“Master…” Lan bit her lower lip and couldn’t bring herself to say the next thing. She saw how elated Himmel Soan was and didn’t want to disappoint him.

Well…

Himmel Soan took a deep breath to calm himself down. Although Lan hadn’t said anything, he could tell what she wanted to tell him. If the Zimmer family was easy to find, she would have said so instead of hesitating.

“Bring it on. I’ve searched for her for so long that nothing can disappoint me anymore. I’m happy enough to get any information at all. The scariest thing is to have nothing,” Himmel Soan said calmly.

Lan finally started talking. “The eight emperors are always changing. They are not permanent. Emperor Zimmer used to be one of them before he was replaced.

“The Zimmer family couldn’t be spared either. What if they tried to revolt? Therefore, everybody was killed.

“The winner takes it all. That’s the ultimate law in Stelladom.

“Pillages were a frequent sight in the past, but things improved when Emperor Oogh and Emperor Tzi reached a higher cultivation stage.

“The current eight emperors have been around for a very long time,” said Lan.

Almost all cultivators knew these things. After being told that Himmel Soan was from another world, Lan improved his general knowledge.

Himmel Soan had told her his surname. She didn’t think she should keep anything from him, not to mention that he was her master. She would share everything with him.

Himmel Soan nodded, not taking offense. Similar things happened in ancient Moon too. They were only repeated in this cultivation world.

“Alright. I see what’s going on. Do you know anything about the Soan surname?” Himmel Soan asked.

Lan shook her head. She didn’t know much about that either. She hadn’t run into issues about that surname, nor did she know when the rule was set. It seemed to be around for a long time.

“Master, if you want to find out more about the Zimmer family, maybe you can go to Starwan Tower. They sell all kinds of information. What you want to know may cost a little more. But your pills are more than enough to cover the expense.”

Lan suddenly remembered the Starwan Tower. Just as in Elixir School, the leader of that organization was as capable as the emperors.

Elixir School was where pills were made, Starwan Tower was where information was provided, and Stelladom Academy was where students went to learn things.

Even the eight emperors couldn’t do anything to them. The three organizations had always been safe and stable.

Himmel Soan nodded and made a mental note. Afterward, he and Lan talked about things relating to alchemy.

Lan went back to her room when it got late.

Himmel Soan sat on his bed and recalled what he had been told. Could Gina and the Zimmer family be related? Could the issue with the Soan surname have something to do with his pupils?

He didn’t consider that possibility at first because he hadn’t thought about his pupils for a long time. They were on their own.

However, after taking Lan in, he was reminded of them. Maybe it really had something to do with them. He made plans to visit Starwan Tower and see if he could find out anything.

Before long, two days had passed. It was just like what they said before; today was the day of the big discussion.

Himmel Soan was going to talk to them about the general cultivation rule.

“Master, everybody’s here. We’re ready to begin,” Lan said respectfully.

“What’s the general cultivation rule? Where does it come from? Why do we cultivate?” Himmel Soan asked three questions in a row.

No one answered, nor did anyone know the answer. If they could, they would be as great as the emperors. Maybe even some of them couldn’t answer those questions.

If they could, some of them wouldn’t be more capable than others.

Emperor Oogh and Emperor Tzi were close to reaching a higher cultivation stage.

Himmel Soan carved the word “path” into a giant stone with his finger.

“This is the answer!”

The answer?

The others narrowed their eyes and tried to figure out the meaning behind the word.

Himmel Soan had written in English, a language on Earth. However, this place was Stelladom. The languages were completely different. They couldn’t understand it.

“This is my path,” said Himmel Soan.

He then wrote “path” in the language of this world.

“That’s what it means. The path applies to everything if you reach perfection in an aspect. To cultivate is to do your best in the things you’re good at. If you reach perfection in swordplay, you can destroy your enemy and even heaven and earth with a single strike. If you reach perfection in alchemy, you can make pills beyond Grade 9 with inscriptions!”

While lecturing, Himmel Soan himself began to undergo a change. He felt as if he was the path. Normally, it would take him a whole year to figure this out.

When he saw how Emperor Baih’s speech resonated with heaven and earth, he had an epiphany.

After refining the pills the day before, he had a full understanding of the general cultivation rule in the world, significantly improving his strength.

He had recovered 9% of his energy. He only needed one more percentage to reach 10%. After that, he could go see Emperor Baih.

Since the eight emperors could be replaced, he didn’t mind taking Emperor Baih’s place.

However, he would only do that if the eight emperors had something to do with the Zimmer family.