Chapter 25: Extraordinary

"Boom!" Upon hearing the girl's words, Iwao felt like his mind had exploded! His grandfather taught her? That didn't make sense! When did his grandfather become skilled in Spirit Marks? Iwao's pupils slightly contracted, unable to help but ask, "Could it be that you're mistaken? Perhaps there's another person named Adino, after all... the world is vast, and there's more than one person named Adino!" "Mistaken?" The girl's lips curved into a slight smile. "If you think the Leach Family in Cloud-Flipping City has two Adinos, then let's just say I'm mistaken." Iwao was dumbfounded. "I love seeing you speechless; it's so satisfying," Swallow cheered. "Hey, miss, how about traveling with us? I'm not good with words, and Iwao here always bullies me. Can you help me deal with him so he doesn't pick on me all the time?" The girl glanced at Swallow and said lightly, "You're just a First Rank Illusionary Beast, yet you're so confident. It's amusing." Swallow was struck dumb. "Stop. Let's continue talking about my grandfather," Iwao said, taking a deep breath. "You said my grandfather taught you, Spirit Marks. So, when did he teach you?" In his memories, his grandfather liked to play around with glowing patterns. However, at the time, Iwao didn't know they were Spirit Marks! His grandfather had never mentioned any of this to him. "He went to the Fiery Fire Sect three years ago, taught me for two years, and then left a year ago, disappearing without a trace... Before he left, he told me he had a secret hidden behind the plaque the Leach Family gave him and asked me to retrieve it when I had the chance," the girl said casually. "I forgot to tell you, my name is Rana." "Rana?" Iwao's pupils contracted. As the former top genius of the Great Cyan Empire, he naturally knew about other geniuses in the Land of the Five Kingdoms. Rana, the daughter of the Fiery Fire Sect's sect master, was extraordinarily talented! Throughout the entire Land of the Five Kingdoms, no one could compare to her. At not even seventeen years old, she had reached the Seventh Level of the Earth Spirit Realm! What's more, she also cultivated Spirit Marks, suggesting she had remarkable potential in that area as well. It was horrible. "If my grandfather taught you, then you should be someone I can trust," Iwao pondered for a moment. Having experienced many ups and downs in human relationships, he had become wary of those around him. Few were able to truly open up to him. That was why his mind was always focused on cultivating and becoming stronger! Rana raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by Iwao's words. "The plaque is here." Iwao took out Adino's plaque from his Storage Ring without hesitation. Today, he received some great news! His grandfather was alive! Not only was he alive, but he was also a powerful Spirit Mark Master. Although his grandfather had never mentioned any of this to him, there must have been a reason. Rana took the plaque and, as expected, found a small Spirit Mark on the back. As Rana touched the Spirit Mark, a burst of light enveloped her. A few breaths later, the light from the Spirit Mark faded away. Rana furrowed her brow as if digesting some information. Then, she glanced at Iwao for a moment before saying, "All right, let's go!" "Go? Where to?" Iwao was a bit puzzled. "Back to my sect." Rana replied. And so, Rana and Lilly mounted the white tiger and rode off towards the outskirts of Imperial City. "Wait, my sister is still in the tavern." Iwao shouted. "I'll come with you." Magar offered. Since Hevel and the others hadn't dispersed yet, he was worried that Iwao might encounter some trouble alone. When Iwao reached the tavern room, the door opened to reveal Tammy sitting alone, eating slowly and gracefully. "Iwao, you're back," Tammy said happily. "Did you... go to the arena? How did it go?" "Sis, guess what this is?" Iwao pointed to the faint mark on his forehead and smiled. "This... this is the emblem of the Fiery Fire Sect!" Tammy recognized it, her eyes lighting up with joy. "That means you succeeded!" "Yeah, sis, I'll take you to the Fiery Fire Sect with me," Iwao said with a smile as he lifted Tammy again. "Once I've established myself in the sect, I'll find someone to heal you." "Iwao, I don't want to keep dragging you down..." Tammy held onto Iwao's neck, her voice light and gentle. "Sis, you're my closest family. Always remember, your life is my life! I won't let you suffer anymore in this lifetime!" Iwao's voice was firm and resolute. Tammy smiled gently, nestling against Iwao's back. "This feels nice." "Elder Sexton, sorry to keep you waiting," Iwao said, bowing slightly. Back in the arena, Magar had shielded him without hesitation when he was surrounded by enemies. At that moment, Iwao truly felt his sincerity! Was this the rule of the Fiery Fire Sect? The three of them, along with Swallow, made their way to the outskirts of Imperial City and saw two carriages waiting there. Rana sat in one of the carriages, holding a jug of wine, her gaze calm. "Oh, you're here." Rana said calmly when she saw Iwao, then tossed him a jug of wine. "Have a taste." Iwao uncorked the bottle and took a sip. The liquor was strong and a bit sharp, making him cough a little. Seeing this, Rana couldn't help but scoff. "Is this all you've got? You've been living with Adino for so many years, and you haven't picked up any drinking skills from him?" "My grandfather didn't allow me to drink," Iwao replied honestly. "I've never seen him drink either." Rana fell silent. After a moment, she gritted her teeth. "Old man!" When Adino taught her Spirit Mark, the only requirement was for her to chat and drink with him often. The reason given was that he had been stifled these past years. At the time, Rana didn't understand, but now she did. "So you don't drink in front of your grandson, pretending to be a good person, but you'll drink in front of me? Not only do you drink, but you also bring me along. This habit of mine for drinking was cultivated by you!" Rana thought to herself. Iwao rubbed his nose. He didn't know what Adino had taught Rana or what their relationship was, so he didn't dare to speak rashly. Halfway there, Iwao couldn't help but ask, "How skilled is my grandfather in Spirit Mark?" Rana glanced at Iwao, took a sip of her wine, and said, "Very skilled." "How skilled?" Iwao's eyes lit up. If Rana, the number one prodigy in the Land of the Five Kingdoms, said those words, it meant that his grandfather's skill in Spirit Mark must be extraordinary. "Skilled enough... for you to look up to for your whole life," Rana said, her lazy and calm gaze showing a hint of complexity.