Chapter 378 Silent Affection

Meanwhile...

In another facility of the Conclave, nothing technological could be seen inside, much like the black spherical structure standing at the centre of the entire base of operations. Seraphiel could be seen sitting beneath a waterfall, with streams of water continuously pouring over her head.

Her legs were crossed in a lotus position, and her eyes remained firmly closed as she attempted to focus on the waterfall and clear her thoughts completely, as instructed by the Seven Grand Regents.

"It’s been three hours already. Do you think she can clear her thoughts within a day or two? Even her innate talent is quite extraordinary," one of the Seven Regents remarked. The bulky man stood out from the others because of his large frame and thick red-and-brown beard.

He turned toward the small girl standing beside him, waiting for her opinion on the matter. "I think she can. Even though her Phoenix Soul is still dormant, she already possesses the potential to reach the stage of No-thoughts within a short period of time."

The small girl answered confidently, causing the bulky man to nod without saying anything further. All seven Regents understood what the stage of No-thoughts represented, as it was a state that had little to do with one’s cultivation rank, abilities, or energy.

It was simply a state of mind in which a person had absolutely no thoughts. The mind would fall completely silent, as though every conscious thought had disappeared, yet the person’s emotions and feelings would remain untouched.

Achieving such a state was so difficult that only a handful of people in the Conclave had been able to achieve it.

"This stage is necessary to awaken her Phoenix Soul. According to the scriptures written by the First Pillar, if she manages to achieve it, her Phoenix Soul will sense that something is wrong with its vessel and be forced to awaken," the man wearing glasses explained. His eyes remained fixed on Seraphiel, filled with curiosity and interest as he observed her progress beneath the waterfall.

"Well, it’s a good thing both members of this couple are utterly ridiculous. One is already an anomaly, and the other is gradually becoming one as well." The man lying on a floating canvas recliner spoke lazily, drawing the attention of the other six Regents for a brief moment before they returned their gazes to Seraphiel.

"He is right. Both of them are anomalies, and perhaps that’s for the best. Neither of them will have to feel inferior to the other in terms of power when it comes to their relationship," the woman with a slightly masculine build remarked in her usual firm and calm tone.

The other six nodded in agreement before falling silent once again, allowing Seraphiel to continue her training without further discussion.

On the other hand, Seraphiel was still struggling to clear her thoughts. It was not easy to make one’s mind completely empty, especially when even consciously suppressing a thought could give rise to another.

Even if she managed to silence her conscious mind for a moment, her subconscious would continue producing thoughts automatically, making the entire process far more difficult than she had initially imagined.

’Empty my thoughts... Empty my thoughts... Empty my thoughts?’ She repeated the same words in her mind, hoping that doing so would eventually help her achieve the desired state. However, just as she continued repeating them, Atlas’s face suddenly appeared in her thoughts, causing her to pause.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she remembered his smile and calm demeanor, and for a moment, she completely forgot about the training.

’...Go away, Atlas! Hmph!’ She complained inwardly, her lips twitching slightly as embarrassment crept into her expression. She tried to return her attention to the waterfall, but the moment she attempted to clear her mind again, his face appeared once more.

This time, the image was even clearer, and Seraphiel could only grow more frustrated with herself.

’...D-Damn it! He has occupied my mind completely!’ She complained again, wondering if there was any way to temporarily get him out of her thoughts. She had been given a straightforward objective, yet she couldn’t even stop herself from thinking about her own boyfriend.

Just as she was trying to figure out how to deal with the situation, Atlas’s familiar voice suddenly reached her mind through their mental connection.

’Sera, are you alright? How’s your training going?’

Seraphiel was immediately startled by the unexpected voice. She almost opened her eyes, but quickly restrained herself before asking in a slightly hesitant tone, ’I-Is that really you, Atlas? O-or am I hallucinating?’

A chuckle came from the other side of their connection, confirming that it really was him. Hearing his familiar laughter brought her a small sense of relief, and the embarrassment she had been feeling moments earlier became a little easier to bear.

’My training is going okay. It’s just that... I can’t make my mind empty of all thoughts. That’s the entire point of this training, and yet...’ Her voice gradually lost its confidence as she explained the situation to him, including the reason she needed to achieve No-thoughts to awaken her dormant Phoenix Soul.

Although she tried to explain everything calmly, Atlas could still sense the disappointment she felt toward herself. She had been trying for hours without making any meaningful progress, and knowing that the solution seemed so simple only made her frustration worse.

’I see...’

Atlas remained silent for a while, giving Seraphiel time to settle her thoughts. She didn’t know what he was thinking, and she didn’t want to bother him with her problems when he had his own matters to attend to. Nevertheless, she couldn’t deny that simply hearing his voice had made her feel a little better. Before long, his voice reached her mind once again.

’Then why don’t you try doing something unusual?’

Seraphiel was confused by his suggestion. ’What do you mean?’

Atlas smiled slightly before explaining his idea. ’If you can’t empty your thoughts in the conventional way, why not try a different approach? Instead of trying to clear your mind directly, you could focus on something else entirely. Essentially, you need to stop paying so much attention to your own thoughts.’

Seraphiel listened carefully, but she still wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. She couldn’t help wondering how Atlas had managed to explain such a simple idea using so many difficult words, ’You’re beneath a waterfall, right? And you’ve been trying to focus on your own mind this entire time?’

Seraphiel nodded inwardly before replying, ’Yes, you’re correct...’

Just then, something occurred to her, and she hesitated for a moment before asking, ’Wait... You aren’t suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, are you?’

Atlas chuckled again, slightly surprised that she seemed to have guessed where his thoughts were heading. ’I don’t know. Maybe, or maybe not.’ He paused briefly before continuing, ’Anyway, my suggestion is that you stop focusing on your own mind and shift your attention to the waterfall instead. Don’t keep checking whether your thoughts have disappeared, just concentrate on the sensation of the water falling over you.’

’The narrower your focus becomes, the less attention you’ll give to the thoughts running through your mind.’

He exhaled before adding another thought that had crossed his mind. ’Though, I did consider another method involving Aether energy. But the Seven Regents would probably notice if you sent energy through your brain and interfere before you could accomplish anything. So, try this approach first.’

’If you need any help, just contact me through this connection I’ve established.’

Seraphiel remained silent for a long moment, considering his suggestion. It wasn’t a guaranteed solution, but it was something she hadn’t tried before, and she had little reason to reject it without giving it a chance.

More importantly, Atlas hadn’t made her feel foolish for struggling with something that appeared simple to the others. She finally replied, her voice noticeably calmer than before, ’I’ll try it, Atlas.’

She didn’t thank him, nor did she offer any elaborate expression of gratitude. Their relationship had reached a point where she no longer felt the need to turn every small act of kindness into something formal.

She knew he would help her whenever he could, just as she would do the same for him. For Seraphiel, that understanding was more than enough.

There was only one thing she wanted to say before they ended their conversation. Her cheeks warmed slightly once again, but this time, she didn’t try to suppress the feeling or complain about it. Instead, she allowed a small smile to form on her face as she spoke softly through their mental connection.

’I love you, Atlas.’

For a brief moment, neither of them said anything else.

Then Atlas returned her words with the same sincerity, ’I love you too, Sera. Bye for now.’ and the two ended their conversation. Seraphiel turned her attention back to the waterfall, ready to try his suggestion, while Atlas moved on to his own agenda.