Emperor of the Source

Chapter 290: Hestia’s New Disciple

Adrian did not react the same way Hestia had. While the Sect Leader had instantly activated her divine domain in response to the sudden spatial fluctuation, Adrian remained seated where he was. His expression showed no alarm whatsoever.

Hestia noticed his calmness immediately. The fact that Adrian did not respond with even the slightest defensive reaction caused her to hesitate. Her divine domain remained active around the chamber; however, she did not summon her weapon yet.

Moments later, a small figure appeared inside the chamber. It was Aerin.

The young girl looked around the large conference hall curiously before noticing both Adrian and Hestia staring directly at her.

"Oh," she said casually. "I found you."

Hestia's divine domain dissipated instantly. She stared at the child in complete disbelief.

She knew exactly who Aerin was. When individuals joined a sect, it was standard procedure to collect basic information about them. The same process had been conducted for the people Adrian had brought with him. According to those reports, Aerin was described as a child possessing terrifying potential since she had already reached the Stellar Stage at such a young age. However, even with such potential, she was still only a child. Normally, it would take thousands of years before someone like her could ascend to the Rule Stage.

Yet what had just occurred suggested something far beyond that report. Aerin had teleported directly into the Crimson Spire despite the many defensive formations protecting the sect headquarters. Even if someone possessed Advanced Galactic-level comprehension of the Space concept, casually teleporting through those layers of defensive formations should have been impossible. The protective systems inside the Crimson Spire had been designed and inscribed by highly experienced inscription experts specifically hired to prevent such intrusions.

Adrian sighed softly.

"Aerin," he said, "you cannot teleport like that. This is not our private residence. This is the sect headquarters. The defensive formations here are not toys. If you had triggered a lethal countermeasure before I could intervene—"

"But Uncle!" Aerin interrupted, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet, completely ignoring the lecture he had begun delivering. Her eyes sparkled with unrestrained excitement.

"Guess what?" she said eagerly. "I did it! I finished them!"

Adrian paused. "Finished what?"

"The concepts you gave me!" Aerin declared proudly, placing her hands on her hips. "Vitality, Blood, Force, and Pressure. I comprehended all four of them!"

Before Adrian could fully process her words, Aerin lifted both of her small hands outward.

The ambient mana inside the chamber reacted instantly. A compact domain expanded outward from her body, covering only a few meters around her. The domain itself was small in size, but its size was irrelevant. What mattered was the density and purity of the arcane rules contained within it.

Hestia sat completely motionless as she saw this. Her eyes widened as she stared at the child. As a Peak Rule Stage cultivator and the progenitor of the Crimson Vital Dominion, Hestia understood exactly what she was witnessing. Manifesting a domain from an arcane concept meant only one thing: the cultivator had reached Advanced Galactic-level comprehension of that concept.

Even the most talented geniuses from major sects required centuries or even millennia to reach such mastery for a single concept. Yet this child, who was not even ten years old, had casually manifested domains representing four arcane concepts simultaneously.

Hestia's gaze shifted between Aerin and Adrian. Her mind raced through possibilities. Adrian had this same kind of speed in comprehension. So, has the entire Adrian's group been hiding monstrous talent this entire time? Or was this child simply an anomaly even among them?

Adrian stared at the overlapping domains quietly. Only a few days earlier, when he last saw Aerin in their suite, she had barely comprehended the Vitality concept. Reaching Advanced Galactic comprehension for the remaining three concepts within such a short period should have been impossible.

Then Adrian realized the answer. It should be because of the miniature Source Seed residing within her. The Source must have actively assisted her comprehension this time, far more aggressively than before. That was the only logical explanation.

But why now? Why accelerate her growth so dramatically when it had remained mostly dormant for nine years?

Adrian turned his thoughts inward, directing his attention toward the Will of the Source within him.

"You can't help her this much," he projected mentally with clear frustration. "She's just a child. Ascending too fast without a proper foundation is dangerous."

As always, the Source offered no verbal response. His Source Seed merely emitted a faint rhythmic pulse, the same indifferent reaction it always gave.

"Uncle!"

Aerin's voice snapped Adrian out of his thoughts. She dismissed her domains, her eyes glowed with excitement.

"Give me the knowledge of the divine concept!" she said, practically bouncing on her feet. "I want to ascend to the Rule Stage!"

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Adrian sighed deeply and rose from his seat. Walking over to her, he gently lifted her from the floor and placed her on the edge of the large conference table so that they could speak at eye level.

"Aerin, it's not that simple," Adrian said softly, his tone calm but firm. "Forming a Rule Core is not just about understanding the concepts. It requires an enormous amount of Willforce. The process itself is extremely complicated and painful. You must dismantle your existing essence seeds and carefully move the necessary rule fragments together to form the core, and throughout that entire process, your Willforce will be constantly consumed."

Aerin's excitement dimmed slightly, but she listened.

He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "You are only approaching ten years old. Other than some training spars back home, you have never experienced a real battle. Your Willforce has not been tempered by hardship or survival. If you attempt ascension now, you will not have enough Willforce to sustain the fusion process. It could damage your essence seeds permanently."

Adrian continued, his voice gentler now, "And you don't need to worry about the bet. Uncle Draven and Max would take decades just to comprehend the arcane concepts. Before that, you can grow up and become a Rule Stage cultivator!"

