《Unrivaled Under The Heaven》


 Chapter 1 - Jason Mccray

    "Hmm"


    Gathering every strength his body can mutter, Jason Mccray opens his heavy eyelids, a simple tidy room came into view. Being unable to make out why he was laying down with pain all over his body, though soon after the figures of two people sitting not too far from him came into view.


    " Mother, little sister ...." Jason called out in a low voice after recognizing who the two people were.


    " elder brother you''ve finally woken up"


    When the little girl heard Jason''s voice, she rushes over to where he was playing in happiness.


    Dress in rags clothes and about fifteen years in age, with a pretty face and a playful nature, this was Jason''s little sister Hannah Mccray.


    " you have yet to perfect your skill and you still choose to fight with others, you are you are just seeking your own death"


    Still sitting on the spot was a woman who seems to be in the of thirty with a worried look on her face, she seems to be suffering from a serious illness as her face was pale. This was Jason''s mother Clara Mccray.


    Turning his head to look at his sick mother, Jason let out a sigh as he played with Hannah''s hair before saying.


    " I was only standing my ground against those bullies who thought they could just bully my little sister as they like"


    Placing his hand on his swollen eye to give it a massage, clenching his teeth in pain as he messages his swollen face. The fox family were looking for workers and Jason has gone to apply since he can''t focus on training since there is no way he can provide for resources. And with his mother''s condition, it was difficult fending for oneself. Only if he could get his hands on the job will he be able to catch up to his peers but unfortunately for him, the number of people that are willing to work for the fox family is more than what he expected making the possibility of getting the job very low.


    However, right after applying for the job, Jason was just about to head back to their tent when he encounters some of his peers which has always looked down on him and have even bullied him on more than one occasion obstructing a lady which they have find attracted to and Jason was just about to ignore them and continue on his way home when he notices that the lady there was crowding was actually his little sister Hannah. Jason turned around and went to confront the boys only for him to end up beaten.


    " Andrew fox, today is your win but next time it will not end as it did today.


    I promise to beat you until you won''t be able to get up for a month, else my name is not Jason Mccray.


    " you must mind the way you act since you are not a match against Andrew," said Jason''s mother.


    Andrew Fox was the leader of the group that has been bullying him right since their days in the fox family.


    Jason couldn''t bring himself to admit the fact that Andrew fox was stronger and talented than him. Being at the 4th layer of tempered body. In the cultivation world, it was a great achievement for kids of their age to have tempered their body to the 3rd layer unlike him who had only achieved the 1st layer.


    Since in the path of cultivation, training the body should be first priority. Allowing one''s body to strengthen and grow stronger to a certain level gives birth to spiritual energy and only when has already had spiritual energy within them could one be qualified to be called a true practitioner.


    The tempered body is divided into 10 levels and the difference between the first 3 layers is not much since it only focuses on strengthening the body slightly. But when one''s body has been cultivated to the 4th layer will their skin begin to grow tough and harden like that of rock while their speed and strength will increase.


    Now that Andrew was already at the 4th layer of tempered body, all Jason could do was to grit his teeth together and take a beating since he is weaker compared to the two of them.


    The reason why Andrew could be far ahead of Jason in training even though they were at the same age was all because his father was the one in charge of distributing the fox family resources among the members of the family, making it easier for him to continue his training without restraining him since he has all the resources needed to nourish his body, unlike Jason who was not even a member of the Fox family so training was very difficult and it was already a miracle that he was able to tempered his body to the 1st layer.


    While tempering one''s body, it is very important to have some resources to nourish the body from getting internal injuries after training since you will be overworking and pushing the limit of the body. failing to nourish the body could lead to being sluggish while tempering one''s body since there is an internal injury that is stopping the body from improving.


    When Clara heard her son mutter, she couldn''t help but sigh, and seeing her mother this way, Hannah said in a low voice to Jason.


    " big brother you don''t need to get mother worried, you know she is not feeling too well so stop getting into conflict with others so that she can some peace of mind".


    " huh, I should stop fighting with others. I can''t believe you are actually saying this when the reason why I am in this state was because I wanted to save from the hands of that beast" replied Jason.


    " I never asked for your help big brother, besides I have a plan to get out of their encirclement only for you to get involved," said Hannah.


    " stop complaining and focus more on your training and only then will others acknowledge your talent and Andrew will have to give way whenever he sees you" replied Clara as she got up and walk out of the hut to get some fresh air.

 Chapter 2 - The Mccray Downfall

    "you have made mother worried there, with the state she is in, if you continue to come home covered in wounds then it won''t be long before she passes away," said Hannah after their mother walked out.


    " How Can I leave you behind and let those good-for-nothing bullies treat you the way they want" replied Jason as he put his head down feeling somehow disappointed in himself.


    " big brother, they would have let me go after saying a few words, so please don''t get yourself in trouble next time because of me okay," said Hannah.


    " it all because we are not from the fox family which is why we are been treated that way like an outcast" replied Jason.


    " then if you want them to change the way they see us, then you will have to prove it to them with your fist," said Clara as she walks back into the tent.


    " how am I supposed to prove anything to them when I don''t have resources to support my training" replied Jason


    "Which is why you are going to need this, I believe with this, you will be able to get some ginseng from the market even if they are of the lower grade, it should be enough to speed your training progress a little if I am not mistaking," said Clara as she brought out a small sack that is filled with spirit stone.


    " mother that money is for your treatment why give it to big brother" Hannah hastily said before quieting down.


    " it is already wasteful of me to spend all this money in treating my illness when knowing full well that I can''t be cured of this illness, not even the physician will be able to find the cure to my illness, so why not spend them all in getting you resources for your training" replied Clara as she shook her head.


    " Please don''t say that mother, I believe that your illness can be Cure, all we need is just enough money to get a physician to check your health," said Jason been moved by his mother''s action.


    Ignoring Jason''s words, Clara walk out again but before leaving, she turned to Jason and said.


    " is better you go get yourself those ginseng and begin your training".


    Watching their mother in pain as she struggles to walk out, Hannah couldn''t stop her tears from flowing out.


    " come on little sister stop cry, your elder brother promise to train hard, and when the time is right. I will find a way to cure mother of her illness, so until then we will have to take good care of her" Jason said softly as he pinches her cheek.


    " I believe in you big brother so don''t let mother and me down okay, and since mother could give you all those money shows she also believe you will become a great man in the future" replied Hannah softly as she begins to wipe her face clean of tears


    " little sister I heard from the attendance that the number of people that are allowing for the job is much, I just hope I would be selected and get to work for the fox family. Only then will I be about to purchase some herbs for myself that will aid me in my training and then get some pills that will relieve her of the pain she is going through" said Ray.


    Hannah could only shake her head as she heard the word that Jason said.


    " There is no way the fox family is going to let strangers like us in when they have a lot of family servants applying for the same job, so I advise that big brother should just forget about getting the job" replied Hannah with a sign before walking out of the room.


    watching the back of his little sister as she walks out of the room, Jason''s hand were already cleaned together in a fist as he said. " just you saw, I am going to get the job weather the world like it or not"


    Seeing his mother in pain always reminds him of how their family was. Massacre overnight with their father losing his life as he tried to protect his family while they Escape and that is how their mother gains the illness after losing her husband in the invasion. And that''s how they begin to roam around in search of shelter where they would be out from their enemy''s reach.


    All this while that they have been staying in the fox family territory, Jason has been trying to get news about the family that attacks his family but was not able to come up with anything until eventually one day when he was passing by an elderly man who seen to be an outsider called to his friends.


    " I heard that the cain family was responsible for the elimination of the Mccray family due to the fact they have a misunderstanding," said the elderly man.


    That night when Jason got home, told his mother what he heard outside and wanted to know if it is true that the cain family were the ones that attack then only for his mother to say she don''t know if they were involved in the elimination but one thing she remembered was that the day before the attack, their family head disagreed with the cain family head.


    Not knowing if the cain family is involved in the elimination, Jason decided to focus more on his training as he wants to be stronger so that he can avenge his clan.


    Taking the sack of spirit stone, Jason head to the market to purchase the ginseng his mother requested him to buy since it will be very using in his training. After purchasing five low-grade ginseng, Jason was left with no more spirit stone to purchase anymore ginseng and decided to head back home where he will have to brew the ginseng for consumption.. And while trying to head back to their tent, Jason did his best to avoid running into Andrew and his group since he had not recovered from the previous beat down, taking another beat down could only lead to his early death.

 Chapter 3 - Breakthrough

    After managing to get home without getting into a fight with Andrew and his group, josh brought out the ginseng he had bought from the market. Staring at the ginseng in his hand, Jason couldn''t help but smile as he mutters to himself.


    " with all this, breaking throw the 2nd laying shouldn''t be a problem for me "


    " big brother, you are finally back," said Hannah as she walks into the hut and sees Jason standing with his back facing her.


    " yes Hannah I am back, where is mother,"asked Jason as he could not find his mother.


    " don''t know, maybe she went to get some money from that elder in the fox family" replied Hannah as she lowers her head trying not to look at his brother in the eye.


    " what is it that is making you look for me like I am still a kid that needs to be taken care of," said Clara as she makes her way into the hut.


    " you are back mother, look what I got from the market" replied Jason as he shows his mother the ginseng he has brought from the market.


    " good, now that you have acquired the ginseng, all that is left for you to do is brew it before using it after going through intense training only through this way will you be able to utilize the full potential of the medicine," said Clara.


    " Okay mother, I am going to brew it right now" replied Jason before taking his leave.


    " big brother wait for me," said Hannah as she went after him.


    Very early in the morning, while others are still asleep, Jason was busy with his training as he holds onto a tree branch that was not too far from their tent and begins to pull himself up before going down while at the same counting the number of time he has pulled himself up. Since they don''t have money to afford pills that will be beneficial to his training, his mother told him to train his body diligently via doing somebody exercise which would help strengthen his body a lot.


    " 320," said Jason as he pulled himself up with difficulty as he grits his teeth together, with sweat dripping from his body.


    Jason was already approaching his limit but he still doesn''t want to let go, since he wanted to get stronger, something like this shouldn''t be holding him back, these were the words that stood as he motivation to him as he preserved and continued with his pull up to the extent that his arms begin to go numb.


    Jason continued until the sun begins to shine bright and by then he has already done 450 pulls ups and he is still going. Continuing with his exercise even when he is completely exhausted.


    " only when I force my body will i be able to achieve a breakthrough," said Jason to himself as he continues with his exercise.


    As he was still struggling with his pull up even when he was out of strength, Jason suddenly felt a strong heat rushing from within his body as the tiredness and pain he was feeling previously were suddenly replaced by invigorating energy.


    Holding onto the tree branch tightly, Jason swings himself forward with force before letting go of the branch as he performs a somersault before landing steadily on the ground, to his surprise, his body has grown a little tougher.


    " clap clap clap" the sound of hands hit each other came from not too far from where he was training, turning around to see who it was but to his surprise it was Hannah who was clapping merrily.


    " nice show big brother, I thought I was going to die of boredom with you just doing a pull-up, who would have thought that you will perform an acrobatic to please your audience," said Hannah with a smile as she approaches him.


    " what are you doing outside at this time of the day," asked Jason as he punched her lightly on the cheek.


    " The sun is already out big brother so it''s easy to see your training" replied Hannah as he rubbed her cheek.


    Hearing what Hannah said, Jason finally noticed that he had been training for a longer time compared to before and with his breakthrough, he could feel the power surging through his vein. Clenching his hand into a fist with a smile on his face, Jason couldn''t believe that he was able to achieve a breakthrough after using the ginseng.


    " so this is what it felt like to be from a worthy home, only if I can have more of this, reaching the 4th layer of tempered body wouldn''t be problem and Andrew will have to be wary of me," said Jason to himself softly.


    " big brother did you achieve a breakthrough," asked Hannah as she heard the words that came out of his mouth.


    Nodding his head with a smile on his face to answer her question.


    " congratulations big brother, I can''t wait to see the look on mother''s face when she heard this," said Hannah happily.


    " hey don''t go wake her up over such a matter okay, let''s wait for her to wake up before telling her" replied Jason as he holds Hannah in the hand, preventing her from running back into the room.


    " ah take it easy big brother, you are hurting me," said Hannah in pain.


    " I am sorry about that, I haven''t gotten used to my strength" apologize Jason as he let go of his grip.


    " it''s okay, I know big brother still doesn''t know how to control his strength, so I will forgive you just this once but the next time I will have to cry to mother and tell her you are bullying me" replied Hannah with a smile on her face.


    " Now you are threatening me over such a thing," said Jason helplessly.


    " haha, you should take a look at yourself big brother, you look so frightened" replied Hannah with a laugh.


    " Why shouldn''t I, since you are trying to make me look like a bad brother in front of mother," said Jason with a smile.


    " don''t worry, I won''t tell on you" replied Hannah with a chuckle as she tiptoes back to the tent.


    Shaking his head helplessly, Jason also walked back to the tent feeling excited with his breakthrough.

 Chapter 4 - Phantom Kick

    The moment they went into the tent, they discovered that their mother was not inside and was beginning to panic.


    " where could she have gone to this time around," asked Hannah.


    " come let''s go search for her" replied Jason as he went outside and was just about to start the search when his mother''s voice reached his ears, turning around, he saw his mother with a walking stick in her hand as she struggled to walk.


    Giving her a hand, Jason helps her to the hut before asking.


    " mother where did you head to".


    " I went to meet elder drake for some he promised to me" replied Clara.


    Clara turns to look at Ray as she senses some changes in him, and begins to observe him, only after observing him did she know what the changes are as a smile was squeezed out of the painful face of hers.


    " not bad, you were able to break through to the 2nd layer of the tempered body," said Clara with a smile on her face.


    "it''s all thanks to the herbs else I would still be at the 1st layer " replied Jason with a smile.


    " that not true Jason, it would have taken others a month or two to make a breakthrough, but it took you a day which shows that your breakthrough was near and the ginseng just helped fasten it. And it will be best you continue to train since you have not utilized the whole medicine effect in your body which will help you a lot" said Clara.


    " yes, mother " replied Jason seriously.


    " and speaking of training, you won''t be training using that method since you have already breakthrough to the 2nd layer of tempered body, you are now qualified to train in martial arts. Here is a leg technique I collected from elder drake, it might be a low-grade leg technique but it should be enough for you to protect yourself from trouble" said Clara as she handed the manual to Jason.


    Taking the manual from his mother, Jason was just speechless for his mother to go that far to beg elder drake for manual just so he could cultivate like his peers. With tears in his eyes hug his mother tightly as he spoke.


    " I will not let me down mother".


    " I am the one who had let you down for not being able to provide for your training due to my condition, so this is the best I can do" replied Clara with tears flowing from her eyes.


    Pulling Jason off her, Clara wipes the tears from her eyes as she chuckles before saying.


    " you are no longer a child Jason, what will your peers say when they see you crying here"


    " if they have never cried since they were born then let them laugh" replied Jason as he also wiped his eyes


    " then they are going to laugh at you when seeing you like this, by the way, ain''t you going to check the technique out," said Clara with a chuckle.


    Nodded his head to the words of his mother, Jason open the manual and the first thing that met his eyes was the name of the leg technique.


    " phantom kick" mutters Jason.


    " according to elder drake, this leg technique when master to the peak, even a 6th layer of tempered body will find it difficult to survive a kick from you but the requirement for practicing this technique is a Strong leg," said Clara.


    " if one needs a Strong before they can start practicing this technique then how am I supposed to learn it," asked Jason.


    " since you don''t have a strong leg then you will have to train them to be strong enough or even stronger to learn the phantom kick" replied Clara with a smile.


    " and how am I supposed to do that" asked Jason


    " hmm, you can start by kicking that tree over there" replied Clara as she pointed to the tree that Jason has been using for a pull-up.


    " what you are not serious are you," asked Jason hoping that his mother was joking but the words that came out of her mouth was like torture to him.


    " yes I am Jason, if you ever plan to learn the phantom kick technique, then you will have to do it" replied Clara with a serious face.


    " kicking that tree will only get me crippled mother, is there no other way," asked Jason.


    " son the world of cultivation is cruel and frighting, if you can''t kick that tree then I am afraid you are not qualified to undertake this path" replied Clara.


    Gritting his teeth as he walked to the tree, Jason hesitated before sending a powerful kick at the tree, and then came to the pain surging through his leg the moment his leg came in contact with the tree. Crouching on the ground while holding his leg as he grits his teeth to endure the pain with tears rolling down his eyes.


    " don''t forget to kick the tree with both legs since it will be more to your advantage if you master the technique with both legs making it difficult for your opponent to predict which leg you are going to use to attack next," said Clara.


    " it is already killing me using one leg, now you want me to use the other, how do you expect me to walk after kicking the tree and breaking my legs" replied Jason as he was on the verge of crying.


    " you will have to endure the pain and continue since that is also a way to train your mental state so keep it up son," said Clara seriously.


    Getting on his feet, Jason kick out with the other leg after the pain he felt on his leg has decreased.


    " ahhhhhh" scream Jason in pain as he crouched on the ground with tears flowing from his eyes.


    " Keep your voice down, do you have to make so much noise over it," said Clara in annoyance.


    " mother your son is in pain and that is the best you can say" asked Jason.


    "it''s your fault for overdoing it, so why should I feel sorry for you" replied Clara.


    " you are the one that told me to kick the tree and now you are saying it''s my fault," said Jason.


    " I instruct you to kick it, but can''t you use your head and think before proceeding, instead of using your full strength in that kick you should have reduced the power to 50¨G then when you can finally cope with the pain of that level, you increase the power again to 60¨G and so on" replied Clara.


    " then why didn''t you say so and just told me to kick with the other leg," asked Jason.


    " that is because the two legs must be equal in power, so it is important you also kick out with the other leg.. Come lets go inside, tomorrow you will continue your training" replied Clara as she turned around and begin to head for the tent.

 Chapter 5 - Mysterious Bracelet

    Struggling to get on his feet, Jason started to walk towards the tent at a very slow pace and at the same time mourning in pain. After making it to the tent, Jason couldn''t help it anymore as he fell on the ground with his clothes being soaked with sweat.


    Seeing her brother in this condition, Hannah couldn''t help but giggle but after seeing his swollen legs, her happy face turns to that of worry as she ran to where he was laying before placing her hands on the legs.


    "Shh, take it easy will you," said Jason feeling the pain intensify after been touched.


    "What happened to your legs big brother, did you get into another fight with Andrew and his gangs again" ask Hannah as she took her hands off his legs.


    "Only if it was a fight, I would have been glad" replied Jason.


    "Since it is not the handing work of Andrew and his gangs, then how did your legs got these injuries," asked Hannah curiously.


    "Hannah leaves your brother alone and goes prepare the meal," said Clara in a calm tone.


    Hannah got up and went to prepare the meal, leaving Jason and Clara alone in the room.


    "I think your training will have to wait until you have completely recovered before continuing," said Clara.


    "Good heavens I won''t be kicking that tree tomorrow else I would be crippled for life and won''t be able to fulfill my dreams," thought Jason.


    Later in the morning, Hannah raised in with a bowl of soup in her hand and roasted meat and they ate and later in the night, Clara came in with a little jar as she instructed Hannah to hold Jason''s hand so that he won''t be disturbing her while she is doing her thing.


    "Be a good boy and stay still if you want to recover on time" said Clara after Hannah has held him in place.


    Clara opened the jar and pour a greenish liquid into her hand before rubbing it on Jason''s legs and begin to massage the legs. When the liquid was rubbed in his legs, Jason felt a cold chill flowing through his body and he became relaxed until the torture started as he yelled in pain while trying to free himself from Hannah''s grip but could not since he was in a laying position.


    "Big brother stop struggling and just bear through it okay," said Hannah as she continues to hold him tightly.


    The struggle continues until Clara was done with the massage as she rises from the ground and went to sit, leaving Jason laying there soaked entirely as he was just panting.


    After some time, the stinging pain he has been feeling was longer a that painful and was within his endurance.


    "I can''t feel the pain that much anymore, what is that liquid," asked Jason as he sat up.


    "That is the vial of the healer, you can have the rest in case you got a swell after training again, you can just apply it to the spot and massage it" reply Clara as she tosses the jar to Jason.


    "Thanks, mother," said Jason with a smile after catching the jar.


    "What about me mother, won''t I be getting any, you know that I am a lady," asked Hannah charming.


    "Sorry Hannah, but that is the last one, by the way, you are not even a cultivator so what do you want to use it for" replied Clara.


    "Mother I am a lady you know, taking care of my skin should be my priority," said Hannah.


    "As I said, that jar is the last and I have already given it to your big brother. You can tell him to give it to you only if you don''t want him to continue with his cultivation" replied Clara


    Hannah waves her hand in disapproval when she heard her mother''s word and ran out of the tent. Seeing her daughter acting weird, Clara couldn''t hold her laughter in and just let it out.


    "What a silly girl," said Clara as she continues to laugh.


    And that is how the day went by, same with the other days as Jason continues to recover from his injury and a week time, his legs have completely gone back to the way they used to be. Walking to continue with his practice, Jason was suddenly yelled at by Clara.


    "If you are looking for where to train, why don''t you go deep into the woods instead of disturbing my sleep".


    Leaving the area, Jason went deep into the woods where the noise won''t be a disturbance to others and he continues with the kicking exercise as he switched legs while reducing the strength of his kick. As he continues to kick the tree before him until it was late at night.


    Coming to a halt after kicking the tree for hours, Jason bent his head to look at his legs and see the condition they were in, thankfully after his mother''s advice, he was able to escape getting them swollen but he still felt a stinging pain. Taking out the jar his mother gave him, Jason squat and begin to apply it to his legs and massage it.


    Jason was just about to head home since he was done with his practice but decided to take a bath in the lake not far from where he was training and getting there, Jason was shocked to see that the moonlight was reflecting on the lake and an image of a bracelet was seen floating there.


    "How can a bracelet be floating on top of the lake, unless it is a treasure," said Jason in surprise before taking off his clothes and dive into the lake as he head for where the bracelet image was.


    Getting close, Jason stretched his hands forward to grab the bracelet but to his surprise, his hands went through with the light reflecting on his palm.


    "Could it be that the bracelet is down below?" said Jason, as he didn''t think twice before diving inside as he began to follow the light down below until his legs could touch the soil and laying in the ground, was the bracelet as it glitters.


    In the excitement of finding the bracelet, Jason pick it up before heading back to the surface and went home wet as soon as he came out of the lake to avoid trouble.

 Chapter 6 - The Talking Bracelet

    After getting home with his soaked body, Jason was just about to sneak in to avoid being seen by Hannah who will tell on him the moment she saw him but he was still unable to get past the gaze of the eagle unnoticed.


    "And where do you think you are doing, am going to tell mother that you are walking in with that wet body of yours," said Hannah as she stared at Jason.


    "Shh, keep it down, I just went to wash off after training and couldn''t have the time to clean up since it was already getting late" replied Jason as he tried to explain things to her.


    "You are lucky I am in a good mood today else I would have told on you, quick go change before mother sees you like this," said Hannah.


    With a smile on his face, Jason peeks her on the cheek before going to change his clothes. Taking the bracelet out to give it a closer look, Jason was still unable to figure what use it has but decided to keep it since it could produce a mirage, it may be a treasure.


    The next morning an announcement was made by the fox family concerning those that want to get the job will have to participate in a tournament and the three lucky winners will be the ones working for them.


    In the tent, the three were having their meal after Jason has returned from his training.


    "There is no way you are joining that tournament big brother" protested Hannah.


    "What is the difference since it is what I will have to do later after been selected" replied Jason.


    "Mother please say something," said Hannah as she turned to her mother for help.


    "Sigh, Jason before you think of joining the tournament, do you know any martial art that you are going to use in the tournament," asked Clara.


    "Not yet mother, but I still have enough time to master the phantom kick. I believe with it, I will be able to win the tournament" replied Jason as he crunches his hand into a fist.


    "Do you think it is easy to learn a martial art technique that easily?" asked Clara as she shakes her head in helplessness.


    "Well I don''t have to master it completely, just a little grip should be enough as long as I catch my opponent off guide, then the rest should be up to my powerful kick" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Your legs are not even strong enough for you to practice the technique and you want to use little of it might win a fight, what a joke," said Clara as she to her room.


    Seeing her mother walking out, Hannah was speechless that even their mother couldn''t talk him out of it.


    "Big brother I tell you, it better you stop this else if you were to get injured, don''t expect me to sit by your bed while giving you treatment," said Hannah.


    "I am sorry little sister but you see, my mind is already made up since it is the only way I can fend for you and mother" replied Jason.


    "I am not saying anything," said Hannah as she also walks out.


    "I guess I Will have to practice the phantom kick ahead of time if I want to get a hack of how to use the technique" Jason mutter to himself before walking out of the tent as he heads deep into the woods for some practice but this time around, he plans to practice the phantom kick.


    "This should be far enough to avoid being a disturbance to others," said Jason as he took out the manual for practicing the phantom kick and begin to read it thoroughly before keeping it back into his pocket and begin to do according to what was writing on it.


    Following the step on the Manuel, Jason begins to channel the spiritual energy into his legs before kicking out, as he felt a cracking sound coming from his leg as he bent down while holding his leg in pain.


    "Maybe it is right to wait until my legs are strong enough to practice the technique," said Jason as he holds his legs in pain.


    "What a weakling you are, you are not yet eligible to practice the technique and yet you choose to practice it," said a voice.


    "Who said that" replied Jason as he turned to look at where the voice came from only to see that he was the only one in the woods.


    There was silence after Jason yelled as he waits to see the person who spoke to walk out but that didn''t even happen.


    "You better come out now if you don''t want to get hurt," said Jason.


    "Look kid it''s better you stop saying that. You can''t even practice a low-level technique and you want to hurt someone, please don''t embarrass yourself anymore than this" replied the voice once more.


    "If you are man enough then show yourself," said Jason taking a fighting stance.


    "I am down here kid, look no further" replied the voice.


    The moment the words were spoken, the bracelet begins to glow in his pocket, taking it from his pocket, Jason begins to inspect the bracelet as he was curious why it was glowing.


    "Why did it glow all of a sudden," said Jason.


    "Am talking to you, that''s why I am glowing" replied the bracelet.


    "Did you just talk" ask Jason in fright and almost threw the bracelet.


    "Who do you think was talking to you all this while" replied the bracelet.


    "What are you actually," asked Jason.


    "I am the bracelet spirit or did you think I am some ghost" replied the bracelet.


    "That''s impossible to believe," said Jason doubtfully.


    "Are you calling me a lier now" asked the bracelet?


    "No is just that you didn''t attack me when I picked you from the lake" replied Jason.


    "I was in a slumber when you pick me up kid and just woke up due to the spiritual energy I felt, now tell me how would I be able to attack you in that state," asked the bracelet.

 Chapter 7 - Becoming The Master

    "Wow, I thought all treasure that gains intelligence can''t talk," said Jason in surprise as he stares at the glowing bracelet.


    "Yes but this one is special" replied the bracelet.


    "So what are you doing in the lake when you should be with your owner," asked Jason.


    "I lost my master a long time ago and I don''t think it would be coming back" replied the bracelet.


    "Oh, I am sorry about that but you see I have to go back to training," said Jason as he decided to wear the bracelet in his hand.


    "Are you still thinking of practicing that technique?" asked the bracelet.


    "Not a chance, I need to train my legs first before making another attempt but I need to be fast since the tournament is not far ahead" replied Jason.


    "There are many ways to make your body stronger, one of it is through refining your body with the blood of a beast, through lightning tribulation, by practicing a body strengthen technique, and so on," said the bracelet.


    "Unfortunately for me, I don''t have any of those that you mentioned" replied Jason as he kicks at the tree.


    "Indeed, you don''t but the same thing cant be said about me" replied the bracelet.


    When Jason heard this word, he froze with his leg raise up ready to kick the tree once more.


    "If you have all the things needed to strengthen the body, then you must help me," said Jason as he dropped his leg and begin to look at the bracelet like a huge treasure.


    "Yes I do, but there is no way I can help you with it" replied the bracelet.


    "Why can''t you help me," asked Jason.


    "That is because you are not my master" replied the bracelet.


    "But your master is won''t be coming, why don''t I be your new master," asked Jason.


    "Like you are qualified to be my master," said the bracelet with a sound of mockery in its voice as he spoke.


    "I know right now I am not qualified but you can''t say the same thing about the future" replied Jason seriously.


    "I like to think about the present and not the future," said the bracelet.


    "Okay, then I hope you don''t mind if I threw you back into the lake and you can wait for all eternity for your so-called master ghost to find you" replied Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    "You wouldn''t dare," said the bracelet.


    "Oh really, then watch closely" replied Jason as he begins to head towards the lake.


    After getting to the lake, Jason took the bracelet off his wrist and tossed it up a little before catching it before pulling his hand back as he was getting ready to throw the bracelet into the lake and seeing that the little kid before him was serious about throwing it away, the bracelet said in a panic.


    "Okay fine you are my master, so do you mind putting your hand down"


    "Haha, I thought you don''t want me to be your master, so why the change of heart," asked Jason with a laugh.


    "Why can''t you be my master, I was only testing you to see if you are going to give up after been told you are not qualified but you never did" replied the bracelet.


    "Okay, so when do we start with the ceremony of ownership," asked Jason.


    "What ceremony are you talking about" replied the bracelet with a question.


    "Don''t you dare act like a fool in front of me, you think I don''t know about the ceremony performed in other to be the sole owner of a treasure" said Jason.


    "You mean leaving your print on me, you would have said so" replied the bracelet.


    "Yes, so when do we start" asked Jason.


    "Easy, just leave a blood print on me" replied the bracelet.


    Not waiting time, Jason bite his thumb leaving a little wound to appear with blood flowing out at a slow pace before pressing the thumb on the bracelet. The moment the thumb came in contact with the bracelet, an ancient word made out of blood was forming on the bracelet and that is when Jason felt his connection with the bracelet which signifies that he was successful with the ceremony.


    "Alright now that I am your master, it''s time to let me have the technique for body strengthen," said Jason happily.


    "Sorry to disappoint you kid, but you see your realm is quite low to access the bracelet" replied the bracelet but this time wasn''t talking out instead it was talking in his head.


    "Hey, why can I hear you in my head," asked Jason.


    "Now that you are my master, it''s much better talking to you through thought since I won''t be wasting my energy" replied the bracelet.


    "So how can I talk to you now, since it will look kind of crazy talking to myself," asked Jason.


    "Just try talking in your mind and that''s all" replied the bracelet.


    Jason follows as he was instructed to and the bracelet also gave him a reply.


    "Alright, now that we are done with communication, now back to the question. How am I supposed to get my body stronger when I am not strong enough" said Jason.


    "As I said before, the blood of a beast and lightning tribulation can help. And since it''s rare for a lightning tribulation to occur, then your only choice is to get the blood of a beast and the beast has to be a stage higher than you" replied the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to kill a beast that is stronger than me not to talk of refining my body with its blood which I am new to" complain Jason.


    "I can help you with the refining process, it''s the least I can do since you are my master but you will have to get the beast blood yourself" replied the bracelet.


    "Fine, guess I will be going back to make Preparation," said Jason as he left the woods.

 Chapter 8 - The Beast Territory

    After getting home, Jason was trouble with how he could get the blood of a beast with his low realm without getting killed in the process and since he has no one who could help him makes him miss his father but the fact remain the same that if he even wants to get strong before the tournament, then he will have to get the beast blood.


    Two days went by and Jason was still busy kicking trees as if he has finally given up on the hunt.


    "So when are you going to hunt for the beast blood master," asked the bracelet when he saw Jason was making any attempts.


    "Once I am done with my preparation" reply Jason.


    "What preparation are you talking about because I didn''t see you making any preparation," asked the bracelet.


    "What exactly did you think I am doing right now if not making preparation" reply Jason with annoyance.


    "You call kicking trees as making preparation," asked the bracelet.


    "Do you expect me to just match into the beast''s territory and get the blood" replies Jason?


    "At least you know you will be benefitting from it if you were to succeed," said the bracelet.


    "Benefit my ass, how do you expect me to survive a fight against a beast that is stronger than me," asked Jason.


    "And who told you that you would be fighting a beast" replied the bracelet.


    "What do you mean" asked Jason puzzle by the bracelet word.


    "You don''t have to battle a beast to get their blood. look kid in the beast world, there is only one rule which is the survival of the fittest. So there likely going to be a battle going on at least every day" reply the bracelet.


    "You mean I don''t have to get my hands dirty and just wait patiently for a beast to do the fighting for me," said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Get which hands dirty, please let''s not go there. But yes, all you have to do is locate where there is a battle and that''s all" reply the bracelet.


    "But wait a minute, how is the blood going to be useful to me if the beast is dead," asked Jason.


    "As long as it hasn''t been long that the beast was dead, you can still use the blood" reply the bracelet.


    "Alright since it can also be done that way, then tomorrow we are going hunting," said Jason before continuing kicking the tree.


    After he was done with his training, Jason went home to inform his mom about the plan but did not tell her that he will be going into the beast territory instead he told her he will be spending some time in the woods training for some days which she agreed to.


    Early in the morning while everyone has not woken up from their sleep, the bracelet forcefully woke him up. Before leaving the fox family territory, Jason turned to give the tent a look before walking into the wood.


    "Don''t worry kid, as long as you are careful with the way you move when you get there" said the bracelet seeing how scared Jason is.


    After walking deep into the woods and passing through the lake. Jason was able to arrive at the beast''s territory before it gets dark. Standing and the boundary that separates the beast territory from the fox family territory. deciding to spend the night in a tree while still in the fox family territory since it won''t be safe for him in the beast territory.


    "Boom"


    An explosion woke Jason up in the morning.


    "What is that sound," said Jason as he jumped up in fright.


    "Looks like you won''t be spending a long time in search of beasts fighting" replied the bracelet.


    "So they are finally at it," said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Seen like it, but you don''t have to hurry," said the bracelet.


    "Why shouldn''t I" ask Jason.


    "Only if you want to get yourself killed then feel free to go watch the battle and claim the blood" replies the bracelet.


    "So how am I going to take the blood on time," asked Jason.


    "Not now, right now their battle is at its peak. So we are going to rush in when they are close to ending the fight" reply the bracelet.


    Finally holding himself back after listening to the bracelet words, Jason begins to wait patiently as he watched the beast territory from where he stood with explosions all over the place and it seem like it is not going to end anytime soon.


    After waiting under a tree until it was very hot in the afternoon, the explosion that has been going on in the beast territory since dew, finally reduce. With a happy expression on his face, Jason asked.


    "They should be done with the fight by now, right".


    "Calm down kid, rushing in like this will only get you killed" replied the bracelet.


    "But the noise has gone down a lot which could only mean that a winner has finally emerged from the fight," said Jason.


    "You are right and at the same time wrong, they might be deciding to make the last move that would end the fight, so what a little long" reply the bracelet.


    Holding in, Jason lay on the ground as he begins to wait just as the bracelet instructed him to, and it didn''t take long before another explosion occurs but after the explosion, the whole beast territory settles down.


    "What the hell, that is how I would have lost my precious life if I were to rush in" mutter Jason to himself as he begins to sweat on his forehead.


    "See that, you would have been caught in that explosion if you didn''t listen to my advice," said the bracelet.


    "And I will give you credit for that, so can I go in now," asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Yes you can but be careful not to run into a beast" reply the bracelet.


    Not waiting time, Jason run at his top speed as he went into the beast''s territory.

 Chapter 9 - The Chase

    Carefully going through the beast territory, Jason was been directed by the bracelet whenever he is about to come across a beast or going the wrong way.


    "Are you sure this is the right way?" asked Jason after walking for some time.


    "Stop asking questions and just do as I say" reply the bracelet.


    "Look is not like I am doubting your ability, but I just don''t want to get caught by a beast," said Jason.


    "Do you know how many times you would have encountered a beast if I just let you do as you like" reply the bracelet?


    Choosing to stop arguing and follow the bracelet instructions, Jason finally gets to the place where the fight took place but there was no sign of the beast in the surroundings even after searching the area, he was still unable to find the beast.


    "It looks like another beast has taken it as its meal for the day," said Jason with a sigh after searching for some time.


    "I doubt it, keep on searching maybe the beast has left this place before losing his life "replies the bracelet.


    Jason decided to extend his search to other places in search of the beast and eventually, he came across a trail left behind and it looks like whatever that made the trail was dragging itself forward. Following the trail, Jason was taken to the riverside where a giant lizard with a single horn and broken wings was laying down. Though it is still alive but not far from taking its last breath.


    "This is the treasure we are looking for kid and it looks like it has the dragon bloodline. Though it is low but should be very beneficial to your body strengthen" said the bracelet.


    "Yes unfortunately it is still alive" reply Jason with a low spirit.


    "What are you waiting for, now is your chance to get the beast''s blood," said the bracelet seeing Jason standing still.


    "Can''t you see that it is still alive" replies Jason.


    "And so, that beast doesn''t even have the strength to retaliate and besides if you were to kill it now, you will be able to claim its core for yourself," said the bracelet.


    "I don''t know if I should make a move" reply Jason.


    "Look kid that beast could hardly move and already has one leg on his grave so don''t worry," said the bracelet as it tries to encourage Jason.


    Taking a deep breath, Jason unsheathed his sword as he begins to walk slowly towards the beast, and seeing that the human was walking closer to it, the beast let out a low roar as it tries to get up on its feet only to fall. Seeing that the beast can''t move, Jason gained some courage as he begins to increase his pace towards the beast before stabbing his sword down on the beast''s neck after getting close enough. The moment his blade went through the beast''s neck, it took its last breath.


    "Be careful kid, make sure the blood doesn''t spill on your skin else it is going to be bad news for you" advises the bracelet.


    Taking out the jar that was given to him by his mother, Jason emptied it of the medicine that was stored inside before filling it to the brim with the beast''s blood.


    "Is this enough for my body to strengthen" asked Jason?


    "It''s more than enough kid" replies the bracelet.


    "Now all that is left for me to do is strengthen my body," said Jason with a chuckle.


    "Quick kid, you need to get out of here before the beasts that are close by are drawn by the beast''s blood" warned the bracelet.


    "What about its core, how I am supposed to take it out," asked Jason.


    "Stab your sword into its chest but don''t go too deep and pull it up a little before dragging the sword out" replies the bracelet.


    Doing as he was instructed, Jason stabs his sword into the beast''s chest and pulls it upward before dragging his sword out and the moment his sword was out of the beast''s chest, a crystal clear stone also fell out from the beast''s chest. Picking the stone, Jason kept it together with the jar as he begins to make his way out of the beast territory with the help of the bracelet and it didn''t take long before the fox family territory came into view but this is where his problem started as a beast begin to give chase after sighting him from afar.


    "Hey kid, I think you will have to increase your pace," said the bracelet.


    "Why should I when I am not in trouble" reply Jason.


    "That''s because you are in serious trouble my friend" warned the bracelet.


    Turning around to see what was after him only to see that he was all by himself.


    "I just don''t understand what you are trying to say here but I believe that I am safe," said Jason.


    "How would you know that you are being chased by a beast" reply the bracelet.


    When Jason heard what the bracelet said, he turned around to take a look again and to his surprise, a beast was running at top speed toward his direction. Seeing the beast, Jason begins to run at top speed as he tries to make it to the fox family territory since it is the safest place for him at the moment due to the formation that was set in place just Incase the territory was been by a beast.


    "Go faster kid else you are going to become its meal," said the bracelet.


    "This is the best I can do" reply Jason as he continues to run while turning his head back once in a while to see if the beast is still chasing after him.


    ''Almost there'' thought Jason as he grits his teeth together as he increases his pace when he saw the beast was getting close to him.

 Chapter 10 - 4th Layer Of Tempered Body

    "You have to move those legs of yours kid," said the bracelet as he hurried Jason.


    "This is the best that I can do" reply Jason as he took out a lump of raw meat that he has kept just in as he was starving and threw it at the incoming beast which lows down and took a sniff at the meat before giving chase once.


    "Nice one kid, now you have more than enough time to get to safety," said the bracelet.


    Just like the bracelet said, the time it took the beast to sniff the meat out was enough for Jason to get to the fox family territory. Running at top speed, Jason finally made it to the fox family territory and didn''t stop there as he continues to run. Meanwhile the beast ignored the formation as it continues to give chase but unfortunately for it, it was blasted to nothing less the moment it crossed into the fox family territory.


    Jason only stops running when he heard the explosion with a smile on his face as he said.


    "Guess I made it back alive".


    "Yeah, that was so intense kid, let''s not do that again okay" replies the bracelet.


    "It will all depend on the situation that I am in," said Jason as he begins to jog deep into the wood as he makes haste to get to where he usually practices so that he can begin with his body strengthen. After jogging for some hours, Jason was finally able to get to his training ground where he sat down and begin to stabilize his breathing.


    "Alright now that we have the beast''s blood, What is the next step," asked Jason as he brought out the jar that the blood is stored in.


    "Let me warn you kid, the stage of the beast whose blood you took wasn''t low so using it for body strengthen will bring you intense pain but if you can overcome this pain, the benefit you will receive will be very bountiful. So are you still going to continue with the refining" said the bracelet.


    "Of course I will, since I don''t have any hope of winning the tournament then what do I have to lose" reply Jason with determination.


    "Alright kid since you have already made up your mind then take off your clothes," said the bracelet.


    "Why should I take off my clothes, hey are you playing a prank on me," asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Who has the time to be playing a prank at this time. Don''t you want the beast blood anymore" reply the bracelet.


    "Yes I do but does it have to do with me taking my clothes off," asked Jason


    "How are you going to use the blood to refine your body when you still have your clothes on" reply the bracelet.


    After him a good reason to take his clothes off, the bracelet continues with the instructions.


    "Now you are going to rub the blood all over your body, though it''s going to be painful you will have to bear through it".


    Taking out the jar from his bag, Jason begins to rub the blood all over his body as he hisses in pain whenever the blood touches his body under he was done with the step before asking the bracelet with a mumbling voice like someone who has a sore throat.


    "So what am I supposed to do now"


    "Now I want you to sit down and try to absorb it through your poles" reply the bracelet.


    Sitting on the ground crossed leg, Jason let out a deep breath before shutting his eyes as he begins to meditate and that is when the pain becomes unbearable for him. Gritting his teeth as he begins to fight through the pain, Jason always felt like giving up along the way as the pain was too much for him to bear. After some time the pain begins to subdue and Jason could feel his blood surging, as he took a good look at his body only to see that the blood was almost completely drained from his body like his poles are sucking them in rapidly.


    *Buzz*


    Jason''s body shocked a little as he felt his body becoming lighter a little and was just about to get up to throw some punch out of excitement only for the bracelet to pure a cold water on his head.


    "Hey kid, is better you don''t get up and stay in that position, or else you are going to waste the remaining quantity of the blood.


    "What there are more," asked Jason in shock.


    "As I said earlier, the beast has the dragon bloodline, and don''t forget that it is quite strong too, so it would be disappointing if this is all it is capable of doing" reply the bracelet.


    After listening to the bracelet words, Jason decided to sit down and continue with his meditation when he suddenly felt the pain that has subdue to a minimum level flare up again and this time it was like a living hell for Jason as his whole body was in extreme pain while he could feel his poles expanding and by the look of things, his body is going to blow up due to the insane amount of energy surging through his poles.


    Jason begins to panic when he felt his body expanding like a balloon it''s not stopping until eventually, his body stops expanding and he could no longer feel the pain. But what came next sent a shock to his brain, as his body that has expanded begin to deflate at an incredible speed and that''s when Jason a sound coming from his body.


    *Buzz*


    "I made another breakthrough," said Jason out loud in excitement as he couldn''t feel the pain that is going through his head anymore.


    Looking at his body, Jason could feel the energy going through his body like never before with his skin becoming harder.

 Chapter 11 - The Space Within The Bracelet

    Taking a deep breath, Jason breath out some black smoke which was no other than the impurity inside him. Walking to a tree, Jason threw out a punch without holding back his power as he wanted to test his strength, and to his surprise, the tree busted apart.


    "This is cool, hey are you seeing this," said Jason to the bracelet in excitement.


    "Yes, kid, and it''s all thanks to me that you were able to get this strong yet you didn''t know how to appreciate good" reply the bracelet.


    "Sorry I forgot, I hope you won''t take it to heart" apologize Jason.


    "Forget kid, you are my master so I won''t take it personal since your energy is also beneficial to me" reply the bracelet.


    "My energy, what do you mean by that" asked Jason in confusion.


    "You see as a treasure that has gain intelligence, I need spiritual energy to keep sustain myself and the moment I am out of energy will be the day I cease to exist. And the best way to get energy is from absorbing the spiritual energy from other treasure or humans spiritual energy" reply the bracelet.


    "I see which means you have been taking energy from me since the day I took you," asked Jason.


    "Yes, and it is the reason why I was able to awake from my slumber" reply the bracelet.


    "I think I am beginning to understand you a little," said Jason as he begins to walk toward another tree.


    Now standing in front of the tree, Jason took a deep breath after hesitating of he should kick the tree since he has tasted the pain he went through the first time he kicks a tree, and now that he no longer had the vial of the healer with him anymore.


    "Hey kid what are you planning to do just standing here," asked the bracelet when seeing Jason standing.


    "When I started training my legs for the phantom kick technique for the first time, I almost crippled myself after kicking hard on the tree without holding back my strength" reply Jason.


    "And now you are thinking of kicking the tree in full force but you are scared of crippling yourself right," asked the bracelet.


    "Yes, that''s what been troubling me" reply Jason with a nod.


    "And I thought you said you wanted to master the technique before the tournament begins" asked the bracelet once more.


    "More than anything and I am running out of time" reply Jason.


    "Then kick the tree and besides with your new improve strength, I find it hard to believe that you won''t be able to kick it in two" yelled the bracelet in anger.


    "You mean I won''t get any injuries if I were to kick the tree but instead the tree won''t be in a good state," asked Jason in amusement.


    "Precisely or have I ever lied to you before" reply the bracelet.


    "Not at all, you have been very sincere from the start," said Jason with a smile.


    "Good, now go on and give the tree the kick of its life" yelled the bracelet.


    Throwing his worries to the wind, Jason lifted his leg and sent a powerful kick at the tree, and to his surprise, his leg was fine but the tree was still standing with no sign of a crack. Jason was disappointed by the outcome and has just turned his back ready to walk home when he heard a cracking sound, turning around to see what it is only for Jason to see the tree was sliding to the side as it falls on the ground.


    "It works, I actually destroyed the tree with a kick," said Jason in excitement as he ran to where the tree used to stand.


    "What did I told you earlier about the blood refining process, now you can practice the technique without any worries of breaking your bones" commented the bracelet.


    "Right but I am not sure if I should practice it now" reply Jason as he took out the manual.


    "There is no need for you to worry too much kid. With your improved strength, you should be able to enter my space and learn the technique there but the only problem is that you won''t be able to stay for long" said the bracelet.


    "What space are you talking about," asked Jason.


    "It''s like a dimension but this one is special since you will be able to comprehend the technique faster in there" reply the bracelet.


    "Really, then how am I supposed to get inside this Space you speak of," asked Jason in anticipation


    "Easy, you just have to let your consciousness into the bracelet and since you are the master here, you won''t face any disturbance" replies the bracelet.


    Sitting on the ground, Jason begins to concentrate and it didn''t take long before he started feeling dizzy and went unconscious but was still in his sitting position like he was meditating. Looking around him in panic as he begins to fall from the sky before slamming into the ground but he didn''t felt any pain which was very surprising since he was supposed to felt some pain.


    And then again where he was sent to was without light and Jason was beginning to regret while he had to listen to the bracelet spirit and come to this place but it didn''t take long before his surroundings begin to light up as a bright light ball before to float towards him and Jason begin to take a step back in fright since he doesn''t know what the ball of light is.


    "Welcome to my space master" reply the bracelet.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Jason stopped backing off as he asked while looking at the lighted ball.


    "Hey is this ball of light your spirit".


    "That''s correct, this is what I look like" replies the bracelet.


    "You scared the living hell out of me when I saw you moving towards me earlier," said Jason as he let out a sigh.

 Chapter 12 - Training Begins

    There he was looking at the bracelet spirit without saying anything like he was short of words until he eventually started to speak.


    "I thought you would be an overload or something in here".


    "Very funny, in here I am just a servant waiting to do his master bidding" reply the bracelet.


    "You mean this whole place belongs to whoever has the bracelet in his possession," asked Jason.


    "Correct but to access the other parts of the space you will have to meet the requirements. And speaking of which, you are already running out of time as we speak" reply the bracelet.


    "Shit I forgot about that, alright let go straight to business we can continue with the tour some other time," said Jason.


    "Alright then let''s go" reply the bracelet as he begins to lead the way into the dark space with Jason following from behind.


    They walk for a little while until they got to an empty space and Jason was curious if this is the place that he would be training the phantom kick technique.


    "Eh is this the place that I am supposed to train in," asked Jason as he continues to look around him.


    "Yes, this is the place I told you about" reply the bracelet.


    "Are you sure because I can''t see any training ground around here?" asked Jason.


    "You can''t see it because you are standing on it" reply the bracelet.


    Right after the bracelet said those words, the surroundings begin to light up and Jason can finally see the layout of the training ground with a different types of weapons being hung on the walls. Jason was stun to witness all this since he has not been able to train in the fox family training ground due to his status but here he has a whole training ground all to himself.


    "All these weapons are they real," asked Jason as he walked to where the weapons are kept.


    "They are all made from the energy I absorbed from you and are all accessible for you so feel free if you ever think of honing your skill in any of the weapons" reply the bracelet.


    "Now I am being carried away again, so where can I train" asked Jason.


    "Take out the manual" reply the bracelet.


    "Remember this is just my consciousness, so how am I supposed to have the manual with me," asked Jason as he was shocked by the bracelet word.


    "You will it and you have to be fast about else your consciousness will be kicked out of this space when you run out of time" reply the bracelet.


    Following the bracelet instruction, Jason begin to will the manual to appear but never succeeded and was beginning to get angry about his misfortune when the manual suddenly appears in his hand.


    "I think I understand how this willing stuff work, all right I have the manual now what''s the next step," asked Jason.


    "Place it on that tablet" reply the bracelet.


    A tablet suddenly rose from the ground after the bracelet said those words and Jason went forward to where the tablet his and was just about to drop the manual when he remembered he did not know if he would be able to get the manual back once he is done with the training.


    "Do you mind telling me what this tablet can do" asked Jason.


    "The tablet has the ability to bring drawings to live especially cultivation manual, skill technique and the rest making it easier for the wielder of the bracelet to understand the technique quicker than his or her peers" reply the bracelet.


    "Will I be able to get it back once I put it down?" asked Jason.


    "Of course you can" reply the bracelet.


    Now with the bracelet assuring him, Jason places the Manuel on top of the tablet, and the next minute the tablet light up and then the drawings came to life as a figure was now standing in front of him and Jason could see the inside of the figure.


    Some blue light begins to flow down into the legs of the figure and seeing this, Jason knew straight away that''s it has to be the spiritual energy that is been transferred to the figure legs. After the energy has completely flowed into the figure''s legs, it suddenly stomped its legs on the ground as a powerful gale busted in the area the figure lifted its leg and kick at the air. What Jason noticed about the kick was that it looks kind of illusional when the figure kick out while the energy that was stored in the leg earlier was completed depleted. After the figure has completed the kick, it places it back into the ground and before it could touch the ground the other leg was already in the air as another kick was let out.


    "Wow now I know why mother said I will need to train both my legs in other to put the technique to better use but how am I supposed to move some of my spiritual energy into my leg at such speed before kicking out," said Jason in anticipation.


    "That is where your training starts then, now it''s time for you to leave before you are drained completely of your energy" replies the bracelet as he didn''t wait for Jason to make his statement before sending him out of the space.


    Gaining his consciousness back, Jason couldn''t help but curse at the bracelet as he placed his hand on his cheek.


    "You mention earlier that I am the overlord of the space and you are just my servant yet you expelled me from the space just when I am enjoying myself" complain Jason.


    "I am sorry but you wouldn''t be able to last in there any longer and if I were a little slow, you would have been mentally injured" reply the bracelet.


    "Well is alright, at least now I know where I should start from," said Jason with a smile as he begins to head home since it has been two days since he has left his mother and sister at home.

 Chapter 13 - Trouble

    Walking out of the woods, the first thing that came into sight was their tent, with a smile on his face Jason mutter to himself before heading to the tent.


    "Here is a surprise for you mother".


    Jason was just getting close to the tent when Hannah came out of the tent only to see her brother coming from the distance.


    "Mother big brother is back" yelled Hannah in excitement as she ran to meet him.


    "This girl, can''t you be silent for once and let me give mother the shock of her life," said Jason with a smile on his face.


    Getting close to Jason, Hannah jumps on him. Not expecting this turn of event Jason was pushed back as he caught her in his embrace.


    "Big brother your body is a bit hard, I almost got myself injured you know," said Hannah with a smile on her face.


    "This is the results to show for the training I have been doing lately" reply Jason as he continues to head to the tent with Hannah in his embrace.


    Clara came out to see her son when Hannah make the announcement and the moment she saw him coming forward, she felt something has changed about him and she couldn''t put her hand on it. It was only when he was close to her that she felt the change in his aura.


    "Good morning mother, how have you been doing," said Jason with a bow when he was close to her.


    "I am doing great and you, when will you stop acting like a baby" reply Clara as she turned to give Hannah a look.


    "But I am still a child mother," said Hannah as she places her head on Jason''s shoulder.


    "Just take a look at yourself acting like this, is not cute at all" reply Jason with a laugh.


    "Big brother are you on her side now," said Hannah feeling a little betrayed.


    "Yes Hannah, are you going to take revenge on me" reply Jason with a smile.


    "You bet I will big brother," said Hannah with a smile on her face as she left his embrace and walk toward the tent but before she goes in, she turns around and gives Jason a look with a cunning smile on her face as she says.


    "You better watch out big brother cause I am going to hit you really hard".


    Jason felt his arm goes goosebumps as he looks her in the eye. Turning around in freight as he shakes the feeling of him.


    "That little rascal, what did she have in mind that time around. I have to be careful not to fall in the trap she has set for me" said Jason with a sigh.


    "Seem like your training really pays off, 4th layer of tempered body in just two days. You just did something others could never do something" said Clara with a smile on her face.


    "It was only my luck mother" reply Jason with a smile.


    "Luck has nothing to do with it but your hard work son so don''t put it on luck," said Clara.


    "Okay, mother" reply Jason in defeat.


    "So have you been able to master the technique all this while," asked Clara.


    "Not really it''s kind of difficult and I almost broke my leg when I try practicing it the first time" reply Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "Then your legs are still not strong enough," said Clara.


    "Yeah but that was before I breakthrough, I believe this time I will be able to learn it" reply Jason.


    "Good because you are already running out of time, you have ten days left before the start of the tournament," said Clara.


    "That should be more than enough days for me to grip the technique" reply, Jason.


    "Don''t get too cocky son, it wouldn''t be a technique if it could be mastered that easily, so that rush it okay" said Clara.


    "I have my ways mother so don''t worry about it" replied Jason.


    "Alright if you say so but don''t over push yourself. Here, Jason, I was planning to send your sister to get me some herbs in the market but since you have arrived why don''t you get them for me" said Clara as she passed Jason two spirit stones.


    Taking the spirit stones, Jason was told what he needed to buy before he left for the market. Getting the herbs, Jason was just on his way home when his way was blocked by four boys of his age with Andrew being in the middle.


    "What do you want this time around," said Jason with a frown on his face as he came to stop.


    "What more loser other than to get my arms warm since it been long I have seen you around this place my body begin to itch the moment I saw you" reply Andrew with a laugh and his friends follow suit.


    "Look Andrew I don''t want any trouble okay, just let me be on my way," said Jason.


    "Do you hear that guys, he called me by my name? The kid has finally grown some wings don''t you think" replies Andrew with a smile on his face as he turns to his friends.


    "He sure has boss, what did you say we teach him a lesson to educate him," said one of his friends with a chuckle.


    Seeing the way they are acting, Jason knew there is no way he is going to avoid getting into a fight this time around and was just about to think of a way to get away from them when Andrew suddenly said.


    "I think you are right about that, let''s teach him a lesson and make sure we teach him one that he won''t be able to forget for the rest of his life".


    "I am warning you guys, I don''t want to fight you so let me be," said Jason as he kept the herbs in his robe as he ready himself for what to come.

 Chapter 14 - Get Strong

    "Look boss, he is threatening us even when he knew he won''t be able to beat us," said one of Andrew''s men.


    "Yes, why don''t we show him who calls the shot around here boss," said another of his men.


    "No need for that, since it''s been a long that I have had fun it going to take a lot of time for him to go through all the pain" reply Andrew with a smile on his face as he pushes his neck to the left side slightly.


    "Ohoh, the boss is warming up. I guess we won''t be taking action this time around" said one of Andrew''s men as he wanted to continue with what he was saying when he saw brick flying towards him at an incredible speed and he was knocked down with his nose running with blood.


    "Sorry guys but you see I don''t have the time to waste just standing here while doing nothing when my mother is waiting for my return," said Jason with a smile on his face as he turns around and runs the opposite side taking another way back to the tent since he won''t be able to pass through Andrew and his crew that easily.


    "After him guys" yell Andrew as he gives chase.


    Running through the market as be avoid bumping into others, Jason was trying to shake them off but no matter what he does they just keep coming after him.


    ''How do they have to come together'' complain, Jason, as he continues to run for his life.


    After giving chase for some time and they were still unable to catch him, they begin to split as some of his men took another road hoping to block his exit and it works when Jason stops running due to the kid in front of him.


    "I have to say, you are quite fast for someone of your level. But for you to make me go through all those running, the consequences won''t be light" said Andrew after catching up and it didn''t take long before the others came also.


    "Look Andrew I don''t want to fight you so just let me through" reply Jason with a frown.


    "I can''t believe you are still saying those at this junction," said Andrew as he dashed at Jason while throwing a fist forward.


    "Wish I have mastered the kick, I would have sent him home half-dead by now'' thought Jason as he moved to the side to avoid the punch.


    Andrew kick out at Jason but his attack was easily avoided and what came next was a punch from Jason which struck him right in the stomach as Andrew spat out before falling to the ground as he begins to roll in pain. Jason was finally happy about being able to make Andrew feel pain but it didn''t take up to twenty seconds before he is back on his feet again.


    "That was fun, who would have thought that you made a breakthrough, now I don''t have to worry about giving you some injuries do I," said Andrew with a smile on his face.


    "You see that boss was faking it to make the kid feel like he has accomplished something" chuckled one of Andrew''s men.


    Seeing the others laughing at him, tick Jason off as he ran forward in anger before punching out only for his punched to be hold in place by Andrew.


    "You may have broken through but the fact still stands and that is, you are no match for me" said Andrew as he begins to punch Jason with his other hand while holding him in place.


    After having his fill from beating him up, Andrew let go of his hand before turning around in satisfaction as he said before leaving.


    "Now that''s better, could you be kind enough to come another time for more beat down".


    After Andrew and his group has left, Jason got up from the ground as he wipes the blood from the edge of his mouth out then cleaned the one that is coming from his nose.


    "Just you wait Andrew, I am going to pay you back in full and even if you beg for mercy, you are not getting any," said Jason in anger.


    "Give it a rest kid, the more you say those words the more they have the chance of coming back to give you a beat down. So for now thinking about getting yourself strong then you will call him out for a fight" said the bracelet.


    "I have had enough of been bullied by them. I need something for a change and to get it, I will need to get stronger" reply Jason.


    "And what could that be" asked the bracelet.


    "If I get to win the tournament, I believe he will still be fearful of me" reply Jason.


    "You are being delusional here kid, just because you were able to beat others and won the tournament does not mean you could beat him. Let use that punch you delivered earlier, you were not able to do much damage to him even though we are both in the same stage" said the bracelet.


    "I believe I can do it" reply Jason as he grips his hand into a fist before walking home.


    When he got home, both Clara and Hannah were waiting outside worriedly for his return since it has been long he left for the market, and seeing the bruises all over his body with a bleeding nose, Clara couldn''t help but mutter to herself.


    "Looks like he was beating up by those kids again".


    "Big brother what happened to you," asked Hannah who runs up to him.


    "Don''t worry about it, I am doing fine okay" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    "How can you say you are fine when your nose is still bleeding," asked Hannah she wipes the bleed away with a piece of cloth that she was holding.


    "Don''t worry, I am doing okay alright" really Jason before walking up to his mother and gave her the herbs before going inside the tent.


    Hannah wanted to follow him into the tent but was stopped by their mother who just shocked her head.

 Chapter 15 - Learning The Flow Of Spiritual Energy

    That night right after Jason''s mother and sister has gone to sleep, Jason sneaks out of the tent as he went to the wood where he usually trains.


    "I don''t think it is okay for you to leave at this time of the day," said the bracelet.


    "What other time do I have if not now" replies Jason as he made his way into the wood.


    "Look kid I know you are angry about what happened earlier but don''t let it get into your head," said the bracelet.


    "I believe you saw how powerless I am before them, how wish I was a little stronger than they are, they would have to treat me with respect instead of bullying me" reply Jason as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    "But still I suggest you take it, easy kid," said that bracelet.


    After reaching his destination, Jason sat on the ground crossed his leg as he went unconscious a and it didn''t take long for him to arrive at the space inside the bracelet before heading to the training ground where he places the manual on top of the tablet as he watches the figure in front of him using the phantom kick as he immersed himself in the teaching until his time was up.


    After leaving the space, Jason took a deep breath before getting up to do some exercise to warm himself up. After warming up, Jason tried to move his energy into his leg but unfortunately for him, he still doesn''t know how to control the spiritual energy inside of him.


    "You know for a starter, why don''t you try moving your energy to the upper part of your body since it is easier for you to understand the flow of your spiritual energy" advises the bracelet.


    Taking the advice that the bracelet has offered, Jason begins to circulate his energy as he tries moving it to his upper body but failed at his attempt then the second and third and before he knows it, he has tried multiple times with no result but unlike the first attempt, he was getting a hang of it. As he can now move his energy though he was not steady at control it but it is a process.


    Jason spent the whole time in the wood trying to master how to control his energy and with some time before sunset, he was finally able to move the spiritual energy into his upper body as he felt his body grew strong due to the spiritual energy but that''s when he felt a slight in his head as he places his hand on top of his head in pain while losing control of the energy as it went back.


    "What just happened," asked Jason as he was no longer in pain.


    "That is what happened when your energy moves into your head" replies the bracelet.


    "That explains why I felt relieved after losing my concentration," said Jason.


    "Yes and since your spiritual energy has not taken root yet, you won''t be able to use your energy more than twice" advises the bracelet.


    And feeling the spiritual energy inside him, Jason could tell that it has almost depleted just like the bracelet has said.


    "Now try moving the energy into your hand" the bracelet instructed.


    Focusing more this time around, Jason was able to move what remains of his energy into his hand with expended in size a little as he felt the power surging through his vain.


    "Now try punching on that tree," said the bracelet.


    "Taking a step forward to the tree that was closer to him, Jason let out a low roar before punching out as the hole was made on the tree.


    Falling on the ground after landing a hit on the tree, Jason couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Now that was fun, who would have thought that adding energy to my fist will help enhance my strength," said Jason.


    "This is just the first step for every practitioner. Once you advance in the realm, you will be able to do so much more with your abundant energy like destroying the mountain with a single move or splitting the sky into two" reply the bracelet.


    "Wow, can I really do that" asked Jason in excitement.


    "Of course you can but first you must learn how to use your energy and learn some fighting technique in order for you to reach such level" reply the bracelet.


    "But I don''t know where I can learn any fighting technique," said Jason.


    "Then go to the clan head and request for a one, how are all these clans still existing if they refuse to give out some technique for the younger generation to practice" asked the bracelet calmly.


    "That is the problem, I am not from the fox clan. My clan was destroyed overnight so my mother had to take my sister and I as she flew for her life" reply Jason as he grit his teeth together in anger.


    "I am truly sorry about that, I thought you were actually from here," said the bracelet.


    "It''s okay" replies Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You know since you don''t know where to get some scroll, why don''t you practice in the training ground and hone your fighting skills" suggested the bracelet.


    "I would love to but if I were to spend my time practicing in the space, then I won''t have enough time to master the phantom kick technique" reply Jason.


    "Of course you can but only here in the real world while I guide you through the process. It shouldn''t take you more time to master it anyways since you have learned how to control your spiritual energy to the upper part of your body" said the bracelet.


    "Thank you so much, I don''t know what I could have done without you" reply Jason.


    "You are my master so it is only right for me to provide some support" said the bracelet.


    .

 Chapter 16 - Intense Training

    After the bracelet has Promise to guide him through his training, Jason decided to rest in the woods while he regains his energy which took him until nightfall before his energy was fully restored.


    "I think I should be heading back home before they begin to worry about me," said Jason as he dusts his robe before going back home.


    After getting home, Jason saw his mother waiting outside for his return. Seeing his mother sitting outside, Jason knew straight away that she has been waiting for him to come.


    "How are you feeling now," asked Clara as she lifts her head to give Jason a look.


    "Much better, for how long have you been waiting here mother" reply Jason.


    "Since the time you left the tent," said Clara with a straight face.


    "What, you have been waiting for me to come back the whole night, mother don''t you care about your health," asked Jason.


    "I am more concerned about my children well being besides who is going to look after your sister when I am gone" reply Clara with a smile on her face.


    "Come on mother, no one is leaving," said Jason as he helped his mother up before going into the tent.


    After going all that is needed to be done, Jason continues to practice his spiritual energy control with his mother watching from not far away. Later that night, Jason sat down on his sleeping mat crossed leg as he went back into the space in the bracelet.


    "Alright then where should I start my training," said Jason the moment he is inside the space.


    After his arrival into the space, the bracelet spirit came to him as he continues to lead him to the training ground. Controlling a scroll that was made of energy as he places it on the tablet as it begins to glow.


    "This is a low-grade fighting technique. With this, you should be able to defend yourself against your peers and it shouldn''t take you much time to learn it as long as you pay attention to every single detail" said the bracelet.


    Stepping forward, Jason begins to watch the figure that has materialize in front of him throwing blows from all different angles, and with every blow, a kick will follow. After watching the figure use many fighting moves before deleting, Jason went to pick a dummy as he was ready to try does moves out.


    But to his surprise, after being the dummy out and was already in a fighting stance the dummy still stood without moving.


    "Hey is this thing still working" asked Jason as he looked at the ball of light on the side.


    "Yes, it is but will need a little energy to activate" reply the bracelet.


    Walking forward to the dummy, Jason places his hand on top of the dummy head as he infused a little spiritual energy on it. The moment the energy went through the dummy, its dead eyes came to life as its stare at Jason who took a step back out of fright.


    "Haha, don''t worry kid it won''t attack you," said the bracelet with a little laughter.


    "So how am I supposed to used this dummy then," asked Jason.


    "Just give it an order and it will follow suit. Like this, attack" replies the bracelet.


    When the dummy received the order, it charged at Jason who was not expecting it, as a punch landed on his stomach, Jason falls on his knees in the ground while holding his stomach as he grits his teeth in pain.


    The dummy was about to launch another attack at him only for the bracelet to order it to stop.


    "Is this a joke or what, why did it have to attack me when you are the one who gave the order?" said Jason


    "It attacks you because unlike me, you are not a spirit" replies the bracelet.


    Getting up on his feet after the pain has lessened, Jason decided to ignore the bracelet explanation since the damage has already be done as he ordered the dummy to defend itself. Now that the dummy is defending himself, Jason begins to use the moves that the figure was performing earlier and although he was not able to land a hit on the dummy, he was getting my familiar with the moves, and the more he used it, the more he thinks of a way to change where his attack will hit when the dummy tries blocking his attack.


    Practicing for some time, Jason was ejected out of the space but this time around he was not complaining like he used to be, instead, he was happy since he has learned a lot from the dummy and can''t wait to go back in there and continue his training.


    "Thank you so much, I never knew I will be able to learn so much for a day," said Jason with a smile on his face as he began to stretch his body.


    "Don''t thank me since it is your possession anyway" replies the bracelet.


    "But still I won''t be able to learn anything about that space without your help even if I were to become a powerful person," said Jason with a smile.


    "By the way, the dummy seem to act like it is alive, and why is that," asked Jason.


    "Unlike me, the rest of the treasure in the space has gained a spirit but they are not as intelligent as me. Let''s just put it in this way, they are kids" reply the bracelet.


    "That explains why it was able to block my every moves perfectly," said Jason.


    "Of course it would and it seems like you are improving fast as it does that" reply the bracelet.


    "Haha, I was only trying to land a hit on it," said Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "Which is very important when you are in battle, always think of a way to get the upper hand over your enemy" replies the bracelet.


    "So when are we starting the other training," asked Jason with anticipation.


    "Take a break kid, you have just been through intense training.. Even though it may not have any effect on you physically but the same can be said about your mental state" reply the bracelet.

 Chapter 17 - Willpower

    Jason was just sitting on the mat meditating since the bracelet insisted that he read a little before they continue with the training and he was already getting bored from all the waiting.


    "Hey don''t you think it is taking too long for me to begin my train" said Jason


    "Is this the right place for one to practice martial art" reply the bracelet.


    "If that is what you are worried about then I can always leave the tent and go into the wood to practice" said Jason.


    "There won''t be any need for you to go to the woods" reply the bracelet.


    Jason wanted to ask him why but it didn''t take him long to understand what the bracelet meant. Getting up from the mat, Jason was out of the tent slowly as he tries to walk out without making a sound.


    After getting outside, Jason walks a few steps away from the tent since he doesn''t want to disturb their sleep.


    "I am outside now, so can get this over with" said Jason after taking a few steps from the tent.


    "Alright, remember how you have been moving your spiritual energy around your upper body the other day, now try moving that energy into your legs but don''t move too much into your legs else you are going to end up crippled if the energy becomes too much for the legs to handle" instructed the bracelet.


    With a nod, Jason took a deep breath before closing his eyes as he focuses his attention on the spiritual energy inside him. Controlling the energy was already an easy task for Jason now but channeling the energy to his leg was not as easy as it seems. For whenever he tries to move it down, he will lose control over the energy and it is really annoying him.


    "Why isn''t it working" complain Jason after tryna multiple times with a sign of him channeling the energy into his legs once.


    "That is because you are doing it forcefully. Now take a deep and do your possible best to remain calm before giving it a try again" advice the bracelet.


