By the time their spar concluded, Leyvi was thoroughly beaten, his body a canvas of black and blue bruises. The sight left Dastan in an exceptionally good mood.
For so long, he had been on the receiving end of Leyvi's physical and mental provocations. Now, he had finally claimed his revenge!
Throughout the fight, Leyvi had been confronted with the stark realities of facing a Nascent Soul expert. Beyond the dampening field and the Qi-disrupting nature of the Nascent Soul Body, he encountered another significant problem. Because Nascent Soul cultivators could freely control their Qi over a wide area, Dastan could easily employ illumination techniques across the entire battlefield, blinding him. This was a major blow to someone like Leyvi, who relied so heavily on his spiritual sense to navigate a fight.
Yet, even in his helplessness against Dastan's relentless assault, a moment of desperation led to a significant discovery. Leyvi found that the dampening effect surrounding Dastan could be nullified, or at least forcefully blown away, by unleashing his own Spiritual Pressure in a concentrated burst.
While it was only a small breakthrough, it offered a glimmer of hope, potentially reducing one of the many disadvantages he faced against a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
Overall, however, as a Core Formation Realm cultivator, Leyvi could not yet fathom a reliable strategy to overcome a Nascent Soul expert. It seemed almost every innate ability gained in that realm was designed to completely suppress the realm below it. The chasm between Nascent Soul and Core Formation was far vaster than the gap between Core Formation and Foundation Building.
Even though Dastan acted mysteriously about it, telling Leyvi to figure it out himself, he still explained that many of the advantages he had over Leyvi wouldn't be as effective if he were to face another Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. It depended on who had higher mastery.
---
A month later, the entire group had gathered at the mine's entrance, their preparations complete and their spirits set on departure.
"What about the Spiritual Vein?" Seraphina's voice cut through the air, her tone laced with its usual condescension as she addressed Leyvi. "Aren't you training Spiritual Touch to acquire it? Why haven't you taken it yet?"
Leyvi offered a calm smile. By now, he was a professional at handling arrogant individuals, and her disdainful tone no longer bothered him. "Don't worry. I am about to go and retrieve it. Why? Do you want it for yourself?"
"Hmph! If you know your place, then that is what you should do. A nobody like you does not deserve the ultimate cultivation resource. You would only bring calamity upon yourself if word of it got out," Seraphina replied, smoothing the fabric of her noble lady dress with a practiced air of superiority.
Leyvi chuckled inwardly but gave an outward nod, as if in full agreement. A sudden, mischievous impulse struck him, a desire to slip into "Anda Mode" and give this arrogant young lady a proper scare.
"Lady Seraphina, you are right," he began, his voice deceptively light. "The Spiritual Vein would indeed bring calamity to me if it were leaked. But..." He paused, his expression shifting, the friendly light in his eyes hardening into something far more menacing as he took a deliberate step closer, his gaze locking onto hers. "...if everyone here keeps the secret, who will ever know?"
He let the question hang in the air for a moment before continuing, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Oh... could it be that you were planning to leak the secret?" Another step forward. "Because if so..."
For dramatic effect, Leyvi unleashed his Core Formation aura and sent out his Spiritual Pressure upon her, which grew progressively heavier, a suffocating weight pressing down on her spirit.
"...silencing you right here and right now would solve everything, would it not?"
Seraphina felt the world shrink. The sheer oppression directed solely at her, Leyvi's sudden and terrifying shift in demeanor, the way his eyes seemed to see straight through her, all culminated in a deep, primal terror. Her own Spiritual Pressure flared in a desperate, futile attempt to resist, only to be utterly crushed by the overwhelming density of his.
Her legs gave way, buckling beneath her, and she fell to the ground in a heap of fine silk and trembling limbs.
Though Seraphina was the sole target, everyone else in the vicinity could feel the terrifying intent radiating from Leyvi. He was usually so happy-go-lucky that they never expected he could possess such a menacing aura. And his Core Formation aura, what was with that? It felt ridiculously, unnaturally dense!
No! No! He is going to kill me! No! I need to say something! I don't want to die!
Her mind descended into pure chaos. The paralyzing fear, the inability to move, it all triggered the deep-seated trauma of her near-death experience, of being trapped and helpless in that mysterious cement pool.
"Please! Please! Don't kill me! I swear I won't tell a soul! I will take an oath right now!" In a frantic, desperate rush, Seraphina immediately recited the words of a strict and binding cultivator's oath.
