As Nalser kept using his new found motivation to cultivate, Sweeper and the rest were very worried already. For a week already, Nalser had been drawing every last ounce out of his body. There had been several times, where his body had nearly failed but he had managed to take the elixirs in the last moment. He meditated for an hour or two and then carry on with the insane training method. This kind of extreme training had an extreme growth in short term but it had a high chance of leaving a hidden injury that will cut his life short at a certain stage.

Currently, Nalser was meditating, the reason he had been cultivating like mad recently was to find out about his origin. In the beginning he was consumed by rage and cultivated for revenge, now that he had calmed down a bit, he wanted to know, why was he locked in the courtyard. He wanted to know who the people that killed his Gramps were. If there were someone to tell him that his training regime was insane, he would consider it but currently he was alone. He also didn’t know his training regime was extreme. He just thought that it was harsh.

However, no matter what, with out a strict training you couldn’t become an expert. Just as he had finished his meditation, he stood up. The moment he did, he felt his vision blurry and he finally he blacked out. As he fell face first to the ground, Sweeper and the rest let out a huge sigh of relief, the sleeping drug they put into the elixirs started working. Even though it was a waste of an elixir, they couldn’t care less about it. This was the only idea they had, that had a probability of working without them revealing themselves.

The sleeping drug was tasteless and odourless, colourless. A novice like Nalser will never be able to recognise anything wrong with the elixirs, so, they were in the clear. They just had to use the sleeping drug when he was reaching his final limit. Sweeper walked out from behind the corner and sighed, “This should knock him out for the next day or two, seriously this guy is damn insane.” Just as he was about to crouch down to check his body for hidden injuries, Librarian also added, “If he keeps up this kind of a regime, he will break sooner or later. This sleep drug is only a temporary measure, we need to have a better plan than this.”

Sweeper stopped what he was doing and just nodded. This was just a temporary stop measure, this can’t be used until he comes back to his senses. Suddenly, Sweeper had an idea and looked towards Librarian, “Hey, you said that he always reads the books on the stages right? He is currently at the peak of 11 stage, has he read the one on 12 stage yet?” Librarian thought for a second and answered, “No, not yet. He usually reads the books on the stage when he reaches it. As I have observed it helps him from being distracted.” Just as he was thinking, it dawned to him, “You can’t be thinking-”

Sweeper didn’t even let him finish, before saying, “Yup, we need to alter the book to include a lot of rest and checking for injuries and such. Luckily, it is the stage before the last, we can make it so that it is preparing for Foundation Establishment or something.” Librarian thought about it for a bit and nodded, “This is plausible. I can modify the book to add that. Luckily, Master wrote later notes and I can just add it like that as well. However, what caused him to flip the switch like that? Without dealing with the cause, we can’t always keep thinking of these kinds of temporary stop switches. He hasn’t consolidated after a breakthrough for a while now. This will also throw the Qi out of whack and it won’t flow in the body like it should.”

Sweeper could just helplessly shake his head, “I have no idea but it is directly connected to the emotional scar he has. This kid is just too abnormal. First he was sad, then depressed, then shocked, then furious. Now he is just determined, determination in his case is good but in this particular case it will be his coffin nail.” Librarian and Sweeper just sighed, they were the two most in contact with him, so they had the job of watching over him.

Suddenly one more puppet joined them, It was the Training Hall puppet. Nalser had named him Dummy. Dummy just looked at the two and sighed, “Why not guide him towards some secret body techniques? We should have some that will help him fortify his body, no?” Librarian and Sweeper silently looked towards him, they had not thought about this possibility. They also had this method. Librarian just slapped his head and said, “We have a whole frigging library full of techniques, I can guide him towards the “Hidden Meridians, Hidden Palaces”. It is specially made to sit and carefully search them from inside him. If we add that this will help his chances to break through to Foundation Establishment, we have a real chance of having him learn this and that would calm down his regime a lot.”

They looked towards Dummy with gratitude, well as gratified as their wooden faces could show. Sweeper may be the strongest and Librarian might be the smartest but neither of them could hold a candle to Dummy in training. Under his tutelage, they had awakened all of the puppets on the Island and it was also thanks to him that they all passed the tribulation. This solution was a simple one but it was the most effective one.

With their course of action established, they all left to carry out their plans. Dummy just looked at Nalser and sighed, “Extreme training is good but too much good is bad.” He just walked away to carry on doing what he usually does.

