257. The Generous Skeleton Senior
"How are the voices in the white lights affecting you?" Robert Fairweather asked with genuine curiosity.
"They're not that bad; in fact, I understand how they feel."
By "not that bad," I realized I truly thought so, without a hint of falsehood.
"That's what I don't understand." Senior Brother Fairweather withdrew his gaze and settled back onto the skeleton frame, observing me silently. "You can actually handle it?"
As he spoke, he released another wisp of flowing white lights.
I had indeed been listening attentively to the chaotic thoughts within it. Though my brows furrowed slightly, I listened from beginning to end. The same white lights that sounded like meaningless chittering to Robert Fairweather's ears actually made sense to me.
"..."
Those with natural talent often lack the proper life experience and mindset, while those who work their way up typically lack talent and have limited lifespans.
It seemed like a frustrating paradox—an unsolvable knot.
No wonder New Terra had only thirteen Vessels of Redeemer throughout its history.
I returned the Lion-heart Method manual to the shelf.
To avoid drawing attention, I still held onto the Mount Sinai manual.
The attic was somewhat cramped, yet pleasantly quiet.
I settled into another corner.
My situation described as "not that bad" was actually just marginally better than this skeleton senior brother's. After all, I was only in my twenties—and though I had seen considerable suffering, when it came to deep understanding...
Compared to those agents from H.A.R.M. who had fought their way up from the bottom, I still faced a considerable disadvantage.
But my advantage lay in time—as long as the path was not blocked, I could eventually walk it.
I looked at the panel.
[Remaining Vampire Lifespan: 112,237 years]
This Senior Brother had at most two or three thousand years of lifespan, whereas I possessed more than twenty times that amount.
With training methods in hand and no lack of resources, if I still couldn't break through with all that, I might as well find a block of tofu to smash my head against.
However, before proceeding with that.
"Senior Brother, what does the first line of the Mount Sinai Golden Body Method mean?"
Though I had an abundant vampire lifespan, there was no point in wasting it. With a knowledgeable instructor right in front of me, I naturally wanted to make the most of this opportunity.
"..."
Senior Brother Fairweather paused, silently confirming that this junior brother wasn't joking with him.
He got up and dragged out a box of manuscripts from the corner, taking them out one by one and blowing off the dust.
Each book contained repeatedly copied text, with handwriting that evolved from neat to messy, eventually deteriorating into ghostly scribbles by the final pages.
For the Mount Sinai Golden Body Method alone, he had copied it countless times. Had he not burned the manuscripts after filling this box, they would have likely filled the entire Martial Abbey.
He selected the manuscript with the clearest handwriting.
Sitting beside me, he patiently explained word by word in a soft voice.
Despite my average comprehension abilities, my memory had grown exceptionally powerful after thousands of years of consciousness enhancement through my battles with the Cosmic Devouring Embryo.
Instead of trying to understand everything completely, I simply memorized it word for word.
I left the rest to the deduction ability of the panel.
.…..
"Still not out yet?" Several Redeemed Spirits drifted around the Abbey Repository, occasionally casting glances toward the attic entrance.
Deputy Inspector Kane had been inside for three days, with Senior Brother Fairweather remaining there alongside him.
"What could this mean?" they whispered among themselves, though the answer was fairly obvious.
They just couldn't believe it.
What else could they possibly be doing in that small loft except practicing the Golden Body Method?
But—
The minimum threshold for practicing the Golden Body Method was Upper Realm of Seeker of Redeemer.
John Kane seemed to have joined the Martial Abbey just twenty days ago, with half of that time spent inspecting Florida.
When did he find time to accumulate devotional power?
"Let me tell you something..."
One of the younger-looking Seekers of Redeemer suddenly lowered his voice: "The reason Reverend Thompson values John Kane so much is because he can instantly absorb Golden Body energy—his constitution is perfect for cultivating a Redeemed Spirit."
This allowed him to bypass the most time-consuming absorption process.
The remaining challenge was using the power of faith to condense wings, which purely depended on talent and could be achieved through instantaneous enlightenment.
"Tsk, his path is much smoother than Senior Brother Fairweather's was in his day."
The other Redeemed Spirits shook their heads ambiguously, leaving it unclear whether they were expressing genuine admiration or something else.
… …
At the same time.
In the small attic, Senior Brother Fairweather finished explaining the entire Golden Body Method. He looked at me with confusion. "Junior Brother, why haven't you said anything? Did you understand all of it?"
"I prefer to memorize everything first, then contemplate it at my own pace." I bowed my head gratefully. "If I have questions later, I'll seek Senior Brother's guidance again."
Researching this Golden Body Method on my own would consume at least decades or hundreds of years of my vampire lifespan—perhaps even longer.
Willing to share experience accumulated over thousands of years, the skeleton senior brother appeared unassuming, but was truly remarkable in his generosity.
"Alright." Senior Brother Fairweather nodded, simply carried his skeleton frame next to me, bent his bone arms back slightly to avoid disturbing me, and sat down.
No longer discussing the Golden Body Method, he lapsed back into his meditative state.
I closed my eyes, gripping the gold cross with one hand.
At first, I had dismissed the thin remnants of faith power as trivial, but my view changed after absorbing those small wisps from Senior Brother Fairweather. If I could completely internalize these remnants, they might become my gateway into the Golden Body Method.
I mobilized my absorbed lifespan and poured it into the Mount Sinai Golden Body Method.
[Year One: You browse through this cultivation method, experiencing what it means to transcend. When flesh inevitably withers, only the golden body remains eternal. You've gained initial insight into this method and now must slowly digest the power of faith.]
The wisdom passed down by predecessors was truly invaluable.
Especially during periods of strenuous training with no visible progress, one would be driven to dissect each word into individual letters to grasp its meaning.
At this moment, all of Senior Brother's thousand years of hard work had been freely gifted to me.
Whenever I hit roadblocks in my deductions, I would simply pause and ask the senior beside me.
This situation reminded me of working with Aisha Patani, but unlike her, this skeleton senior dedicated considerably more time and explained everything with far greater detail.
So thoroughly that I nearly grasped it completely.
[Year 377: You have fully integrated the entire method and begun preliminary attempts at entry. You mobilize a wisp of faith power, carefully savoring it.]
The process of transforming formless faith power into a tangible golden body resembled the technique employed by the Red-Eyed Vampire King.
But there were significant differences too.
While the Vampire King condensed armor and weapons, the Golden Body Method forged something far more essential—the vessel that would house one's future existence.
When crafting external objects, one needn't worry about their contents.
However, no Redeemed Spirit would risk inhabiting a vessel contaminated with chaotic emotions. Such a spirit would inevitably suffer from mental demons and stray from their intended path.
[Year 1,800: You have digested substantial devotional power. Your mind has fallen into extreme chaos, your expression alternating between ferocity and gentleness...]
With my eyes closed, I feigned deep concentration.
Suddenly my body convulsed as emotions—far more intense than any previous ones—violently surged into my mind.
My eyes snapped open, red mist rising from my pupils.
The killing intent grew so thick it seemed almost tangible.
I turned my head toward the skeleton frame beside me: "..."