The Dawn of the New World

It was much thinner and a lot less conspicuous so if he wanted, Hao Xuan would be able to keep the entire thing hidden under some loose clothing.

Lord Jyothi pointed at the five chains that would go up his arms from each cuff and connect to the neck brace in the middle.

"Each chain has its own seal that will restrict your soul power by 20 percent. Every 3 days you will be able to open a maximum of four seals for at most an hour before they would have to be closed again. As long as the last seal is not broken that wench will not be alerted of your whereabouts, nor be able to find you by other means."

This was great news for Hao Xuan but Lord Jyothi was still not satisfied as was evident by his embarrassed demeanor.

"I wish I could do more but in such little time I-" he spoke without being able to make eye content but Hao Xuan cut him off.

"You did more than I could have asked for, please don't be disheartened. This is a good thing!"

His forlorn expression was instantly replaced by a surprised smile, "Thank you for your kind words!"

But the next moment his eyes widened as he looked up into the empty space in somewhat of a daze, "Seems we are running low on time. Let us not keep them waiting for too long," he muttered weakly while pulling out a silver needle from one of the drawers.

Before Hao Xuan could ask what he was referring to Lord Jyothi placed the needle on the table and stepped back.

"If you would. Please use your spiritual sense to interact with it. It will give me a rough idea of your soul power so I can tune the seals accordingly."

Hao Xuan did as asked, sending out a handful of golden threads to touch the needle. And when they came into contact with it a cool feeling washed over him while the needle started to change colors from the bottom up.

Blue, green, red, dark red, and finally the tip turned maroon.

Lord Jyothi inched closer to inspect it in more detail, muttering after a moment, "2nd Stage Saint Realm. It is quite unstable but generally hovers around around there."

He glanced back up at Hao Xuan, "But your physique is only around Peak Stage Spirit Realm so I will limit the soul power around that. It should be perfect since you will be able to adequately protect yourself without drawing too much attention."

He took back the chains and using the nail of his forefinger began cutting the last bit of inscription onto the metal cuffs.

This process only took a few seconds and when it was completed each seal was represented by glowing lines identical to the Roman numerals of earth. He unlocked the clasps before gingerly handing it back.

"Once worn there will be no way to take it off without breaking the last seal and revealing yourself to her," he reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time, "Are you sure about this? There is still time, I can-"

But Hao Xuan responded by throwing the brace around his neck and the cuffs around his wrists in one swift motion. He closed his eyes as the seals came into effect immediately, constantly reducing his soul power until it fell below the Profound Realm once more.

Almost all of his senses were affected by this in one way or another. The neck brace wasn't tight enough to bother him but-

'It feels like am being strangled...' Hao Xuan thought inwardly.

But his decisiveness left Lord Jyothi in a slump.

With a heavy sigh his shoulders slumped, "It is good to be resolute but you must be careful of those around you no matter where you go. No one will hesitate to use you and your status for their own benefit."

Hao Xuan rubbed the skin around his wrist that felt sore so soon after putting on the cuffs, trying to get used to this new reality that would be with him for a short while.

Letting out a deep breath he met Lord Jyothi's worried gaze, "Thank you for this and the information about...well, everything. I will not forget what you have done for me. And sooner or...later, I will return this favor."

Lord Jyothi couldn't help but chuckle at the sincerity and intensity with which he said those words. He might have a lower rank than Hao Xuan but few could openly challenge his power within the sanctum.

So how could a newbie help an old monster like him?

"Then I will await your triumphant return, my lord," he said giving a royal bow which Hao Xuan allowed him to do.

He then led him back up the volcano, coincidentally running into the small lizard that was apparently waiting for them on the way.