Aerin's excited expression faltered completely. Her brows knitted together into a stubborn frown, "But it's not only that, uncle!" she protested, her small hands clenching the edge of the table. "I want to be strong enough to protect everyone!"

Her voice rose slightly, carrying an intensity that didn't match her size. "I don't want to be helpless again… like back in the UNI-Hub."

The words caught Adrian completely off guard. He stared at her silently as a dull ache formed in his chest. He finally understood the reason behind her sudden determination.

So it was not the bet. This was the real reason behind her sudden dedication to cultivation. The encounter with Varkas had frightened her far more deeply than she had revealed. Facing such overwhelming power had made her feel helpless, trapped inside that sealed space with her parents unable to protect her, and that memory had pushed her to pursue strength with desperate urgency.

Adrian's throat tightened. He had been so focused on handling threats, on growing stronger himself, that he hadn't noticed the fear Aerin carried.

However, even Adrian could not bypass the fundamental requirement of Willforce. No shortcut existed for that. He softened his expression and spoke gently, "Aerin, you do not need to rush. Your parents are here, and I am here too. I promise no one will ever hurt you."

He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Just wait a few years. Grow a little more. Play, experience life, and allow your Willforce to develop naturally. After that, you will be able to ascend safely."

Aerin pouted and stared down at her hands, clearly dissatisfied but unable to argue against his reasoning. Her fingers twisted together in her lap.

Throughout this entire exchange, Hestia had remained silent. She sat perfectly still in her seat, her golden eyes fixed on the child. As the Sect Leader of the Crimson Vital Sect, she understood what she had just witnessed. A talent like this appeared once in millions of years, perhaps never, in her experience. Allowing such potential to slip away would be unforgivable.

More than that, she saw something familiar in the child's determination. The same desperate need to protect those she loved. Hestia had carried that same weight when her clan fled their home galaxy as refugees.

Finally, she spoke, "Aerin, would you like to become my personal disciple?"

The child blinked and turned her head toward the crimson-robed woman. Adrian straightened slightly, surprised by the offer.

"If you become my disciple," Hestia continued with a rare, genuine smile softening her usually severe features, "I will personally train you. I will teach you how to temper your Willforce properly. If you follow my guidance, you will become as strong as your uncle one day."

Aerin tilted her head thoughtfully. She was already familiar with the concept of discipleship. Back in the Milky Way, she had trained with Origin warriors and understood what it meant to learn under a teacher.

"But I already have Uncle Adrian to train me!" she declared proudly, swinging her legs where they dangled from the table's edge.

Hestia laughed softly, the sound warm and unexpected. "I am the Sect Leader of the Crimson Vital Sect," she said, rising from her seat and approaching them. "I am also a Peak Rule Stage cultivator, just like your uncle. More importantly, I have spent thousands of years guiding disciples through cultivation."

She stopped a few paces away, folding her hands before Aerin. Her gaze flickered briefly toward Adrian before continuing, "And your uncle is going to be extremely busy in the coming days. He has many important matters to handle. He will not have the time required to guide you properly."

Aerin turned toward Adrian with wide eyes, "Is that true, Uncle?"

Adrian considered the situation for a moment. Although he possessed the necessary knowledge, his cultivation path was deeply unconventional due to the Source. Hestia, on the other hand, had thousands of years of experience guiding disciples through the dangerous transition into the Rule Stage. She knew every pitfall, every mistake young cultivators made. She could train Aerin far more effectively than he could.

"It is true," Adrian said calmly, meeting Aerin's gaze. "Sect Leader Hestia has far more experience teaching disciples than I do. She knows exactly how to strengthen your Willforce safely."

He paused, then added, "And she is right. I will be occupied with sect matters for some time."

Aerin looked between them thoughtfully, her young face serious in a way that made her seem older than her years. The logic made sense to her.

"Well…" she said slowly, tapping her chin with one finger in an unconscious imitation of Lysandra. "If Uncle Adrian says you are the best teacher, then I guess it must be true."

She jumped down from the table, landing lightly on her feet. Without hesitation, she marched straight toward Hestia. Stopping in front of the sect leader, Aerin offered a respectful bow, somewhat clumsy but earnest, before straightening up with a bright smile.

"Okay! I will be your disciple!" she announced cheerfully. "But you have to promise to make me super strong so I can beat up anyone who tries to hurt us!"

Hestia reached out and gently ruffled the child's hair, "I promise," she said warmly, "We will make you strong enough to chase away anyone who tries to harm your family."

Aerin beamed up at her new master, already chattering excitedly. "Can we start training tomorrow? What about right now? Do you know any cool techniques? Can you teach me how to—"

"Aerin," Adrian interrupted gently, "There is no rush. First, we need to inform everyone back in the residence, or else they would be searching for you when they end their cultivation session."

The child paused, then nodded quickly. "Oh! yes! I will go tell Mom and Dad! They will be so excited!"

Before either of them could respond, spatial essence gathered around Aerin's small form. She vanished with a soft displacement of air.

The conference hall fell silent. Hestia stared at the empty space where Aerin had stood moments before. "How is she doing that?" Hestia asked. "Without triggering a single alarm."

Adrian rubbed his temple, "I'm not sure of that..."

"Elder Adrian," Hestia turned to face him fully, her golden eyes intense. "That child has great potential. I meant what I said. I will train her properly, but… You need to be prepared for what she will become."

Adrian met her gaze steadily, "She will become someone strong enough to protect the people she loves. That is all that matters."