    Doing as he was told, Jason begins to relax before giving it a try once more and this time around he was able to move the energy halfway into his legs.


    "See that wasn''t hard right, now with just a little more time, you will be able to move it into your legs" said the bracelet.


    Giving it a try once more, Jason was still not able to move it completely into his leg until he has tried much time that he was able to move the energy into his leg and in joy that he could finally move the energy into his legs, Jason said to the bracelet.


    "You see that I can now finally move the energy to my legs".


    "Don''t be happy too soon for that is just the beginning of the whole thing. Now try controlling the energy to stay at your legs for ten minutes" reply the bracelet.


    Jason closes his eyes again as he begins to move the energy into his legs before doing his almost best to keep the energy in place and he was doing a good job doing but he couldn''t hold on for long as the whole energy flow back to where it came from.


    "Let''s try that again" said Jason in anticipation as he begins with the process again only for it to return back after holding it in place for five minutes.


    "Urgh, what am I doing wrong here" said Jason in anger.


    "Nothing kid, you are not doing anything wrong besides I am even surprised to see that you were able to learn to control your energy in few days which is not the case for others" reply the bracelet.


    "Are you saying it is really difficult to control one spiritual energy at an early stage?" asked Jason.


    "Of course it is which shows how talented you are but it is quite unfortunate that there is no one to groom you" reply the bracelet.


    "Alright, I have made up my mind. If I can''t hold it in place for ten minutes, I will just have to try again and again until I can finally hold it in place" said Jason.


    "Now that is the spirit kid, with this attitude of yours, becoming one of the strongest practitioners shouldn''t be a problem for you" encouraged the bracelet.


    Resuming with his training, Jason begin to channel the energy into his leg and tried holding it in place only for it to return back to its original location but Jason was not angry about this but instead continued with the process. After many failed attempts, Jason understands the trick behind it all.


    "I think I understand how this thing works," said Jason with a smile on his face as with his body being soaked with sweat


    "Then tell me what you have discovered" reply the bracelet.


    "The reason why I have not been able to keep it in place for so long was due to my breathing. If I were to breathe like I am not under any pressure, the energy will stay calm but the moment my breathing changes, I begin to lose control over the energy" said Jason as he continued to keep the energy in place while explaining to the bracelet and just like he said, his breath plays a huge role in keeping the energy in place.


    "You seem to be learning new things as you proceed with your training kid, but you can''t only rely on your breath alone since you also need to stay focus also" reply the bracelet with a light chuckle.


    Using his newfound method, Jason was finally able to hold the energy in his legs for ten minutes before letting it flow back to where it came from.. He didn''t feel like he has been training all night after finding the secret behind the whole thing.

 Chapter 18 - Heavens Law

    Moving his arm around in the hope of feeling pains but to his shock, nothing happened.


    "Hey what''s happening to me, why am I not feeling numb," asked Jason.


    "How can you be feeling numb when all you did was meditate while standing" reply the bracelet.


    "But I wasn''t meditating" said Jason in shock.


    "Anyway, I don''t have the time to explain it in word to you but do you still remember that the tournament is getting close by the day" reply the bracelet


    "Yes I do, which is why I am doing my best to master the technique" said Jason.


    "Then stop talking and continue with your training" reply the bracelet.


    Jason begins to move the spiritual energy into his leg again but this time he was able to keep it in place for ten minutes before letting it flow back. After doing it more than three times, Jason was becoming bored of doing the same action over again.


    "You can see that I can now control my energy so what should I be doing next" asked Jason.


    "I believe you saw the Figure performing the technique right" reply the bracelet.


    "Yes I do and what does it have to do with my question" asked Jason.


    "Since you can now store energy in your legs and control them, don''t you think it is time you try the technique out, or do you need me to tell you before you actually know what you should do" reply the bracelet.


    Jason couldn''t help but feel irritated by the bracelet character but considering it is trying to help him , he has to try the technique out as he took a deep breath before channeling the spiritual energy into his legs before lifting it just like the figure did in the training ground, as he kicks the air. Dropping the leg, Jason kick out with the other leg to launch the second attack just like the figure but he was a little slow when performing it.


    "How was it" asked Jason after he was done with the kick.


    "First of all, I can''t believe you risk your life to get a beast blood just to master this technique, and second of all, it only has one move and you still can''t get it right" reply the bracelet.


    "Hey this is all I could get my hand on since I am not a member of the family" said Jason.


    "They must have an excuse why they were lacking" comment the bracelet.


    "How did you call that an excuse when I don''t even have any hope of learning any advance technique" said Jason.


    "But now you are my master, did you even know what treasure that is in your possession" replies the bracelet.


    "But you said I am not strong enough to access those stuff" said Jason.


    "Yes I did but that does not include those low-grade techniques that are far better than that technique you are dying to learn" reply the bracelet.


    "Nothing is unless before the heaven as long as they are put into good use" said Jason.


    "Yes I know, so are you taking it or not" asked the bracelet as two scrolls made of energy materialize in front of Jason.


    "How can I reject such kind offer" reply Jason with a smile as he moved his hand forward to hold the scroll only for them to shot at him as they pierce his forehead and that''s when he felt a headache before a lot of information begin to flood his brain.


    "That is the invisible iron fist and it progresses the more you make improvement in your cultivation while the latter is called the heaven''s law and it is a cultivation method that has no match under the heaven" said the bracelet as he begins to explain the technique to Jason.


    "Wait a minute, I thought one can only practice one cultivation method so while are you giving such a low-grade cultivation method" asked Jason.


    "Were you deaf when I said the cultivation method is unmatched under the heaven''s, and if it were to be rank then it is even above the saint grade" replies the bracelet.


    "If its grade is higher, then why is it in classify as a low-grade cultivation method" asked Jason.


    "That because one will have to understand the earth before thinking about understanding the heaven making it difficult to cultivate" reply the bracelet.


    "So that''s why it was classified as a low grade" said Jason.


    "Yes, by the way since you already mastered the phantom kick, mastering the invisible iron fist would really make it a powerful technique since they both supplement each other and since you barely meet the requirement to practice the technique, coming on top in the tournament should be a piece of cake for you" reply the bracelet.


    "But I thought you said I was not doing it the right way" ask Jason with a frown on his face.


    "I was only joking with you kid, how can a prodigy like yourself can''t perform a low technique" reply the bracelet.


    "I just don''t understand how a spirit can be this mischievous," said Jason with a light chuckle.


    "What can I say, I learn from my master" reply the bracelet.


    After asking some information about the technique, Jason learned that the only way to practice the invisible iron fist was through costing his fist in spiritual energy just like the phantom kick but the difference between the two was that the energy should always remain in his hand at all time. Going through the process, Jason was about to coat his fist with energy making it look like a pair of gloves as he tested it out with the trees nearby and to his amazement his punch was packed with an outburst of energy as he smashed the tree while creating a deep hole in the middle of the tree.


    "I wonder if Andrew will be able to withstand the might of my punch" said Jason proudly to himself.

 Chapter 19 - Picking A Fight

    "If you really want to know, why don''t you go pick a fight with him" said the bracelet.


    "Oh don''t worry about that cause I will since I don''t know how powerful I am right now, I can use him to test myself" reply Jason.


    "That''s a good idea kid and at the same time, teach him a lesson of you can" said the bracelet.


    Since he is already done with his training, Jason does not need to be in the forest as he left in a good mood. Walking back home that night, Jason discovered that his mother and sister are already sleeping, walking back to his sleeping mat silently since he doesn''t want to wake them up from their sleep.


    The next day Jason went on an errand to get herbs for his mother and on his way going, he ran into Andrew and his gang.


    "Look who it is guys" said one of the gang members.


    "I can''t believe we keep coming across you these days, is this fate or what" added Andrew with a chuckle.


    "Yeah, I also think so too Andrew" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Looks like you haven''t learned your lesson kid" said Andrew with a frown.


    "Oh, I did alright which is why I am here so that you can give me another lecture" reply Jason.


    "You are seeking death kid" said Andrew.


    "Am I, cause I don''t feel like you are capable of killing me" reply Jason with a laugh.


    Andrew was angry when he heard Jason saying he is not fit to cause his death and was just about to rush at him and give him a beat down but before he could, one of his gang members spoke out.


    "There is no need for you to waste your time on this punk boss, let me do it in your place".


    "Alright then, since you insisted on being taught a lesson, why don''t we go somewhere where no one will interfere in the lecture" asked Andrew with a smile on his face.


    "Sure, since I also don''t want others to interfere" reply Jason.


    "Good, now if you don''t mind come with us let''s go to somewhere that is more suitable for the lecture" said Andrew as he leads the way.


    They left the marketplace and started heading to the woods since it is the only place in the whole of the clan that is free from any humans.


    "Let''s make this quick since I still have to deliver the herbs to my mother" said Jason after following the gang into the woods.


    "Don''t worry it is going to be quick "replies the gang member that wants to fight in Andrew''s stead.


    "Alright then, you can come at me when you are ready" said Jason with a chuckle as he raised his hand forward signaling the gang member to come at him.


    "You are going to regret this kid" reply the gang member angrily as he at Jason.


    Throwing a powerful punch forward at Jason when he was close to him, the gang member was expecting his punch to hit his opponent in the stomach only for him to hit the air.


    "Huh, where did he go" asked the gang member as he turned around in search of Jason.


    "He is right behind you" yelled another member of the gang.


    Getting the information from his friend, the gang member threw a punch as he turned around at an incredible speed only for him to hit the tin air.


    "I thought you said you are going to be quick with the lecture and it has already been five minutes and I have not learned anything," said Jason as he kicks the gang member on the knee making him knee on one leg.


    "You little rat" yelled the gang member as he punched at Jason who is now standing before him with a smile on his face.


    Perry the punch to the side, Jason knocks him out with a punch of his own before turning to face Andrew while dusting his hand like nothing has happened.


    "Who would have thought that he could be this weak for a 4th tempered body" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You truly deserve a reward for defeating the weakest member of our group" reply Andrew with a frown on his face.


    "Really, then why don''t you send your strongest man forward to teach me a lesson" asked Jason with a smile.


    Nodding to the kid standing next to him to go forward, Andrew was getting really frustrated that the kid that he used to bully is now confronting him.


    "I hope you will put on a good fight unlike that weakling" said Jason as he took his stance.


    "Don''t be too happy just because you were able to defeat Dennis easily" reply the gang member.


    "Beat him up Michael until he can move from where he stood" said a member.


    Nodding at his friend, Michael begins to walk towards Jason at a slow pace and took a stance when he is close enough as he waited for Jason to make a move but to his surprise, Jason was also waiting for him to make a move.


    "What''s the matter, scared so soon that you couldn''t even move" asked Michael with a smile on his face.


    "And why should I be scared when I can easily beat you up" reply Jason as he returns a smile to Michael.


    Michael just chuckled as he took a step forward only for him to disappear from sight, Jason duck due to his instinct only for a kick to went past him.


    "Wow this guy is quite fast" said Jason as he begins to back off.


    Seeing Jason moving back to create distance between them, Michael begins to chase after him as he begins to launch attack after attack at him only for Jason to move to the side as he continues to avoid getting hit.

 Chapter 20 - Andrews Defeat

    Getting hit as he tries to create some distance, Jason finally had enough since the more he stays on the defensive side was not getting him anywhere.


    Sending a punch forward as he begins to exchange blows with Michael while at the same time taking a hit.


    "What is wrong with you kid, don''t you know you are only going to wear yourself out, and by the way why ain''t you using the basic technique you have been learning" complain the bracelet.


    "Dammit, I actually forgot about that" reply Jason.


    Jason begins to exchange blows with Michael but this time around the number of punches he received was getting low while Michael was continuously been hit by Jason''s fist and whenever he tries blocking his next attack, he will be hit somewhere else.


    After throwing out more hit before ending it with his invisible iron fist though Michael blocked the attack on the thought that it was just a punch and only felt the might of the punch after some second as his hands make a cracking sound with bones pulling out as he screams out in pain.


    "Do you still want to continue the fight or what" asked Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    Not even bothering with answering his question, Michael ran back to meet up with the rest of the gang while gritting his teeth to ease the pain.


    "What happened back there Michael" asked Andrew while looking at his broken hands.


    "I don''t know what happened at first his punch were not that strong not until he throws that last punch, I felt like I am being hit by a mountain" reply Michael still in pain.


    "Then I guess I have to avoid that punch of his, why don''t you go home and get yourself treated" said Andrew before heading out to face Jason but this time he was not having any smile on his face.


    "I have to commend you for beating my men but that Will all end now" said Andrew as he stares at Jason.


    "What can I say, you guys have been having fun all this time so I decided to have fun myself" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Let''s see if you can still keep that smile on your face" said Andrew as he dashed at Jason.


    "Fast" mutters Jason before taking a defensive stance.


    Just after saying those words, Andrew was already standing behind Jason as he punched Jason on his back before moving and appeared in front of Jason before punching him in the face before pulling back.


    "How is it, do you still think you can still win this fight" asked Andrew feeling proud of himself.


    "I still believe I can take you on" reply Jason as he spat on the floor.


    Not wasting more time talking to Jason, Andrew dashes forward again but before he could punch him, Jason has already moved back from where he stood before going back after Andrew as he throws a punch of his own at him only for Andrew to duck before countering with a kick at Jason''s legs as he brought him to the ground before sitting on top of him as he begins to punch Jason on the face while he lay on the ground powerless.


    "Yeah, that''s our boss, beat him up until he doesn''t remember who he is anymore" cheer Dennis who has woken up.


    And it was the same for the rest of the gang members as they saw their leader beating the living hell out of Jason.


    After taking more hits from Andrew, Jason was finally able to push Andrew off him with a push from his knee but he was not in a good state as his left eye was swollen while blood was flowing from his nose. Huffing as he stares at Andrew who is happy with what he is seeing.


    "Are you still confident you can beat me" asked Andrew with a playful smile on his face.


    "You talk too much, can''t you just shut up and fight" reply Jason while wiping the blood off his nose.


    "I guess you still haven''t learned your lesson" said Andrew as he begins to walk forward while hitting his fist together.


    "Come then" reply Jason as he stood and at the same time was gathering energy into his legs and hand.


    Not caring if Jason could still hold his ground, Andrew rush in as he begins to throw blows while Jason barely dodges them while trying his best to hold the energy in place and whenever he tries to punch Andrew, he will quickly evade it since it was the same punch that led to Michael defeat. But what he failed to notice while he dodges the punch that was thrown at him, a kick was also coming at him which he could not avoid on time as he was hit right in the stomach.


    The moment the kick connects, Jason also punched him right in the face causing him to go unconscious. When the rest of the gang saw their leader that was in control of the fight from the beginning just fell unconscious, they begin to quiet down until Denise who quickly takes charge yelled for the gang to go after Jason who didn''t bother to stand and celebrate his victory as he turns tail and ran away.


    Jason was chased around the woods and since he is very familiar with the woods since it is where he does his training, he was able to avoid being caught before heading home after making sure he was no longer being pursued. Getting home while dragging his legs, the first thing Jason did was fall on his mat and slept off not even bothering if his mother and sister were inside.


    "Looks like big brother was bullied by those guys again" said Hannah with a worried look on her face.


    "I don''t think your brother was bullied just take a look at the smile on his face, with that happy expression I find it hard to believe that he was bullied" replied Clara.

 Chapter 21 - Wonders Of The Heavens Law

    Waking up in the morning as he finds himself laying down on the mat with his robe that now looks like a rag from the fight. Jason was just about to get up from the mat when he felt the pain all over his body as groaned in pain.


    "So you have finally decided to wake up eh" said Clara who walked in with a bowl of medicine in her hand.


    "Good morning mother" reply Jason as he tries to get up and greet her properly.


    "There will be no need for that, take drink it all" said Clara as she passed the bowl to Jason.


    Taking the bowl from his mother, Jason took a sip from the content of the bowl, and his expression change but still decided to continue drinking since his mother had gone through the trouble of making the medicine for him.


    "Now tell me, why do you always get into a fight whenever I sent you to get me something from the market" asked Clara after Jason was done drinking the medicine.


    "I tried avoiding them but they will always come back and won''t let me off the hook no matter what I say" reply Jason.


    "I am the one that gave birth to you and you still dare to lie to me" said Clara in anger.


    "Haha, actually I just wanted to test myself and see how much I have improved in my training which is why I didn''t bother to avoid them" reply Jason with a laugh.


    "You just want to know how much you have improved and getting into a fight with Andrew was the best option you had and take a look at how beat up you are" said Clara in anger.


    "At least he is not doing well himself" reply Jason.


    "You should be preparing for the tournament that is only a week away instead you decided to go play" said Clara.


    "I am still going to train mother so don''t worry yourself too much" reply Jason.


    "And how do you plan to do that with the state you are in right now" asked Clara with a frown.


    "Well you don''t have to worry yourself about that, I have my ways" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    His mother just decided to ignore him and left him alone to recover and the moment she left, Jason has a wide smile on his face as he begins to speak to the bracelet in his head.


    "Hey, how was my performance yesterday".


    "I have to say kid, you did great unlike that time that you just stood there and let them do as they please. I believe they will have to show you some respect from now on" reply the bracelet.


    "I thought as much and maybe I will be able to win the tournament with my current strength," said Jason as he grips his hand into a fist.


    "We can''t be so sure, so you will continue with your training" reply the bracelet.


    "I never plan on quitting my training or going on a break either" said Jason with determination.


    "That is the spirit but before we start with your training, you will have to practice the heaven''s law" reply the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to do that when I don''t know how to cultivate it" asked Jason.


    "Which is why you have me to guide you" reply the bracelet.


    "Okay, so what should I do" asked Jason as he was ready to give it a try.


    "First try to feel the energy in the earth, then try absorbing the energy" reply the bracelet.


    Sitting properly, Jason begin to cultivate the heaven''s law as he begins to search for the energy that flows within the earth although he was not able to find the energy, he did not bother to asked the bracelet and just continue with his search but unknowing to him while he was busy searching for the energy, the spiritual energy within the tent was flowing towards him and begin to sip into his poles in a very slow pace.


    Still searching for the energy within the earth with no hope of succeeding, Jason felt his body shook hard as he opened his eyes in fright that Andrew and his group has for revenge only for him to discover that he was the only one in the room. And the moment his eyes were opened, the spiritual energy went back to normal.


    "If I was not attacked, then why did my body shook just then" mutter Jason before he begins to observe his body but that is when his eyes grew wide in shock when he saw that his skin has grown hard than the way it was before.


    "Did I just breakthrough into the 5th layer of tempered body" Jason asked himself in shock.


    "Yes, you did kid so wipe that surprised look off your face" replies the bracelet.


    "But I haven''t found the energy so how can I was able to achieve a breakthrough" asked Jason still not understanding how he was able to breakthrough.


    "The moment you started cultivating the


    heaven''s law, the spiritual energy within your range will all the drawn to you. Just imagine the amount of spiritual energy you could have drawn if you were able to find and absorb the earth energy" replies the bracelet.


    "So it is like a suction force" asked Jason.


    "Exactly and if you were in a place where the spiritual energy is very tense, you will be able to improve greatly" reply the bracelet.


    "Well as long as I can cultivate it here am okay. Come to think of it, all this while that I have been searching for the earth energy, I was not able to feel not even a trace of it and why is that" asked Jason.


    "I can''t tell you the answer to that l" reply the bracelet.


    "Come on, I thought you said you are going to help in any way you can" beg Jason.


    "And that is what I am doing right now because I will be hindering your progress if I should tell you.. So go figure it out yourself" reply the bracelet as he makes it clear he won''t be helping him out.

 Chapter 22 - Andrews Plan

    "Don''t worry about me not being able to progress later in the future cause I will surely become strong even if you don''t tell me" said Jason.


    "Since you are confident in yourself, then don''t bother yourself with a spirit like me" reply the bracelet.


    "I just need you to give me some clue and I will discover the rest myself" said Jason.


    "Don''t even think I am telling you anything" replies the bracelet.


    "Alright then, you can keep it to yourself" as he got up from the ground in anger only for him to sit down as his body still hurts from the pain that he got the other day.


    Meanwhile, back in one of the biggest courtyards in the Fox family, a loud yell could be heard coming from one of the rooms.


    "Will you stop yelling like a lady and let me treat your wounds?" said a middle-aged man who has a frown on his face as Andrew continues to struggle with him.


    "How do you expect me to just keep quiet when you are not taking things lightly" complain Andrew


    "How do you expect your body to go back to the way it was in such a short time when your ribs are almost destroyed. As your elder brother, it is only natural that I do my best to get you healed up quickly so that you can continue with your training" reply Andrew elder brother.


    "But brother Fred I can''t endure the pain anymore" said Andrew almost in tears.


    "Just take it as part of your training. By the way, who did this to you" asked Fred.


    "You don''t have to trouble yourself with such matter" replied Andrew with a smile.


    "Alright, since you don''t want to tell me, I won''t force you" said Fred as he continues to treat Andrew.


    After Fred was done with the treatment, he left leaving only Andrew in the room to rest until his gang members all came to see how he is doing.


    "Boss how are you feeling now" asked Dennis when he saw Andrew laying on a chair.


    "Who would have thought that he could be this strong and never chose to fight all this while that we were bullying him" said a member of the gang.


    "I don''t believe that, did you see the look in his eyes that day we were playing with his sister, he wanted to tear us apart but did not have the guts to so stop saying that" reply Dennis.


    "Where is Michael" asked Andrew all of a sudden after noticing that he was not in the group.


    "Just like you, he is still undergoing treatment and his parents refused to let him go out" reply Dennis.


    "I guess that kid must have learned a technique that can disabled others, but who must have taught him" said Andrew.


    "Boss do you think maybe one of the elders decided to take him in as a disciple" asked Dennis.


    "I don''t think so, since he is not a member of the family it will not be easy for him to be taken in as a disciple with his weak realm" reply Andrew.


    "Come to think of it boss, don''t you think he has advanced quite fast. I remembered he was only in the 1st layer of tempered body and it hasn''t been up to a month and he is already in the 4th layer of tempered body, don''t you think there is a theory behind this" asked Dennis.


    "You are right about that and there is no way one can advance three layers within a month unless they are using a forbidden technique" reply Andrew.


    "I thought as much, so should we report him to the family head" asked Dennis in excitement after coming up with a way to get back at Jason.


    "We can''t just head to the family head and saying all this without a proof and if they were to consult a search and did not find anything, with my be punished severely" reply Andrew.


    "Then what should we do to get back at him" asked Dennis


    "There are many ways we can get back at him and one of them is through the tournament" reply Andrew with a smile.


    "How are we going to get back at him in the tournament" asked Dennis who seen confused by Andrew''s statement.


    "Is your half-brother not taking part in the tournament" asked Andrew.


    "Yes and he seems very determined to win the tournament" reply Dennis.


    "Then we are going to ask your half brother for a favor" said Andrew


    "That bastard won''t agree to help us unless we offer him something" reply Dennis.


    "Then we will have to think about what to give him" said Andrew.


    "But boss, instead of asking him to help us out why don''t we just think of another way to get our revenge" asked Dennis.


    "We don''t have much time on our hands for that and by the way, the tournament is the most effective way since he will be up against many opponents" Reply Andrew


    "But still I think we should look for someone else you know how my half-brother is" said Dennis who refused to get his half-brother involved due to his personality.


    "I know but there is nothing that money can''t buy and since he is joining the tournament could only mean one thing and that is he is in dire need of money and what he is getting from the family is not enough for him" reply Andrew with a smile on his face.


    "Boss is just too good, just after analyzing the situation he already knows how to handle your brother" said one of the gang members.


    The rest of the gang members begin to praise Andrew which also helps lighten his mood as he said.


    "Dennis I will be leaving the task to you so don''t disappoint me. Now if you guys don''t mind I will need some time to rest".


    Dennis and the rest praise Andrew once more before taking their leave.


    "Let''s see if you will be able to advance into the final after what you have done to me" mutter Andrew to himself.

 Chapter 23 - The Tournament

    Two days later, Jason has completely healed and is back on his feet again. While he was recuperating in the tent for the past two days, he was busy cultivating the heaven''s law and at the same time honing his skill inside the space made from the bracelet.


    "Even after cultivating the heaven''s law while I was recovering, I am still yet to sense the earth''s energy" said Jason with a sigh.


    "At least you are making progress in your cultivation and by the look of things, it won''t be long before you made another breakthrough" reply the bracelet.


    "You are right about that so I won''t complain since I am also making a profit here" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "But still you need to practice more the tournament begins" advises the bracelet.


    "I know alright beside I still need time to perfect my phantom kick before the start of the event" said Jason.


    "So are you going to the woods to practice then" asked bracelet.


    "Why else can I go to train if not in the woods" reply Jason with a smile.


    "Why don''t you go to the beast territory and train there. I believe with your current strength surviving there shouldn''t be a problem for you" said the bracelet.


    "I know you want me died by all means but I am not going there" reply Jason as he chuckled before walking out


    After greeting his mother and playing around with Hannah, Jason went to the woods to train after which he went home to rest and practice the heaven''s law, and the next day he will continue with the same routine until it was finally time for the tournament.


    The fox family was all bursting in excitement for the day they have been waiting for has finally come where those that will be fighting each other just so they could become one of the family workers and earn enough money to care for their needs. A large arena was made in the market square with few chairs by the sides which were prepared for the important bodies in the family.


    "Hey were you able to get your half brother to agree to our request" asked Andrew after coming out to take a look at the arena while waiting for the event to start.


    "Yes, and he agreed straight away saying if they were to meet in the ring, he will do whatever he can to make sure that he crippled him and he is not doing it because we told him to" reply Dennis.


    "I don''t care if he is doing it for us or not, all I care about is that he is doing it" said Andrew with a smile on his lips.


    "You are right boss, it is only his lost for not taking our offer and at the same time doing our bidding" reply Dennis with a chuckle.


    "Hahaha, now let''s see how that brat is going to make it to the top when your half-brother has set his eyes on him" said Andrew in laughter before taking a sit while they wait.


    Back at the tent, Jason was still cultivating the heaven''s law as he usually does in the morning before anything else, and right now he is not far away from making a breakthrough into the six-layer of tempered body.


    "Mother do you think big brother is going to be alright at there" asked Hannah as she watches her brother cultivating peacefully.


    "I don''t know but we must have faith in him" reply Clara as she stroke Hannah''s hair before turning to Jason and asked.


    "When do you plan to go to the square and get your tag for the tournament".


    Taking a deep breath as he begins to open his eyes slowly, Jason got up on his fist as he did some stretching here and there before greeting his mother.


    "I will be on my way now, I hope to see you guys there" reply Jason with a wide smile on his face as he walk out of the tent.


    "Hey kid it is time for you to show the world what you have in store for them" said the bracelet as Jason makes his way to the square.


    "Yeah, I cant wait to see the look on their face when I advance to the finals and become the winner" reply Jason.


    "That is the spirit and remember to always strike first not giving your opponent the time to prepare for their action" advises the bracelet.


    Nodding his head in response to the bracelet word, Jason finally made it to the square while he could see the place has already been filled with audience that are waiting for the event to start.


    "Wow I can''t believe there will be this many people here today" said Jason in shock as he stopped to look at the crowd of people.


    While he was looking around, Jason and Andrew''s eyes came in contact as there was a little face-off between their two before Jason left to get his tag. After taking his tag, the elder that is in charge of the tournament came fourth to say the rules.


    "Welcome to the fox family annual tournament where thirteen combatants are going to pick a lot with one of the lot being a free pass to the next round while those who picked the lots containing a number, will have to face their opponent whose tag tallied with the number. The rules remain the same, those who are knocked out of the ring or forfeit the match will be disqualified. Not wasting much of your time, I give you the combatants for this year''s tournament".


    Jason and the rest that are participating in the tournament begin to come out and stood in line for the audience to take a look at them after the elder has given the order.. The crowd was shocked to see that those participating this year were far younger than they expected with Denise''s brother been the only one who looked to be four to five years older than the rest of the combatants.

 Chapter 24 - Round One

    After introducing the combatants to the audience, a box was brought into the arena.


    "You are to pick only one lot and whoever picks the lot with number zero, will automatically advance to the next stage. Now come forward according to the number on your tag and you are not allowed to open your lot until you are instructed to do so" instructed the elder.


    After the instructions, they begin to move forward to pick their lot according to the number they are wearing. When it got to Jason''s turn, he couldn''t help but hesitate since there are only two lots left on the box.


    "Just take a look at that kid, he is so scared that he couldn''t even pick a lot and let the next person pick his lot" said Dennis out loud so that everyone can hear.


    And the audience responded with a laugh and began to comment on the word, which put a smile on Andrew''s face since they were able to cause Jason a little problem before the fight.


    "Come on kid, just pick one already and stop making a fool of yourself" said the bracelet.


    Taking a deep breath, Jason finally picked a lot before going back to where he stood before. After everyone has made their pick, the box was taken away before the elder came forward with his hand behind his back.


    "Now you can open your lot" said the elder.


    They begin to open their lot and they begin to search for their opponent except for Jason who just stood there stunned as he looked at the number that was written on his lot.


    "You are truly lucky kid, now you don''t have to worry about fighting now so take this time to study all their fight" advises the bracelet.


    "Is that really necessary I mean, they can still change their fighting method in the next round so I don''t see a reason why I should study them" reply Jason.


    "You are naive if you think you don''t need to study them. Let me asked you this question if you are being attacked by a technique you know about, wouldn''t you be able to counter it with a move" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I will, it is only an idiot that will be hit so easily" reply Jason.


    "And you are that idiot since you have the opportunity to know their every move but refuse to" said the bracelet.


    "Hey will you stop insulting me, I never knew that was what you are implying" reply Jason.


    While Jason was speaking with the bracelet, the elder voice rang out.


    "Now you may be wondering who you are up against and I believe you all are mentally prepared since you have been preparing for the event cause your match starts now. But before we begin, who is holding the zero lot" asked the elder as he begins to look at the combatants before him.


    "I have the number zero with me elder" reply Jason as he raised the lot for them to see.


    "Congratulations kid for making it to the stage level" said the elder with a smile as he gestured for Jason to go sit outside the arena.


    Jason was so happy that he made it to the next round as he begins to walk toward where was prepared for those that have made it to the next round.


    "Now those of you holding the number one, come forward" said the elder.


    Two young men came forward which the audience was familiar with.


    "I can''t believe brother Oliver and brother Todd will be going toe to toe with each other".


    "Yeah I wonder who is going to win since they are equally matched"


    "I don''t care about those two since brother Austin will be the one to win the tournament. I wonder why his half brother didn''t participate too"


    Everyone begins to give their opinion about the combatant they favor most.


    "You already know the rules, if you can knock your opponent off the arena or get them to forfeit, will count as your win and you advance to the next round" said the elder after examining the two.


    The two young men smile at each other before bowing to the elder as they create some distance between themselves while waiting for the elder to announce the start of the match as brilliant light begins to shine in their eyes.


    Seeing that they are ready for their face, the elder announced the start of the match and they begin to fight with booming sounds of battle begin to ring out with the elder standing not far from them just in case one was in a situation that could cause his life, he will be able to act on time. Meanwhile, Jason was fully focused on watching the two fight as he tries to learn about their technique so that he will be prepared for what to happen if he went up against anyone of them.


    The battle continues for a long time as both Oliver and Todd were struggling to outdo the other as their energy continue to decline until eventually, Todd was able to come on top after Oliver made a slight mistake which led to him being open as he was punched in the chest leading to him being unconscious after spitting a mouthful of blood. Todd was given a pill that will help in recovering his lost energy before the start of the second match while Oliver was being taken away to get treated by the family physician.


    "Wow that fight was really intense, I can''t believe brother Todd won and I was rooting for brother Oliver"


    "Hahaha, I knew for the start that brother Todd will be victorious, congratulations brother Todd"


    There were many audiences who were cheering for Todd after witnessing his fight while others were not happy about him winning the fight. After Oliver was taken out of the arena, the elder step into the arena as he said while turning to the combatants that are yet to fight.


    "Those of you holding the number two, step forward".

 Chapter 25 - Jason Vs Todd

    Two other kids came out and started fighting until a winner was declared after fighting for so long, then came the third and fourth matches which ended quickly and then came the fifth match where a kid whose head was bared with brown eyes, dressed in plain black robe step forward, he was no other than Denise half brother Austin.


    His opponent was frightened when he saw Austin walked into the arena showing how powerful he was and they busted into laughter when they saw how scared the kid is.


    "The march has not even started and he is already shaking in his boot"


    "That''s to tell you how power Austin is unless there is someone as powerful as he, he will be the winner of the tournament".


    All sorts of comments begin to go around the place.


    "Austin has this match in the bag already" said Denise with a proud look on his face.


    "Yeah, and I hope he is match up against that brat let me see how he is going to deal with a monster like him" reply Andrew with a wide smile on his face.


    Meanwhile, Austin just stood in the ring while looking at his opponent who has yet to overcome his fear as his leg could be seen shaking.


    "Hey boy, why don''t you save yourself the trouble of being beaten up and just forfeit the match cause if you don''t, then don''t blame me for being brutal in our fight" said Austin with a frown on his face.


    Hearing his warning, the kid suddenly raised his hand as he yelled at the top of his long.


    "I forfeit the march".


    "I was expecting that right from the start, can''t blame him since his opponent is far more stronger than him" said the family head with a smile.


    The elder who was in charge of the match announced Austin as the winning and he went to seat down but before he did, he turned to give those that have made it to that round a look which sent a chill to run down their spin.


    "You better watch out for that kid, I can''t feel the killing intent that is hidden in that look of his" warned the bracelet.


    "I can tell that he is going to be a troublesome opponent if we were to meet in the ring" reply Jason.


    The sixth match started and just like Austin, a strong-looking boy named Larry also made it to the next stage. Not wasting more time, the second round of the match started and a lot was drawn again but this time Jason was not lucky enough to pick the zero number, as he was now holding the second number in his hand but instead Austin was the one who picked it.


    "Who will I be fighting now" mutter Jason as he went back to sit down and prepare himself mentally before the start of his match.


    "You shouldn''t worry yourself with that and instead focus on how you are going to beat whoever you will be up against since you already know a thing or two about them" reply the bracelet as he tried to calm Jason.


    And that''s how the first match proceeded with larry taking on a short looking boy who put on a good fight which lasts for about 30 minutes but unfortunately for him, Larry was superior with just a kick to the stomach and a punch at the head of his opponent was all he needed to claim victory. After being announced as the winner, the second match commerce with Jason walking into the stage together with Todd who has a smile on his face as he advances into the arena.


    Seeing the two that were about to fight, the crowd was silent as they begin to analyze the two of them.


    "I wonder how powerful that kid is, since he didn''t fight in the fight round we are unable to garage his fighting power"


    "That kid is not a member of the family, I wonder how he is going to make it into the final since he has not been training under the family".


    "Boss I think there will be no need for my brother to take care of him since Todd will be more than enough to take care of him" said Denise with a smile on his face.


    "I think you are right about that, now all I am asking of Todd to do is break his legs and hand" reply Andrew with a smile on his face.


    "Don''t worry boss, I believe Todd won''t be showing him any mercy since he has already made it to the second round" said Denise.


    "Let''s watch the show then" reply Andrew with a smile.


    Now in the arena, Jason and Todd were staring at each other as they try to garage each other powers and that is when a yell came from the audience.


    "Beat the living hell out of him big brother".


    Turning his head to where the yell came from only to see Hannah and his mother sitting two-row to the front. Jason couldn''t help but put on a smile on his face when he saw his family are here to support him.


    "I was planning on taking it easy on you but since you have some fans here to support you, I believe there won''t be a problem if we go all out in the fight" said Todd with a serious look on his face right after the elder has announced the start of the match.


    "Please give it your all and don''t hold anything back cause I don''t want you saying it is a flock if I end up winning the match" reply Jason as he took a fighting stance.


    "I can see you are very confident in yourself, now I won''t feel sorry if I end up beating you half to death" said Todd with a cunning smile on his face.


    "The match is about to begin" said Andrew with a smile.

 Chapter 26 - Are You Going To Take Me Serious Now

    Looking at each other as they wait for the elder to step out of the way, Jason was all tense up since he has seen Todd fought earlier so he knew he is going to be a tough opponent.


    "Don''t worry kid, this fight is going to be an easy one. All you have to do is land a punch or kick on him and victory will be in within your grip" said the bracelet.


    "I know but the problem here is how am I going to block his attack" reply Jason.


    "That is your problem alright or do you expect me to take the damage for you" asked the bracelet.


    "Well, I will be really glad if you can actually take the hit in my stead" reply Jason.


    "Unfortunately I can''t do that so take care not to be hit in the face" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "You, just watch how I am going to treat you after I am done here you annoying bracelet" yells Jason in his head.


    "Take this" yell Todd as he threw a fist at Jason when he saw that he is not focusing on the match.


    Quickly reacting to Todd''s attack, Jason places his hands in front of him as he took the full force of the punch head-on as he was pushed back by the force. Rubbing his hand as he has a frown on his face with his forehead cover in sweat, Jason was screaming inside as he doesn''t want the onlookers to laugh at him for not being able to withstand the punch.


    "It is amazing that he was able to take a punch from Todd and still be standing when he doesn''t have anyone to teach him" said someone from the crowd.


    "That is the spirit kid, now you know how strong his punch is, all you have to do is endure taking some of his punch and give him the finishing blow when you have the chance" advises the bracelet.


    "Take his punch your head, how do you think I will be feeling now how wish I was not able to block that attack on time" reply Jason.


    Seeing that Jason was just standing after taking a hit from him while he should be attacking him really upset Todd since it could only mean that he was been look down on. Todd begins to boil in anger as his aura take a turn and Jason who was busy talking to the bracelet felt goosebumps all over his arm as he raises his head to see where the danger is only for him to see Todd staring at him like an animal that is getting ready to purge on its prey.


    "Shit, looks like things are becoming more intense unlike the beginning" said Jason as he took on a fighting stance.


    Not waiting for Todd to make the first move, Jason rush in as he threw a punch at Todd who easily moved to the side as he avoided the attack while sending a punch of his at Jason which he could not block on time as he was pushed back and before he could find the time to hold his stomach to endure the pain, Todd was already upon him as he was sent flying up and a kick to his back that sent him crashing onto the ground heavily.


    "Now are you going to take me seriously or are you still going to look down on me and get beaten to death" said Todd in anger.


    "Yes this is the kind of fight I want to see, let''s see if you will be able to get out of this in one piece" said Andrew with a smile on his face.


    "I doubt he will still have the strength to continue the fight since that attack by Todd was packed with power even I won''t be able to fight back" reply Denise to Andrew.


    "Of course you won''t be, which is why I am happy that your brother won''t be the one to beat the living hell out of him" said Andrew as he turned his attention to the arena.


    "Is big brother going to be okay?" asked Hannah worried.


    "You don''t have to worry about your big brother, it will take a lot more of that to bring him down Hannah" replied Clara.


    Meanwhile, in the arena, Jason has finally crawled out of the hole that was created from his fall but his condition was not good as blood could be seen flowing from his head.


    "I never look down on you from the start and this is the way I want to fight you, not holding anything back" reply Jason to Todd.


    "Good to hear cause I won''t be holding back anymore" said Todd with a smile on his face as he charges in.


    Jason was fully prepared this time as his focus was all on Todd while he was gathering energy into his fist and legs as he is ready to use either of the attacks the moment Todd was not on guard but to his surprise, Todd made a funny movement as he suddenly disappeared from sight and Jason felt a pain at the back of his head and fell face-first on the ground.


    "You are no match for me kid, so I suggest you quit before things begin to get ugly" said Todd as he stood in front of Jason.


    "You can do your worst cause there is no way that I am going to give up that easily" replies Jason as he struggles to get up.


    Todd was angry that Jason doesn''t want to give up and turn to the elder as he requested.


    "Elder is it possible for you to end the match since he might lose his life if we were to continue with the fight".


    "As long as he did not forfeit the match, there is no way I can put an end to it" replied the elder.


    "I guess I will have to knock him out of the ring to put an end to the fight" said Todd angrily as he begin to head to Jason.

 Chapter 27 - The Turning Point

    Standing from the ground with an unstable foot, Jason couldn''t stand on his feet since he has taken a hell of a beating, and seeing him not giving up even when he knew he could not beat his opponent enrage Todd as he is trying his best not to kill him.


    "Why can''t you just forfeit the match and go get some treatment" said Todd angrily as he couldn''t take it anymore.


    "How can I give up when this is my only opportunity to be able to provide for my family. So if you are looking for someone to give up them I think you should give up the fight if you think you can''t fight anymore" reply Jason as he wipes the blood from his mouth.


    "You are seeking death and I don''t mind helping you with that if you refuse to give up" said Todd.


    "Then you better do that now cause I''m not giving up this fight even if I was to lose my life" reply Jason in determination.


    "Very well, don''t blame me for what is about to happen to you since you refuse to surrender" said Todd as he moved towards Jason at an incredible speed while hardening his body with his spiritual energy.


    "Oh he is going to get it this time for getting Todd mad" said Denise who couldn''t hide the creepy smile on his face.


    After coming in close distance to Jason, instead of punching at Jason all he did was smash the ground and it begins to sink in with Jason being blown away by the force of the attack and was almost blown out of the arena as he lay on the ground while breathing heavily.


    "That''s it, kid, just a little more and he will be out of energy. All you have to do now is try and hold on a little longer and this fight will be your win" said the bracelet.


    "I know and I can feel it that he won''t be able to throw more than four blows but his attack is packed with power" reply Jason to the bracelet as he got up from the ground while placing his hand on the knees as he tries to catch his breath.


    Seeing that Jason was still refusing to give up, Todd let out an angry roar as he dashes forward while punching Jason with everything he had as he yelled.


    "Just let go of your ego and give up will you".


    The crowd was feeling pity for him as they saw the way he was being beaten while others like Andrew and his gang were smiling in joy as they watch Jason being hammered.


    "Boss that kid won''t be able to walk for a month or two after this fight" said Denise with a happy expression on his face.


    "You are right, I wonder why he still hasn''t given up on the fight" reply Andrew.


    Hannah was in tears when she saw her big brother being punched in the face like a punching bag and was just about to run out of the stage when she heard the sound of the hit coming to a stop with the crowd been quiet. Turning to the arena to see what is happening only to see Todd''s hand hold in place by Jason and a wide smile replaced her sad face as she went back to her seat in hurry.


    "Mother did you see that, big brother can still fight" said Hannah after taking her sit and focus her gaze on the stage.


    "Didn''t I told you earlier that your big brother is not weak to give up that easily" replied Clara with a smile on her face.


    Meanwhile, Andrew and his gang were having a change of expression on their face when they saw this.


    "I thought he won''t have energy left to take another hit from Todd so how did he do it" said Denise in surprise.


    "That is nothing, I don''t believe he will be able to beat Todd after taking so much beating from him" reply Andrew who refuses to believe that Jason still has a fighting chance.


    In the arena, Todd was more shocked than the crowd since he is the one that has been dealing out the blows so he knew the amount of damage he has cost Jason but now he was able to hold his fist in place to stop his attack from reaching him.


    "Don''t you think you have had enough fun for the day" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "How come you still have enough energy left in you" asked Todd.


    "That will be my little secret and now that you have enough, I think it is my turn to play" said Jason as he pushed Todd off him before standing up.


    "Alright kid, since he has been enjoying himself earlier, why don''t you add more spice to the fun" said the bracelet happily.


    "I am not an ungrateful person so I will just end this fight as quick as possible and go for treatment before I lose my life" reply Jason.


    Todd was very angry that he couldn''t beat Jason and now he look weak before him. Pulling out a dagger from his robe, Todd let out a roar as he said.


    "If you really think that I will lose to you, then you must be joking".


    "I think this match is getting too far, with Todd being driven by his anger, that kid might lose his light" said someone from the crowd.


    "Do you still want to fight even when you know too well that you don''t have the chance of winning this round" asked Jason as he looked at Todd.


    Todd chooses to ignore him as he dashes forward with the dagger in hand and was just about to stab the dagger at Jason but before he could move his hand, a fist has already landed in his stomach and he threw up a mouthful of blood before falling unconscious.


    "And that concludes the end of my match" said Jason with a smile on his face as he sat on the ground while the elder came in to check on Todd''s condition before declaring Jason the winner.

 Chapter 28 - Semi-final

    After being declared the winner of the match, there was total silence before the sound of clap could be heard coming from the crowd and then came a yell.


    "That is my big brother then there" the one who said all this was no other than Hannah who had a wide smile on her face.


    The crowd was first stun before they begin to clap along with Hannah except for Andrew and his gang as they have a frown on their face.


    "Todd was just defeated just like that" said Andrew with a gritted teeth.


    "He must have used an underhand method to win the match" reply Denise.


    "I don''t care what method he used in winning, all I wanted is for him to lose the tournament" said Andrew as he slams his hand on the handle of the chair he was sitting on.


    "Don''t worry boss as long as he faces my brother in the next match, he will surely lose with some injuries" reply Denise with assurance.


    "Let just hope that he doesn''t disappoint us" said Andrew.


    "Boss you know it''s impossible for him to lose to that kid given how strong he is" replied Denise.


    "Todd was strong but he lost to him, so what makes you think that your brother won''t do the same" asked Andrew as he turned to give Denise a look.


    "Unlike Todd who holds back his strength, my brother will never do that. And watching the two fight, he would give it his all even when he knows his opponent those not worth much" replied Denise.


    "I think you are right about that" said Andrew with a nod before turning his attention back to the arena.


    Jason sat on the floor as he watches as Todd was being carried out of the arena by two members of the family before the elder walks up to Jason.


    "Congrats to your win kid, here is a rejuvenating pill. I suggest you go and recuperate before the third match is over" advises the elder before walking out of the stage.


    Taking the elder advice, Jason got up and walk out of the stage, and went to sit down after taking the pills before he begins to cultivate.


    The third match begins with Larry overpowering his opponent right from the beginning of the match and it didn''t take time before the match ended.


    Walking out of the stage as he went to stood by the side while does that advance to the next stage were as he gives both Jason and Austin a deadly stare before looking forward.


    Taking the stage once more was the elder that was overseeing the fight as he looks at the audience who were happy with the outcome of the event. Taking a did breath, the elderly finally spoke up.


    "Now the selected three are before us and I know many of you must be surprised about their performance and would love to see who will go up against who in the semi-final but before we go into that, let give our young fighters some time to recuperate from their injuries".


    "That old man is just looking for an excuse to help the kid recover from his injuries" sale Andrew while gritting his teeth.


    "No matter what tricks he pulls, there is no way that kid will be able to beat my brother or Larry if he were to face any of them" reply Denise with a smile on his face.


    "Yeah I know about that but still that old man is not acting according to the rules and the family head is not saying anything" said Andrew.


    Meanwhile, Jason was busy using the pill to heal himself at the same time talking with the bracelet.


    "Nice one kid see what I told you, if you continue to listen to my instructions, you won''t be in danger all the time" said the bracelet.


    "Yeah, but my next match won''t be the same since this two are in a different league than the previous ones" replied Jason as he turned to look at the two with a frown on his face.


    "Don''t worry kid if they continue with this process, then you don''t have to fight in the semi-final" said the bracelet.


    "Well, you can''t be certain that I will be lucky in the next round" reply Jason.


    "Haha, you don''t have to worry about lucky kid cause there is no way these two are going to avoid fighting" said the bracelet with a light laugh.


    After the time that was given for them to prepare for the next round was up, the elder came forward and instructed them to step up and picked their lot and after which he walked out leaving the three on the stage.


    Right after the elder left the arena, Jason raised his head to look at the two to see their expression only to see them being calm.


    ''How can they be this calm'' thought Jason.


    "That''s because they believe in their capability. By the way, what number did you pick this time around" asked the bracelet.


    Opening the lot, Jason was stun to see the number one written on the lot.


    "Didn''t you say I will be lucky this time around, so how come I end up picking this number" said Jason.


    "You don''t have to believe everything I say since it was just a guess anyway" reply the bracelet.


    "So you were messing with me then" asked Jason with a frown


    "Relax kid, even if you were to face either of them, I am sure you will be able to win given the training you have gone through" reply the bracelet.


    "Please don''t say that okay, do you think these two will be so easy to beat" asked Jason.


    "They are stronger but that is it" replies the bracelet.


    "So who am I facing this time around" asked Larry as he turned to the two.


    "Don''t look at me alright, I am not lucky this time around so you won''t be facing me" replied Austin.


    "I am the one you will be facing" reply Jason with a frown on his face.

 Chapter 29 - Jason Vs Larry

    When Larry heard that he will be facing Jason for the semi-final, he couldn''t help but smile as he turned toward Jason and said.


    "I believe you must have been watching my fight and have come to know of my strength, so why don''t you just save us the stress and just forfeit so that I can have a real fight with Austin".


    "I am sorry to disappoint you but I am not leaving this arena without trying my very best and winning the match" replied Jason as he clenched his fist together.


    "Haha, you must think that I am no different from Todd who couldn''t beat a weakling like you but let me tell you something, I don''t hold back while fighting and if you are not careful enough, then getting injured would not be avoidable" said Larry.


    "He is right about that, but at the same time he is wrong for everyone have a weak spot and if you can find it, then winning will be a piece of cake just like the case with Todd who has low stamina" said the bracelet to Jason.


    "Yeah but before I could find his weak spot, then I would have been knocked unconscious by then" replied Jason.


    Now looking at the two who were about to start their fight soon, Austin couldn''t help but chuckled as he said while walking out of the arena.


    "I guess it is time for me to go wait for my fight since I will be facing either of you but I really hope you can make it to me" said Austin as he turned to give Jason an understanding look.


    "Stop daydreaming Austin, we both know that he won''t be making it to the final unless you are afraid of facing me" said Larry while folding his hand in front of his chest.


    "And why should I be afraid of you Larry" asked Austin with a light chuckle.


    "You have every right to be and just wait after I am done beating the living hell out of him, I will be coming for you" reply Larry.


    "I heard you alright so just get this over with and let''s see who is going to lose with some broken bones" said Austin.


    Right after Austin left the arena, Larry turns his attention back to Jason with a grin on his face as he said.


    "This is your last warning boy else don''t blame me for what is about to happen to you".


    "I don''t like repeating myself twice so if you still want to fight then get on with it and stop shouting like a mad man" replies Jason.


    "Wow,  the kid got fire in him" said the family head with a chuckle.


    "Too bad he is not a member of our family else he would have been a good seedling" commented one of the elders.


    "It would be a miracle if he were to win this match don''t you think so" added the grand elder who sat close to the family head.


    "I doubt it but there is also the probability that he might win" reply the family head.


    "Why don''t we make this fight a little more entertaining for old-timers like us" said the grand elder as he stroke his breeds.


    "And what do you have in mind grand elder" asked the family head.


    "How about we old-timer place a bet on who is going to win this round" reply the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "That''s a good idea grand elder, so what is going to be the stake here" asked another elder.


    "Anything of value could be used as a stake so you can all place your better" reply the grand elder.


    And that is how they begin with their gambling with all the elders betting on Larry while putting down rare herbs, cultivation techniques, and treasures down but that is when the elders notice that the family head and the grand elder has not placed their better.


    "Grand elder are you not going to place your bet" asked an elder.


    "Oh, I will right after he place is better" reply the grand elder with a smile as he turns to look at the family head.


    "You all know how my luck in gambling his so I will not be joining you give but if you don''t mind, then I will be the bet maker" reply the family head with an awkward laugh.


    "Sure you can be the matcher of our little game so what about you grand elder, who will you be placing your bet on" said an elder.


    "Hahaha, I will be placing my bet on the kid and this is my stake" reply the grand elder as he pulls out three crystal clear pills from his robe.


    "Is that enlightenment pill that is rumor to have the effect of increasing the chance of breaking through one bottleneck" asked the family head as he stared at the three pills in the grand elder hand and the same could be said about the elders who were glued on looking at the pills.


    "Yes it is but this one that I am holding is of lower grades but I believe it is more than enough to place as my stake" replies the grand elder with a chuckle.


    "But grand elder don''t you think it will be a waste for you to bet on that kid winning" asked an elder.


    "Nothing is a waste, it just shows that I wasn''t lucky enough and with you elders going all out, I have to do the same else it won''t be entertaining" reply the grand elder.


    "Since you went to stake the pill then there is nothing much for us to say then" said an elder.


    "The match is about to start" said the family head after taking the pills from the grand elder.


    "I don''t know why grand elder bet on him winning since the match won''t last a minute" mutter the family head as he turned to look at the grand elder.

 Chapter 30 - Defeat Part1

    Right after the family head has taken the pills from the grand elder, the fight was already on the way as Jason took the initiation to strike first but he was forgetting something and that is the fact that Larry was faster and stronger as a punch landed in his left cheek as he moves to the side with his hand raised high as he blocks Larry fist from coming close to him.


    Taking a step back to distance himself from Jason after failing to land another hit.


    "You are very lucky to be able to stop my second attack but that would be all that you can handle. Let''s see if you can handle a little bit of what we called power" said Larry with a smile on his face as he Charged forward in great momentum toward Jason and thrust his fist at him only for Jason to dusk and that is when Larry delivers a kick at his ribs and Jason was sent flying due to the shared power of the kick.


    "So how do you like that now, do you still think you can take it" said Larry with a chuckle as he watches Jason fall on the ground.


    "Are you alright kid" asked the bracelet after Jason crashed landed on the ground.


    "I am fine, it is just a little fall" reply Jason.


    "Do you still think you can continue" asked the bracelet.


    "Compare to the pain I went through while I was refining my body with the beast''s blood, this is nothing" reply Jason as he stood on his feet.


    The crowd was in an uproar when they saw Jason standing after taking a kick from Larry.


    "Hahahaha, hey Larry I thought you said you are going to get things done so that we can have some manly talk but it seems to me that you are going to spend a lot of your time forcing him to give up just like how Todd was begging him to give up in their previous march" said Austin who couldn''t stop himself from laughing.


    "Can you just shut your mouth Austin or do you want me to do it for you" asked Larry.


    "Oh yes I would like that but first and foremost, make it past this stage before you can think of shutting me down" replied Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Urg, just watches as I end this fight right this instance" said Larry in anger as he dashes towards Jason in full force with his hand held out in a grabbing motion as he grabs him by the neck before slamming him to the ground.


    After being slammed to the ground, Jason didn''t have the time to relax as punches begin to rain down on him with Larry sitting on top of him as he begins to land blows on him until Jason could barely push him off him as he quickly got up before distancing himself from Larry as he begins to breathe heavily with his face swollen and blood flowing out of his nose.


    "It will be a miracle if he was able to win this round but by then his body would have reached the level of damage it could take and end up not putting on a good show" said the family head with a nod of approval.


    "I will say the young man would be able to hold on without running out of energy before facing Austin and that is because he is persistent and losing without giving his all is not an option for him" replied the grand elder.


    "But still if he were to continue like this, he will end up ruining his foundation" said one of the elders.


    "I believe he knew that too and might have a plan to put Larry in his place else he won''t be forcing himself" replied the grand elder with a cunning smile on His face.


    "Something tells me that you are not telling us what we need to know here" said the family head as he looked at how the grand elder was acting strange.


    Looking at the family who was keen to know what the grand elder was hiding from them, the grand elder couldn''t help but chuckle before replying to the family head question.


    "Do you still remember the disturbance caused by the family formation about a month ago".


    "Yes, I still remember so what does it have to do with what we want to know" asked the family head.


    "It has to do with everything, you see the reason why the formation was activated was that a beast was chasing after him from the beast territory" replied the grand elder as he continued to smile.


    "You mean he went into the beast territory and still came out in one piece" asked the family head with shock while the elders were having a stunning look on their faces as they turned their gaze back to look at the young man in the arena.


    "Yes and not only that but he also left with a beast blood which I don''t know what he used it for. All I could say is he was screaming in pain in the forest that day before I left" replied the grand elder.


    "Who would have thought that this match is going to be our loss since he could leave the beast territory unsheathed then who knows what trump card he will have to use to win the match" said an elder.


    Meanwhile, Andrew and his gang were having a wonderful time as they watched Jason being beaten by Larry.


    "Boss I think it doesn''t matter if he was able to beat Todd in the previous round since he has gotten really injured before facing Larry and if he were to win this round also which is not possible, then all my brother have to do is to hit him with just a blow and the fight is over" said Denise with a smile on his face.


    "I know that, but I don''t want him to win this round either" replied Andrew.

 Chapter 31 - Defeat Part2

    Wiping the blood off his nose, Jason couldn''t help but chuckled as he said to Larry.


    "With that big mouth of yours, I thought I won''t be able to take a punch from you but who could have thought that you actually punched like a lady".


    "Stop acting tough cause I can tell that you already have one foot on the grave if I were to continue with my assault" replied Larry in anger.


    "A leg on the foot, please don''t give yourself hope cause I still have a fight in me my lady" said Jason as he began to laugh.


    When the words left his mouth, the crowd couldn''t hold the laughter in as they began to laugh out loud including the elders.


    "Hahaha, Larry I can''t believe you couldn''t even punch harder and you claim to be stronger than me. What a lady you really are" commented Austin from the side with tears flowing from his eyes with his hand on his stomach as he tries to contain his laughter.


    "I wonder how he will be able to keep that life of his in the future with that big mouth of his" said the family head with a sigh.


    "Yey that''s that is my big brother right there" screamed Hannah on the top of her lung as she pointed to Jason from where she sat only for her to be dragged back to her seat.


    "You are going to get your big brother in trouble if you don''t get your mouth shut" said Clara with a frown on her face.


    Larry was already on the verge of explaining in anger when he heard the crowd laughing with Austin making things worse for him.


    "I think you have really gotten him angry this time Jason" said the bracelet with a bit of worry in his tone.


    "That is what I want, the angrier he gets the better the result will be" replied Jason with a smile on his face when he saw Larry staring at him with killing intent in his eyes.


    "I never wanted to take this fight too seriously since it will cost you your miserable life but since you can''t keep that mouth of yours shut, then you left me no choice" said Larry as he began to approach Jason slowly.


    "But it is true when I said you punch like a woman. but if you think I am wrong then prove it then" replies Jason with his arms spread apart.


    When Larry heard what Jason said, he couldn''t help but halt his step and look at Jason as he studied Jason who stood still like he had no fear of what would happen to him before saying.


    "What do you mean by I should prove, of course I am going to prove to them that I hit harder than a man".


    "Please don''t embarrass yourself anymore, if you actually hit harder than a man then why am I still standing?" replied Jason as he gestured to take a look at him.


    The crowd couldn''t help but laugh once more when the words were spoken by Jason with Austin adding oil to the fire.


    "Hahaha, nice one kid. I can''t believe you were able to tell that she''s not a he" said Austin and the crowd continued to laugh harder.


    "You are the she here, your whole family is she" replied Larry in anger as he turned to Austin.


    "Hey Larry you better watch what you say because bad things can happen to you after the match" said Austin as he frowned a little showing how serious he is about the warning.


    Getting his cool back, Larry didn''t bother to bark with Austin anymore as he turned back to Jason.


    "Hope you are happy with this outcome but let me tell you, you are only making matters worse for yourself" said Larry as he gazed at Jason.


    "I am only telling the truth and if you think I am wrong, then why don''t you hit me with everything you had and I will do the same and the one who couldn''t endure a hit from the other will be declared the loser of the tournament" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Ha, you are looking to die kid if you think that you can take a hit from me" said Larry with a light chuckle.


    "Look like someone is scared of losing to me" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "Boo oo, what a coward you to buy your way out with words" said Hannah from the crowd as she tried to force Larry to take the challenge.


    "Come on Larry, don''t tell me you are scared of taking the challenge" added Austin as he continued to fan the flame.


    "Of course I am not scared of taking the challenge since it is to my advantage" replied Larry as he barked at Austin before making his way to Jason.


    After getting close, Austin turned to the elder as he asked.


    "Elder I hope you don''t mind if we go by the rules this way".


    Turning his head to where the family head and the rest were sitting as he waited for their wish only to see the grand elder nod his head in approval before turning back to Larry as he replied.


    "As long as it is not life-threatening, then you can".


    "Thank you elder" bowed Jason and Larry to the elder before facing each other.


    "I guess I will let you go first before words will go out saying I bullied the weak" said Jason with a smile on his face before spreading his arms apart as he waited for Larry to hit him.


    "You asked for it" said Larry as he pulled his fist back before punching at Jason with great force with Jason spitting out a mouthful of blood as he held his stomach while kneeling on the ground as he tried to endure the pain.


    "That is what you get for having a big mouth" said Larry feeling proud of himself but shut his mouth when he saw Jason getting on his feet even though beads of sweat were gathered on his face.


    "That is impossible, how come you are still standing?" said the stunned Larry.


    "It doesn''t matter since it is my turn" replied Jason with a cunning smile.


    Moving a little amount of energy into his hand as he hit Larry with the invisible iron fist on for Larry to stand in place with his eyes wild open.


    "What happened did he not feel pain from the punch and felt like he had not been punched" said someone from the crowd.


    "I think he passed out" said another and that is when the elder walked toward them and began to examine Larry before turning to the crowd as he announced.


    "The winner of the match is Jason Mccray".

 Chapter 32 - The End Of The Tournament

    The crowd was stunned when the announcement was made including Andrew and his gang who have their eyes wide open in shock that Larry lost to a nobody.


    "How was he able to beat Larry of all people" said Andrew in anger as he slams the handle of the chair he was sitting on while breaking it in the process.


    "Take it easy boss" reply Denise.


    "How can I take it easy when that kid keeps winning matches and right now he is already in the final" said Andrew with a gritted teeth.


    "I think he has used that demonic he used on us previously" replied Denise.


    "If we let him do as he please then it won''t be long before he wins the tournament" said Andrew.


    "You don''t have to worry about that boss since my half-brother is the one he will be facing" replied Denise.


    Meanwhile at where the family head and the elders were sitting, one could see the look of amazement on their faces.


    "Looks like I won the bet this time, now if you don''t mind can you hand the stuff over to me" said the grand elder with a chuckle as he wakes them from their state.


    "Amazing, who could have thought that he will be able to beat Larry with just a punch" commented the family head.


    "If I knew that he would win, I would have bet on the kid winning" said one of the elders that have lost the bet.


    "Good thing I didn''t get alongside you guys else I would have been in a similar state like you guys" said the family head with a smile on his face.


    "Well we lost so it is right we do according to the rules of the game" replied another elder.


    After receiving the items from the family head, the grand elder greedily stored them in his storage ring before turning his gaze back to the stage with a smile on his face.


    "If I may ask grand elder, what use do you have for all these items you won for us" asked an elder who was troubled by the grand elder who had a smile on his face as he was storing the items.


    "If you must know, they are not of any use to me" replied the grand elder.


    Back on the stage, Jason was sitting on the stage recuperating while Larry was being taken away by the medic team.


    "That was a big risk you took there kid" said the bracelet.


    "What do you know, I was only able to make it far with the aim of risking it all. But I have to admit that punch was truly packed with power, I can''t believe I actually called him a lady" reply Jason.


    "Haha, at least that helps in achieving your plan but the real test starts now" said the bracelet.


    Jason raised his head to look at Austin who had a smile on his face as he watched Larry being taken away but after noticing that someone was looking at him,he turned his gaze over only to come in contact with Jason and his smile even widened more.


    "I don''t think I would be able to win against him with my current state" said Jason seriously.


    "Even if you were fully recovered, the results will still be the same. Just take a look at that smile on his face, that shows how confident he is" reply the bracelet.


    "Now I have lost my motivation all thanks to you" said Jason with a light chuckle.


    "I am only telling the truth and besides with what you have achieved today, no one is going to look down on you if you were to lose now" replied the bracelet.


    Jason was still in the middle of discussing with the bracelet when the elder stepped into the arena and announced.


    "Without wasting any more of your time, the final will begin right now ".


    After the announcement was made, Jason was called forward by the elder before he called on Austin as they stared at each other but to Jason''s amazement, Austin was still carrying the smile on his face.


    "Nice one Jason, who would have thought that you will be able to beat Larry of all people with only a punch even though you trick him into it" said Austin still smiling right after the elder left the arena.


    "Every man have to do what they have to do in order to win and what I did was use my brain" replied Jason with a straight face.


    "Haha, I like that. But you see, you will need more than just your brain to beat me" said Austin coldly.


    Jason took a fighting stance when Austin said those words but was rendered speechless after hearing the word that came after.


    "But luckily for you, I don''t have interest in fighting a weak opponent so how about having a match with me in two weeks" said Austin with a smile.


    "What about the tournament, ain''t you aiming to be the winner" asked Jason.


    "It''s your win kid since I never have the intention of winning anyway other than to battle with a strong opponent and sharpen my skills, so did you agree" replied Austin.


    "Before I do, I would like to ask you what kind of fight we are going to have" asked Jason.


    "Haha, you don''t need to worry about that. Just like this tournament, we are going to fight without taking life and there will also be someone to supervise the match just to make sure things don''t go wrong" replied Austin.


    "Well if you say so then I agreed to fight you in two weeks" said Jason.


    After coming into terms with Jason, Austin lifted his hand into the air and said for someone to hear.


    "I forfeit this match"


    There was a great uproar when Austin said those words as no one expected him to. The elder took a step forward as he asked Austin just to be clear that he heard clearly.


    "Are you sure you want to forfeit the match".


    "What fun will it be if I were to fight an exhausted opponent, so I forfeit" replied Austin.


    The elder didn''t say anything further to Austin before turning to face the crowd as he announced for everyone to hear.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it, the winner of the tournament, Jason Mccray".


    There was no cheer coming from the crowd as they were stunned.


    "There you have it kid, now if you don''t mind I will be taking my leave" said Austin before walking out of the arena but before he could walk far away, he turned back to look at Jason before saying.


    "See you in two weeks".

 Chapter 33 - Meeting The Grand Elder

    Jason just stared at the back of Austin as he walked off until he was nowhere to be seen and that was when Jason that the whole crowd was looking at him.


    "I can''t believe he actually won the tournament just like that".


    "What do you expect, he has been through an intense fight and if he was to fight Austin in that condition, then he might lose his life, and not only that but Austin will not be satisfied"


    All different types of comments were going all over the place but there was one particular set of people who didn''t say anything and that was Andrew and his gang members who were so quiet that if a pin was to be dropped in their midst, it would be noticed.


    Denise and the rest of the members were just standing while looking at their leader Andrew who hasn''t said a thing since the tournament has come to an end as they were fearful of what would happen to them if they were to say the wrong word.


    After the long silence, Andrew finally spoke up while looking at Denise in anger.


    "He won even after all our plans and what is with that brother of yours, I thought he was a brute who doesn''t think before fighting".


    "Sometimes, I even understand his behavior which is why I never agreed when you said we will be using him to take our revenge" replied Denise.


    "You could have made things clear for us to know what we are dealing with" said Andrew.


    "Well I tried but you never gave me the chance to explain myself" replied Denise.


    "Well that is in the past now, what we need to think about now is how we can make his life miserable while he working for the family" said Andrew.


    "And before we can start thinking about what we can do to him, first we need to know what he will be doing as a worker in the family" commented a member of the gang.


    "I overheard my father and elder Jim saying one time that the winner of the event will be opportune to work in the alchemy room and you know what that means" said Andrew as he turned his gaze at his group of friends.


    "If he ends up working in the alchemy then he will be able to come in contact with the grand elder" replies Denise after understanding what Andrew is driving at.


    "You know the kind of person the grand elder is, since Jason will be working there it will be very difficult for us to cause him trouble" said Andrew while clenching his fist together in anger.


    "Well I don''t think it will be impossible for us to cause him trouble if we went there to get some pills for our training" replied Denise with a smile.


    "Of course, why didn''t I think of that earlier. While getting the pills we can also frame him off stealing too" said Andrew with a wide smile on his face as he led the group out to check up on Michael who was still recovering.


    People were beginning to leave in disappointment since the fight they were hoping to watch didn''t happen. While the stage was getting empty, Jason was already sitting crossed leg on the ground as he tried to recuperate with the help of the pill that was given to him by the elder but before he could recuperate, the elder said to him.


    "You have a week to recover after that, you are to present yourself at the alchemy to begin your work as an errands boy for the grand elder".


    Jason was frustrated when he heard what the elder said since he will need 2 weeks or so to fully recover. While grumbling about the unfair treatment that the elder is giving him. An old man was standing behind him and he was still yet to notice.


    "Looks like someone is mad here" said the old man with a light chuckle.


    Jason was startled as he took a step back before looking at who was behind him.


    "Who are you old man and why are you sneaking up on me" said Jason as he stares at the old man before him.


    "What a foul mouth you have young man, is that how you are supposed to talk to who you will be walking for" asked the grand elder with a twitched lip.


    "What you are the grand elder" said in surprise before bowing his a little while cupping his fist to show his respect.


    Seeing how respectful Jason is, the grand elder nodded his head in approval with a smile on his face until he heard the words that came out of Jason.


    "Who would have thought that the grand elder will be an old geezer who has one leg on the grave".


    "I have many years ahead of me young man unless you are planning to take my life which is impossible" reply the grand elder.


    "Huh, that wasn''t what I said grand elder, I was only praising you for being so strong and mighty at this age" said Jason with a tearing face as he tries to make it look confusing.


    "I may be old but that doesn''t mean I can''t hear you clearly" reply the grand elder with a frown.


    Jason was already shaking in fear that the grand elder heard him and was just about to plead but before he could, the grand elder has already spoken.


    "I heard elder luke saying you are to resume for working in a week time but I won''t allow that since I need someone strong and seeing the way you have taking a beatdown, you are no different from a beaten pig so I am giving you three weeks to recover".


    Jason sighed in relief that the grand elder isn''t going to punish him even though he was called a beaten pig, he didn''t mind. Grand elder was already walking off when he suddenly stops on his track before saying.


    "About your punishment, we will talk about that when you present yourself in the alchemy room".


    "Yes, grand elder" reply Jason with a bow as he watches the grand elder leaving.

 Chapter 34 - Sixth Layer Of Tempered Body

    After the grand elder has finally left the square, Hannah came running towards Jason while their mother walk from behind.


    "Good thing he is gone, I was wonder when will I have the time to give my big brother a celebration hug" said Hannah with a smile on her face as she gave Jason a hug.


    "Hiss, take it easy Hannah you know I just went through a fight not quite long ago, and by the way do you know who that old man is" asked Jason as he hisses in pain from the huge.


    "Mother only told me to wait until he was done with his business with you before I should rush in" replied Hannah.


    And that was when their mother has finally caught up to them.


