Nine days later, Kanoru stood on the balcony of his room on the boat, admiring the desert scenery. The sand shifted with the wind as beasts roamed the desert, and the setting sun slowly cooled the landscape.
The most striking sight was the river's blood-red water, caused by the massive mineral ore deposits beneath the desert and along the riverbanks. Despite the high concentration of metal elements, the river thrived with life.
Kanoru watched fish leap and swim in the red waters. Surprisingly, the fish were safe for human consumption with some treatment, but for warlocks specializing in metal, both the fish and other creatures in the river were valuable resources.
Kanoru closed his eyes, letting the cool desert wind wash over him. He felt certain he had made the right decision by heeding Bai Yue's mother's advice.
Although her suggestion was only to comprehend nature—heat, the desert's cold nights offered him the chance to also comprehend nature—cold. Nature—heat belonged to the power of fire, while nature—cold belonged to the power of water—two opposing elements.
However, Kanoru understood that heat and cold were simply changes in temperature. If he could grasp both natures, he could attempt to combine them. But first, he needed to fully understand each nature individually.
By mastering nature—heat and nature—cold, he would also be stepping into the doorway of the power of fire and the power of water. Combined with his existing mastery of wind, he would wield three elemental powers.
Kanoru could see his path to becoming a Divine Samurai clearly. Now, he only needed to walk it.
His first step was to generate high- and low-temperature winds using his chakra. This way, he could comprehend both natures without relying on the outside environment, making it possible to train anywhere.
He glanced back to see Asuna still sitting cross-legged on their bed, steam rising from her body as she sweated profusely. His eyes lingered on her wet clothes clinging to her figure, and dirty thoughts filled his mind, given he had nothing else to do.
"But I can't disturb her while she's practicing," he thought, forcing himself to turn away and gaze at the desert beneath the night sky.
Asuna was training to control the energy released from her fourth gate. Ever since they boarded the boat, she had spent most of her time refining her control. Her body was now strong enough to handle the energy from the fourth gate, but she still had to fully transform the released energy into chakra.
Why was transforming energy from a new gate difficult, even after successfully transforming energy from a previous one? Because each gate released a different type of energy. No matter how many gates a person had already mastered, transforming the energy from a new gate always took time.
Kanoru also needed to control and transform the energy from his fifth gate once he opened it. However, before that, he had to strengthen his body to withstand the energy release.
He had discovered another way to enhance his physical strength, though he was unsure if it would affect his path as a samurai. Warlocks used talisman spells to fortify their bodies, and he had already selected three low-rank talismans:
- Tiger Bone
- Rhino Skin
- Bull Muscle
Once he imprinted them in his spiritual space, he could combine them into a middle-rank talisman spell, officially making him a middle-ranked warlock.
But… chakra was a combination of energy from both body cells and spirit. The Tiger Bone spell would slowly alter his bones, giving them the characteristics of a tiger's. However, he wasn't sure if the spell would affect his cells as well.
He was certain it would, but if he lost the ability to mobilize chakra from his bone cells, his path to becoming a Divine Samurai would be over. Seventeen years of relentless practice would be wasted.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons, he made his decision:
First, he would become a Divine Samurai. Only after that would he consider practicing warlock techniques—or perhaps even explore the practice systems of the other two continents.
For now, he needed to stay true to the Divine Samurai path.
"I can see the end of the Divine Samurai path... Now, I shouldn't take any unnecessary risks just to increase my practice speed."
With that resolve, he sat cross-legged on the balcony and opened the gates inside his body—all the way to the fifth gate. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't open the sixth gate yet, so he would have to refine his body with the fifth gate's energy.
---
In the captain's cabin of the boat, the captain steered the wheel with a steady hand. Having navigated this route hundreds of times, he was confident enough to sail through the night without stopping.
He could even navigate the river without light, but tonight, the full moon illuminated the path.
The captain said,
"Yan, pay attention. I'm going to retire in a few months. You'll take over after me."
The man beside him replied,
"Yes, Uncle."
After a brief silence, Yan asked,
"Uncle, why isn't Brother Hu taking over the boat?"
The captain said,
"Your Brother Hu found a new business."
Yan asked curiously,
"What kind of business?"
The captain replied,
"You can ask him at Hua-Shan Village. He lives there now."
Yan's brows furrowed.
"He left the Ming Empire and became a citizen of the Desert Kingdom?"
The captain shook his head.
"I don't know what he's thinking. He even married a Desert Kingdom girl."
Yan opened his mouth, as if to respond, but then closed it with a sigh, falling into silence.
After a while, the captain said,
"This route isn't particularly dangerous, but there are occasional threats."
Yan asked,
"What kind of threats?"
The captain replied,
"Sometimes lone Demon Beasts or Sand Thieves."
Yan's eyes narrowed.
"Have you encountered them before?"
The captain nodded.
"Lone Demon Beasts aren't much of a threat. There are warlocks on board to protect the boat. Plus, I have a stash of hundred-year-old herbs in my locker. Just throw one at the beast—it'll take the herb and leave. So, always remember to keep hundred-year-old herbs in the locker."
Yan nodded thoughtfully and asked,
"What about Sand Thieves?"
Before the captain could answer, the boat suddenly shook—once, then again—followed by the sound of something striking the hull.
The captain's eyes narrowed.
"Now you can experience firsthand how I deal with Sand Thieves."
He stopped the boat and left the cabin.