Chapter 110: Purification
Gill froze in place. Leo glanced at the raven, noting a dumbfounded look in its dark crimson eyes, before turning his attention back to the mysterious man strolling in his direction. A deep sense of foreboding settled into Leo’s chest. He eyed the approaching figure warily.
"Did I do something wrong?"
The mysterious man offered no answer, keeping his pace until he stood right in front of Leo.
"You’ll find out soon enough."
Leo’s uneasiness deepened as the man pointed down at the black crystal on the ground.
"You may want to sit cross-legged for what comes next."
Leo frowned. "What do you mean—"
Before he could finish his question, the Soul Crystal in his mouth turned to liquid. He had no chance to spit it out. The melted crystal dissolved into a sweet syrup that slid straight down his throat.
Leo blinked. It tasted surprisingly sweet. For a fleeting second, he wondered if Gill had been hoarding candy from him all this time.
Then, a strange sensation bloomed deep within his chest.
Leo’s expression stiffened. At first, the feeling brought a comfortable, soothing warmth. A heartbeat later, the heat snapped into a freezing chill.
And then came the pain.
Leo’s pupils contracted into pinpricks.
"Ugh!"
He grabbed his stomach and hunched over. Something felt like it had shattered inside of him. A tremendous force erupted from his core, flooding through his veins and making his very soul shake.
The mysterious man’s expression shifted. He pressed a firm palm flat against Leo’s spine.
"Sit down."
Leo gritted his teeth and forced his body into a cross-legged posture.
"Use the second layer of the Star Soul Breathing Technique."
Without hesitation, Leo began circulating the energy.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The familiar rhythm steadied his lungs. Yet, rather than bringing relief, the agony only grew worse. Leo’s entire body trembled.
The mysterious man’s face grew serious. "Don’t stop."
Leo clenched his jaw.
"Whatever happens, keep circulating the technique." The man paused for a second. "This situation is bad... But if you endure it, it can become a great opportunity."
Leo managed a stiff nod. Another wave of torture crashed into him.
"AAARGH!"
His soul felt like it had been tossed straight into a raging fire. Every inch of his being burned. His grip on consciousness wavered, and a sickening feeling set in—as though his very spirit might tear at the seams.
Still, he kept the technique active. The second layer of the Star Soul Breathing Technique moved through his system. Zen flowed along its usual pathways. Again and again, Leo pushed forward, refusing to give up.
The torment kept climbing. Countless invisible needles seemed to pierce his mind from every possible angle. His fingers dug hard into the black crystal floor, sending hairline fractures creeping outward from beneath his palms.
Gill watched with frantic eyes from the sidelines. For once, the raven kept its shadowy cane lowered, reduced to simply staring.
The mysterious man narrowed his gaze.
"Good."
"Keep going."
The words sounded muffled to Leo’s ears. The edges of his vision blurred into a hazy mess. He wanted nothing more than to scream and collapse on the ground.
Instead, he kept breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Then, buried underneath the overwhelming ache, Leo sensed something new. Something profound.
The Soul Crystal wasn’t just dumping raw energy into his system. It was breaking down. The vibrant power trapped inside began coating his spirit.
Red. Blue. Green. Purple. Gold.
Countless colors twisted together, weaving their way into his essence. Leo’s core shuddered under the strain. Every single strand of Zen inside of him flared to life, reacting to the foreign presence.
The mysterious man’s eyes sharpened.
"That’s it."
"Your soul is accepting it."
"Don’t stop the technique."
Leo bared his teeth against the strain. "Understood..."
His voice came out as a weak whisper. The colorful energy pushed further, seeping into every hidden corner of his mind. Slowly, the nature of the pain shifted. It no longer felt like pure destruction. Something was being pulled out of him. A hidden weight buried deep within was peeling away.
Without warning, thick white steam began rising from Leo’s body. It drifted up from his shoulders, his back, his arms, and even the crown of his head.
Leo forced his eyes open. "What..."
Another wave of agony cut off his words.
"AAAH!" he screamed.
Yet, his breathing stayed steady. The Star Soul Breathing Technique kept doing its work. The mysterious man remained anchored behind him, pressing his palm firmly against Leo’s back.
