Evan heard a notification from the system ringing in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Player Evan! You've eliminated the servants of a low-level Hellish creature. You've gained more than a 100 EXP!]
Evan's face lit up with a small grin as he saw his experience points jump to 1499. He was only one EXP away from leveling up again and reaching the peak of the Soul Manifestation realm, a peak that belonged solely to him.
"It's not safe to unlock a soul pocket in this place that's devoid of soul energy."
With a keen gaze, he surveyed the area around him, and his brows furrowed upon noticing the dearth of soul energy. It would be too risky to unlock a soul pocket in such an environment, so he resolved not to level up, even if he earned the last EXP point he needed until he exited the tower. Despite possessing the Soul Refinement skill, which could nourish his 13th soul pocket before it atrophied, he chose to stick to his decision as he preferred to play it safe when it came to his cultivation. He had learned a lesson the last time he had been reckless with his cultivation. It had ended badly. Besides, he had made a promise to his father to not recklessly cultivate.
He glanced at his soul energy bar to check how much energy he had left.
[SE: 130 units]
He had expended a significant amount of his soul energy combating the hellish creatures. As a result, his soul pockets were depleted, and he felt an intense desire to urgently replenish them. After all, without soul energy, a soul cultivator couldn't exhibit their full potential.
"I should replenish my soul pockets before I encounter more trouble.'
He retrieved several high-purity soul energy crystals and proceeded to refine them using his Soul Refinement skill, gradually replenishing his soul pockets with pure soul energy.
With the activation of the Breath of Frost Technique, the soul energy in his soul pockets was converted into ice-type energy.
After that, he set out to explore the swamps in search of prey, jumping from one tree to another like a ninja.
Points.
He needed them desperately.
No sounds were made as he moved, thanks to his magic-ranked boots. The boots he wore were a gift from his father, enchanted to silence his movements. They were bestowed upon him when he came of age.
His palms were empty as his trusty sword was stowed away in his inventory. He remained vigilant, alert for any sign of peril, ready to summon it at a moment's notice.
...
Meanwhile, the triplets of the House of Blizzard traversed the murky swamp with ease, their movements fluid and precise. Their steps seemed to avoid the muddied terrain and putrid water with ease, and they moved as one unit.
The magic item of the eldest of the triplets assisted them in determining the location of a fellow contestant.
They immediately went after her.
Their search had been fruitful, and the trio had located their prey quickly, working together seamlessly to take her down.
It was the eldest of the triplets who had struck the final blow, ending the skirmish mere seconds after it began.
An awakened soul cultivator of the sixth level was butchered like a pig, unable to retaliate.
Truly, their teamwork was terrifying.
"That was amazing, Liam!" Enzo exclaimed, his excitement palpable in his voice.
Kian, the second triplet, however, frowned, seeing that Liam had stolen his kill yet again. He couldn't help but feel annoyed.
"Again?! How are we supposed to earn points if you keep taking them all?"
"Don't worry about it, Kian. I won't leave this floor without you guys. I'll help you collect points after I'm done." Liam chuckled in response, his calm demeanor soothing the tension.
"Fine, I guess," Kian begrudgingly accepted.
"Let's move on and find our next target," Enzo, ever the optimist, changed the subject.
"Liam, use the radar to find our next prey." Kian agreed with the youngest of the triplet and proceeded to speak to Liam demandingly
"Sure."
Liam didn't act offended. Kian's attitude was usually nasty when he felt he was taken advantage of, and his brothers were already used to it.
"We would really be lucky if it shows that a prey is close to us."
Liam deftly pulled out the device and infused it with his soul energy.
The radar glowed with an otherworldly light, displaying a detailed map of their surroundings with various dots representing beings nearby. Most of the dots were red, indicating the presence of beasts, but one was blue, indicating a human, and it was brighter than the others, indicating immense power.
Seeing the brightness radiating from the blue dot, Liam's eyes widened to the size of saucers in surprise.
"W-what?! This guy's power level is over ten thousand!" Liam blurted out in shock.
A soul cultivator's strength was measured by their capacity to hold soul energy. The larger their capacity, the higher their power level. This made sense, as a soul cultivator's soul energy served as the foundation for their cultivation and was essential in activating their soul skills and soul crystals.
Soul Manifestation Realm Cultivators who were considered average, usually had a power level between 400 to 600. Exceptional geniuses like Jack could reach a power level of 800. However, none of them could compare to the cultivator that appeared on the map projected by the radar. His power level was above 1000, and what was even more astonishing was that he was still in the first realm of cultivation!
Liam was completely taken aback by this revelation.
Kian and Enzo were equally flabbergasted.
Kian furrowed his brow.
He seemed to be deep in thought.
After a while, he opened his mouth.
"There are only two contestants with the potential to reach that power level: the adopted son of the Frostweavers Mathew, and His Highness Evan."
"But last I heard, Mathew was still in the seventh level of the Soul Manifestation Realm," Enzo spoke up. "As for His Highness Evan, I don't know much about him as I never had the opportunity to get close to him. However, given that the cultivator revealed by the radar has a power level of above 1000, it's highly likely that it's him. After all, it's a fact that his potential to achieve such a high power level while still in the first realm is unmatched. And let's not forget how effortlessly he defeated Jack and the frostwesver bastard when he visited the training ground. It's possible that he has actually been a level 13 soul manifestation stage cultivator all along."