    "That is the fox family grand elder and the strongest fighter the fox family can always count on whenever there is a conflict between the other families" said Clara.


    "You mean he is that strong while being this old" asked Jason.


    "He may be old but never mistake his old age for a weakness" replied Clara.


    "Now that you have won the tournament big brother, it won''t be long before we can live and eat like them" said Hannah joyfully.


    "Yes you are right about that Hannah, as long as I work there I don''t believe I won''t be able to provide for our family" replies Jason as he begins to play with Hannah.


    Looking at her son who has blood stained on his robe with a swollen face, Clara was hurt really bad when she look at her son''s sorry state.


    "You need to be treated as soon as possible Jason" said Clara with a sigh.


    And with that, they begin to head home.


    "Congratulations Jason, you did really well today" said Clara while they were walking home.


    "Thanks mother" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "What were you and that kid talking about that made him forfeit the match" asked Clara after congratulating Jason.


    "Oh, he was asking for a fair fight and since I am not at my best, he suggested we have a fair fight two weeks from now" replied Jason.


    "And you agreed" asked Hannah who became angry after hearing what Jason said.


    "Easy there little lioness, if I didn''t agree on his terms there is no way that I will be able to win the tournament so I have no choice but to agree" replied Jason as he begin to play with Hannah''s cheek.


    "If you ever going to battle with him, you must make sure that you must''ve fully recovered else I won''t let you go" said Clara.


    "I am not even sure if I will be able to make it to the fight since the grand elder has already stated that I should present myself in the alchemist room in two weeks time" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "So you are going to dish him right big brother" asked Hannah in excitement.


    "Seems like it unless he wants us to fight another time, else there is no way I am picking him over the grand elder" replied Jason.


    "That is more reasonable and I know he will understand if he hears of it" commented Clara.


    After they returned home in the evening, Jason went into his room to cultivate heaven''s law while his wounds were healing slowly. Refraining himself from any training since he won''t be getting instead damaging his foundation.


    Two weeks later, Jason has completely recovered from the injuries as he walks out while carrying a different air which signifies that he has achieved a breakthrough.


    "Finally I have made another breakthrough and it won''t be long before I make it into another realm" said Jason with excitement.


    "You are improving tremendously fast which is a good thing but your fighting experience is quite lacking. I still prefer you go to the beast territory to hone your skill" commented the bracelet.


    "What is with you and the beast territory even?" said Jason.


    "I am just saying since it is the best place for you right now, unlike this place that you will have to hold yourself back" replies the bracelet replied.


    "Well, I don''t have time for that yet. As you know, I need to be at the alchemist room after my recovery," said Jason.


    Ending his conversation with the bracelet, Jason went to greet his mother before leaving the tent for the alchemist room in a hurry. Making his way to the alchemist''s room took him a whole twenty minutes to get there but to his shock, there was no one there as the door was shut.


    "I can''t believe that I wasted my time rushing all the way here only to meet a closed-door" said Jason as he tried to control his breathing.


    "I didn''t expect you to come here after you fully recovered from your injuries," said a voice from the other side of the door before the door began to open slowly.


    The moment the door was open, an old man could be seen standing at the entrance with his hand behind his back.


    "Greetings grand elder" said Jason as he bent his body slightly with his hand cupped together.


    The grand elder didn''t reply to him but instead, he was looking at Jason with a shocking look on his face. When Jason noticed the way the grand elder was looking at him, he couldn''t help but shiver in fear as he remembered what the elder said about punishing him after he had recovered.


    "It seems like you benefited a lot from the fight with Todd and Larry" said the grand elder after he was done probing Jason.


    "Yes grand elder" replied Jason as he said in his head.


    ''Ain''t you going to punish me?''.


    "Enough with the familiarity, since you are already here, I want you to clean the room up before the others arrive" said the grand as he walk back to take a seat beside a furnace

 Chapter 35 - The Alchemy Room

    Getting into the room, Jason couldn''t help but twitch his mouth as he could see how messed up the whole place is with herbs laying on the floor. Taking a look at the whole room, Jason was amazed to discover how wide the room is with six furnaces placed inside.


    "What are you standing there doing, get to work before the others arrive" said the grand elder when he noticed how quiet the room was.


    Nodding his head, Jason went to get a broom and began to sweep the place while complaining.


    "I can''t believe I wasted my time winning the tournament only to work as a cleaner here".


    "What are you complaining about" said the grand elder as he lifted his eyes off the furnace.


    "Nothing grand elder is just that, the room is too big for just one person to take care of" ask Jason.


    "We don''t want others to come in here which is why we have minimum members. That answer should answer your question so get back to work" reply the grand elder.


    Jason could only grit his teeth together as he continued to clean the room. Seeing that he was not complaining, the grand couldn''t help but chuckled as he murmured to himself.


    ''Let''s see if you will be able to last a week here".


    Jason was still cleaning the room when the bracelet spoke out.


    "Wow, this is a nice place for you to cultivate your heaven''s law".


    "How do you expect me to cultivate in this place full of dirt" replied Jason.


    "Don''t get me wrong kid, this room is filled with spiritual energy which should be beneficial for your growth" said the bracelet.


    "How can there be spiritual energy here" asked Jason out of curiosity.


    "The spiritual energy is derived from the refined herbs, this is one of the reasons why alchemists always advance in cultivation compared to normal cultivators who have to stake many years of training to achieve a breakthrough. They absorb the energy around them while taking pills which also wash their meridian from any impurity" replied the bracelet.


    "Well it is my win then since I will be paid annually while at the same time absorbing the energy here" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "By the way, since you are an entity that has lived for a very long time, do you know how to make a pill" asked Jason.


    "How can I make a pill in this form" replied the bracelet.


    Jason was quite disappointed that the bracelet is not capable of making pills and went back to his sweeping when the bracelet said all of a sudden.


    "Although I can''t make any pills but I do know the process and can guide you through without causing any mishap and that is if you do according to what I say".


    "Rest assured" replied Jason with a smile on his face as he continued to clean and when he was done he went to sit down as he waited for the arrival of the others while keeping an eye on the grand elder who was staring at the furnace.


    "I wonder what that old geezer is looking at, '''' mutters Jason.


    "I can hear what you are saying you know and for crying out loud stop calling old" said the grand elder while he still kept his gaze on the furnace.


    "Dammit, I forgot he can hear what I say" murmur Jason.


    Leaving his resting place, Jason walks close to where the grand elder was as he tries to take a peek at what was on the furnace only for him to see that it was close.


    "You wanted to take a look at it" asked the grand elder with a smile on his face as he turned to look at Jason.


    "I love to but that won''t be possible since it is covered" reply Jason with a sigh.


    "Hahaha, how do you plan to keep all the property within to make a pill if it is open" said the grand elder as he continued to chuckle.


    "I see, then if I may ask what pill are you making" asked Jason.


    "If you must know , I am making a pill that can heal internal injuries" replied the grand elder.


    Jason was just about to speak in excitement but before he could, the bracelet began to speak in disdain.


    "Just a pill that can cure internal injuries is making you wait and you still have the boldness to speak about it".


    Hearing what the bracelet said, Jason couldn''t help but feel shocked as he turned to the grand elder as he asked.


    "Grand elder I thought that pill was easy to make so why is this taking so long"


    "Well if it were to be a lower grade, I would have made it long ago but what I am making here is a middle-grade pill which needs time to fully be refined" replied the grand elder.


    "Even though it is a middle-grade pill, an hour is enough for you to make the pill" said the bracelet on the verge of an outburst.


    Jason did not bother to speak to the bracelet as he also stared at the furnace before them in curiosity to what the pill will look like and after waiting for so long with no sign of the pill ready for picking, he turned around to see if any of the alchemists have arrived only to see the room was still empty.


    "Grand elder, when are the others coming?" asked Jason.


    "Oh they went on a mission to gather herbs" replied the grand elder.


    "It seems like being an alchemist is not easy at all" said Jason.


    "There is no easy occupation in the cultivation world kid, all you need is a strong will. Even a blacksmith will have to go out to gather materials for crafting" replied the elder.


    "So how long will it take for the pill to be refined?" asked Jason as he was fully interested in the pill.


    "An hour or two if I am not mistaken" replied the grand elder as they continued to wait for the pill.

 Chapter 36 - Gift From The Grand Elder

    After waiting for an hour for the pill to complete the process, Jason couldn''t help but asked.


    "I believe you must have been into the art of pills making for a long time grand elder, so I want to know if it is possible to make a pill that can cure any illness" asked Jason as he finally have a way to save his mother and since the elder can make a pill for treating internal injuries then there shouldn''t be a problem with making a pill for his mother illness.


    "There is but the problem is no one has ever been able to make one that could cure any illness" replies the elder as he turns to look at Jason with an awkward smile on his face.


    "And I thought you could make one" said Jason in disappointment.


    "Is someone close to you sick for you to asked this question" asked the elder.


    "It''s my mother, she had been ill for a long time and had tried our possible best for a cure but there was never any so I thought maybe you could make one" replied Jason.


    "I am sorry that I couldn''t be of any help" said the grand elder as he turn his gaze back to the furnace.


    "By the way, what were you doing in the beast territory" added the grand elder.


    "What were you there that day" asked Jason in shock.


    "I happened to be passing by when I saw you trying to shake off the beast. You were lucky that there was a formation protecting the family territory else you won''t be standing here right now" reply the grand elder as he stared at Jason waiting for him to speak up.


    "Well, I went there to get herbs for my mother''s treatment since it is hard for us to afford them in the market".


    "I see, now that you are working for me you won''t be short of herbs so don''t go into the beast territory anymore" said the grand elder.


    "Thank you grand elder" replied Jason with a bow.


    "It is nothing besides it is the duty of us alchemists to save the mass from any illness and injuries, so you can treat it as me treating your mother" commented the grand elder.


    "Nice one kid, I thought you were going to tell him, but I never knew you were this good at lying without blinking" said the bracelet.


    "What other choice do I have other than to lie to him" replied Jason.


    While he was talking to the bracelet, the furnace began to bring out steam which signifies that the refining process is done. Getting up from the chair as he went to open the furnace with Jason followed by his side and the moment he opened the furnace, energy busted out with Jason moving back.


    "You don''t need to be scared, it''s just the energy that sips out of the pills" said the grand elder as he cloaks his hand with spiritual energy before picking the pills.


    "Who said I was running, I was just making space for you to pick them up" replied Jason in a composed manner.


    "But I saw you moving back in panic" said the grand elder.


    "I wasn''t, so is the pill refining a success" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    ''Now he is changing the topic, this kid is really something'' thought the grand elder before opening his palm for Jason to see for him.


    Now looking at the pills in the grand elder''s palm which was sky blue in color, Jason was amazed since it is the first time he is seeing a pill being created.


    "I guess he must have wasted a lot of resources for him to be able to create this much" said the bracelet in mockery.


    "Do you have a problem with him for you to be like this" asked Jason.


    "Not at all kid, it''s just that I can''t stand seeing stuff like this and it is the same with him if he saw someone concocting a pill wrongly so you can''t blame me" replied the bracelet.


    Seeing Jason just staring at the pills in amazement, the grand elder couldn''t help but chuckle as he said.


    "You can have two pills as a reward for winning the tournament".


    "Thanks, grand elder" said Jason as he took the pills from the grand elder before asking.


    "But I thought the reward for winning the tournament is to work in alchemy"


    "It is and this is from me personally" replied the grand elder.


    Keeping the pills, Jason turned to the grand elder and asked.


    "Now that you are done making the pills, what do you plan to make next".


    "Well, I need to rest up before thinking of concocting anything for now" replied the grand elder.


    "So I won''t be coming tomorrow then" ask Jason.


    "Did you hear me say I won''t be coming tomorrow" replied the grand elder.


    "I thought it would take you days to recover considering your age" said Jason with a smile.


    The grand elder couldn''t help but let out a sigh.


    "I will need hours to recover, so don''t think of finding excuses to be absent tomorrow else I will give you the punishment I promised in the tournament" replied the grand elder.


    When Jason heard the grand elder warning and seeing how serious he is, he quickly smiled awkwardly as he waved his hand while saying.


    "You don''t have to say that grand elder, of course I will be coming tomorrow".


    "You better be. So when are you going to take the pill" asked the grand elder.


    "That will have to wait until later since I still have a lot to do" replied Jason.


    "And what do you still need to do" asked the grand elder.


    "I still need to clean the furnace or should I let it be with all the dirt around it" reply Jason.


    "Take your time then, I am going to take a rest, and don''t forget to close the door before you leave" said the grand elder before walking out of the alchemy room.

 Chapter 37 - She-devil

    After the grand elder has left the room, Jason went to shut the door with a smile on his face as he said.


    "Now I have the leftovers for myself".


    Picking a good spot to cultivate, Jason begin to cultivate heaven''s law as the energy inside the room behind to gash towards him with his body greedily absorbing all the energy until there was none left. Jason was all smiles as he gets up from the ground before cleaning the place and was just about to leave when the bracelet suddenly spoke up.


    "Wait kid, ain''t you going to take the pill that was given to you".


    "I am going it all to my mother who needs it more than I do" replied Jason.


    "This pill is not strong enough to cure her of her illness, all it could do was relief her of the pain so it would be a great waste for you to use it on her" said the bracelet.


    "I don''t care if it is only going to relieve her of the pain, I am still giving her the pills" reply Jason.


    Leaving the alchemy room after he was done with the cleaning, Jason head back to the tent where he saw Hannah sitting outside while staring at the sun In a daze. Seeing her like this, Jason couldn''t help chuckled as he said.


    "What are you looking at".


    Hearing the voice that was not too far from her, Hannah turn to take a look before fixing her gaze back to the sun.


    "What has gotten into this girl, where is the hug I usually get when I return home" said Jason to himself in puzzlement as he stare at Hannah.


    Unknowing to Jason, Hannah didn''t know he was back as she just continue to stare at the sun in a daze until she heard the sound of someone clearing his or her throat that she was able to notice that Jason was the one standing. Seeing Jason put a smile on her as she ran to hug him.


    "What took you so long to get back" asked Hannah after Separating herself from his embrace.


    "I was really busy helping the grand elder out with his pill refining which is why I am late" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I hope he didn''t treat you badly while you were there" asked Hannah as she stare at Jason while waiting for answers.


    "Of course not, the grand elder is so nice to me and even thought me a lot of things that I don''t know a thing about. He even gave me pills that can heal internal injuries as a reward for winning the tournament" replied Jason as he brought out the pills for Hannah to see.


    Looking at the two pills in Jason''s hand, the only word that could come out of her mouth was.


    "Beautiful".


    "I know you will love it, I also had the same feeling when I saw it" replied Jason with a smile.


    "So when are you going to take the pill big brother" asked Hannah.


    "I am not going to take it, I think it will be a waste for me to take it since mother''s condition is getting worst, I think this pill will be able to make her feel better" reply Jason.


    "Thought so thoughtful of you big brother, I thought you will be so greedy to share the pill with others but I was wrong" said Hannah sincerely.


    "Yes I am greedy to share the pill for myself unlike you who will not hesitate to take it all down" replied Jason with a chuckle.


    "I am going to make you regret you ever said that" said Hannah in anger as she ran into the tent in tears.


    "How is she crying all of a sudden when I didn''t even touch her" said Jason as he looked at the tent and that is when the realization hit him.


    "Oh shit, she''s faking it so that mother will punish me".


    Not long after Hannah went into the tent in tears, Clara''s voice could be heard as she work out of the tent with Hannah by her side who has a smile on her face.


    ''I can''t believe she told mother that I bully her'' thought Jason.


    After coming out of the tent, Clara stare at Jason as she said.


    "How many times do I have to tell you not to bully your younger sister".


    "I didn''t mother, she just ran into the tent crying all of a sudden" reply Jason.


    "Is that true" asked Clara as she turned to Hannah.


    "Don''t listen to him mother he is lying, just take a look at how he reacted when you came out" replied Hannah.


    "I will let you off this time but if you ever bully Hannah again, then you will have yourself to blame for it" said Clara with a sigh as she already knows what is happening.


    "Yes, mother" replied Jason as he took a peek at Hannah whose tongue was stuck out.


    "You little she-devil" mutter Jason in a voice that only he can hear.


    "So how was your time at the alchemy" asked Clara.


    "It was great mother, I even have a gift for you" replied Jason with a smile as he brought out the pills for his mother to see.


    "What is this pill you have with you Jason, have you started making pills on your time day" asked Clara as she took one of the pills to exam it.


    "No mother, it was the grand elder who gave it to me after he was successful in making it and according to him, it heals internal injuries so I kept it for you to use" reply Jason with a smile.


    "I don''t know if this pill will be able to cure me of my illness so I will be keeping this one while you take the other since you might need it in the future" said Clara with a warm smile on her face as she went back into the tent.

 Chapter 38 - Finding The Cure

    After their mother went back into the tent, Hannah walked up to Jason with a smile on her face as she said.


    "Big brother can I have the other pill since mother didn''t take it".


    "And what use do you have for it my lovely little sister" asked Jason.


    "Nothing, I just want since it is so shiny" replied Hannah.


    "Okay then, why don''t you go make one or better still ask the grand elder to give you one* said Jason with a smile on his face as he played with her hair before going inside for a rest.


    After a good rest, Jason makes his way to the woods where he usually trains as he begins to practice the phantom kick and the iron fist technique which are the only techniques he has. After training until it became dark, Jason took a sip of water that he brought with him before bringing out the pill as he began to study it.


    "I can''t believe mother refuses to take the pill from me" said Jason with a sigh.


    "That is because she knew that it would be useless to her unlike you who might have suffered an internal injury from the tournament" replied the bracelet.


    "I wish the pill could be all she needs to recover then, I won''t have to be worried everyday" said Jason.


    "If you really want to help her then you better get stronger" commented the bracelet.


    Jason just sat down looking at the pill in his hand as he tried to think of ways he could help his mother when he suddenly remembered that the bracelet knows how to concoct pills and since it can, he should know of a pill that can cure his mother of her illness.


    "Hey, do you by any means know of a pill that can heal my mother" asked Jason.


    "Yes I do but I am afraid you won''t be able to find it in this generation" replied the bracelet.


    "And I thought there might be a way" said Jason in disappointment.


    "Well the pill may not be available but we can still make one but the problem is getting the necessary ingredients needed for concocting the pill and let''s not forget that your realm is too low" commented the bracelet.


    "So there is a way for my mother to get better" said Jason in joy when he heard the bracelet statement but then his mouth twitched as he asked.


    "Wait a minute, what does my realm have to do with all this".


    "It has everything to do with your realm kid. You see you will need a lot of spiritual energy and concentration in controlling the flame and with how weak you are right now, I don''t think you will be able to heat the furnace before you run out of energy then let''s not forget the ingredients you will need" replied the bracelet.


    "What about the ingredients, are they difficult to get" asked Jason.


    "They are not and I believe the grand elder might have some but there is one that you will need to get by yourself and that is the saliva of the horned leopard. And I don''t think you will be able to get it with the way you are now" replied the bracelet.


    "Since you said I need the saliva of a horned leopard, then you mean I will be going back to the beast territory and I right" asked Jason.


    "Where else do you think you will be able to find a horned leopard if not in the beast territory" replied the bracelet.


    "Why can''t we just use the saliva of a pet instead of the horned leopard" suggested Jason who was already on the verge of crying.


    "The saliva of the horned leopard has a healing property which other beasts don''t have, not to mention pets. By the way, where are you going to find the pet you want to extract the saliva from because last time I checked, you don''t have any" replied the bracelet.


    "Looks like I don''t have a choice than to go back to the beast territory. By the way how strong is the horned leopard" asked Jason.


    "If you asked me, I will say very strong but that is if you come across the adult horned leopard but if you were to come across those that are in the adolescent stage, you should be able to get the saliva with at least the fifth stage of the foundation realm" replied the bracelet.


    "I guess I will have to settle for the young one then. So what are the other ingredients that I am going to need let''s see if grand elder will by any means have them" asked Jason.


    "Well you will need the wiping grass, mystic fruit, soul clearing grass and the winded flower" replied the bracelet.


    "That''s a lot and I bet the elder will be able to help me with these ingredients" said Jason with a light laugh.


    "He used the wiping grass while making that pill so getting it won''t be difficult for but I am not sure about the rest" replied the bracelet.


    Alright then, now that the cure to my mother''s illness has been found, all that is left for me to do now is to get stronger" said Jason as he clenched his hand into a fist.


    "That''s the spirit kid and the first step for you to get stronger is to take that pill" reply the bracelet.


    "Won''t I be wasting it since I will be going to the beast territory soon" asked Jason.


    "By then you would have stored more than what you have now so quit wasting time and take the pill" replied the bracelet as he urged Jason.


    "All right if you say so" said Jason before throwing the pill into his mouth.


    The moment the pill touches his mouth, Jason feels a warm sensation before it begins to move down his throat and the next moment he feels his body becomes light with no itchy pain.


    "Wow look like I was actually injured, thank goodness the grand elder was able to spare me some" said Jason with a smile.


    "Next is to get the ingredients ready" commented the bracelet.

 Chapter 39 - Whats Happening To Her

    Right after he was done with his training, Jason went to the stream to take a bath before going home but on getting home, he saw Hannah waiting outside the tent.


    "What are you doing outside at this time of the night" asked Jason as he walked up to her.


    "Where have you been all this while, I have gone out searching for you" replied  Hannah with a frown.


    "Why would you be searching for me, tell me did something happen?" asked Jason.


    "Its mother, she started spitting out a mouthful of blood not quite long after taking the pill you gave her earlier" rep Hannah in tears.


    Jason didn''t bother to hear what else she had to say before he rushed inside the tent only to see his mother still sitting on the ground weakly with her close. Looking at the pool of blood before him, Jason couldn''t help but ask the bracelet for some answers.


    "Didn''t you say the pill could only cure her so what is happening to my mother".


    "Relax kid, nothing is going to happen to your mother okay" replied the bracelet.


    "Don''t tell me to relax when my mother''s life is in danger" said Jason.


    "Don''t you believe the words I say anymore" asked the bracelet.


    Hearing the assuring word of the bracelet, Jason decided to calm down before asking the bracelet.


    "So do you have any idea what is wrong with the pill that she took and why it is different from the one I took?" asked Jason.


    "Nothing is wrong with the pill alright, what your mother is spitting out is nothing more than the bad blood in her body. Can you feel the slight sign of spiritual energy within her" reply the bracelet.


    Now looking at his mother closely, Jason could slightly feel the energy within her which he didn''t take notice of when he ran into the room earlier.


    "The pill really works, I can''t wait to see the look in Hannah''s eyes when she sees this" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You know that pill won''t be enough to heal her completely right" asked the bracelet.


    "Yes I do but this is a great step since she won''t have to be in much pain unlike before" reply Jason as he continues to watch his mother.


    After watching her for a while and seeing that she won''t be opening her eyes anytime soon, Jason came out of the tent when he saw Hannah looking down.


    "You don''t have to worry Hannah, mother is going to be alright" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    Hannah wiped her eyes while she sober before turning to look at Jason as she asked.


    "You think so too".


    Nodding his head with a smile really put Hannah at ease as they sat down while waiting for their mother to recover. After waiting for an hour, Clara''s voice could be heard coming from the tent as they both went inside with joy only to see their mother sitting on a chair but unlike before when she would need support from others to sit down.


    Now Jason could feel the spiritual energy inside her which makes him wonder if she was a cultivator before she was injured.


    Seeing the look on Jason''s face, Clara could tell what he was thinking since he can feel her energy, unlike Hannah who has not started cultivating.


    "My meridian was damaged during the time our territory was invaded. Though the pill you gave me was able to heal some of the injuries I sustained during that time, my meridian has not completely healed" said Clara with a smile on her face.


    "What you were once a cultivator and you still don''t want me to cultivate, that is so unfair mother" ask Hannah.


    "Is not that I don''t want you to train but you see Hannah the road of a cultivator is filled with nothing more than danger and I don''t want that for you" replied Clara with a sigh.


    "Enough with all that Hannah, can''t you see that mother Just recover" said Jason with a frown as he turned to Hannah.


    All Hannah could do was keep silent and went to clean the floor before making supper which they ate in joy before calling it a day. Early in the morning, Jason was already ready to go to work since he had already been told what he needed for the creation of the pill that could heal his mother completely.


    Cleaning himself up, he made his way to the alchemy room only to see that the grand elder was not there yet and since he is now a worker in the place, he opened the door and went inside before he began to clean the place.


    After he was done with the cleaning and the grand elder was nowhere to be found, Jason decided to take a look at the place while he waited for the grand elder. While taking a look at the place, Andrew and Denise came with a smile on their face as they take a look at the place to see if the grand elder was around but after confirming that he is not inside, they yelled which startled Jason as he turn to see who it was that could not lower his voice.


    "What are you two doing here yelling like a pig?" said Jason in annoyance after seeing that it was his bullies.


    "Who are you calling a pig you low life" replied Andrew in anger.


    "If you are not a pig, you would have kept your voice down while you are here but no how could you when you only know how to disturb" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I can see that you have not learned your lesson yet. Not too worry, I promise to lecture you today before leaving this place" replied Denise with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Here they go again making rackets when they can''t even touch my head" said Jason with a sigh as he turned his back and walked off.

 Chapter 40 - Are You Calling The Grand Elder A Liar

    Seeing that Jason was ignoring them, Denise couldn''t help but speak out in anger.


    "I dare you to take just one step".


    "Oh, and what are you going to do if I take that step" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I will, I will" said Denise who didn''t know what to say as he began to look around the place in search of what to use against him until his eyes met a herb that was growing in one corner of the room as a smile appeared on his face.


    "Do you know what the grand elder hated the most" asked Denise, who still had a smile on his face.


    Jason who had a smile on his face suddenly frowned as he looked at Denise before saying.


    "You better not be thinking of causing trouble here if you don''t want to lose your fingers".


    "Oh scary, I am shaking in my boot. But that is if you can handle the both of us" replied Denise boldly.


    "Try me then and see what will happen to your fingers if you are bold enough" said Jason as he gazed at Andrew who had been silent.


    "I would love to see you try then" replied Andrew who suddenly smirked before dashing at the location where the herb is and before he could close to it, he saw Jason already standing in front of him.


    "Denise come let''s beat the living hell out of him" said Andrew as he continued to go forward.


    "I am right behind you boss" replied Denise with a chuckle as he went the other way trying to attack Jason from the back while Andrew attacked from the front since it will be difficult for Jason to hold his ground against the two of them.


    Seeing what they are trying to do, Jason couldn''t help but chuckled as he said before clenching his fist.


    "If you still think that I am that weak boy you used to know, then you will be in on loads of pain".


    "Enough talk, why don''t we let our fist do the talking" yelled Andrew.


    Andrew drew his fist backward and was just about to throw a punch only for him to feel his elbow being held in place as he turned around to see who it was only for him to see the grand elder standing behind him.


    "Greetings grand elder" said Andrew as he knew on the ground weakly while his arm was still in the grand elder''s grip.


    Seeing that the grand elder had arrived at a time like this, Denise also went on his knees in fear.


    "You two really have the guts to come in here and cause trouble in my place of work. Does my face mean nothing to you" said the ground elder with a frown on his face.


    "Grand elder we were angered by that kid who couldn''t treat us as a customer instead started saying bad things to us" replied Denise.


    "Like you came here with good intentions in the first place" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    Seeing the way they are acting towards each other shows that they were not on good terms but for them to think of attacking his herb that he has spent much time nurturing.


    "You two know how I hate fighting here but you still went ahead anyway and not to forget you tried to attack my precious herb which is considered a great sin" said the grand elder.


    "It was just a joke, we never intended to attack the herb" replied Andrew as he began to beg the grand elder.


    "I thought you guys had learned your lesson but to think that you still have the guts to call the grand elder a liar is truly audacious" said Jason as he took the opportunity to add fire to the matter.


    The grand elder couldn''t help but frown as he stared at Andrew angrily while adding strength to his hold on Andrew as he said.


    "You dare call me a liar".


    "No grand elder, how can I be so bold as to call you a liar" reply Andrew as he cried in pain.


    "Oh really, then what does your word implies if it is not what I think it is" asked Jason.


    "You, why are you trying to make things difficult for us here" said Denise angrily as he looked at Jason.


    "Hey, I am just telling the truth here" replies Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I hope you will be able to protect yourself outside" said Denise with killing intent in his eyes as he stared at Jason.


    "And now you are threatening my employee in front of me. It seems like I have really gone soft on you all" said the grand elder as he burned in fury.


    "I am sorry grand elder, the words just left my mouth out of anger" pleaded Denise.


    "And these words also left my mouth out of anger also. There will be no pills going to you two for a year and if I were to find out that you got pills from your parents, then you only have yourself to blame for what will happen" replied the grand elder before throwing Andrew out of the room.


    Seeing his friend being thrown out like that, Denise didn''t wait for the elder to say the word before running out of the room and assist Andrew in getting up before they left.


    "That should teach those two to behave later in the future" said Jason with a smile on his face before bowing his head slightly to the grand elder as he thanked him for his assistant.


    "Would it have killed you if you didn''t say anything to them" asked the grand elder with a sigh.


    "I won''t lie to you grand elder when I say I would have died a million times if I were to keep silent and let them do as they please" replied Jason with all seriousness.


    "Then just pray you don''t end up dead because of your big mouth then" said the grand elder with a sigh before he went to take his seat.

 Chapter 41 - The Book Of Herbs

    Jason was first confused by what the grand elder meant by the words but decided to forget about it as he went to him and asked.


    "So what pill are you going to concoct Today".


    The grand elder pause to take a look at Jason and seeing the happy expression on his face, he couldn''t help but chuckle before replying to his question.


    "I plan to mass-produce the rejuvenation pill".


    " what pill is this rejuvenation pill you speak of" asked Jason.


    "I am talking about the pill that I made yesterday. And by the way, you looked more healthy compared to yesterday" reply the grand elder.


    "It''s all thanks to the pill you gave me yesterday even my mother felt much relieved after taking the pill" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I am glad to be of much help" said the grand elder.


    "I have been meaning to ask you grand elder if there is any pill by the name wiping grass, mystic fruit, soul clearing grass and the winded flower" asked Jason.


    "You seem to be a bit knowledgeable about herbs I presume" replied the grand elder with a shocking expression when he heard Jason mention the names.


    "I am not knowledgeable about herbs, I only heard someone saying it when I was going home yesterday and I thought maybe I should ask if you would be willing to show me" said Jason.


    "Sure, how can I say no to someone who finds interest in herbs" replied the grand elder before getting up from his seat as he walked toward the shelf where things are kept as he began his search.


    "Although not all the herbs you mention are available in here but we have the book of herbs where you can find the picture of any herb you are looking for and what they can do" said the grand elder as he brought out the book of herbs from the shelf before walking towards another shelf and pick a greenish grass before walking back to take his seat.


    "If I may ask grand elder, does this book have all the herbs stored inside" asked Jason in amazement.


    "Yes it does but the problem is the book of herbs is split into 3 volumes and this book of herbs that I am holding is the second volume. You will have to search the whole of the empire before you can have a complete set but that would have wasted a lot of your time" reply the grand elder.


    "And I thought it would have all the herbs stored inside. What a disappointment it turned out to be" said Jason with a sigh.


    The grand elder almost spat out a mouth full of blood when he heard Jason''s statement.


    "Young man, you should be grateful that you were able to see one instead you are acting like it is a big deal" commented the grand elder.


    "But it is a big deal grand elder, how am I supposed to gain knowledge about the other herbs if there are no records in the book of herbs" replied Jason.


    "Well since it is a waste of your time, then don''t bother opening it then" said the grand elder as he shoveled the book into his robe.


    "What are you doing grand elder putting the book on your robe are you thinking of soaking it with your sweater" asked Jason as he watched the grand elder put the book in his robe.


    "Of course I am keeping it and what is wrong with that head of yours boy" replied the grand elder with a frown on his face.


    "Come on grand elder don''t be like that, I was only saying that my knowledge will be limited to things that are stored in the book" said Jason with a pleading look on his face.


    "And I believe you know of the saying. It''s better to have one than to have none" replied the grand elder.


    "And that is what I am doing grand elder, so do you mind letting me have a look at it" asked Jason.


    The grand elder didn''t bother to answer him as he just threw the book at him which Jason failed to catch as it slammed him in the face.


    "Urg that hurt, I can''t believe you will go to the length of striking a kid" said Jason in pain as he held the book in his hand.


    "You have your mouth to blame for that" replied the grand elder with a smirk on his face.


    "I can see that you enjoyed bullying the young" said Jason as he stared at the grand elder.


    "Hahaha, don''t get me wrong kid I do not enjoy oppressing the young but that mouth of yours is too annoying" replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    "I don''t blame him for that since you are really annoying" said the bracelet.


    "I can''t believe you are also siding with him too and I thought you hated him" replied Jason in surprise.


    "I don''t hate him alright. Is just that he makes too many errors in his pills making and nothing else" said the bracelet.


    The grand elder who was laughing not quite long suddenly stopped as he said with a sigh.


    "It''s been a long time since I have laughed this much kid and for that I will let you keep that book".


    "You are giving me the book" asked Jason in shock as he stared at the grand elder.


    "Of course, since you show interest in learning about herbs, it''s only right for you to keep it, '''' replied the grand elder with a smile as he placed his hand behind his back with a proud look on his face.


    "I can''t take it, I am surely sorry grand elder" said Jason as he handed the book back to the grand elder only for the grand elder to stop him as he replied.


    "If you are worried about the family losing it only volume, then you don''t have to worry since we have copies of it and how are you going to know about the herbs you asked me of earlier if you hand it over now" replied the grand elder with a smile.

 Chapter 42 - Its What We Called Love

    Taking the book of herbs from the grand elder with a wide smile on his face after hearing that there are more copies as he begins to through the book while looking at the herbs that are written on it. But that is when he recognized a herb that he saw at the bottom of the stream where he took the ring.


    Seeing Jason staring at the picture of the herb, the grand elder had a thought as he asked.


    "Have you seen it somewhere before".


    "Tell him no since you will be needing that herb to make a pill that will help you in breaking through" said the bracelet.


    Jason waved his head in disapproval as he replied to the grand elder.


    "I just thought the herb looked so beautiful and would be a perfect gift for my little sister".


    "I see, others are thinking of getting the herb so that they can make a pill for their breakthrough and would even do anything to have it but here you are thinking of using it as a gift to your little sister who doesn''t have any use for it" said the grand elder with a frown.


    "It''s what we called love grand elder, but after listening to what you said I think I have a change of heart since I will be able to improve my realm and be a step ahead of the others" replied Jason with a smile.


    "You must think that finding all of these herbs will be an easy task," said the grand elder.


    "Of course I know it is not easy to find them but I can''t help but wonder how they were easily found if it is hard to see in the first place" asked Jason as he turned to look at the grand elder.


    "That''s because the location of some of the herbs has been found out and although it is not certain that you will find them there but at least the probability that you will find them is high" replied the grand elder as he pointed at a picture of a herb with his location written beneath it.


    "This herb is called the weeping grass" added the grand elder as he brought out the greenish grass for Jason to see.


    When Jason raised his head to take a look at the wiping grass, he couldn''t help but frown as he said.


    "That is what you called the wiping grass, it looks more like the grasses that grew in the forest".


    "This is it kid though it is not rare and could easily be found in the forest but there is a risk to it and that is, it is identical to a poisonous herb which kills within ten breaths" reply the grand elder.


    Jason reconsiders as he turns his head back to look at the herb but this time he did not take his eyes off it and the grand elder couldn''t help but ask when he saw him acting this way.


    "And what do you think you are doing".


    "I am engraving the image in my head since I don''t want to lose my life all because of some stupid herb that decide to be identical to a poison" replied Jason with a serious look.


    "You don''t need to worry about that kid since you have already seen it and know what it looks like I believe you will be able to recognize it" said the grand elder before keeping the wiping grass but in his robe.


    Jason nodded in agreement as he turned his back to the book of herbs and continued to search for the mystic fruit and the others which didn''t take him too long to see.


    "Now that I know what they look like, it shouldn''t be that difficult to find them" thought Jason.


    "Some of the herbs could be found in the beast territory that is if you are ready to take the risk" reply the bracelet.


    "Now shouldn''t be the time for me to go there with the way I am now, isn''t that what you said yesterday" asked Jason.


    "Oh now you are using my own word against me" replied the bracelet with a sigh.


    "I don''t want to be chased around by some beast so I am going to look for the easiest ones" said Jason before turning to look at the grand elder who has already gone to take a seat with a gourd in his hand.


    When the grand elder saw Jason coming, he was all frown as he asked.


    "What is it that you want this time around".


    "You of my mother''s condition already and the reason why I came asking for those herbs were related to how to help" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "And what do you want me to do" asked the grand elder while playing with the gourd.


    "I don''t know if you will be so kind as to help me out with any of the herbs I mentioned" replied Jason with a bow.


    "Apart from the wiping grass which can be found in the forest, we don''t have the other but I will guess that you should wait for the next batch of herb that will be delivered in three days time" said the grand elder while stroking his beards.


    "I will have to wait until the new batch arrives but until then, I will have to get the wiping grass ready" Jason murmurs to himself.


    "Make sure not to get yourself killed while you are at it" said the grand elder as he opened the gourd.


    "Don''t worry grand elder by the way, what pill are you making this time" asked Jason.


    "I am taking the day off, so you can do as you like but don''t you dare touch my stuff" replied the grand elder.


    Jason gave him a smile before walking off to take a look at the stuff that is stored on the shelf before going to study the book of herbs.

 Chapter 43 - Helping Hand

    After Jason was left alone to do his own thing, the grand elder also let him a hand whenever he is confused about the function of the herb and where to find them until he became bored and decided to go out for and catch some air when he saw Austin standing on the entrance.


    "Good day grand elder" said Austin with a bowl when he saw the grand elder coming out.


    "How are you doing Austin" replies the grand elder as he waves his hand for Austin to get up.


    "So how is your training going" asked the grand elder.


    "It was great and won''t be too long before I breakthrough into the foundation realm" reply Austin as he got up from his bow.


    "That is good to the hearing boy, so what brings you here because if I remember clearly, you never wanted to be an alchemist or did you suddenly have a change of heart and came here to beg me to be your master" asked the grand elder with a light chuckle.


    "Not really grand elder, I still choose to Dedicate my life in my training" reply Austin with a bow once more.


    "Then What do you want here if not to learn the way of the medicine" asked the grand elder as he was becoming angry at Austin.


    "I heard that Jason is now working with you so I came to see him since we still have an unfinished business" replied Austin.


    "Unfinished business you say, alright then tell me does it have everything to do with the tournament" asked the grand elder as he stroke his beard.


    "It is not honorable to fight an opponent who has been fighting for a long time and run out of spiritual energy, so we made a deal of fighting in two days which he didn''t show up which is why I came looking for him" reply Austin with a smile on his face.


    "He is inside so you can go see him but remember fighting is not allowed in my alchemy room" said the grand elder with a nod.


    "Thank you grand elder" reply Austin with a bow before going inside.


    Ever since the day Austin begins his training, this is the very first time that he has actually entered the alchemy room as he begins to observe the place when he sighted Jason reading at one corner. Making his way there, Austin slams his hand on the book of herbs to get his attention.


    Raising his head to take a look at who has disturbed him as he was ready to yell only to discover that it was Austin who had a frown on his face.


    "Hey Austin, what are you doing here" asked Jason in shock.


    "You still have the guts to ask what I am doing here" replied Austin as he yall at Jason.


    "I know I didn''t show up for our fight, I was really busy lately" said Jason with a sigh.


    "Yeah, I can see that you are really busy sitting here while reading books" replied Austin in anger.


    "There is more to this than just book" said Jason as he can''t tolerate Austin anymore.


    "I can see that you are taking this whole thing seriously being an alchemist" replied Austin in anger.


    "What if you let him know why you can''t fight him now and by the look of things, I think the both of you will be able to get the saliva of the horned leopard if you work together. But the problem is to get him to help you" suggested the bracelet.


    "You are a genius do you know that" said Jason to the bracelet before turning to face Austin.


    Looking at Austin who was angry, Jason couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he said.


    "I am sorry for not showing up at the appointed time, you see is not that I am taking all this seriously. The problem is with my mother who has been sick for a long time and I am thinking of finding a cure for her illness which is why I have been busy".


    Austin takes a look at Jason once more before taking a deep breath before taking a seat.


    "You should have told me earlier instead of keeping me waiting. So tell me, have you been making any progress" asked Austin after calming down.


    "Well I have found the cure to the illness" replied Jason as he let out a light.


    "Since you have already found the cure then what are you waiting for" asked Austin in curiosity as to why he has not let the grand elder make the pill which he will gladly do.


    "The problem is with a particular ingredient which will be needed in making the pill" replied Jason.


    "Is the ingredient a rare one or is the price too much for you to handle, just let me know and I will see what I can do" said Austin.


    "How wish the problem is with the price then I would have thought of a way but the thing is that the ingredient that is needed is the saliva of a horned leopard" reply Jason with a bitter smile.


    "Now I see why you can''t show up on the appointed time since it is really a challenging task you have to handle on your own so how about I go with you" said Austin.


    "Wait a second, this has nothing to do with you" said Jason as he tried to persuade Austin.


    "I know it has nothing to do with me but I will be missing a lot if I should skip this one out" replied Austin with a smile.


    "I guess nothing I said will be able to stop you from coming along" asked Jason.


    "How can I say no to such a challenge" replied Austin.


    "But you might lose your life there" said Jason in all seriousness.


    "Don''t worry about that, if worst comes to worst I will just have to make a run for it" replied Austin.

 Chapter 44 - Record Containing The Horned Leopard

    Jason couldn''t help but look at Austin in surprise that he willingly agreed to help him out without him persuading him.


    "You are quite different from the other kids who only know how to bully the weak" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You can''t compare me to those fools who spend their time playing around when they should be training, I heard my brother was banned from taking pills by the grand elder" replied Austin.


    "Yeah, they came here to look for trouble" said Jason.


    "So they broke the grand elder grand rule" replied Austin before adding.


    "So tell me when are we setting out".


    "I was thinking of making preparations before leaving but since you volunteered to lend me a hand, then we will have to set out tomorrow after informing the grand elder about the plan " replied Jason.


    "You are really naive if you think the grand elder will let us go to the beast territory after hearing what you have to say" said Austin with a light chuckle.


    "What are we going to tell him then" asked Jason.


    "You can leave that to me, I already have the perfect excuse for you to skip work but the thing is when are we going" replied Austin.


    "We can''t just match into the beast territory with nothing to no information about the horned leopard and where to find them" said Jason as he placed his hand on the chin to give it a massage.


    "Then I will be leaving for the family library to search for the horned leopard, I will be back in no time" comment Austin in anticipation as he rush out of the alchemy room.


    Watching Austin as he made his way out of the alchemy room, Jason was all smiles as he said to himself.


    "It won''t be long before you will be completely cured of your illness, but until then you have to hold on".


    "The way you are saying it makes it sound like it is going to be an easy task" replied the bracelet.


    "Of course it is going to be easy as long as we don''t go for the adult horned leopard" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You should pray to your god that you will be able to see a young horned leopard on its own" replied the bracelet as he busted Jason''s bubble.


    "What do you mean by that" asked Jason with a frown.


    "What I am trying to say is that it''s not easy meeting a young horned leopard that has come of age to go hunting on its own. Unless you are really lucky to come across one else it will be a difficult task for the both of you to complete since they will be protected by the adult horned leopards" reply the bracelet.


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier instead of waiting until now that we are about to set out" said Jason in anger.


    "That''s because I believe you will be able to find one in the beast territory" replied the bracelet.


    "Do you think it is easy moving in the beast territory without being detected for us to search the place for a young horned leopard" asked Jason in anger.


    "That is why you have me here, just like last time I am going to be your eye throughout the journey" reply the bracelet proudly.


    "Ain''t you ashamed when saying those words" said Jason.


    "Why should I be ashamed. Since I can''t fight alongside my master, then I will just be your eye and protect you from coming across powerful beasts while we search for the beast" reply the bracelet.


    While Jason was talking to the bracelet, Austin has already arrived at the family library as he went up to get the token that will grant him access inside before entering the library as he went in search of books that have to do with the beast''s territory. Flipping through books after books as he begins to look for the content that mentions horned leopard.


    "There seems to be no information about the horned here" complained Austin after going through server books before deciding to go ask the bookkeeper for some information.


    "Excuse me sir how may I be of help to you" said the bookkeeper when he saw the young name approaching him.


    "I am looking for the record containing the horned leopard" replied Austin.


    The bookkeeper nodded his head before gesturing for Austin to follow him as he left him to a part where the books that are stirred there are few and pick a book that is covered in dust.


    Getting rid of the dust, the bookkeeper passes it to Austin before going back to his post while leaving Austin behind.


    "Alright, time to search for the horned leopard" said Austin happily after taking his seat.


    It didn''t take him much time to locate the content that contained the horned leopard as he began to read through it before keeping back on its spot when he was done with it as he took his leave.


    Meanwhile, Jason was still contemplating if it is okay for them to go after hearing what the bracelet said when he heard the sound of footsteps from behind. Turning around to see who it was only for him to see Austin who had a smile on his face like someone who has completed an impossible task.


    "How was it, were you able to find anything about the horned leopard" asked Jason.


    "It was tiring but I still managed to find information containing them through the help of the bookkeeper" replied Austin.


    "Nice, so tell me about your discovery" said Jason.


    "There were not many records about them since they are rarely seen so our knowledge about the beast is very minimum" replied Austin.


    "As long as it is useful " said Jason.


    "It is recorded that the horned leopard is a beast that dwells in a location where the spiritual energy is high" said Austin.


    "So we have to search the areas with high spiritual energy" commented Jason.

 Chapter 45 - Dont You Get Tired Of Bullying The Weak

    "Yeah but it won''t be easy to locate the area with high spiritual energy without gaining the attention of the other beast" said Austin.


    "If we are careful enough and with my talent of smelling every beast out, we shouldn''t be getting into trouble" replied Jason with a smile as he tapped his nose.


    "You know that you don''t have any talent that can smell beast out, right, or did you hit your head while studying the book of herbs'' '' asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I don''t, it is just an excuse to get him not to ask many questions during the hurt but if you are not pleased with my excuse then I Will have to tell him of your existence" reply Jason.


    "Be my guess since you are the one that is going to be in danger" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Hey what are you thinking about this time" said Austin as he waved his hand in front of Jason.


    Coming back to his senses as he stared at Austin who was now standing in front of him with his hand in front of his face.


    "Eh, what are you doing" asked Jason in confusion as he held Austin''s hand in place.


    "Dude you just zoom out right after you told me that you are talented at smelling the beast out and I was getting worried" replied Austin as he took a deep breath before sitting down.


    "Oh I was just thinking of what is going to happen if the grand elder found out that we went there since he has already warned me not to go there" said Jason with a light smile.


    "Don''t worry man, there is no way he is going to find out if we don''t tell him about it. So tell me more about this talent of yours" replied Austin.


    "Well it is not actually a talent but rather it''s just a habit of mine after spending more time in the beast territory" said Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "Did you just say you have been to the beast territory before" asked Austin in shock.


    "Yeah, I usually go there to look for herbs for my mother''s treatment since we don''t have the money to purchase them from the market" replied Jason.


    "It must have been hard on you" said Austin with a sigh.


    "No, it is what makes me who I am right now" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I am glad I get to meet you Jason. Someone who is not afraid of death" said Austin after some time of silence between their two.


    ''What is going on in that big head of his'' thought Jason as he turned to look at Austin.


    "What did you want him to think after you lied to him? I can''t believe I am a slave to a scum" replied the bracelet.


    "Lying is the only way one can keep his head so you better learn to deal with it cause you will be seeing more" said Jason.


    After having a short chit-chat with the bracelet, Jason turned to Austin as he said to him.


    "Since we have everything planned out we will meet by the stream in the forest. We will move out when it gets dark since it will be the best time to move in the beast territory without worries".


    "It doesn''t make a difference to me since some beast will be more active at night" commented Austin.


    "One more thing Austin, in this mission to the beast territory, you will have to do whatever I say since I am the one that can smell them out to avoid any shortcoming" said Jason in all seriousness.


    "It is natural for you to take the lead so you don''t have to worry about it" replied Austin with a chuckle.


    "Aright, now that we have come to terms, you can go make preparation" said Jason.


    "I will but right after I have convinced the grand elder to let you off" replied Austin.


    "Oh, I forgot about that one. Please do your best to convince him" said Jason.


    "That is an easy job you know the grand elder will let you off once I told him that you asked me to spar with you" replied Austin with a warm smile on his face.


    "Really" asked Jason in shock.


    "Yeah, the grand elder might be obsessed with concocting pills but doesn''t ignore practice, there is no way he is going to let you waste your time here all day long while ignoring your training since your strength also plays a role in pill making" replied Austin.


    Just as they were talking, the grand elder was already at the entrance as he looked at the two talking happily before walking inside and that was when they noticed his arrival.


    "I never knew you would be able to make friends with Austin with that annoying mouth of yours" said the grand elder with a chuckle as he approached the two.


    "I find interest in him after watching him trashed Larry" replied Austin with a smile on his face.


    "In other words, it was his strength that drew your attention" asked the grand elder.


    "The strong will have a hard time sparring with the weak" reply Jason in short.


    The grand elder face couldn''t help but twitch as he turned to Jason and asked.


    "You still dare to call yourself strong even after being beaten throughout the fight".


    "I only allowed him to land those hits on me since I am training my body" replied Jason as he tried to keep his face.


    "Indeed you are training your body. So let me ask you this question, can you take a flick of the finger" said the grand elder as he raised his index finger for Jason to see.


    "Come on, don''t you get tired of bullying the weak" asked Jason as he took a step back.


    "If it were to be someone else I might, but it is a different case when it comes to you" replied the grand elder with a chuckle as he took a step forward.

 Chapter 46 - Sparring Session

    Taking a step back after the grand elder took his step, Jason couldn''t help but say.


    "I am done training my body grand elder, all I need now is a rest".


    "I think you need to train your body more if you want to have an indestructible body" replied the grand elder with a cunning smile on his face.


    When Jason heard his reply, all he could do was turn tail and run out of the alchemy room but before he could run far, the grand elder was already standing in front of him with a smile on his face. Stopping on the track, Jason was already on his stance.


    "Grand elder I won''t be able to hold myself back if things continue like this'' '' said Jason with all seriousness.


    "Haha, that is more like it kid" replied the grand elder with a chuckle.


    Meanwhile, Austin was all fired up when he saw Jason was about to take the grand elder on even though he knew he was no match for the grand elder.


    "Good thing I came today, else I won''t be able to experience this fight" muttered Austin to himself as he clenched his fist in excitement.


    Jason just stood there while looking at the grand elder as he waited for him to make his move. But to his surprise, the grand elder was just still with his hand behind his back with a prideful look on his face.


    "So are you going to stand there all day long or what" asked the grand elder.


    "I can''t believe that a respectable person like yourself would stand so low as to bully a child" replied Jason.


    The grand elder couldn''t help but laugh out loud after hearing Jason reply before saying.


    "This is not bullying instead it is a spar session between the both of us" said the grand elder.


    "Why don''t you go spar with your peers instead of bullying me and calling it sparring" said Jason.


    "Those old folks never had the time to spar" replied the grand elder.


    "Then why don''t you go to the family head or the elder for a spar since their realm is a lot higher than mine" said Jason.


    "They are busy as always. I know what you are worried about so how about I bring my realm down to the same realm as yours" asked the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "Be my guest but don''t get mad if I beat the hell out of you" replied Jason.


    "Haha, it seems like you are confident that you can land a hit on me" said the grand elder as he began to suppress his realm to the sixth layer of tempered body.


    Seeing that the grand elder realm has come down to the sixth layer of tempered body, Jason was all smiles as he said to himself.


    "I got this one in the bag".


    "You must be a fool if you think you will be able to land a hit on that old monster" said the bracelet.


    "Of course I am going to beat him to a poop since he has suppressed his realm to my level" reply Jason.


    "Just because he is in the same realm as you do not change a thing kid, with the experience he had it would be as easy as hitting the tree" said the bracelet.


    "You worry too much" replied Jason.


    Now looking at the grand elder who was stretching his body as he was preparing for the fight.


    "Now that I am in the same realm as you it is no longer a bully right" asked the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "Of course not grand elder but I can''t help but worry if you would be able to move that old body of yours after taking a beating" replied Jason.


    "That is it" said the grand in anger as he rushed at Jason.


    Taking a deep breath, as he awaited the grand elder to get close to him before throwing his fist at him but before he could hit the grand elder, he was already feeling pain on his back as he left to look at the grand elder who was in front of him in shock.


    "That''s impossible, you shouldn''t be able to hit on my back unless you cheated" said Jason as he stared at the grand elder.


    "You are still too young if you think that you could beat me" replied the grand elder as he thrust a punch at Jason who pulled back a little to avoid the punch but still he felt a stinging pain on his thigh.


    Looking at his thigh as he grits his teeth to endure the pain.


    "Ain''t you tired of cheating" said Jason in anger.


    "He is not cheating kid, you are just too slow to match his speed" warned the bracelet.


    Jason''s face had a change of expression when he heard the bracelet warning. And all of a sudden beads of sweat were already on his head and seeing the Change on Jason''s face, the grand elder couldn''t help but chuckle as he said.


    "I believe you must have discovered the secret behind my attacks. So tell me is it also cheating".


    "Just because you are faster than me doesn''t mean I won''t be able to hit you" replies Jason as he tries to motivate himself.


    "That is the spirit kid" said the grand elder before going for another attack.


    Austin''s focus was all in the match as he didn''t want to miss anything and at the same time couldn''t help but feel amazed by the grand elder performance after bringing his realm down.


    "I guess I will have to plead with the grand elder to have a spar with me also" said Austin with a smile on his face.


    Taking hit after another, Jason was still not able to counter the grand elder attack as he continued to be on the defensive side since it was the least he could do.

 Chapter 47 - Sneaky Old Fox

    "What is the problem kid, I thought you are going to beat the living hell out of me" said the grand elder as he continues to punch Jason.


    "How wish you were at the same age as me. It would have been an easy thing for me to do" reply Jason as he took a step.


    "Oh, I see that there is no end to your excuses" said the grand elder as he sent a kick at Jason which he easily blocked with his arms but felt a pain in his thigh once again.


    Moving back as he created space between the two of them, Jason couldn''t help but place his hand on his thigh as he tried to endure the pain.


    "What is with that attack of yours" asked Jason with gritted teeth.


    "You like it" replied the grand elder with a question as he took a step forward.


    "Who would want such a sneaky attack" said Jason.


    "Everyone will be willing to give their all to get such an attack since your enemies won''t be able to predict where you are going to strike" replied the grand elder with a smirk.


    "He is right kid, as long as you can have such skill you shouldn''t have a problem watching over yourself" comment the bracelet.


    Looking at the two as they stop to have a chat, Austin was regretting why he is not the one fighting with the grand elder.


    "So do you want to learn the technique or not" asked the grand elder when he saw Jason going silent.


    "I will have to think about it" replied Jason as he let go of his thigh.


    "Suit yourself but don''t think the sparring session is over" said the grand elder.


    "What I thought we are done with that" asked Jason in fright as he took a step back.


    "Did you hear me saying we are done, we were only taking a break" replied the grand elder with a chuckle as he pushed himself forward towards Jason.


    "You old fox" yelled Jason as he threw a punch towards the grand elder.


    Not bothering to waste more words with Jason, the grand elder also punched out as his fist and Jason''s fist collided with the sound of broken bones before they took a step back as they stared at each other.


    "I am impressed that you were able to hold on until now, it''s such a shame that you lack the experience" said the grand elder as he began to crack his hand.


    Looking at the grand elder with a painful expression on his face with his right hand lowered, Jason took a deep breath as he tried to endure the pain.


    "That is, I am not fighting you anymore" replied Jason.


    "Haha, I knew you were going to say that. Anyway I have already had my fun thanks for the fight" said the grand elder with a short laugh.


    "Why won''t you have your fun when the fight was a one-sided fight" replied Jason with a frown.


    "I can see that you are in pain, come let me take a look at your hand" said the grand elder as he waved his hand at Jason gesturing for him to come forward.


    Now that the fight is over Jason didn''t hesitate to meet the grand elder as he raised his hand gently for the grand elder to take a look. Austin went forward to see what was happening only to see Jason''s right-hand bend to the side.


    "That''s going to be really painful" said Austin as he continues to look at the hand with the grand elder taking a look.


    "Lucky for you, you have not been slacking in your training else I won''t be able to treat you" said the grand elder as he let go of the hand.


    After letting go of the hand, Jason didn''t bother to support the hand as he looked at the grand elder who was just stroking his beards.


    "Grand elder since you have a solution to it, why don''t you treat me right away" said Jason.


    "I would have treated you right away but I remembered you saying that you are going to beat the living hell out of me until I won''t be able to walk, so how do you feel to be beaten with a broken hand" replied the grand elder as he couldn''t hold his laughter back.


    "But I was only playing with you since it is not easy to have a spar with a figure like you" said Jason as he began to bootlick the grand elder.


    "You were only joking early you say, cause I find it hard to believe with the look in your eyes, I knew you were going to do something terrible to me but unfortunately for you I am stronger" replied the grand elder proudly.


    ''Who would have thought that the grand elder is this playfully'' thought Austin as he turned to look at the grand elder.


    "Come on grand elder I am in pain right now" pleaded Jason as he can''t endure the pain anymore.


    Letting out a sigh, the grand elder took his hand as he twisted it to the side before pulling it forward, and with it came a cracking sound. After he was done, the grand elder let go of his hand as he said to Jason.


    "You need to work more on your offenses, the way you attack is kind of reckless as you are left with many openings".


    "That is what we are trying to work on grand elder, you see the reason why I came looking for Jason was because he asked me to spar with him" replied Austin with a serious look on his face.


    "I see you, so when did you plan to begin with his training" asked the grand elder.


    "We planned to begin tomorrow right after telling you" replied Austin.


    "Then you can take the days off but I want some result" said the grand elder with a cunning smile.

 Chapter 48 - Back To The Beast Territory

    When Jason heard the grand elder saying he needed results he couldn''t help but shiver as his eye came in contact with the grand elder''s eye.


    ''What could he be thinking now'' thought Jason.


    "Since you don''t have anything doing right now, why don''t you go home and recover the energy you have used since tomorrow is going to be a rough day for you" said the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "Thank you grand elder" replied Jason with a bow.


    "It''s nothing, here you can use it to heal those wounds of yours" said the grand elder as he passed three pills to Jason.


    Jason greeted the grand elder once more before going inside the alchemy room to get the book of herbs as he took his leave.


    After Austin and Jason had left the place, the grand elder couldn''t help but chuckled as he said to himself.


    "They still dare to lie to me, let''s see if they would be able to find the horned leopard without getting attacked by the other beasts".


    After leaving the alchemy room, Jason and Austin didn''t talk much before going their separate ways to avoid being heard by the grand elder. Getting home, Jason told his mother that he will be out training in the woods which she didn''t disapprove of except for Hannah who was upset that she won''t be seeing her big brother for a while.


    "Don''t worry I won''t be staying in the woods for long okay" said Jason as he stroked her hair playfully.


    "I know that is what you are going to say, don''t you think you are overworking yourself" asks Hannah who was already on the verge of crying.


    "If I don''t work hard. Then we won''t be able to survive staying here for long and let''s not forget about our mother''s condition" reply Jason.


    "You have changed a lot big brother, ever since you won the tournament you no longer had the time to play me" said Hannah with a sad face.


    "That was because I was busy. Okay I promise to spend more time with you when I am done with my training" replied Jason as he began to play with her hair.


    "You promised" asked Hannah as she wiped the tears off her eyes.


    "Yes I promise" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Okay since you have already promised I will let you go this time" said Hannah happily.


    After they were done for the day, they all went to bed and in the morning Jason began with cultivating heaven''s law and now he was starting to feel the energy in the earth unlike when he started cultivating it. When he was done cultivating heaven''s law, he went to practice the phantom kick and the iron fist and some basic fighting skills in the space within the bracelet.


    Later when it was getting dark, Jason went into the woods as he headed to the stream where he began to search for Austin as he was unable to find him.


    "I can''t believe he is not here yet" said Jason in annoyance as he was not able to find Austin.


    "Maybe he is still making preparations since it is not going to be an easy task to walk around in the beast territory" replied the bracelet.


    "That is not enough reason for him to be late" said Jason.


    As they were talking, the stream began to produce some ripple and Jason turned to the stream to take a look at what was causing the ripple only for Austin to jump out of the stream as he scared the living hell out of Jason.


    "It took you long enough to get here so I decided to do some training" said Austin with a laugh after he had landed.


    "Don''t you do that again alright" replied Jason as he patted his chest.


    "Sorry, I didn''t know you would be so frightened," said Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Who told you that I was frightened, I almost knocked your head off man" replied Jason with a frown on his face.


    "I heard you okay, I won''t be doing it again" replied Austin with a laugh.


    "I can''t believe you were actually scared out of your wit" said the bracelet in a mockery tone.


    "He almost killed me right there but thanks to the heavens that I didn''t let it show otherwise my image would have been ruined" replied Jason to the bracelet.


    After getting dressed up, Austin places his sword on the scabbard before turning to Jason who was just looking at the stream.


    "So when are we leaving for the beast territory".


    "Right about now, I hope you are ready for what is about to happen once we step foot in it" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Every warrior is born ready. I couldn''t get the thought of going into the beast territory out of my head since this will be my first time" said Austin with a chuckle.


    "I see, well be glad that you met me else you wouldn''t have been opportune to step foot on that filthy land" replied Jason proudly.


    Not wasting much time speaking to Jason as he was beginning to understand the kind of person he is. Making their way to the beast''s territory, the two of them failed to notice a shadow that was tailing them from behind.


    After walking out of the fox territory, Austin stopped on the track as he turned back to look at his behind.


    "You still have the chance to go back if you are scared of dying" said Jason who also came to stop when he noticed Austin was not walking.


    "I never planned on turning my back now, I was only looking at the land on which I was raised," replied Austin as he turned back as he began to walk forward.


    Nodding his head in response to Austin''s response, Jason also follows suit as they make their way into the beast''s territory.

 Chapter 49 - Finding The Horned Leopard

    After they went into the beast territory, a shadow suddenly descended from a tree not too far from the beast territory as it turned out to be the grand elder who had a walking stick on his hand for support.


    "I can''t believe they actually went inside, anyways this means there will be more interesting scenes for me to watch" said the grand elder with a smile on his face as begin to walk slowly into the beast''s territory.


    After they stepped into the beast territory, Austin was cautious of his environment as he began to walk light to avoid waking up those beasts that were already sleeping.


    "Don''t you think it is time you used that talent of yours Jason" asked Austin in a whisper to Jason who seemed to be walking at a slow pace as him.


    "There seems to be no beast in this part of the forest" replied Jason as he whispered back to Austin.


    "If there is none, then why are you walking slowly" asked Austin in doubt.


    "That''s because like you, I am being careful not to create any disturbance. Can we continue with our advancement and stop talking for now" reply Jason as he takes the lead forward.


    The two continue with their search for a long time while avoiding beasts from all sides and it comes to the point where Jason does not need to say a thing before Austin will get the idea that a beast is nearby. While they were searching, the grand elder who was watching over them was awestruck by Jason''s performance so far.


    "That kid could actually navigate through the beast territory without running into any beast, if they continue in this way then they won''t be needing my help" mutters the grand elder with a smile on his face as he continues to watch them.


    Searching for the area with dense spiritual energy wasn''t an easy task for the two and Austin was beginning to lose hope of them finding the horned leopard for it is not certain that they will find the horned leopard there. After searching for a while with the sun already coming out and they were yet to find the area with dense spiritual energy, Austin suddenly dropped to the ground.


    "What the hell are you doing Austin, come on we need to keep on searching before the sun rises" said Jason as he turned to look at Austin.


    "What is the need of worrying about the sun rising since the result is the same and let us not forget that you will be able to catch their scent if they are close so let me rest a bit" replied Austin as he refused to get up.


    "It will be difficult for us to avoid being seen even with my talent so I advise we keep on moving" said Jason as he tries to persuade Austin.


    "This is a waste of our time you know, there is no way we will be able to locate the horned leopard if we can''t find an area that is filled with spiritual energy" replied Austin.


    "I know it is not easy to find a place that''s filled with spiritual energy but we can''t give up now, not after coming this far" said Jason.


    "It''s not like I have given up but there is no way I will be able to make improvements in my cultivation path if things continue like this. I need to get into some action man" replied Austin with a clenched fist.


    "There are a lot of beasts here so you can go entertain yourself but don''t drag me along with you" said Jason after hearing Austin''s statement.


    "Come on man, I would be dead if I tried attacking a beast now that I am not in my playground" replied Austin.


    "Good, since you know this is not your hunting field, then hold yourself from striking a beast cause I won''t be helping you out" said Jason as he continued to walk forward while leaving Austin behind.


    Seeing that Jason is leaving him behind which smells trouble for him since he can''t tell if a beast is nearby, Austin quickly got up as he ran up to Jason who was so focused on finding the horned leopard.


    "Hey since we have been here in the beast territory, the only thing you have helped with so far was saving us from danger. Can''t you at least locate the area with high spiritual energy" Jason began to ask for the bracelet.


    "I didn''t want to say this earlier but since you asked I will give you a hint. Why don''t you try locating the area you seek using the heaven''s law technique" replied the bracelet.


    "But you know I haven''t gotten to the stage where I can feel the energy on the earth" said Jason.


    "You don''t need to feel the energy, all you need to do is find the place with dense energy and that is all" replied the bracelet.


    After getting a hint from the bracelet, Jason turns to Austin as he said.


    "There is something I want to try which would help locate the horned leopard but I will need you to protect me for a while".


    "You don''t need to ask Jason, go on ahead and give it a try. I will do my best to protect you from harm" assured Austin.


    With a nod of his head, Jason went into a sitting position as he began to cultivate heaven''s law. And watching from afar, the grand elder couldn''t help but wonder what the kids are up to and decided to take some steps forward to have a better view of what is happening.


    The spiritual energy in the area began to surge toward Jason as he was being baked in spiritual energy and both Jason and the grand elder could see the phenomenon that was happening in front of their eyes.


    "How is he able to absorb that much energy" said the grand elder in shock once more and was just about to go meet up with them but that was when Jason''s voice could be heard and he decided to stay back and watch things unfold.


    "I found an area with dense spiritual energy north from here" said Jason with a smile.

 Chapter 50 - Pill Making

    Walking forward as he begin to lead the way forward with Austin following from behind with a confused expression on his face while the grand elder was following them from a far distance as he don''t want them to notice his movement.


    "Hey slow down will you, with the way you are hurrying now it won''t be long before we are found out" said Austin.


    "Don''t worry, I didn''t forget to keep watch over our surroundings" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "So how far is the determination from here and how sure are you that wrong are going the right way or is this one of your talents to" asked Austin.


    "It''s a secret and yes I am certain that we are going the right way but I can''t say if we are close or far from it" replied Jason before adding.


    "Haven''t you noticed that the number of beasts we have avoided is reducing".


    "You mean it is likely for us to come in contact with a horned leopard" asked Austin understanding the meaning behind Jason''s words.


    Jason nodded his head in response to Austin as he continue to focus his attention on locating the location with dense spiritual energy and after walking for about 30minutes, they finally reach their destination which was devoided of any beast and Jason was beginning to doubt that they would be able to find any horned leopard here.


    "According to the record I found in the library, the area where the horned leopard can be found are devoided of any beast like this with high spiritual energy concentrated there but the problem now is where are the horn leopard" asked Austin as he took a step forward.


    "Hey Austin be careful, we can''t just walk around aimlessly" said Jason as he warned Austin.


    "I know, looks like I was all fired up for nothing" replied Austin with a sigh.


    Looking at the frustrated look on their face, the grand elder couldn''t help but chuckled as he mutter to himself.


    "You think it is going to be easy finding the horned leopard".


    "Hey, why don''t we go look somewhere else" suggested Austin.


    "You know how hard it was for us to locate this place and by the look of things it is safer here compared to out there, so let''s wait here a little longer and see if it will show itself here" replied Jason.


    "I guess that can also work" said Austin.


    Jason and Austin were already discouraged and were just about to search somewhere else but before they could move, the ground tremble and they lay low on the ground while using the grass as a cover. Turning to the angle where the sound was more intense only to see a young leopard with little horns growing on its head.


    "Hey buddy isn''t that the horned leopard we have been searching for" asked Austin in excitement.


    "It sure is a leopard with horns but the problem now is if we can take it on" replied Jason.


    "Of course we can take it on if we work together" said Austin who has full confidence in himself.


    "I think we should analyze the situation first before taking action" Replied Jason before turning to the bracelet.


    "Do you think we can take it on".


    "With the length which its horns have grown to, it shows that it is still in the early stage of the foundation realm, so you two can take it on but you will have to watch out for the horns, they have the effect of paralyzing any living thing they struck " replied the bracelet.


    Turning back to Austin with a smile on his face, Jason begins to explain things to Austin.


    "It seems like the horned leopard before us is at the early stage of the foundation realm so we should be able to beat it if we work together but we will have to watch the horns, according to what I heard about the horned leopard, the horns has a paralyzing effect so we will have to avoid getting hit at all cost cause if we don''t it will be over".


    "There is no way I am going to let that beast hit me with that horn" comment Austin as he was getting ready to attack the beast.


    "Calm down will you, the only way we can take that beast down is to gain the upper hand, and since it is not aware of our presence, I say we sneak up on it to deliver a deadly blow" said Jason as he pulled Austin back.


    "That is not really manly to do, only cowards attack that way" replied Austin with a frown.


    "As long as we can beat it down then I don''t mind being a coward" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "Well if you say so then I will have to comply" said Austin with a sigh before adding.


    "Then again, how do you plan to make the saliva into a pill".


    "Well, I will have to bring it up to the grand elder to make the pill for me" replied Jason.


    "And you think he will be happy to make the pill for you" asked Austin with a light chuckle.


    "Of course he will since it has to do with pill making, he will gladly accept" replied Jason.


    "What does that Austin mean when he said those words. I think it is time for me to treat these kids with an iron fist" mutter the grand elder to himself as he continues to watch the two.


    After getting the answer to his question, Jason and Austin begin to crawl towards the young leopard who seen to be drinking water by a little lake. Getting in position, they both nodded at each other before jumping out of their hiding as they swing their sword at the horned leopard which lifted its head and was just about to defend itself but was too late as the sword slashes at its limbs.


