Ascension was just as disorienting the second time — perhaps made even more so by the fact that he had to actively channel his mana. The perfect, arcing loops traced around his body felt like they were being pulled apart by the rushing void, and it took all his energy just to keep it circulating. Once more, he tightly gripped Aer's palm, his body and spirit threatening to separate. However, as soon as it had begun, it was over, and they had arrived at their destination.

If he had to be honest, it was a little underwhelming. They dropped at the entrance of a large cavern, surrounded by a plain not too different from the one they had just occupied. The sky had shifted to a bright orange, though whether it was dawn or dusk he couldn't tell. All around them was moss-covered rock, except for a small, winding trail leading out from the craggy valley. When he had heard the phrase 'world of warriors', he hadn't envisioned anything like this.

Most surprising, though, was the complete lack of pressure. The last time they had ascended, he had nearly collapsed from the environment around them. This time, if anything, he felt lighter! He turned to ask Aer, but she beat him to it.

"Alright, apprentices. I'm currently projecting my aura outwards, so that your guys' bones don't crumble under the weight of the world. I planned to do this part of your training on that unnamed world, but your matriarch forced my hand, so we'll have to make do. Here, let's go into the cave."

They entered the stony cavity, only to see that it opened into a large, well-lit room. On one side, a circle of plush chairs surrounded a small stone table, and on the other, the plain grey walls gave way a carved wooden door. However, the thing that caught his attention most was the center.

A circle comprised of hundreds of intricate symbols dominated the space, glowing brightly with multicolored lights. Behind it, an enormous rack full of different weapons and armor gleamed, and while he had no experience with the matter, he was nearly certain that they were all the stuff of legends. After all, who but a Saint would wield a blade the size of a great oak, or a fan that glinted with every color imaginable, or a hammer that must have been imbued with so much mana that its surroundings warped?

Rynn was staring slack-jawed at the display, and Kiro could have sworn that he saw the tiniest bit of drool emerge from the man's mouth. Aer must have noticed him gaping, because at the wave of her hand, the weapon's rack receded into the wall, only to be inexplicably replaced with one full of much duller arms.

"Oh, don't mind that. They're nice if you want to impress someone from a lower world, but if you're fighting someone of a similar stage of cultivation on a world at the edge of your capabilities, normal weapons tough enough to handle the world's pressures are a much better choice. That hammer was pretty useful, though."

Rynn looked like she was dying to ask for the story behind the hammer, but Aer put a finger to his lips, moving further in.

"My dear apprentices, welcome to one of my immortal's caves. Contrary to the name, you do not need to be an immortal to have one. All that means is that it's a nice, secluded spot for you to relax and cultivate."

Seira perked up. "Ooh! Our mom used to have one of those! She would go in there for days, leaving me…" she trailed off, her optimistic smile dipping into a pout.

Kiro put an arm around her. Sometimes, it was hard to remember that even as Hong Tang Leila's favored child, things weren't all sunny days and good cheer.

Aer gave her a sympathetic pat. "Sorry for stirring up bad memories. Let's get on with the tour, shall we?"

With another wave of her hand, the circle dimmed, plunging the room into darkness.

"Sorry bout' that! That's a runic circle made for mana collection, back when this world had enough mana to be useful for me."

He opened his mana sense, only to be disappointed by the lack of insight. "Sorry, Aer, but could you explain what a runic circle is?"

Her eyes widened, and she slapped a palm to her forehead. "Oh! I keep on forgetting your guys' upbringing. Just because you had immortal's caves doesn't mean you'd know everything about mana. However…" she glanced upwards, and while their view was blocked by a stone ceiling, he was sure she was looking at the sun. "Too much information is bad for retention, and I'm already going to be overloading your brains. Tell you what, I'll tell you tomorrow, if you really want to know. Now, let me brighten things up…"

She clapped, and a few floating orbs that he hadn't even noticed crackled with lightning. The room filled with white light, and soon the crackles of electricity died down to a reassuring hum.

"This is where you'll be spending the next few days, bar another rude intrusion by unwelcome guests. This cave might seem unprotected, but I've set up extensive wards and traps just for you guys. Before we can really go out into Asura, we need to get you guys to at least the Second Circle. Now, let me get out some sheets of paper, because this is going to be a bit of a mouthful."

She levitated the table over to them, drawing up a bundle of brushes and ink from thin air. The table was already covered in paper, but she somehow managed to choose a blank one from beneath the pile. They gathered around her, not wanting to miss out on the lesson.

On the paper, she drew three dots vertically, surrounding them with a circle. Then, above it, she drew two more of the same figure, and encased the three with an even bigger circle.

"Each dot represents a stage, the smallest ascension a mystic can make. Ascend three stages and you've made a circle, which offers a great deal more power. Circles usually have a theme of goal that you must accomplish with the individual stages, such as establishing a foundation or forming your soul. Ascend three circles, and you've got a realm, which some believe to be the highest tier of advancement."