When she finally dared to look up, the crushing, oppressive pressure had vanished completely. She was greeted only by Leyvi's familiar, easy-going smile.
"Lady Seraphina. I was just joking with you. I didn't know that you would panic like this. My bad. Hahaha!" Leyvi said, realizing his acting had been a little too effective. Still, he felt no genuine remorse. She had, after all, been asking for it.
The others watching could only stare, utterly speechless. That was a joke? The murderous intent had felt utterly real.
A joke? My bad? Seraphina was left completely dumbfounded, a storm of conflicting emotions warring within her. Should she be furious or simply relieved? It had not felt like a joke in the slightest!
She had been utterly convinced of her impending death! In her terror, she had even taken a strict oath that could potentially hinder her future cultivation. And worse of all, the familiar, damp warmth spread. She had peed her panties again! Ever since meeting Anda, this humiliation had befallen her multiple times!
"Big Madam," Valenia whispered, leaning toward Anda. "Why do I feel like Leyvi was acting just like you a moment ago?"
"Hehe." Anda giggled, a sound of pure, unadulterated happiness. "He loves me the most. Of course he knows me the best. Inside and outside." Her tone was brimming with proud possession.
She had been about to step in and scare Seraphina herself, but her husband had beaten her to it. It seemed all the roleplay they had done together had not been wasted; their acting skills were now truly top-tier. If she did not know her husband's heart so intimately, even she might have believed he was about to kill the noble lady for real.
Valenia could only roll her eyes in response. Did you gather so many ladies around him just so you could show off about being loved the most?
"Hmph. That is what you get for being out of line, stupid girl. Did you think you could have the Spiritual Vein or something? It's mine! This prince has claimed it!" Dastan declared, his voice ringing with newfound authority.
"Eh?" Seraphina was taken aback, her confusion cutting through her lingering fear. "But Your Highness Dastan, what about that pan... Big Madam Anda?"
She had been certain that Anda, with her husband diligently learning Spiritual Touch, was the intended keeper of the vein. Yet now the crown prince was asserting his claim. Was it because he had reached the Nascent Soul Realm? Seraphina could no longer make sense of the situation. Still, this development was preferable. If she could not possess the Spiritual Vein, then she would rather see it in the crown prince's hands than the panda woman's.
"Why do you need to know?" Dastan retorted, his tone leaving no room for inquiry. "Of course this prince promised them all the riches and opportunities they could desire. How could they refuse this prince? Listen carefully, if anybody here dares to leak a single word about the Spiritual Vein, this prince will make sure to destroy them first!" His threat carried the weight of his royal status and his formidable power, silencing any further dissent.
"Leyvi, help this prince keep the Spiritual Vein secure," Dastan commanded, tossing a space ring toward him.
"Hohoo... our crown prince here can finally act like a real crown prince. I am so happy to see your growth. From a clown prince to a crown prince!" Leyvi joked, snatching the ring out of the air with a grin.
"Dammit Leyvi! This prince has always been a crown prince!"
"Hahaha!" Leyvi turned and dashed into the dark mouth of the mine.
Some time later, Leyvi emerged from the mine, carefully guiding a large, flowing river of light.
The Spiritual Vein.
The vein was substantial, so he led it out into an open space where he could envelop its entire form without obstruction.
Of course, he could have accomplished this just as easily deep within the tunnels, but he needed to maintain his secret. It was crucial to hide the fact that his Spiritual Touch could pass seamlessly through solid matter.
Once in the clearing, he concentrated, and in the next moment, the magnificent, glowing Spiritual Vein vanished from sight.
"Here you go!" Leyvi called out, tossing the space ring back to Dastan with a casual flick of his wrist.
"Daa hahaha! What a great day!" Dastan boomed, catching the ring with a flourish. "Don't worry, Leyvi. This prince is a man of his word! The Leyan Family shall be a strong ally of our Royal Family from this day forward. Alright, everyone, we can depart now!"
So that is the deal they made, Seraphina thought, a fresh wave of irritation washing over her. Hmph! A mere family from a backward continent, securing such a favorable agreement. So irritating!
Leyvi chuckled to himself. This guy's acting skills are not bad at all. Now, everyone present was convinced the Spiritual Vein rested securely in Dastan's possession. None would suspect the truth that the ultimate cultivation resource had been seamlessly transferred directly into his own internal storage room. That had been the plan all along.
A switcheroo in plain sight.