    "Looks like things are about to get interesting" said the grand elder with a smile.

 Chapter 51 - Going All Out

    The cut was able to leave a cut on the limb of the horned leopard but it was not deep enough. Taking a jump back with a roar the horned leopard stares at Jason and Austin in fury before leaping forward towards Jason who quickly rolls to the side to avoid being caught by the grip of the horned leopard.


    The horned leopard had yet to balance itself when Austin came slashing at the horned leopard before distancing himself again.


    "This seems more fun than fighting with Larry and the rest" said Austin with a short laugh as he swung his sword around.


    "I see that you are enjoying yourself" comment Jason as he got up from the grass.


    "Of course I am but it will be more interesting if we play a little game here" said Austin with a smile.


    "What do you have in mind" asked Jason as he went to confront the beast.


    "How about this, the person to land the killing blow will have to pick when that duel between us will begin" said Austin.


    "I accept but I hope you won''t go back on your words in case I win" said Jason.


    "You are the one who has broken a promise once so I should be the one to ask you that question" replied Austin with a frown.


    "Let''s just forget about that and deal with the beast alright" said Jason with an awkward laugh.


    Pointing his sword at the horned leopard, Austin suddenly charged at the horned leopard as he begin to yell before swinging the sword at the horned leopard seeing the threat before him, the horned leopard bow his head slightly as it pointed the horned at the incoming sword which made a dull sound as Austin''s hand went numb due to the force from the horn.


    "Looks like you are outmatched by the horned leopard" said Jason with a chuckle as he charged in to attack the horned leopard but before he could get close enough, the horned leopard took him by surprise as it leaped at him and bare its fangs at him. Placing his sword in front of him to shield himself from the beast in which his sword broke into two.


    Taking a step back as he threw the other part of the sword beast which was easily evaded by the horned leopard.


    "I think his horn is not the only thing we need to watch out for" said Austin with a frown as he focused his gaze on the beast.


    "Yeah, it is not only fast but also has a powerful fang" replied Jason.


    "How do you plan to fight now that you are not armed" asked Austin.


    "That is what you get for depending on external force" replied Jason as he began to crack his fist.


    Meanwhile, the grand elder was watching them as he was not intending to give them a helping hand unless they were in danger.


    Seeing that Jason was planning to battle with his fist, he chuckled before rushing forward to battle and this time he was cautious not to strike the horned since it would only put him at a disadvantage. The horned leopard didn''t care for its life as it just charged at Austin. Moving to the side as he kick the beast at the abdomen before rolling to the side with Jason coming from behind as he delivered a powerful iron fist on the back of the beast as it was sent flying into the far distance.


    Letting out a sigh of relief as he straightened his back to look at Austin who was still laying on the ground.


    "Looks like I won the bet" said Jason with a smile.


    "I wish it was that easy to beat a beast this powerful" replied Austin as he got up from the ground.


    "That punch was not an ordinary one so stop thinking that it will be able to survive" said Jason still keeping the smile on his face but it all changes into a frown when he saw the horned leopard coming towards them steadily.


    "See, I told you it won''t be easy to take it down. so the bet is still on" said Austin with a chuckle.


    "Both that is impossible, it should have been dead by now" replied Jason in doubt.


    "You can''t compare a beast to humans since their defense is way higher than that of a human and do not forget that it is a realm ahead of you" said the bracelet as he begin to explain things to him.


    "So how are we supposed to beat it if we can''t injury it" asked Jason in frustration.


    "Just keep on attacking it, maybe you will be able to get it down" replied the bracelet.


    "You trick me you bastard" Jason curse at the bracelet.


    "Hey as long as you apply more power to your iron fist with Austin attacking with his greatest move, you should be able to take it down " replied the bracelet as he tries to calm Jason down.


    "Lookout" yelled Austin as he pushed Jason out of the way and letting the horned leopard bear its fangs in thin air.


    Jason was shocked as he turned to look at where he was standing previously before looking at Austin who was laying beside him.


    "Try to always focus on your fight, you would have lost your life if I was a little bit slow" said Austin as he stood up from the ground while pulling Jason up.


    "Yeah and thanks for the save" reply Jason.


    The grand elder let out a sigh as he mutter to himself.


    "Go thing they came together else I would have lost my apprentice. I will have to lecture him more when we get back".


    "It seems like taking this beast down won''t be an easy thing to do" said Austin as he turned to look at the beast.


    "We will have to go all out if we ever want to kill it" replied Jason with a frown.

 Chapter 53 - The Clash

    Taking his stance as he waited for the horned leopard to make the first move since it will make things easy for him.


    "You know just because it is in the berserk stage does not mean it will be any weaker than it used to be, instead it will be stronger" said the bracelet.


    "I don''t care if it becomes a god, I just want to hold it back until Austin has fully recovered from the injuries he sustained from that attack" replied Jason.


    "As long as you can avoid being hit, then you will be able to hold it back but we both know that will not be possible since it is more faster than you" said the bracelet.


    Seeing that the human is not making a move, the horned leopard pushes forward at great speed at Jason who takes a step back before throwing his fist forward to clash with the beast as they exchange blows. Pulling back after the exchange, Jason turned to take a look at his hand only to see there wounds which were flowing with his blood.


    Gritting his teeth as he rushed forward to meet up with the beast before it would strike since he now knows that he is at disadvantage. Throwing his fist forward and the beast also slash it''s claws at him and seeing this scene, the grand elder couldn''t help but shake his head in disappointment as he muttered to himself.


    "You have already tried that and you saw the end result yet you are making the same move. Will it kill you if you tried using another approach".


    The grand elder was just complaining but suddenly went silent when he saw the fist that Jason threw earlier slightly moved to the side with Jason moving his left leg as he kicked the horned leopard away.


    "What isn''t that the same move he used to make the horned leopard go berserk, how come he was able to do the same trick with his leg" said the grand elder as he focused his gaze on him.


    Meanwhile, Jason was trying to catch his breath after sending the beast flying.


    "Good thing I learned how to move the spiritual energy in my body while being occupied with something else. I wouldn''t have the guts to pull that trick" said Jason to himself with a smile on his face.


    "Well, at least you now have the time to plan things out before the horned leopard gets back on its feet" suggested the bracelet.


    "Instead of waiting for it to catch its breath and come here to tear me to shreds, I am going to beat the living hell out of it" said Jason angrily before taking off as he begins to follow the trail that the horned leopard left behind.


    After searching for a little while Jason found the beast standing with an exhausted look on its face as saliva continued to flow from its mouth. And seeing the saliva coming out of the mouth of the horned leopard, Jason couldn''t help but yell with his finger pointing out the beast.


    "Here I am risking my life to get that nasty saliva of yours and you are busy wasting it".


    "You know that it can''t understand the words you are saying right" asked the bracelet.


    "Who cares if it can or not. I am going to slaughter that stupid leopard right now" replied Jason as he rush at the horned leopard.


    Seeing the human coming out of it, the horned leopard begin to roar as it manage to get on its four legs and turn tail to run but before it could Austin has already intercept it as he gave it a powerful slash at the neck and the horned leopard falls lifelessly on the ground dead.


    "Sorry for the delay" said Austin as he bent down to pick the head of the horned leopard.


    "You bastard, how could you steal my kill. Did you know the price I have to pay in order to weaken it" replied Jason angrily.


    "Calm down man, I only decided to make the move when I saw it running away" said Austin as he tries to get Jason to calm down.


    "You could have just turned a blind eye and let it run away" replied Jason.


    "That would have made things difficult for us since the other beast will get involved" said Austin.


    "Like they are not going to get involved anyway" replied Jason.


    "Hey, man ain''t you happy that we got what we came for" asked Austin as he raised the head of the beast for Jason to see.


    "Do I look happy to you" replied Jason.


    Austin became irritated by the way Jason was acting and threw the head on the floor as he looked Jason in the eyes and said.


    "Since you are not happy about it, why don''t we settle this in a fight".


    "I was just about to suggest the same thing" replied Jason as he took a step forward until he was standing toe to toe with Austin as he also looked him straight in the face.


    "Eh, why don''t you let this one slip for now and extract the saliva before the other beast notices us" said the bracelet.


    "That can wait until we are done settling our business" replied Jason.


    "So do you want to go now" asked Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Make your move" replied Jason as he also smiled at him.


    "You know this is a better place for people of the like of us to battle" said Austin.


    "Yeah right, it''s a good place to lay your dead body for the beast to feed on" reply Jason.


    "You are looking to die kid and I don''t mind giving you a hand on that" said Austin as the smile he had on his face turned to an angry frown.


    "If you think you are good enough to make my wish come through then be my guest" said Jason.

 Chapter 55 - Punishment

    Right after the grand elder stored the body of the horned leopard away, Jason couldn''t help himself as he turned to look at the grand elder in surprise but didn''t bother to say anything about it since the time is not yet appropriate. Seeing the shocking look on his face, the grand elder chuckled as he said.


    "Are you wondering where the beast is".


    "Of course I am but seeing that you are the one who is behind it, then there is no need for me to ask" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Haha, I like the way you think boy, come on let''s get out of here. I will fill you in when we get back" said the grand elder before leading the way while Jason and Austin follow behind.


    Leaving the beast''s territory was not a big deal for them since the grand elder was with them. Whenever they were attacked by a beast it will either be the grand elder sending the beast away with his energy wave or the beast will just run away out of fright.


    After walking out of the beast territory, they make their way to the family territory where the grand elder halts his step and both Jason and Austin did the same as they were confused why the grand elder suddenly stopped walking.


    "Is something the matter grand elder" asked Jason.


    "Yeah, I have been wondering how you guys were able to make it this far into the beast territory without being attacked by the beast" replied the grand elder as he turned to look at Jason and Austin.


    "It''s all thanks to Jason''s talent to sniff out the whereabouts of beasts that are getting close to where we are hiding" said Austin with a smile.


    "What talent are you talking about" asked the grand elder with a confused look on his face.


    "You see ever since I have been going to the beast territory to look for herbs, I have I grown to the fact that I could tell if a beast is closed by"


    The grand elder just stared at Jason for a long time without saying a word and was feeling uncomfortable about it until the grand elder finally looked away before saying.


    "I hope you are not lying to me".


    "I am not that bold to lie to you and by the way, you would have found out immediately if I were telling lies" replied Jason as he looked the grand elder in the eyes without blinking but deep inside he was praising the heavens for not being seen through.


    "We will talk about your punishment for leaving the family territory when we get back to the alchemy room" said the grand elder.


    "Is there still a need for that since we made it back alive" asked Jason.


    "You wouldn''t be saying this if you were to die there and besides how are you going to learn to abide by the rules if you don''t get punished" replied the grand elder.


    "I am ready to accept any punishment for I know I have broken the rules" said Austin with a lower head.


    "You can''t just give up like that, I thought you are a strong-headed person" replied Jason as he persuade Austin not to give up.


    "What is the need of arguing when you know you are in the wrong" said Austin.


    "Fine, I guess I would have taken on the mission by myself" replied Jason with a frown.


    "Then you would have been dead by now and even your body would have been eaten by the beast" commented the grand elder with a laugh.


    "I won''t bet on that if I were you, didn''t you see how I was able to beat the beast on my own without Austin helping out" said Jason feeling proud of himself.


    "Yeah I saw everything and the only reason you were able to wound the beast was that it was busy fighting Austin and ignored your existence" replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    "I can still beat it on my own alright" said Jason.


    "You wouldn''t have lasted more than an hour if went alone" replied the grand elder seriously.


    Not waiting for Jason to say anything more, the grand elder begin to walk and it didn''t take them long enough to get to the alchemy room where the grand elder took his sitter as he stare at the boys before him.


    "Alright then, since we are home I am going to decide what your punishment is going to be. Austin your punishment is going to be working here as my servant for a year" said the grand elder.


    "But grand elder I beg you to pick something else for me, working here won''t do me any good" replied Austin as he knees down immediately and begin to beg the grand elder.


    "I thought you said you are willing to face any punishment so why are you on your knees begging" said Jason as he look at Austin in disdain.


    "Do you think it is easy to stay here doing nothing order than watching a pill take form" replies Austin as he glare at Jason angrily.


    "That is where you are wrong, you see staying here while watching the grand elder concoct pills has it benefit like you get to learn about different things which the won''t be taught to you and let''s not forget the eh how about i we talk about that later" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "That last statement, what is it come tell me Jason" asked Austin as he guests it might be the most important thing about the place.


    "We will talk about that another time" replied Jason as he signal Austin with his eyes.


    Understanding why he couldn''t say the other part, Austin nodded his head as he turned back to face the grand elder before saying.


    "I accepted my punishment but I would like the grand elder to pardon me until I have broken through before resuming my duty".


    "I am sorry to say but I won''t allow that beside it will be safer for you to it here while I keep watch over you" replied the grand elder without any change in his expression.


    "If you say so then who am I to decline" said Austin as he finally submitted.


    Seeing that Austin has already accepted his punishment even though it was hard for him, the grand elder nodded before turning to look at Jason who has a smile on his face but quickly change to a sad look when he noticed the grand elder''s gaze.


    "As for you, your punishment is going to be a sparring session with me for three months" said the grand elder with a wide smile on his face.


    Hearing the punishment the grand elder just mentioned killed the joy he had as he turned to the grand elder before turning to look at Austin who has an envy look on his face.


    ''Why are you looking at me like that, do you think I wanted this'' thought, Jason, to himself before looking at the grand elder as he asked.


    "Grand elder I think that punishment is too much for me, why don''t you punish me with something else".


    "No, I think this punishment is more fitting for you since I can''t think of anything else" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "Why don''t you just beat me up instead of using sparring session as an excuse" said Jason with a tearful eye.


    "Hey bro I thought you were acting tough not quite long so why the sudden face" asked Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Shut up will you, you can spar with this old man if you want but I am not ready to be beaten into a pig" replied Jason as he yelled at Austin.


    "As much as I want to but unfortunately for me, my punishment has to be this" said Austin with a sigh.


    "You must be really crazy to have the thought of sparring with the grand elder" replied Jason with a shocking look on his face.


    "Yeah I am crazy if that is what it will take for me to have just one sparring session with the grand elder then I am willing to" said Austin with a saddened face.


    "If you want a sparring session with me then I will gladly grant you as long as you work here" replied the grand elder seriously.


    "As long as it is what it takes then I am willing to work for you" said Austin happy with a bow.


    Seeing Austin this way really makes Jason happy as he can request for another punishment now.


    "Well you now have a new sparring partner so can you change my punishment please" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "As I said before, you are going to have a sparring session with me and if you were to break any rule then you know what I am going to do" replied the grand elder with a serious look which makes it know that he meant what he said.

 Chapter 57 - The Defeated Blacksmith

    Seeing the way he is being looked at by a kid who he knows nothing of, the blacksmith was all frown as he raised his head to look at the kid only to notice that he was holding his laughter in.


    "I can see that you are really enjoying yourself boy" said the dwarf as he still maintained the frown on his face.


    "Sorry about that, it''s not what you think" replied Jason with a cleared throat.


    "I don''t care to know what it is except the fact that you are standing here without permission, tell me boy don''t you know how to knock" asked the dwarf.


    "Well you can''t blame me for coming in unannounced but I did knock on the door but there was no response which is why I decided to come in" reply Jason.


    "There was no response and you decided to come in because you are the owner of the shop" said the dwarf.


    "Can we stop talking about minor stuff and talk about business" reply Jason in anger.


    "Business you say eh, it seems like my hands have gone numb from hammering earlier so I don''t think I will be able to help you with whatever you want me to make" said the dwarf.


    "Okay then I will stop by tomorrow with the item" replied Jason.


    "You don''t get it do you, you are no longer welcome here kid" said the dwarf with a smile on his face.


    Jason was short of words when he heard the dwarf telling him to get out of the shop.


    "Wait a minute, are you doing this just because of the little misunderstanding we had" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "You can call it whatever you want because I don''t care" replied the dwarf.


    With a sigh, Jason shook his head in disappointment as he turned away and began to walk to the door with the dwarf standing in place to watch him leave.


    "This will teach you to mind the way you speak here to your elders" said the dwarf for Jason to hear.


    Opening the door as he was about to leave, Jason suddenly turned to face the dwarf with a sad look on his face as he said.


    "I wonder what the grand elder has to say about you rejecting his offer".


    When the dwarf heard that the young man that he had chased out of the shop was sent by the grand elder, he became frightened as he called up to Jason before he could walk out of the shop.


    "Wait up kid, let''s talk things through".


    "What is there for us to talk about, you already said you don''t want me to come here again" replied Jason with all seriousness.


    "That was not what I meant when I said I won''t be doing it" said the dwarf almost in tears.


    "Then what did you mean when you say I am no longer welcome here" asked Jason with a frown.


    "What I am trying to say is that you are free to visit at any time" replied the dwarf with tearful eyes.


    "Meaning you are not going to charge me for the forging right" asked Jason with a smile.


    "That is out of the question kid, if I were to forge a weapon for you without any payment then you won''t be able to call it a weapon" replied the dwarf.


    "Whatever, I will pardon you Just this once but if you were to do such a thing next time, the grand elder will be informed and I promise to make things worse for you" said Jason.


    "Now you are threatening me kid, is this how you want to treat a new friend" asked the dwarf.


    "So now we are friends'' '' said Jason as he raised one eyebrow to look at the dwarf.


    "Of course we are friends, come let me have a look at the material you want me to work on" replied the dwarf with a friendly smile on his face.


    Nodding his head in satisfaction, Jason closed the door behind him as he went back to stand by a bench where he placed the bone of the horned leopard down for the dwarf to see. Looking at the bones in front of him, the dwarf was stunned as he began to rub his hand over the bone as he said.


    "This is good material you have with you kid, tell me what beast did you get this from".


    "You are looking at the bones of a horned leopard" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I see no wonder it is filled with energy, what a minute kid, what beast did you just say own these bones" asked the dwarf who was already complimenting the bone until he heard Jason calling the name of the beast.


    "It belongs to the horn leopard, what is the problem?" replied Jason who later became scared of the look the dwarf had on his face.


    "Nothing, I am completely fine, it is just that I am surprised you are able to get your hand on the remains of the horned leopard" said the dwarf as he began to access the bones.


    "Actually I killed it myself " replied Jason with a satisfied look on his face.


    "Don''t make me laugh kid, if you tell me the grand elder did I will understand not a kid like who can''t even hold a knife" said the dwarf as he gave Jason a stare.


    "I knew you won''t believe me even if you saw it happen before your very own eyes" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "You got that right kiddo" said the dwarf with a laugh.


    "Do you think you will be able to make a fine weapon out of this bone" asked Jason.


    "As long as the required materials are available, there is nothing I can''t forge so tell me kid what weapon do you want me to make for you" replies the dwarf in full confidence.


    "Will it be possible for you to make a staff out of it" asked Jason.


    The dwarf was stunned by Jason''s question as he turned to give him a look before replying.


    "It will be an easy task for me to make a staff but don''t you think that will be a waste of fine material".


    "What do you mean by that" asked Jason.


    "If you were to make a sword or saber out of the bone, it would be more useful than a staff that can''t take a life" replied the dwarf.


    "That is why I want you to make a staff that will be able to break a head" said Jason with a smile.


    "Be serious for once kid, what we are talking about here could very much prove to be useful in times of need so don''t just make decisions without thinking about the disadvantages" replied the dwarf.


    "Let me ask you this question, what weapon is best used as defense and attack" asked Jason as he rested his hand on his cheek while waiting for the dwarf to give his answer.


    "Well if you asked me I will say the staff is the best weapon for defense and attack but still I will suggest you pick a spear since it is no different from a bow at least you will be able to do my than enough damage to your enemy and at the same time defend yourself from danger" replied the dwarf.


    After hearing what the dwarf had to say, Jason turned to the bracelet for a reply.


    "So what do you think about the spear".


    "It should be more than enough for you to reign over your peers" replies the bracelet.


    Turning back to the dwarf who can''t get his eyes off the bones, Jason clears his throat to get his attention.


    "After thinking about it for sometime, I think I will go for a spear but make sure to make me a good weapon" Said Jason.


    "You can rest assured kid since you brought this material for me to work on, I promise to forge a weapon that your peers will be so envious of" replied the dwarf with assurance.


    "No, what is the point of making my peers envy my weapon if I won''t be able to keep it for long" said Jason with a wave of his hand.


    "Why do you say that, don''t you want to own a weapon that is more attractive than those of your peers" asked the dwarf.


    "If you make something that is shinier than theirs, then it won''t be long before it gets stolen" replied Jason.


    "So what do you want me to do, make you a weapon that is worse in grade compared to the others" asked the dwarf.


    "Of course not, who will want to have a weapon with low quality when you have the chance to get a weapon with higher quality" reply Jason.


    "So what do you want me to do" asked the dwarf as he was getting confused about everything.


    "Easy, just make it look more ugly to the eyes" replied Jason with a smile.

 Chapter 58 - You Tricked Me

    "Oh I see, if it were to be ugly then it would be given less attention" said the dwarf.


    "Exactly, so how long will it take for you to forge the weapon," asked Jason.


    "A month and some days should be enough for me to forge the weapon" replied the dwarf.


    "Why is it taking so long to forge the spear, I thought you are good at forging else I would have taken it to another blacksmith" said Jason.


    "I am the best and it wouldn''t have taken me more than ten days for me to get it done but unfortunately, I still have some work that are yet to be completed" replied the dwarf.


    "So you are not working on the weapon yet and you want the grand elder to wait for such a long time" asked Jason.


    "Come on boy, the grand elder is not the one that is going to use the weapon so stop calling his name here" replied the dwarf.


    "Although the grand elder is not the one that is going to use the weapon but you are only going to end up delaying my training and I believe you know how he is going to act when he found out that you are the reason why I didn''t start on time" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Okay, I will get started right away so stop pressuring me with the grand elder" the dwarf hurriedly agreed with the request to forge the spear before any other thing.


    "So how much is it going to cost me" asked Jason.


    "I am supposed to charge you one hundred spirit stone but since the grand elder is the one that sent you here, just give me fifty spirit stone" reply the dwarf as he makes sure to include the grand elder in his sentence to avoid Jason from using it.


    Not wasting time arguing with the price, Jason quickly handed him the required spirit stone and was left with fifty spirit stones before heading for the door and walk out of the shop but before leaving, he told the dwarf he will be coming in ten days to get his weapon.


    Seeing that Jason is gone, the dwarf let out a sigh of relief before saying to himself.


    "Thank the heavens that he''s gone, I don''t understand why my luck has to be this bad to meet with someone like him".


    After leaving the blacksmith shop, Jason makes his way to the market to get some meat before heading home.


    "I wonder how Hannah is going to react when she sees this" said Jason with a smile on his face as he begins to walk him.


    "You must be feeling proud as you finally display a role of a big brother even though you did not work for it" mocked the bracelet.


    "Do you have a problem with that" ask Jason as he continues to walk home with a smile on his face.


    "Not really, it''s just that you should be out there making money" reply the bracelet.


    "And how am I supposed to do that Mr big brain" asked Jason.


    "You can try making pills to earn a living" replied the bracelet.


    "Ain''t you the one that said I am too weak to make pills and I should focus more on my training" asked Jason.


    "Yeah and here I am reminding you before you stray from the path" replies the bracelet.


    "You are lucky that you are not saying this to my face else I would have given you a beating" said Jason.


    "Which is why you will have to bear with me since you can''t hit me" reply the bracelet with a chuckle.


    Ignoring the bracelet as he continues to head home, it didn''t take him too long before he finally get home and that is he noticed Hannah sitting on her spot as she begjn to look at the sky.


    "I wonder what she is always thinking about" mutter Jason as he walks up to her and places his hand on top of her head as he begins to play with it.


    Turning her head to look at who distracted her from her thought with a frown on her face only to see that it was Jason. With a big smile on her face, she jumps at him before hugging him.


    "Welcome back big brother, did you miss your little sister while you are out training" said Hannah with a smile on her face as she pulls herself from his embrace.


    "Yeah, I really miss you and mother. By the way where is she" reply Jason.


    "You know how she really is, always staying inside" said Hannah with a smile.


    "You can''t blame her for that since she doesn''t want us to worry too much about her" commented Jason as he lead the way into the tent where their mother could be seen laying on the bed.


    "Am back mother" said Jason.


    "Welcome back son, so how was your training" asked Clara.


    "It went well mother, so how are you feeling now" reply Jason before asking his question.


    "I am feeling much before comparing to back when I haven''t taken the pill you gave me" reply Clara with a tired look on her face.


    "Don''t worry mother, I promise to get the pill that can cure you of the disease" said Jason with a clenched fist when he saw the tired look on his mother''s eye.


    "I hope you are not endangering yourself just so I can get well Jason" asked Clara as she raised her head to look at Jason.


    "What else can I do, you two are all I have left" reply Jason.


    "I am not going to die so stop acting like a baby" said Clara with a chuckle as she drew his cheek.


    "That hurt mother" said Jason as he begin to rub his cheek.


    "Hahaha, you should see the look on your face son. By the way, what are you holding" asked Clara with a laugh.


    "Oh this, I got it from the market on my way coming" reply Jason as he placed the meat on the table.


    "Wow it is huge, looks like I am not going to drink soup today" said Hannah with a laugh.


    "I thought that is what you are going to say" reply Jason as he played with Hannah''s hair.


    Why they were both playing, Clara had a serious look on her face as she stare at Jason and noticing the strange look his mother was giving him, couldn''t help but asked.


    "What is the problem mother".


    "Tell me the truth, where did you get the money to buy that meat" reply Clara with a question of her own.


    "The grand elder gave me the money earlier to pay for my weapon and I used what is left to get it. Here is the remaining spirit stone. You should keep it since I don''t have any use for it" said Jason with a smile.


    Taking the spirit stone from Jason, their mother gave him a look before keeping it as she said.


    "But still you need to keep your reserve".


    "Don''t worry mother, the grand elder is not like the others" reply Jason.


    "I am not saying he is a bad person, I am just saying you should be careful" said Clara.


    "I heard you mother" replied Jason before going to do his thing.


    The next morning.


    After cultivating heaven''s law, Jason sneaks out of the tent as he doesn''t want to be caught by Hannah since he promised to play with her. Heading back to the alchemy room with a smile on his face only for that smile to turn into a frown when he remembered he will have to spar with the grand elder.


    "I can''t believe that I will be dealing with that old fox today" said Jason with a smile as he pushed the door open only to see Austin cleaning the place.


    Turning to look who it was that had arrived, Austin was all smiles when he saw that it was just Jason who had a shocking look on his face.


    "What are you doing here so early in the morning" asked Jason


    "Oh I thought I should come early so we can talk about the other benefits we couldn''t talk about yesterday" replied Austin with a smile on his face.


    "So you came this early just so you can learn about the other benefits" asked Jason.


    "Yes man, I noticed you couldn''t talk about it because the grand elder was with us" replied Austin.


    "I can''t believe you actually think there was another benefit other than what we have already told you" said Jason with a sigh.


    "So you tricked me" asked Austin in anger as he stared at Jason.


    "I didn''t, I just let you make your choice quickly so that I can hear what my punishment will be" replied Jason as he shook his head.

 Chapter 59 - Pay For My Service

    Hearing Jason admitting that he lied to him, Austin was enraged as he charged at Jason with his hand clenched into a fist.


    "You are going to pay for tricking me you little bastard" yelled Austin as he threw his fist at Jason.


    Moving to the side as Austin''s fist barely passed him, Jason stood his ground as he was prepared to fight about.


    "Hey what has gotten into you, have you forgotten the grand elder rule of not fighting in his place of work" said Jason with a frightened look on his face.


    "For what you did, I believe that even the grand elder will have to turn a blind eye toward what I am about to do to you" reply Austin with a cunning smile on his face.


    "That is what you get for lying to others" commented the bracelet as he was enjoying the scene before him.


    Moving from part of the room to another as he tries to avoid Austin attacks and it gets to the stage where the sound could be heard outside which caught the grand elder''s attention.


    "What is it that is causing trouble in my alchemy room, I wonder how that crazy kid can make trouble everywhere he goes" said the grand elder before leaving his room and appears at the entrance of the alchemy room.


    The grand elder was just about to yell but couldn''t get the word out of his mouth when he saw that the one that was causing trouble in the room was no other than Austin who was chasing Jason around.


    "What has he done this time around for Austin to be chasing him around the place" said the grand elder in a low voice before taking a step into the room and only then did the two knew that the grand elder has arrived.


    "Greetings grand elder" both Jason and Austin greeted when they notice the grand elder''s arrival.


    "What is all this commotion all about" asked the grand elder in a stern tone.


    "It''s nothing grand elder, I think Austin here is just overreacting" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    Seeing that Jason was the first to reply to his question, the grand elder turn to Austin and asked.


    "I thought I told you fighting is not allowed here so why are you trying to destroy the place".


    "Grand elder this moron here trick me into agreeing to the punishment all because he wants to know what his punishment going to be" reply Austin in anger.


    "Is that why you are trying to tear the whole place down" asked the grand elder with a frown on his face.


    Seeing that the grand elder is angry, Austin begins to shake in fear and couldn''t answer the question that was thrown at him. And seeing that his question was not answered, the grand elder continues to ask.


    "How wish he did not trick you into accepting your punishment, do you think you would have a chance to avoid it".


    "No grand elder" replied Austin with a lower head.


    "You know you would have no chance and you still decide to fight in here while knowing my rules, if not because you are now working under me I would have beaten the hell out of you but since you now work for me, your punishment is going to be an additional year to your previous punishment and for you Jason since you love causing trouble, a yeah has been added to yours as well" said the grand elder.


    "No way grand elder, I was the one that was being attacked here so how come I am also getting punished here" asked Jason feeling like he had been accused unjustly.


    "That is because you couldn''t keep your mouth shut and let it run wild" reply the grand elder.


    "I still don''t think you are treating me justly here grand elder, I am your apprentice remember" said Jason.


    "You are not qualified to call yourself my apprentice if you can''t make a pill with at least a lower grade so stop complaining and get ready for today''s sparring session" reply the grand elder.


    "Here we go again, please just say you are looking for someone you want to beat instead of calling it a spar" said Jason.


    The grand elder couldn''t help but laugh out loud as he replied.


    "This is actually a sparring session Jason".


    "Okay if you say so but why don''t we do it this way, since you are forcing me to spar with you, why don''t you pay for my service" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "It seems like the money I gave you yesterday has gotten into you" said the grand elder with a cunning smile on his face.


    "You can say they again" chuckle Jason as he replied to the grand elder question.


    "Meaning you are ready to spar if I pay you" asked the grand elder.


    "As long as you are going to pay me, I am willing to be your sparring partner" replied Jason with a smirk on his face.


    "Once we venture into this path, there will be no going back" said the grand elder.


    "Who would want to complain while they are been paid" replied Jason.


    "Very well, since you have made up your mind on this, go get ready for we are starting in ten minutes," said the grand elder.


    "Yeah I heard you but before we begin, I would like to know how much you are willing to pay" asked Jason.


    "How about fifty spirit stones" reply the grand elder.


    "I can go with that" said Jason with a chuckle as he begin to make stretches here and there before saying.


    "What is the need of waiting until ten minutes before we start the spar, why don''t we go right now".


    "Haha, I like this spirit of yours, only taking interest in something as long you are benefitting," said the grand elder with a short laugh before walking out of the alchemy room into the open ground where they fought previously.


    "Now something interesting is going to happen around here" said Austin in excitement as he rush out of the alchemy room.


    "I can''t believe you actually sold yourself Jason" said the bracelet as Jason was making his way out of the room.


    "You are the one that told me to look for a way to earn a living and that is what I am doing right now" reply Jason with a smile.


    "Yeah but this is not what I meant when I said you should look for a way to earn a living" said the bracelet.


    "Oh well is too late to turn back now" reply Jason with a smile as he finally made it to where the fight is to take place.


    Sitting on the roof of the alchemy room as he waits patiently for the fight to begin. Although he was envious that he was not the one down there fighting the grand elder.


    Meanwhile, the grand elder was just smiling as he watch Jason coming toward him and it was only then did the grand elder said.


    "It took you long enough to get here kid. Tell me, are you scared already" asked the grand elder.


    "How can I be scared when money is coming my way" replied Jason.


    "Since you are not scared, why don''t we begin" asked the grand elder as he began to decrease his realm to match Jason.


    After the grand elder has finally decreased his realm, he turned to Jason before speaking.


    "I hope you are prepared because I am not going to hold back".


    The moment he said the word, Jason had already rushed at him as he began to throw fist and kick at the grand elder who swiftly moved to the side as he used his hand to deflect the attacks with a smile on his face.


    "I see you have improved a little from how you used to be kid but I am sorry to disappoint you that it won''t be enough for this man to break a sweat".


    "If you don''t break a sweat then I am just going to continue throwing punches at you until you get exhausted" reply Jason.


    "Haha how naive of you, with the tempo you are going there is no way you are going to get me tired " said the grand elder as he waved his hand to the punch that was coming for him.


    "I see the grand elder is not done toying with you" said the bracelet.


    Jason didn''t bother to reply to the bracelet as he was focused on the fight but according to what the bracelet had said, the grand elder had been defending himself ever since the match started. Throwing a punch forward only for the grand elder to catch the fist as he held it in place with a big smirk on his face as he said.


    "Looks like I caught your fist".

 Chapter 60 - Teamwork

    Jason was just moving his hand as he tries to break free from the grand elder grip but whenever he tries to, the grip would be tightened. Gritting his teeth as he tries to endure the pain, Jason stomps his foot on the ground as he tries to attack the grand elder toe but fails in the process.


    "What''s the problem, I thought you were the one attacking so how come you are struggling now" asked the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "You are really a pain in the ass old man, why don''t you let go and see if you will be able to catch my fist again" replied Jason with an angry look.


    "You must be joking if you think you will be able to beat me in a fight" said the grand elder with a light chuckle.


    "Why don''t you let go of my fist and see for yourself? '''' replied Jason with a smile.


    After the grand elder has let go of the fist, the first thing that Jason did was to create distance between them before rubbing his wrist that has gone sore from the grand elder''s grip.


    Looking at the grand elder who has a smile on his face, Jason couldn''t help but feel annoyed as he turned to look at his surroundings in search of what he can use against the grand elder and that is when he saw Austin sitting on the rooftop with a hand in his cheek and that is when a cunning smile could be seen crawling into his face and the elder seeing this let out a sigh as he mutter.


    "This kid, what must he be thinking for him to be smiling".


    "Grand elder since I can''t even lay a finger on your robe I guess that you are getting bored already so why not let Austin join in the fight to make it more interesting" said Jason with a smile.


    When Austin heard Jason''s suggestion, he was so determined that he quickly jumped down from the rooftop as he worked towards them while waiting for the grand elder to give his response.


    "If you are thinking of teaming with Austin then I am afraid that I won''t be able to pay you" replied the grand elder.


    "Don''t worry, I promise to pay you tomorrow since I don''t have enough spirit stones with me" said Austin when he saw Jason hesitating.


    "I see you willing want to have a spar with me" commented the grand elder with a chuckle.


    "Now that the issue with my money is settled, are we good to ask?" asked Jason with a smile.


    "Very well, besides I want to see what the both of you could do together as a team" replied the grand elder as he began to stroke his beard.


    "Hope you are not going to return your realm to the way it used to be" asked Jason.


    "It won''t be exciting if I were to do that right" replied the grand elder before gesturing for them to come at him.


    Being excited that he finally have a spar with the grand elder, Austin rush forward as he threw a powerful punch at the grand elder who lifted his hand to deflect the attack which wasn''t easy as he was pushed back by the force behind the punch and before he could think of standing his ground, Jason was already standing behind him as he executes the iron fist technique but was not able to land a hit on the grand elder as he moves out of the way leaving Jason''s attack to land on the ground.


    "Dammit I can''t believe he was able to escape from that move" said Jason in annoyance.


    "Haha, looks like you are too slow, and yet you won''t stop calling me old when I am even faster than you" said the grand elder in laughter.


    "We''ll see about that, Austin lend me a hand" replied Jason as run towards the grand elder.


    Austin decided to attack from the side just as they did with the horned leopard but unfortunately for them, they are dealing with the grand elder. Before they could get close to where the grand elder was standing, he had already made his move as he went for Austin who seemed to be very troublesome. Throwing a fist at Austin who quickly rolled to the side but felt a stingy pain in his back.


    ''That''s impossible, I was not hit so how come I was suddenly injured'' thought Austin.


    "It''s a little trick he likes to play, so don''t think too much about it now that you know he cheated '''' said Jason as he knocked Austin out of his thoughts.


    "In this world, the word cheating does not exist but the winner" said the grand elder with a chuckle.


    "Whatever, you can defend your actions for all you care but the fact about you cheating still remains" replied Jason with a deep frown on his face.


    "You are free to pull whatever trick you have hidden as long as it helps you in the fight then it is not considered cheating rather than a tactical plan to achieve your goals" said the grand elder.


    "That is right Jason you can''t complain it''s cheating if you were dead" commented Austin.


    "Looks like someone is understanding what I am trying to say here" said the grand elder with an approving smile on his face.


    "I don''t think this old fox is just playing with you but instead, he is trying to teach you guys something so you better pay close attention because you don''t know what you might face later on" commented the bracelet.


    "Hey Austin tries to avoid those tricks of his let''s beat the hell out of him" said Jason as he ignored what the bracelet was trying to tell him.


    "How are you supposed to dodge what you can''t see or feel and only know it has happened after you have been hit" replied Austin with a twitched face.


    "Then try to endure the pain if you can''t dodge it" said Jason.


    After saying those words, Jason was just about to say more but felt pain in his arm as blood could be seen flowing out slowly from the wound that was created from the invisible force.


    "You sneaky old man can''t you give us a warning or something before you attack" said Jason in anger to the grand elder who was laughing.


    "Haha, this is hilarious. I thought you said he should defend himself against my trick so I thought that I should try it on you. Who would have thought you are not sensitive to your surroundings" reply the grand elder as he continued to laugh.


    "You are going to pay for this" yelled Jason in anger feeling humiliated by the grand elder.


    Seeing Jason rushing in out of rage, Austin also follows suit but unlike Jason who went forward to face him head on, he went in a circle as he tries to strike when he let his guard down. The grand elder chuckled as he waved his hand at Jason who was rushing towards him and he was hit by the force from the wave but it did not stop him from going after him nor have a decrease in speed which surprised the grand elder as he was hoping to slow him don''t. Looking at his face the grand elder knew straight away that he was really mad at his action.


    Taking a deep breath, the grand elder clapped his hand together which created a shockwave that sent Jason flying into the wall of the alchemy room as he just remained still down there unable to move. Moving closer to check on his condition, Austin took hold of the situation as he charged at the grand elder but was quickly knocked into the wall.


    "Do you think I have forgotten about you Austin" said the grand elder as look at Austin with a smile on his face.


    "I can''t believe we are unable to beat you even when you limit your realm to our level" commented Austin in admiration.


    "I have been through a lot and gained experience from many battles unlike you kids that are living in a peaceful age" said the grand elder before turning to Jason who still looked angry as he was stuck in the wall before saying.


    "You need to learn to control your anger, else it will bring about your downfall, if it were to be a battle of life and death you would have been dead by now be it a weaker opponent".


    "Oh now you want to lecture me when" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    "You can call it whatever you want as long as it proves to help you understand something. I am happy" replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    "There is a sense in what he is saying so don''t get too angry at him" said the bracelet to Jason as he let out a light chuckle.

 Chapter 61 - The Invisible Force

    Turning back to Austin who has finally rolled out of the wall, the grand elder said.


    "It is surprising to see one from this generation and age with such brute strength, keep it up boy".


    "Thank you grand elder but if I may ask, that move you used against us is it possible for you to teach me" asked Austin with a bow.


    Jason took a peek at Austin before saying in disdain.


    "I see you now want to be like this old cheater".


    "What are you talking about Jason, don''t you know if this were to be a real battle we would have lose our life with that move so it would be more than a trump card if I were to learn" replied Austin.


    "Hahaha is good having younger ones by your side it kind of makes you feel young as well and Austin I would love to teach you the technique but there is a catch that is applied to it" said the grand elder with s laugh.


    "As long as I can learn it then I am willing to" replied Austin in determination.


    "What about you Jason, do you also what to learn it too" asked the grand elder.


    "As long as I will be able to keep my life then I am in also" reply Jason.


    "That is the spirit boy, you see in this world there is no technique or skills that are considered trash. One way or the other they will prove their usefulness" said the grand elder with a smile on his face as he turn to them and said.


    "This is not a good place to talk, why don''t we go inside".


    Walking into the alchemy room as he took his seat, the grand elder look at Jason for a while before saying.


    "Go turn me a cup of tea".


    Gritting his teeth as he tried to contain his anger, Jason quickly went to get the tea jar with a cup before turning a cupful. Picking the cup of tea, the grand elder took a sip before speaking.


    "You see the invincible force is not just a technique you can execute continuously since it requires a lot of energy and concentration to perform".


    "The invincible force, who the hell came up with such lame name" asked Jason as he cut the grand elder off.


    "The one that came up with the naming was me. I gave it that name due to its nature" reply the grand elder with a cough.


    "I didn''t mean it in that way grand, you see what I am trying to say is that it just need a little finish touch" said Jason in fright of what the grand elder could do to him.


    "Well, I didn''t think much about it since I am the only one using it so you don''t have to worry about getting me angry but if you try cutting me short when I am speaking again, then you will have to pay the price" reply the grand elder as he glared at Jason.


    Lowering his head while filling the cup as he tries to avoid the look in the grand elder eyes.


    "Wait a minute, when you said you are the one that name the technique, could it be that you actually created it yourself" asked Austin.


    "You got that right kid. During our time there was war and could your age would usually be sent to complete some minor task which could get them killed and back then I was not as powerful as I used to be now and my peer usually bully me and the family head would refuse to send me along with the others whenever they are about to embark on a mission all due to the fact that I am weak. But it all stop after years of training I was able to attain a higher height due to this very technique you called cheating" reply the grand elder.


    "Now I know why you like bullying me" said Jason as he tried to hold his laughter.


    "Very funny boy" chuckles the grand elder with a chuckle before taking another sip of his tea.


    "So grand elder now we know the catch behind the technique I still want to learn it" said Austin.


    "I am sorry but I can''t teach you at least not now that you are on the verge of a breakthrough" reply the grand elder.


    Austin was down that he couldn''t learn the technique straight away and looking at him like this, grand elder let out a sigh as it was difficult seeing someone who is determined to learn more.


    "We will talk about that another time after you have a breakthrough so for now I want you and Jason to clean this place" said the grand elder.


    Austin became excited as he quickly rush off to clean but before leaving, Jason stop him as he reminded him of their deal before letting him go. After cleaning the place, Jason went to check on what pill the grand elder was making only for him to see him sitting on his chair with his eyes close.


    "Grand elder ain''t you going to concoct any pills today" asked Jason when he saw the grand elder napping.


    Opening his eyes to look at the annoying kid before him, the grand straighten his back before replying.


    "I don''t feel like doing anything right now by the way do you have the recipe to making the pill for your mother''s treatment" asked the grand elder.


    "I do but the problem is I am not with it right now" reply Jason.


    "As long as you have the recipe then the probability of making the pill will be high" said the grand elder.


    "I will leave you to do your thing then" said Jason before walking to one side.


    "Hey, I hope you have the recipe for making the pill" asked Jason to the bracelet after making sure that he is in a quiet place.


    "Nope there is no recipe of it in the space" replied the bracelet.


    "What, how can you say you don''t have it and yet you told me to go hurt a hurt a horn leopard," said Jason in anger.


    "Relax man I said there is no recipe of it in the space and not how to make it" replied the bracelet.


    "Thank goodness, please don''t play such a joke on me again it''s quite exhausting," said Jason with a sigh of relief.


    "So you are the only one that is allowed to play jokes on others" asked the bracelet.


    "Hey I am your master so do as I say" replied Jason.


    "Whatever you say" said the bracelet.


    "Anyways how are you going give me the recipe since you don''t have the recipe in the space" asked, Jason.


    "When you are ready, I am going to list the procedure to you so you don''t have to worry about that" replied the bracelet.


    "Then I get we have to wait for the herbs to arrive" said Jason with a smile.


    While Jason was discussing with the bracelet, an elder came in search of the grand elder and it didn''t take long before they left together leaving only Jason and Austin alone in the room.


    "Where is the grand elder going this time" asked Jason as he meet up with Austin.


    "I have no idea but seeing that an elder was sent to come and get him, it could only mean the family is facing a problem" replied Austin.


    "So you mean to say it is only when the family is in a mess that the grand elder would be summon" asked Jason.


    "Not really, you see the grand elder is only called on when the situation has to do with the other families" replied Austin.


    "Meaning someone from the other family is in our territory" said Jason to himself as he was finally able to put the puzzle together.


    "Well, I guess we will have to sit and wait until he comes back" replied Austin before sitting down in a cross leg position before shutting his eyes as he began to meditate.


    Now that Austin has gone into a meditational state, Jason has no one to talk to and decided to take out the book of herbs that the elder gave to him to read as they continue to wait for the grand elder. But after waiting for some hours and he Was still not back, Jason quickly kept the book out of boredom as he begin to walk around the furnaces in the room while stroking it with his hand.


    "It won''t be long before I will start making pills with your help" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Yes it will but that could only be possible if you can quickly understand the art" commented the bracelet.


    "Which is why I don''t want to leave this place yet not until I have learned what I need to learn"

 Chapter 62 - Envoy Richard

    The Fox family meeting room.


    The family head and elders are already sitted as they wait for the arrival of the grand elder alongside a young man who wore a foreign robe.


    "Why is it taking long for the grand elder to arrive" said the young man.


    "Calm down envoy Richard, I believe the grand elder is already on his way" reply the family head.


    "But it is taking forever, I don''t know why your family seems to be different from the other families already. Always wasting time before the start of a meeting" said envoy Richard.


    "Mr Richard do I remind you that this is not your Allen family where you can run your mouth as you like. Any more word from you will be taken into an account" replied the grand elder who just arrived.


    Seeing the grand elder has arrived, the family head and the elders bow to pay respect together with envoy Richard.


    "What brings you to my family territory and be fast with your explanation" said the grand elder as he took his seat.


    "We just received words from the watched men that the ruin to the ancient tomb will be opening soon and since it was our turn to keep watched over the sealed, we discovered that someone has forcefully opened the seal so I was sent by the family head to do some investigation within the other four families" replied envoy Richard as he stood up.


    "Since the seal was forcefully opened, you think it must have been the handwork of the other families, am I right?" asked the grand elder.


    "That is correct since it will be impossible for someone from our family to do that" replied envoy Richard.


    "And what makes you feel that your family is not also a suspect" asked the grand elder with a frown on his face.


    "That is not possible, every member of the family is very loyal to the family" replied envoy Richard.


    "Whatever you say then, so now that the deal is open what is your family suggesting we do" asked the grand elder with a wave of his hand.


    "The rule since remains that eight members of the family that are below twenty-five years of age are to go into the ruin" reply envoy Richard.


    "This is what I am mostly afraid of happening, anyways what did the others say about it" asked the family head with a sigh.


    "They agreed and your family is the only one left" replied envoy Richard.


    "We have heard you and just like the other families we will also participate but before then when will the seal be completely opened" asked the grand elder.


    "According to our calculation it will be completely open next year" said envoy Richard.


    "Then we still have enough time to prepare before it is fully open" said the grand elder.


    Seeing that the fox family had also agreed, envoy Richard sat down as he waited for them to say something but to his surprise, the grand elder asked him another question which was kind of frustrating.


    "Now that you have already delivered the message, how do you plan to catch the suspect behind the seal".


    "Some part of the seal is missing and just like the other times that the seal will still be seen around the watched man so it won''t be that difficult to find the suspect" replied envoy Richard.


    "Then I will have to leave you to that but if you didn''t the suspect, then you should take your leave" said envoy Richard.


    Bowing down to the grand elder before taking his leave but before he took his leave the grand elder instructed an elder to keep an eye on him.


    "Now that the envoy is gone, let''s talk about who we are going to send to the ruin cause I don''t think there is any selection on your mind seeing how they are not serious with their training" said the grand elder to the family head.


    "That is not true grand elder, we still have some kids that have shown great talent so far so there won''t be any issues with picking those that will be going into the ruin" replied an elder.


    "It''s not about showing potential but will they be able to protect themselves from danger once they are inside that ruin, you of all people should know what it''s like to be in a place filled with insecurity" said the grand elder as he looked at the elder that made the statement in rage.


    "Of course they will be able to protect themselves as long as they put their differences behind them" replied the family head as he supported the elder idea.


    "I see you guys have already made your suggestion but I need two slots, I don''t care who you have to tick out of your list of selection" said the grand elder.


    "That won''t be a problem since the grand elder needed two slots, it is likely they would be able to contribute more while in the ruin" replied the family head with a smile.


    "Damn those Allen''s, this is surely their doings" said the grand elder with gritted teeth.


    "I believe the others also think the same way but the problem is what proof do we have that they are the ones behind the seal" replied the family head.


    "Anyways I will leave you guys to make your selection but be sure to make the right pick" said the grand elder before waking out of the room as he make his way to the alchemy room.


    Walking back to the alchemy room, the grand elder could see Austin meditation while Jason walked around as he stroked his hand around the furnace.


    "Let''s just hope they will be able to protect themselves while they are inside the ruin" said the grand elder in a low voice before proceeding into the alchemy room.


    Seeing that the elder had arrived, Jason quickly took his hand off the furnace as he went forward to greet him.


    "I can see that you are enjoying yourself Jason" said the grand elder.


    "Well I got tired of reading the book of herbs so I decided to take a walk around the place" replied Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "And the best place to take your walk is near my furnace" asked the grand elder.


    "I didn''t destroy them did I" reply Jason as he turned back to talk a look at the furnace.


    " Did anything happen grand elder" asked Austin as he rose from his meditation.


    "Well an envoy from the Allen family came with bad news and it seems like you all are going to be busy for sometime" replied the grand elder.


    "What really happened" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "A ruin was forcefully opened and according to the rules we are supposed to send eight family members that are below twenty-five years" replied the grand elder.


    "And how is that a bad news" asked Jason as he was confused since there should be treasures hidden inside them.


    "The reason why I said it''s bad news was because it is filled with danger and you all are not ready for that level of danger" replied the ground elder with a sigh.


    "If I may ask why can''t those above the age of twenty go in" asked Jason.


    "No one knows the fact about that except for the fact that they will be expelled while suffering severe injury" replied the grand elder.


    "Then I guess the ones that are going will have to be those from our generation" said Austin.


    "Exactly though I don''t know who the family head had his eyes on, but it has to be a good pick else the family is going to come out of this in defeat" replied the grand elder.


    "Is it possible for me to also go along with the rest" asked Jason with a smile.


    "I know you must be thinking of making a living from the loot you will get from there but it is too risky to send you not to talk of you not being a member of the family" replied the grand elder with a frown.


    "And who told you that I won''t be able to make it out alive" asked Jason with a frown.


    "That''s because you are too weak boy" replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    "No I am not, in fact, I am more stronger than Austin here" said Jason.


    "If you ever want to go into the ruin, then you will have to prove to me that you deserve to be among the selected few and that also implies to you also Austin" replied the grand elder.


    "And how are we supposed to prove that we are worthy enough to be in the slot" asked Austin with a smile.


    "Easy, I want you guys to achieve a breakthrough into the next realm before next year" replied the grand elder.

 Chapter 63 - Competition

    When Jason and Austin heard what they are required to do if they want to participate, they turn to look at each other before turning their attention back to the grand elder.


    "I think I didn''t hear you clearly, did you just say we need to be at the foundation realm in order to join the others," asked Jason.


    "If you can achieve a breakthrough into the foundation early stage, then the chances that you will be able to protect yourself will be high" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "You should have just say that you don''t want us to go instead of saying we need to make a breakthrough to the foundation realm before having the thought of joining the others" said Jason as he went back to take a sit.


    "Achieving a breakthrough into the eight-layer of the tempered body shouldn''t be a problem but the foundation realm, grand elder that is just too much" added Austin.


    "You may be thinking that it is an impossible task for the both of you to do but if you were to give it your all then breaking through to the foundation realm will be as easy as making a pill" replied the grand elder.


    "And when you say is as easy as making a pill then you are probably saying that it is going to take forever because if I remember clearly, it takes time for a pill to completely be concocted" said Austin he finally loses all hope in taking one of the slots.


    "That is where you are wrong Austin, you see pill-making don''t take months to be fully concocted. All you need is patience and time" replied the grand elder.


    "What a liar, some pills take years to be fully be concocted like the soul and body which is useful to those that are about to make a breakthrough into the nascent soul realm" said the bracelet.


    "Grand elder you are saying that making pills don''t take much time to make so why is it that the soul and body pill take so long to be made" asked Jason with a smile on his face as he finally have a way to get back at the grand elder.


    "You little rascal, where did you hear of that pill" said the grand elder with a twitching face.


    "Haha, are you surprised that I know of the pill, well if you must know my father has mentioned it before" replied Jason with a laugh.


    "You have me there but still I believe you two can make it into the foundation realm in a year. I have great expectations for the two of you so don''t let me down" said the grand elder as he went to take his seat.


    "Great expectations indeed, how do you expect me who don''t have anyone behind me to make it into the foundation early stage" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    The grand elder let out a light chuckle before replied.


    "I believe before entering the tournament, you were in the fifth level of tempered body but looking at you now you are a sixth level tempered body. And Austin I once heard that you made an advance twice even though you were not given the best resources, so I doubt you two won''t be able to make it into the foundation realm in a year''s time".


    "Grand elder, why don''t you just make us a pill that will boost our cultivation instead of thinking of doing the impossible" suggested Austin with a hand on his cheek looking like someone who is in deep thought.


    "That nice one Austin, who would have thought that you would have such an idea" said Jason with a wide smile on his face as he gave him a hug.


    "Is not a big idea, I just thought it will be possible for him to make us a pill since he is an alchemist master" said Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Who would have thought that someone who is not interested in pill making will be the one to come up with such an idea. But unfortunately for you, I cant make you any pill" replied the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "That''s it, I have had enough of all this. You can go to the ruin for all I care since I am not a member of the family you can''t force me" said Jason in anger.


    "You are not a member of the family correct but you see, you are working under me so when I say you are going then you are going unless you are ready to leave now" replied the grand elder with a serious face.


    "Now you are threatening to throw me out" said Jason.


    "What else can I say, if you think you don''t have what it takes to make it into the list then I guess you are not ready to work here" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "I can see that you are forcing me to take up the challenge before me and I am finding it difficult to ignore but the thing is if you will be true to your word cause I find it hard to believe that you are keeping a spot for me unless you want me to improve quickly so that you can spare with me" said Jason as he turned to look at the grand elder in all seriousness.


    "Haha, you don''t need to worry about that if I want to have a spar I can do that since I am the one limiting my realm" reply the grand elder with a laugh.


    Seeing that Jason has agreed to the grand elder condition, he smiled as he took a step forward and said.


    "I am also interested in these ruins and I would like to challenge myself".


    "That is the spirit kid since you have made up your mind then I think I will have to support you guys also" said the grand elder.


    "So you are going to make us the pill that will help boost our realm" asked Jason happily.


    "When did you hear me saying I am going to make a pill that will help you improve your realm, when I said I am going to support the both of you, I mean to say that I will make some pills that will help you during your time in the ruin" replied the grand elder.


    Jason couldn''t help but let out a sigh with a bitter smile plastered on his face.


    "I know that is what you meant since it is the least you can do".


    "Well then I guess all that is left for me to do is to beat you in becoming the first to break through into the foundation realm" said Austin with a laugh.


    "You cheater, not only did you steal my kill but you also have the gut to tell me that you are going to get to get to the foundation realm before me when you are a stage ahead of me" replied Jason with a frown.


    "What can I say, you can''t blame me for being a step ahead of you" said Austin with a laugh.


    "Do you want to play a bet with me now if you dare" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Well I was waiting for you to say the word this whole time so what is the losing going to do after it is over" asked Austin.


    "Simple my friend, the loser will have to be slave of the other while in the ruin" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Hahaha, I like that, since it is going to be a difficult task for me to walk around the place with my stuff I can just leave it all to you" said Austin as he busted into laughter.


    "We will see who is going to be the one to carry stuff later" replied Jason with a running smile on his face.


    Seeing the two competing with each other, the grand elder was all smile as he said to them.


    "I like the competitive spirit between the two of you it kind of reminds me of how my friends and I used to be but it was quite unfortunate that they didn''t make it out alive during the war".


    "Don''t worry old man I believe they are still very competitive in the yellow spring and are just waiting for you to join them since you are lonely here" commented Jason with a smile.


    "I will someday but before I join them, I am going to make life hard for you since you want me dead that badly" replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    "You are not going to die soon grand elder, I only made that statement because you were reminded about your friends" said Jason as he waved his hand in decline meant.


    "I know boy but I am still going to make things hard for you since you care so much about my friends" replied the grand elder with a laugh.

 Chapter 64 - Research

    "I guess you are going to have a wonderful time while working here" said the bracelet with a laugh.


    "You better shut your mouth if you don''t want me to make things difficult for you" replied Jason.


    "Come on now is it my fault that you can''t control that mouth of yours" said the bracelet.


    "And if you don''t control your speech maybe you won''t like where I am going to keep you cause I am going to keep you in a place that will be very difficult for others to find" replied Jason.


    "Okay, I guess I have enough fun already, now back to business. Do you want to go on an adventure inside the ruin" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I want to but the problem now is that I need to achieve a breakthrough into the foundation realm if I want to go with the rest of the family member" replied Jason with a frown.


    "If only you have comprehended the first stage of the heavens law, then it would have been an easy feat for you to make it in a year" said the bracelet.


    "I know but it is quite unfortunate that I am still far from comprehending it thanks to you" reply Jason as his voice has changed.


    "You can''t blame me for your incompetent boy, telling you how you can easily feel the earth energy will be no different from telling you to stop training your body and just lay in your bed how waiting for resources to fall in your legs" said the bracelet.


    "Whatever, don''t you have any idea how I can make it into the foundation realm apart from relying on the heavens law. Just like how I bathed myself in the blood of the beast previously" asked Jason as he decided to put the matter about the heavens law behind him.


    "There are many ways for you to get stronger and going into the beast territory is one of them" replied that bracelet.


    "Strike that out of the list since it is more dangerous" said Jason as he waved the idea out.


    "Then how about refining your body but unlike the other time, you will need the blood of a powerful beast" asked the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to be a beast that is far more stronger than me" replied Jason.


    "Then how about looking for the core of a beast and absorbing the essence that is still stored in it" asked the bracelet.


    "If it is the beast core you are talking about, I have one with me here" replied Jason as he took out the beast core he took from the giant lizard but hid it quickly as he was afraid that the grand elder would find out about it.


    "You can use that core but the problem is that there is not much essence stored inside that will help you achieve a breakthrough into the next stage not to talk about breaking through into the foundation realm" said the bracelet.


    "Well at least it is something, so tell me what other options do you have" asked Jason.


    "Will you agree to face lightning strikes" reply the bracelet with a question.


    "And why would I be that foolish as to face a lightning strike, only a fool will be so bold as to face a lightening" reply Jason with a frown on his face.


    "That is the last choice you have kid and if it is still not enough, you can go to the fox family library to search for ways" said the bracelet.


    "Like they are going to let a nobody into the library that easily" commented Jason.


    "If it were to be then when you haven''t won the tournament, I would have said that it is indeed impossible but not now that the grand elder is your boss. Going in will be as easy as killing a fly" said the bracelet.


    "You have a point there but I still feel like I won''t be granted access to read more books that will be more helpful to me" reply Jason with a sigh.


    "What is wrong with you boy, I can''t believe you could be this dumb. Can''t you persuade him to grant you access into the other layer of the library as long as you don''t have to read any technique that has to do with the family" said the bracelet.


    "Let''s me give it a try and see how things play out if he will be able to do as you say but I doubt that he will knowing how sneaky his character is" replied Jason as he made his way back to where the grand elder is resting.


    Raising the lid of his eyes to see who is approaching him only to see that it was Jason who was approaching him. With a frown on his face, the grand elder didn''t wait for him to come close before asking.


    "What is it this time around boy and make it quick because this body of mine needs a break".


    "Hahaha, I am sorry if I am disturbing your free time, I just want to make a little request since it has to do with me making a breakthrough into the next realm" replied Jason with a laugh.


    "Since it has to do with your objective I will say you let it out quick" said the grand elder with a smile.


    "Well I was thinking of going into the family library to see if there are any records that have means of breaking through stages quickly and since I am not a member of the family, I thought I should ask for permission from you" replied Jason.


    "And you think there are records about such things in the library" asked the grand elder as he raised his head to give Jason a meaningful look.


    "It is called a library for a reason, if it couldn''t hold any record about it then it should be able to have records about refining the body" replied Jason.


    The grand elder went into thought but it didn''t take long before he quickly nodded his head as he made a little wave of his hand as a token could be seen laying in it.


    "Here is my token, show it to the guard that is stationed there and you will be granted access inside, I hope you will be able to find what you are looking for kid" said the grand elder with a light chuckle as he passed the token to Jason.


    "Thank you grand elder, I thought you are going to make things hard for me but who would have thought that you will be this caring as to give me a token. Now I know why the heaven still decided to keep you alive" praise Jason.


    "You should mind what you search for while you are there if you don''t want to be banned from going in and believe me when I say I won''t be able to help you once you are banned from entering the library by elder Chris and for crying out loud, I am still strong and will be able to live longer than you if war were to break out now" said the grand elder with a twitched face.


    "Don''t worry I won''t go as far as to read about the fox family" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Since you don''t have anything else to say, can you leave me to enjoy my afternoon in peace" said the grand elder as he waved Jason away.


    Walking out with a wide smile on his face as the grand elder went back to rest his back on the chair and was just about to close his eyes to nap but that was when Jason said out.


    "If war were to break out, I would be the first to leave this place before any harm could come to my family, so you are still going to die before me".


    Laughing as he made his way towards the door, the grand elder couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he muttered to himself.


    "I wonder if he is not scared of me at all for him to say those words, if it were to be those kids from the family, it would have been very challenging for them to even ask me a question rather than saying foul words".


    After making his way to the door, Jason saw Austin who was in a meditation state with his eyes closed, and he couldn''t help but smile to himself as he said.


    "Hey cheater, let''s hope you will be able to breakthrough into the seventh layer of tempered body and not to talk about the foundation realm".


    "Look who''s talking, I think you are forgetting the grand elder saying I won''t have a problem breaking through so I wouldn''t have a problem with the foundation realm unlike you who is not even close to feeling the shackles that are binding you from entering the seventh stage" replied Austin with a smile.

 Chapter 65 - The Glowing Book

    "We are going to see if being a step ahead of me will put you in a better position to win bet" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I can see you have found a way to speed up your cultivation and so do i" replied Austin as he also smiled.


    "Oh, I see that you have discovered the energy that is filled in this place for you to say that but what I have is far more better than the energy that is flowing here" said Jason.


    "There is really that much of an energy in this place" asked Austin with a confused look on his face before closing his eyes as he tried to feel his surroundings and it didn''t take long before a smile could be seen on his face.


    "I believe this is what you are trying to hide from me am I right. Now I know why I always feel so refreshed after meditating, now I have more chances to break through into the foundation realm all thanks to you Jason" added Austin.


    "Me and my big mouth, anyways I wouldn''t count on the little energy store here if I were you" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I know that you are trying to make me lose interest in meditating here but it won''t work Jason and by the way, I still have other means to speed up my cultivation" said Austin.


    "Well since that is not the only option you have, then I guess I have to be on my way and start working if I still want to beat you to it" replies Jason as he makes his way out of the alchemy room.


    "You think I don''t know you are going to the family library to search on how to make a breakthrough quickly" said Austin with a laugh at Jason, who was walking out not long just halted his step as he turned around in shock.


    "How did you know that I am going to the library" asked Jason.


    "Haha, I won''t I know when you don''t know how to keep your voice down" replied Austin with a laugh.


    "Do you think it is funny" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Yeah man, I wish you could see the look on your face" replied Austin as he couldn''t stop himself from laughing.


    "I wonder if you will be able to continue laughing if I should kick your face off" said Jason.


    "I would like to see you try by the way we still have a match, we can have it outside if you think you are strong enough to stand on equal ground with me" replied Austin as he began to stretch his body indicating that he is good to go.


    "You must think that I will be scared of you just because you are this close to your breakthrough but I am not. We''ll have our fight another day" said Jason as he turn around as he walk out of the alchemy location and headed for the library which didn''t take him long to reach as he quickly brought out the token that the grand elder gave him for the guard to check if it is the real thing before he was let in.


    After he was allowed access to the library, the first thing Jason did was to look around as it was his first time entering the library. Walking to a shelf as he picked up a book title "the continent" as he gave it a little flipping before putting back into the shelf with an amusing look on his face.


    "Are you surprised that the world you live in is this big" asked the bracelet as he understood the meaning behind the expression he had on his face.


    "Who would have thought that we are actually living in a small part of the continent" replied Jason.


    "Don''t worry kid, when you are strong enough to watch out for yourself then you can journey into the unknown" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Yeah and the first thing I will do is take my revenge" replied Jason.


    "Do you mind forgetting about revenge for now and look for what you are here for" said the bracelet as he reminded Jason of their mission.


    Taking a walk around as he begins to search for records that had to deal with breakthrough and body refining and were able to pick a few books as he head to an empty sit as he got through the record and to his shock, what was written inside was exactly what the bracelet said and there are some of the options that were not recorded like Absorbing the essence from the beast core directly.


    "Looks like there is no other option open for you kid" said the bracelet.


    "Looks like I will have to start killing beast then taking their core for my cultivation use or I can go buy some in the market which is easier except for the part that I have to pay for them" reply Jason with a sigh.


    "Killing a beast is the most effective since you will be only absorbing the essence stored inside and you will be killing two birds with one stone" said the bracelet.


    "But how am I supposed to kill two birds with one stone when I can''t protect myself down there" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "You still have me remember, finding those that are weaker than you shouldn''t be a big deal for me" replied the bracelet in assurance.


    "Then how am I supposed to dodge the grand elder after promising not to go into the beast territory again" asked Jason.


    "You can just go without telling him" replied the bracelet.


    "If I should go, then it will be well known that I went back to the beast territory and with his strength, charging in to get me out for a beating will be an easy task for him" said Jason as he with a fearful look on his face.


    "You will have to think of a way for you to go without him knowing" replied the bracelet.


    "I heard you but before I could do that, I think I should take the opportunity that was presented to me to go through some books" said Jason.


    "Good idea since I am already getting tired of dealing with a dumb kid" commented the bracelet.


    "You are looking for a fight now huh" said Jason.


    "But it is the truth. Why don''t you go search for records about some technique since there should be some stored him" replied the bracelet.


    Getting up as he begin to around from one shelf to another in search of a technique but couldn''t find any and was getting tired of it but that all change when he saw an old record with a faint glow at a place where no one would have ever thought something was kept there. Making his way to the spot where the book was kept as he stretched his hand forward to pick it and the moment his hand came in contact with the book, he felt strength leaving him as he begin to see things blurry while swaying around.


    "Hey, Jason are you okay" asked the bracelet when he saw the way Jason was acting.


    "I don''t know what is happening to me, I just feel dry of energy and where did the book go" said Jason as he couldn''t see the book anymore.


    "Who cares where it went, all that matters right now is how to get you back to being fit since we don''t what is happening to you" replied the bracelet.


    "I think I will just head home and rest. Maybe I will go back to the way I used to after a day of rest" said Jason.


    "Good idea but do you think you will be able to walk home in this state" asked the bracelet worriedly.


    "I think I can manage" reply Jason as he begin to walk towards where he sat to read when he suddenly fell on the ground unconscious.


    The library attendant was just walking by when he saw someone lying on the ground as he went close to check if the reader is dead but felt his pulse was getting weak as he begin to panic and called for all personal to call that a reader was dying. Reaching where the voice of the library attendant was, the rest were shocked to see that a kid was lying on the ground and the guard who let him in was the first to speak out.


    "What happened to the kid".


    "I don''t know, I just saw him lying here" replied the library attendant.


    Squatting on the ground as he places his finger on Jason''s neck to feel his pulse only for him to notice that his aura is dropping by the second.


    "We need to take him to the grand elder in the alchemy room" said the guard as he quickly picked Jason up and ran out of the library.

 Chapter 66 - Strange World

    The grand elder was just enjoying his time in the chair when he heard footsteps coming from outside as he raised up his head to look outside before calling Austin over.


    "I want you to stop them from coming inside" said the grand elder after Austin''s arrival.


    Bowing before walking outside as he waits for the newcomers to come close.


    "This is where your journey ends, the grand elder is not in the mood to see anyone right now" said Austin as he spread his hand wide up to stop their advancement.


    "Please Austin we really have to see the grand elder before things get worse" pleaded the library attendant who was very familiar with Austin.


    "I am sorry I can''t let you in since that was the order that was given to me by the grand elder" replied Austin with a stern face.


    "This matter has to do with a young kid who has a close tie with the grand elder" said the guard that was carrying Jason on his shoulder.


    Seeing that Jason was laying on the guard''s shoulder, Austin couldn''t help but put his hand down as he took a step forward to take a closer look at him.


    After verifying that it was really Jason, Austin turned to the guard as he asked him with a frown on his face.


    "What happened to him, did he cause you guys trouble to the extent that you have to beat him into losing his consciousness".


    "That''s not what happened Austin, he was found laying on the ground cold and we have to rush him here for the grand elder to take a look at him since there was nothing we can do" replied the library attendant with a fearful look on his face.


    "What do you mean by he was found on the floor, someone must have attacked him" said Austin.


    "We already checked if he was attacked but there was no trace of him being attacked and his pulse seems to be getting weaker" replied the guard.


    "Wait here let me go get the grand elder" said Austin seeing how dire the situation is.


    Austin was just about to run back to the alchemy room to get the grand elder but before he could take a step, the grand elder had already arrived before him as he said.


    "There will be no need for you to go look for me. Let me take a look at him".


    Seeing that the grand elder has arrived, the group that came let out a breath of relief since the grand elder would be able to help the young man. After getting to the guard that was carrying Jason, the grand elder instructed him to put Jason down before he placed his finger on his neck to feel his pulse and let go after he was done.


