CHAPTER 656: OFFERING

"A secret realm?" Aldrian thought.

He paused for a moment, then a thought occurred to him.

"Is it one of the secret realms belonging to one of the four guardian families?" That seemed the most likely explanation for where Zander could have found his cultivation technique.

"Could you explain more?" Aldrian asked, prompting a nod from Zander.

"At that time, I accidentally entered the Everlasting Silent Forest with a group of hunters from the Doria Empire. We were originally trying to escape from a group of bandits, and in our panic, we ended up entering it by mistake."

"I got lost in the forest, and worse, I ended up trapped inside the secret realm as my surroundings suddenly changed. While I was trying to find a way out of that place, I came across a kind of dilapidated building. Inside it, I found the book that contains my current cultivation manual."

"The cultivation manual was so strong and captivating that, without any hesitation, I decided to abandon my previous technique and switch to it. As expected, it was truly powerful. Once I started cultivating with it, I could immediately sense the difference in my cultivation speed and the strength I was able to wield."

"Since I couldn’t find a way out of the secret realm, I decided to continue cultivating inside it. I was only able to leave a year later, when the forest underwent some sort of change. By that time, I had already made two breakthroughs, from the baron stage to the low viscount stage."

Zander then paused—he had finished explaining how he found the cultivation technique. Aldrian nodded in understanding, and his suspicion was likely confirmed. Zander had most likely been trapped inside one of the secret realms under the jurisdiction of one of the four guardian families.

However, Aldrian still had not figured out where Zander could have developed his special physique.

"Zander, do you know about special physiques or special constitutions?" Aldrian asked. Zander looked at him in confusion before shaking his head.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. Please enlighten me, as I don’t know what that is."

Aldrian nodded and began explaining what a special physique was, which left Zander astonished. Aldrian also told him that he possessed one of these special physiques, which made him unique.

Hearing Aldrian’s words, Zander was truly shocked. Him? A special physique? The Solar Sword’s Body?

Looking at Zander, Aldrian could tell that he truly had no idea about his own physique. In fact, from the way Aldrian saw it, no one seemed to know that Zander possessed a special physique. Even Headmaster Wang was unaware, if he had known, he would have handled Zander’s situation far more seriously.

"You’ve never felt anything that might be related to having a special physique? I mean, have you ever noticed anything unusual about your body, as far back as you can remember?" Aldrian asked.

Zander fell into thought, as if trying to recall anything that might be relevant, before answering.

"To be honest, the only thing I’ve noticed is that I can use a sword easily. I mean... how do I explain it... I’ve always felt like the sword was made for me. That’s why I chose it as my weapon from the very start of my cultivation journey."

"Ah, yes—and when I found that cultivation technique in the secret realm and started using it, I felt more complete and more powerful than ever, just like I said earlier. It truly felt like I was being reborn with new power."

Hearing that, Aldrian couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. This was truly fate. A fate that had led Zander to that cultivation technique, and a fate that had brought the two of them together at this moment.

From what Zander had described, it seemed he had already possessed a special physique long before entering the secret realm, even he was likely born with it.

Aldrian wasn’t surprised. Special physiques could appear randomly as early as during the fetal stage, though they could also be created through artificial means. When they occurred by chance, it was like rolling dice, only the heavens knew who would be born with one.

Zander, who already had a special physique, then encountered a cultivation technique that suited him perfectly. A technique that truly supported his body’s unique physique. One of the four guardian families had once been a sword cultivation family, which explain why they had chosen that cultivation technique from Long Shentian and Feng Xuanyan.

Zander was essentially like Aldrian’s past follower, but a different person.

"I see. You’re truly fated, Zander, you know that? You have a special physique and a cultivation technique that fits you perfectly. That’s why I’ve been wondering, why is your cultivation still so low, and why does it seem like you’ve made very little progress here, despite having those advantages? Did you notice any changes after coming here?" Aldrian asked.

"Well, actually, the change I felt happened after I came out of the secret realm. After I left the forest and returned to my family, my cultivation started to slow down. Even after entering the academy, I’ve only had two breakthroughs up until now," Zander answered, with a slightly ashamed expression.

He felt like he had wasted everything, that he wasn’t talented enough, even after receiving such fortune.

