Mage Adam-Chapter "367"

“The world we live in is called the Qianyuan Realm.” Elder Yandai took a puff from his long smoking pipe, his whole face hidden behind a veil of smoke. His tone was solemn, almost ritualistic, as he began to speak.

The morning sun pushed away the mountain mist. Dewdrops, heavy with crystal brilliance, bent the tips of the bamboo leaves before falling into the open mouth of a little panda waiting below. Yet, before he could taste the sweet dew, another cub barreled into him, sending him rolling across the ground. In an instant, the two cubs were tangled in a scuffle. Their strength wasn’t great, but they were noisy, and soon, every cub nearby joined in. The peaceful silence of the mountain was broken in a heartbeat.

“Eh…” Elder Yandai sighed. He had no heart to restore order. He knew well enough—if he stepped in, the cubs would only swarm him, hanging from his fur and tugging at his pipe. The only casualties would be his fur and his precious tobacco.

Adam, without mercy, pushed away the cubs that tried to ambush him. Panda hide was thick, and their bodies could endure blows easily. Without extraordinary force behind the attacks, not one of them felt pain. The struck cubs only shook their heads, looking pitiful, before backing off.

“Little Zhumi, why don’t you play with them? This isn’t good for you. We pandas are meant to live happily.” Elder Yandai sat beside Adam with a soft thump, his voice gentle.

Zhumi meant “bamboo seed.” Bamboo rarely bloomed, and when it did, the forest withered after. Its flowers were small, of many colors, and carried a faint fragrance if you leaned close. After flowering, the plant bore fruit: bamboo seeds. They were the most traditional way for bamboo to continue its line.

Thus, Adam’s panda name—Zhumi—carried a heavy meaning. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Elder Yandai, I want to hear you speak.”

Nearly two years had passed since Adam’s birth. His mother had died the moment he was born, and the clan had been in the midst of a mass flight. He had grown up amidst turmoil, drinking the milk of countless mothers—not that he needed it, but the enthusiastic panda mothers wouldn’t listen to the protests of a cub. Three times a day, like clockwork, they would forcefully scoop him up to nurse him, even at the expense of their own cubs’ grumbles.

By great fortune, the clan’s escape had been free of danger. After more than a year of wandering, they had discovered this unclaimed land deep in the mountains, with a rich bamboo forest. Here, they had settled, and the cubs had grown past infancy, old enough now to understand words. Elder Yandai was the one responsible for teaching them the basics.

The old panda turned to the frolicking cubs, his eyes filled with fondness. “In truth, these things aren’t important. What matters for pandas is to be happy. These little ones may spend their whole lives without leaving these mountains. And especially you—I wish the same for you.” He patted Adam’s head. “This was your mother, Little Zhuyè’s, final wish.”

Adam shifted uncomfortably, ducking away from the elder’s paw. The truth of his birth had never been hidden from him. The pandas had all agreed to honor Zhuyè’s dying wish. Adam knew he needed a reason to persuade Elder Yandai—for this clan and their martial ways were his best entry point for the mission at hand.

And finding that reason wasn’t hard.

“But Elder Yandai,” Adam’s voice turned soft and sorrowful, “they all have mothers. Only I don’t. My mother… she died because she had been wounded long ago, didn’t she?”

Elder Yandai stiffened. “…Yes.”

“Who hurt her?”

The old panda couldn’t meet Adam’s eyes. He muttered, “I don’t know.”

“You may not know. But I must. I will find the one who killed my mother. I must avenge her—no matter how difficult it is!” Adam’s words rang with determination.

“Master, I don’t know why, but I think I’m going to vomit!” Garfield’s voice rang in Adam’s mind, bent over theatrically.

The familiar whip of soul-torment lashed him at once, wringing a scream from the cat spirit. Yet Garfield, ever shameless, still wailed in mockery: “I must avenge my mother~~ no matter how difficult it is~~ urghh!”

Elder Yandai, unaware of Adam’s inner dialogue, only sighed heavily, caught in dilemma.

Adam shut Garfield out and pressed forward, his voice firm: “Elder Yandai! Please tell me about the world outside! And how to grow strong!”

The elder took another deep drag from his pipe. He knew he could not refuse a child so earnest in his grief. With a grave voice, he spoke:

“The world we live in is called the Qianyuan Realm.

It is vast—endlessly vast. Countless races, countless cities, countless powers. Where we are now is called Qianyuan Mortal Realm No. 5. Around us lie four other Mortal Realms, much the same. In this place, the strongest are Third-Rank Martialists—the Realm Lords.

Above the Mortal Realm lies the Martial Realm. I have never been there, but I’ve heard even the weakest there are Third-Rank Martialists. It is a frightening place.

Above the Martial Realm is the Sacred Realm. There dwell the Martial Saints. Don’t ask me what a Martial Saint is—I don’t know.

And they say, above the Sacred Realm are still higher worlds. But to us, that is only legend. Our Panda Clan has never produced even a Martial Saint, let alone anything beyond.”

Adam weighed this against what he knew. The so-called Mortal Realm was the lowest tier of planes. The Martial Realm would be the fourth level, the Sacred Realm the third. By strength, the Mortal Realm capped at Third-Rank Lifeforms. The Martial Realm must hold Fourth-Rank, the Sacred Realm supra-dimensional life. Beyond that… the seventh or eighth rank, perhaps. But a true Ninth-Rank lifeform? Unlikely. At most, something like the Devourer, a false ninth rank. Otherwise, even the vast Qianyuan Realm would not be enough to contain it.

Still, the intel was invaluable. But the act must continue. “The one who harmed my mother… they weren’t in the Mortal Realm, were they?”

Elder Yandai shook his head. “At her peak, your mother was no weaker than a Realm Lord. None in the Mortal Realm could harm her. Her killer… and your—well… they must have been in the Martial Realm.”

“Then how do I reach the Martial Realm?”

“With enough strength, and after passing the trials, you may. At the very least, you must become a Second-Rank Martialist. That path is hard, and training is bitter.” He still hadn’t given up trying to dissuade Adam.

But Adam sprang up, clasped his paws together, and bowed deeply again and again. His voice rang out: “Elder Yandai, please teach me the way of martial training! I must grow strong! I must go to the Martial Realm and avenge my mother!”

The elder lifted his eyes to the sky, his heart heavy. Zhuyè, your son is dutiful. I cannot refuse him. Do not blame me.

He patted Adam’s head, his voice solemn: “Since you have asked in all sincerity, then you must be prepared to suffer. Tomorrow, when the first ray of sunlight touches the bamboo grove, go to its deepest heart. There, you shall begin the training of the Secret Martial Arts of the Panda Clan!”