    "You can go back to what you were doing now" said the grand elder to the group before instructing Austin to take him inside.


    Seeing the grand elder acting calm to the matter they all thought he must have found out what was wrong with him as they began to leave one after the other until it was only Austin and the grand elder that was left.


    Carrying the body into the alchemy room, Austin gently lays him down as he turns to look at his face still in confusion on how someone could just go unconscious without being attacked or exhausted. Seeing the way Austin was looking at him, the grand elder couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he said to Austin.


    "Don''t worry about him. I am sorry he won''t die although he seems to be getting weak, I can still feel the strong life force in him".


    "What if he didn''t wake up ever again and just stay like this" asked Austin with a concerned look on his face.


    "I doubt he won''t be able to gain consciousness based on his stubborn nature but there is a problem here and I want you to look into it" replied the grand elder.


    "What is it that you want me to do, grand elder" asked Austin.


    "I want you to head to the library and see if you can find anything that will help us to know what happened to him" replied the grand elder.


    "Right away, I promise to return with evidence" said Austin as he ran out of the alchemy room towards the library.


    "It won''t matter if you came back with nothing. Now let me try and see what is truly wrong with you" mutter the grand elder as he places his hand on the body of Jason while performing a check-up.


    Meanwhile, in an unknown world that is filled with destroyed plants and buildings, Jason could be seen laying on the ground. Waking up from a long dream Jason sat down as he began to massage his neck as he turned to look at where he was only to see that the place was destroyed.


    "Where am I? How come the fox family has been reduced to this state? The last thing I remembered is losing my consciousness right after coming in contact with that book. Hey did you think the book had anything to do with this" asked Jason as he turned to the bracelet for an answer only for him to get silent as a reply.


    "That is strange, how come he is not answering, or is it also taking a nap and has not woken up" said Jason before getting up as he began to take a look at the place.


    Coming out of the building that he woke up from, the first thing he saw was a skeleton that was sitting on the ground while resting its back on the wall. Ignoring the skeleton, Jason continued to look around him as more skeletons could be seen with some being destroyed and he was getting confused about the place he is right now.


    "Am I really in the fox family or is this just a dream" said Jason with a frightened look on his face.


    Walking back into the building with a skeleton sitting on the ground, Jason felt at ease as he believed he could take care of the skeleton. After waiting in the building, Jason''s head began to run wild as he thought to himself.


    "Is this a dream" said Jason as he started to pinch himself and the pain was three which cleared his doubt of being in a dream but then again if it is not a dream then where is he and how in the world did he get now.


    Walking around once more in hope of finding someone, Jason came across a giant statue of a man which was covered in weed and some parts were missing from the statue. Going through his memory as he tried to remember if he has seen the statue in the fox family but there was no memory of it and Jason proceeded to give it a touch but the moment his hand came in contact with the statue, it crumble to the ground and Jason quickly took a step back as he prepared himself for a battle but to his surprise, nothing happened apart from the statue falling apart everything seen to go smoothly.


    "What is happening here, why is everything so out of place. And is that lazy bracelet spirit going to wake up" said Jason with a sigh as he sat on the ground.


    Looking at what''s left of the statue, Jason suddenly caught sight of a green light coming out of the statue and before he knew it, the figure of the being that was made into a statue was now standing before him with a sad look on his face as he turned around the place.


    Jason was just about to call out to him but then he began to feel dizzy and lost consciousness. After some time Jason could hear the voice of people talking as he opened his eyes only for him to see the grand elder and Austin standing before him while discussing something but suddenly stopped when they saw him gaining consciousness.


    "Hey man, you finally made up your mind to wake up huh" said Austin with a smile on his face as he slapped him lightly on his shoulder.


    "What happened, why am I laying on the bed" asked Jason as he looked around him in confusion as to why he was in a strange world sometimes ago and now back to the world he was familiar with.


    "You went unconscious in the library and were brought here by the guard boy now tell me what really happened in the library" replied the grand elder with a serious look on his face as he waited for Jason to speak up.


    "I don''t remember much apart from picking


    up a book after I was done with my research and everything else became blank" replied Jason as he rubbed his hand on his neck.

 Chapter 67 - Hannah Now Have A Friend

    The grand elder went into silence as he gave Jason a look that one will give when they feel like they are being lied to and seeing that the grand elder was acting, Jason couldn''t help but speak up.


    "I am telling the truth here so stop looking at me like that it is really annoying".


    "How do you expect me to believe that you pass out after coming in contact with a book eh" replied the grand elder with a frown.


    "That is really strange Jason because I also went to the library to take a look at things to see if there is anything that looks abnormal not to mention there was no book where you were lying unconscious" added Austin.


    "Wait did you just say that the book was not discovered or it was kept back on the shelf? '''' asked Jason in surprise, the book was nowhere to be found.


    "That''s right and I even used the name of the grand elder to get the truth from them but the answer was still the same" replied Austin.


    "Or did it disappear after I went unconscious" said Jason in a low voice but did not escape the grand elder and Austin''s ears.


    "It did not only disappear into thin air, but it also went berserk as the whole of the library was almost destroyed" yelled the grand elder.


    "Really, did that happen" asked Jason as he turned to the grand elder for an answer.


    "Of course not, how can you say it just disappeared, look kid if you offended someone and were threatened not to say a thing, then you are doing a bad thing for not telling me" said the grand elder with a frown.


    "But I am telling the truth grand elder, have I ever lied to you" asked Jason.


    "You know what, I am not going to ask you about it again so you can go home before it gets late" said the grand elder as he walked back to his chair.


    Getting up from the bed that he was laying on, Jason bowed to the grand elder before walking out. Having walked out for a minute, Austin also came out as he was about to leave for home but before going out, he went after Jason who had been thinking about the event that happened in the strange world.


    "Hey wait up man" called Austin as he ran towards him.


    Turning around only to see Austin standing in front of him with a wide smile on his face.


    Surprise to see Austin taking the wrong path home. Jason couldn''t help but ask.


    "I think you are going the wrong way Austin, the way home is that way".


    "Nonsense, how can I forget my way home" said Austin.


    "Okay since you say so then tell me what are you doing here" asked Jason.


    "Well I decided to walk you home since you just gained consciousness, you could be attacked at any time" replied Austin.


    "Thank you for caring but you don''t need to worry if I will be able to get home safely" said Jason.


    "I know that you are angry we did not believe you, it is not that we did not believe instead it is kind of hard to believe that a book just disappeared into thin air after coming in contact with you" commented Austin.


    "Yeah I know. Please if you don''t mind, I want to walk home by myself. Seeing you walking me home will put my mother in suspense and I believe you must have heard about her condition" said Jason.


    "No problem man, see you tomorrow then" replied Austin as he slapped him on the shoulder lightly before going home.


    After Austin had left, Jason looked for a quiet place to sit before calling out to the bracelet which didn''t take long before he got a reply.


    "How are you feeling now" asked the bracelet.


    "I am feeling better, I heard the book was not found in the library" replied Jason.


    "Yes kid, it kind of disappeared before you lost consciousness" said the bracelet.


    "This is really strange" replied Jason as he rested his hand on his cheek.


    "Are you talking about the book disappearing" asked the bracelet.


    "Not only that, after losing my consciousness I woke up in a place that looked abandoned for years with skeletons all over the place" replied Jason as he still recalled the world he saw.


    "Come on kid, that is just a dream" said the bracelet.


    "I don''t think it is a dream cause everything felt so real and I even tried to reach you but there was no reply and there is this statue that crumbled after I touched it only for a young man to appear in the form of a light" replied Jason.


    "Do you remember what the place looked like" asked the bracelet seriously.


    "Not really, at first I thought I was in the fox family territory but that all changed when I came out of the building" replied Jason.


    "What did you see when you came out of the building" asked the bracelet.


    "When I came out of the building the first thing I saw were skeletons all over the place like there was a battle with the buildings being almost destroyed and I was frightened to the extent that I had to run back into the building that I came from" replied Jason, still feeling frightened by the scene he saw.


    "I am really getting confused here, are you not sure it''s just a dream" asked the bracelet.


    "I am telling you it is not. Then the moment the figure appeared before me, I suddenly woke up. So tell me how on earth can I dream about someone that I don''t know" replied Jason with his question.


    "I don''t know, maybe it is just a vision" said the bracelet.


    "It is more than that and I believe that the book is linked to all this" replied Jason.


    "Are you suggesting that we find the book" asked the bracelet.


    "Yes and we need to be quick about it because I feel like there is more to it than just a vision and I need to know what happened to that place" replied Jason.


    "Don''t go and involve yourself in a case that has nothing to do with you and by the way how are you going to find the book since it has disappeared" asked the bracelet.


    "I don''t know but one thing that I am certain of is that as long as it can appear in the library it may still be inside the library" replied Jason.


    "So you are thinking of going back to the library to search for the book" asked the bracelet.


    "I think so since it is the only lead I have right now" replied Jason.


    "And you actually think that you will be allowed to go in after what happened today" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course they will as long as I still have the token with me" reply Jason.


    "So what are you going to do about breaking through to the foundation realm in a year," asked the bracelet.


    "Well, I still got that on my mind but will only focus on it after searching for the book in the library" reply Jason.


    Continuing his journey back home, Jason made sure to act as if all is well as he approached the tent only to see that Hannah was not sitting on her regular spot which was very surprising to Jason for whenever he comes home, he will always meet her there. Making his way into the tent, he was not able to find Hannah, left with no other choice, Jason asked his mother.


    "Mother where is Hannah".


    "I don''t know Jason, she just left saying that she is going to meet a friend and that was about three hours ago and she is not yet back" replied Clara.


    "Hannah now has a friend in the fox family" said Jason in surprise.


    "What can I say, since you are no longer staying by her side that much, I think she became bored so she decided to go out to look for a friend" replied Clara.


    "It''s not like I don''t want to play with her but I have been busy with work lately and if things went well, I will be able to follow the fox family to explore a ruin next year and getting treasures from there will be very helpful to us" said Jason.


    "You are going with them to a ruin Jason, I see that you have really grown close to them to think that you can actually trust them, what if they turn on you" asked Clara with a worried look.


    "Don''t worry mother, as long as Austin went with me, then I don''t have to worry about anyone stabbing me on the back" replied Jason.


    "I see that you have also made a friend in the fox family" said Clara with a smile.


    "I don''t think we are friends, rather you can call us competitors" replied Jason.

 Chapter 68 - Promise

    "It is good to make friends around you, so don''t feel ashamed to make friends with someone from the family" said Clara.


    "I am not saying that he is not my friend but we are more of a competitor''s mother" replied Jason.


    While they were talking, Hannah walk in with a smile on her face but her expression quickly change to a frown when she saw Jason as she continued to walk toward her mother.


    "Mother I am back" said Hannah with a smile on her face as she sat close to their mother.


    "How was your day today. I hope you have fun" asked Clara with a smile on her face.


    "It went well mother" replied Hannah with a bright smile on her face.


    "I heard you now have friends from the fox family" asked Jason.


    "And what does it have to do with you, are you going to stop me from seeing them" replied Hannah angrily.


    "Did I said something wrong for you to answer like that" asked Jason in confusion for this is the first time that Hannah has lash at him but the problem now is that he doesn''t even know how he has offended her.


    "I don''t care what you say all I am trying to say is you should stop asking me questions" replied Hannah.


    "What has gotten into you" asked Jason with a frown.


    "Stop asking me like you care about my well-being" replied Hannah.


    "Hannah that not a good way to talk to your elder brother" said Clara as she stared at Hannah.


    "I am sorry mother" said Hannah before getting up and walk out of the tent without even turning around to look at them.


    Seeing the way Hannah is behaving, Jason couldn''t help but turn to his mother before asking.


    "Did something happen while I was away".


    "We were living just as we used to, and this is the first time that I have seen her get angry for no reason" replied Clara.


    "It seems like she is angry with me because she only started acting strange the moment she saw me" said Jason.


    "You know your sister to be the kind of person to keep her emotions hidden, so you have to try and remember if you offended her in any way" comment Clara.


    "How am I supposed to offend my little sister when she is the only one I got" replied Jason.


    "I am just saying you should think about what you have done to make her act that way towards you" said Clara with a sigh.


    "I don''t think I have wrong her in any way but I will still give it a thought" reply Jason before walking out of the tent as he went looking for Hannah only to see her sitting on her spot.


    After finding where she is, Jason begins to reck his brain as he tries to remember how he has wrong her.


    "I can see that you are not only a liar but also a promise-breaker" said the bracelet in disdain.


    "What is that all about, how am I a promise-breaker" asked Jason as he doesn''t understand what the bracelet is getting out.


    "Ain''t you the one that promises to spend more time with her once you return from your training with Austin so how far have you been able to spend more time with her" reply the bracelet with his own question.


    "This¡­ I did I forget about that and you couldn''t even remind me, what kind of a friend are you" asked Jason.


    "How am I supposed to know that you have forgotten about the promise" replied the bracelet.


    Choosing to ignore the bracelet, Jason made his way to Hannah who lifted her head to look at him.


    "What do you want now" asked Hannah with a frown.


    "Look I know that you are angry at me for not spending much time with you since I just came back" replied Jason.


    "You just came back eh, you think I did not know that you have returned from your training since morning together with that guy that let you win the tournament and the grand elder" asked Hannah.


    "We were busy with something which is why I was not able to come home early but tell you what, how about going to work with me tomorrow" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Do you really mean it" asked Hannah in surprise.


    "Sure since I don''t have that much time to spend at home, I have decided to take to work tomorrow as a way to please you" replied Jason.


    "What about the grand elder, ain''t you worried about what he is going to say" asked Hannah as she feel comfortable about the idea.


    "Don''t worry about the grand elder, as long as you don''t touch his things" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Okay then I will forgive you this once" said Hannah with a smile.


    "Alright now back to my question, who are you hanging out with" asked Jason.


    "I wasn''t hanging out with anyone, I just went for a walk" replied Hannah.


    "Then why did you have to lie to mother that you are going to meet up with a friend" asked Jason.


    "I just don''t want her to worry too much about me leaving which is why I have to lie to hear" replied Hannah.


    "I see that it runs in the family" said the bracelet.


    "What runs in the family" asked Jason.


    "You all are liars, and I thought you are the only one who can''t do without lying" replied the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "I guess your previous master was an honest man until the day he passed away" said Jason.


    "It depends on the situation and besides he never did things the way you do" replied the bracelet.


    "And what is wrong with the way I do things" asked Jason with a frown.


    "I don''t have the time to argue with you right now" replied the bracelet.


    After promising to take her with him tomorrow, Jason decided to sit with her as they began to discuss how training went.


    Morning.


    After doing his usual meditation, Jason left home together with Hannah while leaving their mother to stay alone. On getting to the alchemy room, Jason opened the door only to see that Austin had already arrived and was sweeping the place.


    "Do you even go home yesterday after closing for the day" asked Jason.


    "Hey slow down man, of course I went home after closing yesterday" replied Austin.


    "If you did then how come you are this early to work" asked Jason once more.


    "It is my habit to always wake up early before the sun sets to train. By the way who is that young miss beside you " replied Austin before turning his attention to Hannah.


    "Meet my sister Hannah, Hannah meets Austin my annoying friend" said Jason as he began to introduce them.


    "Don''t you think calling me by my name sounds kinda rude" said Austin with a smile.


    "So what do you expect her to call you" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Big brother should be enough I guess" replied Austin with a laugh.


    "Indeed it is more proper for you to be called big brother but it is quite unfortunate for you that I am the only big brother she has" said Jason with a smile.


    "Is it okay if I just refer to you as brother Austin" asked Hannah as she cut into their conversation.


    "That is very sweet of you Hannah, of course you can refer to me as brother Austin" replied Austin with a warm smile on his face.


    "So what brings you here into the alchemy room" asked Austin.


    "My big brother promise to take me around the place since he no longer has time to spend with me" replied Hannah.


    "You couldn''t come up with any better and brought her here, what is the grand elder going to say if he sees her" asked Austin as he turned to Jason.


    "Don''t worry about him, I have already thought of what to say to him" replied Jason.


    While they were talking, the grand elder suddenly work in with his hand behind his back. And seeing him, the trio bow as they greeted him.


    "Did you bring the recipe for making the pill" asking the grand elder.


    "Dammit I forgot about it, but not to worry I will have to write it down for you since I still remember the content" replied Jason.


    "No problem but I hope you don''t I single bit of it else I won''t be able to make the pill, meaning we''ll have to go look for another horn leopard" said the grand elder.


    "How can I forget about the content when I have risked my life just to get the ingredient" replied Jason.


    "If you say so then, so who is that kid beside you" asked the grand elder as he looked at Jason while waiting for answers.


    "She''s my younger sister" replied Jason.

 Chapter 69 - The Halberd

    Ignoring the matter with his sister, the grand elder requested him to write the recipe down, and doing as he had been told, Jason wrote it down before passing it to the grand elder to take a look at it.


    Going through the content that was written inside, a frown was drawn on his face and Jason noticing this couldn''t help but ask.


    "So do you think that you can make the pill".


    "It will be very troublesome and tiring for me but I believe that as long as the ingredients are complete, I will be able to make it" replied the grand elder.


    "I hope they are among the batch that will be sent to the family" said Jason with a sigh.


    "Big brother, what pill are you trying to make here" asked Hannah.


    "I am trying to make a pill that will cure mother of the illness that has been troubling her" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    Hearing her brother talking about curing their mother, tears begin to flow from her eyes. Seeing his sister crying, Jason used his hand to wipe the tears off his eyes.


    "You are no longer a kid so stop crying" said Jason with a smile.


    Keeping the recipe in his robe, the grand elder begins with his work while the others watch from behind and after he is done with refining the pills, he gives them some before going to take his seat. Leaving the alchemy room after they were done cleaning the place, Jason took Hannah to the library.


    "Big brother, what are we doing here" asked Hannah confused as to why her brother would come to the library.


    "Your big brother is here to look for a book" replied Jason as he began to look for the book. Searching from one shelf to another as he was not able to find the book.


    "Where could it be" mutters Jason to him.


    "I told you it is no longer in this place but you won''t listen. Keep on searching, maybe you will see it when the sun goes down" replied the bracelet in mockery.


    "I guess I will just leave you here to help me search for the book" said Jason before walking out of the library.


    While leaving the library, the library attendant and the guard couldn''t help but turn to look at him while he was leaving.


    "He seems okay to me" said the library attendant after much observation.


    "Yeah, maybe the grand elder has cured him of whatever that is wrong with him.


    After leaving the library they went home and that is how the day ended and the next day and day after was spent in the alchemy room until it became the tenth day where he headed straight to the blacksmith to get his weapon.


    "So is my weapon ready yet or do you want me to wait for more days before you hand it over to me" asked Jason as he walked into the room.


    "It would be ready in a bit" replies the dwarf as he continues to hammer away at what he is waiting for.


    "What a forger you are to make your customers wait for their weapon to be made" said Jason with a sigh.


    The dwarf clenched his teeth together as he tried to stop himself from cursing at the annoying brat in front of him knowing who was behind him. After he was done hammering away, the dwarf placed the weapon into a drum of water before placing it down on the table.


    "Finally I am done with these annoying brat weapons mutter the dwarf as he wipes the beads of sweat from his head.


    "Is that my weapon you are hammering just now" asked Jason as he got up from where he sat to look at the weapon.


    "Yes that is your weapon that I have been working on for days now kid, and let me tell you it took me two good days to finally break it down" replied the dwarf.


    Looking at the weapon on the table, Jason couldn''t help but ask with a frown on his face.


    "What is this thing you made me".


    "That is a halberd you are looking at" replied the dwarf with a proud look on his face.


    "This is not what I asked for, so why did you make me this" asked Jason as he pointed at the halberd which looks like an axe with a pointing tip that looks like a spear.


    "You told me to make you a spear and I made you one with two parts" replied the dwarf before picking the halberd up as he pointed it forward.


    Making a light swing of the halberd before placing it back on the table.


    "With this, you will be able to attack your enemy while dealing damage more powerful than a sword and also defend yourself against any attack" said the dwarf with a smile on his face.


    "Okay, I think I can deal with that but why did you have to go as far as to make my weapon look uglier than what I told you to do" asked Jason.


    "Ain''t you the one that told me to make it look ugly to avoid your peers to not place it in their eyes so why are you complaining" replied the dwarf with a sad look on his face.


    "That is because you made it look really ugly that what I expected, now tell me how am I supposed to walk around carrying this ugly halberd as a weapon, do you want me to look like a fool before my peers" said Jason.


    "Alright that is it, I have had enough of all this nonsense. Since I am done making your weapon as promised, you may now take your leave before I mess you up with my tools" replied the dwarf who couldn''t take it anymore as he brought out the hammer he used in forging.


    "Hey take it easy man I was only playing with you, do I look like someone who is not satisfied with your excellent work" said Jason as he took a step back with a smile on his face.


    "I don''t care if you are joking or not, I just want you out of my workshop" yelled the dwarf in anger.


    "Hey calm down man, I am here to talk to you about a proposal" said Jason seeing that if he didn''t speak up quickly, he would be kicked out of the workshop.


    Hearing that Jason has a proposal for him, the dwarf stops yelling as he places the hammer down before asking.


    "What proposal is that and it has to be something good else I will beat the hell out of you before kicking you out of this place not minding if you are the grand elder disciple".


    "Well I am not his disciple actually, but back to what I have to say. I will be going out to train in the wild and I was thinking of letting you have the materials I acquired while I am in my trying as long as you agreed to make me something out of it" replied Jason.


    "I can''t just make you stuff kid, it will depend on the materials that you can find while you are in your training" said the dwarf as he finally put the hammer away.


    "Alright then since it will depend on the materials I was able to get my hands on, then I will have to sell the ones that won''t be useful to me at a discount price to you" Jason suggested with a smile.


    "No problem since it will save me all the trouble of going from one place to the other in search of materials" agreed the dwarf as he extended his hand forward to have a handshake with Jason which signifies their partnership.


    "I almost forgot, do you have one of those things that are used to store items because I don''t have any with me" said Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "Since we are now working together, you can have one of my storage ring" replied the dwarf before taking out his storage ring and passing it to Jason.


    "Holding the ring in his hand, Jason quickly gave it a good look before keeping it in his robe which confused the dwarf.


    "Why are you keeping it hidden instead of wearing it on your hand" asked the dwarf.


    "That is because I don''t want those from the family to snatch it from me" replied Jason before picking the halberd up and wrapping a cloth around it before hanging it behind him before walking out.


    Walking out of the blacksmith shop with a wide smile on his face, Jason walks back to the alchemy room as he can''t wait to show off his halberd to the grand elder and Austin.


    "So you finally made up your mind to go into the beast territory" asked the bracelet with a light chuckle.


    "It''s about time I make a breakthrough" replied Jason.

 Chapter 70 - Fear My Return

    "So what option are you going to pick kid" asked the bracelet.


    "I will be going for both the blood and core of the beast that I slay" replied Jason.


    "I don''t think your body will be able to handle that amount of energy so stop being a greedy kid" said the bracelet.


    "It is not me being greedy but trying to meet up so that I won''t be left behind to sit with the grand elder all day when I should be having fun exploring a ruin" reply Jason.


    "I know you really want to go but that will not be possible if you end up harming yourself" said the bracelet.


    "Can we stop talking about me getting injured here and let''s not forget that you are the one that came up with the idea in the first place" reply Jason.


    "And you are the one that asked me if there is a way for you to make a breakthrough into the foundation realm, so why are you putting the blame on me" asked the bracelet.


    "Things would have been different if you just told me about either of the two options but you didn''t" replied Jason.


    Continuing on his way to the alchemy room while he argued with the bracelet, it didn''t take him much time before he got there where he saw Austin meditating. Not wasting the time that was presented to him to shine, Jason took the wrapped halberd from his back before unwrapping it.


    "Hey Austin take a look at my new weapon" called out Jason as he slammed the tail of the floor while creating a crack on it.


    Austin couldn''t help but smile when he saw where Jason had landed his weapon on without Jason noticing it.


    "Looks like you can''t live a day without causing trouble. Well let''s see how the grand elder is going to handle this matter" said Austin as he couldn''t stop himself from laughing.


    "What has gotten into him for him to act this way" said Jason to himself as he don''t understand why Austin is acting strange.


    "Hey kid takes a good look at where you drop the halberd, I think you need to learn to control your strength" advises the bracelet.


    Shifting his gaze to where the tail of the halberd is only for him to see a crack in its wake and it is a big crack at that.


    "I am doomed, how am I supposed to explain what happened here to the grand elder" said Jason as he just stood there looking at the crack.


    "What is going on here" asked the grand elder as he walked in only to stop on his track as he looked at the crack below the halberd.


    "I can explain to the grand elder, it was never intentional" replied Jason when he saw the look on the grand elder''s face.


    "I see that you now have a new weapon and have yet to control your strength" said the grand elder as he continued to look at the crack before lifting his eyes on the halberd.


    "It is just as you said grand elder, I just dropped it not knowing that it will cause this amount of damage" replied Jason with a bow.


    "What an ugly halberd this is, I don''t see the need for you to show me such an ugly thing" commented Austin as he continued to laugh.


    "How about we have a look at what this new weapon of yours can do" said the grand elder as he ignored Austin.


    "I don''t want to waste much of your time so I will try it out when I have free time" replied Jason.


    "I won''t force you kid but it would be more beneficial for you if you let me try it out with you" said the grand elder.


    "Maybe another time" replied Jason as he kept the halberd back on his back.


    "Whatever you say kid and as for that crack, you better think of a way to fix it" said the grand elder before going back to relax on his chair.


    After keeping the halberd, Jason began to work on the crack until he was completely done fixing it before he turned to Austin who was laughing at him earlier.


    "Since you were laughing like a fool earlier I think you might be looking for a fight, so if you are still interested in battling with me then why don''t we go for a little spark" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I can see that you have really become arrogant these days and with a new toy in hand, your arrogance knows no bounds but like every other day, I will still come out on top as the victor" replied Austin.


    "Talking is cheap, why don''t we let our fist do the talking" said Jason as he clenched his face.


    Austin was just about to get up and approach Jason when the grand elder voice echoed from where he was resting.


    "If you two want to fight that badly, then you can do that when you are out of here and not when you are at work" said the grand elder voice.


    After being warned by the grand elder, Jason left to do his thing by the side while Austin went back to his meditation. While he was meditating for hours, it was finally time for him to breakthrough. Still with his eyes closed, Austin began to absorb more energy until he couldn''t anymore and that is when a shockwave left his body as it went a furnace but before it could get to the furnace, a barrier that was made from spiritual energy rose up and the shockwave slam into the barrier as it went out without making a sound.


    "I see that you finally made a breakthrough into the seventh layer of tempered body" said the grand elder as he walked out with his hand behind his back.


    "Wait did he just breakthrough" asked Jason in surprise.


    "Yes I did Jason and now I am not that far from reaching the foundation realm unlike you hahaha" laughed Austin after replying to Jason.


    "I hope you have the face to endure the insult when I beat you to becoming a foundation realm practitioner" said Jason.


    "Enough you two, Austin I believe now that you have made a breakthrough, your father will be willing to spend resources on you, so use it to your advantage and don''t slack in your training" said the grand elder.


    "I won''t let the resources my father would give me stop me from training since it was by training my body to the extreme that I was able to achieve my breakthrough" replied Austin.


    "That''s the spirit kid, now all that is left for you to do is make a breakthrough into the foundation realm and you will have taken your spot" encouraged the grand elder while stroking his beards.


    "I will try my best grand elder" said Austin with a bow.


    "And as for you Jason, I see that you are not interested in going with the others so be prepared to be my loyal assistant" said the grand elder to Jason who was just watching from the side.


    "How do you expect me to make a breakthrough like him when I don''t have anyone backing me not to talk about the time to train" asked Jason.


    "I know you are going to use that as an excuse since you are not a member of the family but still you should be able to make it before the time to set out so stop being lazy" reply the grand elder.


    "I am not being lazy the thing is I don''t have much time to practice" said Jason with a sigh.


    "If you don''t have enough time to practice, then make one yourself. You have all the time in the world so just provide some result instead of complaining" reply the grand elder.


    "Wait you mean I can actually take the time off until I have achieved a breakthrough into the foundation realm" asked Jason.


    "Yes since you are going to use working here as an excuse, it is better you just stay at home until the appointed time" replied the grand elder.


    "Alright then, since you have already given me permission to take a break at work, I will do my best to make a breakthrough before the time to set out but before that, can you lend me some pills to help with injuries since I am going to take an intense training" said Jason with a happy look on his face.


    "Here this should be enough for training but just in case it is not enough, you can always come back for more" said the grand elder as he passed Jason a mini bag that is filled with pills.


    "Thank you grand elder and as for you Austin, fear my return" said Jason in excitement before taking his leave.


    "Why do I feel like I have made a big mistake" said the grand elder as he watch Jason walking away happily.

 Chapter 71 - Time To Hunt

    "If you think it is a mistake to let him go, you can always call him back" said Austin as he believes where ever Jason went there will always be trouble.


    "Although he is a troublemaker, it is also true that no one is backing him so it is only fair to let him have his time" replied the grand elder as he turned around and went to sit in his chair.


    "Since he is given time to train, is it also possible for me to have the time to train too" asked Austin as he looked at the grand elder.


    "You have the backing of the family and since you have already achieved a breakthrough into the seventh stage of tempered body, I believe your father will be willing to waste more resources on you just so you can make it into the foundation realm unlike your half brother who is not taking his training serious" replied the grand elder.


    "But I might still need time to train my body apart from depending on the resource that was given to me" said Austin with a sad face as he also want to go out to train like he used to before working in the alchemy room.


    "The most perfect place for you to train is right here where there is enough supply of spiritual energy and someone to practice with" replied the grand elder.


    After being told that the perfect place is in the alchemy room, Austin finally gave up as he turned to the angle that Jason went as he said with a sigh.


    "How wish I could be as free as you Jason, doing wherever you feel like going without a family to hold you down".


    Going home in excitement, Jason didn''t talk much with his mother and Hannah as he begin to arrange the thing he will be taking along with him and saw him hurrying to get things done first.


    "I guess you are going on a training again" asked Clara.


    "Yes mother and this one is going to be a long one" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You need to take care of yourself while you are out there training and don''t forget to take a rest and always eat a lot, I don''t want to see you coming back while looking like a beggar," said Clara with a smile.


    "Mother you know how I love to eat so you don''t have to worry about that okay" replied Jason.


    "I am but what do you want me to say since I can''t persuade you to stay home with us instead of going out to train" said Clara with a sigh.


    "I know you are worried mother but your little boy knows how to take care of himself" replied Jason as he finally picked up his bag getting ready to leave.


    "Be careful out there big brother" said Hannah when seeing his brother was ready to leave.


    "Yeah, see you soon Hannah and don''t worry mother while I am away alright" replies Jason as he stroke her hair.


    "Do I look like a troublemaker like you, and please stop messing up my hair" said Hannah as she knocked his hand off her head.


    "Haha, you look prettier with that look on your face" complemented Jason before walking out of the tent before heading towards the wood but before leaving, he turned around to take a look at Hannah who was standing outside while watching him leave.


    "Will be seeing you later Hannah" waved Jason before turning around as he went into the woods.


    Taking his time as he begin to head for the beast''s territory, Jason couldn''t help but have a worried look on his face.


    "I can see that you are nervous kid" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "And why wouldn''t I be nervous when I am going to cause a commotion in the beast territory" replied Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Are you forgetting that you still had me with you, with my help, you will be able to avoid batting with a stronger beast while you will have a lot of fun battling with the weak beasts" said the bracelet with assurance.


    "If you say you can do that, then I will be happier to go in for some hunting" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I know you like taking the easy way and since we are here to get the beast blood and core which will be useful for your breakthrough, I will agree to help out but I think you should try fighting a beast that is at the same realm as you to know how powerful you are now" said the bracelet.


    "How already know how powerful I am while facing someone who is at the same realm as me so there is no need for me to prove anything by facing a beast who seen to be in the same realm as me but with more fighting power" replied Jason as he doesn''t agree with the bracelet idea.


    "I know you will not agree to it since you are scared of losing your life but the only way for you to bring out your real potential, is by standing while looking death in the eyes" said the bracelet.


    "You can go look death in the eyes but don''t ever think that I will be facing it with you" replied Jason with a frown.


    "I am still wondering how you were able to find me with this annoying character of yours" said the bracelet.


    "You can blame it on my lucky being so good at that time" replied Jason with a laugh.


    It took Jason until nighttime before he was able to make it to the end of the fox boundary. Taking a deep breath, he stepped foot in the beast territory with his halberd in hand before marching forward.


    "Where do you think I should go from here" asked Jason as he stop on his track and turn to look at his surrounding.


    "Go to the east, in about two minutes, this place will be occupied by beasts that operate in the night so you have to move quickly if you don''t want to have a farce fight with them" replied the bracelet.


    "Good thing you are with me man, you may not know this but you are a blessing from the heaven to compensate me for my loss" said Jason with a chuckle as he head toward the east in light speed.


    "This is not a blessing but rather a punishment from heaven kid" replied the bracelet in anger.


    "Haha, you can argue all you want but the truth will always remain the same, so tell me where should I go from here my precious gift from heaven" asked Jason with a laugh.


    "Watch it kid if you don''t want to die a premature death" replied the bracelet.


    "Haha, if I die that will be bad news for you since you won''t have anyone to provide you with spiritual energy" said Jason with a laugh.


    Seeing that there is no way that he could win against Jason, the bracelet let out a sigh as he replied.


    "There seen to be a beast with a low realm compared to yours to the left. although it will prove to be a little bit difficult for you, it shouldn''t be a big deal".


    "I guess the hunt has begun" said Jason in excitement before going in the direction that the bracelet pointed at.


    Going to the area that the bracelet pointed out, Jason saw a frog-like beast with spike all over its body like a porcupine. Wide a wide eye, Jason was just staring at the beast without moving an inch...


    "What kind of beast is that, and how am I supposed to hurt it with all those spikes surrounding it" said Jason in surprise.


    "You are still naive if you thought you have seen all the beast in the world, but for a beast like this, your weapon is more suitable since it is long enough for you to avoid getting in contact with those spikes" replied the bracelet.


    "Well I know that but the problem is about its defense, Will my halberd be enough to cause serious damage to it" said Jason as he continue to look at the beast that seen too lazy to move.


    "Don''t worry about that for the spiky frog has no defense apart from those spikes that stand as a defensive measure unlike the other beasts" replied the bracelet.


    Pulling his halberd forward as he took a stand while looking at the spiky frog that has noticed his present, Jason took a deep breath before pushing his feet off the ground as he charged at the spiky frog.. Getting in a range where the spike won''t be able to get to him, Jason stabs the halberd toward the abdomen of the spiky frog but the spiky frog hop into the sky before slamming down at Jason who quickly rolled out of the way.

 Chapter 72 - Looting The Spiky Frog

    The moment Jason rolled out of the way, the spiky frog slammed down creating a great disturbance. Getting up from the ground, Jason created a distance between the two of them in fear of the beast making that same.move that could turn him into a paste if it were to slam on him.


    "It won''t be an easy task to kill this ugly-looking beast" said Jason.


    "It will depend on the approach you took during the attack and let me give you a piece of advice, the spiky frog has a liquid that is stored in its mouth and if it were to spill on anything or anyone, its spot will begin to erode" replied the bracelet.


    "One trouble after the other" said Jason with a sigh before rushing forward once more as he slash the halberd at the spiky frog with brute strength.


    Shooting its tongue out as it used it to wrap the halberd stopping it from moving forward in the process. Now Jason has to struggle to get the halberd out of the grip of the spiky frog but he just couldn''t take the halberd out and he was beginning to get frustrated by it.


    "What is wrong with this ugly frog, can''t it just lay down and let me take its life instead of struggling with me" said Jason with gritted teeth.


    "I can''t believe that you are struggling with a beast that is as weak as this" mocked the bracelet.


    "Hey do you think it is easy to beat a beast that is so sneaky and let''s not forget that it still got my weapon held tightly with its tongue" replied Jason with a frown.


    "If you are finding it difficult to take your halberd back then enforce your spiritual energy into the halberd to weaken its grip on it" suggested the bracelet.


    Following the bracelet suggestion, Jason was able to get the halberd free from the tongue of the spiky frog as he swung it to the side to wipe the side to get rid of its saliva. After getting rid of the saliva, Jason struck the halberd forward as he coated it with spiritual energy to prevent the spiky frog from gripping the halberd with its tongue.


    Once again when the spiky frog saw the halberd coming at it once more, it shot its tongue out to get hold of the halberd but the moment its tongue came in contact with the halberd, it was pushed to the side leaving its mouth wide open. Taking the opportunity that was before him, Jason stabs the halberd into the mouth of the spiky frog before swinging the halberd to the side destroying the jaw of the spiky frog in the process.


    "Now let''s see how you are going to use that tongue of yours to attack me" said Jason as he created a distance between himself and the spiky frog.


    "You do know that this is a beast which is a realm lower than yours right" asked the bracelet surprised by the way Jason was acting.


    "And what is the matter if it is a realm lower than mine" replied Jason.


    "I am just saying since you are happy about fighting not to forget that it is taking so long for you to end the fight" said the bracelet.


    "You think I am too weak to kill the beast in a single strike right, don''t you worry next that I go up against a beast I will make sure to end the fight quickly" replied Jason before charging at the spiky frog out of anger.


    Not giving the spiky frog the time to leap up, Jason threw the halberd toward the spiky frog as it was about to leap, bringing it down with a wound at the top of its head with some of the spike being destroyed. Now standing without a weapon with a smile on his face as he took a step forward. Seeing the human was advancing towards it, the spiky frog tries to shoot out the liquid out of its mouth but the moment the liquid was about to come out of its mouth, the spiky frog will scream in agony as the part of its mouth that was destroyed will be conflicting with the liquid.


    "Looks like you are completely useless now that you no longer have a secret attack to help you out anymore" said Jason with a chuckle as he continues to move forward.


    All this while he was walking slowly, Jason was gathering energy in his right leg and right hand as he was ready to attack the spot that had already been wounded. It didn''t take him long enough to gather the required energy he needed for his next attack, Jason began to run forward with his fist head out front.


    And seeing the human was charging at it once more, the spiky frog swing its tongue that has been laying on the floor ever since its jaw has been destroyed as it swang it at Jason who easily dodge to the side as he avoided the attack before continuing with his charge as the target was already in front of him.


    "You are free to struggle now cause this will be the last thing you will be able to see this place again" said Jason with a smile on his face as he leap into the air before raising his leg and slamming it down on the head of the spiky frog where the wound was as the spiky frog shook a little with the spiky that was protecting its head was been damage.


    Not giving the spiky frog the time to catch it breathing, Jason threw his right fist forward and delivered a punch at the same spot where the phantom kick had landed, taking the life of the spiky frog as it fell to the side lifelessly. Making sure that the beast is truly dead, Jason throws another punch at the spiky frog again and again until the bracelet tells him to stop since he will be damaging the beast''s body.


    "You can''t blame me for hitting it since this damn beast is filled with tricks" said Jason as he took a deep breath to calm himself.


    "How can a beast that is already dead be playing tricks on you kid" asked the bracelet.


    "Look it could be that it is faking its death so that it will run away right after we are gone or attack me when I am not on my guard" replied Jason as he tries to justify his actions.


    "If the beast is trying to take it death, wouldn''t its abdomen be moving slowing and let''s not talk about the heart, it wouldn''t be difficult for you to know that it is alive if you place your hand on the region where the heart is" said the bracelet as he doesn''t want to let the matter slide.


    "Are you trying to start a fight with me here" asked Jason.


    "Is not that I am trying to start a fight here but I am just letting you know where to check whether the beast is alive or not" replied the bracelet.


    "That is much better, now I think I should search for my treasures before I get chased by another beast" said Jason with a smile as he went towards the spiky frog and pulled his halberd out of the head of the beast.


    "I guess that the blacksmith made the best choice of forging a halberd for you else I wonder how you will be able to fight the spiky frog when all you will be doing is defending yourself all throughout the match.


    "Even with a stone, the spiky frog will still be an easy opponent for me to beat so I don''t see the reason why you should be laughing" replied Jason.


    "Keep on acting tough kid when we both know how weak you are" commented the bracelet in disdain.


    "I may be weak but it won''t be long before all that will change, let''s see if anyone among my peers will be able to stand on the same ground as me when I leave this place" Replied Jason.


    "You are thinking of making a breakthrough here when you are not even ready to face the real deal out there. What a joke you really are" said the bracelet.


    "Wait a minute, do you think the spiky frog is not powerful enough to be considered an opponent or what" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "That spiky frog is not even one bit close to being called an opponent if we put your realm into consideration shut it boy" replied the bracelet.


    "I wish there is a way to let you come out of the bracelet and prove to me that it is not considered an opponent by fighting it yourself" said Jason in rage.


    "I would have gladly accepted it but it is quite unfortunate that you are too weak to provide me with enough energy for me to roam outside for a second" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 73 - Wasted Effort

    "Who knows if you will be able to land a hit on the beast" said Jason.


    "Don''t worry kid, the day your spiritual energy will be abundant, I am going to show you what I can do" replied the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Whatever, now tell me what part of the spirit frog should I take" asked Jason while looking at the spirit frog.


    "Those spikes are very useful in making a defensive weapon, the skin can be used in making robes and as for the liquid it spat out previously, you can keep it for yourself since we will be facing a more powerful beast" replied the bracelet.


    ''I guess not everything can be used to make things, what a waste this beast seems to be" said Jason as he began to forcefully pull out the spikes from the spiky body.


    After removing the spikes, Jason brought out the storage ring that was given to him by the dwarf as he began to store the spike away. Moving to the next item to store was the skin which was no problem for him since the spikes have already been removed making it easy for him to cut. Looking at the blood of the spiky frog painting the whole ground, Jason couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he said to himself.


    "Why does it have to be a low realm beast".


    "You can try and battle with a beast with a higher realm or a stage ahead of you if you plan to refine your body but you can forget about that and continue to fight weaker beast for resources since you are scared of death" commented the bracelet.


    "What do you know, you annoying spirit, even if I can''t use their blood there is still the core for me to absorb" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Whatever, let''s see how long you will be able to use the beast core for advancement" said the bracelet.


    Taking the beast''s core, Jason took a closer look at it before keeping it in his storage ring and left the place before a beast will be drawn to the scent of blood. Now walking in the lonely night all by himself in search of a beast that is weaker in realm for him to battle with. It didn''t take him much time for him to locate a beast that is sleeping in a hole without knowing that it was in danger as Jason brought the halberd down on the head of the beast taking its life in the process.


    Using the method of attacking a beast that is already fast asleep and weaker in realm, it didn''t take him too long to gather twenty beast cores. Taking the life of another beast before the sun begins to set.


    "Just spending the night hurting, I was able to gather this much beast core and I thought that it is going to be a lot harder to have five beast cores, '''' said Jason feeling proud of himself.


    "If it wasn''t for my help do you think you would have made it this far" asked the bracelet.


    "Hey I am not taking all the credit here okay, so stop acting like a child" replied Jason.


    "So when do you plan to absorb the energy stored inside, or do you plan to do that when you get back" asked the bracelet.


    "I don''t plan on going back anytime soon so I will be absorbing them all here in the beast territory. All that I need right now is a good spot to absorb them" replied Jason.


    "Have you forgotten where you and Austin fought the horned leopard, you can always go there since the lower beast doesn''t dare go near that place" suggested the bracelet.


    "Are you crazy, do you want the mother to take revenge on me for killing her child" replied Jason with a frown.


    "Stop being a scary cat for once, as long as there is no sign of the beast''s blood in the surroundings, there is no way its mother will know about its death" said the bracelet.


    Taking a deep breath, Jason made his way towards the area with intense spiritual energy while the bracelet warned him whenever he was about to go to a place that is occupied with a beast. After walking for some minutes, Jason was able to get to the place. Looking around to see if there is a horned leopard nearby before looking for a place that is more hidden and sat on the grass.


    "Okay then I will have to trouble you to keep a watchful eye while I absorb the energy inside" said Jason as he brought out the twenty beast core.


    "With the way you are saying it, it looks like it is going to take you hours for you to absorb them all" replied the bracelet.


    "You mean it is not going to take that long for me to absorb the energy stored inside" asked Jason.


    "These beasts are weak and the same could be said about their core which is why I advised earlier that you should go for a more powerful beast if you ever want to make it to the foundation realm in a year" reply the bracelet.


    "But it won''t be an easy task to kill a beast that is in the same realm as I not to talk about others" said Jason with a conflicted look.


    "It doesn''t have to be a realm higher than yours. You can start by facing a beast that is in the same realm as you for now until you are strong enough to face another realm" suggest the bracelet.


    "I guess that''s what I will do but before then I will have to absorb the energy from these cores, '''' replied Jason with a sigh before bringing the beast core out of the storage ring.


    After bringing the beast core out, Jason placed them together and closed his eyes before opening his pores as he began to absorb the energy from the core, and just as the bracelet has said it didn''t take long before the twenty bright beast cores lost their shine and began to crack before bursting into pieces.


    "It couldn''t even push my cultivation to forty percent before running dry" complained Jason as he opened his eyes.


    "Haha, please continue with your plan of going after weaker beast for your growth maybe five years later you will be able to make it into the foundation realm" said the bracelet while laughing.


    "Then I won''t be able to go into the ruin with the others" replied Jason with a frown.


    "Hey don''t look at me like that, you are the one who said you will be able to make it as long as you have the beast core" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Please don''t bring that up now if you don''t want to see my bad side" replied Jason before resting his back on the grass.


    "So what do you plan to do now" asked the bracelet.


    "First of all, I am going to take a rest before thinking of what to do" replied Jason before closing his eyes as he fell asleep.


    Nighttime¡­.


    Waking up in the middle of the night, Jason did a little stretch before picking up the halberd that was beside him.


    "It took you long enough to wake up boy" said the bracelet after Jason woke up.


    "It would have taken a bit longer if there was a bed here. I can''t believe this area could be this safe for one to even sleep without worry" replied Jason.


    "Just like you humans have rules so also do the beast and breaking them could lead to death. Now that you have taken your rest, what do you plan to do" asked the bracelet.


    Instead of answering the bracelet question, Jason turns his gaze to the sky for a moment before speaking up.


    "Now that it is this late l believe most of the beast should be asleep making it easy for me to hunt".


    "You must be crazy if you are thinking of hunting weaker beast again" said the bracelet.


    "Who told Yuh that I am going for the weaker ones" replied Jason.


    "Wait a minute, have you finally made up your mind to go for a stronger beast" asked the bracelet in delight.


    "I will need more than what the beast core of those weak beasts can give me if I ever want to achieve a breakthrough into the foundation realm" replied Jason.


    "Now you are beginning to act as my master but I must warn you that it won''t be easy to kill those beasts even if they are far asleep" said the bracelet.


    "I know that they would be alarmed if I were to set foot in their resting place" replied Jason.


    "For you to make up your mind to attack at night, I believe you have a plan ready" said the bracelet, and Jason just replied with a smile.

 Chapter 74 - Four-arm Kangaroo

    Waking in the night in search of a beast that is sleeping, Jason went deep into the beast''s territory only to see a beast with a higher realm but all thanks to the bracelet, he was able to avoid them. Searching for about thirty minutes there was no sight of beast which gets Jason worried if he will be able to get any beast core with the way things are going.


    "Where in hell are these beasts hiding" asked Jason with his head moving from one side to another in search of beast.


    "This is what I am talking about, unlike the weaker beast, they make sure to protect themselves while they are sleeping in a place that matches the color of their skin, making it difficult to be seen while others are sleeping in the trees. So the best time for you to hunt them would be in the daytime unless you plan to battle with those beasts that hunt at night" replied the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to hunt those beasts when I can barely see now" said Jason.


    "Then I suggest you look for a place to rest until the sun sets before continuing with the hunt" replied the bracelet.


    "I think that is what I will do" said Jason before looking for a place to rest.


    And it didn''t take him too long to see a place to lay down but the problem here is that a beast has already taken the spot as its resting ground. The moment Jason stepped foot on the ground, the beast quickly opened its eyes as it let out a grunt before standing up showing its humanoid features.


    The beast that Jason came in contact with was a four-arm muscular kangaroo with fangs hanging out from the side of its teeth. Looking at the beast in front of him, the first word that came out of Jason was.


    ''I am doomed''


    "Hey you bastard, this is your work right. Trying to get me killed" said Jason as he turned tail and ran away.


    "I did know there was a beast hiding here and for it to be able to conceal its energy, its realm may be in the foundation realm" replied the bracelet.


    "There is no way I am going to last against such a beast even if Austin was to team up with me, we''ll still be unable to defeat it" said Jason.


    Seeing the human running away, the kangaroo begins to give chase while throwing things at him but he was able to avoid getting hit and continue to run for his life.


    "While is that stupid beast chasing after me when it should be sleeping" said Jason in fear as he continued to run.


    "How do you expect it to go back to sleep when there is food in front of its face" replied the bracelet.


    "Since there is food in front of it, then why can''t it just lay down and enjoy its meal" said Jason in annoyance.


    "How can it enjoy its meal when the meal is moving" replied the bracelet with a light laugh.


    "If the meal can''t stay in place then it should hit it with something then" said Jason.


    "Hahaha, you are it meal kid and if you really want it to have its meal, then stop running and lay down for it to eat you up" replied the bracelet as he couldn''t stop himself from laughing.


    "Damn you beast, just you wait after I become a foundation realm expert, I am coming for your head" said Jason in anger as he made a run for it.


    "Instead of you shutting your mouth and running for your life, you are trying to make the beast angrier. It seems to me that you really want to die so badly" replied the bracelet.


    "A real man will not go and attack his enemy from behind; instead he will inform them beforehand and let them prepare for what is to come" said Jason.


    "Well let''s just hope you will be able to come out of this in one piece real man" replied Jason.


    "Of course I will be able to as long as I can get to the safe zone" said Jason with a smile.


    "You would have run out of steam before getting there since you will have to concentrate while running for your life to find the location" replied the bracelet.


    "That was the plan that I had earlier, you see I have already memorized the way back so it won''t be a problem for me" said Jason.


    "Now I see why you were willing to go after a strong beast, you are depending on that horned leopard home for protection" commented the bracelet.


    "You have said it all, and as long as the mother won''t be coming to look for it cub, I will be safe there" replied Jason.


    After running for some minutes, Jason was able to make her way back to the safe zone as we may call it for now. Sitting on the grass while breathing heavily as he looked at the kangaroo as he waited to see what its next move would be.


    "It seems to be hesitating whether to enter or not" said the bracelet.


    "You don''t need to worry about that stupid beast, it might look terrifying but it won''t be so daring to come here" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I doubt it, just take a look at its eyes you will see that there is no sign of fear" said the bracelet.


    "If it is not afraid of coming inside then while is it still standing outside" asked Jason as he got up from the ground getting ready to run.


    "Maybe it doesn''t want to share its meal with the horned leopard which means it will be waiting for you to come outside" replied the bracelet.


    "Since it did not know about the horned leopard''s death, then I don''t have to worry myself over nothing" said Jason with a sigh.


    Now looking at the beast, Jason couldn''t help but stick his tongue out as he made a funny face at the beast which enraged it as it hopped up before charging into the safe leaving Jason speechless as he turned tail and ran again.


    "Why do you have to go and provoke the beast" asked the bracelet.


    "I wasn''t trying to provoke it, I was just trying to make it laugh" replied Jason while running.


    "Well now that it is laughing, while don''t you stand your ground am playing with it" suggested the bracelet.


    "I would play with it if it were to be a bit weaker" said Jason almost in tears.


    "You need to think of a way to outrun the beast before the others get involved" suggested the bracelet.


    "What do you think I should do then" asked Jason.


    "Turn around and fight like a real man" replied the bracelet.


    "You know I can''t beat this beast" said Jason with a frown when he heard the bracelet reply.


    "I am not asking you to kill it, all you just have to do is to try and weaken it" replied the bracelet.


    Thinking about the bracelet plan and knowing fully well that he could weaken the beast if he were to put his heart in it, Jason stop running as he brought out the halberd and seeing the human finally ready to face, the kangaroo placed it fist in front of it face before smashing them together happily.


    "Just because you have four muscular arms doesn''t mean that I am scared of you" said Jason before charging at the kangaroo.


    Swinging the halberd at the kangaroo only for the kangaroo to use its hand as a weapon to block the attack before throwing the other fist at Jason who couldn''t react on time and get hit which forced him to create a distance between them.


    "I don''t think this beast is any different from the other beast" said Jason as he tries to endure the pain that he is going through.


    "You got that right, those hands have been tempered through many battles so unless it is a treasure that you are using to attack it, I don''t think you will be able to cause any damage to those hands" replied the bracelet.


    "And how am I supposed to fight it since I am not using a treasure? What am I supposed to do" asked Jason as he continued to avoid the kangaroo attack.


    "Go for it stomach, although it is not going to be an easy thing since you will have to defend yourself against its attack" replied the bracelet.


    Having a plan in mind, Jason continued to dodge the kangaroo attack as he aimed to strike its stomach but the problem he was having now was how is he going to do that when the kangaroo has another arm ready to strike at any time the opportunity to present itself.

 Chapter 75 - Who Is Your Master

    Not having the thought of taking a blow from the kangaroo since it will only cause him great damage, Jason begins to avoid its attack as fast as he can and at the same time tries to land a hit at the kangaroo but when he finds an opening, the other two arms will be there to interval making it difficult for him to land a hit and dodging the kangaroo attack is becoming difficult for him to dodge since he is not able to predict when the kangaroo will be using its other hand.


    Pinning the halberd on the ground as he launched himself into the air to deliver a kick on the chest of the kangaroo which only caused it to stagger before gaining its balance.


    "Man I can''t believe it is going to be this difficult to even land a hit on this beast, tell me who taught you how to fight like that" said Jason as he distanced himself from the beast.


    "Why are you asking, do you plan to learn from its master" asked the bracelet.


    "Is there anything wrong with that" replied Jason with a question.


    "Not at all you can learn how to fight like that after you have entered its stomach" said the bracelet with a light laugh.


    "Then I will have to look for another master since I am not ready to go in there yet" replied Jason with a smile.


    "So do you have a plan on how to slow the beast down or are you just going to stand there and fight it out with it" asked the bracelet.


    "I have thrown all options out since I can''t even land a hit on it" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "It seems to me that you have learned to become dependent to the extent that you cant do things on your own" said the bracelet.


    "Can''t you see that the situation is unlike the other ones for me to take seriously since any wrong move I made will be the cause of my death" replies Jason.


    "You lack fighting intent boy, if I remember correctly when you were battling the other kids during the tournament, you never give up even when you knew that it will be impossible for you to win instead you keep thinking of what to do while taking a beating. So while are you acting like a baby, where is your motivation to win kid" asked the bracelet with an intense voice.


    "I am still the old me alright, and as you can see, I am trying to think of a way to get the beast down" yelled Jason out of anger.


    "Then prove it instead of waiting until you ran out of energy" said the bracelet.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself down since he wants to avoid making mistakes out of being enraged, Jason begins to think about all the fights he has gone through and how he has come up on top including the ones he had after coming to the beast territory and that is when he remembered that he still has the liquid that he took from the spiky frog and a smile crawled onto his face.


    "Haha nice one, I think there is a way for me to do away with this fighting maniac and not just to cause a minor injury but to take it live" said Jason with a bright smile on his face.


    "That is the spirit kid, coming here was not just for the purpose for you to get strong, it is also for you to learn how to survive in a dangerous situation without depending on others for help since they won''t be there for you all the time" praised the bracelet.


    "I know I cant depend on others for help but to trust myself since we got no one but ourselves at the end of the day" said Jason with a smile.


    "So this plan of yours, do you mind sharing it with me and how sure are you that it will be enough for you to kill the beast" asked the bracelet.


    "The probability that it will work is quite high as long as I can complete the task which is to use the liquid that I got from the spiky frog" replied Jason with a mischievous smile.


    "That is quite an idea you have there kid, do you see how important for you to also take whatever you can since you don''t know what you will face later on. Just imagine what would you have done if you have refused to take the liquid" asked the bracelet.


    "I wouldn''t have been this opportuned" replied with a laugh.


    Throwing the halberd away, Jason raised his hand into a fist as he took a fighting stance and seeing the human was still full of energy, the kangaroo hopped up before going forward at Jason who also make his move as he threw his fist forward at the beast but quickly withdraw it before their fist could clash as he slid behind the kangaroo and did a swiping move bringing the kangaroo down but before he could get closed to it, it has already done a kick up.


    "Come on, why don''t you introduce me to your master" said Jason almost in tears.


    "You know it can''t hear you and by the way, it seems to be enjoying the fight" replied the bracelet.


    "It can have it fun for now since it is going to die soon enough" said Jason before going for the beast.


    They begin to exchange blows with both sides doing their best to avoid getting hit as they continue to throw blows at each other. After doing his best to avoid getting hit, Jason failed to see the next blow coming from the arm that the kangaroo has not been using and took a hit in the stomach which brought him down but before the kangaroo could think of making a move, Jason''s legs were already crossed between its leg as it was brought down.


    Rolling to the side of the kangaroo fell as he deliver an elbow attack at the jaw of the beast before rolling to the side.


    "Finally I was able to land a hit on this fighting maniac" said Jason in excitement.


    Getting up from the ground with an angry look on its face was the kangaroo as it spat to the side which a tooth flew out. And seeing the beast in this state, Jason couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine as the kangaroo charged at him at a lighting speed as he was launched into the air before a punch follow up as he was sent crashing into the ground.


    "Who would have thought that it wasn''t taking me seriously this whole time" said Jason as he struggled to get up from the ground but he didn''t have the time as the kangaroo hopped on top of him causing him to cough up blood.


    The kangaroo hopped off him after the attack and stood to see if the human will be getting up and to it surprise, Jason was already up with blood flowing from the edge of his lip as he placed one of the pills that was given to him by the grand elder into his mouth to heal his injuries.


    "Good thing I asked the grand elder for some pills else who knows what must have happened to me by now" said Jason with a smile as he wipe the bloodstain from his mouth.


    "Lucky your body has been refined else you wouldn''t need those pills since it will be impossible for you to get up from that kick" replied the bracelet.


    Seeing that the human is up and doesn''t seem to be injured even after it has stomped on him. Letting steam off its nose, the kangaroo charged at him but unknowing to the kangaroo, Jason was holding a container behind him as he threw it at the kangaroo while creating space between the two of them.


    "Now let''s see how you are going to stand out of this one" said Jason with a smirk on his face as he watched the kangaroo screaming in agony while running around the place.


    "Looks like you succeeded with your plan kid, now all that is left for you to do is wait for the beast to take its last breath" commented the bracelet.


    "Yeah, and I hope it won''t take too long for it to die cause I can''t wait to take it blood and core" replied Jason.


    After running for a while in pain, the kangaroo ran into a tree and fell on the ground where it struggle for about fifteen minutes before it stop moving. Walking toward the kangaroo as he looks at the kangaroo which some part of its body has holes that were caused by the liquid.


    "Just look how nasty it looks, if it were not for the fact that I need it blood and core for my growth, I wouldn''t have been so brave as to lay my hand on it" said Jason in disgust.

 Chapter 76 - Strange Things

    "The way you are saying it makes it sound like you don''t have a choice" said the bracelet.


    "I really don''t have a choice, else I would have left it and gone for another beast but the thing is where am I going to find a beast that is as powerful as this four-arm kangaroo, and let''s not forget that it has to be dead" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "There are many more powerful beasts here and all you have to do is go hunt them down" said the bracelet.


    "And you think I will be able to keep my head if I went in search of those beasts without the liquid that I wasted on this beast" replied Jason as he turned to look at the dead kangaroo before him.


    "You can always go look for more spiky frogs since they are not that hard to find" suggested the bracelet.


    "Do you think it is easy fighting those beasts, especially the spiky frog when you don''t know when it is going to spit that liquid on you" replied Jason.


    "As long as you are careful enough it won''t be a hard feat for you kid" said the bracelet.


    "Yeah, maybe I will let you deal with that for me since it is very easy for you" replied Jason before sitting down near the dead kangaroo.


    With a dagger being pulled out of his robe, Jason was just about to take the necessary part that he needed when a red glow came from his right hand and the blood of the dead kangaroo began to flow towards the glowing hand like it was following a command. Seeing what was happening in front of him, Jason tries all his best to stop his hand from glowing in fright but nothing seems to work. Left with no choice, he decided to give up on the dead kangaroo and turn tail to run but before he could take a step, he felt his whole body going numb and fell on the ground.


    "What is going on with my body" said Jason in fright as he watched the blood flowing towards him.


    "If I am not mistaken, it seems like you have run out of stamina resulting in you losing control of your body" replied the bracelet.


    "But I was full of energy not quite long so how did I lose my stamina and is this red glow in my hand" said Jason as he tries to get up.


    "I don''t know exactly why you are losing stamina but if you asked me I will say it has something to do with the red glow in your hand" replied the bracelet.


    "Why do I have the feeling that this has something to do with you" said Jason after forcefully getting up and was about to make a run for it but before he could, his Body went down again and this time the blood has already gotten to him as it begins to crawl on top of him before being absorbed into his body without his permission and that is when the itching pain kick in unlike the last time that he absorbs beast blood.


    Enduring the pain as his body felt like it was being turned upside down by a force, it took him a whole hour before the pain began to subdued and that is when he realized that the strength that had left him earlier had finally returned.


    "Phew, that is a massive torture and it felt like the heavens are after my life" said Jason with a deep breath before wiping the bead of sweat off his face.


    "Looks like you have regained your energy" asked the bracelet seeing that he was able to sit again.


    "Yeah and the glow is also gone after the process is over" replied Jason as he left his hand to take a look.


    Getting up Jason turns to continue with taking the part of the dead kangaroo when he discovers that the kangaroo has turned into a pile of bone and by the way it is, it seems like it cant be used to make anything other than scrap.


    "Fuck, what happened to my treasure" curse Jason out loud.


    "Strange things just keep on happening in this age" said the bracelet as he also noticed the way the dead beast is looking now.


    "What strange thing are you talking about here, can''t you see that my source of income has gone away just like that" replied Jason.


    "Well at least it is not a complete loss if you asked me" said the bracelet.


    "And what do you mean by that" asked Jason.


    "Have you tried taking a look at your body" replied the bracelet.


    Taking a closer look at his skin, Jason noticed that it has gotten a bit hard compared to the way it used to be. Closing his eyes as he tries to search if he has made a breakthrough only to say with a smile.


    "I thought I had broken through to the seventh stage of tempered body" said Jason with a sigh.


    "At least now you are not that far from breaking through the seventh stage as long as you continue to cultivate" replied the bracelet.


    "Do you think the red glow has anything to do with it" asked Jason.


    "It seems to be possible since the blood starts flowing out of the beast the moment that your hand starts to glow" replied Jason.


    "If I remember correctly I did not practice any technique that has to do with boosting one''s cultivation through blood" said Jason.


    "There was once a family that specialized in using demonic techniques to boost their cultivation back when my master was alive but it was nothing like this glowing hand of yours" replied the bracelet.


    "Where did this come from" asked Jason.


    "I am also not sure but since you said you did not learn any technique of such, then it will have to be that it was imprinted in you by your family" said the bracelet.


    "Then I will have to ask my mother about it when I get back but before then, I guess I will have to use it to my advantage" said Jason as he stood up and bent down before searching for the beast core.


    Finally seeing the core but he was not happy since it had completely broken into pieces. Getting up from the ground, Jason did some punches before picking the halberd and walking out of the safe zone.


    "What a night, I couldn''t even get a single core before the sun began to set.


    "That''s what happens when you stop fighting a weak beast for once" reply the bracelet with a light chuckle.


    "I guess you are enjoying this ain''t you" said Jason with a frown.


    "Why wouldn''t I be but if you take a look at what you have accomplished this night and last night, you will see that what you gain is thrice of what you gain the other night when you are hunting for weak beast" replied the bracelet.


    "You are right about that and it is all thanks to that glow. If I were to use it on those weaker, who knows what would have become of me but the thing is why didn''t it work when I touched those beasts" said Jason as he placed his hand on the cheek trying to figure things out.


    "Who knows why couldn''t but since you are here, why don''t you take the time to try and learn more about the glow and think of how to use it to boost your realm" reply the bracelet.


    "And the best way for me to learn more about it is by hunting for more beasts and using them for my experiment" said Jason with a smile.


    "Yes and I know that it is going to be very difficult for you to beat a powerful beast but I know you will be able to do it" commented the bracelet.


    "Who has the time to struggle with powerful beast when there are lots of weaker beasts for me to experiment on" said Jason with a smile.


    "How do you want the test to be effective when you are not using capable beast" asked the bracelet.


    "And who told you that they are not capable enough to produce a better result" replied Jason.


    "Now if you don''t mind, lead the way to the nearest beast with the weakest spiritual energy" said Jason with a smile as he place the halberd before him.


    "I thought you have changed your mindset but who could have thought that you will quickly go back to hunting weaker beast" said the bracelet.


    Going around with bracelet directing him, Jason was able to catch up to some weak beast which he was able to defeat before he tried to activate the glow but to his surprise, it was not working, and decided to take the beast core and some part before heading out to test it on another beast.

 Chapter 77 - Who Am I Saving Face For

    "Why can''t I get it right" said Jason in frustration as he pulled his hand from the body of the beast.


    "Who knows maybe it just act on its own will" replied the bracelet as he was also confused about the situation.


    "I am not sure that it acted on its own rather something must have triggered for it to appear" said Jason.


    "So are you thinking of hunting more beasts until you find out how it works" asked the bracelet.


    "Sure thing, I won''t rest until I know how to activate it" replied Jason.


    "How about you focus on your training since you can''t find a way to activate it" said the bracelet.


    "After thinking of a way to achieve a breakthrough quickly with no result and now that I have seen hope in making a breakthrough into the foundation realm in a year time and you just want me to let it go" replied Jason with a frown.


    "Is not that I want you to let it go but you have not been able to focus on making a breakthrough ever since that event" said the bracelet worriedly that Jason will not be able to make it into the foundation realm by the time the ruin will be open.


    "Just because I am looking for a way to use the glow does not mean that I have forgotten about my plans of making a breakthrough into the foundation realm" replied Jason.


    Meanwhile, all this time that Jason has been hunting beasts all day long, some of the beasts are beginning to notice that the amount of weaker beasts has dropped recently making it difficult for them to feed. After hunting the beast down no stop for about three days, Jason was still nowhere near uncovering how the glow works and he was getting frustrated by it although all this time that he has been hunting for beast, he hasn''t forgotten to cultivate after he was done for the day and was finally able to make a breakthrough into the seventh layer of tempered body which motivated him more on finding the clue to activating the glow since the only reason why he was able to breakthrough was all thanks to the glow.


    One faithful day Jason went out hunting as usual and this time his target was an aerial beast that looks more like a buffalo whose realm was seen to be at the early stage of the tempered body and is seen to be a young beast.


    "Are you not ashamed of going after a calf with this cultivation base that won''t be noticed by expert" asked the bracelet.


    "That is the problem with you always thinking about keeping a face but let me ask you, who am I saving face for here in the wild" replied Jason.


    "I am just saying that you should let it go since it is not safe to go after this kind of beast whose mother won''t be too far unlike the horned leopard that lets their cub do their own thing once they are old enough to hunt for their food" said the bracelet.


    It hasn''t been long that the bracelet has warned Jason about letting the calf go when they heard a hoffing sound coming from behind. Quickly sprinting to the side as what was coming from behind passed the spot he was standing not quite long. Looking at the buffalo with a golden horn and two pairs of wings hovering in the air in front of him, Jason couldn''t help but have a twitchy face as he said to the beast.


    "Good thing you are here, I was just teaching your child how to fly quickly since you don''t know when one would be attacked".


    Seeing that its mother had arrived, the calf flew forward and hid behind the big buffalo.


    "Haha, looks like you are in trouble" laughed the bracelet happily when he saw the calf hiding.


    "Why does it have to be today of all-day" said Jason with a sigh as he pulled the harberd from his back ready for the worst to happen.


    Seeing that the human has a weapon in hand, the beast didn''t hesitate as it let out steam from its nose before flying high up in the sky before diving down on Jason who quickly roll to the side as he avoid the beast attack before swinging the halberd at the spot where the beast is about to strike. As if the beast could read his mind, it quickly flipped its wing as it stopped it from falling before shooting to the sky again. The calf had already run off when it saw that its mother was about to fight.


    "How did I get into this mess in the first place" said Jason as he jumped to the side to avoid getting stomped on.


    "If you were wise enough to heed my warning, you wouldn''t have been in this situation right now" replied the bracelet.


    "All you do is give advice like an old man but can never provide me with resources" said Jason as he was tired of being reminded of his mistake.


    "I have already made it clear to you that you are too weak to access the treasures that are kept in space so don''t blame but blame it all on being weak" replied the bracelet.


    All that Jason did was shut his mouth since it is true that the reason why he has not been able to access the space within the bracelet was because he was too weak. But the problem he is having right now is quite troublesome for him since he doesn''t have a way of fighting with an aerial beast then looking at his surroundings, he noticed that he has been fighting the beast in an open space with trees surrounding them and that is when an idea struck him as he turns away and ran into the thick forest while ignoring the beast giving chase.


    "All I have to do is make it into the deep woods and all will be alright" said Jason as he focuses his attention on making it deep inside where the whole place is filled with trees.


    "You know just because you gave up on fighting and decided to run away does not mean that the beast will let the matter slide since you went after it child" replied the bracelet.


    "And who told you that I was running away" asked Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Why wouldn''t I know since all you do is turn tail and run whenever you are up against a stronger beast" replied the bracelet.


    "That was because I didn''t have a chance of winning the fight unlike this dumb beast who keeps on chasing after me" said Jason with a frown when he heard the bracelet giving details of beast he has fled from.


    "So you have finally decided to face your fear for once" asked the bracelet with a light chuckle.


    "I have never turned my back on a fight and this will also be the case when I killed this damn beast so stop talking and watch how your father teaches this dumb beast a lesson that will forever remain in its heart even till death" replied Jason.


    "You know before you came into this world, I existed and you should be calling me great-great-grandfather but here you are claiming to be my father, you really have guts kid" said the bracelet.


    "I was only joking and besides don''t you want to know the plan that I have set out for that beast" asked Jason with a smile as he continued to sprint deep into the forest.


    "I once had the intention of asking but not anymore" replied the bracelet angrily.


