelyn's proficiency in medicine was greater than his, but if none of them could even cure the prince, it would be a great smack to their faces.
He sent out his own powerful energy to diagnosis the prince's soul. He immediately frowned when he felt the same tug, but he did not resist and allow the force to drawn him in.
It was not long after he was sinking deeper inside that he felt that this was a terrible mistake. He felt like he was staring into the deep abyss that wanted to swallow him whole.
The Supreme Elder's face soon changed to one of sheer terror. His cultivation was being devoured! It was not just his wood energy but even his law comprehension that was being devoured!
'Nooo!'
He inwardly roared with fear. The comprehension of laws was the lifeblood of Transcendents. It was more important than the energy that could be replenished anytime.
The Supreme Elder tried to wrestle back what was lost but to no avail. Instead, the more time he wasted, the more energy and comprehension into the law of wood he lost.
'Son of a… Arghhh! Give it back!'
At the same time, inside his sea of consciousness, Leon suddenly felt a surge of energy. He did not know where it came from, but he devoured it happily. His reinstated and unified awakening cultivation began to rise at an alarming rate.
Three-star level…
Four-star level…
Five-star level…
'S-Stop… Stop it!'
The venerated aura of a Seeking Insight-level expert was gone, and in its place was a 400-yr old elf begging like a child who had his candy snatched.
Six-star level…
Seven-star level…
Eight-star level…
The Supreme Elder was at his wit's end. He was about to drop back down to the Preliminary Accession level. He was the venerable Supreme Elder of Elvengarde. Their Elven Tribe will become more vulnerable with one less Seeking Insight-level Transcendent!
'How can this be?! How is this happening?! Why am I losing with my strength? Arghhh… Dammit!'
Seeing that someone at his level had no chance of wrestling back his lost cultivation, he finally decided to cut off his connection. If he were not so stubborn and had done it immediately, he would have cut his losses to a bare minimum.
The Supreme Elder paled and retreated a few steps before falling on his buttocks.
”Are you alright, Supreme Elder?” Princess Faelyn rushed over to support the Supreme Elder.
”What happened?”
The king and Grandmaster Don were both surprised. What on earth did the Supreme Elder see? Peeking into someone's sea of consciousness can bring a Seeking Insight-level expert on their knees?
The Supreme Elder's mouth twitched profusely at the question as he stared at the peacefully sleeping face of Leon with lingering fear.
”M-Monster…”