Ray looked at his mother, waiting for her to say yes. He had fulfilled his promise. He had cultivated to the Iron Soul stage. His eyes were full of excitement and expectation. Diana, his mother, also knew she couldn't delay any further. If she said anything now or made him wait even a day longer, he would surely run away without telling her.
Diana looked at her son and finally nodded. Then she said, "It seems I cannot go with you this time though. Your grandfather called and said that his younger brother has come and wants some answers. He is planning on doing something. I am going there. I will let you go, but one of my shadow guards will follow you."
"Ma, then why don't you take some men from father's side? I have a hunch that Grand Uncle is up to something. You should also protect yourself well. Also, take a protection charm or talisman from Third Mother," Ray said, worry etched on his face.
"Who's the mother here? Who needs protection more? You or me, you silly brat?" she said, flicking Ray on the forehead.
"Ma, I'm serious. You better listen to me," Ray said, holding his head as his expression turned serious.
Diana finally gave in and said, "Fine, I will listen to you."
Ray personally followed Diana to Selene and made sure she took the talisman. Seeing this, both Diana and Selene chuckled.
Diana also mentioned that since Ray was heading out on an adventure, she asked Selene for a talisman for him as well. Upon hearing that, Selene went overboard, showering Ray with talismans from head to toe.
Diana complained about favoritism. She jokingly battled it out with Selene and managed to get a few more talismans out of her. Selene, as always, couldn't win against Diana.
Ray sighed at the scene. Afterward, they both bade farewell to Selene and left.
Diana told Ray that he would follow her to the carriage, and she would give him a lift to a village, which would be his starting point. Ray nodded in excitement.
Ray took all the items he needed, but unfortunately, he couldn't use a storage ring yet because he hadn't awakened for cultivation. He would have to wait another year before he could begin. Even after awakening, he still wouldn't be able to use a storage ring as a Qi Stage cultivator. Only upon reaching the Wood Stage of cultivation would he gain that ability. It's at that point one is truly considered a cultivator—when they begin cultivating spiritual energy.
Ray had a long way to go before being able to use a storage ring. He had thought about this and even started thinking of creating a new type of storage ring that could be used by soul cultivators. For that, he knew he would need to learn the laws of space.
Diana told him that since one of her shadow guards would accompany him, she would collect all the items he needed to take. Ray nodded and allowed the shadow guard to handle it.
On the way to the carriage, Ray learned the name of the shadow guard—Freya. Freya had been with his mother almost all her life, along with two other shadow guards. Diana told Ray that she wouldn't be giving any of her shadow guards to him; he needed to find his own loyal shadow guard. Ray nodded. He also planned to do exactly that.
Once inside the carriage, Diana began to give Ray some information about the village. She said that the village had existed even before the Richard Kingdom. Kingdoms had risen and fallen, and villages and cities had changed over the years—but this village had remained the same. According to her, the village was one of the safest places.
The villagers were quite friendly. It was a good place for business. However, there were a few strict rules. Fighting was forbidden. If someone fought, they would be banned. Crippling or killing a villager was absolutely forbidden. If someone dared, there would be consequences. Diana didn't know the full extent, but she said there were rumors of a deadly curse tied to such acts.
If one wished to purchase anything, they had to strike a deal with the villagers. If the villagers refused to sell, they had to walk away and look elsewhere.
Ray asked, "Can they work for me? Can they leave the village? Can I get a shadow guard there?"
Diana shook her head. "Since they cannot leave the village, they cannot work for you outside its boundaries. They are cursed and must remain within the village. If you can convince them to work for you, they can only do so by staying inside the village. Since ancient times, no one has managed to make them work for anyone. If you can do it, that would be a miracle."
"Since they cannot leave the village, they can't act as your shadow guard outside. However, if you can break their curse, maybe you could get them out. They might even work for you. Haha!" Diana laughed as she said this.
Then, her tone changed. Diana warned Ray that many villagers had lived since ancient times. She wasn't sure if they were cultivators or not. She told him to be very careful. Diana had never warned Ray like this before—she repeated her warnings multiple times.
Ray nodded, considering a visit to the village for research. He wondered if he could collaborate with the villagers to improve his technology. He could offer them protection through formations and other methods—or perhaps they could protect him in return for something. It needed to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
Finally, they reached the village. Ray and Freya stepped down from the carriage. Diana bid farewell. Before leaving, she told him she would join him after settling her family issue.
Ray nodded and waved until she was out of sight. Diana also looked back with a smile, but as soon as Ray turned toward the village, her smile disappeared.
Three carriages followed behind her—filled with personal soldiers she had received from the Walker family. She took all of them with her, based on Ray's request.
Ray looked ahead and saw the village. It was filled with small houses, and many farmers were working in the fields. Fences surrounded the entire field, and in the middle was a small gate with a signboard on top that read:
"Welcome to Vaelen Village."
Ray felt a deep peace just looking at it from afar. The air, the scent of the earth, the natural scenery—all of it reminded him of his village days with his mother from a past life. Nostalgic feelings suddenly surged in him.
After standing silently for a while, taking in the view, he turned to Freya and said, "Let's go!"