Midnight arrived, and Ame's tears finally dried too much for them to swell for years. She entered the house and entered their parents' room.

"I didn't think I would be attached to them this much," Ame admitted to Kiel, who agreed with his silence, "A grown woman, accepting the life of a young child. Haunting, is it not?"

"Questions like these always appear. Doubts are accepted, but the answer can only truly be that they are our parents, no matter our situation. They remained those who breathed us into this world. Provided for us when we couldn't and protected us then and still. Parents or not, they are still people we can come to cherish." Kiel gave her a simple answer.

"I suppose you are correct. Either way, I just didn't think it would cause me to have such sad emotions. I had to stop my pleas from escaping my throat. I wanted to stop them, Kiel... I didn't want them to leave... I didn't want his to end." Ame clenched her fists, blood poured as she dug through her own flesh, "It didn't even cross my mind to beg when I was besieged and got held by the throat by death."

Ame let out a laugh as her blood continued to flow. "It seems like we've been connecting for too long, Kiel.... say something, would you?"

Kiel took her by the hand just to stop her words. It was trembling, and try as he might, Kiel could not find the correct words to comfort her out of the blossoming woes.

Kiel could only pick up the medicine box from the cupboard to patch up her broken hands, "Any injury you bring upon your body does not simply disappear. Your path is that of a Palm Master. Do not damage them like that, Ame."

"That's all you have to say after wearing my heart on my sleeve?"

"You always do that, Ame. How do you think Mother got you to study weaving with her by promising you more Martial Arts?"

It was not a joke, but Ame let out a cheery laugh. A bit of color returned to her face. Walking past her, Kiel could only be glad to see Ame smiling again.

"So, our parents finally allowed you to travel into the world of cultivation. At least we can celebrate something tonight. So, when are you going to leave for the Celestial Phoenix Mountain? Tomorrow? In an hour, perhaps?" Kiel asked as he kept the medicine box away.

Ame didn't answer, and Kiel turned around to face his Sister, "Is something the matter?"

"… no, I just thought about if I should actually postpone my departure to the Sect until Mother and Father return. After all, they did say they'd come back quickly, right? Besides, we both know you will get lonely if you are left on your own. What would happen then? You might do something, and if I am not there to reign you in, catastrophe will strike." Ame said while laughing.

Kiel looked at his sister and shook his head. Approaching this Sister of his, he readied his finger-

"OW! THAT HURTS!" She cried as she experienced Kiel's flick on the forehead, knocking it back, almost straining her neck, "You used Spear Energy in that, didn't you!?"

Kiel did not answer and simply threatened her with another, "Don't patronize me, Ame."

"Huh? Patronize? What are you sayi—"

Ame protested but, Kiel didn't allow her to utter excuses, "I am saddened, but you do not need to pity me. I will not allow you to jeopardize your dreams because I will get a little lonely." Kiel stormed out with a huff.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Do you think I'm this for you? You self-centered fool! Hey! I'm talking here!" Ame cried out to Kiel as she held the bump on her head. She had grown irritated at his words.

But, no matter how much she cried out to him, he never looked back and just kept walking away.

"I am going to take a walk. As for you, you should focus on your cultivation; without our parents, you are now free to do anything you want. I do not want to get caught in any inconvenience that may happen, so I will leave for the time being.

"Once I return, you had better have already opened your Spirit Sea and reached the True Spirit Realm." Kiel's words did not have much weight as always… he acted the same after regaining his mind.

His tone had shifted from that of passiveness to a commanding tone.

Ame never liked getting ordered, but she was not been able to disobey Kiel when his tone shifted. She gritted her teeth and stomped her foot on the ground in frustration, "That prideful goat! Ack! You care about him, and this is how he acts!?"

Ame roared at the top of her lungs as she plopped on the ground and pouted, "Tch... I'll stay, you hear me!? You can't tell me otherwise!"

She shouted!

