This is chapter 4/3.

Regardig the poll of yesterdays chapter and the comments you made I want to say some words. First of all do not expect to understand everything that happens immediately. How can you even expect it to directly understand every bit of a event? Where is the fun in reading it if you do not even have to think a bit about the things you read? Also just because something is like this right now it dousn't mean that it can't change in the story, so wait a bit before making a judgement about any development that happens, it can always change in a unexpected way. Ok that's all from my side, just wanted to voice my thoughts on your answers.

Enjoy!

Chapter 56 Smile?

"There is no problem in asking things like this. After all most of the guys around you are not even mature enough to normally chat with you without having to avert their gazes every second. Aren't I right?"

A smile crept on the emotionless face. Shocked the outer disciples looked at Zes. Zes, that wall of ice that never showed any emotion had laughed. Furthermore he had actually made a joke! It was a bad one but nevertheless a joke! His smile was kind of wretched and lacked in emotion and the combination of that frozen face and the strangely crippled smile was extremely funny to look at. But it was a actual motion in Zes face!

Zes himself was stunned. In three years he had never been able to show any other expression other then his frozen emotionless face. He had tried hard to force himself to make jokes or just get back a tiny part of his former playfulness. But all the years he had been unable to do so. He couldn't make any joke, no funny comment. Every time he tried, his face became totally frozen and he became unable to speak at all. But now, he had actually made a joke and got his face to make a expression other then the unchanging indifference that dominated his features all the time.

He knew that the smile was extremely wretched and would make any child cry, but at least it was something else then his never ending ice desert expression. The joke was extremely bad, but it was the first one he had been able to make in 3 years!

The smile on Zes face became even wider and slowly it became more normal. It still looked extremely strange to look at Zes face that was smiling while still having the frozen feeling on it, but if one looked into Zes eyes he would see boundless joy instead of the indifference. Zes had finally taken the first step to get back to his former self!

Under the shocked gazes of the outer disciples Zes kept his smile and continued his lecture. It was a strange scene to see Zes smile and keeping the ice cold aura in his features . But it was also kind of refreshing. Most of the outer disciples that had their moths gapping wide open slowly regained control over their body and smiles appeared at their faces.

Zes had always been popular in the sect. He may seem cold and unconcerned but he was extremely friendly and polite in his own cold way. Most of the disciples had already guessed that there had been something in his past that had made him unable to show any feelings and many had secretly pitied him. So now, when it seamed that Zes started to regain his ability to show emotions many were happy for him.

"The way of Illis has 8 stages that respond to the 8 stages of the qi cultivators. The first stage is the soul forming stage being similar to the body stage of the qi cultivators. It represents the start of soul cultivation, after having reached the late soul forming stage you can call yourself Illis and use your soul realm to construct simple techniques and formation with low power. The next stage is the soul tempering stage. It's corresponding qi cultivation stage is the gatherer stage. After reaching tempering stage you can make slightly complex formations and start using low level attack techniques to directly destroy the soul of your opponent or indirectly use swords, trees or even rubble to kill him.

After this there is the soul concentration stage that is corresponding to the foundation stage. I myself am currently at this stage. You can use it to make high level formations or mid level attack techniques. Only after having reached this stage you will be qualified to leave the sect and go outside to take missions from the sect. Coming after the soul concentration stage there is the soul liquid stage. In this stage your soul realm condenses into a fluid that will be semi existent inside of your brain. It boosts your strength to the corestage. After reaching this stage you are qualified to enter the core sect and become a core disciple of our sect.

Of course you still have to comprehend at least to mid level attack techniques and have a certain comprehension towards the soul realm.

After that stages there are also the soul sea stage being as powerful as the nascent stage. The soul world stage with strength similar to the immortal stage and the heavenly soul stage corresponding to the deity stage and also marking the stage that will give you immortality.

There are still stages above the ones I told you about, but to even reach the stages I have told you about will need you to give your uttermost to reach them. Even if you strive your whole life the change to reach heavenly soul realm is extremely small. After all even our sect has only one heavenly soul stage expert being our patriarch!

But as long as you will work hard and never loose your motivation you still have the change to reach this mystic stage. And although I said that the heavenly soul stage correspond to the deity stage. If taking into account that all Illis are proficient in formations it can be said that if an Illis goes all out, he can even fight a deity exceeding stage! This means that in this realm, he will be the highest existence that exists."

All of the outer disciples had been paying close attention to Zes words. They had already know about the stages up to the heavenly soul stage, but they hadn't know that there were even higher stages then the heavenly soul stage. Also many of the things Zes told them had caused them to ponder about the things they already knew and unknowingly they had started to comprehend some things they were unable to comprehend before. In the end, they all had to admit that they wouldn't have been able to explain the stages in a way that was even close to the way Zes explained.

As for why Zes had compared the Illis stages to the qi cultivation stages, this was because a big part of the outer disciples were also cultivating qi techniques to prolong their lives. In fact even many inner sect disciples were still cultivating qi while also cultivating the the divine soul energy as Illis. Only the members of the core sect and the original families in the sect were really only cultivating the way of Illis and did not distract themselves with other cultivation techniques. After all if how could someone that concentrates on one way be slower then someone that was dividing his attention?

Actually most of the outer disciples were already body or gatherer stage and had their lives prolonged for a few decades. So many of them were familiar with the stages of qi cultivation.

Just as Zes wanted to start telling them about other parts in the way of Illis, a group of people appeared in the sky above the theater. They all wore purple robes that identified them as core disciples. The disciples of the heavenly soul sect could be differentiated by the colors they were wearing. Outer disciples were all wearing blue robes, why inner disciples wore red ones. Only the core sect disciples were wearing purple robes. So when faced with a person wearing a red robe, a blue wearing outer sect disciple would always be extremely polite. The same was valid for the red wearing inner disciples that were facing a purple wearing core disciple.

So when seeing the purple wearing group of people slowly descending into the theater, the outer disciples immediately stood up and bowed once. Zes on the other side had still the completely out of place smile that did not quite belonged into his cold frozen face. He had long since recognized the group that was currently heading towards him.

Because of his brought knowledge and comprehension, he had a very special position inside of the sect. Although he was a inner sect disciple, he had influence akin to a core disciple and even when faced with elders of the sect he did not have to bow in respect. In fact, the patriarch wanted to directly make Zes a core disciple or even a elder when he first found out about his profound comprehension.

But there was a problem.