Inside a covered gymnasium, a group of twenty kids are gathered in front of a Foundation Establishment female instructor who is doing a lecture. Clay did not expect they would be doing practical lessons right after introduction.

“This place is designed for you to get accustomed to beasts’ aura at the same time, improve your Qi control. The more you approach the center, the harder it will be to circulate your Qi so we will spend the rest of the day here. This place is wide enough for everyone and I don’t like to see anyone fighting, so find yourself a place to practice and start.”

Six kids including his twin brother immediately walked and positioned themselves near the center while Clay sat after a few steps and closed his eyes. He smiled as it reminded him of his first exposure to magical beast. They were called docile rabbits.

When he activated his God’s Eyes earlier, he saw a circulation pattern that of a beast sealed at the center and covered with formations. He estimated it has a strength of Core Formation which means that the aura being released is set to a range where Peak Qi Condensation practitioners could tolerate. He guessed that every kid here would probably piss themselves if the image of the beast is revealed and may even pass out once the true aura is unrestrained.

He is glad to know that a few ancient practice to this day has survived with their improved version. Although he finds it unusual and fascinating that the culmination of technology could easily produce a cultivator yet only people with higher elemental affinity are allowed to pursue cultivation.

From his understanding, excluding the strength derived from his beast core transplants, the true measurement of this world’s strength is Dao comprehension. He may have only encountered four people who have touched the realm of Grand Dao but all of them have abnormally large souls which equates to Spiritual Mental Strength.

“Regardless if this planet is conquered by Science or Dao Practitioners, why is Spiritual Elemental Affinity the basis of recruiting soldier and not Soul Strength?” Clay thought.

He opened his eyes and observed everyone. If the basis is the height of soul and taking his previous friend, Re’y for example which is a meter, everyone else have soul heights of 0.4 to around 0.8 and it his sister being the highest which is around 10 centimeters difference from his twin brother.

“Good job everyone. I can see how outstanding all of you are. I am going to adjust the strength of the formation so I want everyone to move away from the center. This time, I want you to start from the edge and slowly take a step if you think you can handle the pressure. Understood?”

Everyone moved except for Clay who is still at the edge.

“Now when you feel exhausted, you can meditate on the side but if you feel tired, you have my permission to go home.”

The teacher instructed then activated a few switches on the formation and the pressure emitted from the center of the Formation started to increase to almost four hundred percent which is equivalent the aura of a Tier II magical beast or Peak Foundation Establishment.

When the teacher gave her go signal, one of the kids who sat at the center earlier wanted to show off and still rushed to the middle. The instructor saw the kid from the opposite side ran but was too late for her to extend her Qi and protect him from the crushing mental pressure. The teacher immediately adjusted the Formation upon seeing the kid passed out.

“Alright everyone. There is nothing to be scared about. He was just careless that’s all. I will adjust it back and if you want to practice, you can stay. If you feel tired, you may go home.”

Everyone was a bit frightened when the kid collapsed and dropped to the ground, except for Clay.

He rejoiced upon the innocence of the young and the dumb. Earlier, they had an embarrassing introductions and many of them were proud to introduce their powerful backgrounds. He could probably remember their names if he had to but he gave everyone a nick name instead basing on how strong they believe their family is. There was one he calls Godzilla’s, Medusa’s daughter and the one was who just passed out should be Captain America’s son because of his golden hair.

He was planning on pretending of being exhausted and skip the class but someone was ahead of his plans. As soon as the teacher went to carry the unconscious body of the fallen hero, Clay turned around and walked out of the gym.

After asking random people for directions, he finally found the four-storey library.

“This is my first time and I wonder if I could get some assistance.” Clay asked the busy counter.

“Cultivation techniques are located on the upper floors but if you are here for general knowledge, you can just enter any of the vacant rooms available and scan your wrist identifier.”

Clay expressed his thanks and started walking. On one side are book shelves and reading area being in the middle and to his right are rows of small rooms properly aligned.

There were television screens with red numbers and it was not difficult to understand they were an indication of empty room. He approached one of the empty cubicles and raised his hand so his wrist would be scanned.

