At the personal training ground of Ray's, Reggie felt humiliated. Anne approached her brother to check if he was alright. The sparring match between Reggie and Ray had seemed like a victory for Reggie. He used cultivation to send Ray flying, but Ray would always land safely and regain his balance. This repeated over and over. Ray couldn't strike back and was barely able to defend himself.
Anne turned to Paul and asked, "Teacher, what happened? I thought Reggie was winning this fight?"
Paul replied, "It looked like Reggie had control—in your eyes. But to us, it was clear Ray was controlling the whole fight. At first, Reggie was full of flaws. He was only thinking about defeating Ray with a powerful smash from his sword. What Ray was doing, however, was absorbing all of Reggie's attacks to create distance and redirect the force of those attacks while backing away."
Paul continued, "Yes, Reggie's attacks were powerful, and Ray had no way to match him head-on. So Ray kept doing the same thing over and over—defending and analyzing—until he found a flaw in Reggie's technique. That's when he made a breakthrough in his sword skill—something we call 'sword force.' If that sword force had landed on Reggie, he would have been badly injured—possibly even crippled."
Reggie then asked, "So… can I win against him, Master?"
Paul replied, "You could have—if you had noticed the flaw and not kept attacking with full force each time. If you had used your brain to think strategically, you could have defeated him today. After watching your fight with Ray, it's clear I'll have to address many of your weaknesses. I'll have to train you in tactics and strategy from now on. Let's go."
….
Ray went to knock on his mother's door, but it seemed she wasn't home. According to a maid, she had been summoned by Ray's maternal grandfather to help fix a formation. Ray had been hoping to train with his mother, but now, disappointed, he decided to return to his room and train alone.
On his way, he saw Selene walking with her youngest child. Selene's daughter, Angelina, was eight years old. She had recently experienced her awakening and could now begin cultivating. Angelina adored her mother and followed her everywhere like a shadow. She wanted to be just like her—a talisman master. She was Robert's twelfth child.
Seeing Selene coming toward him, Ray greeted her politely. "Good morning, Third Mother."
Hearing Ray call her 'Third Mother' gave Selene a warm feeling, and she responded, "Good morning, Little Ray. What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be training?"
Ray smiled and replied, "I've finished my training and was planning to meet Mother, but it seems she's been called away by my maternal grandfather."
Selene understood and was about to bid him farewell, as she planned to train Angelina in talisman practice.
But before she could leave, Ray asked, "Third Mother, can I watch how you make talismans?"
Ray's primary focus was formation, but his secondary interest was talismans. Since he needed the internet, he understood that formations alone wouldn't be enough—he also needed to create a server and a battery. That's where talismans came in. He planned to combine both formations and talismans to introduce the concept of the internet to the world.
Selene raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't you want to become a formation master?"
Ray responded with a smile, "Of course, I want to become a formation master. But I heard talismans can complement formations. So I want to learn some basics from you, Third Mother."
Every time Ray called her 'Third Mother,' Selene felt a strange warmth, like she wanted to kidnap this cute little child for herself.
Seeing no harm in letting Ray observe and learn the basics, Selene agreed and told him to follow her.
Aunt Mary, who had been watching from a distance, saw Ray going with Selene. Ray looked back and called out, "Aunt Mary, please tell Mother that I've gone with my third mother to learn talismans. If she looks for me in my room, let her know where I am."
Aunt Mary nodded and walked away. With her gone, Ray followed Selene to her personal room, where she usually taught Angelina talisman crafting.
Selene looked at Ray and asked, "Little Ray, tell me what you know about talismans."
Ray replied, "According to a book I read, a talisman is a tool used for storing or sealing. It can be used to create explosions or seal ghosts and evil spirits. It can store energy, or it can serve as a charm for protection."
Selene was impressed—even surprised. Angelina was even more surprised, as she didn't know many of the things Ray had just mentioned.
Selene said, "That's mostly correct. There are many more uses, but you don't need to worry about all of them now—the list is too long."
She then asked, "So where are talismans made? What do you use to make them?"
Ray shook his head. "I don't know. The book didn't say. Maybe some kind of disk-shaped formation?"
Selene replied, "It can be done anywhere—on paper, ornaments, disks, even stones—if you know how to use runes."
She explained further, "While talismans can be made on many surfaces, they have to be strong enough to hold the diagram. Ordinary paper won't work, as the diagram can destroy it. Special talisman paper lasts longer. Stones can work too, and if you use special stones, they last even longer than paper. The stronger the material, the better."
Ray and Angelina both nodded in understanding.
Selene brought out a few books and handed them to Ray.
Ray looked confused, so Selene chuckled and said, "Your mother told me you're good at learning through reading. While you go through these, I'll be teaching Angelina how to make talismans on paper."
Ray nodded and began reading. Whenever he had questions, he would wait until Selene wasn't busy and then ask her.
"Third Mother…"
"Third Mother…"
"Third Mother…"
"Third Mother…"
Every time Ray called her "Third Mother," Selene felt a strange, funny sensation. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and asked, "Who taught you to call me 'Third Mother'? Was it your mother?"
Ray replied, "No one taught me. No one told me what to call you. I figured, since you're Father's wife, I should call you Third Mother."
Selene chuckled at his innocent logic. "Normally, the other wives' children call me 'Third Duchess' or 'Aunt Selene.'"
Realization hit Ray, and he said in a panic, "I'm sorry, Third Duchess! I didn't know what to call you before!"
But when Selene heard him call her 'Third Duchess,' she suddenly felt as though something important had been taken away—as if Ray had just made her into a stranger.
She immediately said, "I forbid you from calling me Third Duchess."
Ray, confused, asked, "Then what should I call you?"
With a gentle ahem, Selene replied, "You can call me 'Third Mother,' just like before. I was only curious who taught you that. I never said you couldn't call me that."
Ray nodded and smiled. "Third Mother."
Selene suddenly felt overjoyed and began to teach Ray cheerfully. Angelina noticed a new side of her mother—she had never seen her so happy just from being called 'Third Mother.'
After asking countless questions, Ray finally understood most of the fundamentals. It was time for him to attempt drawing a diagram. Selene gave him a talisman pen and special talisman paper. He focused entirely and began drawing, while Selene and Angelina watched from the side.
At one point, he made a mistake and ruined the paper.
Selene, observing from the side, gave him pointers. She didn't mind if the paper was wasted and encouraged him to keep trying.
Ray kept going. Every time he made a mistake, it was a different one—showing clear improvement. After nine failed attempts, he finally succeeded on his tenth try.
The talisman he created was a protection talisman. When he activated it, it worked. Selene proved it by attacking—and the talisman blocked the attack. It was a low-tier, early Qi stage talisman, but Ray was thrilled at his success.
Selene was equally happy, as if her own child had achieved something. Angelina jumped with Ray in excitement, and they cheered together as Ray finally managed to create his first talisman.