But to Aldrian, something finally became clear. Zander’s cultivation speed had slowed after leaving the forest? That likely pointed to the influence of his cultivation environment. It seemed that Zander required an environment similar to the forest, or even the secret realm itself, for his cultivation to be effective.

There was no other explanation. Based on the information he had read from the system, Zander’s cultivation was also closely linked to his comprehension. As time passed, he would find it increasingly difficult to grasp deeper comprehension without proper guidance. Even though he could study the Dao of sword at the academy, it wasn’t enough to deepen his comprehension.

That was why, the moment Zander listened to his lecture and entered enlightenment, his cultivation had advanced so dramatically. Still, to continue progressing, Zander needed to cultivate in an environment suited to him, like that secret realm.

Aldrian felt that Zander’s talent was being wasted here. He had the potential to become like one of his past followers, to become a great swordmaster whose name would echo across the heavens.

"Zander, do you want to come with me?" Aldrian asked suddenly, causing Zander’s eyes to widen in shock.

"I’m sorry—what do you mean, Your Majesty?" he blurted out. It was a natural reaction, driven by fear that he had misunderstood what Aldrian just said.

Aldrian smiled and repeated his words.

"Do you want to come with me? I’ll make sure you can fully maximize your talent and special physique. I know how to make you much stronger."

Realizing he hadn’t misheard, Zander’s heart trembled. To follow the emperor and train under him?

It felt like a dream.

Who wouldn’t want to follow the sole emperor of the continent? The man many regarded as a god. Even Zander himself saw the emperor as his role model, his hero, the one he aspired to be.

His life at the academy had been miserable anyway. If nothing changed, he would be expelled next year and he knew he hadn’t made any real progress despite everything.

And now the emperor himself was offering to help him? He would be a fool not to accept.

"Of course, Your Majesty—no, I will follow Your Majesty! Please guide me so I can grow stronger. I don’t want others to underestimate me. I want to bring pride to myself and my family," Zander said as he kowtowed before Aldrian.

Aldrian smiled as he gently controlled the surrounding energy, lifting Zander to his feet.

"Stand up. I’ll speak with Headmaster Wang first. Once you begin following me, you’ll no longer be a disciple of Heavenly Path Academy," he said, which immediately made Zander nervous.

He didn’t know how the headmaster would take it, but his desire to follow Aldrian remained firm.

A few moments later, Headmaster Wang entered the room. Not long after, Aldrian explained his intentions regarding Zander, and the headmaster was visibly astonished. He feared Aldrian had come to this decision because he believed the academy was incompetent and had chosen to step in personally.

But Aldrian quickly clarified that it wasn’t the case. Zander was simply a special case, someone who could only bloom under his guidance. Hearing that, the headmaster understood.

Inwardly, he was relieved. Zander had found someone like Aldrian to guide his growth, something even he, as the headmaster, hadn’t been able to resolve.

After the miserable time Zander had endured at the academy, it finally felt like fortune had arrived. With someone like Emperor Aldrian guiding him, he was bound to shine in the future.

"It looks like his name will be known far and wide," the headmaster thought as he looked at Zander with a pleased expression.

"Zander, you must obey everything His Majesty says from now on. Although you haven’t completed your education here, we will still consider you one of our graduated disciples," he said, causing Zander’s eyes to widen.

"Headmaster, you mean...?"

Headmaster Wang nodded with a smile.

"As of this moment, you are no longer a disciple of Heavenly Path Academy."

Hearing the declaration, Zander’s eyes trembled before he bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Headmaster," he said with gratitude, and receiving a quiet nod in response.

At the very least, for Headmaster Wang, Zander would now have a hopeful future—and Emperor Aldrian wouldn’t mark down the academy because of him.

They spoke for a few more moments before Aldrian finally said that he would be leaving, and that Zander would be going with him.

In the end, under the watchful eyes of many, Aldrian, Baek Jimin, and Zander left the academy grounds. Their departure sparked a wave of discussion among the disciples and teachers alike, though none of them knew exactly what had been discussed in the private room. They would have to wait for the headmaster to reveal where the emperor was taking Zander.

Later that day, the entire academy finally learned that Zander was no longer a disciple of Heavenly Path Academy, he had been personally taken by the emperor to train under him.

News that immediately stirred a wave of envy, especially among those who had bullied him. They felt like tearing their hair out in frustration.

If only they had been the ones chosen by the emperor!