Paragon of Destruction

As the days passed, Arran became increasingly proficient at handling the vast amount of Essence he now had at his disposal.

Each day, he would spend hours training in the abandoned part of the estate, drawing Essence from his Realms and sending great balls of fire and gusts of wind into the distance, scorching and uprooting trees.

The training paid off, with Arran's control over the Essence strengthening and his attacks growing smaller but denser. The fireballs he produced were only half their previous size, but they burned far more intensely, radiating a searing heat as they soared through the air.

Although Arran could not be certain, he thought that by now, he could probably harm even adepts using nothing but magic. Adding in the physical strength he had gained through Lord Jiang's Body Refinement techniques, and he thought he should have a decent chance at surviving a fight against an adept.

His relentless training turned this part of the estate into a ruined wasteland, filled with the charred remnants of trees, but Lord Jiang did not seem to mind the destruction of his property. Whenever he visited, he merely observed Arran as he practiced, occasionally commenting on his progress.

Several times, Arran tried to speak to Jiang Fei, but each time he found her busy. After the first week he started to wonder whether he had angered her in some way, but with her unwilling to talk to him, there was no way for him to find out what was wrong.

Toward the end of his final two weeks at the estate, Lord Jiang approached him as he was practicing in the ruined part of the estate.

"From the damage you've done to my gardens," Lord Jiang said. "I can tell that you're getting stronger."

Arran's face flushed. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't apologize," Lord Jiang said. "I'm the one who told you to practice here. But enough of that. There's something else we need to talk about before we part ways."

"What is it?" Arran asked.

"Follow me," Lord Jiang said.

Arran did as the man said, following him through the estate. The walk took them several miles, and finally, they reached a small wooden building. It looked well-built but otherwise unremarkable, and Arran wondered why Lord Jiang had brought him here.

"This is my home," Lord Jiang explained. "Follow me inside."

When they entered the building, Arran could see that it was sober to the point of austerity. The main room had no decorations apart from a few pieces of simple wooden furniture, and the walls were bare. To Arran's eyes, it looked like the kind of home where a peasant might live — the kind of home in which Arran himself had grown up.

Seeing the surprise on Arran's face, Lord Jiang laughed.

"I've never been one for grand displays," he said. "It's comfortable and easy to clean, and that's enough for me."

Arran nodded, although he wondered whether Lord Jiang actually cleaned his own quarters. While it fit the man's personality, the thought of Lord Jiang using his massive physique to sweep the floors seemed ridiculous to him.

"I have some things for you," Lord Jiang said. "Gifts to help you on your travels."

"There's no need for gifts," Arran said quickly. "After all you've done for me, I couldn't accept anything else."

"I just want to make sure you don't waste my hard work by dying," Lord Jiang said with a grin. "No more objections. You will accept my gifts." He took a void bag from a large chest at the side of the room as he spoke.

"Alright," Arran said, although he still felt uncomfortable accepting even more from Lord Jiang after the man had already given him so much help.

"First, I have a weapon for you," Lord Jiang said. "I think you will find it to your liking."

He produced a bow from the void bag and handed it to Arran. It was made from a pale white material that Arran did not recognize, and it was remarkably heavy.

When he examined it, Arran found that it had an astonishingly heavy draw, far beyond the bow he had bought for himself several weeks ago. He realized that with the strength it would require to draw, this bow could only be used by those who practiced Body Refinement.

"What is it made from?" he asked.

"Dragonbone." Seeing Arran's shocked expression, he laughed, then continued, "It isn't made from the actual bones of a dragon. Dragonbone is a rare type of wood, named for its toughness. With this, you can skewer an adept at a thousand paces — provided he doesn't deflect the arrow, of course."

"Thank you!" Arran said, understanding just how formidable a weapon like this would be. Being able to kill an adept at a thousand paces was something that might save his life many times over.

Lord Jiang gave him a grin, then handed him the void bag. "Inside, you will find my other gifts."

Arran accepted the void bag and found it unbound. As he bound it with a trickle of Essence, he examined the contents, and immediately he was shocked. Inside, there were at least a thousand heavy arrows, but more importantly, there was a vast stockpile of food.

"Is this…?"

"All of the food inside is infused with Natural Essence," Lord Jiang said. "It's not as rare and powerful as what you've been eating this past week, but there should be enough to help you continue your progress in Body Refinement for at least a year."

Arran was speechless. While the bow was a magnificent treasure, this was far more valuable.

Before he could find the words to express his gratitude, Lord Jiang cut him off with a wave. "Don't mention it. Just don't let my help go to waste."

"I won't," Arran said, silently vowing that he would honor Lord Jiang's help by

"There is one I have to ask of you," Lord Jiang said. "The things I have taught you are all considered valuable secrets of the Jiang Clan."

"I promise I'll keep them secret," Arran said hurriedly. After Lord Jiang's help, he would not dare to betray his trust.

Lord Jiang shook his head. "What I'm asking is that you do pass them on," he said.

With a smile that carried a hint of sorrow, he continued, "For countless generations, the leaders of the clan have relied on these secrets to maintain their power, and it has turned them weak and spineless. Worse, in hiding these techniques, they have prevented others from improving them. It is time for a change. I will share my techniques with those I find worthy, even if they aren't part of the clan. I want you to do the same."

Arran nodded silently, aware of the great responsibility Lord Jiang had just given him.

"Now go see Little Fei," Lord Jiang said. "There is something she wants to discuss with you."