While Gravis was making his way over to his first destination, around five hours had passed for Aion, who was still waiting beside the Wind Wall.
WHOOSH!
A mighty Spirit reached Aion's location and came into contact with him. "Where is he?" a thundering voice echoed in Aion's mind.
Aion could only smile bitterly. Gravis was his friend, yet he was still part of the Heaven Sect. It felt kind of weird being between two opposing forces. "He has left shortly after I have destroyed the token," Aion answered back.
Aion felt some annoyance and rage from the Spirit. "Why didn't you stop him!?" the voice practically shouted.
Aion remained calm. "He has broken into the Spirit Forming Realm. You should know about his unprecedented Battle-Strength at the same level. I can't stop him at all."
Instead of calming down, the voice got even more enraged. "What!? It's only been five days! How has he reached Spirit Forming from the sixth level of Magic Gathering in only five days!? Are you lying to me!?" the voice shouted.
Aion could only continue smiling bitterly. "You don't understand Gravis. The first thing I did after I returned was gathering information on where he was and what he did," Aion said back.
"What could he have possibly done to break through so many levels in just five days? He would have needed to start a war with a guild!" the voice shouted back.
"In a sense, that is exactly what he did," Aion said back.
The Spirit shook and stopped for a second. "What?" the voice said back in shock. "How is he still alive then?"
"Gravis used a brilliant plan," Aion started explaining. "First, he went to the Fire Guild and offered them life and death tempering as long as the disciples paid with one body tempering pill. He killed many people like this and gathered a lot of body tempering pills without creating any enmities with the guild."
The voice remained quiet for some seconds. "That is actually a brilliant plan. It seems like I have underestimated this Gravis," it said back.
Aion nodded. The Spirit transmitted everything in its range, including Aion's nod. "After that, he went to the Earth Guild but left just as quickly. His next stop was the Darkness Guild, where he did the same thing, as in the Fire Guild, again. Like this, he had gotten enough body tempering pills to achieve a body at the level of the Magic of someone at the tenth level of Magic Gathering."
The Spirit emanated confusion. "Why would he do that? He is not a Heavenborn, so why would he make his body stronger than his Magic? Doesn't he know that this only damages him?"
Aion laughed a little. "Gravis practices the Heaven's Balance Cultivation Technique, just like us. He has reached the tenth level of the body and then the tenth level of Magic Gathering. After he reached that level, he broke through immediately."
Now, the Spirit seemed even more shocked. "So, he has used his body to suppress the pressure of the Magic? That way is a little barbaric, but it should work. This speed of cultivation is unheard of!"
Aion knew that Gravis probably had a strengthened dantian. If the priest knew that Gravis came from a higher world, then he should have guessed that too. Yet, the person didn't even think about Gravis having a strengthened dantian. It seemed like the High Priest kept Gravis' background secret. Aion had a couple of suspicions about why he did that, but he couldn't be sure.
"Why didn't you at least chase him? It was your mission to give your best to stop him! You wouldn't have needed to stop him. You just had to follow him until I arrived!" the voice shouted in anger again.
BOOM!
The owner of the voice had arrived after he said that. It was an old man with grey hair. His clothing was even more ostentatious than the normal Heavenborns'. A huge, blue trident was on his back, which emanated a powerful, suppressive aura. The sword-like eyebrows would give his look a kind of pressure that would make anyone fear him.
Aion didn't mind the priest's outburst. "Like I said, you don't understand Gravis."
The priest seemed to take offense to that, yet he kept himself in check. "Explain!" he shouted with his actual voice, full of aggression.
"When Gravis has fought with the Fire Guild, he also killed an elder in a one on one," Aion explained.
The priest didn't care about that. "So? He has a Will-Aura. Of course, he can kill someone like that, even if it isn't easy."
Aion shook his head. "Gravis had not absorbed any Magic when he defeated his previous opponents. My guess is that he really intended to put his life on the line," Aion explained.
Now, the priest narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Aion smiled helplessly. "He has killed an elder, who is someone at the ninth level of Magic Gathering with an equal body, while still being at the sixth level of Magic Gathering with a body at the seventh level."
The temper of the priest exploded. "Impossible! It's shameful that you want to lie to a priest of the Heaven Sect! Swear on Heaven or die right now!"
Aion sighed. "I swear on Heaven, that Gravis was at the sixth level of Magic Gathering with a body equal to the seventh level when he killed that elder," Aion said nonchalantly.
The eyes of the priest widened. He hadn't thought that Aion would actually go through with this. He looked to the sky but saw no clouds forming. Slowly, he started growing panicked. Then, he looked at Aion. Aion was still fine. This was undeniable proof that he didn't lie! Heaven would strike anyone that swore on its name with a lie.
The priest took a shaky breath. Did he think that he was weaker than Gravis? Of course not! Yet, he realized the potential that Gravis had. If someone with such an unnatural Battle-Strength reached a level even remotely close to a priest, the priest would have no chance.
Gravis probably only had to reach the Tree-Stage to be invincible against anyone that wasn't the High Priest. Right now, Gravis was not dangerous, but he could become a deadly threat in the future!
The rage of the priest vanished. "How did you survive?" he asked with a quieter voice. He now realized what a joke it was to ask Aion why he didn't stop Gravis. It was impossible for Aion to even follow Gravis lest stop him. According to logic, Aion should be dead right now.
Aion still smiled bitterly. His expression had not changed since they started talking. "Well, he kind of sees me as a friend," Aion said while scratching the left side of his head with a finger. "He said that for all the help I had provided him in the past, he will spare my life."
The priest took a deep breath and looked into the sky. "Thank Heaven that you didn't die," he muttered. He had been angry at Aion, but Aion was still a brother for him since they came from the same parent.
In the past, Aion would have echoed the priest's thoughts, but now, his horizons had widened. Deep inside, he felt that this lower Heaven didn't have much longer to live. It was also not Heaven, who has given him this chance, but Gravis. If Gravis had wanted to kill Aion, what would Heaven have done? Probably nothing.
"I'll return to the High Priest to inform him. You go back to your branch. If we need you for more information, we'll contact you," said the priest.
Aion nodded. "Thank you, priest," he said.
"Sure," said the priest nonchalantly and left.
Aion looked around, sighed again, and left towards his branch of the Heaven Sect. 'Should I have told Gravis about his new looks?' Aion thought and shook his head. 'No, he probably has already noticed it himself.'
The lower Heaven knew that it was not Aion's fault for not killing Gravis. It, itself, had wanted to strike him down, after all. Yet, this lower Heaven didn't care. This whole thing was the worst thing that had ever happened in its entire existence. It had to vent its emotions, and it decided to do just that on Aion.
Like this, Aion's Karmic Luck sank rapidly.
BOOM!
No one noticed, but when the lower Heaven started lowering the Karmic Luck of Aion, an overwhelming force had given it a metaphorical slap.
The highest Heaven had enough of this lower Heaven's bullshit! This useless lower Heaven knew that it was watching, yet it still did something like this. Was this shitty lower Heaven so used to having its way that it didn't even notice that it committed a mistake when it was at its most cautious? Did this useless lower Heaven not have any far-reaching vision? It was about to waste such a valuable tool just to vent its emotion!
After Aion's Karmic Luck had lowered, it started growing rapidly again. It reached its previous height, which was the typical height for Heavenborn, yet, it didn't stop. It broke through that restriction and climbed many levels higher. Aion was now the person with the highest Karmic Luck in this lower world, ever since it had been created.
The highest Heaven had a far-reaching vision, and it had plans for Aion. In order for those plans to work, Aion had to become stronger!
Highest Heaven planned very far into the future!
