Fifth day...

Sixth day...

...

..

.

Nine months later.

A silhouette could be seen walking to and fro, "Where did that old fart go?"

This figure was Davis who was waiting anxiously for Garvin to teach him something or let him out.

It had been nine months since he started observing and experimenting with Severin's Soul.

With a live resource such as a Mid-Level Elder Soul Stage Soul, his insights into Soul Cultivation increased and he could now tell that his comprehension caught up to his current Soul Forging Cultivation Base!

Of course, Garvin also stopped by him in these nine months, explaining whatever Davis didn't understand.

With an apt and competent teacher plus resources such as a live soul, if he didn't make any progress then he knew that he would've received a blow to his confidence.

This might've caused a heart demon; a limitation to form in his heart. Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened.

A week ago, Garvin suddenly stopped appearing. Davis didn't mind and continued to do what he was doing; gaining comprehensions and pondering on light elementary laws from time to time.

Now, just a few hours ago, Severin's soul couldn't endure the experiments done by Davis, finally causing his soul to dissipate.

But just before his soul could fully dissipate, Fallen Heaven suddenly excitedly echoed in his mind that he could absorb his soul now!

So without further delay, he quickly extracted Severin's Soul Essence.

He still didn't refine it but chose to keep it in his Soul Sea so that he could absorb it later at an appropriate time. Besides, he had to stay low since he can't show his breakthrough methods to Old Man Garvin.

At this moment, Davis walked and stood in front of a door. He took a deep breath and opened it.

He stepped forward and entered the underground cave where there were dense fog and zero visibility. His Soul Sense couldn't even move an inch out of his body but he also felt a sense of eerieness to the extreme.

"Old Man Garvin!!!" Davis shouted.

His voice echoed throughout the underground cave. Silence reigned and he could hear that there was no reply.

Davis narrowed his brows but he didn't take a single step forward, afraid that he might fall into the lake; the source of the fog.

"Garvin!!!!" Davis shouted again, unwilling to step forward.

Only his voice echoed for a second or two before it died out. The eerie silence didn't sit well with him.

Davis couldn't take the silence anymore, "Old fart!!!!"

*Splash~*

Davis heard a sound that indicated something flew out of the lake, so he immediately moved back and closed the door shut.

*Bang!!*

"Who are you calling old fart?" Came the voice that sounded scary to the extreme....

"Oh crap!!" Davis was given a scare as he flew forward a little.

Garvin stood beside the door and kept the door open, and behind him was a background full of dense fog forming an eerie sight.

To tell the truth, Davis's heart went stiff for a second from witnessing the scenery.

He quelled his beating heart and said, "Because you won't answer me when I called you, and what exactly were you doing down the lake?"

Garvin formed a fist and knocked Davis's head.

"Ouch! Watch it, old man!"

Garvin did it again and uttered, "You need to learn to respect your elders!"

Davis watched grievously as he kept his mouth shut.

This wasn't the first time that he was getting knocked on the head, it had happened many times before in these two months.

Other than that, Garvin didn't threaten or beat him much, so he didn't hold it against him.

"Now, kid. Go rest for today, I'll see you tomorrow." Saying so, Garvin turned back to leave.

"Are you going to die soon?" Davis abruptly asked.

Garvin turned to look at him and smiled, "Anytime..."

Davis's heart shook but a different thought formed in his mind.

Will he able to say that while looking old and cool at the same time? He didn't possess an answer to that.

After Garvin left, Davis faintly chuckled and looked at his palm, 'Weird, if it was the previous me before coming to this cultivation world, then I wouldn't have cared if I had died anytime, but now I'm starting to get scared for my life?'

"Maybe it's because I have people to protect?" Davis confusedly uttered but sarcastically laughed, "Yeah, right..."

He exactly knew that even if it isn't for his loved ones, he didn't want to lose the life he had gained now.

It had been exactly a year since he came to the First Layer.

From leaving the Desolate Plains, getting his ass whopped by the Grand Beast Stage Vulture, with ulterior motives killing an innocent woman who wanted to die because of her husband's death, joining the Cloud Spring Mercenaries, teaming up with Lucas and Lucia, completing missions with them before separating and finally getting stuck in this hell hole which actually turned out to be a personal school for him.

Davis deeply sighed.

'Well, the one year challenge period is going to expire soon and it seems like I'm not gonna obtain the Peak-Level Sky Grade Scythe.'

...

Two years later...

Garvin taught Davis more about the Sixth Stage and Seventh Stage of Soul Forging Cultivation, namely the Mature Soul Stage and Supreme Soul Stage!

When Davis heard his teachings, he felt as if he had an outlook on an entirely new world and possibilities, and yet couldn't unveil the curtain to reach new heights.

But he could understand that it was because his Soul Forging Cultivation was too low.

Even though his Soul Forging Cultivation wasn't on par with even Severin, he was able to lightly understand the concepts and insights taught by Garvin, so he was able to retain it in his mind.

With this, he was confident that he could enter Elder Soul Stage even without Fallen Heaven but, this proved quite insufficient for him to enter Sixth and Seventh Stage in the future without pondering on the teachings for a long time.