Garion was thinking about what to do, and suddenly his thought was cut short when a familiar voice called from below.

"Sect Leader Garion!"

He looked down and saw Elder Rendric, the one who had come to his flying ship before and was now standing with another figure.

The other one wore a grand black and gold robe, embroidered with flame and thunder patterns. His aura was calm but powerful.

Rendric bowed slightly.

"We'd like to have some conversation with you, if you're free."

Garion smiled and nodded. "Of course. Come aboard."

As the two entered the ship, Garion's eyes glanced toward the robed man.

"And who might you be?"

The man smiled politely.

"It's an honor to meet you. I'm Raviel Revalis, patriarch of the Revalis Clan."

Garion nodded slowly.

"So the famous clan head himself. Nice to meet you, Patriarch Raviel. Please, have a seat."

Rendric quickly brought out a small table and a few cups of strong, fragrant alcohol from his storage ring.

Garion picked up his cup, sniffed once, and chuckled.

"Strong stuff. I like it."

He took a sip, letting out a hum of approval.

"Smooth. Not bad at all."

Raviel smiled faintly.

"Glad you enjoy it. We brew it only for our honored guests."

Garion set the cup down and leaned back slightly.

"So then… What do you want to talk about, Patriarch?"

Raviel raised a hand calmly. "Nothing too formal. Just… curiosity."

He glanced toward the distant arena lights.

"Your sect, the God Gym. It's made quite a name for itself in such a short time. Even I, who tend to avoid outside matters, have heard of it."

Garion only smirked without answering.

Rendric just chuckled softly.

"It's rare, you know. For a new sect to rise so quickly and even win the once-a-decade Youth Grand Tournament. Only a handful have done that in the last thousand years."

Raviel nodded.

"And yet, your disciples didn't use the typical mana arts. They fought with pure body strength and control. That's… very different from the paths we know."

Garion's eyes glinted faintly.

"Different doesn't mean wrong. It just means we're ahead of our time."

Raviel smiled at that, clearly amused.

"You speak with confidence, Sect Leader. I respect that."

Garion shrugged.

"Confidence is what gets results. And results are what make history."

Rendric took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes studying Garion quietly.

"Still, I must admit, your methods are… unconventional. You've offended many sects, haven't you?"

Garion smirked.

"I've heard that too. Let's just say, those who picked a fight with me didn't exactly make it back to complain."

That earned a small laugh from Raviel. "I can see why the other sects are cautious about you."

Garion raised his cup slightly in mock salute. "Let them be cautious. Fear's a good motivator."

The three shared a quiet moment as the night breeze brushed past.

Raviel's tone softened slightly.

"Still, I didn't come just to talk about fame. I wanted to see the man who dared to train without relying on mana."

Garion smiled faintly, setting his cup down.

"Then I hope what you've seen so far didn't disappoint... but I'll still need to correct you a little, Patriarch Raviel."

He flexed his right arm lightly and tapped his bicep with two fingers.

"We do rely on mana... maybe even more than you think. But the way we use it is… different from the normal cultivation path."

Raviel leaned forward slightly, curious. "Different how?"

Garion smirked. "Of course… I can't tell you."

Rendric blinked. "You can't?"

Garion grinned. "It's our sect's secret. If I start explaining it to everyone, it won't be a unique path anymore, right?"

Raviel chuckled quietly, his sharp eyes glinting. "That's fair. A secret should stay a secret. But…"

He paused, folding his hands. "What if I gave you something in return for it?"

Garion tilted his head slightly, pretending to think. "Oh? A trade, then? Interesting. What are you offering?"

Raviel smirked. "No, no. It's the other way around. I'll ask instead. What do you want?"

Garion leaned back against his chair, smiling calmly in a way that always seemed to make people nervous.

"Alright, then. Let's make it simple."

He raised one finger. "I want a cultivation art for the Third Realm."

Raviel froze for a second, his calm expression flickering.

Rendric, however, looked completely taken aback.

"Sect Leader Garion… do you even realize what you're asking for?"

Garion shrugged casually. "Of course. A cultivation method for the Third Realm. What else?"

Rendric frowned deeply.

"That's one of the highest secrets in the clan! Even some elders don't have access to it. That's not something we can just hand out!"

Before the air could get too heavy, Raviel lifted his hand, signaling Rendric to relax.

His voice stayed calm. "It's alright. Let him finish."

He looked back at Garion.

"You do understand, don't you, that the Revalis Clan's Third Realm cultivation art isn't something shared lightly?"

He then gestured his hand toward Garion.

"Just like yours, it's a secret, and even if I wanted to, giving it away would be making some problems for me and other elders."

Garion chuckled softly and took another sip of the strong alcohol in front of him.

"Of course, Patriarch. I knew that the moment I said it. But I'm not asking for your personal clan art."

Raviel raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Garion leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table.

"Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn't be able to cultivate it. Our path is completely different. What I need is just information. A reference."

Raviel seemed to consider this for a moment, his fingers tapping the table lightly.

"Go on."

Garion smiled.

"What I want is a book. If I remember right, it's called [Cultivation Secret]. The first volume covers the Mana Refinement Realm. The second, the Mana Core Realm."

He held up three fingers.

"So naturally, what I'm looking for is the third volume for the Third Realm."

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