She pointed to the lowest dot, then poked Seira's nose, giggling.

"Boop! You three are in the first stage of the First Circle, Purification. Or, as the scholars like to call it, Body and Mana Heavenly Purification. I don't know what the heavens have to do with it, but the general idea is that you undergo a series of refinements, expelling impurities from both your physical being and your core. Because your matriarch wanted test subjects instead of living, breathing, people, she decided that all of you must follow her style of having nine purifications. In reality, it can be done in as little as three. Seira, what Level did you say you were at again?"

"Eight, after your training. You know, I was really excited to reach nine, because I thought that I'd become immortal, but I guess that was just another lie the matriarch told us."

The Saint gave her a sad glance, and continued.

"Well, it wasn't totally false. After nine stages, you reach the Saintly realm, which is the first step into immortality. Oh, but I'm getting off-track. You guys don't need to know about immortal stuff just yet. Right now, let's focus on the immediate future."

She pointed to the next dot up, creating a visible ball of wind. Then, she forced it smaller and smaller, until it eventually formed a shimmering, miniscule, crystal.

"The next stage for you will be Condensation, in which you compress your mana to form a crystalline core. This is also when your mana channels solidify, meaning that you'll be able to do big techniques without your body getting destroyed."

At that last statement, Seira gave a little blush.

"Don't worry. I specifically fed you so that you wouldn't do yourself any harm. The stage after that is Infusion, or the imbuement of your solidified core to hold even more of your aspect. Mind you, this isn't mana, it's aspect, like how you imbue an object. Then, to cross the barrier between circles, you need to give that mana life, in the form of your soul. Do all that, and you'll be powerful enough to survive on Asura without my help. Or, I guess I should say minimal help. There's still some major monsters lurking around here, at least for this world's standards."

"Wait, so our spirit isn't alive already?" Seira asked.

"Ugh, your matriarch is really making my life difficult! It's okay, though. Explaining things is a lot more fun with you guys, anyways."

She pulled out another piece of parchment, drawing the rough sketch of a man. Then, using a different colored brush, she drew another one, right beside the first.

"Imagine that there are two parts of you, the physical and the spiritual. The physical part is your body: your muscles, organs, bones, all that stuff. The spiritual is the, well, spirit. Now, in an undeveloped person, there are two gateways that connect these two halves, the mind, which is a physical component that connects to your spirit..."

She pulled out a third brush, dipping it into a matching pot of ink, and drew a brain and nerves in between the two men.

"... and your core, which is a spiritual component that connects with the physical world."

She drew a core, a set of mana channels, and an aura.

"Now, contrary to what your Elders might have told you, the soul and the spirit are not the same thing. The soul is the core and mind combined, housed in an near-indestructible entity for safekeeping. It also has other benefits, but that's the primary principle."

"Now, a soul is so handy because not only does it manage both your spiritual and physical halves, but it also further connects them to one another. You probably saw how in the void it felt like your physical and spiritual selves would rip apart — well, with a soul, that doesn't happen. It also protects you, as if either your physical or spiritual halves get damaged, you can retreat into your nascent soul and remain alive for… well, not indefinitely, but a very long time. Now, there's so much more to it, like Evolution and Synchronization, but like I said, too much information is bad for retention, so we'll stop there for today."

She snapped, and three of the plush chairs flew towards them.

"I don't have beds here, but these are so comfortable that I find that I don't even need them. You guys have been up for almost 24 hours — it's time to get some rest. Take some time to digest your information, and meet me bright and early tomorrow for some breakfast and training."

Seira jumped up, putting her hand out in front of her. "Wait! Aer! How do you get a soul? What does Evolution and Synchronization do? You can't just leave us hanging like that!"

Kiro frantically nodded. Where did techniques come into all this? Did a nascent soul make it easier to use your aura? Did it prevent you from using shrouds? He had so many questions!

Even Rynn was pleading with the Saint, begging her for more detailed steps on how to condense his mana.

The woman started walking towards the cave entrance, waving at them.

"It's good that you guys are so hungry for knowledge, but I've gotta go do some stuff. Saints don't need sleep like mortals do, and you guys have literally spent the whole day exerting yourselves."

"Wait, Aer!" Seira followed her, only to be levitated back to the chairs.

"Oh, by the way, remember when I said I fed you guys specifically to ensure no injuries would happen?"

They nodded, confused.

"Well, I also mixed in some sparkleaf. Sweet dreams!"

Kiro's eyes widened, and he had just enough time to sit down before his limbs gave out underneath him. The moment before he drifted off to blissful sleep, his only thought was of how cruel it was that the heavens would give an already powerful Saint such extensive knowledge of alchemy.