    "Alright then" said Jason as he continued running until he was finally able to make it to the destination where he turned around as he waited for the beast''s arrival but to his surprise, the beast had stopped flying and was now running like every other beast.


    "You gotta be kidding me, how can it still run at this speed when it is an aerial beast" said Jason in shock.


    "The buffet is a beast that was blessed with the ability to travel on land and sky so why are you so shocked about something that was well known" asked the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to know when I did not have the time to study" replied Jason.


    "Oh I actually forgot about that but since you are now working for the grand elder, you should have the right to access information concerning the beast" said the bracelet.


    "Well that will have to be for another time, but now I have to think of a way to get rid of this beast" replied Jason as he swung the halberd around before striking it on the ground as he pulled the fallen leaves and sand toward the beast in an attempt to get rid of it sight even for ten seconds.

 Chapter 78 - You Called This Challenging Myself

    Using this trick could be really effective but it was a different case for the buffet as it quickly flip its wings forward to shield its eyes from the attack.


    "Come on, can''t you just let me be since your calf is alright now" said Jason when he saw the buffet standing firm with its eyes open.


    "How is it possible for it to let you go when you have provided yourself to be eaten" replied the bracelet.


    "Enough with me ending up as a meal for a beast" said Jason in anger.


    "Anyways you have to think of a way to get rid of it before the others get involved" replied the bracelet.


    "I guess I don''t have any other choice than to fight it out with the beast" said Jason with a sigh.


    "And now that it will be impossible for the buffet to take flight, it will be easier for you now as with the help of your surrounding" said the bracelet.


    Using the same move, Jason swipe the sand at the buffet once more knowing full well that it''s going to shield itself from the attack and after putting the wings down, Jason was nowhere to be seen which confused the beast since the human was standing in front of it not quite long so how was he able to run that far. Amid its confusion, Jason was hanging on a tree branch above the beast as he watch the beast in its confused state.


    "This is my only chance of causing serious damage to that dumb beast" said Jason with a smile on his face as he was preparing to make his move.


    "Take it easy kid, it may be unaware of your presence but that does not mean it will be an easy feat for you to land a hit on it since it will be guarded against any attack" advice the bracelet when seeing the way Jason is excited.


    "Yes I know that even though I have not experienced a battle like this, it can''t just let it guard down just because I am not there" said Jason.


    After watching the buffet for an hour and seeing that it has finally lowered its guard, Jason jumps down from the tree with the halberd held downward as he neatly stabs the halberd into the buffet back.


    "Arrrrrrrrrrrrrg"


    The buffet let out a scream as it begins to check its body trying to get Jason off its back but it was not working as he held tight to the halberd. Seeing that it was finding it hard to get the human off its back, the buffet quickly ran towards a tree as it crashed into it but that was when Jason jumped off the back of the beast as he swing the halberd taking one of the beasts golden horn.


    "Haha, I haven''t taken its life yet and it''s already offering its horn as a tribute to me" said Jason with a chuckle as he picked the horn and store it in the storage ring.


    Now looking at the beast that used to look mighty with its two golden horns, one will feel sorry for it looks to be in a sorry state with blood flowing out from its back which was caused by Jason''s attack. The buffet was enraged when it saw Jason keeping its horn as it charge at him recklessly while ignoring the pain that it is going through since the only thing its head is processing was to stomp the human before it to death but its dreams never came through as Jason easily jump out of the way while wiping the beast from behind with the halberd.


    "Come on, if you are that angry about losing a horn, you will have to do better than to just charge at me" said Jason with a smile as he rest the halberd on his shoulder.


    "Why are you trying to get the beast so angry" asked the bracelet not knowing what Jason was up to.


    "Of course I am trying to get it mad since it will make it easier for me to defeat it" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Now I understand what you are trying to do. Getting the beast angry than it is already is will make it lose its sense of reasoning but there is something that you should know about getting a beast angry and that is an angry beast will do all it can to make sure the opponent get an injury that will be difficult to heal even at the risk of losing it live so you have to be very careful when dealing with it" said the bracelet seeing that Jason is becoming overconfident in himself.


    Just as the bracelet said, the buffet spread out its wings as it begins to flip them while creating a powerful gala in the process. Left with no choice, Jason shelter on a tress as he waited for the wind to settle down.


    "You must be joking if you think that I am going to fall for that trick, what a dumb beast" said Jason with a chuckle but the next moment his expression changes when he saw the beast above his head as it lets the wings back causing it to fall as it was closing in on Jason.


    "Fuck, what is that beast trying to do" curse Jason as he stood up from as jumped to another tree.


    Stepping on the tree, Jason was about to take a deep breath but before he could he saw the beast coming after him and this time, it was coming at a speed twice as it was before.


    "How is it doing that" said Jason in shock as he jumped onto another tree.


    Whenever Jason moves to another tree, the beast will be there as if they were connected by something and after going around from tree to tree with the beast still on his tail, Jason couldn''t help but complain.


    "This is the consequence you have to pay for provoking the buffet" replied the bracelet.


    "But I was only playing with it, who would have thought that it would have to take it so seriously" said Jason as he went to another tree but this time around he was not able to hold his ground and fell with the beast crashing into the tree.


    After the crashing between both sides, there was a short silence before rumble could be heard from the tree area as the beast could be seen making its way to where Jason was laying and seeing that the beast is still active even after crashing into a tree, Jason quickly makes ease to get up from the ground as he quickly went to grab the halberd which was not that far from where he fell.


    Pushing the little strength he had, Jason stood his ground as he waited for the beast to come closer and the moment the buffet was within range, Jason stab the halberd forward at the beast piercing the leg of the beast in the process before performing a flip as he landed behind the beast before landing a powerful palm attack at the beast while using the iron fist technique which ends up silencing the beast and the same couldn''t be said about Jason for he could not avoid the charged on time and ended up having a deep wound on his leg which was caused by the horn of the beast.


    Gritting his teeth as he tries to prevent himself from screaming out in pain, Jason drags himself towards a tree as he rests his back on it while looking at the dead beast before him.


    "I can''t believe I was not able to avoid its attack on time" said Jason as he turned to look at the wound on his leg.


    "It was all due to your lack of fighting experience that led to this but I believe in time you will be able to adapt as long as you keep on challenging yourself" commented the bracelet.


    "And you call this challenging myself when I almost lost my life in the process" asked Jason.


    "But you are still breathing although you have been injured but it is not a problem since you still have those pills that were given to you by the grand elder" replied the bracelet.


    "I do but if things were to continue in this way, it won''t be long before the pills will begin to lose their effect so tell me what am I supposed to do if that were to happen" said Jason.


    "Which is why you need to be careful when making decisions and don''t dare take the pill whenever you are injured unless it is very serious" said the bracelet.


    "So now you want me to walk around with scars all over my body like a hunter" asked Jason.


    "That is not what I meant, what I am trying to say is you should learn to preserve the pill since you will be here for a long time" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 79 - Discovery

    Looking at the state he was in,Jason couldn''t help but let out a long sigh before tossing a pill into his mouth as he begin to recuperate. It didn''t take him much time before the effect of the pill runs out making him take a look at his leg once more to see if there is still a wound but to his surprise, the wound was still there but it has healed a little.


    "How do I get into this mess once again" asked Jason with a bitter smile on his face as he tries to make it seem like he is not in pain.


    "If we were to recount from the time I warned you to let the little beast go until the time the mother gets involved, you will notice that it was quite exciting" joked the bracelet.


    "Yeah now look where the excitement has landed me" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "You need to get that leg healed before you get attacked by another beast" advised the bracelet.


    "I am contemplating here, how many pills will be needed for the wound to heal and what will be left of the pills" said Jason as he bought the pouch that the pills were stored as he begin to count how many were left.


    "You can worry about that later since you won''t be able to use them once you are dead" replied the bracelet as he reminded him that he is not in a safe environment.


    "I guess I will have to take two to see if it will be enough" said Jason before taking two pills from the pill as he threw it on his mouth and shut his eyes as he went into meditation.


    It took him an hour and some minutes for him to complete used up the pill and the wound was still there but was already getting healed up. Taking another two pills which finally heal up the wound as he rose and look at the beast still laying on the ground.


    "Now that I have dealt with the issue of my leg, let us move on to the next task" said Jason excitedly as he walked towards the beast.


    Taking out the dagger once more as he stabs it into the body of the beast before placing his hand on top of the beast for support and that is when his hand begins to glow again and blood begins to spill out of the body of the beast before converging together and sip into his pores which later result to him screaming in pain as more blood continue to flow into his poles. While all this is happening, the body of the beast was letting out steam while the body is getting dried up. After the whole blood has been absorbed into his body, all that was left of the beast was its skeleton that seems to turn to dust if it was touched.


    Letting out a deep breath as he fall on the ground while facing the sky with a happy smile on his face.


    "I guess I have a linking to how this glow works" said Jason as he continue to breathe heavily.


    "So the only way that you will be able to use that power is when you killed a beast that is stronger than you" question the bracelet as he still thinks the same way because Jason has been hunting weaker beasts to experiment on but nothing happens until he killed the buffet.


    "I am not certain that''s how it works but I think it is the only clue we have right now but there is another problem" said Jason.


    "And what could that be" asked the bracelet.


    "Do you think the absorption is only limited to beast or are humans also included" replied Jason with a puzzled look on his face.


    "It is not certain yet, I hope you are not thinking of trying it on humans boy" asked the bracelet.


    "Nope but if the opportunity should present itself I will eventually" replied Jason with a laugh.


    "I hope you are not going into the wrong path kid" said the bracelet with a sigh.


    Jason just laughs it out as he continues to rest since it was not easy to endure the pain of your skin heating like it is going to bust. After resting for a good long time, Jason finally got up as he turned to look at the beast only for him to twitch his mouth as he said.


    "Well, I was expecting that. Good thing I manage to secure one of its horns before its death".


    "So now what" asked the bracelet when he say Jason was up.


    "For now I am going to take a nap since it is already getting dark then look for a beast that is not that strong to use as a test" replied Jason as he walk out of the place before looking for a safe place to rest.


    The next morning.


    Jason was already out searching for a beast and after absorbing the blood of the beast, Jason received a boost in his cultivate which gave him the motivation to go after beasts and coming in contact with a beast that was a bit stronger than him which he struggles against before he was finally able to kill the beast before placing his palm on the beast which caused his hand to glow with the blood of the beast surging into his body along with the pain that goes together with it.


    After confirming that the only way to activate the glow was by killing a stronger beast, Jason couldn''t help but yell in excitement for once he has found an easy way to reach the foundation realm except for the problem of killing the beast.


    "So now that you have found the trick to activating that strange power, what are you going to do" asked the bracelet.


    "I will be going after stronger beast if I want to beat Austin to the bet before the opening of the ruin" replied Jason with a wide smile on his face.


    "I thought you have forgotten about that since you haven''t shown any sign that you are taking it seriously when all you do is go after weaker beast" said the bracelet.


    "That is Just me trying to see how powerful I am" replied Jason.


    "And by attacking weaker beast is the best way to test your strength" asked the bracelet.


    "Well it was the easiest way since facing off against those mighty beasts will be classified as suicide" replied Jason.


    "But you were able to hold your ground against them and you have always ended up as the victor" said the bracelet.


    "Well the first time was all thanks to the external while the rest was a fluke" replied Jason.


    "There is no way you are going to call that a fluke for it was by your endurance that you were able to make it this far" said the beast.


    "Well whatever, I am going to hunt for more beasts in other to boost my cultivation" said Jason in anticipation as he jump off the tree into another in search of a beast to use as fuel to boost his cultivation.


    Moving from one branch to another in search of a beast, Jason would have been in a fight with more than ten beasts whose realm was far higher than his were it not for bracelet who has been guarding him.


    After managing to find a beast, Jason went into a fight with a beast that came out of nowhere and tried to bite his leg off but he was able to react on time resulting in the beast missing its target. After killing the beast Jason absorbed its blood as usual until there was nothing left for him to absorb.


    "Here I am thinking that I will be able to make a breakthrough into the eighth layer of tempered body" said Jason with a sigh.


    "If it were that easy to breakthrough to another realm, then you would have seen a lot of experts patrolling the fox territory with their shoulders raised high" replied the bracelet


    "It should be easy alright. Even with the use of the heavens law, I still couldn''t breakthrough into the eighth layer of tempered body" said Jason.


    "Well at least you have made a lot of progress compared to when you started cultivating the heavens law" replied the bracelet.


    "You are saying I am making progress but when will I be able to understand the earth and move into the next stage" asked Jason.


    "Soon kid, don''t just rush it, '''' replied the bracelet with a sigh.


    "It''s getting long enough and you are telling me not to reach it. Why don''t you just let me in on the secret of understanding the earth" said Jason in anger.


    "How I wish I could but I can''t since I will be hindering your growth" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 80 - Going Back

    After their discussion, Jason went for a rest before continuing with his hunt and he didn''t only hunt stronger beasts since he also needed more so the weaker ones were also hunted down.


    A year later.


    Deep inside the beast territory, where there was silence lies the skeleton of a beast with a young man who has long hair that went all the way down to his knee squatting close to the beast motionless before his body began to move.


    "Ah finally I am now a fully pledged foundation realm practitioner" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Congratulations kid, it has been a long rough year but you finally did" praised the bracelet.


    "Yeah, it has really been a rough year living amid those savage beasts" replied Jason as he stood up and looked at the sky with his hands spread.


    "Now all that you need to do is go back before you get left behind" said the bracelet.


    "There is no way I am going to miss it for the world" replied Jason with a smile on his face before continuing.


    "I can''t wait to see the shocking look in the face of Austin when he sees that I have made it into the foundation realm before him".


    "I am sure he will be speechless when he sees you" said the bracelet with a laugh.


    Taking a deep breath as he begins to survey his surroundings before walking away with the halberd hanging on his shoulders. While he was walking out of the beast''s territory, he came in contact with some beast but they quickly flew away in fear. There was one time that he walked into the resting ground of a powerful beast and instead of the beast attacking him, it quickly got up and walked away.


    "It seems like the whole beast is scared of you kid" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "It is only a fool that wants its blood drained out of its body will be so foolish to come at me" replied Jason seriously.


    "Haha, I still remember when you came here to begin the hunt you always depended on me for protection but now you don''t even need me to walk back home" said the bracelet with a laugh.


    "It is what you called growing up. I can''t believe that there will come a day where I will be able to walk freely in the beast territory" replied Jason.


    "Be careful kid, deep down in the beast territory lies where the real monsters are" said the bracelet as he reminded him that he has not gone deep into the beast territory.


    "Yeah I know and it won''t be long before I go there to hunt for more resources" replied Jason.


    "I can see that mysterious glow has gotten into you but I hope it is for the better" Said the bracelet.


    "Who cares, as long as I will be able to cover for my lack of resources I am okay with it" replied Jason as he continued to walk out of the beast''s territory.


    After journeying out of the beast territory in three hours as he stood a foot out of the beast territory, Jason turned around to look at the beast territory with a sad look on his face as if he was unwilling to leave.


    "So sad that I have to leave those precious resources too early" said Jason with a sigh.


    After lamenting for some time, Jason turned around as he continued to walk back to the fox family territory until he finally arrived and the first thing he did was to visit the blacksmith. Going through the market since it was the closest path to go there, Jason was amazed by how the whole place was bustling with people who came to get their needs, and whenever get closed to him, they couldn''t help but take a closer look at him as he looks like a mad person due to how he was dressed in tattered clothes with the stinky smell that is coming from his body.


    "Why are they looking at me like that" said Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "Did you take a good look at yourself before deciding to come here" asked the bracelet.


    "Not really, is there anything wrong with the way I look" replied Jason with his question.


    "You kind of look messy kid" said the bracelet.


    And just like the bracelet has said, Jason has not had the time to take his bath, and fighting with the beast all the time has made his clothes end up with holes all over it.


    "Since when did an insane person be allowed to come in here" said a lady who walked past him and couldn''t help but speak when her nostril was assaulted by a foul smell.


    "It is your father, mother, and relative that is insane and that is if they are still alive" cursed Jason as he stared at the lady like a madman.


    "He even has a foul smell coming out of his mouth" said the lady with a hand on her nose as she ran away.


    Looking at the lady as she stormed away when grumbling and he couldn''t help but shake his head as he let out a sigh before saying.


    "Let''s be quick with this before more people begin to get angry at me".


    "You should be happy that no one recognizes you since your hair has grown so long" commented the bracelet.


    Making ease to the blacksmith shop before someone will recognize him. After getting to the blacksmith shop, Jason didn''t bother to knock before walking in as he saw the dwarf hammering away as usual.


    "Hey, how is work going" said Jason with a smile.


    The dwarf stopped hammering as he turned around to see who it was that came into his shop without knocking, only for him to see a young man with a ragged close smiling at him and the dwarf couldn''t help but wear a frown on his face.


    "What is a madman doing in my workshop" said the dwarf as he picked his hammer up before walking forward as he was ready to hammer the living hell out of the madman.


    Seeing the angry look on the face of the dwarf, Jason couldn''t but stop smiling as he quickly tried to explain himself but before he could even say a word, the dwarf was already on the move as he swung the hammer down skillfully at Jason as he was ready to smash him out of his workshop.


    "Hey what are you trying to do partner" asked Jason as he ducked to the side to avoid the attack.


    "Partner indeed" replied the dwarf with killing intent in his eyes as he continued to swing his hand on Jason.


    "Stop it will you or do you want me to fight back" said Jason in anger that the dwarf still dares to attack him even when he is trying to explain himself.


    "Don''t hold back you freak" yelled the dwarf as he swung the hammer down with full force.


    Seeing the dwarf still attacking him, Jason was left with no choice but to fight back as he pulled the halberd out to defend himself against the attack. When Jason brought the halberd out, the dwarf stopped his attack midair as he stared at Jason in shock before putting it down.


    "Is that you, what happened to you for you to be like a madman" asked the dwarf.


    "Finally you are ready to talk, and about the way I am looking right now, it is due to the training I told you about" replied Jason with a sigh as he put the halberd away.


    "I see so how was your training in the wild, did you manage to bring me any treasures" asked the dwarf with a smile on his face.


    "Of course I did although they are not the best one could call a treasure but at least they are still something" replied Jason with a smile as he passed the storage ring to the dwarf.


    Taking the storage ring from Jason, the dwarf begins to search the storage ring looking at the content that was inside with a happy expression on his face before taking his eyes off the ring before saying to Jason.


    "They sure are valuable treasures and anyone who has an interest in collecting resources will pay a huge price to get them".


    "So do you think you can make something out of them" asked Jason.


    "Although they are valuable resources, they can only be used to supplement any weapon" replied the dwarf.


    "So how much are you willing to pay for them" asked Jason.


    "I am willing to pay you two hundred spirit stones for all of them but I won''t be able to pay you right now since I am short on funds" replied the dwarf before putting the storage ring in his robe.

 Chapter 81 - Lamenting About The Past

    Understanding that it was quite natural for that dwarf not to have the money with him since he came unexpectedly, Jason just asked with a smile.


    "So how many spirit stones do you have with you".


    "I should have up to fifty if I am not mistaking" replied the dwarf.


    "I will have that for the main time, maybe by tomorrow I will come over to get the remaining balance" said Jason with a smile.


    The dwarf also agreed to it as he passed a pouch that is containing fifty spirit stones over to Jason before saying.


    "You really need to take your bath boy".


    "I know already, so there is no need for the reminder" replied Jason with a twitched face.


    Since they don''t anything to talk about, the dwarf excuses himself as he went back to hammering the weapon he was forging. After taking the spirit stone and making sure of the amount that is stored inside of the pouch, he greeted the dwarf farewell before taking his leave. After leaving the blacksmith shop, Jason made his way back home before he will be called a mad person since even his business person tries to harm him.


    After walking all day while trying to get home, it took him quite a while since he started avoiding the guards that are in a patrol to not cause trouble. When walking towards where their tent is, Jason couldn''t help but smile when he saw Hannah and his mother discussing.


    "Good to see you guys sitting together at a time like this" said Jason as he got close to them.


    Lifting their head to see who it was that said those words and the two of them couldn''t help but frown when they saw the way the person was dressed.


    "What is a madman like you doing in a place like this, shouldn''t you be out there in the street looking for any rubbish to eat" replied Hannah.


    "Come on don''t tell me you did not recognize me Hannah" said Jason almost in tears when he saw the way Hannah was acting.


    "How can you say your sister did not recognize you just because your hair has grown" replied Clara with a light chuckle as she gave her son another look.


    "You crazy girl, so you knew it was me and you still have the guts to call me a madman" said Jason with a smile as he pulled Hannah into his arms and began to play with her hair.


    "You are the one that chooses to walk around looking like one so you can''t blame me for calling you one" replied Hannah with a laugh as she tries to free herself from his hold.


    "I can see that you have not been taking good care of yourself while you are on your training" said Clara.


    "I am doing just fine, mother, so how are you feeling" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I am doing great and you have to thank your sister here for taking good care of me all this while that I have not been around" replied Jason.


    "It is what she''s supposed to do anyway since you are her mother also" said Jason with a smile before turning to look at the distance with a sigh before continuing.


    "I guess I will have to check on the grand elder tomorrow to see if the pill is ready".


    "Oh by the way brother Austin has been coming to see you for some days now" said Hannah.


    "What did he want to see me for again, I know he must be here to see how I have progressed so far" replied Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    "You must have been thinking of doing something bad to brother Austin for you to have that ugly look on your face" said Hannah in disgust as she looked at her brother.


    "And who told you that I have bad intentions just because of my smile" replied Jason in surprise that Hannah has been looking at him.


    "If you don''t have any bad intentions in mind, you wouldn''t have that look in your face" said Hannah as she raised a brow at him while waiting for him to come up with an excuse.


    "I don''t have to answer to a little girl like you so stop bugging me" replied Jason.


    Shaking her head in shame before going back to sit with her mother, and seeing the two getting at each other again, she couldn''t help but let out a laugh before calming herself down.


    "So how was your training" asked Clara after calming herself.


    Instead of replying to his mother''s question, Jason took a step back as he released his energy into the area. The difference between the body tempering and the foundation realm is when one is at the tempered body realm, that can''t release spiritual energy from their body but once they made a breakthrough into the foundation realm, they would be able to release their spiritual energy in the area and at the same time, they get to fight with it instead of using their fist as a weapon to fight.


    Seeing the energy flowing around Jason, their mother couldn''t help but open her mouth in amazement since it was very difficult for one to raise his or her realm by three stages within a year without having resources but her son just did.


    After letting his energy out for a while, Jason pulled it back before turning to his mother with a smile on his face as he said.


    "So what do you think".


    "I am speechless here, for you to achieve a breakthrough into the foundation realm in a year shows how talented you are my son. It is only a shame that our family was destroyed before you are old enough to start your training" replied Clara with a sigh.


    "That reminds me, do you know of any secret art that our family has that has to do with a part of the body glowing" asked Jason.


    "Our family doesn''t have secret art with that manifestation, why are you asking" replied Clara as she raised her head to look at Jason.


    "Nothing mother, I was just thinking for our family to be eliminated overnight due to us having an amazing technique" said Jason as he began to laugh awkwardly.


    "Are you sure that was the reason why you are asking" asked Clara with a frown on her face as she looked him in the eyes.


    "Yes, mother it was only for that reason that I asked" replied Jason seriously.


    Clara stared at him for a while after the reply he had given before shifting her gaze to look at the sky before saying.


    "Our family was not eliminated because we are in possession of a secret technique or resources but instead it has to be the work of a family who has a dispute with our family head for them to send the Wallace family which is the family of assassins".


    When his mother was narrating the story of why their family was eliminated, Jason''s fist was clenched in anger before taking a deep breath as he asked his mother.


    "Do you know who it was that sent the attackers".


    "Our family has been in conflict with many powers so it will not be easy to know who the culprit is" replied Clara with a deep sigh.


    "Whoever it would be, will have to pay dearly for destroying our family" said Jason in anger.


    "You don''t need to do that Jason, it is all in the past now" replied Clara as she tried to calm him down.


    "It must have been in the past but there is no way I will be able to find peace if I don''t get my revenge on the so-called family who hired the Wallace family " replied Jason as his mind is already made up.


    All Clara could do was just stare as she knew there is nothing that she will say that is going to change her son''s mind. After the matter with the family was over. They begin to talk about his training and what must have happened for his robe to be ragged before going to bed.


    The morning.


    Jason woke up early as he began to cultivate the heavens law as usual before having a chit-chat with the bracelet.


    "Looks like the glow did not originate from my family so where could it have come from" asked Jason.


    "I have my suspect all this while and was just waiting for you to ask your mother" replied the bracelet.


    "And what could that be" asked Jason.


    "What else could it be if not for that book you picked up in the library" replied the bracelet.


    "So it seems and if you still remember, the book also has a red glow around it before I picked it up" commented Jason as he remembered about the glow.

 Chapter 82 - Thousand Swords Cry

    "I do remember which is why we need to find that book at all cost" said the bracelet.


    "I know but first, I need to go see the grand elder since we don''t know when the ruin is going to be opened" replied Jason.


    "Then what are you waiting for just standing here" said the bracelet.


    With a light chuckle, Jason got up did what is needed to be done at home before finally going to the alchemy room where he saw Austin sitting at his regular spot whenever he is in meditation. Seeing he just sitting there with his eyes closed, Jason could feel the air around him was different than the way it used to be which could only mean that he has also achieved a breakthrough into foundation realm.


    "Let''s just hope I came first" said Jason with a deep frown on his face.


    "With the aura that is coming out of him indicates that he has been in the foundation realm for a long time" replied the bracelet.


    "What is wrong with him, can''t he just lose a bet for once" said Jason in anger.


    "Hahaha, it is really true that you have always been on the loose end since you two started betting" reply the bracelet with a laugh.


    "Yeah that is because he has been cheating the whole time. Just look at how he stole my kill when we were in the beast territory and now instead of him going to train on his own just like I did, he chose to rely on the family resources to grow" said Jason.


    "You just don''t rely on the family resources that much based on his personality, he has to train his body every day to be where he is now" replied the bracelet.


    Why he was talking with the bracelet as he continued to walk, Austin was not able to detect that someone was around until Jason was close to the entrance when his eyes that were shut tightly suddenly opened as he yelled.


    "Who is there and state what business you have here before taking another step forward.


    "Quiet down you brute, can''t you tell who has decided to come to pay a visit" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Oh I see that you have some guts to come here without a good reason" said Austin with a smile on his face as he got up and took a step forward.


    When coming to the alchemy room, Jason decided to put on a mask to prevent Austin from recognizing him since he wanted to surprise him.


    After taking a step out of the room, Austin stares at the young man who has bash in only for him to frown when he sees that he saw wearing a mask. His aura began to flare as he stared at Jason with killing intent in his eyes.


    "I am warning you for the last time to turn around and leave at once before things get ugly" said Austin as he clench his fist.


    "Just because you have successfully breakthrough into the foundation realm, you now think you are strong enough to take me on what a joke, I would like to see things get ugly" replied Jason as he took a fighting stance before signaling for Austin to come at him.


    "You must have a death wish for you to come here and I will be very proud to grant you that wish" said Austin before pushing his feet off the ground as he dashed at Jason with his hand clawed like a tiger.


    Seeing that he was not holding back, Jason let out a laugh before driving his spiritual energy as he also charged forward before sending out a punch of his own which is coated with spiritual energy at Austin as the exchange blew before they were pulled back by an implosive force. and seeing that the stranger was able to withstand his punch even when he just breakthrough into the foundation realm, he could feel his blood boiling in anticipation to fight a worthy opponent as he stood up before cracking his fist as he said to Jason.


    "Since you can exchange blows with me, I hope you won''t let me down after taking more from me".


    After saying those words, Austin charged at him once more and before Jason could ready himself for the attack, Austin was already in front of him as a punch was coming at him. Taking a deep breath before costing his entire body with spiritual energy as a defensive measure to shield himself from the attack and seeing this move, Austin couldn''t help but let out a scoff as he said in disdain.


    "You have not learned to utilize your energy in a battle and you still choose to come here to cause trouble".


    After his fist connected with the shield that was created by Jason, a crack appeared before Austin took a step back with a wide smirk on his face as he said aloud.


    "Let me show you how to use energy in battle" before he took his sword out and began to move his sword around and the more he moves the sword around the more images of swords begin to appear making it look like one is in an illusion.


    "When did he start learning techniques of this level" said Jason in astonishment.


    "Who knows but you have to take this attack of his serious because if you fail to protect yourself from this attack, I am sorry to say that you will be in great danger" replied the bracelet.


    "You worry too much, as long as I can stop the real weapon the rest will have no effect on me" said Jason with confidence.


    "I am certain that the technique he is using is not that simple so get ready for anything" replied the bracelet.


    Letting out a sigh, Jason brought out the halberd as he swung it to the side before fusing his energy into it as he waited for Austin to make his move. Seeing that the stranger has also brought his weapon out. Austin couldn''t help but smile for he has not had the chance to test his new move out after mastery of it.


    Taking a deep breath, he swung the sword before raising it close to his face as the sword images begin to merge with the sword making it shine brightly.


    "Thousand swords cry" said Austin in a deep voice before slashing forward in great force as multiple swords made of spiritual energy begin to form in the air before charging towards Jason in great speed.


    When Jason saw the number of swords that are coming after him, he couldn''t help but grit his teeth together as he quickly move energy into his leg before performing the phantom kick technique as he stomp the ground while creating a big cloud of dust before the sword energy landed at the spot he was standing. After the whole attack has ended, Austin begin to wait for the dust to calm down only for him to see a shadow within the dust moving forward and he couldn''t help but smile as he was happy that he will be able to have more fun until he saw the figure standing while breathing heavily with some part of his mask destroyed.


    "I never thought you would be able to come out of that one in one piece" said Austin with a smile on his face.


    "How can I fall so easy for a weak attack" replied Jason as he spat to the side before lifting his halberd.


    "I see that you still want more before you will be able to shut up and leave this place" said Austin as he raised the sword before swinging it around ready to make another move.


    "Here goes the damn attack again, I don''t think that I will be able to stop this one" mutter Jason to himself as he brought the halberd forward and make a powerful swing before slamming it on the ground while creating a disturbance in the earth as he tries to disrupt Austin channeling but to his surprise, Austin was still able to stand his ground as he continues to swing the sword around not feeling fraze by the disturbance.


    After swinging the sword around, Austin was just about to unleash the thousand sword cry technique when he heard a bellow as he turned to see where it came from only for him to see the grand elder standing on the roof of the alchemy building. Putting his sword away as he pays respect to the grand elder before moving his gaze over to see what the stranger is going to do only for him to see that he was also paying respect to the grand elder.


    "Why is he also paying respect to the grand elder when he should be running for his life" thought Austin to himself as he took another peek at the stranger.

 Chapter 83 - The Cure

    After they have paid their respect, they both raise up before waiting for the grand elder to speak.


    The grand elder didn''t say anything as he just stood on the roof with his hand placed behind his back as he said while looking at Jason.


    "I never thought you will be coming this early".


    "That is what I also thought but here I am" replied Jason with a chuckle.


    Seeing the two having a conversation as if they knew each other, Austin couldn''t help but turn to look at the grand elder before turning his gaze back at the stranger.


    "For you to come back is either you have achieved a breakthrough into the foundation realm since you can stand your ground against Austin" said the grand elder.


    When Austin heard what the grand elder was saying, he suddenly thought of one person who would be so bold as to come to the refining room to cause trouble.


    "I could''ve thought that I recognize that voice" thought Austin as he stare at Jason attentively.


    "Well, I actually breakthrough not quite long so I decided to come back as soon as possible to ask when we will be setting out" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Haha, I knew you will not let me down boy and as for the time of departure, it has not been decided so you still have time to prepare" said the grand with a laugh as he descended from the rooftop.


    "So you finally decided to come out of your hidden place out of shame that you couldn''t beat me to the bet eh" said Austin as he walked to Jason with a proud smile on his face.


    "Oh please spare me all that rubbish you leech, I can never hide from someone who can''t do things on their own without relying on their family for help" replied Jason as he took off the mask.


    "Ha, what a lame excuse that is, anyways since I won the bet you will have to follow my command while we are in the ruin" said Austin as he busts into LM laughter.


    "Cant you stop saying that at times like this we should be talking about how we are going to survive there and besides how am I supposed to go in search of treasure when I will be carrying your stuff" asked Jason in anger.


    "I don''t care and you should have thought about it before accepting the challenge" replied Austin.


    "Whatever you say man, so grand elder is the pill ready yet" asked Jason as he ignored Austin.


    "It was very tasking on my part since not all the required herbs were found among the herbs that were delivered to the family so I have to go look for them myself" replied the grand elder.


    "So were you able to find them and made the pill" asked Jason in excitement since the grand elder went in search of the herbs himself, there is no way on earth that he will not be able to find them.


    "Well I did and I have to say that the pill is quite powerful" replied the grand elder with a smile on his face as he pulled a small pouch out of his robe as he passed it to Jason.


    Taking the pouch from the grand elder, Jason opened it to peep at what was inside only for him to see five gray small pills which are not letting out any energy and he had to turn to the bracelet for confirmation.


    "Hey is this the pill that you are talking about".


    "Well it is, although its quantity is not that high but it should be more than enough to heal your mother of her illness" replied the bracelet.


    "Finally my mother wont is in pain any longer after today" said Jason before keeping it away and bow to the grand elder.


    "You don''t have to go that far to thank me boy since it is my duty as an alchemist to do whatever I can to save a patient and let''s not forget about you going all out to make it into the slot even when you are not a member of our family" said the grand elder as he gesture for Jason to get up.


    "Well I am not going there for the sake of the fox family rather I am going there to look for treasures" replied Jason with a chuckle as he raised from his bow.


    "You can do what you like when you are in since the reason why you all are going in was to hunt for treasures but don''t forget to look at for each other while you are at it" said the grand elder.


    "Yeah about that, I heard it is going to be really dangerous down there" asked Jason.


    "There is no free meal in the jungle so I how you guys are prepared because you are going to face danger unlike you have never faced before" replied the grand elder before turning around and walk into the alchemy room with the two standing outside.


    "Are you scared of going now that you heard that there is going to be more danger when we enter the ruin" asked Austin with a smile on his face as he turned to Jason.


    "Huh, what is there for me to fear. After all that I have been through why training, there is no human in this world that is going to scare me to death" replied Jason with a scoff.


    "I hope you know that humans are more terrifying than a beast kid" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "They are all the same to me" replied Jason to the bracelet.


    Seeing that Jason was confident that he will be okay, Austin couldn''t help but ask.


    "By the way, how did you manage to come out of that attack of mine without a scratch".


    "I believe you will be able to get the answer to that question of yours if go check the spot out" replied Jason as he pointed at the angle that he was standing.


    With a curious look on his face, Austin went there to take a look only for him to see a big hole and he couldn''t help but give Jason a look only to see the latter smiling.


    "Did he hide inside this hole but then how did his mask become so damaged" thought Austin as he gave the hole one last look before going back.


    "Do you understand how I was able to come out of your attack without a scratch now" asked Jason with a smile.


    "If I am not mistaken, you hid in there to protect yourself" replied Austin with a serious look on his face.


    "I know you won''t believe me if I were to tell you so it is better I let you see it for yourself" said Jason with a laugh.


    "If you were able to avoid getting hit by my attack, then how did the mask you were w wearing become damaged" asked Austin since he don''t understand how he was able to protect himself while his mask was damaged.


    "Well that happen while I was trying to force myself into the hole" replied Jason.


    "I see that you didn''t lose your senses while you were out training and else it would have been a difficult task for you" said Austin with a smile as he now has the answer to his question.


    "Same with you too Austin, I never thought that you will be able to master a technique right after your breakthrough" complimented Jason.


    "Well it was all my father''s doing after my breakthrough, he give the thousand swords cry technique to me which is a wind element attributes" said Austin.


    "Wind attributes" asked Jason in confusion as to what attributes get to do with technique.


    "Yeah and it is the same with any other technique for the foundation realm practitioner and above depending on the attribute that is suitable for you" replied Austin.


    "I think I have a little understanding of what you are trying to say" said Jason as he placed his hand on his chin like someone who is in thought.


    "You better go talk to the grand elder and see if he will be able to find a technique that is suitable for you to master before we move since it will be very beneficial for you" suggested Austin.


    "There will be no need for that since I have my means of getting what I want" replied Jason with a smile.


    "If you say so then there is no need to bother myself with it" said Austin before turning around and went into the alchemy room.


    Before Austin could step inside, Jason suddenly said.


    "I believe I have fulfilled my promise".


    "And what would that be because I don''t remember you promising me anything" asked Austin.


    "The fight that you have always wanted" replied Jason.


    "It doesn''t count as one" said Austin with a smile before walking in.

 Chapter 84 - Nascent Soul Realm

    The whole day was spend helping the grand elder with herbs as he was concocting a pill until it was finally time to call it a day. Jason didn''t wait to have a chat with Austin as he was in a hurry to give his mother the pill and knowing how excited he was about being able to heal his mother, Austin just let him go.


    It didn''t take him much time before he was able to get home.


    "Where is mother" asked Jason he saw Hannah coming out of the tent.


    "She''s inside rest, is there a problem" replied Hannah with a frown.


    "Not at all" said Jason with a smile before going in.


    The moment he entered the tent, he saw his mother resting with her hand placed on her stomach. Noticing that someone is watching her, she turned her gaze to see who it was only to see that it was Jason.


    "You are so early today Jason did the grand elder send you away because you stop going to work" asked Clara since it always gets dark before her son use to come home.


    "No mother, it just that there is nothing much for us to do today so I decide to come early" replied Jason with a laugh before going to sit down by her side.


    "The grand elder would not let you go home this early either unless you have done something wrong" commented Hannah who rush into the room when she saw the way Jason was acting.


    "Actually I came early to give you something" replied Jason as he took out the pouch that was given to him by the grand elder before passing it to his mother.


    Taking the pouch from Jason, Clara opened it to peep at what was inside only to see gray pills inside and she turned to look at Jason who still has the smile on his face.


    "What is this pill for" asked Clara.


    "This pill will surely cure you of your illness" replied Jason.


    "A pill that can heal my wound, what a joke" said Clara with a chuckle.


    "It true mother, I have to a heavy price just so the grand elder could concoct the pill for you" replied Jason seeing that his mother doubted about the pill healing her.


    "What a minute, is this the pill that you and the grand elder were talking about the other day that I went with you" asked Hannah.


    "It sure is and as you can see it is finally done now all that is remaining is for mother to take it" replied Jason.


    When their mother heard that the grand elder was the one who made the pill, she turn to look at Jason what a painful look on his face as she asked.


    "What price do you have to pay for him to waste his time to make the pill because I know you won''t be able to pay him if he were to request for money".


    "It not something that will bring us trouble so you don''t have to worry mother" reply Jason.


    Seeing that Jason was not willing to tell her what the price was, she could only let out a sign before picking a pill from the pouch and threw it into her mouth then closing her eye. About five minutes later, she opened the eye once more before staring at Jason and Hannah.


    "So how do you feel now" asked Jason when seeing their mother looking around.


    "I still feel the same. See I told you no pill will be able to heal my sickness" replied Clara with a sigh.


    "That is not right, it should have healed you so why is it taking so long" said Jason when he heard his mother reply.


    "Don''t take it to heart son, I know you did all you can¡­" Replied Clara whose body choke halfway through her words and begin to twitch in pain.


    Seeing his mother like this, Jason couldn''t help but step forward as he asked worriedly.


    "What is wrong mother".


    "I don''t know, I just feel my body heating up like a raging volcano" replied Clara as she coils in the bed.


    "Hey what is wrong with my mother" asked Jason to the bracelet.


    "I think the pill is not taking effect which is why she is in pain" reply the bracelet after accessing the matter.


    "How is she supposed to be in pain if it is truly working" asked Jason.


    "That is because the wounds are been fixed at the moment" replied the bracelet.


    "The pill is fixing the wounds in her" mutter Jason in a voice that only he can hear.


    "Big brother, is mother going to be okay" asked Hannah who faces is filled with tears.


    "You don''t have to worry Hannah, mother is going to be alright" replied Jason with a smile of assistance.


    "You think so" asked Hannah.


    "Sure, let me wipe those tears off your face it is not nice for a pretty like you to be crying" replied Jason before squatting and begin to wipe her face.


    After wiping the tears off her face, they stood at the side as they watch their roll in pain and after watching for a while they couldn''t take it anymore and decided to go wait outside. They waited for an hour and their mother''s scream was still on until some minute it begin to less until she became quiet.


    "Let''s go check on her" said Jason as he hold Hannah in the hand before walking into the tent.


    When they got in, they saw their mother meditating with her eyes close. Hannah tried running to her but before she could, Jason held her down. Confused as to why her big brother would stop her from going to meet their mother, Hannah was about to say something but before she could, Jason place a hand on his lip signaling her to keep quiet.


    "Looks like she has finally recovered from her injuries" said the bracelet.


    "It seems that way but why is it taking long for her to get up" replied Jason.


    "I think she is recovering are strength since it has been long that she has been so healthy" said the bracelet.


    As they were discussing, Jason suddenly felt the spiritual energy in the area suddenly getting intense as he turn to look at where the energy is coming from only to see that it was coming from his mother. Not knowing what is happening, Jason has to turn to the bracelet as he asked.


    "Why is the energy around her so intense".


    "Your mother is about to breakthrough" replied the bracelet.


    "But she has not been cultivating for a long time so how come she''s about to breakthrough now" asked Jason.


    "With all the pills that she has been taking for years, it is only natural that the remaining energy that is stored in her will be released now that she has fully recovered" replied the bracelet.


    "So that explains it, I wonder what level she is going to achieve after this is over" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    After absorbing the spiritual energy around her, she suddenly opened her eyes and there was an abusted of spiritual energy pushing both Jason and Hannah backward before it stopped. Getting up from her meditation, their mother took a step forward, and with every step that she takes was graceful. After her recovery, her skin begins to regain its color with and the scars that were in her body were no longer there.


    "She''s done with her breakthrough and with the aura that is emitting from her, it is not as strong as the one coming from the grand elder but it should be the same with the elders of the family" said Jason with an amazing look on his face.


    "She is in the nascent soul realm so you can''t compare her to the grand elder who is an ascension realm" replied the bracelet.


    "Is he that strong" asked Jason with a shocking look on his face.


    "Of course how did you think he became the grand elder of the family if he is a weak cultivator" replied Jason.


    After she has finally subdued her energy, she walks up to Jason and Hannah with a smile on her face as she said.


    "I never thought that a day will come when I will be free from this pain. It is all thanks to you my son and now that I have regained my strength, you don''t have to worry about my well-being anymore".


    "It is good to see that you have recovered now mother, I cant wait to see the look on the face of the other kids when they see you walking fine" said Jason with a laugh.


    "Now that I have recovered, you will have to start your training Hannah" said Clara as she smiled at Hannah who was just staring at her.

 Chapter 85 - Lightning Boot

    Looking at her mother, Hannah lost the word as all she could do was just stare at her but after some time she asked.


    "Are you really going to train me mother".


    "Yes Hannah" replied Clara.


    "But I don''t want to mother" said Hannah with a conflicted look on her face.


    "Silly child, how are you going to take care of yourself when your brother and I are not around to look after you" asked Clara with a smile on her face.


    "That is because you two will never leave me alone" replied Hannah.


    "You can''t be certain that we won''t, so you need to begin your training as soon as possible" said Clara before walking out of the tent.


    Seeing that her mother is insisting she train, Hannah couldn''t help but turn to her big brother for help only for him to turn her down. Left with no choice, Hannah has to comply and left the tent to meet up with their mother leaving only Jason behind in the tent.


    "Haha, who would have thought that Hannah will begin her training the moment mother recovered," said Jason with a laugh.


    "At least you won''t need to worry too much about her safety" commented the bracelet.


    "I think so. So now that I have made a breakthrough into the foundation realm, do you think I will be able to gain some access to the bracelet" asked Jason.


    "Yes kid and by the way, why are you asking" replied the bracelet with his question.


    "After battling with Austin and seeing him use that technique, I think it high time I get one too before I get left behind" said Jason.


    "Which is why you wanted to come into the space after you have abandoned it" said the bracelet.


    "I didn''t alright, I was busy with training which is why I haven''t been able to come" reply Jason.


    "You can come in to take a look at the manuals that are stored here when you are ready" said the bracelet.


    After the short discussion with the bracelet, Jason went to the side and sat down before sending his consciousness into the bracelet. And unlike when he used to come into the space there was fog all over the place making it difficult for him to see but now that he has breakthrough into the foundation realm, he could see some part of the space although it was Jason a little part but it was still better compared to when he has not breakthrough.


    "Do you see what I was trying to explain to you. The more you attain a new realm the more access that will be granted to you" said the bracelet with a chuckle when he saw Jason looking around the place in surprise.


    "So where am I supposed to go" asked Jason after taking a look at the place.


    "Come, I will take you there in no time" replied the bracelet as he began to lead the way.


    After walking for a while they were able to get to a chamber that was filled with ancient scrolls, Jason made his way in to take a look but to his surprise, not all the scrolls that were stored there were visible for him to see which pledge his interest as he has to turn to the bracelet.


    "Why is that scroll so blurry making it difficult for me to read".


    "That is because your realm is still too low for you to practice the technique and only when you acquire the said technique, would you be able to see what it was" replied the bracelet straight away.


    "I see, well since that is the case then I will have to look for what to learn before my time here is up" said Jason before he continues to look at the scrolls.


    Moving from one scroll to another in search of what would pledge his interest and after going through so many scrolls, he was able to pick a scroll as he opened it to give it a look with a satisfied look on his face.


    Seeing that Jason was done searching for the scroll, the bracelet moves closer to him as it stared at the scroll that Jason was holding.


    "Is this the one you chose" asked the bracelet.


    "Yes I think this Supreme Heavenly Lightning Cultivation Manual is more suited for me" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I must say that this technique will be very useful for you if you were able to master it to the final stage but to do that won''t be easy since you will need to temper your body with lightning" said the bracelet.


    "And how am I supposed to do that" asked Jason.


    "The only way to do that is either by taking the strike of lightning or absorbing the essence from a lightning orb" replied the bracelet.


    "Won''t I die from taking one strike, so how am I supposed to temper my body when a single strike is more than enough to take my life" said Jason out of fright.


    "Relax kid, I thought you wanted to practice a strong technique, and let''s not forget that this technique is one of the best there is and others can also practice it as long as they were able to refine their body with lightning" replied the bracelet.


    "I want to cultivate the best but I don''t remember saying I am ready to die just to master the technique, so what is with all this nonsense" said Jason.


    "And who told you that you are going to die just because you are practicing it" asked the bracelet in annoyance.


    "Isn''t that what you are implying when you said I will have to temper my body with lightning energy" replied Jason with a frown.


    "It is just a strike and nothing more and by the way if you were able to find the lightning orb then there is no need for you to face the lightning strike" commented the bracelet.


    "You are just making it sound like it will be easy for me to find the lightning orb" said Jason.


    "I believe you know that there is no free meal in the jungle, you will have to work hard to get what you want" replied the bracelet.


    "Even if there is no free meal in the jungle, there is also an easy way for one to get a meal in the jungle so tell what other way can I cultivate this technique" asked Jason.


    "Well there is indeed a way for you to cultivate the technique but it could only be used for the first stage so if you want to cultivate the second stage to the fifth stage then you will still have to go through the baptism of lightning" replied the bracelet.


    "Since I will be able to cultivate the first stage then there is no problem" said Jason with a smile as he fuse his energy into the scroll to activate it.


    After fusing his energy into the scroll, the scroll glow before it began to dim and Jason felt a slight headache as he took a step back ready to complain but then some inscription begin to appear in his consciousness not wasting much time as he immersed himself in learning the technique and after some time later Jason opens his eye in shock as he looks at the bracelet that was floating beside him.


    "What do you have to say about the technique" asked the bracelet.


    "Well it is really a powerful technique and it since like I will be cloaked in lightning armor if I were able to cultivate it to the end" said Jason with a sigh.


    "Yeah isn''t that amazing to be able to dress in lightning while scaring the living hell out of your opponent" asked the bracelet excitedly.


    "It is but that is only when I have cultivated it to its peak will I be able to scar my opponent away" replied Jason.


    "You can''t just wake up one day to become strong, as long as you are diligent in your cultivate it should be no problem for you kid" said the bracelet.


    "I know which is why I am going to use the little time I have to cultivate the first stage which is the lightning boot. So tell me about the other method I can use to cultivate the supreme heavenly lightning cultivation manual" asked Jason.


    "Come with me then" replied the bracelet as it begins to lead the way to another tower that was not too far from the one they are in.


    Now standing in front of a tower that was enclosed in darkest, Jason wore a frown on his face as he stared at the tower.


    "And what am I supposed to do in this abnormal place" asked Jason.


    "There is a formation set in this tower which can draw the power of lightning.. Now all that is left for you to do is go in there and get your body tempered by the weak lightning strike created by the formation" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 86 - Getting Whipped

    After the bracelet commended the tower to Jason, Jason did not walk in as he stood his ground while looking at the tower before saying to the bracelet.


    "Since it is not the real thing, is it going to hurt like really bad".


    "How are you going to temper your body if you don''t go through the pain" replied the bracelet.


    "I just asked you a simple question which needs a simple answer, is it going to hurt" said Jason.


    "Of course it is going to hurt, but unlike the real thing you can endure the pain. So stop talking and go in there" yelled the bracelet.


    "Okay I am going" said Jason as he begins to walk into the tower.


    After getting inside Jason could see it the interior clearly now unlike when they were outside the tower and above the tower lays thousands of lightning preparing to descend at any time as he look for a spot to sit. Settling down on a spot that seem to be safer, Jason let out a sigh as he lift his head to look at the bracelet.


    "I am not sure if u will be able to survive this attack. That damm bracelet better not be lying to me about this being a bolt of lightning created from formation" said Jason to himself before preparing himself to take the strike.


    After he was done adjusting his state, Jason begin to wait for the lightning to gather momentum before falling down and when the first lightning hit him, he only grits his teeth and it was the same with the second strike and third but when it gets to the four strikes, he couldn''t help but moan in pain and with the look of thing, with every strike that falls on him, it the next set of lightning will become stronger.


    The tempering continued for a long time until he couldn''t take it anymore and decided to leave the tower and while he was leaving, he was also getting hit by the lightning until was he finally out of the building before it all stopped. Walking up to the spirit of the bracelet that was waiting for him at the entrance, Jason couldn''t help but let out a deep breath.


    "How did it go" asked the bracelet when he saw Jason walking out.


    "Horrible, I almost got fried in that place" replied Jason.


    "Haha, I know you are going to say that knowing the kind of person you are" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Do you think it is easy to endure getting whipped by lightning when the next whip will be as twice as strong as the first one" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "It should be very easy for someone like you who has to refine his body with the blood of a beast" replied the bracelet.


    "It seems like to you as long as I have refined my body, I am in a different league compared to those that have not gotten their body refine" said Jason.


    "That is because your body is resilient and it was to be someone else who has not refined his or her body before, it will be hard for them to endure more than twenty lightning strike" replied the bracelet.


    "That is no longer my problem since I have tempered my body enough to use the first stage which is lightning boot" said Jason as he waved his hand at the bracelet.


    "And who told you that you will be able to use the technique now just because you got hit by some lightning" replied the bracelet.


    "What are you saying, didn''t I go into the tower to get whipped by lightning, so why are you saying that I won''t be able to use the technique" asked Jason with a smile.


    "That is because your body is still far from being tempered by lightning making it difficult for you to master the first stage" replied the bracelet.


    "So you mean I will have to continue using that tower unlike my body is completely tempered" asked Jason.


    "Yeah, remember when I said the lightning is created from a formation making it a made man lightning, so you cant expect it to be as strong as the real thing" replied the bracelet.


    "Which is why I have to temper my body more in the tower" said Jason as he finally get what the bracelet is trying to say.


    "Exactly, so always make sure to be mentally prepared when coming since you don''t have much time on hand before you set out for the ruin" replied the bracelet.


    "Ah, seems like there is no end to this lightning torture" said Jason with a sigh.


    "You just have to endure for a short while before you will be able to master the first stage" replied the bracelet giving Jason a word of encouragement.


    "And then I will have to face the real thing. I guess my search for the lightning orb begins now" said Jason with a sigh before leaving the space.


    Opening his eyes with a sting of pain in his head which was caused by the time he has spent in the space. After some time the pain go away and Jason began to look around him to see if there is anyone in the tent only for him to see that he is all alone and that was not all as he noticed that he has been in the space for about five minutes and it felt like an hour has passed that he has been.


    "Looks like time moves faster why one is inside the space" mutters Jason to himself before getting up to stretch his body only for him to hear Hannah complaining from the outside.


    Going out to see what is making her complain only for him to see her sitting by their mother''s side. Taking a step forward was more than enough for their mother to notice his presence as she turned around with a smile on her face to look at Jason.


    "You are done with your meditation so soon" asked Clara.


    "Yes mother, I was just trying to relax my mind from all the stress" replied Jason with a smile.


    Clara just nodded before turning her attention back to Hannah who was laying on a tree.


    "So what are you two talking about for Hannah to complain" asked Jason as he also took his seat.


    "I am just telling her how she is going to be really busy with training from now on" replied Clara.


    "But how do you plan on training her when she doesn''t even have a cultivation technique she is using" asked Jason.


    "That won''t be a problem since she can just practice the same technique as me" replied Clara.


    "I guess luck is on your side Hannah, I never have any technique as easy as you" said Jason with a smile as he stroked her hair.


    "It is not about being lucky but rather I am better than you in anything" boosts Hannah.


    "Oh really, then how do you explain how I was able to breakthrough into the foundation realm while you have not breakthrough into the first layer of tempered body" asked Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    "That''s because you started before me but it is not too late anyways since mother will be helping me out, It will only be a matter of time before I catch up to you" replied Hannah.


    "And who told you that you will be able to catch up with me ahh" asked Jason.


    "As long as Hannah is diligent in her training then with the help of some special elixirs, Hannah could very much move quietly from the first layer of tempered body to foundation realm" answered Clara.


    "Hey is that true" Jason asked the bracelet thinking that his mother was just bluffing.


    "Yes, it is but to get a herb that has been absorbing spiritual energy from the earth for a long time won''t be easy to find" replied the bracelet.


    After getting answers from the bracelet, Jason turned back to his mother with a smile on his face as he said.


    "It is possible for her to move to the foundation realm in a day but that is only if she could find it".


    "Finding it could be very difficult but there are also other ways to boost her realm" replied Clara with a smile.


    "I should be the one you should be helping not her" complained Jason when seeing their mother showing Hannah more care.


    "You are already far ahead in your realm unlike your sister who has not even begun her journey so it is natural that I show her more care" replied Clara.


    When their mother made the statement, Jason couldn''t agree more since she has not neglected her training just so she could care for their mother so it is the least they could do for her.

 Chapter 87 - The Guest

    The next morning.


    Jason was all hype up as he went to the alchemy room with a smile on his face only for all that to be shattered when he saw Austin was sitting on the ground meditating.


    "Don''t you have anything to do apart from meditating" asked Jason after getting close to him.


    "This is just me resting after tending to things inside unlike you who usually comes late" replied Austin.


    "Whatever so is the grand elder in" asked Jason as he don''t have the time to argue with Austin.


    "Yeah, he is preparing to make a pill" replied Austin before going back to his meditation.


    Reserving the comment he had for Austin for later as he went into the alchemy room to meet the grand elder who was sitting close to a furnace with his hand on the cheek like someone who is in deep thought.


    "Eh hmm," Jason cleared his throat to get the grand elder.


    Turning around to see who it was only to see that it was Jason.


    "What is it that you want this time round" asked the grand elder knowing too well that the only way Jason will come to him is only when he requires something.


    "Hey, I never told you that I need something from you so why the attitude" asked Jason.


    "Like there is any other reason for you to distract me at a time when am preparing myself for concocting a pill, so if you have anything to say be fast with it" replied the grand elder with a frown.


    "Since you already know why I am here, I will just go straight to the point. Do you know where I can get a lightning orb" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Lightning orb, and if I my asked what do you need it for" replied the grand elder with a question.


    "You see there is this technique that I am practicing and the requirement for practicing it is either extracting lightning essence from the lightning orb or by taking a lightning strike and since taking a lightning strike is a death sentence for me, I have decided to use the lightning or" said Jason as he begins to explain to grand elder.


    "Why did you have to go so far as to cultivate such technique" asked the grand elder after hearing that the technique he is practicing is not an easy one.


    "What else can I do other than to take it" replied Jason.


    "You should have come to me kid" said the grand elder.


    "Then I will be indebted to the family" replied Jason without holding back.


    Letting out a sigh after Jason has stated the reason why he didn''t come to him for help, the grand elder turns his attention back to the furnace before saying.


    "If you are looking for a lightning orb, then the best place for you to start your search is the capital".


    "So there is no way I will be able to find it here" asked Jason.


    "Nope, you would be lucky if you can find it in the capital" replied the grand elder before he begin to heat the furnace.


    Seeing that there is no way he will be able to get the lightning orb he quickly sealed his mind to use the lightning that was inside the tower to temper his body as he went to sit by the side while watching the grand elder making pills. The concocting has been on for an hour and the grand elder was not even close to finishing the K when Austin suddenly walked in as he bowed before saying.


    "Grand elder, there is a lady that is here to see you".


    "I don''t have the time to spare with anyone now so send her away" replied the grand elder.


    Doing as the grand elder has instructed, Austin went out only to come back a minutes later.


    "She refused to leave saying she is willing to wait until you are free" said Austin with a bow.


    "You can go back to what you are doing" replied the grand elder with turning his attention from the furnace.


    After Austin has left, Jason turns back to the grand elder with a smile on his face as he said.


    "Looks like even the mighty you still have a lover".


    "Better watch your tongue boy because you don''t know where you will end up" replied the grand elder with a frown.


    Keeping his mouth shut after seeing that the grand elder was not happy about his comment and decided to just watch him as he continue to concoct the pills. It took the grand about two hours and some minutes before he was able to completely concoct the pill he was working on.


    Keeping the pill away, the grand elder decided to take a little liquor before going to see who came to look for him. Following the grand elder from behind was Jason who was also surprised to see that someone came to look for him but all that change when he saw that the guess was no other than his mother. With his mouth wide open, Jason yelled as he asked.


    "Mother what are you doing here".


    "Wait is she your mother" asked the grand elder surprised as he turned to look at Jason.


    ''Weren''t you the one who has been joking about the other party being my lover, now the jokes are on you'' thought the grand elder before he was called back to reality by Jason''s mother''s word.


    "Indeed I am his mother" replied Clara with a frown.


    "So to what pleasure do I own this visit" asked the grand elder after knowing the identity of the other party and he began to observe the other party only to have a shocking look on his face.


    ''Who would have thought that she will be as strong as the elders of the family. But then again why make her son go through all those hardships if she is really this strong'' thought the grand elder with a shocking look on his face.


    "I am here to thank the grand elder for healing me of the illness that has been troubling me for years" replied Clara as she kowtow to the grand elder sincerely.


    "Please raise, you should be thanking your son here for putting more effort in finding the cure to your illness, all I did was just concoct the pill that''s all" said the grand elder as he told her to get up.


    "I know about that but it is not an easy fit to concoct pills so it is right for me to show my gratitude" replied Clara.


    "Okay then do as you place" said the grand elder before turning to Jason who was standing beside him as he continue.


    "For your mother to be here, it means that the pill actually works so why didn''t you tell me".


    "Please forgive me, I was all caught up by my Cultivation technique and forgot to tell you" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Well I will let this matter slip since I am happy that I was able to help" said the grand elder as he placed his hand behind his back.


    After Clara has thanked the grand elder, they move in to discuss about Jason''s departure to the ruin since it is right to ask for the parent''s permission but to the grand elder''s surprise, Clara easily agreed about her son going without taking much time to think about it.


    "You know I am not forcing you to accept so you can take your time to think about it" said the grand elder as he was surprised by the lady''s reply.


    "Jason has told me about it already and he is inclined of going there so no matter what I say, it won''t be enough to persuade him from going" replied Clara with a sigh.


    "I see, then there is no need for me to worry too much about this matter" said the grand.


    "Well there is another matter I would like us to talk about and that is what will happen to the items he brought out of the ruin" asked Clara with a serious look on her face.


    "I assure you that your son will be keeping whatever he manages to bring out of the ruin since they are just sent there to train in the first place" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "One more thing. Why is the family doing all this when he is not a member of the family" asked Clara with a frown.


    "This is not the family showing him care but just me trying to help bring out his potential" replied the grand elder.


    "Since my curiosity has been cleared, I guess I don''t have to worry about anything" said Clara.


    "Like I said lady, as long as your son is still with me you don''t have to worry about anything" replied the grand elder.

 Chapter 88 - Departure

    After a few days, news about when they would be setting out was made known as they were given time to prepare. Meanwhile all this time, Jason was busy tempering his body with the lightning that was made from the formation around the tower. After few days of tempering his body, Jason was finally able to cultivate the first stage of the supreme heavenly lightning technique. Although he has not cultivated it to its peak but it should be more than enough to protect himself.


    "Now that you have finally cultivated the lightning boot, all that is left for you to is try it out" suggested the bracelet.


    "Yeah, is it okay if l try it here" asked Jason.


    "Feel free to try it out since it is what this space is for" replied the bracelet.


    Rubbing his hand together in anticipation as Jason begins to stimulate his aura as he begins to activate the lightning boot and before long his legs are already covered in lightning-like boots.


    "It looks good on you kid" complimented the bracelet.


    With a light chuckle, Jason took a step only for him to crash into the tower.


    "I guess I will need more time before I will be able to use this technique" said Jason as he twitch his face in pain.


    "Good thing you still have one week before departure" replied the bracelet.


    Getting up, Jason gave it a try once more but the results were still the same and there was a discovery which is the technique is very demanding of spiritual energy meaning he could only use it at least thrice before he runs out of energy.


    With more days of practice, Jason was able to get it right. On the sixth day, while he was at home training, the grand elder sent someone to come get him. Jason tries to get more information about what the grand elder wants him for but no matter what he said the message won''t say a thing and he was left with no choice but to go with him. Jason was brought to the family meeting hall where there were six kids of his age together with Austin waiting for the elders to arrive.


    "I thought we are supposed to leave tomorrow so why are we been summoned here" asked Jason as he walked up to Austin.


    "Just like you, we also have no clue why we are being summoned here" replied Austin.


    While they were having their time discussing, the elders begin to come in as they took their sit before the grand elder and the family head walked in. They all greeted when the grand elder and family head walked in. Gesturing for everyone to get up as he took his seat, the grand elder begin to scan the area seeing if everyone is present before speaking up.


    "Tomorrow you all will be leaving the family territory to an unknown place where you will all have to fight against your peers from the other families for treasure. Although it is too early for you all to partake in this hunt but there is nothing we can do since someone has tampered with the seal" said the grand elder before looking at the group as he let out a bitter sigh before continuing.


    "It won''t be easy for you all since the Allen family has been on the rise, my only advice to you all is to avoid direct confrontation with them since there is no way you will be able to beat them in a fight".


    After he was down with his speech, the grand elder turn to the family head and seeing the grand elder looking at him, the family head knew it was time for him to speak as he stood up from where he was sitting before he begin his speech.


    After this is all over, you are to meet elder luke to collect your pills before going home and don''t forget to wake up early for you are setting out very early".


    After the family head was done with his speech, he sat down but it hasn''t been long that he took his seat when someone suddenly raised his hand among the group. Looking at who it was only for him to frown.


    "Hope he is not trying to find trouble" said the grand elder.


    The family head let out a chuckle to the grand elder word before gesturing for Jason to speak.


    "I would like to know, are we going there on our own or an elder will be leading us out" asked Jason.


    "Of course elder luke will take you guys there so you don''t have to worry too much" replied the family head with a smile.


    "Thank goodness because I don''t even know where to go once I am outside the family territory" said Jason with a laugh.


    "You are not qualified to be here not to take off going out on a hunt with us so mind the way you speak here" said a boy who was close to him.


    "And you are" asked Jason with a frown as he turned to give him a look.


    "You are not fit to know my name" replied the boy.


    "It''s not that I am not fit to know your name instead it is a waste of my time to mingle with a junk like you and if you may know, I am only asking of your name so that I would be able to avoid getting in contact with you" said Jason as he looked at him in disdain.


    "You are looking to die kid" asked the boy with gritted teeth.


    "Yes I am but it is too bad that you won''t be able to grant me my death wish" replied Jason as he cross his hand in front of his chest while daring the boy to hit him.


    "Ah this is what I was talking about, always causing trouble everywhere he goes" said the grand elder with a sigh.


    "I also didn''t expect things to turn out like this, at least their journey is not going to be a boring one" commented the family head with a laugh.


    Seeing that the boy was getting angry to the extent of attacking, Austin said to Jason to stop cursing at the other party but no matter what he said could get into his head.


    "Let me lecture him a little since his father could not do they since he is brainless" said Jason taking the matter seriously.


    "That''s it if I don''t rip your leg out them I am not steven" said the boy as he threw a punch at Jason.


    Catching the punch with ease, Jason was all smiles as he continued to mock steven.


    "So your name is Steven, what a waste of name on someone with no brain".


    "Enough, anymore conflict from any of you, you will have to give up your spot" said the grand elder angrily as he slam his hand on the table that is in front of him.


    Jason has no choice but to keep his mouth shut since he doesn''t want to lose his spot all because of a brainless kid. And seeing that Jason was not even talking back at him which is unlike him since he was the one that is in the wrong.


    "Good thing he decided to keep quiet" thought the grand elder before speaking out with a steam face.


    "You all should be thinking of how you are going to survive there instead you are picking a fight, now tell me if you can have a conflict here then what would be the outcome if you were to meet each other in the ruin".


    "But it was he who came looking for trouble, all I did was ask a question" said Jason trying to get justice.


    "I don''t care who started it, all I am saying is that as of today you are all comrade and not enemies" replied the grand elder as he turned to Jason with a frown on his face.


    ''Now the grand elder is taking his side'' thought Jason as he shook his head signaling to the grand elder that he won''t let the matter go just like that and seeing the way Jason was acting, the grand elder couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he said.


    "You are all dismissed and don''t forget to meet elder luke to get your pills before going home".


    They all bow before going to elder luke who begin to distribute the pill accordingly before they went home.


    "I cant wait to see the kids from the Allan family which they are telling us to stay away from" said Jason as he made his way home.


    "Kid I will advise you do as the grand elder said since it is likely they are strong" advise the bracelet.


    "Is not like I want to get into a fight with them, I just want to know if we will be able to take them on when things go sideways" said Jason.

 Chapter 89 - Sense Of Danger

    "First of all, don''t start causing trouble with the other kids if you don''t want your team to be tagged by the rest of the family" advises the bracelet.


    "Come on now, I am bigger than that. Alright tell me when have I caused trouble" asked Jason.


    "Do you need me to remind you that wherever you go, there is bound to be a scene caused by you" replied the bracelet.


    "Well you can''t blame me for that since I always try to keep things on a low but those good-for-nothing bullies just can''t mind their business" said Jason.


    "Like you can keep a low profile if you want to. By the way, I think you should go get whatever you are going to need on this journey before leaving tomorrow since there is still time" suggested the bracelet.


    "I don''t think I need anything for now" said Jason as he continued to head home.


    On getting home, before Jason could think of doing anything, his mother walked in as she asked.


    "So why were you summoned by the grand elder".


    "Nothing much, they just wanted to let us in on some information about the ruin and to also give out pills before our departure" replied Jason.


    "So when are you leaving" asked Clara.


    "Very early in the morning" replied Jason.


    "Then you better go to sleep for tomorrow" said Clara.


    With a nod, Jason went to sleep before it was early in the morning when he was woken up by his mother who went with him to wait for the rest to arrive at the gate while leaving Hannah to sleep.


    The first person to arrive was elder Luke who nodded his head at Jason''s mother when he caught sight of her strength before closing his eyes in meditation while they waited. It didn''t take long before Austin arrived then there was Steven who frowned when he saw Jason standing on the side. It did take long before the rest of the group arrived before elder Luke opened his eyes before scanning the area and seeing that everyone had arrived, he began to speak.


    "Our destination is the Wickross cave which will take us a whole three days to get there if we go through the beast territory and that depends on if you all can protect yourself from the sneak attack of a wild beast when we set out".


    "Whoever that failed to protect himself from any attack will have themself to blame for being weak so you don''t need to remind us of that elder Luke" commented Austin who has a smile on his face.


    "Not everyone here is like you Austin so it is better to inform them so as for them to prepare themselves for the unexpected" replied elder Luke.


    "If anyone should be informed about the upcoming danger one would face in the beast territory, then it should be that outcast" said Steven as he turned to Jason.


    "I hope you remembered what the grand elder said about losing our slot if we were to cause trouble with one another" asked a kid who was a very good friend of steven.


    "It''s not like I am trying to cause trouble here but I am just stating the fact since he hasn''t gone out training. What if he freaks out and passes out when a beast approaches him, I am just saying it for his own good so you don''t have to worry about Henry even the grand elder will agree with me on this one" replied Steven.


    All Austin could do was shake his head in pity since he has been to the beast territory with the said party and he knew how frightened his ability to avoid the beast is.


    "For every one of you to be here. You must''ve prepared yourself beforehand so you better shut your mouth kid before I send you out of this place with a slap" said elder Luke with a frown as he was referring to Steven who was trying to cause trouble before they set out.


    Lowering his head as he took a step back to avoid elder Luke''s stare, Jason couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before speaking out.


    "Elder Luke please don''t get mad at him since he is looking out for me and Steven if I may say, while we are inside the beast territory try to keep your mouth shut if you don''t want to draw the attention of a beast".


    "Who are you to advise me, you think I don''t know about the incredible senses the beasts are in possession of" asked Steven with a frown on his face.


    "Sorry man, I was just saying since you are looking out for my well-being, I think I should do the same" replied Jason with a laugh.


    "Jason you better knock it off" said Clara with a frown when seeing how her son is trying to cause trouble.


    Shutting his mouth after his mother''s intervention, Steven also decided to keep his mouth shut since he can''t get the upper hand in their little exchange. And seeing that they are no longer arguing, elder Luke cleared his throat before speaking up.


    "Since you all are here, let''s move out".


    Taking the lead as he walked into the woods that lead to the beast territory with the rest of the kids following behind him.


