"Though my Spear doesn't intend to overpower, it is overpowering, it is not hiding, yet it can creep up on you, and although it is weak, it is uncontested. This is my Spear Mastery, the Invincible Spear. I cannot teach you anything because your Spear hides while mine Rules at the peak. This is my Spear; strong and bold. Thus, it cannot be taught to a coward…."

Kiel looked at the old man in the eyes, "Our path does not match."

The old man felt his feet trembling and plopped down on the hard ground. He looked at his callous hand and then giggled, but this giggle soon turned to a guffaw.

Insanity filled his laughter as tears finally fell from his aged eyes, "My Spear couldn't even match a mere stick."

Kiel also did not use any Spirit Energy. Else he would have a hole in his chest by now… Kiel spared his life but destroyed his pride.

"M-my life had been a joke…."

The old man despaired.

Kiel looked at the old man and shook his head, 'Such a sad sight.'

The thick calluses on his hands were proof of the old man's hard work. Kiel would have actually considered teaching this old man if not for the fact that their ways deviated too far from one another.

If Kiel actually offered him any teachings, the old man would only die from the colliding path.

"Seeing your dedication to mastering the spear, I would have taught you if not for the Spear Heart you already possess… sadly, you are not fated to receive my teachings. I wish you on your path with the best of luck — farewell."

Kiel said as he turned his back. However, as he did so, he heard the old man stand back up. Kiel smiled as he walked away, 'It appears this old man is not so weak-willed. He has a good life ahead of him.'

Kiel thought to himself, but then, he heard coughing and the sound of water splattering on the ground. Quickly, Kiel turned around.

He and the old man matched eyes. Kiel could see a fire burning behind his eyes. It was determination.

His mouth gushed out with liters of blood.

The old man cleaned the stains on his mouth as he asked, "Great Master, please, teach me your Invincible Spear."

Kiel raised both brows, "You destroyed your Spear Heart? Your cultivation will be affected by this, and if anything goes wrong, it will also affect your future endeavors."

"That doesn't matter; I promised someone that I would attain the strongest Spear. If this is the price I have to pay to touch it, then I will say that this life has been lived without regret." The old man said with an unwavering will.

"...tell me your name."

The old man quickly cupped his fist as he bowed, "Horus is mine name; Mazra is my family name."

"Despite the pain, you have enough dedication to utter words with pride. My name is Kiel, I bear no family name, and truth be told, I am but a child at the age of 7, yet I will again claim that I possess the strongest Spear — do you believe me?"

Shock found its way on Horus' face, but he shook his head, "No one is determined by age; the achievement the Great Master showed me was not a lie or trickery. I would be worse than a blind fool to say anything otherwise. I believe anything the Great Master says."

Horus answered without shame. He lowered his head even deeper.

He sees Kiel as a Hidden Master who had taken the form of a boy to travel the world and see the Mortal Plane… but even if this wasn't the truth, and that Kiel was indeed some seven-year-old boy, it would not matter. His Master of the Spear was not fake, and that's enough for Horus to believe.

Seeing is Believing.

Kiel jumped, and as the world dragged him back down, he placed his hand on Horus' shoulder and forced him to sit back down, "Sit cross-legged and steady your breathing. I will draw out every bit of Spear Intent in your organs, bones, veins, and meridians."

Kiel said as he walked around Horus, "There is a chance that you will die, but if you survive, this incident will not only make you stronger. If you survive, you will be the first student I will take, and I do not accept a defective man who cannot even inherit my legacy properly."

Kiel could wait for Horus to recuperate, but his state would be irreversible by then. Horus was the first man he liked outside his family; Kiel sees this as an opportunity to increase his horizon and fight against his past.

Using the stick in his hand, Kiel forced his body further. Kiel's veins popped, and blood flowed from his six orifices as he drew out every bit of his Fourth Step Mastery and then struck Horus' back where the heart aligned.

Horus felt like a hole was punched through his body. Blood gathered to his heart, and then before it clogged, Kiel forced it to go up Horus' throat, and as he threw up blood, the ground touched by it now had holes in some places. This was caused by the remnant Spear Heart.