***

On the other side, Nalser’s fast climbing through the ranks weren’t worrying only the puppets but also all the Ancient Remnants. When Nalser had let out the Qi wave during the baptism, they had all locked onto it and they were all using various visual Artefacts to keep an eye on him. They all applauded his determination in the tempering and all but when he went into a cultivating frenzy, they even called all of the Remnants together for a meeting. That meeting however turned into a huge debate. Half wanted to intervene and to calm him the fuck down.

Half however said this, “This is his cultivation. How he cultivates, is none of our business and we have no right to interfere either. We are neither his master or kin, we aren’t even acquainted, we have no right to condemn his cultivation method.” The discussion turned quite heated. One of the older men suddenly stood up and everything fell quiet. He had black metal armour with a dragon emblem on, his eyes were fierce as various scars decorated his face. His long grey hair was tied to a pony tail.

He opened his turquoise eyes as he opened his mouth, “That boy’s name is Nura Nalser and just as you guys have been debating over, you have no acquaintance with him but I do. This task I will take it on myself, also to speak to him a bit of the past.” The rest of the old men just nodded, no one had any objections. He knew the boy, so he had some past with him, out of everyone here, he was the only person qualified to deal with this. As the old man had said his part, the meeting ended. Everyone courteously wished each other well and each went their own way again. After the hall emptied out, 4 people were still left, sitting on their chairs.

They all wore the same black armour but had a different emblem. They were the Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle and Tiger emblems. They used to be the Ancient Kings four Generals, each had their own department. Turtle Army was in charge of guarding the capital and His Highness, Vermillion was in charge of supplies, Dragon was in charge of Infantry and Tiger in charge of cavalry. After the fall of the Ancient King, they each took their armies and went into hiding. The three with the Phoenix, Turtle and Tiger emblems looked towards the one with the Dragon emblem with a surprised look and finally the one with the Tiger Emblem asked, “Old Dragon, you really know this brat?”

The one called Old Dragon just let out a sigh and said in a depressed tone, “Yea, do you guys know about the Heavenly Fire Empire Direct Bloodline?” They all thought for a second and the one with the Tiger Emblem said, “Yea, I heard that 15 years ago there was an uprising in the Heavenly Fire Empire. They said that a Branch Bloodline overthrew the Direct one and massacred everyone in the Direct Bloodline.” He thought for a second and added, “Ohh I remember, about 6 years ago the Founder and Ancestor of the Bloodline went missing.”

Old Dragon nodded and said, “Little Tiger is on half right. 1 st of all, the Direct Bloodline isn’t extinct only one of them is still alive. The young prince who was just born was spared. Well, his fate was no different than from the others however.” As Old Dragon said this far, he fell into thought. When he snapped back to reality, he saw the confused looks and started clarifying, “The young prince was born with the purest Bloodline Body, the Heavenly Flame Body. The current Emperor wanted to wait until he reached of age to snatch away that special bodily constitution and strengthen his own bloodline.” The old man took a breath for a second.

Little Tiger just thought for a second and suddenly realized, “You said that the prince was the only one alive from the Direct Bloodline, does that mean that-” Old Dragon interrupted him by saying, “Yes, The Heavenly Fire Empire Founder and Ancestor is dead. The only one of pure bloodline left is the Prince.” The one with the Turtle emblem interrupted their dialogue by asking, “However, what does this have to do with that brat? Are you saying that he is the Prince of the Direct Bloodline?” Old Dragon looked annoyed but his expression changed to one of sadness, “Yea, I was about to get to there. What Old Turtle said is right, the boy Nalser is the last of the Direct Bloodline, born with the Heavenly Flame Body constitution. Now through a twist of fate he has acquired the Legacy of the Ancient King. No matter how you look at it, there is going to be a great storm in the future. Before his tribulation, he will most likely cause quite a big storm but after his tribulation it is going to escalate into a serious natural disaster.” He conversed a little more with them and then bid his farewells as he went to meet Nalser.

***

Back on the Starry Island, Nalser had just woken up and was planning on continuing his training when Sweeper came. With a wooden tone he said, “Master, there is a visitor.” Nalser was stupefied. “Other people could enter the Starry Island?”As he was following Sweeper over the bridge, his head was in quite the turmoil. When he finally reached the end of the bridge, he saw a man clad in black metal armour with a dragon emblem on his chest.

The man smiled to Nalser and said, “I think you won’t remember me so let me introduce myself. I am called Old Dragon. As for my real name, I have already forgotten it Eons ago. May I come in?” Nalser was shocked at the military salute the old man gave him. For some reason, the old man seemed familiar but he didn’t remember ever meeting him. With a sweep of Nalser’s arm, the barrier let up and the old man entered.