Ame had not been able to beat Kiel in a fight, but he had never been capable of hurting her as well. He would only ever subdue her, and even then, she would already be lying on the ground before she even noticed.

She was confident that Kiel would not drag her out; thus, she planted her behind on the ground in protest of his tyranny.

"That guy, does he think I'm doing this for him? Just because he's smart? Just because you know everything still doesn't mean you can understand it, you foo — ACK!"

In her frustration, Ame punched the ground and only felt the sting of the injuries she brought onto herself. The white bandage became red with blood.

Looking at the bandage, she remembered all the time she had been cared for by him. Ame bit her lips but, all the anger she had dissipated seeing the meticulous wrap on her hands.

'...sigh. Just what am I doing?'

Ame lay on the hard wooden flooring, and then, she released a deep breath, 'Might as well.'

She begrudgingly decided to cultivate as Kiel had ordered her to.

Going to their room, she looked at the Dimensional Bangle hanging on her wrist and decided to finally see its contents, "This is… an Inferno Devourer? What is an Ascension Realm Soul-Beast doing here?" she couldn't believe seeing the Soul-Beast of raging fire.

Other than the Soul-Beast Infernal Devourer, there were also Stellar Stones, meant to assist her cultivation; there was also a letter. Ame opened it to find a letter from her parents:

–It appears that you have opened your Dimensional Bangle; this is our gift to you. What we left you is named the Inferno Devourer, a Soul-Beast meant for Ascension Realm Cultivators. You might be confused why we would give you such a strong Soul-Beast when only those about to ascend can tame it. Ame, that is because you and your brothers' Vital Energy is more potent than most at the peak of True Spirit Realm. This has been the case since you were both young, and though we remain ignorant, not knowing why this was so, it could only be a blessing.

–Ame, if you are going to venture into the dangerous world of cultivation, you must strive to be better than what is considered normal. Go above and beyond, surpass prodigies and geniuses. We will not be by your side to protect you, and this is the only way we can give you protection. We believe that this Inferno Devourer can be overcome by you with the help of your Soul Energy. Using this Inferno Devourer to form your Spirit Sea will help with your advancement in the future. Ame, you must seize every opportunity and chance to advance. Get every advantage you can put your hands on, and hide your strongest weapons well and become unpredictable. If you can get backing, you must show them your worth. Do not hesitate to make friends, but be wary of entrusting others with your life.–

A long list of what she should and shouldn't do upon venturing continued for three more pages, but at the end of it all were their last words to her:

–We wish you all the best in your journey, our lovely daughter — your parents.–

Ame smiled after reading their letter, "Hahaha, it appears that our parents were perceptive… thank you, Father... thank you, Mother."

Ame brought out the Inferno Devourer's Soul, which was the size of an adult's fist. Using her Spirit Energy, she turned the Soul-Beast into a puff of crimson smoke and then absorbed it inside her.

Inside Ame's body, there was only darkness, but then, she gathered her Spirit Energy and turned it into a cyclone and then into a spherical pocket of Spirit Energy.

'Now, let us have combat, you poor soul—'

Ame's eyes widened as she awakened the Inferno Devourer; the Soul-Beast came alive.

"You damn brat! Do you think you can bind me!?"

A Soul-Beast can only be claimed by exhausting it and using the Soul Energy of the cultivator.

Only someone stronger can control a King.

Ame's scent was that of a weakling.

The Inferno Devourer began to roar, and inside of Ame's body, chains formed using both her Spirit Energy and Soul appeared.

Cultivators of the Consolidated Realm usually die because of being overpowered by the Soul-Beast. As they say, a cultivator is most likely to die because of its inability to measure its worth.

Devoured by ambition.

Ame, however, was smiling as she began fighting with the Inferno Devourer. She didn't want to fail her parents, and so, the competition for dominance commenced.

"Know your ground, beast!" Ame shouted as the fire in her eyes burned brighter and hotter than the sun.