Cultivation Through Artifacts

"I still can\'t get used to this feeling," Khal mumbled quietly as he closed his eyes for a split second, enjoying the warm sensation in his body that swept through him the moment the Power Core became one with the bracelet.

"Next one." opening his eyes once the sensation faded, Khal glanced at the blue pebble in his hand and with a gentle motion placed it above his bracelet, watching as the bracelet automatically formed a slot on it where he could place it.

[\'Power Core: Sub-Zero Domain\' obtained!]

Khal nodded with satisfaction when he saw that now he had 10 different colored pebbles embedded into his bracelet and couldn\'t help but form a grin.

\'10 Power Cores, 10 different Talents. I still can hardly believe that this is real and there was someone in the Higher Realms that created such a heaven-defying item.\' Khal thought in his heart.

[Whoever created the bracelet was indeed a mastermind with unfathomable strength and power, that is for sure. But I think you will only find answers at the Sixth Realm, where you also have to find my real body as promised.]

\'Yeah, I know.\' Khal nodded and giving one final glance at the bracelet he raised his head and looked around.

\'But unfortunately, it seems I have to deal with the things here first.\' Khal sighed and with a bittersweet smile on his face, he began to walk toward the direction where once the Silver Moon\'s exit stood, preparing himself for what he will get from Senior Lin once he meets him.

"Argh... What a pain in the ass..." Khal mumbled to himself as he walked through the ruins, already feeling what kind of \'beating\' will he get for causing all this mess.

And soon enough, once he appeared from among the ruins and Senior Lin saw him, the anticipated scene happened.

Swish!

With a speed that was hard to follow, Senior Lin appeared before Khal with a raised hand, and using her palm in a manner as if it was a sword swung it toward the top of his head.

\'Sigh... And here we go...\' Khal sighed inwardly as he closed his eyes and with a casual shift stepped to the side.

"Eh?" Senior Lin\'s eyes widened when she saw how easily did Khal dodge her attack even though she used her fastest Martial Technique and moved the very moment when he still was unable to see her.

And as she was stupefied, she failed to stop her attack and her arm slammed into the ground below, forming a smaller pit below her palm that in bonus shook the entire sect and created a long fissure in the ground that reached about a hundred meters!

"Did you really try to kill me?" Khal was dumbfounded when he saw that Senior Lin\'s attack just now could have injured him gravely.

\'Is she that angry at me?\' Khal thought, swallowing his saliva down a little nervously even knowing if it was a real fight Senior Lin would stand no chance against him even if she were to give a hundred tries beforehand.

"I..." Senior Lin was also shocked when she saw what kind of result she achieved with a small portion of her strength since Khal healed her, but soon her eyes narrowed and asked, "Why did you dodge?"

"Huh? Why, would you rather prefer me standing still and allowing you to split my skull wide open?" Khal asked loudly while in his heart he didn\'t know whether he should laugh or cry.

Senior Lin stared intently at Khal as she didn\'t want to admit he was right. Instead, after a few seconds, she straightened her posture and said, "I hope you know you will be punished severely."

"Yeah, guessed so..." Khal sighed and asked, "And what will be my punishment? I have to help reconstruct Silver Moon or will I have to pay the damages I have caused?"

"Both, but first you will be sent into Moon Grotto for an entire week as your primary punishment!" Senior Lin replied coldly.

"Moon Grotto? What is that?" Khal looked confused, seemingly not so flustered that his wealth had been literally halved just now with the words of Senior Lin.

"Hehe... You will see soon enough." Senior Lin smiled like a little devil and after giving a few orders to the Elders behind her she grabbed Khal by his wrist and with a unique Martial Technique teleported away.

Whoosh!

In a flash, Khal found himself standing at the edge of a small black pond that was filled with mud and was unknown how deep it was. Furthermore, to make things even creepier, this pond was in the center of a circular space somewhere underground with no gap or entrance visible around the walls or on the top above!

If it were not for the slightly glowing light atop Senior Lin\'s palm, this whole place would be completely dark to the point where it would be challenging to see one\'s nose much less the sight a foot away!

As Khal looked around the place, Senior Lin glanced at Khal and said, "This is Moon Grotto. You have to stay inside Grotto Lake for an entire week without coming out of it. Naturally, if you try to come out earlier than a week, I will know right away thus your punishment will restart."

And even before Khal could have replied Senior Lin vanished into thin air, leaving Khal behind stupefied as he saw how the scenery around him instantly became pitch black.

"Do I really have to go through all this?" Khal mumbled as he summoned his Hell Blaze around his hand, illuminating the whole Moon Grotto in its entirety.

[Well, at least you will learn to take responsibility for your actions.]

"Believe me, I have already did learn that lesson," Khal said, and despite he knew he could easily escape this place he decided to see what this punishment was about.

Maybe he will benefit out of it, who knows. Furthermore, this was also the perfect opportunity for him to cultivate in silence and force himself to the Ascender Stage by the scroll Hale has given to him back in the Zero Realm.

Thus, with those things in mind, Khal quickly took his robe down and walked inside the Grotto Lake, starting his "punishment" right away.