(Welcome student to 36TH Branch Alliance Library. I am called 36TH, an artificial intelligence designed to answer any questions you have under general and news category. On the desk is a switch to activate manual mode.)

He was greeted with a mechanical voice upon entering the room. The room is about 2.5 meters cube with a simple elongated desk and a chair and the walls looked like it was made of glass. He was too lazy to take a seat as he was ecstatic he did not need to manually search what he needed to know.

“Tell me the name of this planet.”

(We are currently living at MA6Z2 Planet using Andara System. It was previously called N35P4 using Razmin System before Razmin collapse during the past Galactic War.)

“Are you familiar with Mira System?”

(Mira System cannot be found in the database. Please use manual mode for enhanced search.)

“Do you have records for Immortal Emerald Soul Sect?”

(Three results found for Emerald Soul Sect but all three no longer exist nor do they have Immortal level strength.)

“Is this planet under the jurisdiction of Dao or Science Practitioners?”

(Neither. This planet currently is and has always stood neutral.)

“Of the 54 Branches, how many follows Dao disciplines?”

(Branches 13TH, 36Th, 45Th, and 48TH to 54TH all strictly follow Dao teachings. The rest of the branches have optional courses dedicated for Dao practices.)

“Do you have records for Mur Brung and his research?”

(Please filter and refine your query)

The wall shined as multiple categories appeared on the wall. Clay could not find what he wants.

“Do you have filters for Black Qi and Spiritual Qi Veins and its production?”

(Class II level of access needed. Please select a different filter. There are unverified information available in the public web. Would you like to display results?)

“No. What’s the requirement for Class II access”

(One must be a Peak Qi Condensation to access Class II information)

“What about Tam-ar Relativity”

(Tam-ar Relativity cannot be found in the database.)

“Show me the list of common herbs which when left to age or grown at on a Qi concentrated environment will have better effects. Filter them via efficiency and accessibility and should be identified as a primary ingredient for improving body constitution regardless of recipe.”

(River Frog Tulips, Blue Moon Leaf,…)

“Is there anything located within the campus?”

(There is one called Common Natu Fruit.)

Clay read the information of a tomato looking fruit. It was too common he saw them back at the residence and even earlier when walking. Many students would practice and sometimes meditate anywhere within the campus and the fruit could be used to satiate anyone starving.

As for his final question, he has always been curious as to why very few people carry a spatial ring.

(For public safety and security, only cultivators at Foundation level can carry them around. Please see Revised Article Code 143C for exceptions.)

Clay skimmed at the article then asked about the map of the school. After familiarizing himself with the map, he went to visit a man-made lake not too far from the gymnasium.

Even Clay was mesmerized by the beauty of well designed scenery. The water is almost transparent revealing colorful vibrant fishes swimming under the scattered lotuses. He wanted immediately find a duck with a sufficient size of beast core and extract its circulation circuit however the lake reminded him again of his first life. It was the moment when he let Kirsten choose.

Clay sat below a nearby tree. The serenity of the lake was enough to quell and cast away the stress that has accumulated since his rebirth. For the first time he could feel inner peace. He has seen better places yet the air surrounding the lake brings about an inexplicable nostalgia.

During his first life, what fueled him to keep on living is the hope that one day Kirsten would find his way back into his arms. And he had the same longing during his final moments during his first rebirth. However he does not know how much time did his soul spent floating in the void before being reincarnated again but that period was able to dissolve a big portion the yearning he had always been obsessed about.

Time indeed does heal every wound. For him is just too slow it took him two lives before he could that the first step and move on. Though there are tidbits of lingering regret, he realized how empty his life is now.

Clay remembered the biographies he read. Even Re’y who proclaimed to be a Sword and Alchemy Master chose to settle and live an ordinary life after rebirth.

Clay asked himself and sighed and pressed his back against the tree and watched at the falling leaves.

“Is being a cultivator really what I want as well?”

After a few minutes, he set a goal to give meaning to his life. Though he may not be an actual scientist in the past, maybe on this lifetime he can so he decided to pursue Dao Studies and how it relates to time like he has always daydreamed of.