"Don’t lose your rhythm."
Leo clung to the familiar cycle as if it were his only lifeline.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The torture dragged on, feeling as though it might last an eternity. Then, little by little, it began to fade. The burning fire cooled down to embers. The crushing pressure in his chest vanished. The wild rainbow energy tamed itself, trading its destructive edge for a gentle, flowing warmth that moved through him like a quiet river.
Leo’s heavy pants leveled out into a normal breathing rhythm. The thick white steam clouding the air drifted apart, leaving nothing but silence in the dome.
Leo sat perfectly still. He kept his eyes shut, taking a moment to sense the state of his own core. Something had changed.
His spirit felt denser. Stronger. Much more stable. Even the Zen traveling through his body moved differently. The energy glided along his pathways without a single hitch, as though a layer of grime had been washed clean from his veins.
The mysterious man finally pulled his hand away, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Looks like you’ve found yourself another opportunity."
Leo opened his eyes. For a split second, a rainbow shimmer flashed across his dark pupils before melting away. He looked down at his hands, testing his grip by clenching his fists.
"So..." He raised his head to meet the man’s gaze. "What exactly did I gain?"
The mysterious man smiled. "Nothing too dramatic."
Leo threw him a deeply suspicious glare. "Nothing too dramatic?"
The man nodded. "I merely helped channel the energy of the Soul Crystal. That energy purified the impurities inside your soul."
Leo blinked in disbelief. "That’s all?"
"That’s all."
Leo stared at his palms again. He could feel a stark difference. His core felt incredibly clean, strong, and highly resilient. His grip over the Zen inside him felt far smoother than it ever had.
He looked back up. "That doesn’t sound like ’nothing.’"
The man gave a light shrug. "To me, it is. Absorbing Zen would have gradually achieved the same result on its own." He paused, letting the silence hang for a moment. "Eventually. Congratulations, anyway."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "Then why did it hurt so much?"
The mysterious man chuckled. "Because your soul was being purified. Did you think removing impurities would feel pleasant?"
Leo’s expression turned sour. "You could’ve warned me."
The mysterious man arched an eyebrow. "I tried." He shifted his gaze over to the raven. "But it seems you didn’t take the lesson Gill taught you about the virtue of patience seriously."
Leo sat speechless. He turned his head toward Gill. The bird found something very interesting to look at on the far side of the room.
"Traitor."
Gill acted deaf. Leo let out a long sigh and turned his attention back to his instructor.
"So..." He pointed a finger at the pile of remaining Soul Crystals. "Am I going to experience the same thing every time I eat one?"
The man chuckled. "Most likely."
Leo’s grimace froze in place. "Most likely?"
"Yes."
"Meaning?"
"It depends on the condition of your soul." The man leaned down, picking up a second dark stone. "The first crystal purified a large amount of impurities from your soul. Future crystals shouldn’t cause the same reaction."
Some of the tension drained from Leo’s shoulders. "That’s good."
The man’s grin never wavered. "However, if you consume too many in a short period of time, your soul may not be able to withstand the purification."
Leo’s expression hardened. "So there is a limit."
"Of course."
Before Leo could ask another question, Gill popped up right beside his elbow. The raven pointed a hand at the leftover crystals, aimed it back at Leo, and then shook its feathered head in frantic denial.
Leo frowned. "Don’t eat another one?"
Gill nodded firmly.
Leo glanced at the sack on the floor, looked back at Gill, and eyed the sack once more. After mulling it over for a few seconds, a small smirk crossed his face.
"Fine."
Gill sagged with relief.
Leo leaned in a little closer. "But I’ll remember where you keep them."
Gill froze. At a painfully slow pace, the raven dragged the sack behind its body, wrapping its shadowy wings around the prize like a protective shield.
Leo grinned. Gill’s crimson eyes narrowed into a glare. The boy and the bird locked into a staring contest, neither willing to yield an inch.
The mysterious man watched the standoff from the sidelines, an amused smile touching his face. He finally broke the silence by clearing his throat.
"Alright."
Both Leo and Gill snapped their heads toward him. The man rose to his feet.
"Now that you’ve finished your little argument..." His expression lost its humor, hardening into serious lines. "It’s time for the next stage of your training."