A heavy feeling bore down Horus' body; he felt like he would collapse at any moment, but then, he heard Kiel speak, "Pass out now, and I shall leave you to die. If you cannot even survive this kind of pain, you will not master my Spear. If you can stand up after this, only then will I allow you to call me Master."

Kiel speaks only of the truth.

Horus heard his words and quickly opened his eyes wide. He even resorted to almost tearing up a chunk of his thigh just to stay awake.

Horus forced his body to stay awake and then even managed to stand up in one breath. The old man felt his body regaining its strength as a gush of spirit energy rushed to fill the void that formed inside.

Horus could tell that something had changed in him, "Master… there's blood."

Kiel waved his hand as he heaped for air as he wiped the blood away, "I am fine; some of my meridians just burst a little. But I'll live."

"What!?" Kiel spoke of what happened as if it was nothing big, but Horus was in disbelief, "Grand Master, are you okay!?"

"Do not worry, I barely use my meridians. I do not cultivate Spirit Energy, so I have to use Spear Intent to compensate. It places a burden on my body to use this much. I was also just in a fight, and it cost me a lot to kill him. It will hurt for a few years going forward, but I will live without complications."

'Just to save the future of this old man, he was willing to do such a thing?'

Horus was already so old, and his future should already be limited, yet Kiel, someone so young, spared no effort to save the life of a fool. In this world, continent, or just a region, who would do such a thing for someone they barely even knew? Such a gesture touched Horus' tempered heart.

"For Master to do such a thing to a lowly student like myself..." Horus felt his tears once again welling up, "This disciple shall follow your teachings forever." Horus bowed so deeply that he almost fell.

"That is enough; give me your spear; my stick is on its top leg; I might miss the time to give you your first lesson."

Horus picked up the Spear and gave it to Kiel.

Kiel held onto the Black Spear's shaft and then threw it in the air. He gathered the First Step Mastery intent in his stick and then used it to carve out a single line into the Horus' Spear.

The stick turned to dust then disappeared. Kiel then caught the black Spear; he turned to Horus and spoke, "I shall now demonstrate you a proper fundamental Spear Maneuvering. To train on my way of the Spear, look closely, because I will not repeat it a second time."

Horus paid attention.

Kiel stood straight, and despite looking so comical with a 9-foot-long spear in hand, Horus did not laugh because, as his Master used the Spear, his jaws slacked from its beauty.

There were only four movements: one swing to the left, one swing to the right, a downward smash using the shaft and blade, and finally it came together with a piercing maneuver… that was enough to enrapture Horus' senses.

Kiel casually threw the Spear back to Horus and then demanded a piece of paper. As none of them had any, Kiel ripped some from Horus' robes and used his blood to write a list of medicinal ingredients.

Though this is a different Universe, many things were retained, especially the vegetations, the beasts, and other races. It was different yet the same.

He began listing out a recipe for a medicinal bath that Horus would need. The recipe was an altered version of what he actually wanted to make him use. If Kiel was to use what he wanted, then that would only result in nothing being done.

As for the other side, Kiel wrote the automatic body tempering method he and Ame used.

Kiel then began explaining as he gave Horus the piece of cloth, "Soak your body on that every three nights for the next five years,

and that should help you in completely erasing your previous mastery. The method I wrong in the back will help compensate for your frail body. The Spear I gave you has my intent, though it does not contain any will; if you meditate with it while recalling the maneuvers that I showed you, it will demonstrate a clear view… well, it depends on how much you paid attention anyway. With that, I am leaving… I will return to this spot in fifteen years, and if you have mastered it, I will teach you the second part.

"Do not share my teachings; it will only kill them. I remodeled your body when I helped you expel the Spear Heart; anyone who trains in my method other than you will die. Lastly, do not look for me and do not gather information about me. Now, farewell." Kiel lied on the last part.

Just as he was about to disappear into the next turn of the alleyway, Horus called out, "Master."

Kiel caught a black medallion while walking away, and as he looked at it, the characters, "Mystic Palace," were etched on its surface.

Horus' words followed, "If Master needs anything and needs my assistance, this will help you find me. I am at the Mystic Palace of the Golden Phoenix Province."

Kiel had already disappeared before Horus could finish his words. Horus saw this and decided to leave, but before doing so, he got on his knees and kowtowed three times to where Kiel disappeared.

This would be an encounter that would change both their lives.