    "That it mother, see you soon" said Jason with a wide smile on his face.


    "Take care of yourself and don''t cause trouble with the others alright" replied Clara as she played with his hair before letting him go.


    Waving his hand at his mother before going in to meet up with the team while his mother watched him as he was walking into the woods until she couldn''t see him again and that is when she decided to go back home.


    After catching up with the team, Jason went to meet the only person he knew which was Austin who was wearing a black robe that was made from the body of the horned leopard.


    "So do you think we will be attacked by a beast" asked Austin with a smile as he continued to follow the group.


    "With this many people it is an understatement to say we won''t be attacked by a horde of beasts'' '' replied Jason.


    "So are you going to let the elder know about your ability" asked Austin.


    "Never, as long as he is here with us, we should be able to avoid casualty" replied Jason before turning to look at the robe that Austin was wearing.


    Seeing Jason looking at his robe, Austin couldn''t help but laugh as he said.


    "Do you like it".


    "Yeah, it really looks nice on you but my halberd looks cooler" replied Jason with a smile as he tapped the halberd.


    "Has anyone ever told you that you are annoying" said Austin with a twitched face.


    "Yes, the grand elder has said it countless times so I am no longer new to the word" replied Jason with a light laugh.


    Austin was speechless to Jason''s reply and was just about to speak up when he saw Jason frown.


    "Is there a beast ahead of us" asked Austin as he pulled his sword from the sheath.


    "Not just one but a bunch of them" replied Jason.


    When Jason said the word, Austin didn''t wait for a second before calling out to elder Luke.


    "Elder Luke I think it would be safe for us to go that way, why don''t take another path".


    "And why did you say that" asked elder Luke as he stopped on his track.


    "I just have this feeling that something bad would happen if we were to go any further" replied Austin.


    "Oh please if you are scared you should just say that instead of saying we should take another path" said Gabriel.


    "Did you hear me say that I am scared" replied Austin with grit teeth in anger at Gabriel.


    "If you are not scared then let''s go and if there were to be any beast in the promises, it shouldn''t be a problem for us to take care of it" said Steven as he sided with Gabriel.


    Looking at elder Luke to hear what he will say since he is the one leading the team and seeing the way Austin was acting, elder Luke let out a sigh as he said.


    "Since you feel like it would be dangerous for us to continue in this path, then we will have to go the other way".


    "But elder luke this is the fastest path out of the beast territory, if we were to take the other path then we will have to spend more days before we''ll arrive at Wickross cave" complained Gabriel seeing that elder Luke was taking Austin''s opinion.


    "Have you ever seen Austin this worried before and besides I also feel like something was wrong with this path we are taking which is why I also agreed with him" replied elder Luke.

 Chapter 90 - The Other Families

    After elder luke has stated his reason why he agreed with Austin''s idea of taking another path, both Steven and Henry were not happy seeing the elder this way. Looking at the unwilling in their face, elder luke couldn''t bother himself with them as he turn around to take the other path but before leaving he said.


    "If you think I am wrong, you can go yourself beside it didn''t matter if were to split along the way as long as we get to the weakrose cave there should be a problem".


    Seeing that elder Luke meant what he said, Steven and Henry could only grit their teeth as they follow the group.


    "Let''s see if you will be able to depend on elder luke once we are inside the ruin" said Steven with a frown.


    "And here I thought he is fearless, who would have thought that he would be so scared once we are inside the beast territory" added Henry.


    Jason could only turn to Austin with a wide smile on his face who could only let out a sigh before turning away.


    "That is what I get for trying to save their asses" said Austin.


    "Haha, that is what you get when someone doesn''t like you. Even when you are trying to help them it will feel like you are trying to help yourself" commented Jason with a laugh.


    "At least we were able to avoid getting ambushed by the horde of beasts" replied Austin.


    The group travel for hours and during their travel they encounter some beast which elder Luke defeated with ease while sometimes, some of the members would dash out to fight any beast that will come their way before elder Luke could make a move making it look like they are in a training session. It became nighttime and they are still far from coming out of the beast territory.


    "I think we should rest here and take the time to recover our energy before continuing our journey tomorrow" said elder Luke as he climb a tree before closing his eyes to meditate.


    "We should have been out of this place by now if we had gone through that path" said Steven as he put his axe by the side before sitting down.


    "Tell me about it, now we have to stay here for another day, and let''s not forget about keeping watchful eyes while we rest" complained Henry.


    "You can always go back to take that path if you are not satisfied with this" said Jason with a smile as he walked past them.


    "This kid is getting on my nerves each passing day" said Steven with a frown as he watch Jason walk away.


    "Be patient my friend once we get into the ruin, it will be just us against him. Let''s see how he is going to deal with it when the time comes" whisper Henry to Steven whose frown turn to a smile.


    "Hahaha, I can''t wait to get my hands on him" said Steven with an evil grin on his face.


    The night was not a peaceful one since they will have to wake up whenever they heard the sound of a beast even when they have elder Luke to protect, they still couldn''t sleep. In the morning they did not even take a little time to adjust their state of mind before moving out.


    Their team was finally able to come out of the beast territory after spending another night there but the problem now is that they are exhausted to the extent that even continuing the journey was a problem for the team and they have no choice but to take a rest.


    "Who would have thought that it would be this difficult to get to the weakrose cave" said Jason as he took a sigh.


    "Do you think it would be an easy trip to get there" asked Austin.


    "Well it should have if it were to be just me with no one to bother me while I make my way through all those beasts" said Jason.


    "It would have been an easy trip for you if you went on your own" replied Austin.


    While the duo were chatting, the grand elder suddenly spoke up.


    "Listen up everyone, we only have one hour to spend here since we are already running late on the meeting with the other family before the seal is completely opened".


    "Guess we won''t be waiting more time here" said Jason with a smile.


    "The quicker we get there the better" replied Austin.


    "With all that has happened, I believe we are going to be the last to arrive" said Jason.


    "They say we are always late in whatever they do so they won''t be surprised if we were to arrive late" replied Austin.


    "Looks like your family really holds up to their reputation" said Jason with a laugh.


    The group set out once more after their short break and they begin their journey again and this time around there was no longer break since they don''t want to keep the other families waiting. After another two days'' journey, the weakrose was now in view. Making ease as they make their way in.


    The first thing they did when they arrived was take a sit as they begin to breathe heavily while even bothering to look at the others who have to arrive before them.


    "Just take a look at them, they came late and still fail to greet us like they are more superior to us" said someone from the Allen family.


    "Just let them be since they won''t last long inside it is better they just enjoy their time here" commented another member of the Allen family.


    The other families were also saying bad stuff about them to the extent that they can hear what they were saying.


    "Who are they by the way, just take a look at the way they are looking at us in disdain" asked Jason as he turned to look at the group.


    "Those set by our right are from the Allen family, if there is anyone we should be wary of among the eight of them, then it should be Adam who is standing close to that female. It is rumored that he breakthrough into the fourth layer boy tempered body at a very young age" replied Austin.


    "He is a total freak, so what about the other family" asked Jason.


    "Those that are dressed in blue robe are from the Platton family and the strongest among them should be Diana, those on red are from the phoenix family with Sam being their strongest fight" replied Austin.


    "Now we are left with those sitting by the side without paying any attention to us" said Jason as he turned to the area where the said party is sitting.


    "Oh, I didn''t see them early due to the type of cultivation they practice which makes them almost invisible for others. They are from the ghost family and Trace being their strongest fighter is said to be very mysterious so you have to be careful when you are around him" replied Austin.


    "You really know more than I thought you would Austin" praised Jason.


    "It is nothing, if you were a member of the family, you should have also had information about everyone standing here" replied Austin.


    "I guess you are right about that. So tell me, who do you think is our strongest fighter" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Do you see those three standing close to Henry and Steven" replied Austin with a question as he turned to look at three boys who were in deep meditation.


    "Yeah I see them, if I am not mistaken, they never said a thing while we were traveling so what is wrong about them" asked Jason.


    "They are said to be Triplett and have their strength shared so if they were to go toe to toe with either of the five strongest from the other family, it will be difficult to determine the winner" replied Austin.


    "So you are saying those three are the strongest our side has to offer" said Jason with a frown.


    "I think so, is anything the matter" asked Austin as he was to what Jason meant by the word.


    "When the other families are sending their strongest fighters, your family just has to send three brothers to stand as a single entity, okay let me ask you a question. What would have if one of the brothers were to lose his life before they went with the others, what do you think would happen" replied Jason.


    "Then we will be at a disadvantage throughout our time inside the ruin" said Austin with a frown as he finally understood what Jason was getting out.


    If they really lose the brothers, it would be very difficult for their family to move around which means they would be dead before they would be able to find any treasure.

 Chapter 91 - Opening Of The Ruin

    Jason could only shake his head as he turn to look at Austin before saying.


    "Right now our top priority is to protect the Triplett if we want to have any chance to get our hand on any treasures".


    "If only we can convince the others about this but nothing you say will be able to change them" replied Austin.


    "Then we will have to do it ourself" said Jason.


    "Well, it still depends on them because according to what I know about the Triplett, they don''t really do things with others so it will be a miracle if they decided to work with us" replied Austin.


    "How can a little assignment be this difficult, it is just for the time being inside the ruin so they should be reasonable" said Jason.


    "The only best option we have now is for you to meet them now that we are not inside the ruin and beg them for protection while looking weak" suggests Austin.


    "So now you want to make me into a laughing stock eh" asked Jason.


    "We have no other choice here man, look the only way we can stay close to them is by faking being weak. Although I can''t go with you since they already am not weak" replied Austin.


    "Do I look weak to you" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Haha, of course you are not but they don''t know that since they haven''t seen you in battle" replied Austin with a laugh.


    "This is kind of irritating by the way where is elder luke and the others" asked Jason.


    "They must have gone somewhere to discuss when the seal will be completely down so until then, we are to take our rest" replied Austin.


    After staying with Austin for a while, Jason proceed to meet up with the triplets who were still meditating but quickly open their eyes when they feel another energy in their midst.


    "Hey there the name is Jason, do you mind if a sit next to you guys" asked with a warm smile on his face.


    "What do you want" asked one of the tripletts with a deep frown on his face.


    "It''s like this, you know we will be going into the ruin at any point in time, so I am here to seek protection from you guys" replied Jason while still keeping the smile on his face.


    "And what makes you think we are interested in keeping a burden" asked the eldest.


    "Come on guys, you can''t be that cold to a comrade" said Jason.


    "Why don''t you go ask the others for protection" they asked Jason.


    "Why go to the weak when the three of you are here. If you are worried about being doing nothing, you can rest assured that I will be of more use" replied Jason.


    "And of what use can you be to us" they asked.


    "I can help with carrying whatever you found while we are inside" replied Jason with a smile.


    The trio gave each other a look before turning to give Jason their reply.


    "We only one rule and that is you are allowed to speak unless you are being told to".


    When he heard the rules, the smile that he had on his face suddenly turn into a frown.


    ''I am the one that is actually trying to protect you all and you still dare to give me rules. Austin you will pay for this humiliation that I have faced'' thought Jason before forcing a smile on his face as he nodded in agreement to their rules.


    "Good now if you don''t have anything to say, you can take your leave. Come find when it is time to enter the ruin" said the eldest before they closed their eyes and went back to their meditation.


    Getting up, Jason went back to Austin who has a funny look on his face. And seeing this, made Jason angry since it was all his idea.


    "And why are you smiling" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "It''s nothing, so how did it go" said Austin as he tried to hold the laughter in.


    "Who would have thought that they will be so arrogant" replied Jason as he let out a sigh.


    "What did they say to you" asked Austin with a smile.


    "You are to keep your mouth shut while we are inside and could only say a thing when you are permitted to" replied Jason with a frown.


    "Wait you mean they said that to you" asked Austin with a shocking look on his face.


    "This is what they said and I couldn''t believe my ears" replied Jason.


    "I guess their arrogant knows no bounds" said Austin as he shook his head helplessly before trying to comfort Jason knowing fully well that he might reject their rules.


    "You don''t have to console me for I am also gaining from it also since I will be the one in charge of keeping the treasures" said Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    "What do you plan to do" asked Austin when he saw the mischievous smile on his face.


    "Nothing much, since they are giving me rules when I am protecting them, they will have to pay me for my effort" replied Jason as he still has the cunning smile on his face.


    "I hope you don''t plan to do anything stupid since they didn''t force you to join them" said Austin.


    While they were chatting, the ground begin to tremble causing everyone to lose their balance while those that are in deep meditation couldn''t help but rise up as they all turn their gaze to where the trembling was coming.


    "I think the seal is on the verge of disappearing" said someone from the crowd.


    While everyone was looking into the distance, the elders that were in charge of the family came in as they begin to round up their members while waiting for the seal to completely disperse.


    "Listen up everyone, once the door to the ruin is open, you will have to depend on yourself to survive so prepare yourself for the worst" said elder luke with a serious look on his face.


    Just as elder Luke was advising his family members, the other elders were also doing the same time to their family members until the ground shook once more and this time a beam of light shot into the sky before a wide scream of light appeared before them.


    "Is that what we were waiting for all this while" asked Jason as he looked at the scream of light that is in the distance.


    "Yeah, that is the entrance to the ancient tomb where we are supposed to start the hunt" replied Austin.


    "What is even amusing about this whole thing is how were they able to tell that the seal is getting weak when you can''t even see anything" asked Jason


    "That''s because the seal was placed there by the family that was in charge of guarding the ruin" replied Austin.


    "Oh well I better get going, see you on the inside" said Jason as he left to join the Triplett who was preparing to leave.


    "Be careful you all and don''t forget to watch out for each other" said elder Luke as they were about to leave.


    "The family to get in first will have an advantage over the rest so you better be quick with your movement" said the eldest of the Triplett.


    "Yes sir" replied Jason with a serious look on his face as he follow behind them.


    Where their group was still running towards the screaming light, a shadowing figure suddenly hopped into the screaming light and disappeared out of sight.


    "Who is that" asked one of the Triplett.


    Turning around to give a count of everyone present only for him to see that those from the Allen family are no longer there.


    "I guess that they are from the Allen family since they are nowhere to be seen" said Jason as he reported to the Triplett.


    "Didn''t I tell you to keep silent unless you are told to speak" replied the eldest Triplett.


    "Sorry boss, I just thought that I should inform you of who it was that made it into the ruin" said Jason.


    "Next time you wait for instructions before speaking" said the eldest Triplett.


    "Understood" replied Jason with a frown on his face.


    ''I will be your slave for today alright, but your treasures will be the price you will have to pay'' Jason thought with a smile on his face.


    "Stop smiling and move fast" said the Triplett as they make ease towards the screaming light.


    While they were running towards the screaming light, other families has already jumped into the screaming light while they are still making way towards it.


    "Looks like things won''t be easy for us" said the eldest of the Triplett before they jumped into the screaming light.

 Chapter 92 - The Poisonous Lake

    Right after everyone had gone into the screaming light, it suddenly disappeared returning the weakrose cave back to the way it used to be.


    "Now they have until two months before they will be expelled out of the ruin" mutter elder Luke as he placed his hand before his back.


    Meanwhile, after going through the screaming light, everyone was brought to a forest covered with thick trees and they were left confused about what they were supposed to find.


    "What are we supposed to do now" asked someone from the crowd.


    "Over there are those from the Allen family" pointed another person.


    Seeing the Allen''s still running even after they have come inside, the rest begin to put the piece together.


    "If I am not mistaken, then I will say we are still far from reaching the ruin" said the eldest Triplett to his group before moving.


    While everyone was moving toward the area that the Allen family took, they failed to observe their surroundings as the trees they were passing through began to come to life. Taking the form of some beast before giving chase and they still failed to notice it.


    Everyone has been running for a while with no hope of seeing the exit so they have to stop as they begin to think of what to do next but that is when they all knew that their life was in danger the moment they set foot in the forest.


    When they saw the horde of beasts that were behind them, they couldn''t help but take out their weapons as they got ready for battle.


    "Listen up everyone, at a time like this we put our differences aside and try to take down all these beasts before we continue our race to the ruin. For there will be no point for us to continue if we fail to get rid of them" said Sam from the Phoenix family.


    There was no argument about what he said since the beasts before were many in number. Letting out a deep road, the beasts begin to charge forward and it was the same with the families as they clashed together letting out all they had as they tried to defeat them but to their surprise, it seems like their attacks were not very effective against the beasts. Whenever there is a cut in any of the beasts, it would heal almost instantly making it look like they have not received any scratch making it a bitter fight for the families and some are beginning to lose hope.


    "I don''t think we will be able to get rid of all these beasts with the way things are going" said someone from the ghost family.


    "Don''t give up, we just have to hold on until we figure a way to get rid of them" encouraged Diana.


    "Before someone could think of a solution, we will be dead by then" said someone else.


    Why they were complaining, a big bang was heard and the next thing they saw was a beast being sent flying before bursting into pieces. They turned to see who could do such damage only to see Adam placing his hand down and at the same time, they heard a slashing sound and the next thing they saw was another beast falling down before breaking apart.


    "Go for the head if you want to take them down easily" said Adam before moving to another beast.


    After they received the hint from Adam, they were all hyped up as they went from one beast to another while taking them down. It didn''t take long before they were able to take care of all the beasts and when the group thought that they would be taking a break, they saw Adam and his members running deep into the forest.


    "Those guys don''t even know when it is time to take a break" said Steven with gritted teeth as he also made it easy.


    The group started their journey once more and finally, they were out of the forest and what was before them was a green lake with bubbles coming out of it. They all stood as they watched the lake since it is not what they can just cross over.


    "Even the Allen family are also confused about what to do" murmurs someone.


    "It is more important to observe this lake before having any thought of crossing over" said another.


    While they were watching the lake, a leaf was seen floating toward the lake and the moment it touched the surface, it quickly turned to ash leaving everyone with a shocking look on their face.


    "Just as I thought, the lake is not normal in any way" said Adam with a hand on his chin as he began to think.


    "What should we do now since we can''t go through the lake to get to the other side" asked Jason.


    "One more word from you and you will be left on your own" replied the eldest Triplett with a frown before turning his attention back to the lake.


    ''One more word from you three and I will go do my own thing since I am not a member of your family it wouldn''t mean anything'' said Jason in word.


    After waiting for a while and no one was thinking of making a move, people begin to crack their brains thinking of a way to make it past the lake when they saw someone throwing a truck into the lake and they all turn to see what will happen only to see that the truck was still perfectly fine until it begins to show sign of decay before rotten completely.


    "We only have one minute to make it to the other side before the truck is completely gone" said the eldest Triplett to his group before turning to Jason who was still staring at the lake.


    "I want you to go and bring six trucks and make it quick" he ordered.


    Jason turned his gaze from the lake as he looked at the Triplett with a confused look on his face as he was about to ask if they were talking to him but before he could say a word, they were already yelling at him.


    "What are you waiting for just standing there, ain''t you the one that said you won''t be useless while you are with us. Now go get those trucks" ordered one of the Triplett.


    "Yes boss" replied Jason with a frown as he went back into the forest before coming out with a big tree which he placed down before the Triplett as he began to cut it down into six parts.


    "Just take a look at the time that you are coming when almost everyone has finally made it to the other side" criticizes one of the Triplett.


    Jason looked up to take a look at the surroundings and truly the place was almost emptied. With a frown on his face, Jason turned back to the Triplett as he said.


    "You know we would have made it to the other side if we all went to get the truck in the first place".


    "Are you questioning us or what" asked the eldest in anger.


    "I am only stating the fact since everyone here did the same, which is why they can cross to the other side on time. If we did the same I am sure we would have been close to the ruin by now" replied Jason angrily.


    "We would have gotten close to the ruin, yeah but it all depends if there is no danger ahead so it is also great that we are not there yet so let''s move" replied the eldest as he calmed down after hearing Jason reply and knew what they did was wrong.


    After throwing the trucks into the lake, they begin to tiptoe from one truck to another quickly since they won''t be able to hold their weight. After they have made it to the other side, Jason lets out a sigh before he begins to access his surroundings.


    "This area seems too quiet for my liking" said Jason with a frown.


    "Nothing about the whole place is normal so why does it look strange to you" commented one of the Triplett.


    "Come on guys let''s move and don''t forget to keep your guards up" said the eldest as he led the group into the new part of the forest that they are in.


    After walking for a while, they begin to see a trail of blood along the way and they couldn''t help but frown as they continue to follow where the trail was leading to and they were able to see the source after walking for some time.


    In front of them laid a bloody body with no means of identifying who it came from since it was dismembered.. The eldest bent down to take a look at the body before raising after he was done accessing it.

 Chapter 93 - Threat Underground

    "So what do you think must have happened to the owner of the body" asked one of the Triplett.


    "I don''t know, when I take a look at the body, I didn''t find any beast marking on it and since it was dismembered, it would be difficult to identify the cause of its death" replied the eldest of the Triplett.


    "Maybe they have started fighting each other the moment they made it to this part since the ruin will be very close" suggested Jason.


    "I don''t think that should be the case. If it were to be a fight, you would be able to tell with one glance through how messing the surrounding will be" replied the eldest of the Triplett.


    "I guess you are right about that" said Jason after observing the area but was not able to find any sign of fighting.


    While he was observing the area, Jason took note of a piece of cloth that was pinned to a tree as he went to pick it up before looking around again.


    "The owner of the body is from the Platton family" said Jason after seeing the color of the piece which is blue.


    "Let''s go forward and you all will have to be careful since we don''t know what is happening here" commanded the eldest of the Triplett as he took a step forward.


    The group continued with their journey and after walking for a while, they saw another body along the way which belong to a member of the phoenix family, and just like the previous one, they were not able to identify what caused its death. Deciding to ignore the body since it''s of no use to them, the team continues with their journey, and this time they were not able to see any dead body along the which clarifies Jason''s motion of it being caused by a fight.


    Since there was nobody, the team just concluded that it should have been caused by something else and they have dealt with it but all that change when they walk into an area that was filled with five dead bodies belonging to every family.


    "This is really strange. How come there is a body to each family here" asked the eldest with a frown on his face.


    "Maybe they were sent to get rid of what is causing all this death" suggested Jason.


    "If that is the case, then it is likely that whatever that is causing all this death is very powerful. I pray we don''t come in contact with it" said the eldest of the Triplett.


    "Yeah, for all five members to lose their life while trying to stop it, it is likely going to be an ancient beast that is keeping guard over the ruin" suggested the bracelet who was also curious about the mysterious death.


    "Do you think it was caused by an ancient beast" asked Jason with a shocking look on his face.


    "Probably since there is no sign of a beast marking on them, it must be a powerful beast who has gained intelligence" replied the bracelet.


    "If it is really the handy work of a beast, then I am not interested in going into the ruin" said Jason since they couldn''t come on top in a fight against the beast, there is no need to think if he will be able to do it.


    "Relax boy, I am only saying due to the fact that there is no sign left behind by what is doing all this" replied the bracelet in a chuckle.


    After going through the bodies and was not able to see anything, the group begin to move ahead until they get to an area that the other family members are as they were just standing still not even daring to make a move which was strang but they still decided to ask.


    "What are you guys doing just standing there, have you all finally given upon entering the ruin" asked the eldest of the Triplett as he took a step forward.


    "Don''t come near just stay where you are if you still plan to keep your life" yell Diana in concern.


    "What is going on here" asked the eldest of the Triplett with a frown on his face.


    "There seems to be a beast underground that only moves through sound" replied Diana.


    "So you guys are just going to stand there all because of a beast that is underground" said Jason in surprise at how they are standing when they could just look for the beast and kill.


    "I believe you saw those dead bodies on your way coming here you moron, do you think they are weak when they decided to put their life on the line just so we can understand its pattern" replied Adam in anger.


    "So even after they put their life on the line just so you could figure a way to defeat the beast only for you to end up like this" said Jason as he wave his hand on them.


    "You¡­ you just pray I don''t get my hands on your else I will make you regret the day you were born" yelled Adam in anger.


    "Then what are you waiting for. I will be standing here so you don''t have to stress yourself that much" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I thought you said you needed protection from us so where did you get the strength to play with someone who could kill you within minutes," asked one of the Triplett.


    "Haha, that is because he won''t want to waste his time on someone as useless as me" replied Jason with an awkward laugh.


    The Triplett who asked Jason the question, couldn''t help but shake his head before turning to Adam who was still angry as he asked.


    "So where you people able to figure anything about the beast that will be useful to us".


    "We didn''t even have the time to study it before they were all killed" replied Adam with a sigh.


    "Meaning they all died in vain" said Jason.


    "They did not die in vain for now we know that the beast is agile and has a powerful claw and it is small in size which is why we have not been able to kill it" replied Diana.


    "I see, no wonder even Adam is having a hard time" commented the eldest of the Triplett.


    "Hard time or not, we need to get rid of the beast before we ran out of time just standing still like a statue" said Jason.


    "Since you are so eager to enter the ruin. Why don''t you help us get rid of the beast than" replied Steven.


    "I am beginning to wonder if you will die of heart attack if you don''t pie me off" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    "No offense man but since you are dying to get inside. While don''t you just help us out" said another person.


    "Come to think of it, weren''t you the one that said why is it taking so long to get rid of the beast. Since you are already here, why don''t you just help us out" added Adam with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Oh please, am I the only one who is going to benefit from the ruin if the beast were to be slayed, and let''s not forget that I might even lose my life there to one of you. So just man up let''s go take that beast down already" replied Jason as he turn them down knowing full well that they are thinking of using him to learn more about the beast.


    No one agree to take a step forward when Jason said those words making clear that they still cherished their lives even though they are here to hunt for treasure. And seeing that they were not making any moves, Jason let out a sigh as he said out loud for everyone to hear.


    "Who would have thought that the so called genius of the families will be this scared when facing a beast even though they are much in number. What a joke you all turn out to be" he said as he spat to the side in disgust.


    When the crowd heard his word, they begin to rage but still chose to stay still.


    "Here you are saying those words like you are any different, ain''t you also a member of the Fox family shame on you boy" said someone from the Platton family.


    "Don''t get me wrong man, I am only just residing in the Fox family since mine is no more so does that make me a member of the family" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "If you are not a member of the Fox family, how were you able to get in here" asked the same person.


    "Let us just say I was born lucky alright" replied Jason with a laugh.


    "I wonder what the grand elder sees in him for he to give the slot out to him" said Steven with a frown.

 Chapter 94 - Pray I Dont Get Out Of Here

    "That''s because he saw potential in me unlike you who only know how to bark" said Jason.


    "Alright that''s enough, we are supposed to think of a way to kill the beast and not to fight among ourselves" commented the eldest Triplett.


    "So what do you think we should do at a time like this" asked Diane.


    "Since you say the beast is a fast runner, we will need someone who is also faster to distract the beast while we think of a way to end it" suggested the eldest of the Triplett.


    "That can also work too but the problem now is who can give the beast a good challenge" asked trace of the ghost family.


    "Yeah, how are we supposed to find someone who is faster on his leg" said someone from the phoenix family.


    "I volunteer to be the bait" said Adam.


    "Alright now that we have Adam who will be the beast opponent, let''s get to work" commanded Jason as he swung the halberd to the side.


    Ignoring Jason, Adam took a deep breath before turning to the eldest of the Triplett who came up with the idea as he said.


    "I hope this plan of yours will work".


    "I am not too sure if it will work but I have twenty percent that it will work" replied the eldest of the Triplett.


    "Is it that high then I guess it is worth risking my life for" said Adam.


    "Come on guys we need to hurry up before it gets dark" hurried Jason.


    Adam turns his gaze at Jason with a frown on his face before looking at the sky and truly it will be nighttime soon which will be bad news for them since they won''t be able to see clearly. Adam began to drive his energy as he started running at great speed with the crowd prepared to make a move once the beast came out and to their shock after running for five minutes, there was no sight of the beast which was making them think that maybe it had already left the place.


    Seeing that the beast is not chasing after him, adam was also having the thought wand finally stop running but the moment he did, the ground began to shake, and that is when a hairy beast came out of the ground and dash at adam with is claws stretch forward readily to slash him but before it could get close, Adam has already adjusted himself as the beast went past him, wasting no time, Adam quickly started running since he knows he won''t be able to outrun the beast in the first place.


    "You guys better be fast with your attacks" yelled Adam while running.


    "Don''t worry if they fail to do anything, I will always have your back" said Jason with a loud laugh.


    They couldn''t help but twitch their face in anger as they began to launch a series of attacks on the beast which easily went past the attacks as it continued to chase after Adam. While they were busy attacking the beast, Jason was just standing at the side while watching them attack the beast since he didn''t know of any long-range attack.


    "You know it would have been better if you were the one being chased by the beast at least by now you would have found a way to land a hit on it due to the technique you are practicing" said the bracelet.


    "Then they will know of my secret attack and think of a way to counter it, not going to happen besides since the big shots are here while wasting my energy fighting the beast and rendering myself useless for everyone to slaughter" replied Jason.


    "With the way things are going do you think they will be able to kill the beast before they run out of energy" asked the bracelet.


    "Can''t you tell that they are holding some of their strength back" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You should join the fight instead of just standing here watching" said the bracelet.


    "Do you think I am just watching them struggle against the beast, I am just waiting for an opening to land an attack on it" replied Jason with a smirk on his face.


    "I see and here I thought you are just hiding like a coward" said the bracelet.


    Doing his best to avoid getting slashed by the beast and at the same time letting out a barrage of attacks but whatever he do, was not able to get to the beast even when he is the closest which was really annoying for someone of his standard to be having a hard time with a beast all because he was slow in his attack.


    While they were all struggling, a clapping sound was heard as a halberd was seen flying towards where Adam and the beast were standing, and the next thing that happened really shocked the crowd as they saw the beast bore into the ground for protection before the attack could make an impact.


    Seeing that the beast has retreated, Adam lets out a deep breath as he can now take a rest since it is exhausting to run around while fighting.


    "I hate when they run away just as my attack is about to connect" said Jason with a sigh as he made an attempt to retrieve the halberd.


    Jason had just taken a step when he heard a rumbling sound coming from beneath his feet. With advice from the bracelet, Jason was able to move out of the spot before the beast could lunge on him. Rolling to the side as he turned to Adam who had a bead of sweat coming from his head.


    "Hey bro the beast is out, get ready to continue your objective" said Jason.


    "I think I will pass this time around, just help me out with the running for a while until I recover my energy" replied Adam with a bitter expression on his face.


    "What, how am I supposed to run that long until you recover your energy" said Jason as he continued to avoid the beast.


    Everyone was surprised to see that Jason was doing fine avoiding the beast attack but was complaining, so why is he complaining about not being able to last until Adam has recovered enough to fight when he is doing great compared to those that lose their lives while trying to make the beast let it guard down so we can attack it.


    Seeing the amusing look on everyone''s face really made Jason angry as he began to yell at them.


    "What are you all looking out, can''t you see that I am trying my best to hold the beast down just so you could ruin your attack on it".


    They quickly snap out of it and were just about to attack the beast when they suddenly heard Steven speak up.


    "There is no need for us to worry about him running out of steam with the way he is avoiding the beast it won''t be wrong to say that he will be able to for an hour before he runs out so let''s take the time to gather enough energy and rain a powerful attack on the beast not giving it time to make a run for it".


    Everyone quickly retreated their energy as they found sense in what Steven just said. Meanwhile, Jason felt like crying as he spoke up.


    "Don''t listen to that moron guys, he is just looking for a way to get me killed all because of a little conflict between us".


    "Jason you should know that what I am doing is for the greater good of us all so stop all this complaining and continue to keep the beast busy while we prepare an attack that will end all this slaughter caused by that beast" commented Steven with a righteous look on his face.


    "Just pray to your god that I don''t make it out of this alive else you won''t believe what I am going to do to you Steve" said Jason with an angry look on his face


    "Yeah, we will think about that after we have dealt with the beast so just hold on until then" commented Diana as she began to gather her energy with a happy smile on her face.


    And the same thing was with the rest of the family since they don''t have any time left before the day gets dark which will be a big disadvantage for them, they went into a meditation state as they begin to gather their energy.


    Left with no choice, Jason grits his teeth in anger when he saw no one was listening to him and decided to avoid the beast attacks as he buys them time to gather enough energy for the big attack as he makes way to where the halberd is since there is no way he will be able to defend himself against the beast claws with his bare hand. Ll

 Chapter 95 - Working Alone

    Moving from one side to another as he avoid the attack before he was finally able to get close to the halberd. Pulling it out of the ground as he turned to face the beast with the halberd being swing at it and moving back to create distance between them.


    "What is taking them so long to launch the so-called attack they said they are going to" said Jason as he spare a glance at them.


    "Since they say they are going to attack with their best move, it is going to take a while before they will do that, so just continue to fake been slow while they gather enough energy for the attack" replied the bracelet.


    "Well I don''t have issues faking being slow since you are the one doing the whole work" said Jason.


    "You are just being an ungrateful kid" replied the bracelet with a chuckle.


    Avoiding the beast''s sneaky attack was not a burden to Jason, unlike Adam who will struggle to avoid getting slashed all thanks to the bracelet but there was a time that Jason failed to react on time and the beast claw made a deep cut in his shoulder before boring into the ground.


    "Hey kid, are you okay" asked the bracelet worriedly.


    "Yeah, I am fine. How can it class be this sharp" replied Jason as he grit his teeth together as he tries to endure the pain and at the same time bead of sweat could be seen falling from his head.


    "Well you see the way it was able to get underground easily so there is no need for me to say more and you are lucky that you have temper your body else it wouldn''t have been a deep wound but your death" said the bracelet.


    "Please enough with the death stuff alright" replied Jason as he pulled back from the spot he was standing.


    Just as he retreated, the beast came out of the ground like a drill as it swiped into the air while leaving the ground. Seeing this as an opportunity, Jason quickly pushed forward with the halberd raised high as he was ready to deliver a powerful attack but before he could really swing at the beast, the energy in the area became intense as different energy attacks begin to head towards the beast and Jason was left with no other choice than to withdraw since he doesn''t want to be hit by the attack.


    After pulling back, Jason quickly tore a part of his robe as he tied the spot where he was injured to stop the bleeding. Looking at Jason who has a frown on his face as he covered his wound, Steven couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before continuing his attack.


    "I can see that you did great holding your ground against the beast for this long" said Adam who was closer to him.


    "Do I look like someone who is doing fine" asked Jason With a frown on his face.


    "Relax man, apart from the scratch you sustain, you did perfectly well holding the beast down while we gather enough energy to deal with it once and for all" replied Adam with a smile on his face before focusing his attention on the beast.


    "Since I am the one who contributed the most, I will be taking it core" said Jason in a deep voice.


    "We will take about that after we have dealt with it" replied Adam.


    "Okay then I will leave that up to you guys since I need to recuperate my energy" said Jason as he quickly sat on the ground while ignoring their reply.


    They all agreed since he has really done a great job holding the beast back while they store energy for the attack but unknowing to them, Jason didn''t waste up to two minutes before he recovered his energy. It didn''t take the group much time before they were able to corner the beast and with a little effort, they quickly put an end to it. Seeing that the beast have been taken care of, Jason got up from where he was sitting and when to approach the beast with a wide smile on his face.


    "I hope you are not thinking of absorbing its energy" asked the beast.


    "How can I forget about that when everyone is here" replied Jason as he has totally forgotten.


    "There is no way you are going to collect the beast core without making direct contact with the beast" said the beast.


    "This is really annoying you know, now who is going to help me with that" said Jason as he begin to scan the people until he saw Austin who was standing close to a tree.


    "Hey Austin my man" call out Jason with a smile on his face.


    Austin begin to look around to see who it was that called him only to see Jason with a smile on his face. Walking up to him with the thought that Jason is about to do something stupid.


    "I never knew you will be resting up here after running around the place with the beast on your tail" said Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Please don''t bring that matter up alright" replied Jason.


    "Alright then if you say so, do you need anything" asked Austin as the smile on his face die down.


    "Come on man, is it a crime if I called a fellow comrade that I have not seen for some hours now" replied Jason with a sad face.


    "Come on spit it out before we leave" said Austin as he fold his hand in the front of his chest.


    "Alright then, since you don''t want to have a good time with a friend before talking about business, let''s just go straight to the point. I want you to get me the beast core" replied Jason.


    Austin just stood still as his brain begin to process the words that left Jason''s mouth as he begin to ask him.


    "You...you want me to get the beast core for you".


    "That right" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Why can''t you go and get it yourself" asked Austin with a frown.


    "Are you blind, can''t you see that I am still recovering from the battle I just went through" replied Jason.


    "I am not but I believe that you are for you to think of taking the beast core from their watch" asked Austin.


    "Why can''t I when I am the one that did the whole work. Like me ask you, who is going to take the beast core then" replied Jason with his own question.


    "Well that is a tricky question you just asked Jason" said Austin as the frown on his face deepen.


    "You see what I am talking about, there is no way a family will want to leave the core to another family so the best solution is for me to keep it for peace to reign since I don''t belong to any of the family" replied Jason.


    "You will have to tell them yourself" said Austin as he sat on the ground while waiting for Jason to make his move.


    Seeing that Austin doesn''t want to help him out, Jason can only take a deep breath before calling out to Adam as he said.


    "Remember you promised to let me take the beast core earlier".


    "I never promise to let you have it, I only said we will talk about that after dealing with the beast" replied Adam.


    "But¡­ But that''s was not what you meant when you said we will take about it later" said Jason in disappointment.


    "You can see that everyone is gathered here so there is no way you will be able to take it while we watch you do it since we also contributed" replied Adam with a straight face.


    "But I am the one that contributed the most so why are you saying that I don''t deserve to take the beast core. Let me ask you, how would you guys be able to beat the beast if it wasn''t for me who was busy distracting the beast" asked Jason.


    "I know the reason why we were able to defeat the beast was all because of you but there is no way that we are going to let you take the beast core when there are other things that you can ask of" replied Adam.


    "I guess that is what will happen since I am not a member of any family here, there is no way you guys are going to let me have it" said Jason.


    "You should know that there is no way on earth you are going to have it so just let it be alright" replied Adam.


    "Yeah I guess that is how it is going to be since you guys won''t let me have what I want, then I guess I will have to go my separate way since it is better than going with you guys" said Jason angrily.

 Chapter 96 - You Greedy Bastard

    Everyone turns to look at Jason after hearing him say he will be going his separate way, they felt pity for him since it won''t be easy to walk in this place that is filled with danger on your own.


    Walking back to pick the halberd as he turned to face the path he will be taking and as he was about to take a step forward, Austin held him down as he tried to persuade him to stay.


    "There is no way that I can leave this place with treasure if I continue to follow you all, so it is better I hunt for treasures on my own" said Jason.


    "But it is not safe to walk alone in this forest with all the unexpected events happening one after the other" said Austin as he tries to convince him to stay.


    "We are being sent here to train in the first place so going together won''t be considered training right" asked Jason.


    "Well it can''t be considered training alright but still it won''t be safe for you to walk alone, how about I come with you" said Austin.


    "I appreciate what you are trying to do but I have made up my mind and you coming with me will not put you in a good position with your family member so I will have to turn you down my friend" replied Jason as he pats Austin on the shoulder before taking his leave.


    The moment he left the group, everybody turned their sight back to the beast which was lying dead on the ground and they began to look at each other without saying a thing until Adam broke the silence.


    "So now that we have slayed the beast, how should we distribute it".


    "Distributing the body part won''t be a problem but the issue is who is going to take the core" asked Diana.


    "Hmm, how about letting the family who contributed the most take the core" suggested Sam.


    "If you are suggesting we should give it to the family that contributed the most, then the Fox family should be the one to take the core" replied Austin with a smile on his face.


    "And why should it be given to your family" asked Trace.


    "That is because the reason why we could take the beast down was all thanks to Jason and since he is representing the Fox family then the core is likely to be given to us" replied Austin.


    "There is no way we are giving it to your family since he is not from the family" said Adam with a frown as he disagreed with Austin''s suggestion.


    "Alright then since you are saying we don''t deserve it, then who should be given it to" asked the eldest of the Triplett.


    "If you asked me, I think that young man deserves it more than anyone here and it will be appropriate if we give it to him" said Diane when feeling the energy in the surrounding tense.


    "I guess you are right about that, but how are we supposed to give it to him now that he is gone" asked Trace as he also agreed with Diana.


    "Since two families have agreed to let Jason have it, we just need one more family to support the motion before discussing how to give it to him and I believe I represent the Fox family when I say we should give it to Jason" replied Austin.


    "Don''t just go saying you represented us, did we even agree to let that annoying boy have the core" asked Steven in anger when he heard they will be giving the core to Jason.


    "I don''t know about you Steven but I believe the others don''t seem to decline about giving the core to Jason" replied Austin as he turned to look at the remaining members of the Fox family to see if anyone is against his decision and apart from Steven and Henry, the triplet was not against it.


    Turning back to Steven with a smile on his face, Austin said to Steven.


    "I guess they all agreed to it".


    "Don''t think this is over Austin just because they are on your side" replied Steven in anger.


    Choosing to ignore Steven, Austin said to the crowd as he said at loud for everyone to hear.


    "Since it has been decided that it should be given to Jason, then the rest of us will just have to share the parts among ourselves".


    "You are still forgetting something Austin, how are we supposed to give it to him" asked Adam.


    "Since we don''t know where he is at the moment, I will have to hold on to it until we meet in the ruin" replied Austin.


    "What if he did not make it to the ruin, then what is going to happen to the core" asked sam.


    "I will advise you to stop looking at him as a weak person just because he let the core go without fighting it out with you guys. Making it to the ruin won''t be a difficult task for him so you don''t have to worry about having to argue with who to take the core" replied Austin in assurance.


    "It seems like you really believe in his ability to survive" said Diana with a smile on her face.


    "Yeah, I have been with him for some time now and I have an idea of what he can do" replied Austin with a smile.


    "How can someone who seeks protection from us brothers be able to face us all together" asked one of the Triplett with a frown on his face.


    "Yeah answer to that Austin why seek protection from the Triplett if he''s that strong" added Steven who found the opportunity to get at Austin.


    "I don''t I should answer to someone who can''t even land a hit on him" replied Austin with a smile on his face as he looked at Steven.


    "That is because I was holding back on my attack" said Steven in embarrassment.


    "I wish is like you said but you still won''t be able to beat him even if you were to go all out Steven so enough already" replied Austin as he walked past Steven before heading to where the beast is.


    The Triplett were angry that Jason was playing games with them all this while and the eldest couldn''t help but say in anger.


    "I promise to kill you when I see you in the ruin you bastard".


    "Looks like someone is going to be in a deep trouble hahaha" laughed Diana as she led her people towards another path and it was the same for the other family since it is the only way they could avoid conflict before entering the ruin where their training really begins.


    Meanwhile, Jason was actually happy that they refuse to let him have the core since there is no way he will be able to absorb the beast''s energy once he has killed them so left with no choice, he has to look for the ruin on his own.


    "I can''t believe you are not feeling worried traveling in this strange land on your own" said the bracelet when seeing Jason was carefree.


    "There is nothing strange about this place except for the unexpected attack here and there" replied Jason.


    "Since you have confidence in yourself, then I guess I don''t need to get involved" said the bracelet.


    "Where do you think you are going. Don''t you know that you are my eyes while we are here" replied Jason.


    "But I thought you are confident that you will be fine on your own" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I will and that is because I have you and not those greedy bastards who can''t let go of a little beast core when they know full well that I was the one who contributed most in killing the beast" replied Jason.


    "The greedy bastard is you and not them" said the bracelet.


    "Shit, what did you just say" asked Jason as he stopped on his track.


    "I said you are the greedy bastard trying to rob them of the beast core" replied the bracelet.


    "Fuck you, you stupid bracelet. It seems like I am being really nice to you that you have forgotten that you are my servant" said Jason.


    "You still have the guts to call me your servant when you can''t do anything on your own" replied the bracelet.


    "Why waste my time doing all that when I have someone to make it easy and besides I was the reason why they were able to kill the beast so how is that considered being greedy" asked Jason.


    "Why didn''t you ask for something else other than the beast core" replied the bracelet with his own question.


    "Because I deserve to be given the beast core" said Jason.


    "You see what I am talking about, you are a greedy bastard" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 97 - The Guardian Of The Ruin

    And that is how they continue to argue with each other before they finally stop as the bracelet begins to ask Jason.


    "So what do you plan to go for now".


    "Why don''t we go look for a beast and try to raise my realm before going searching for the ruin" replied Jason.


    "Yeah, I guess since you won''t be able to beat them once it is time for the hunt" said the bracelet mockery.


    "If I can''t beat them, then I will just have to run away and with my lightning boots, I don''t think anyone will be able to outrun me" replied Jason as he continued to venture deep into the forest.


    Jason was able to boost his realm to the peak of the first stage of foundation realm after walking in the forest for two days while hunting for beasts but it became difficult for him to hunt for beasts down like they have gone extinct and Jason was left with no choice than to continue searching for the ruin.


    One faithful day, Jason was just about to walk through an area that was covered in the grass making it hard to see what is hidden beneath the grass when the bracelet urged him to stop.


    "What¡­ Is there danger ahead" asked Jason as he was confused as to why would the bracelet tell him to stop.


    "Not a danger but treasure, those grass are called the soul grass a heavenly treasure and it can be used to repair or refine the soul of an item" replied the bracelet.


    "So how is it going to be useful to me" asked Jason with a frown.


    "It might not be useful to you but to me, it is like a blessing to see one in this place since they are rare to come by" replied the bracelet happily.


    "I don''t have the time to be thinking about some weed when everyone must have made it into the ruin by now" said Jason as he turned his back ready to walk away when the bracelet called him.


    "Wait kid, you know if I were able to refine my spirit, it would also be beneficial for you".


    "How is it going to benefit me" asked Jason as he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the grass.


    "If I can get my soul redone, then I will be able to provide more help compared to how I am now" replied the bracelet.


    Jason didn''t think twice before he started to collect the grass before keeping it in his robe.


    "I hope it is as you said, else I won''t be happy with you if it turns out to be a lie" said Jason.


    "Of course it is the truth, tell me have I ever lied to you before. Although I now have the soul grass, with the help of two other heavenly herbs I will be able to refine my spirit" replied the bracelet.


    "Meaning you can''t refine your soul yet" said Jason.


    "No I can''t not until I have two heavenly herbs in my possession" replied the bracelet.


    "So you decided to delay my time over something that you can search for later after we are done here" said Jason.


    "I think you must have been dead when I said it is a rare herb" replied the bracelet.


    "Just pray I don''t arrive late" said Jason as he began to walk.


    Since there is no beast to fight with anymore, Jason''s journey became boring as he began to miss competing with the families on who to get to the ruin first. After walking for a long time, a mountain could be seen in the distance, and not knowing what would be waiting for him in there, Jason begin to pick up the pace as he dashes into the forest at lightning speed before he was able to get to the location where the mountain was but to his surprise, it was a statue of a lion with its mouth closed and the rest of the family could also be seen looking at the statue from afar just like him.


    "Guess I came late but what is that statue" asked Jason as he continued to look at the statue.


    "I believe that is the ruin you all have been searching for all this while" replied the bracelet.


    "Since it is the ruin, then why are they not making any attempt to enter" asked Jason.


    "That is because they feel like it is dangerous for them to approach it without making sure there is no danger in the surrounding" replied the bracelet.


    While Jason and the bracelet were discussing, Austin who was also looking at the statue saw him in the distance with a distracting look on his face like someone who has zoomed out. As he went forward while calling his name out for everyone to hear.


    Hearing his name being called, Jason snapped out of it as he began to search where the call was coming from until he saw Austin walking up to him with a smile on his face.


    "So you have arrived eh, I thought it will take you forever to get here" said Austin as he clapped Jason on the shoulder.


    "I would have been here earlier if not for some distraction" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "But you were able to make it here" said Austin.


    "So why is everyone standing here instead of going in or is that not the ruin" asked Jason as he pointed at the statue.


    "Before entering the ruin, we were told by the family head that we should be very conscious when approaching the statue saying that there is a guardian somewhere here that will try to keep intruders out" replied Austin.


    Jason couldn''t help but wonder why it is proving difficult when there are many ways one can force the beast to come out.


    "You know they don''t have the same thought as you since you have me as your protector but they don''t" said the bracelet.

 Chapter 98 - Power Of A Woman

    Choosing to ignore the bracelet, Jason turned to Austin as he asked.


    "So where you guys able to locate where the guardian is or you are still searching"


    "We are still searching man, it is not easy to locate its hiding place" replied Austin as he let out a sigh.


    "Since it is getting difficult to locate, why don''t you guys try approaching the statue, since it is its duty to protect it, there is no way it is going to continue hiding" said Jason.


    "We tried but it did not make any move" replied Austin.


    "Then maybe you guys are doing it wrong" said Jason.


    "What did you mean by that?" asked Austin as he turned to Jason.


    "Tell me did the family mention what or how the guardian looks like" questioned Jason.


    "Well, he said it looks like a giant cat" replied Austin.


    "And you guys plan to trick the cat with such tactics" said Jason with a frown on his face when he heard it was a cat making him even helpless as to how to get it to show itself.


    "And it is said that the key to entering the ruin is in the cat''s possession" added Austin.


    "I guess what you guys are requested to do is to catch the cat if you want to get into the ruin" said the bracelet.


    "This is getting really troublesome" commented Jason as he let out a deep breath.


    "Here I was told to give the beast core to you" said Austin as he brought out the beast core before handing it to Jason.


    Jason didn''t accept it instantly instead he turned to look at Austin with a frown on his face as he asked.


    "And why are they letting me have it now, I thought they didn''t want to give it out to nobody so why the sudden change".


    "It was the only solution to avoid getting into conflict with each other since no one wants the other to have it, so we decided on it and since you are not a member of the family, it is more likely you have it" replied Austin.


    "I don''t think I have any use for it anymore since they don''t want me to have it in the first place, then I can''t keep it" said Jason with a smile on his face as he refused to take the beast core from Austin.


    "Why must you make things difficult for me Jason" asked Austin with a frown on his face.


    "Well I remember telling you guys to let me have it to avoid getting into a fight with each other but you all refused to give it to me so what must have happened for you to have a change of heart" replied Jason.


    "That is because the only way we can resolve getting into a fight is to let you have it" said Austin.


    "And I am saying I don''t have any need for it anymore so you all can decide who should keep it" replied Jason.


    Austin tried his best to get Jason to accept the beast core but he did not agree and the others could now hear their voice until Diana decided to go over to plead.


    "You are Jason right" asked Diana with a lovely smile on her face as she approached them.


    "Yes and you are" replied Jason with a frown on his face as he turned to look at who it was that was asking of his identity only to see that it was coming from a beauty.


    "I am Diana of the Platton family, I have heard a lot about you from Austin here" said Diana with an innocent look on her face.


    "Really and what must Austin tell you" asked Jason as he turned to look at Austin with a proud look on his face.


    "So many good deeds performed by you which is why I agreed we let you keep the beast core even when the others are against it, seeing you refusing to take, I came to plead on behalf of the others" replied Diana.


    "I wasn''t refusing to take the beast core, I was just asking my buddy here some questions concerning the core" said Jason as he took the beast core from Austin.


    ''Asking your buddy some questions my ass, how can you be this shameless as a lie when everyone could hear you refusing to take the core'' thought Austin to himself with a frown on his face.


    "Then I guess I misheard your conversation with him" said Diana with a laugh before walking out but before she could go back to meet with her family member, she turned back as she smiled while waving at Jason before saying.


    "I will be seeing you soon in the ruin".


    Jason replied with a warm smile on his face as he waved her off before turning to Austin who was looking at him strangely.


    "Why are you looking at me like that. Didn''t I take the beast core from you" asked Jason.


    "Yes you did after a word or two from Diana who you don''t even know" replied Austin with a frown.


    "It won''t be very manly of me to turn down a beautiful lady like her" said Jason.


    "Beautiful my foot, you pervert" replied Austin before walking out.


    Jason has a shocking look on his face when he hears Austin call him a pervert before living and the bracelet couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    "And what is causing you to laugh you dumb bracelet" asked Jason with a twitched face.


    "I never knew you can easily be told to accept stuff without even getting seduced" replied the bracelet as he continued to laugh.


    "And who told you that I was forced into accepting the beast core, I only took it because people are getting involved and that would be bad if they have a change of mind and decided to take it back" said Jason as he tries to justify his action.


    "What a liar you are boy" replied the bracelet as he didn''t believe Jason.

 Chapter 99 - Entering The Ruin

    Taking a step forward to take a closer look at the statue, Jason noticed that the Triplett was looking at him in a kind of way.


    "Have you not seen an awesome guy before or what" asked Jason as he turned to face them.


    The word that he just spoke really get them angry and the eldest was just about to match forward to teaching him a lesson only for his brothers to hold him back before whispering something to his ears and that is when he stops but the smile on his face when he looked at Jason shows that the Triplett are up to something.


    "I guess I will have to stay far away from these brothers" murmur Jason as he quickly left the area where the Triplett are.


    Setting in a place Jason begin to observe the statue in search of any hint that could get the guardian to come out but he couldn''t find any. Looking at the others who have a conflicted look on their face as they were complaining about how to get the guardian to come out.


    "Just look how defeated they are right now after seeing that what they are up against is not an ordinary beast" said Jason to himself with a smile on his face.


    "With the way you are sounding, it seems to me that you know how to get the beast to come out" commented the bracelet knowing the kind of person Jason is.


    "Why won''t I, although it is not an ordinary beast but everything in this world has its own weakness" replied Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    "I hope you are not planning on doing something stupid here" said the bracelet.


    "Relax man, what I am about to do won''t hurt anyone but instead grant them the chance to enter the ruin" replied Jason as he assured the bracelet.


    Going back into the forest to fetch some branches before putting them together with a happy expression on his face. When they saw him picking up woods as he set them together like someone who is about to set a fire, they were curious as to what he was doing. Austin, who could easily relate with Jason, didn''t bother to wait to see what he was up to before he walked up to him.


    "What are you planning to do with all this wood packed together" asked Austin.


    "Can''t you tell that I am about to make myself a meal or am I not allowed to eat anymore" replied Jason with a smile as he continued to put the wood together.


    "You are preparing to make a meal at a time like this" asked Austin with a frown on his face.


    "Last time I checked I am not a member of the Fox family so I don''t need to answer to anyone" replied Jason with a frown on his face.


    Austin couldn''t help but stop talking after Jason has made it clear that he is not a member of their family so he is free to do as he likes. Seeing Austin like this, put a smile on the face of Jason as he said.


    "Why don''t you take a seat while I make us something to eat".


    "If you are thinking of causing trouble here, you are free to but don''t drag me into it as well" replied Austin as he sat down while giving Jason some distance.


    "Suit yourself man but don''t go saying that I am a greedy man when you begin to starve" said Jason as he took out some fishes from his robe before staking them on the halberd before placing them on the fire that was made from the wood.


    "How can someone be so dumb as to steam fish at a place like this" said Steven who found Jason to be annoying.


    "Why can''t you all just let me be for once, will it kill you people if you focus on how to enter the ruin" yell Jason in anger.


    They quickly decided to make their business seeing that Jason was getting angry meanwhile Austin who has given Jason some space earlier decided to get close to him as he asked him a question through telepathy.


    "Are you trying to lair the guardian out or what".


    "Finally someone has put the puzzle together. I thought it is going to take you a long time before you will be able to figure it out" replied Jason as he telepaths the message back to Austin.


    "But do you think it will work since the guardian is not the other beast" asked Austin.


    "I am not too sure myself but I am fifty percent sure that the guardian will fall for it since it is in their nature to like fish" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I couldn''t agree more on that logic" said Austin.


    "Now all that is left for me to do is get the smell of fish to travel far" said Jason.


    "Then this amount won''t be enough to attract the guardian. Here let me help" replied Austin as he took out his sword and stab five fishes into it before placing it into the fire.


    Seeing that Austin was also imitating Jason, Steven couldn''t help but curse out.


    "You prick how can you be so dumb as to join that outcast in playing around".


    "I wonder who is the outcast here, is it me or you cause I remember clearly that I belong to a family unlike a nobody like you whose father is ashamed to call his son" said Jason.


    "Hey you guys should wait for me alright" commented Diana giggles as she made her way toward them.


    "Diana, where do you think you are going" asked a member of the Platoon family.


    "Can''t you see that they are having fun over there, why wait here for the guardian to come out when I can have fun while waiting" replied Diana with a smile before rushing to them.


    After getting to where the duo was sitting, Diana took out her sword before turning to Jason to lend her some fish which he quickly lent her and Austin was so speechless to see that Jason who he had thought would not even look Diana to be someone special would easily let her have some of his fish.


    "You don''t need to worry about anything man, I only let her have it just to make it easier for the smell to get to the guardian" said Jason as he passed a telepathy message to Austin when seeing the look on his face.


    "So you actually expect me to believe what you are saying when the look on your face says otherwise" replied Austin with a disdainful look on his face.


    The rest did not even bother to look at them as they continue to think of a way to get the guardian to come out which was beginning to look difficult for them until they felt the ground tremble before a winged creature that look like a cat but the only difference between them was that it was a lot bigger than a normal cat.


    The group couldn''t help but mutter beneath their voice as they look at the guardian who was watching them from above.


    "The¡­.the¡­the guardian has finally shown itself".


    The guardian was just levitating high up in the sky as it began to scan the area in search of where the amazing smell was coming from and that is when its eyes locked on an area where three people were sitting while holding a stake of fish on their weapon. Not wasting more time, the guardian dash towards where they were sitting, and when the group saw the guardian dashing towards where Jason and the rest were steaming fishes, they couldn''t help but have a happy expression on their face.


    "Serve you right. you think we all came here to have fun" said Steven who looked to be happier compared to the others.


    Seeing the guardian coming at them, Diana was frightened as she stood up ready to battle it out only for Jason to tell her to loosen up and sit down.


    Doing as she was told, Diana sat down as she gazed at the guardian who was just hovering in the air while looking at them. After seeing that the lady had sat down, it landed not too far from them as it looked at them curiously.


    "You want to have a taste of this" said Jason as he pulled the halberd forward for the guardian to get a closing look at what was really producing the amazing smell.


    The guardian had an amusing look on its face when it saw the fishes that were stake together as it moved its mouth closer to get a bite only for Jason to pull the halberd back causing the guardian to bite at thin air.


    The guardian became annoyed that it could not have a bite at the fish and Jason seeing the look on its face couldn''t help but let out a chuckle as he said.


    "Do you want to have it" asked Jason, not knowing if the guardian could understand him.


    The guardian nodded to his question as it sat while looking at Jason.


    "You can have them all if you let us into the ruin" added Jason with a smile as he pointed to the statue.


    The guardian didn''t bother to think much about it before opening its mouth and spitting out a white orb that coated Jason, Austin, and Diana together before they were sent into the statue.. After sending them in, the guardian quickly ate the fishes that were left behind by the three before running into the forest.

 Chapter 100 - Time To Hunt

    Everyone was shocked stiffed as they watched them being sent into the statue before the guardian flew up high before dashing into the forest. They all have their mouth wide open as they just stare at the spot where the fire was set before turning to look at each other.


    "Do you think they knew the secret of getting the guardian to show itself" asked Trace with a confused look on his face.


    "Not them but that boy who was brought in by the Fox family and by the look of things, he used those fish to draw the guardian attention" replied Adam.


    "So you are saying we should also do as he did" asked Trace as he turned to look at Adam.


    "As long as it can get us into the ruin, then we have no choice then to do the same" replied Adam as he went to sit by the flame as he quickly brought out his sword as he begin to search his storage ring for some fish until he finally took out a big fish as he stabs it into the fish before putting it on the fire.


    Seeing Adam taking the step, the rest also did the same as they quickly retrieve fish from their storage ring before placing it on the flame after some time, the smell begin to drift across the place, and unlike Jason and the rest who could only produce that much smell, this set was able to draw the guardian out quickly all thanks to their number.


    When the guardian came out, it look at where the smell was coming from before dashing forward as it didn''t waste much time before sending them into the statue since it already knew their reason for steaming the fish.


    After they were sent into the statue, they fell into a dark room with a little brim of light coming from a tiny crack.


    "Good thing you guys have found a way to come in" echo a voice in the room.


    "Who said that, come on show yourself" yelled Trace as he pulled out his weapon.


    "Relax it''s just us, so you can put down your weapon" replied Diana with a giggle.


    Recognizing who has just spoken, Trace put down his weapon as he turned to look at the angle where the voice is coming from only to see the three inside a cage that is hanging above them.


    "And why are you hanging up there" asked Trace with a frown on his face.


    "Who would have thought that the guardian will be so tricky as to send us into a trap after providing it a good meal" replied Jason with a frustrated look on his face.


    "Did the guardian send you into the cage or did you just walk into it" asked Adam as took a step forward to take a closer look at the cage.


    "You don''t need to give us any answer, knowing the kind of person you are, you seem to be the one that is responsible for walking into the trap" said Steven with a chuckle as he looked at Jason.


    "It wasn''t him who triggered the trap but me so can you let us out now" replied Diana.


    Not waiting for the others to speak, the members of the Platton family came forward as they quickly opened the cage for them to come out. After coming out of the cage, the first thing that Jason did was walk up close to Steven who was angry that he was let out of the cage.


    "I can see that you don''t want me to come out of the cage" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You just have to pray that we don''t cross paths since we are inside the ruin now, it won''t matter if we came from the same family since we are here to hunt" said Steven as he is hinting at Jason with killing intent in his eyes.


    "You don''t need to stress yourself on that cause the moment I see you, then there is nothing on this earth that is going to save you from my halberd" replied Jason with an evil grin on his face.


    "We shall see about that" said Steven as his killing intent intensified.


    Looking at the two who couldn''t wait to get their hand on a treasure before getting into conflict. Adam took a step forward as he said in a voice that everyone could hear.


    "From here on out is every man for himself".


    "It was fun being with you guys, hope we don''t get into a fight" said Diana with a smile on her face as she waved at Jason and Austin before leaving with her people.


    Trace didn''t bother to waste his time with words as he also left the darkroom in search of treasure and it was the same with the phoenix family as they also left the room. Leaving the Fox family in the darkroom as they stare at each other.


    "Don''t look at me like that, I don''t intend to go with you guys" said Jason as he smiled at the Triplett who was looking at him oddly.


    "And who told you that we wanted you to join us" replied the eldest of the Triplett.


    "Since that is not the case, then why are you looking at me in that way" asked Jason as he placed his hand on the front of his chest while waiting for answers.


    "I just want to tell you to watch your back while you search for treasure, for you might not know what hit you" replied one of the Triplett before leaving.


    "Look what you''ve done to yourself, causing trouble everywhere you go, even the family that should be protecting you is also after your life" laughed Henry before leaving with Steven.


    After everyone has left, Jason was just looking at the path that the Triplett took as he muttered to himself.


    "How are they angry at me".


    "Maybe it has something to do with you acting to be weak before then making them feel kind of been fooled" replied Austin who has not left the room.


    "But I was only trying to help. And by the way, why are you still waiting here for" said Jason.


    "I just want to give you a reminder before leaving, you see Steven and the rest might come after your life and there won''t be a problem but it will be a different case if you were to get rid of them since you don''t have any backing" replied Austin.


    "If anyone comes for my head I won''t mind taking. I don''t care if they are from a big family or not as long as they come for me I won''t show them any mercy" said Jason as he clenched his fist together in anticipation.


    "Whatever you say man, I just thought I should inform you beforehand but since you have already decided, then there is nothing left for me to say to you" said Austin.


    "Thanks for the advice my friend and I also advise you to take good care of yourself and if you were to come across an opponent that is difficult for you to defeat, forget about pride and run" replied Jason.


    "I should be the one to tell you that Jason anyways good luck and see you on the other side" said Austin in a light laugh before walking out.


    After Austin has left the room, Jason couldn''t help but have a cunning smile on his face as he said.


    "Looks like my time here in the ruin would not be a waste".


    "Are you planning on robbing others of their findings" asked the bracelet as he was curious as to why Jason had that evil look on his face.


    "Who has the time to rob others of their finding when I have you here to help me locate any treasures" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Since you are not thinking of robbing them, then what are you planning to do" asked the bracelet.


    "Since they want to come for my life, I think it''s time I hunt them down before they have the time to come attack me when I less expected it" replied Jason with an evil smile on his face.


    "Now you are thinking of hunting humans when you should be looking for treasures since it is the reason why you are here in the first place" said the bracelet.


    "Don''t worry, we still have much time to search for treasure so come let''s go hunt" replied Jason as he giggled.


    "You do know that you are not going to stay in this ruin for a long time before you are kicked out right" asked the bracelet.


    "I know we can''t stay for long but there is still time for me to get them down since it hasn''t been long since they left" replied Jason with a smile.


    The bracelet decided to let him do whatever he want since he is the one who is in need of resources and not him.. Seeing that the bracelet has given up on persuading him to go look for treasure, Jason likes out a chuckle as he went into the path that Steven took.

 Chapter 101 - Mini World

    The moment Jason walked out of the darkroom, the world he was brought to was completely different from the world outside as the sky was pure green in color, and Jason who was new to it was stunned as he was just looking at the sky while forgetting about his mission.


    "I never knew that a world that is different from where I came from actually exists" mutters Jason as he continues to look at the sky.


    "This is not a real-world kid, it is just a mini world created by a practitioner who has a breakthrough into the profound immortal realm" said the bracelet.


    "Wow, I never thought one can actually make a world of their own" commented Jason in surprise at the bracelet words.


    "As long as you are delighted with your training, it shouldn''t be a far cry for you" said the bracelet.


    "That all depends if I don''t get stuck in my cultivation" replied Jason.


    "Sure but it is strange to see that a world was left at a place like this" said the bracelet.


    "What do you mean by that" asked Jason as he don''t understand what the bracelet is driving at.


    "Have you heard about the plane that is above this one we are now" asked the bracelet as he ignored Jason''s question.


    "I have never heard of any plane that is above ours" replied Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "I guess no one close to you has ever broken through to half immortal which is why you don''t know a thing about the upper plane" said the bracelet.


    "So what does that have to do with the mini world" asked Jason as he still doesn''t understand what the bracelet is getting.


    "You see, when one made a breakthrough into half immortal, they will be expelled out of this plane since this plane is not strong enough to hold such master and for a mini world to appear here, it could only mean that the cultivator life was in danger and he has to forced his way back into this plane and made this world we are in now to hid from the enemy" replied the bracelet as he educated Jason about the plane above.


    "Wow, I never knew that something like that truly exists in this world we live in. So what do you think must have happened to the creator of this world" asked Jason.


    "It is possible to say that it no longer exists in this world since this mini world has been here for a long time, he must have aged and died since there is no way he will have to cultivate since his presence will be sense by those who are in control of the plane which will lead to him being expelled from the plane once more and let''s not forget about the punishment that comes after" replied the bracelet.


    "So what do you think the punishment is going to be if he were to be caught?" asked Jason curiously.


    "Who knows, maybe his cultivation will be destroyed" replied the bracelet.


    "Ouch, that is kind of hard for a punishment" said Jason.


    "That is why you won''t see anyone forcing their way back into this plane" replied Jason.


    "So since this whole place belongs to a powerful cultivator, there is ought to be a lot of treasures in this mini world of his" said Jason.


    "Yes and if you are lucky enough to chance with its energy core, it would be a great harvest for you" replied the bracelet.


    "What is this energy core you speak of" asked Jason.


    "That is where the spiritual energy that the cultivator has accumulated for a long time is been stored. Although it won''t be dense like it used to be in the past, but it should be very beneficial for you to make a breakthrough" replied the bracelet.


    "So now my objective is to locate where the energy core is been kept but what if someone else is already making his or her way there" thought Jason.


    "The more reason why you should ignore your pretty for now and go look for the energy core" advises the bracelet.


    Jason didn''t bother looking for Steven and the rest as he began to search for the energy core. Crossing over a bridge that lead to the other side, Jason saw a skeleton laying all over the place which reminded him about the dream he had after touching the book.


    "This should be the remains of those that lose their lives while fighting for treasure" said Jason as he quickly walked past them.


    Continuing with his search, Jason came across a member of the Phoenix family who seen to be separated from his family members walking around the place with a blank look on his face.


    "Looks like there is another prey for me to take down once more hahaha" laughed the member of the Phoenix family after scenting Jason present.


    "Be careful Jason, I think something must have happened here for him to be speaking like someone who is been manipulated and just take a look at the blank look on his face" advises the bracelet when seeing Jason gripping the halberd tightly.


    "Yeah yeah, I can tell that something is actually wrong with him with the way he is speaking" replied Jason with a smile on his face before taking a step forward as he said to the member of the Phoenix family.


    "Hey look here, I don''t have any problem with your family so just let me through as I don''t want to fight with you".


    "Why do I have a feeling like you actually want to have a fight with him" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I really want to, for him to approach me, it shows how confident he has in himself that he will be able to take me on" replied Jason.


    "I think you should avoid him, there is something about him that just seem off" said the bracelet.


    "I am prepared for anything" replied Jason as he ignored the bracelet and continued with his advancement.


    When the young man saw Jason coming forward, it smiled with his teeth showing clearly well, and seeing this, Jason couldn''t help but comment in disgust.


    "Urg, I wonder how the members of your family are able to survive this long while journey with you".


    The young man suddenly slash his sword to the side before dashing at Jason like a savage beast and seeing the young man coming at him, Jason took a breath before swinging the halberd at him only for the young man to quickly flip into the air as he avoided Jason attack before letting out a kick of his own at Jason who barely avoided the kick.


    "I can''t believe that he can be this fast" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    Seeing that he has missed his target, the young man quickly moved forward and this time it was difficult for Jason to see him as he began to take hit after hit before a powerful kick hit him on the stomach which sent him flying.


    "Dammit, how can he still have some much energy even after coming at me" said Jason as he stood up while enduring the pain that he is passing through.


    "It is better you begin to fight seriously or else you are going to end up in a serious injury" said the bracelet.


    "Haha, I thought I should have some fun first but since I don''t have much time on my hand, I guess it is time we end this fight of ours" said Jason to the young man.


    Dusting his robe, Jason let out a roar as he activated the lightning boot with a smile on his face.


    "Be glad that you are the first to have a witness my lightning boot" said Jason proudly as he dashed forward the young man in top speed while leaving a trail of lightning in his track.


    It didn''t take him much time to get to where the young man was standing and landing a punch that was powered by the invisible iron fist technique before he could make a move. Not giving him time to recover, Jason threw the halberd at him which easily pinned him to the wall before he stopped the lightning boot and walk up to the young man as he said.


