After absorbing the Abomination, Shang took out his Communication Crystal.
"Yes?" came the neutral voice of Jerald.
"I've advanced."
Silence.
"Really?" Jerald said with a much brighter and shocked voice.
"Yes, I've reached the True Path Stage. I've created my True Path," Shang answered.
"Finally," Jerald said with exhaustion. "Finally, it's time."
"Not entirely," Shang said. "I want to undergo the trial before we do anything. This can increase my power even more."
"Oh, right," Jerald said, some of his good mood gone. "Yes, as discussed, it would be better if we do everything after the trial. Do you know when you will take it?"
"There have been some changes," Shang said.
"Changes?" Jerald asked with skepticism. For just a moment, he thought that Shang would go back on what they had agreed on.
"Not from my side, but from his side. You know who I'm talking about," Shang said.
Jerald didn't know who Shang meant.
"The God," Shang said after a while.
"Wait, he contacted you? He can just do that?" Jerald asked in surprise.
"Yes, he can," Shang said. "I was also a bit surprised, but it shouldn't actually be surprising when you think about it. This is his world. He can do whatever he wants."
"I guess so," Jerald answered. "What changes?"
Shang told Jerald that he was now responsible for his own power, not the warriors' power and that there would also be a new person coming soon.
"So, he's sending another one to take over your job?" Jerald asked.
"Correct," Shang answered. "He said that it would be a man since he kept referring to him as he. I can imagine that he would have received similar instructions to me, which means that he will probably only appear sometime in the next three years and not immediately."
"I have been tasked with helping him a bit by explaining several things to him. I would ask you to pay attention to people that are similar to how I was when you found me. Of course, as long as he doesn't actively show signs, it will be difficult to find him. It might even be possible that he doesn't even know about me. After all, I also didn't know about George being someone like me back then."
"However, he will almost certainly appear somewhere in the Storm Eagle Zone, and he will most likely try to enter the Warrior's Academy."
"It might take several months to three years until he gains the power and experience to get through the Warrior Academy's exam."
"Could you keep me informed about new students that might possibly be him?" Shang asked.
"No problem," Jerald answered.
"Thank you," Shang said. "Then, I will continue training until it is time for the trial. I will contact you when it's time."
"Wait a second," Jerald said.
"Yes?"
"I want to see how powerful you have become. Is it fine if I come over right now?" Jerald asked.
Shang could understand why Jerald wanted to check Shang's power. After all, Jerald's plans hinged on Shang being powerful enough to fight Mid High Mages. An Initial True Path Stage warrior that could fight such a powerful Mage should be an impossibility.
However, when it came to Shang, Jerald estimated that it was possible.
But that was still only an estimation.
He wanted to see how powerful Shang had truly become.
"Sure," Shang said.
"Alright," Jerald said before cutting the connection.
Shang put his Communication Crystal away and waited.
A couple of minutes later, Shang felt Jerald enter the Caves.
Shang watched him for a couple of seconds.
His entire perspective had changed.
Jerald was no longer a humongous giant whose power was inestimable by Shang.
This time, Shang was powerful enough to actually estimate Jerald's power.
And what he felt was beyond impressive.
Jerald was still a Late High Mage, but he definitely didn't feel like one.
No, he was far more imposing and powerful.
Shang estimated that he could fight a Mid High Mage without any issues, and he even hoped that he might have a tiny chance against a Late High Mage.
However, when he saw Jerald's power, Shang felt minuscule.
He had the same kind of power and aura as all these powerful geniuses in the trials, and he was a Late High Mage.
One had to remember that a powerful genius True Mage would become average when they became a High Mage.
However, Jerald had this genius aura as a Late High Mage.
This was beyond impressive.
Shang even estimated that Jerald might be the most powerful Late High Mage in all five Kingdoms.
'If someone can become an Archmage, it will be him,' Shang thought. 'I can understand why the Council fears pushing him to the edge.'
'At least, they feared him in the past,' Shang thought with a sigh as he remembered that Jerald's son, Mattheo, had already died.
The world had changed too much in the last decades, and nothing was how it had been in the past.
'I'm already thinking like an old man,' Shang thought with slight amusement. 'I mean, I'm already 82.'
"I can sense you, Jerald," Shang transmitted to him.
Jerald's eyebrows shot up as he tried to find Shang with his Spirit Sense.
"How are you doing that?" Jerald asked after he realized that he couldn't find Shang.
"The range of my Spirit Sense is bigger. I'm where I always am," Shang answered.
Jerald's jaw nearly dropped when he heard that.
There were nearly 20 kilometers between them right now!
Jerald stopped advancing, and a solemn expression appeared on his face.
"You have to keep that a secret, Shang," Jerald said.
"I know," Shang said.
"Then why did you tell me?" Jerald asked.
"Because I trust you," Shang answered.
Jerald could only sigh. "Fine."
Shang understood why he should keep his Spirit Sense a secret.
In the five Kingdoms, there hadn't been a single High Mage with such a far-reaching Spirit Sense.
If, suddenly, a warrior could achieve something not even any High Mage in the known past could have achieved, the panic and fear of the five Kingdoms would explode.
Maybe even the Kings would directly try to eliminate Shang. No one wanted someone they didn't know that had lived in their lands to become more powerful than them. After all, what if that person had a horrible life in their Kingdom, and they blamed the King?
What if the King had already offended that person but simply didn't remember the incident because the person had been so weak that they didn't even stay in the King's memory?
This was something very dangerous.
Because of that, Shang had to keep it a secret.
His ability to flee from a High Mage as a Late Commander Stage warrior was definitely impressive, but there had been Mages that could do something similar. Additionally, the details were not clear to the public.
However, creating such a Spirit Sense signified that Shang had gone further than any Mage had ever gone in the five Kingdoms.
It was unprecedented and potentially dangerous for the Mages.
After a couple of minutes of traveling through the complicated layout of the Caves, Jerald could finally see Shang with his Spirit Sense.
And he stopped advancing.
His eyes widened in shock.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then, a relieved smile appeared on his face, as a couple of tears appeared in his eyes.
"Mattheo, George, I can finally take revenge," he quietly said to himself.
"Thank you, Shang," Jerald said. "I'm relieved now."
Shang nodded, and a small smile also appeared on his face. "We've waited for long enough."
"We did. After feeling your power, I can rest assured about our plan."
Shang nodded.
Jerald wanted to turn around, but he suddenly got an idea.
"Say, Shang?" Jerald asked.
"Yes?"
"You haven't fought a Mage in several decades, right?"
"Yes, sadly," Shang answered. "I have a lot of things I want to try out, and I need to properly optimize my techniques further."
At that moment, a small grin appeared on Jerald's face.
"I think you're strong enough that you might benefit from training with me," Jerald said.
Shang's eyebrows rose when he heard that.
Train with Jerald?
He hadn't even thought of that!
"How about we spar for a couple of weeks so that you can properly test your techniques?" Jerald asked.
Shang thought about that for a bit and quickly nodded.
"That would be great. Thank you."
"No problem," Jerald answered. "I'll arrange everything. I will be back in, at most, three hours."
Shang nodded, and Jerald left.
And two hours later, he returned.
Once again, Shang would be training with someone he couldn't possibly beat.
