Mother's Mentor (2)

What did Philip mean by that? The Flaying Battle God, who for his own twisted ends massacred the Minister of Finance's entire family, down to the elderly and children, and even slew the innocent child who accidentally pushed him into the water, bore a chilling resemblance to the hypothetical scenario Philip had painted. Was he hinting at something?

Du Chen was utterly bewildered. He glanced at Philip, but the middle-aged instructor merely wore a serene smile, betraying no unusual expressions. His eyes flickered, and Du Chen decided to play coy. "Vice Dean," he said, feigning helplessness, "your question is far too profound. I'm only fifteen this year, and my life experience is too shallow to grasp its meaning."

"Heh heh!" Philip chuckled a few times, removing his hand from Du Chen's forehead to conclude the ceremony. "Indeed, this question is a bit too challenging for you, for now. However, Francis, I hope that one day you will truly comprehend it – what truly constitutes good and evil." He paused, then added, "Should you ever truly face the circumstances I described, I pray you make the wisest choice!"

Du Chen didn't take Philip's words to heart, his thoughts veering towards a more pragmatic angle. *Assuming, just assuming, that Philip's words were a veiled hint, then he must be alluding to the Flaying Battle God. But how could Philip possibly know about the Flaying Battle God? Phil! Could Francis's mother, Phil, harbor some hidden secret!?*

As Du Chen pondered, Philip gestured to the accompanying staff to arrange the tables and chairs, signaling the start of the class. "Francis, have a seat!" He took several books from a staff member, arranged them, and then said, "I trust you've already learned much about the spirit of a Battle God from the Holy Church's Code. Now, I shall teach you what it means to walk the Battle God's Path!"

Du Chen quickly cast aside his jumbled thoughts, listening intently. "The Battle God's Path, as it is called," Philip began to expound, "is the journey all races undertake to achieve harmony with nature. The very tool used on this path is the battle qi, generated by channeling the Elemental Primal Force!" Philip continued, "The Elemental Primal Force is divided into five types, and all creation is formed by the combination and transformation of these five elements. Thus, by integrating these five elements, one truly merges with nature. Since your affinity is water, I shall explain using water as an example!"

He unrolled a scroll and handed it to Du Chen; it was filled with the most fundamental theoretical knowledge. "Water is omnipresent, residing within your body and throughout the external world. To channel the Water Element within your own body to form battle qi, that makes you a Martial Fighter. But those who harness the external Water Element are known as Aqua Battle Mages."

"Fighters are categorized into five tiers, determined by the degree of your integration with the Water Element. Each tier has its own benchmarks. Upon reaching the fifth tier, a Martial Fighter's body completely melds with the Water Element, while an Aqua Battle Mage's mental prowess can command Water Elements in any form. In essence, a fifth-tier Fighter can fully manipulate Water Elements, whether internal or external."

Du Chen raised his hand, asking, "Mentor, does that mean from the sixth tier onwards, one must cultivate both magic and martial arts?"

"Yes, but not entirely. Individuals at the sixth tier are known as Battle Gods. The fundamental distinction between a Fighter and a Battle God lies in cultivating a Battle Soul upon ascending to Battle Godhood! With a Battle Soul, not only will one's battle qi be significantly amplified, but one can also commune with sacred beasts and recruit Divine Pets. Furthermore, specific professions can evolve based on your specialization, and you gain the ability to wield high-tier sacred artifacts – Soul Artifacts!"

*Soul Artifacts?* Du Chen suddenly understood. No wonder when he acquired Zigurd's Cloud Mist Chains, there was no 'sacred artifact lecture' like there had been with the Ramhorn Warhammer. It turned out such items required a Battle Soul for true activation. *Good thing I was too lazy to just haphazardly dismantle it.*

Philip continued, "Upon reaching the Nine-Star Battle God tier, you will achieve complete fusion with water, both within your body and throughout the natural world. Theoretically, a Tenth-Tier Titled Battle God should begin to integrate a second element. However, the matter is far from simple; only a Titled Battle God truly comprehends the essence of that realm! Very well, now I shall impart what every Fighter ought to know..."

As Du Chen listened, he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. Previously, possessing the immortal arts of the Precious Lotus Scripture, he naturally held little interest in something as mundane as battle qi. Yet, the more Philip spoke, the more Du Chen realized that the battle qi of the Battle God World was far from simple! The class only concluded deep into the night, and Du Chen had decided on his future path: to become a Battle Mage first. The reason was simple: ranged techniques held significant potential for integrating with the use of his Lotus Sacred Artifacts.

Philip had someone escort Du Chen back to the plaza, instructing him to return for class the following day. Most of the students in the plaza no longer had the energy for playful antics. They were either sitting quietly or sleeping, doing whatever conserved their strength.

Du Chen approached Steve, gently nudging his slumbering elder brother. "Oh, you're back. How was class?" Steve asked, his eyes heavy with sleep, yawning repeatedly.

"Fascinating! Big Brother, guess who I met?" Du Chen chuckled. "My mentor is none other than Mother's Godfather, Vice Dean Philip!"

"Mother's Godfather?" Steve instantly snapped awake. "Hold on, Charles, come here, something important!" He loudly called over his second brother, then asked, bewildered, "Did Father ever mention Mother having a Godfather? And for it to be Vice Dean Philip?"

Charles was also startled. "No, Father rarely spoke of her after Mother passed. But I heard from some uncles in the Sigurd Legion that Vice Dean Philip presided over Father and Mother's engagement ceremony back then."

"Strange. Vice Dean Philip told me today that he's Mother's Godfather." Seeing that neither of his brothers had heard of this, Du Chen couldn't help but frown.

"Never mind," Steve said, already slumping back down. "Vice Dean Philip wouldn't lie to you. I was about to send someone back to Lanning to tell Father about your progress anyway, so I'll have them ask about this too!"

"Wait, Big Brother, I want to hear the story of Mother and Father. Can you tell me?"

"Oh, my dear little brother, your Big Brother is so tired he doesn't even have the energy to flirt with girls anymore... Fine, since you want to know, I'll tell you!" Steve quickly recounted everything he knew. However, Phil and Arges's story was just a very ordinary campus romance: they met at a ball, fell in love, and eventually married after graduation. Alas, fate envied their bond; ten years later, Phil passed away, leaving behind three children. Du Chen gained no new insights and could only lie down to sleep.

Nevertheless, no matter how he thought about it, Philip's words today carried a deeper meaning. Du Chen's intuition told him that Philip definitely knew something, and Francis's mother, Phil, must have an untold past.

The three days of hunger training finally concluded. The students were so famished they barely had the strength to speak. In the early morning, the Black-faced Devil, Ricardo, stood on a high platform, bellowing, "You little rascals, you can eat now!"

Staff members brought out huge cauldrons of pea soup and loaves of bread. Simultaneously, many heavy chests were carried in. Ricardo chuckled mischievously, "Carry all this food up the mountain for me, you little rascals! Now, form groups of five, self-organize, and then each group will lug a chest up to the summit to exchange for your meal! But I warn you, only the first thousand to arrive will get food! The rest of you will have to starve for another day!" He gazed back at the towering peak, a sinister smile on his face. "During the ascent, I forbid the use of battle qi, but other than that, I won't interfere with anything!"