    "Do you still feel like you can take me on".


    "You think this will be enough to stop me, just wait and see what I am going to do to you once I get out of here" roar the young man.


    "I guess there is no saving you and since we are here all by ourselves, I don''t see any reason why I should keep you alive since you came for my life in the first place" said Jason with a frown as he left his fist and smack the young man on the head killing him on the spot.

 Chapter 102 - The Hidden Treasure

    After taking the life of the young man, a dark smoke begin to drift from his nose, ears, eye, and mouth before it fades away. Jason was seeing this and couldn''t help but have a second about the place after seeing what has come out of the young man.


    "I don''t think that this place is a treasure horde, how can a black smoke come out of someone like that after there are dead".


    "It is kind of strange, let us just hope that rest are not like him" commented the bracelet.


    "Yeah let''s just hope so" added Jason before he began to search the young man to see if there is any treasure on him but that is when his hand begins to glow and the blood begins to flow from the young man into his money.


    Not used to the pain, Jason grits his teeth as he endure the pain until it was finally gone while the body was turned to a skeleton beyond recognition.


    "You breakthrough into the second level of foundation realm" said the bracelet.


    "Yeah and it seems like humans are more beneficial to me than those beasts" replied Jason.


    "Don''t let it get into your head boy" said the bracelet.


    Choosing to ignore the bracelet, Jason stood by the skeleton as he begin to scan it for any treasure until he saw a ring on his neck, and not wasting much time, Jason took it as he begin to observe it.


    "Now I have my very own storage ring" said Jason with a smile on his face before pulling the halberd from the skeleton.


    Going into one of the rooms, Jason discovers that the room was filled with spirit stones, and with a smile on his face, he dashed in to take them all but the moment he picked a spirit stone from the ground, it quickly turns into a cloud of dust.


    "What kind of joke is this" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    "How do you expect them to still function after they have been stored here for a very long time" replied the bracelet.


    "If things are just going to turn into dust the moment they were picked, then what is the need of coming into this place" said Jason.


    "Who knows, maybe there are other items that can still be of use in here just like the energy core all you have to do is just continue to search for them" replied the bracelet.


    "Search you say, do you think it''s easy running from one place to another looking for a treasures only end up getting junks" said Jason.


    "Which is why you need to put more effort into your search" replied the bracelet.


    "You are not even helping matters at all, why can''t you just tell me the location of the treasures just like you did with the beast and save me the stress" said Jason.


    "In order for me to know the location of a beast I must have caught a glimpse of the beast so also it is for the treasure I need to sense their existence before I can pinpoint where they are" replied the bracelet.


    "So you mean all this while that I have been searching, I have not gotten close to any treasure" asked Jason.


    "That''s my point. Maybe you need to go deep inside to increase your chances of finding one" replied the bracelet.


    Jason let out a sigh as he stop himself from complaining before he continue to go deeper as he continue his search while at the same time asking the beast if he is getting close to any treasure only to be disappointed. After venturing deep inside the world, Jason got to a place that is filled with an array like it was protecting something.


    "The person that set this here is really getting on my nerves" said Jason with a frown as he stretched his hand forward to touch the wall as he take a look around the place.


    "Don''t place your hand on the wall" advised the bracelet the moment Jason was about to place it on the wall.


    "What is the problem, if I am not mistaken the array is still far from where I am standing" asked Jason as he quickly dropped his hand.


    "Right now we don''t know if the wall is also connected to the array and yet you are thinking of placing your hand on it and let''s not talk about what will happen once the array is activated" replied the bracelet.


    "Then what do you think I should do now that I can''t get in. I have this feeling that there is a treasure hidden inside this room" said Jason with an angry look on his face.


    "Let''s forget about this room for now and look somewhere else" replied the bracelet.


    "There is no way I am going to leave this place. Do you know how difficult it was before I was able to find this place" said Jason as he disagreed with the bracelet idea.


    "So you want to endanger your life just because of a treasure" asked the bracelet.


    "Do you hear me saying that I am going to put my life on the line just so that I will be able to get inside" replied Jason before he left the room.


    Jason begins to walk around the place in search of what he is going to use as bait to see what would happen if one was caught by the array. After searching for a while, Jason came across a skeleton as he picked it up with a wide smile on his face.


    "Time to put you to good use" said Jason.


    "Now you don''t even have respect for the dead" commented the bracelet.


    "What do you know, don''t you know that the owner of this skeleton is regretting that its body has not been of any use after his departure and now that I have found a use for them, he can now rest in peace" replied Jason as he began to take the skeleton back to the room.


    On getting to the room, Jason threw the skeleton forward and the moment it went into the array that was set to protect whatever that was hidden in the room, A formation quickly appeared with the skeleton being in the center of the formation and the next thing there was sand in place of where the skeleton used to be.


    "I know it would be a bad idea to just match into the array" said Jason with a sigh as he didn''t want to leave the treasure.


    "I think you would be able to make it past the array before the formation appears" replied the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to make it out of the array before the formation activates?" asked Jason as his mood brightened when he heard the bracelet saying that there is a way.


    It took the formation five seconds to activate, so if you were to use your lightning boot and make a run for it, you will be able to make it to the other side safe and sound" replied the bracelet.


    "That is a good plan but what if there is still a trap set after the array, then it won''t be safe and sound as you called it" said Jason.


    "You can go look for another skeleton and try it out since they are grateful to you for putting them into great use" replied the bracelet.


    "Why do I feel like you are making a mockery of me" said Jason but still decided to go look for another skeleton which didn''t take him much time to find one before he headed back into the room.


    Now focusing his strength on his hand as he threw the skeleton across the array before it fell on the other side and Jason waited to see if anything would happen but to his surprise, there was no trap set in place.


    "Now all that is left for me to do is outrun the array and the treasure would be mine" said Jason as he licked his lip while rubbing his hand in anticipation.


    Taking a step back before activating the lightning boot as his legs were covered in lightning. Taking a deep breath before stomping his foot on the ground as he ran into the room while passing the array before it could activate.


    Making it to the other side, Jason let out a breath of relief before deactivating the technique.


    "Looks like I made it through the array without getting any scratch on me" said Jason with a laugh.


    "Now it is time to see what is hidden here for there to be such a powerful array setup here" replied the bracelet.


    "I hope it won''t be a disappointment for I know how many grateful skeletons that have contributed in helping me get past the array" said Jason as he wiped the sweat from his head.

 Chapter 103 - Strange Happening

    After adjusting his state of mind, Jason quickly moved on as he took the path before him that led him to where a silver chest was, and with a bright smile on his face, Jason began to rub his hand in anticipation.


    "Finally my hard work has not gone to waste" said Jason happily as he approached the silver chest ready to open it but before he could, the bracelet told him to stop.


    "You are not being cautious here, what if there is a trap hidden somewhere that will trigger once you open the chest" asked the bracelet.


    "I don''t believe that there is going to be a trap anywhere near the chest, just think about it. What is the need of placing a trap here when there is already a difficult one in the entrance" replied Jason.


    "I am just saying that you should act with caution since the unimaginable can happen" said the bracelet.


    "Relax man, this chest is trap free okay" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    Places his hand on top of the chest as he looks at the roof to see if there is anything suspicious around before raising the lid of the chest only to see that it is empty.


    Looking at the empty chest, Jason was unable to say a word as he just continued to look at it until finally the bracelet spoke up.


    "The chest seems to be empty".


    "Do I look blind to you for you to say that" asked Jason with a frown face.


    "Of course you can see. I am just sounding it out since I remembered telling you to ignore it and search for other stuff but you refused" replied the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "I can see that you are happy that I am not able to find any treasure" said Jason he close the chest.


    "How can I be happy about it when you would be benefiting a lot if you were to find any treasure inside but unfortunately, someone else beat you to it" replied the bracelet.


    "That is exactly what is confusing about the whole thing, since someone else has already been here, why is the array still active" asked Jason.


    "Maybe the array was normally set here to protect the chest and even though it is gone, it will still remain active unless this whole place scrumble" replied the bracelet.


    "I can''t believe I went through the stress of getting past the array only to end here with an empty chest. Whoever that took the treasure better pray that I don''t find them" stated Jason.


    "Give it a rest since there is no way you will be able to tell who it was" replied the bracelet with a laugh.


    "Well that is why I said they should pray for whoever that has a treasure on them will be my prime suspect" said Jason.


    "What if it was Austin who has the treasure on him" asked the bracelet.


    "Come on, both we know that there is no way Austin will be able to make it past the array, so think of someone else" replied Jason.


    Since there is nothing left for him to do, Jason activated the lightning boot once more before he ran past the array formation as he continued looking around for treasure. After searching for two hours, Jason came across someone who was wearing the Fox family attire.


    "Isn''t that Henry the guy that used to side with Steven" asked Jason in confusion since he was just fine before they left the darkroom.


    "That''s him alright and if you take a closer look at him, you will see that he also has the same blank look on his face like the member of the Phoenix family you faced" replied the bracelet.


    "Something is not right about this place for someone who was normal a few hours ago to be acting strange all of a sudden" said Jason.


    "If I am not mistaken, there seems to be an evil entity who has taken residence in this mini world" replied the bracelet.


    "I have to get out of here since it is no longer safe for me to hunt anymore" said Jason as he took the halberd when he saw Henry coming his way.


    "I don''t think you will be able to leave this mini-world of your own will, the least you can do is try to hold on until it is time for everyone to leave" replied the bracelet.


    "I can''t leave and now I am being forced to fight one of my own. Anyways let''s get this over with" said Jason with a smile as he pushed his feet off the ground with the halberd raised high above Henry who quickly stepped back causing the halberd to strike the ground as it became stuck in place. Not giving Jason the time to pull the halberd off, Henry quickly dashed at him with two swords held in hand.


    Left with no choice but to let go of the halberd as he began to dodge the attack while creating a distance between them, and unlike with his previous opponent, Jason was finding it difficult to hold his ground against him without the halberd in hand.


    "Who would have thought that Henry could be this strong" said Jason as he continued to dodge the attack until he was hit by a kick which sent him crashing into a room as he let out a painful moan from his mouth.


    "I think he is getting external help from whatever is controlling him since he and Steven are at the same level and if Steven finds it difficult to hit you, then he should be the same with him" commented the bracelet.


    "Now it feels like I am battling with a beast that is a realm higher than mine" said Jason with a smile on his face as he stood up and ran out of the room in which he crashed into.


    Henry ran after him when seeing him going in the opposite direction as he came in front of Jason ready to launch an attack on him only for him to see a bright smile on Jason''s face.


    "Since your strength was enhanced, I thought maybe your brain would as well but it was quite unfortunate that it was not" said Jason as he performed a butterfly twist with his legs gathered in energy as He landed a hit on him.


    Since Henry was already on the verge of attacking him, he could not avoid the kick as it hit him squarely on the chest making him fall on one knee. Raising his head roar at Jason but that is when another kick crashed into his head as he was sent flying before falling on the ground.


    "I think this should be enough to put him down" said Jason as he just stood while waiting to see if Henry will get up.


    "You could have used your full strength on that attack" advised the bracelet.


    "There is no need for me to be that hash on him since we are both allies and besides I believe he will be able to regain himself after this" replied Jason.


    Right after the words left his mouth, Henry who has been laying on the ground motionless suddenly stood up with a half-destroyed face as he let out a mighty roar before coming at him.


    "It seems like there is no way on earth you will be able to save him Jason" said the bracelet.


    Taking a fighting stance as he waited for Henry to get closed before he smashed the ground causing a little quake which slowed Henry down as he went back to where the halberd was and forcefully pulled it out of the ground before swinging it at Henry who has caught up to him as their weapons collide together.


    Flipping the halberd up as the button hit Henry with great force which pushed him back a little before swinging it at him once more but this time it was a feint as Henry ducked to dodge the attack only for the halberd to land on his head as it was busted open with blood flowing out at an insane speed.


    The moment that Henry died, the same black smoke that came out of the body of the phoenix family member, also came out of Henry''s body before fading into the thin air.


    "And what is it with that smoke anyways" asked Jason as he raised his head to look at the smoke.


    "I think it is related to what is causing them to lose their mind" replied the bracelet.


    "I need to find what is causing all this and put an end to it before it gets out of control" said Jason.


    "If Henry and the other can''t stop it, what makes you think you can" asked the bracelet.


    "That is because unlike the others, I have the advantage of breaking through to the next realm" replied Jason with a smile before bending down and placing his hand on top of Henry''s body as he begin to absorb his blood.

 Chapter 104 - You Killed Them Both

    After he has completely absorbed all the blood that is contained within Henry, Jason begins to search his robe for any valuables he could find before leaving the scene.


    "We have to find the others and inform them of this happening before someone becomes a victim" said Jason.


    "But how do you plan on finding them considering how big this world is" asked the bracelet.


    "That is the problem right now. I don''t know how I am going to find them" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "The only option you have in finding them is through the use of spiritual energy which could only happen if they were in danger" said the bracelet.


    "Meaning I would have to wait for them to be in danger before their location will be made known" asked Jason.


    "That is the only way that I can track them down" replied the bracelet.


    "Oh well, we''ll just have to continue with the search for treasure while we wait for them to use their spiritual energy. I find it hard to believe that I am the only one who has faced two possessed beings since entry here" said Jason.


    "Since you have encountered two of them already, they should have and it depends if they were able to shake whatever that is causing it off" replied Jason.


    Jason continued to walk around as he went from one room to the other in search of treasure, Jason came across a sword that was pinned to the ground as he forcefully pulled it out of the ground before giving it a short swing before giving it a look.


    "This sword seems to be at the mid-tier" said Jason as he turned the sword around.


    "I don''t think this sword has been around for a long time for it to still be here without turning to dust" replied the bracelet.


    "Maybe it belongs to one of those family members that were possessed" suggested Jason before putting it away.


    "I think so. This should be the first treasure you have seen after coming into the world" said the bracelet.


    "Yeah which is a sign of bad luck to me" replied Jason before continuing with his search.


    While he was still searching for treasures, a huge explosion was heard coming from the east as Jason stopped what he was doing as he turned to the angle where the explosion came.


    "It seems like someone is in trouble" said Jason.


    "Seems like that so are you doing to sit it out or are you going to help whoever that is in trouble out" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I am going to help out" replied Jason before setting out at full speed before the fight would be over.


    Meanwhile, what was actually causing the explosion was Austin who walked into a trap with the door closing him in while the room began to compress with him being in the middle.


    "How come this door won''t budge even when I am hitting it with all that I got" complain Austin with a frown on his face as he continues to smack the door in the hope of destroying it but it seems like all his effort is in vain as he can''t even leave a scratch on the door.


    "At this rate, it won''t be long before I get crushed" said Austin as he stopped hitting the door.


    Giving up on attacking the door, Austin just waited to get crushed but the words when he heard a sound coming from the outside.


    "Hey is anyone in there" yells Jason from the other side of the door.


    Recognizing who the voice belongs to, Austin quickly speaks out as he finally finds hope.


    "Hey Jason is that you".


    "You got that right. What is the situation there" asked Jason.


    "I guess I walked into a trap and the door won''t open no matter what I do and there is a problem with the walls closing on me and it wouldn''t be long before I get crushed" replied Austin.


    "Hold for a while let me see if there is any way I can get it to open from this side" said Jason before taking a step back as he began to search for the lock to open the door but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn''t find it.


    "You need to hurry up Jason, I don''t think I will be able to hold on any longer" said Austin.


    "I am trying my best here but it seems like the lock just disappeared" replied Jason.


    "Look at the top of there is still any strange pattern" said Austin.


    Jason did as he was told and he could see the pattern that Austin was talking about.


    "I see it, now what" asked Jason.


    "Good, now place your hand on top of it" replied Austin as he let out a sigh.


    Doing as he was instructed to, Jason placed his hand on the pattern and it let out a red glow before the door began to slide to the side. Not wasting much time to stay inside, Austin quickly ran out as he sat on the ground while wiping the sweat off his face.


    "It feels good to be out of that place, I never thought I would be able to make it out alive" said Austin with a bitter laugh.


    "That is what happens when you become very greedy" commented Jason as he took his hand off the pattern.


    "It was not greed my friend now tells me why were we sent into the ruin in the first place if not to look for treasure" replied Austin.


    "Let''s leave that for now, I have a question that I want to ask you" said Jason as he turned to Austin who was still trying to catch his breath.


    "Ask away then" replied Austin as he finally stood up.


    "Have you come across anyone that is attempting to take your life while acting strange" asked Jason.


    "No, I have never seen anyone after we went our separate ways. Did something happen on your end" replied Austin before asking Jason.


    "I met a member of the phoenix family who came rushing at me with the mindset of taking my life and the worst part of it all was that he did not seem to be conscious of his action and it was the same thing with Henry who I even gave him a beating on the hope of knocking some senses into him but it was not working. Then there is this black that comes out of their body once they are dead" said Jason with a serious look on his face as he narrate what happened to Austin.


    "Wait a minute, did you just say that you killed them both" asked Austin with a surprising look on his face.


    "I never plan to take their lives but I have no choice but to do it since I would be the one to die if I let them be" replied Jason with a painful look on his face.


    "I think you have no choice then but don''t you go around telling the others that you killed them, else they won''t take it lightly with you as I did" said Austin.


    "Why would I do that, I only told you because I trusted you won''t say a thing" replied Jason.


    "The problem now is how are we going to inform the others about what you just told me before they the encounter whatever that caused Henry and that guy to go insane" said Austin with a frown.


    "My guess is that there is a being that is inside this ruin with us which is causing all this racist. If we can find it, I am certain that we will be able to take it down before it gets to the others" suggested Jason.


    "Do you know where this being is" asked Austin as he turned to look at Jason.


    "No I don''t and besides it was just a hush" replied Jason.


    "Since you are not sure yourself if there is really someone manipulating them from somewhere, then it is better we look for the others" said Austin.


    After deciding on what to do, Jason and Austin begin to look for the rest and at the same time talking about what they have found since they separated and that is when Jason told Austin of the room filled with array formation that he has to go through to get to a treasure chest only for him to see that it was empty and Austin couldn''t help but laugh at him.


    "For someone like you who can''t do without finding anything valuables, you really deserve to be a scam" said Austin as he can''t stop himself from laughing.


    "You can laugh as must as you want and if I am not mistaking, you almost got yourself killed because of your greed were it not for me who saved your life" commented Jason as he also begin to laugh at Austin who suddenly stop laughing when Jason spoke of his misfortune.

 Chapter 105 - 3 Vs 1

    After walking for an hour, Jason and Austin were finally able to meet up with Sam who has a deep wound on his leg while resting by a pillar.


    "What happened to you Sam, how come you ended up like this" asked Austin with a frown on his face.


    "I never expected my family member would just attack me out of nowhere" replied Sam with a painful look on his face.


    "Wait a minute, did you just say someone from your family actually attacked you" asked Jason with a serious look on his face.


    "Yeah it just came unexpectedly and I was lucky that I could escape with my life" replied Sam as he let out a sigh.


    "Do you still remember what he looks like" asked Jason while paying close attention so as to not miss any details?


    "Well, he has this crazy smile on his face with a blank look on his face. Then there is the strange aura that is coming out of him" replied Sam as he began to recount how he looked.


    "What about his cultivation, were there any changes to it" asked Jason.


    "Normally, he used to be at the peak of the first stage of the foundation realm but when he came out to me, he was already in the peak of the second stage of the foundation realm" replied Sam.


    "Just as I thought, it looks like you came across one of the possessed" said Jason as he placed a hand on his cheek like someone who is in a deep thought.


    "The possessed what" asked Sam with a confused look on his face.


    "You see after we went our separate ways, I came across a member of the Fox family with a member of your family who was also acting the same way as the one you just mentioned" replied Jason.


    "Since they have come for you, it may be certain that the others have also encountered the same thing" said Austin.


    "So what are we supposed to do now" asked Sam.


    "Isn''t it obvious, we are going to look for the others and reunite before they take us down one by one" suggested Jason.


    "I agreed with you but the problem is, how am I supposed to tag along with you guys based on my current state" asked Sam.


    Instead of answering him, Jason walked up to him before squatting down as he asked.


    "For how long have you been injured".


    "It should be within thirty minutes if I am not mistaken" replied Sam as he took a look at his injured leg.


    "Have you tried using the pills that were given to you" asked Jason.


    "I lost them when I was being chased" replied Sam with a sigh.


    "Since you have lost yours, why don''t you use mine" said Jason as he stretched his hand forward with two pills in hand.


    "You are letting me have it" asked Sam with a stunning look on his face.


    "Sure or is there something wrong with it" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Not at all, it just kind of seemed surprising for you to hand a pill to another family" replied Sam as he took the pill from his hand.


    They waited for Sam to consume the pill before the wound on his leg began to heal until there was no longer any cut on him and that was when they began to look for the rest.


    "That reminds me, how were you able to run away from them" asked Sam after walking for some time.


    "I have my ways of shaking my enemies off" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Taking mysterious are we" said Sam with a light chuckle.


    "What is the best way to shake someone off if not to make a run for it with your legs. By the way, my problem now is how are we going to find whatever that is causing all this and put an end to it" replied Jason with a serious look on his face.


    "Do you really think that someone or something is behind it" asked Sam as he turned to Jason for an answer.


    "I have my guest but the thing now is how to locate where it is hidden" replied Jason.


    "That would be a difficult task for us" said Sam.


    "What a minute, are you buying what he is saying" asked Austin.


    "I have seen it for myself and the person that attacked me was one of our own so I am very familiar with his strength, for him to influence such damage on me, say it all" replied Sam.


    "It is good to see that someone is on my side and I believe if you were to go through the same thing, you would have also agreed with me" added Jason with a smile.


    "Whatever you say man, but the fact still remains that it won''t be easy to find whatever that is causing it" replied Austin.


    "It pains me that you did not encounter any of them, else you won''t be acting like this" said Jason.


    "Now you are wishing me bad" commented Austin.


    Choosing to ignore Austin, they continue to search for the rest but no matter how they search, they were still unable to find any of them and they were beginning to have second thoughts.


    "Do you think that they are already dead" asked Sam after some silence.


    "Although they are strong, it would still be difficult for Adam and the rest to be easily taken out" said Jason.


    "Yeah it would really be difficult but that will be the case that they were ambushed just like I was" asked Sam.


    "It still won''t be easy, you know I am still wondering how you end up hurt when you are not also weak" said Austin.


    "Actually I was busy with something and didn''t notice that I was in trouble" replied Sam with an awkward laugh.


    "So you are also a greedy fellow like Austin here who got locked up all because he was treasure hunting" said Jason as he began to laugh at the two.


    "You are talking like you are any better than us" commented Austin.


    "What are you talking about, I didn''t ask for help from anyone unlike you and I wasn''t injured like Sam here" said Jason as he started laughing at them.


    "Someone seems to be happy about himself here" commented Austin.


    "What can I say, I made it out.." Said Jason as he was not able to complete the statement and there seemed to see a frown on his face.


    "What is it Jason" asked Austin who was surprised by the change of expression on his face.


    "There seems to be one of the possessed here, so you better get ready" replied Jason as he swung the halberd to the side.


    "Where is it ''cause I can''t find anything" asked Sam as he also let his sword off the scabbard.


    "Don''t worry, you will be able to see it soon but this one seems to be a little bit stronger" replied Jason.


    ''How come he can notice that there was one of the possessed among us'' thought Austin to himself as he also took out his sword.


    They waited for some minute for the possessed to show himself and it didn''t take long before he did and when Sam saw who it was, he couldn''t help but open his eyes wide in shock as he said.


    "He was the one that attacked me but it seems to have grown stronger compared to before".


    "You mean this was the possessed that attacked you" asked Austin with a shocked look on his face as he was just seeing it for the first time.


    "Yeah that''s him alright" replied Sam as he grip the handle of the sword tightly in anger.


    "I think it has taken a life since he has gained an increase in his realm" said Jason as he suggested.


    "Then I think we should take care of it before it becomes a lot stronger for us to handle" commented Austin.


    "With our three, it shouldn''t be a problem for us to take it down" replied Jason.


    After thinking of how they are going to deal with the possessed, they move out as they let out attack after attack but to their surprise, the possessed seem to be faster than their attack as he quickly avoids the attack like it was nothing before dashing at them as he body slams Austin backward while crashing into one of the walls.


    Austin quickly got up as he wiped out the trail of blood in his lip before running to join the battle once more.. Meanwhile, after seeing that Austin was sent flying by just being run into by the possessed, they started avoiding body contact with the possessed but still, they couldn''t avoid getting injured by the possessed as Sam was kicked back while Jason took a slash on his shoulder.

 Chapter 106 - Struggling To Survive

    From one attack to another, the three were still unable to land an attack on the possessed and they don''t seem to be doing better with Jason''s shoulder bleeding seriously with the other two having a broken bone.


    "Do you think you are strong enough to defeat me?'''' asked the possessed.


    They made a distance between themselves and the possessed as they began to analyze what to do since they were unable to land a hit at him even with their three tags together.


    "If this should carry on, then it won''t be long before we run out of energy leaving ourselves defenseless for him to kill" said Sam with a serious look on his face.


    "I know that but the problem here is how are we supposed to kill it when it keeps getting stronger the more he fights or haven''t you guys noticed it as well" asked Austin.


    "Of course Austin and I actually thought that it drew its power from those that he had killed but that doesn''t seem to be the case" replied Jason as he took out a pill and consumed it.


    "So what are we supposed to do now that we can''t beat it" asked Sam.


    "I would suggest that we make a run for it but with the way things are going, I doubt it that we will be able to shake him off" replied Austin.


    "Guess we have no choice but to stand and face" said Jason as he swung the arm in which he was injured.


    "But there is no reason for us to continue the fight knowing fully well that we won''t be able to win" said Sam in a low spirit.


    "Well, that was because we are not using all that we have against him which gives him the advantage over us" replied Jason as he turned to look at the two.


    "What are you trying to say" asked Sam.


    "Come on I know that you have been hiding your technique from us but what would be the use if you end up ending right here" replied Jason.


    Sam was unable to say a thing when knowing full well that the other party was saying the truth. Taking a deep breath as he don''t want to die now, Sam turn to Jason as he said.


    "Alright let''s do this even though it still won''t be effective against the possessed, but at least we went all out".


    "I think we will be able to make it out of this fight alive if we used our attack on the possessed appropriately" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Let''s give it a try then" commented with a smile on his face as he can''t wait to cut the possessed into different parts.


    After they had agreed on the plan to go with, Jason took a step forward as he said to Sam.


    "How long does it take to get your technique ready for action".


    "Within thirty seconds, it should be ready" replied Sam as he don''t understand what Jason was planning.


    "That should be enough for me to distract him while you prepare your attack" said Jason.


    "How are you supposed to stand your ground against him on your own and what would Austin be doing then" asked Sam.


    "Just like you, he also needs time to prepare his move so I have no choice but to distract him while you get your technique ready" replied Jason as he thought a step forward.


    "Haha, I don''t know what plans you guys must have but I just want to tell you that it is not going to work against me" said the possessed as he let out an evil laugh.


    "We''ll have to see about that" replied Jason as he swung the halberd while running at the possessed.


    "What an arrogant fool" said the possessed with a smirk on his face as he sent a punch packed with spiritual energy at Jason only for Jason to hit it to the side so as for the attack not to hit Austin and Sam.


    "You insolent fool" roared the possessed as he sent another attack at Jason who all he can do was deflect the attack.


    Moving to one side in top speed as he swing the halberd which released a shockwave that went for the possessed which was easily smashed down before the possessed pushed forward as he planned to run into Jason just like he did with Austin but before he could get to where Jason is, he has already moved to the side as he avoids the attack before sweep the possessed on the leg as he tries to put him down but surprisingly, the possessed didn''t land on his back before sending a kick at Jason. Taking eight steps back as blood begins to flow from the edge of his month.


    "This freak is really proving hard to take down" complains Jason after he has stopped staggering backward.


    "Take a look at the state you are in right now, instead of you fighting me together with your friends, you decided to face me alone now you will pay for not taking me seriously" said the possessed as he take a step forward to Jason.


    ''Come on guys hurry up before I get beaten into a pulp'' thought Jason as he grit his teeth in anger.


    "I believe you will have no choice but to use your technique once you are about to be beaten into a pulp, so you don''t have to worry" commented the bracelet as he let out a chuckle.


    "Very funny, there is no way that I am going to use my technique in from of Sam who I am not familiar with" replied Jason.


    "Then get prepared to get beaten" said the bracelet angrily.


    "Then they would have their technique ready to attack so you don''t have to worry my evil servant" replied Jason with a smile on his face as he gathered energy in his legs ready to kick the possessed away once the chance present himself.


    Seeing that the human who has been struggling against him has suddenly stopped to attack as he was trying to catch some time to breathe, with an evil grin on his face, the possessed quickly dashed at Jason with his arms clawed out like an eagle ready to pick it prey but before he could get closed to Jason, thousand of swords energy begin to fall down with the possessed been the target.


    And seeing this change in the situation, the possessed begin to channel his energy as he was preparing to make an energy shield to protect himself from the thousand of swords that are falling down but the moment that the shield was made, Jason quickly jump high up as he performs the phantom kick on top of the shield as he makes a huge crack enough for the thousand swords to get in.


    After making a crack on the shield, Jason quickly jump off before the possessed did a powerful damage to him. After jumping off, Jason took some distance so as not to be affected by the aftermath of the attack. Meanwhile, the possessed was lost of words as he just stared at the energy swords coming down on him as they begin to fall on him. And while all this was attacking, a scream of agony could be heard coming from the possessed as the swords continue to fall on him.


    All this time, it was Austin who was attacking the possessed with his technique but the moment that Sam was through gathering enough energy for his attack, he quickly let out a roar as he slashed his sword downwards towards the possessed direction, and the next thing that happened terrifying as a gray slim crawled out of the ground and glue itself to the possessed.


    "Power of the earth guardian" roar Sam once the slim has successfully glued itself to the possessed.


    After the road, the possessed begin to change into gray color and this time the energy swords that were falling on him are no more. After the possessed was colored from head to toe, it suddenly froze as if it has turned to stone.


    "Someone should please smack it into pieces before the effect wore out" said Sam as he went down on one knee.


    "You can leave that to me" replied Jason with a happy expression on his face as he dashed forward before raising his leg and landing a powerful phantom kick on the possessed as he ended up shattering into pieces of stone.


    After the possessed has been destroyed they all fall on the ground out of exhausting themselves but Jason didn''t fail to give Sam a look as he now considers him a huge threat to his life if they were to turn at each other. While they were taking a break, a black smoking suddenly rose from the possessed remains as it begins to float in the air like it was looking at them.. After floating for a short while, it suddenly disappeared.

 Chapter 107 - Walking In Circle

    Watching as the black smoke begin to fade away, Austin and Sam couldn''t believe it for once they thought that the smoke was coming for them with the way it just suspended in the air above them.


    "Do you believe my words now or do you still need some more samples to clear away your doubt" asked Jason to Austin whose face was completely covered in sweat.


    "I believe you alright but the problem now is how are we supposed to find where the main body is hiding before someone else gets possessed and becomes difficult to take down" replied Austin with a serious look on his face.


    "What do you mean by the main body" asked Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "Wait a minute, did you think this is the actual body of whoever that is possessing people" said Sam with a surprising look on his face.


    "That is what I thought all this while, so you mean it is not the main body" asked Jason as he still can''t believe it.


    "What you just saw is a manifestation of whoever that is possessing them. So unless we find where it is hiding else there will be no end to all this" replied Austin.


    "Which is more reason why we should go look for the others before the unexpected begins to happen again" said Sam as he stood up after gaining some strength.


    "Relax man, with that technique of yours, I find it hard to believe that we won''t be able to take it down if it comes at us again" replied Jason with a carefree look on his face.


    "That is where you are mistaking, you see my technique is not really the favorable type for it might work sometimes while other times, it would just prove to be useless. Although the success rate of the technique depends on if the enemy is seriously injured or else it would be a waste of my energy to use it in the first place" replied Sam as he shook his head in disappointment.


    "So you mean to say that the only way it could work against the possessed was because it has already been injured by Austin''s attack" asked Jason.


    "Yes Jason, if it were to be me and you against the possessed, then I believe we should have either been dead by now or we are still dragging it out with it" replied Sam.


    "Since that is the case, let''s go look for the others for I am not ready to bet my life on a cripple technique" commented Jason as he also got up.


    "Are you trying to mock my technique" asked Sam with an angry look on his face.


    "Is not like I am mocking your technique but I am just stating the fact. Who would like to stake his life against a technique that doesn''t guarantee fifty percent of success" replied Jason.


    "If I am not mistaken, you didn''t use your technique the whole time so why are you criticizing mine" said Sam.


    "If you are saying that I did not use my technique, then tell me what did I use to break the shield that was protecting the possessed" replied Jason.


    "Knock it off guys, we are supposed to be searching for the others before the possessed catch up to them and you Jason why do you like causing trouble everywhere you go" said Austin as he tries to stop them from fighting.


    "I wasn''t trying to cause trouble here alright" replied Jason as he back away from Sam.


    Seeing that they have stopped their argument, Austin let out a sigh as he spoke out.


    "It is not going to be an easy task to find the others based on the size of this place".


    "You are right about that, just imagine if it could take us that long before we were able to see half-dead Sam, how long is it going to take us to find the others" replied Jason as he placed his hand on the cheek.


    "It is you and your family members that are half dead" cursed Sam.


    "Wow take it easy man, the people you are cursing are not half dead but instead they are already dead" replied Jason as he placed his hand on his stomach and he begin to laugh like crazy.


    "If you don''t feel like going to look for the others, then I don''t mind leaving you two behind" said Austin with a frown on his face as he look at the two.


    "I don''t mind leaving this freak behind and go look for the others" commented Sam.


    Jason just giggled as he followed them in the search for the others but they suddenly had a problem after walking for an hour. The group came across a skeleton on the ground which Jason recognized too well to be the first possessed that came after him while he was searching for treasure.


    "Something is not right here" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    "What did you discover asked Austin who came up to him to take a look at what he is looking at only to see a skeleton on the ground.


    "It is just a skeleton so why are you worried over little things" said Sam who also rush in to take a look.


    "Don''t you two feel like we are walking in circles" asked Jason as he turned to them while waiting for answers.


    "Of course we are not, if we have been walking in circles then why haven''t we arrived at that room that almost got me killed" replied Austin.


    "Same with me here, ever since we have been walking, I have never come across any familiar place that I have been to" added Sam.


    Jason was just staring at the skeleton while not minding what they are saying since it is likely that they did not take the path he took while they were searching for treasures. After observing for a while, he let out a sigh before turning to the others as he said.


    "We have returned to the path that I took while looking for treasure and I can clarify that I am saying the truth with this skeleton laying here".


    "What does the skeleton has to be the proof to show that you have been here before" asked Sam.


    "That is because these skeletons laying here happen to be a member of your family who attacked me earlier as a possessed" replied Jason as he pointed at the skeleton.


    Now taking a closer look at the skeleton, Sam was able to identify that it was actually someone from his family and although he couldn''t tell who it was since there was no skin attached but with the family symbol that was attached to the robe that it was wearing makes it clear that it was a member of the phoenix family.


    "Wait a minute if you said that it is a member of my family who attacked you, then why did you say you shake them off in the first place" asked Sam.


    "If I were to tell you that I killed a member of your family, won''t you have a clash with me in the name of avenging your family member" replied Jason.


    "I wonder how many people you have killed while you are alone here" said Sam as he ignored Jason''s word.


    "Who knows, maybe you would have been added into the equation if you were to turn into one of those possessed" replied Jason with a chuckle as he tap the halberd.


    "I can see that you are having pleasure killing everyone since we disagreed with you having the beast core earlier since you don''t belong to any family" said Sam.


    "And why would I put such a thing in mind when I can just sit back and watch you all fight for it and let me remind you, I don''t find pleasure in killing but if you decide to come for my life, then I won''t mind taking your life" replied Jason with an evil smile on his face.


    "Alright that is enough you two, you will have enough time to battle it out once we come out of the ruin so until then, let''s try and look for the others" said Austin as he was beginning to get angry by the two. After seeing that they are no longer saying anything, he continued with what he was saying.


    "Jason, since you believe that we have been walking in a circle, I believe you must still know the way that leads back to the path that you took so that we can try another path and if luck were to be on our side, we might meet up with someone".


    "Do you know that ever since I have known you, I thought you don''t have any brains and only know how to fight. It is really shocking to see you bringing up a good idea to find the others" said Jason.


    "You better watch your mouth if you don''t want to see the bad side of me" replied Austin with a deep frown on his face.

 Chapter 108 - Searching For Diana

    "Hey chill out man, cant you take a joke for once. Besides, if you want me to backtrack to the path that I took, it is quite easy" said Jason.


    "Good, now get to work before we run out of time" replied Austin with a serious look.


    Not even bothering to argue with him, Jason begins to lead the way back and at the same time asks the bracelet for direction whenever it feels like he has forgotten the way back.


    After walking for some time, Jason suddenly stopped as they now stood where six other paths could be seen.


    "Well this is the place" said Jason with a smile.


    "Yeah and if I am not mistaken, that should be the path that I took" replied Austin now looking at the paths in front of him.


    After Austin has spoken up, Sam also pointed out the path he took leaving them with three other paths.


    "Since we have already gone through these paths, leaving us with the remaining three, what do you think we should do about the search" asked Jason.


    "Well I would say we should split up and search the three paths to make things easier but since the level of danger is quite high, I will suggest we move together" replied Sam.


    "Are you sure because I have this feeling that you are scared of walking on your own" said Jason as he look at Sam with a cunning smile on his face.


    "What is your problem even" asked Sam who has already gone tired of being around Jason.


    "Nothing, I am just saying because we need to look for the others before the possessed get to them and the easiest way to do that is by splitting up but you are saying we should stick together which will only make things work in the favor of the possessed" replied Jason.


    "I know you want to get time done quickly but it would be a bad idea for us to split up Jason. Just imagine if the possessed we just face is that strong, how strong will the next one be" asked Austin as he agreed with Sam''s plan.


    "It shouldn''t be that much" replied Jason.


    "That is correct. So tell me, would you be able to hold your ground against it" asked Austin as he now looked Jason in the eye.


    "Well it might be a difficult battle but I believe I will be able to hold my ground against it" replied Jason.


    "Since you will be fine on your own, why don''t you pick a path while Sam and I pick out of the remaining two then" asked Austin.


    "I would agree to that but who knows what kind of danger that awaits the both of you on the other side, so I am coming with you guys" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    Austin couldn''t help but has a twitched face when he heard Jason reply as he turn to take a look at him once more.


    ''Now I understand why the grand elder always wants to beat the living hell out of him'' thought Austin.


    "You don''t need to worry about us Jason, with the two of us together, it will be difficult for the possessed to do away with us" said Sam.


    "I still don''t understand why you keep including yourself in important matters when you know full well that you are a burden" commented Jason as he shook his head in disappointment.


    "I dare you to say that one more time Jason" said Sam in rage.


    "And what are you going to do if I did" asked Jason with a smile on his face as he drew close to Sam.


    "Will you two just knock it off" yell Austin as he pushed them to the side in rage.


    "One more from the both of you and I am going to lose" continued Austin before taking a deep breath to calm himself.


    Jason decided to seal his mouth when he saw that Austin was really angry this time around and it was the same with Sam who was on the verge of exploding in rage.


    "I have told you before, if you want to fight there is always a time for that once we are out of this mess so try and focus on the task at hand" said Austin after calming down.


    "I don''t mind waiting until we are out of here but the problem is always him. All he does was think of a way to get me angry" replied Sam.


    "I don''t want to say anything to this waste here so can we please pick a path quickly and move" said Jason as he urge Austin to make a pick.


    Austin just let out a sigh as he discovered that instead of speaking, it is better to pick a path and move since there is no way to stop them from cursing at each other. Now looking at the three remaining paths in confusion as to which one to pick and Jason was already getting tired of waiting.


    "Since you are finding it difficult to pick a path, then let me do it for you" said Jason as he took a step forward and began to look at the paths before pointing at one.


    "Since that is the one you pick, then let''s go" said Austin as he quickly went forward.


    Seeing that Austin did not disagree with Jason''s decision, Sam could only follow from behind as he didn''t want to cause trouble. Taking the path, it didn''t take the group much time before they begin to see a trail of blood all over the place which makes them worry as they begin to move faster in the hope that the blood would either belong to the possessed or a beast that was kept in the place as a trap for whoever that take the path but the moment that they arrive at the spot where the trail ended, the group could see the remains of a human laying there with no sign of knowing which family he belongs to.


    "Seems like we are a little bit late" said Sam in disappointment.


    "We really need to get rid of this possessed before we all lose our life here" replied Austin.


    "If only we knew where it was hiding, then finding him wouldn''t be a problem" said Jason with a sigh.


    "There is actually a way for us to know where it is hidden" replied Sam.


    When Jason and Austin heard him say that he knew of a way, they quickly stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Sam with a surprised look on their face.


    "You mean there is a way we can find where that freak is hiding" asked Jason.


    "Yes there is but it all depends on if we were able to find anyone from the Platton family" replied Sam with a hand on his cheek.


    "Then why didn''t you say so earlier, I would have gone in search of Diana by now. Austin did you see the reason why I called him useless" said Jason in anger.


    "Not now guys" replied Austin as he cut Sam off before he could say anything.


    "So now that we know how to locate the possessed, the only problem right now is how we can find the Platton family" said Austin.


    "That is the reason why I didn''t say anything earlier because it will only make things difficult for us. So it is better to look for the rest and it is only in this way that we will be able to protect ourselves" replied Sam.


    "But still things would have been easier since we now know how to locate him" added Jason before getting up.


    "Now let''s go look for Diana" suggested Jason after getting up.


    "Wow wait man, how on earth do you plan to locate where she is" asked Austin.


    "I still have her scent on me so it won''t be that difficult for me to locate her" replied Jason.


    "Oh, does it also work on humans too" asked Austin with a surprised look on his face.


    "As long as I can get a small of what I want, locating them won''t be a problem for me" replied Jason.


    "Hey, do you think you will be able to track that pretty girl from earlier" asked Jason to the bracelet.


    "You didn''t bother to acquire from me before bragging with the others in the hope that it is possible eh" said the bracelet instead of answering his question.


    "Can you do it or not" asked Jason in all seriousness.


    "Of course I can as long as the smell is still there" replied the bracelet.


    "Good now leads the way since we don''t have much time on hand before everyone is dead" said Jason with a serious look on his face.


    "Alright I will lead the way but it might take a long time before I will be able to find her since we don''t know the path she took" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 109 - Good Or Bad News

    After the bracelet has notified him that he will lead them to where Diana is since she is the only one apart from Austin that has been closed to Jason, making it easier to track. Jason quickly begin to follow the way that was been pointed out by the bracelet but stopped suddenly.


    "What are you doing just standing there, do you want to be left behind" asked Jason to Sam who still doesn''t believe that he has the ability to track someone.


    "I still don''t believe that we will be able to find them if we continue to follow your lead" replied Sam who has his hand crossed in front of his chest.


    "If someone as strong-headed as Austin can follow me, I don''t know what choice a waste like you should be doing. You can stay there if you want but there is no way I will be rushing back to this place if you were to shout for help" said Jason before turning his attention back to the path that the bracelet has pointed out for him.


    Not daring to stay behind when knowing full well how dangerous the ruin has turned out to be, Sam also follows from behind as he whispers into Austin''s ears.


    "Hey, do you think it is really a good idea to trust him with the direction".


    "Why not, I have been around him for a long time and one thing that I know that he is good at is smelling things out. He can tell if a beast is hiding in our midst, so I have every reason to trust him" replied Austin with a smile on his face.


    Sam was amazed by what Austin said and just keep looking at Jason who seen to be in deep thought as he lead the way which makes him wonder what he could be thinking about until he suddenly stop walking and place his hand on the halberd like someone ready for a battle and seeing he like this, the two couldn''t help but tense up as they brought out their weapon as they also prepare themselves.


    "Why are we stopping now" asked Austin with a frown as he moved forward to take a look only to see that there was nothing before them.


    "Are you still confused as to why he suddenly stopped walking, well just in case you want to know, he has no clue where he is taking us to" replied Sam as he sees an opportunity to strike at Jason for calling him useless.


    "I wish I can be as useless as you but it is quite unfortunate that I cant" commented Jason as he didn''t spare to glance at Sam.


    "Come on guys this isn''t the time to be fighting and Jason with is it that is ahead of us that is making you stop" said Austin as he has a bad feeling about the whole thing.


    "Well I have two news for you, and they are good and bad news so tell me which one do you want to hear first" asked Jason with a bright smile on his face as he turned to the two while raising two fingers.


    "What is wrong with you, how do you find the time to be playing games at a time like this" complain Sam.


    "Let''s hear the bad news first before the good one" replied Austin with a frown.


    "Nice choice, I thought you are also going to waste our time like this useless thing here since we are already running out of time. But since you have already made your choice, here is your answer. There is a possessed that is heading our way and he should be here within four minutes and here comes the good news, if we can get past the possessed and get to the other side, Diana wouldn''t be far from us" said Jason.


    After Jason has given them the news, Sam''s legs suddenly got weak as he fell on the ground on both knees before saying with gritted teeth.


    "There is no way I am going to believe that there is a possessed ahead of us".


    "You can believe what you want to but I will advance you to get ready to fight because I won''t risk my neck to protect you" replied Jason.


    "I wonder how the others easily fall victim to the possessed since they are not far from being in the same realm as us" commented Austin with a sigh.


    "Maybe they were tempted by the possessed" replied Jason.


    "So you are saying I would easily fall for his mind game if I were to come across him" asked Austin.


    "Dude you almost got killed just because you thought an item was inside that room, so what makes you think you will be able to survive his mind game" laughed Jason.


    "Haha, I know right but you know I would have put a little effort just to break free from his enchantment unlike those fools who just loosen up and let their body be controlled" said Austin.


    "Look at you two, ain''t you afraid that you might die in this exchange against the possessed" asked Sam seeing how relaxed they were.


    Jason and Austin both turn to give Sam a look before returning their sight back to the direction that Jason has pointed out to be where the possessed would be coming from.


    "I don''t think it would be that easy to break free from his enchantment or maybe once you are been possessed, you are already considered died" said Jason as he replied to Austin''s words.


    "I think you are saying that based on what you have noticed about the two you fought" asked Austin.


    "Uh, tell me how can you still not be able to regain consciousness even after you have suffered a grave injured if you are not dead" replied Jason.


    "It is kinda funny you know since that should be your only hope in living but it didn''t work, it could only mean it was just an empty shell all along" said Austin after some thought.


    "Is this them talking as a way to comfort themselves before the battle" mutter Sam to himself.


    Sam continued to watch them as they talk until a shadowing figure could be seen coming out of a tunnel.


    "He is here" said Jason as he turned to look at the possessed.


    "Haha, good to see that there will be more people for me to feast on" said the possessed with an evil smile on his face.


    "Jason did you notice that he did not have any memory of us" asked Austin after hearing the possessed statement like they are just meeting for the first time.


    "Maybe it did the moment it comes out of the bodies that he has possessed" replied Jason.


    "What if there are more than one possessed in this place and every path is housing one" asked Sam.


    There was total silence all over the place with Austin not knowing how to reply until Jason spoke up.


    "I am getting out of here for sure".


    "How do you plan to do that without waiting for our time to run out" asked Sam.


    "There have to be something that is supplying the ruin with energy" said Jason.


    "Hey, man we are still thinking of how to find the possessed so don''t add that into our problems" replied Sam.


    "As long as we can defeat the possessed in front of us and get to where Diana is, then there won''t be an issue in finding where the possessed is hiding leaving us with the task of finding whatever that is supplying this place with energy" said Jason.


    "I still disagree to go with you" replied Sam.


    "Dude I never asked you to come along with me in the first place" said Jason as he find him annoying.


    "I think it would be nice if you two got eaten by the possessed so that you can continue to argue in his stomach while I can finally have peace for once" said Austin.


    Knowing what he was getting out, Jason quickly back away before looking at the possessed, and the word slip through his mouth.


    "This one seems to be a bit weaker than the one that we fought" said Jason with a smile.


    "Thank goodness. Since it is weak, then there is no need for the three of us to go after it" suggested Austin as he let out a sigh of relief.


    "So who do you think should go take him out" asked Sam as he turned to Austin.


    "I don''t still no reason for you to ask that question when you know what to do already since Austin and I will need to recover more energy just in case a stronger one appear" replied Jason as he walk to the side.


    Sam didn''t bother to answer Jason as he turned to Austin who was sitting by the side as he waited for his reply.


    "Just go get that one down while we prepare for the next" said Austin.

 Chapter 110 - Who Are You

    Seeing that Austin also suggested the idea of him going to face the possessed, Sam only let out a sigh as he began to approach the possessed.


    "I don''t see any reason why you should be complaining about facing it when it is not even strong enough for you to break a sweat" said Jason when seeing the way Sam is acting.


    "Since it is that easy for you to take on, then why do you need to skip the fight" asked Sam with a frown.


    "That is because I need to prepare myself for the worst and this is not even considered one so I will have to leave it for you to handle. Now move on before the possessed come at you" replied Jason as he began to wave Sam away.


    Walking out before he loses his temper to Jason''s mouth, he begins to have a showdown with the possessed, leaving Jason and Austin to their meditation.


    "Hey we need to be very careful with him in case there is a disagreement between the families later on" said Austin.


    "We don''t need to worry about him since he needs his target to be really weak before it could be effective" reply Jason with a smile on his face.


    "But with all that has happened so far it won''t be difficult for his attack to work since everyone would be mentally exhausted granting him the upper hand" said Austin as he corrected Jason''s statement.


    "So should we kill him now that we are still pretending to be friends" asked Jason.


    "Are you nut, of course we are not doing that. I am just saying just in case we had a disagreement and it led into a fight, try and avoid the slim that infused itself with the possessed to avoid getting turned into a stone" replied Austin.


    "I don''t see any reason for me to be frightened of the slim when I can just send it back to him with a kick" said Jason.


    "Which is exactly why I said you should avoid it because it begins to work the moment it comes into direct contact with anything" replied Austin.


    Jason could only nod his head as he now understands what Austin is trying to tell him since he always acts on impulse. It didn''t take Sam much time to kill the possessed before going back to check on them.


    "I have already taken care of the possessed so we should proceed with our search for Diana" said Sam.


    "It is amazing that the possessed was able to get you worked up like this" joked Jason as he stood before leading the way once more until they finally got to a place where some destroyed skeletons are been scattered all over the place.


    "Looks like someone must have triggered a trap here and fought with all these skeleton" said Sam as he looked around the place.


    "Who else could it be other than the one person we are searching for" replied Jason as he continues to lead the way.


    "How can you be so sure that it was her that did all this" asked Sam who still doubt the fact that Jason can track Diana.


    "Who else would be so frightened out of his mind to destroy all this skeleton after triggering the trap if not a lady" reply Jason.


    "And you think that Diana would be scared of something like this, then I guess you know nothing about her" said Sam with a chuckle.


    "She may be stronger than you which I know full well but her girl nature will always kick in man" replied Jason.


    Sam could only bite his lip as he force himself not to reply to Jason''s comment about Diana being stronger than him which would lead to more insult if he were to bring up the matter.


    "Are we getting closer to her yet" asked Austin who has been quiet all this while.


    "Not yet but her smell is getting stronger which could only mean that we are not that far from where she is right now" replied Jason.


    After hearing what he needed to hear, Austin went back to being silent as they continue to track Diana until they get to a new path which couldn''t stop their eyes from opening widely in shock for before them lays weapons, ancient scrolls, and armor of all kinds and if one were to search, they might even find pills among all these treasures.


    "This place looks more like a treasure vault" commented Austin being the first to speak out.


    "Yeah, just the stuff that I have been looking for ever since I came into this ruin" replied Jason who couldn''t stop himself from drooling.


    "Others came to look for more important stuff and this is what caught your eyes" said Sam in disdain as he looked at Jason.


    "You are a fool for thinking that they don''t mean anything. Let''s me tell you something you don''t know since you don''t have to work your ass to feed your stomach. One item from this vault would be sold for a good price and just imagine that I was able to get as much as hundreds of them, then I won''t have to worry about money for the rest of my life" replied Jason as he begin to lecture Sam.


    "If money is what you desire most, then you shouldn''t have come here" said Sam with a frown.


    "Whatever you say man for I can go wherever I want to in search of wealth" reply Jason.


    "I don''t see anyone stopping you from taking them so what are you still doing here" said Sam.


    "Do you think that you can actually stop him if he wants to take anything from here" asked Austin with an awkward smile on his face.


    "You know me too well my friend. Well since I am not in a hurry to look for Diana at the moment, I think I have to go pick some stuff" replied Jason with that you know look on his face as he dash out.


    "Did I hear him say he is not in a hurry to look for Diana" asked Sam.


    "Don''t take it to heart man, it is just his greedy nature kicking in" replied Austin with a chuckle as he also went out to look for something nice to pick.


    Jason was just about to pick up an old scroll that was placed on top of a shield when he heard a feminine voice not too far from where he was.


    "Don''t touch anything if you don''t want to lose your life".


    Jason stopped his advancement as he turned to look at who it was only to see a lady who seem to be crazy walking toward where they are.


    The three were on their guard against this strange lady that had just come out of nowhere.


    "Who are you and what are you doing in a place like this" asked Austin as he placed his hand on the sword handle ready to attack the moment the lady make her move.


    "Come on guys stop acting like you don''t know who I am" replied the lady with a friendly smile on her face as she continue to approach them.


    "Your voice sounds familiar but your face does not look like someone I know" said Jason.


    "Stop it guys it is I Diana of the Platton family" replied Diana almost in tears when seeing that they did not recognize her.


    "What is that actually you Diana" asked Sam who quickly put down his sword.


    "Yes it is I in the flesh" replied Diana.


    "I could hardly believe it''s you, what happened to your look" asked Sam confused.


    "Well it was all caused by this treasure vault, I only wanted to take some treasures when i came here with a friend but to our surprise, it was actually containing a trap that will activate the moment you pick the treasure you want and that is exactly what happened to my friend and I as she was set ablaze and died but thankfully the trap I activated was not the type that would take my life instantly, so I was able to stop it before I get killed by the venom of snakes that were hidden beneath the treasure.


    "Good thing you were able to hold on to life even when you were bitten by it is still a shame that a pretty has just been destroyed" said Jason with a sigh as he can''t even look at Diana in the face.


    "I am not too worried about my look since I will be able to get rid of it once I return home" replied Diana with a giggle.


    "So we would have been in trouble if we were to pick any treasure" said Austin as he turned to look at the horde of treasure.


    "Definitely if I am not mistaken since I couldn''t take the risk of picking another one since I don''t want to lose my life so I am not certain that they all carried traps" replied Diana.

 Chapter 111 - The Cage

    Jason turned to take a look at the scroll that he was trying to pick as he let out a sigh and said.


    "I don''t believe that there will be a trap hidden beneath this scroll".


    "You never can tell until you pick it up" replied Diana.


    "Hey, man do you think you can see if there is any trap attached to the scroll" asked Jason to the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to know when there is no life in it. By the way, what do you want to use it for" replied the bracelet with a question.


    "For there to be a scroll here shows that it is a priceless treasure" said Jason.


    "Then pick it up" replied the bracelet.


    Jason decided to let it be as he turned to Diana and asked.


    "So what is it that you pick before the trap is activated".


    "This is what I picked up" replied Diana as she raised her hand showing a lamp.


    Jason was all frowning when he saw the lamp in her hand as he asked.


    "You took all those attacks all for this lamp".


    "Not just any lamp but a mystical lamp" replied Diana with a smile on his face.


    "What is the difference, a lamp is a lamp so what are you trying to prove to me" asked Jason with a frown.


    "That''s not the case with this lamp. Although I have not discovered the secret of the lamp, that would have to wait until I get home.


    "I can''t get myself injured beyond recognition over a treasure that I don''t know a thing about" said Jason.


    "I thought we are here for another reason and not for treasure" asked Sam who couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Relax man, we still have time for that" replied Jason.


    "I don''t see the time you are saying. Do you mean until the possessed has successfully taken another vessel and grow stronger before you will be able to have the chance" said Sam in anger seeing that Jason is not taking the matter seriously.


    "What possessed is he talking about" asked Diana.


    "It''s a name given to a being that can possess the body of others" replied Jason.


    "There is something like that here in this ruin" replied Diana as she still can''t believe it.


    "Yes there is and we have come across four of them already before coming here" replied Austin.


    "This is sick, so what plan do you have to put a stop to it" asked Diana.


    "We don''t have any yet since we don''t know where it is hiding which is why we came to look for you" replied Sam.


    "And what makes you think that I will be able to lead you guys to where it is hiding and how were you able to know that I was here" asked Diana.


    "It was all thanks to him that we were able to find you" replied Austin as he pointed at Jason.


    "Now that you have found me, there is no way that I will be able to lead you guys to where this so-called possessed is hiding without going through some stuff that is related to him" said Diana.


    "So what do you need" asked Austin.


    "Well, I will need the body of any of the bodies that have been possessed" replied Diana.


    "That won''t be a problem, there happen to be a body lying dead not too far from here" said Jason happily before walking out with Diana following behind him.


    After leaving the treasure vault, the group quickly went back to the tunnel where they met the possessed only to see that there was nothing.


    "Sam did you destroy the body or did you just stab it to death" asked Jason after looking around and not seeing the body.


    "Of course I did and I even watch the black smoke coming out of the body" replied Sam with a frown on his face.


    "Then can you explain to me where the body is cause I can''t find it anywhere" said Jason.


    "How am I supposed to know where it is" replied Sam confusedly as to why Jason would ask him such questions.


    "You are the one that faced it so you should have a better idea as to what happened to it" replied Jason.


    "Are you trying to say that I did not kill it" asked Sam.


    "Yes or did you see the body anywhere" replied Jason.


    While Jason and Sam were busy arguing, Austin was busy looking around the place with a keen eye as he begin to follow a trail of blood while leaving the rest behind. After following the trail to a certain room, he was about to see the body of the possessed that Sam has dealt with digging its hand onto the ground as if it was trying to dig its own grave.


    "I have found it guys" yelled Austin.


    And that was when they noticed that Austin was not with them as they make their way to where he was. When they saw what the possessed was trying to do, Jason quickly stabbed the halberd into his hand as he pinned him in place.


    "What stunt is he trying to pull" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Who knows maybe he is trying to escape" replied Sam.


    "Yes just like he did with you" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Eh excuse me, is this the thing you want me to search" asked Diana as she made her way forward.


    "Yeah, that is one of the family members that was possessed by the being we want you to track for us" replied Jason.


    "Hmm, this won''t be easy so I will need you guys to hold him down for me to avoid distraction" instructed Diana.


    "You heard the lady, now get to work" yell Austin before holding his legs in place.


    After Austin has held him down, Jason quickly placed his legs on top of the hand that has already been pinned leaving Sam to pin him down on the back.


    "While I try to read his memory and try to see where he came in contact with this being, I want you guys to hold tight and not let go else all this will be a waste" said Diana before placing her hand in the head of the possessed before taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and started the process.


    After she has started the process, the possessed begin to scream in pain and started to struggle but no matter how he struggle, he couldn''t break free from the hold, and after some painful hours, the possessed suddenly stop screaming and went lifeless. Seeing that the possessed had stopped struggling the three were surprised and have a confusing look on their face.


    While they were confused about what happened to the possessed, Diana suddenly opened her eyes as she let out a sigh.


    "What happened, were you able to find anything" asked Austin who was curious to know what she has seen.


    "It seems like there is a cage holding this so-called being you guys are trying to get rid of" replied Diana with a worried look on her face.


    "Meaning the being is a prisoner of this ruin" asked Jason.


    "Something like that the reason why the owner of this body was able to fall victim to the being was because of his greed for wealth" replied Diana.


    "So that is how he gets control over their body" said Austin.


    "Uh, and if you don''t mind I can take you to where he is been held captive" replied Diana.


    "Please do" said Jason with a nod.


    "Alright then, follow me" replied Diana as she quickly got up and begin to lead the way towards another direction that they have not noticed during their time in the ruin.


    The more they made advancement into this new path the more the light seem to reduce until they were now standing in front of the mental cage with a big seal on it and there is this evil aura that is sipping out of the cage which makes their hair to stand on ends.


    "Do you still think that we can take it on" asked Austin while looking at the cage.


    "Just take a look at that cage, for the being to be imprisoned in here and still able to cause trouble shows that it is not our match" replied Sam as he has already given up on fighting the possessed.


    "I think we should inform the elders about this since we won''t be able to beat it on our own" suggested Diana.


    "There won''t be a need for that cause once we get expelled from these places, it is going to take much longer before the seal will be undone again, and let''s not forget that they won''t be able to come in" replied Jason.


    "That is right. So what are we going to do now" asked Diana.


    "What else can we do other than to try and kill it before more people are taken victim" replied Jason.

 Chapter 112 - Give Me Human Flesh

    They were standing while thinking of a way to deal with the being when Sam suddenly out as he begin to retreat.


    "And where do you think you are going" asked Jason when seeing Sam walking out.


    "Can''t you tell or do you want me to spell it out for you" replied Sam.


    "Why leave at a time like this that we are about to erase that being out of existence" asked Jason.


    "Existence you say, you can''t even endure the pressure that is coming out of the cage and you want to wipe it out of existence what nerve" replied Sam with a chuckle.


    "Even though he is pressuring us with his aura, it doesn''t mean that he still attend the strength it once has so it won''t be a problem for us if we can take care of the aura" said Austin.


    "I don''t want to bother myself with the impossible but if you insist on taking it down, then I want to let you know that you are on your own" replied Sam before around as he begin to walk out.


    "I have always thought that you are a weak and useless person and right now I am beginning to doubt your family''s ability to produce real talent" said Jason.


    "What did you just say" asked Sam as he stopped on his track before turning around and beginning to walk back to Jason.


    "Eh guys this isn''t the time for us to be fighting among ourselves" said Diana as she tries to calm him down.


    "This is exactly what I have been going through while journeying with these two. And with the way things are going.m, I don''t think your word will be able to persuade them" replied Austin to Diana.


    After Sam has walked up to him, Jason smiled as he looked him in the eyes before saying.


    "I said your family is as weak and useless as you Sam so what are you going to do about it".


    Sam was truly angry as he look at Jason with grit teeth.


    "I guess you won''t know your place until you are been taught a lesson" said Sam.


    "Why don''t you teach me then" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    Not being able to hold his anger back, Sam throw a punch at Jason with land squarely on his chest and he coughed out a mouthful of blood and seeing that they are already exchanging blows, Diana was about to separate them but before he could move, Austin suddenly holds her back.


    "Let them fight" said Austin to Diana who was confused as to why he would stop her from interfering.


    Wiping the stain of blood from his mouth as he let out a smile before saying to Sam.


    "See what I am talking about, you can''t even leave a wound on me even when I let you hit me which proves that I was right".


    "You little¡­" Sam was unable to let the word out of his mouth as he was very angry.


    In the midst of his anger, he begin to hear a whisper although it was very faint, but it was audio enough for him to hear.


    "Do you demand power to triumph over your enemy" asked a strange voice.


    "Who said that" said Sam as he begin to look around.


    He was not able to locate where the voice was coming from and by the look of things, it was speaking to his mind.


    "Who said what" asked Jason with a frown as he thought Sam has finally lost it.


    "I wasn''t talking to you" replied Sam with a relief look on his face while he continued to search for where the voice came from.


    After searching for some time and he was still unable to find where it came from so he stop thinking about it and began to take his leave but before he could leave, the voice begin to speak again.


    "Do you want power or not" asked the voice once more.


    Sam Quickly turn around to search for where it came from but was still unable to find it.


    "Don''t bother trying to find me for you won''t be able to find me so answer my question before it''s too late" added the voice.


    "Of course I want power and I need one to beat the living hell out of this annoying brat here" replied Sam as he turned to look at Jason.


    "I can grant you that wish you seek but in exchange for what you want, I want you to do something for me" said the voice.


    "Name it as long as it is within my capability, then consider it done" replied Sam.


    "I want you to release me from this cage that has held me captive for many years" said the voice.


    "You want me to set you free from your imprisonment" asked Sam.


    "That''s correct" replied the voice.


    "I am sorry to say that I can''t set you free for one I don''t know you and what will happen to me once I set you free" said Sam.


    "Then how about I change the request" asked the voice.


    "And what would that be" asked Sam.


    "Simple, bring me something to eat for it has been long that I have eaten something while I am being locked in here" replied the voice.


    "And what kind of food do you want" asked Sam.


    "The human flesh" replied the voice.


    "And where on earth am I supposed to bring you human flesh when there are people here who are trying to kill you" said Sam as he open his eyes in shock.


    "Kill me haha, it could only be a joke if you think you all will be able to kill me just because I have been locked in this cage for a very long time" said the voice.


    "You mean we will still be no match for you even if we combine our force together" asked Sam.


    "It would be a child''s play for me to battle with a lot of you guys so it will be your lost" replied the voice with a laugh.


    "So you will grant me power if I were to give you this food you speak of" asked Sam as he has completely fallen for the voice.


    "I don''t work that way, I will grant you the power that you seek then you will have to give me what I requested for" replied the voice.


    "That seems fair enough. I am ready when you are" said Sam with a smirk on his face.


    While Jason and the rest were busy thinking of a way to kill the possessed, they suddenly felt the energy in the area suddenly have a twist while they are finding it difficult to breathe.


    "What is happening" yell Diana in fright.


    "I don''t know, it feels like a huge mountain is been set upon me" replied Austin as he did his best to fight off the pressure.


    While they were trying to fight the pressure, Jason''s attention was all on Sam who was standing still with his back to them.


    "This is your doing right" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "What if I say yes, what are you going to do" replied Sam in a different tone.


    "Did you just give yourself up for the possessed" asked Jason once more.


    "What if I did, ain''t you the one that called me useless and I just decided not to be weak anyone" replied Sam with an evil grin on his face.


    "Not only are you useless but you are also a coward and a fool" said Jason.


    "Sam how could you let yourself be controlled by the being. Did you even consider what would happen to you" asked Diana who was also shocked by what Sam replied.


    "I wanted to get strong so as to put an end to being called a weak and useless person and the opportunity was presented to me, so why won''t I take it" said Sam with a laugh.


    "And you think there is no price for you to pay for the path you have chosen and let not talk about the shame you have brought upon your family" replied Jason.


    "I don''t care about anything as long as I am able to beat you beyond recognition, I will be satisfied" Sam.


    "So you fell for him just so you can beat. Alright let me ask you a question, do you think you will be able to beat with the new power that has been given to you" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Look man I am not that weak boy that you used to k ow alright and let me give you a reminder, I am not just going to beat you, I am going to feed you to the being that is locked up in the cage" replied Sam with a sinister laugh as he turns to face them while showing his black teeth to them.

 Chapter 113 - Overpowered Sam

    "I guess you can''t be saved" said Jason as he swing the halberd.


    "Are you truly thinking of fighting him" asked Diana worriedly.


    "You heard what he said right, it is only natural that I respond with my fist before I become a livestock to someone" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I don''t think that you will be able to tale him down on your own so why don''t we give you a hand" said Austin as he took a step forward before pulling his out of the scabbard.


    "It would look bad on me that I have to ask for help from you guys to beat a weak and useless fool like him" replied Jason.


    "You guys better not get involved with our fight else I won''t mind feeding you to him as well" said Sam.


    "Don''t worry about me guys, I will be fine as long as I am fighting a weak and useless fool like him so you don''t have to worry but in the main time, I want you guys to go look for the others and get them here so that we can get rid of this being" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "You are just wasting your time if you think that you can defeat the being. Instead of trying to struggle to defeat it, why don''t you just ask for power and rule above your peers" said Sam with a chuckle.


    "I don''t think I need the power to rule anyone since I have already ruled above you. What are you waiting for, go look for the others'''' yell Jason at Austin who was reluctant to go.


    "Just try and hold on before we come back with the rest okay" said Austin after some time before leading Diana out of the place.


    "Instead of taking your friend''s advice and battling me together to increase your chance of winning, due to having overconfidence in yourself, you are not only going to lose the fight but also lose your life" said Sam as he took out his sword ready to fight.


    "If I can''t beat you here, then I would consider myself a weak and useless person" replied Jason as he slams the halberd on the ground with some force.


    There was a little standoff between the two before Jason charge forward while stretching the halberd at Sam who easily perry the attack before sending a kick at him but Jason quickly duck as he avoid the kick before sweeping the halberd at Sam''s feet only for Sam to perform a flip as to avoid the attack.


    "Damn, who would have thought that not only are you useless but you are also a good dancer" said Jason with an annoying look on his face.


    "I have not even taken the fight seriously and you are already having problems facing me, so what do you think would happen if I were to get serious now" asked Sam with a smile on his face.


    "Just like you, I am only testing you out to see if you are worth fighting and you didn''t disappoint me. Guess I will have to play with you for a while" replied Jason with a smile.


    "It won''t kill you if you just agreed that you can''t beat me" said Sam angrily as he dashed at Jason at top speed.


    Jason raises the halberd to withstand the might of the strike that is about to fall on him. After successfully protecting himself against Sam''s attack, Jason took a step back before performing a powerful swing with the halberd as a powerful force was let out which took Sam unexpectedly as he was sent flying over the room.


    "This is what I mean when I called you a useless thing" said Jason as he let out a deep breath before walking forward.


    It didn''t take sam much time for him to get up from the wall that he crashed into as he turned to look at Jason with a proud look on his face as he said.


    "Here I am thinking that it would be good for me to take a hit from you but who could have thought that your attack would be so weak".


    "I think you need to be careful with this guy, it seems like the energy he borrowed from that thing is beginning to take effect on him" advises the bracelet.


    "I know alright and let''s not forget that I have not made use of my trump card yet" replied Jason with a serious look on his face.


    Seeing that Jason was no longer speaking like he normally does and he couldn''t help but let out an evil laugh as he began to move forward.


    "What is the matter, have you finally noticed the difference in strength between us" said Sam.


    "Yes I did and I think it is time we start fighting seriously for I don''t have all the time in the world to play with you" replied Jason as he put the halberd away.


    "Fool what difference would it make if you fight me with your bare hands" said Sam feeling like he has been looked down on.


    "You are about to find out" replied Jason before charging in recklessly while holding his right fist below his stomach.


    "What an arrogant fool" said Sam as he let out a powerful roar before swinging his sword at him.


    Moving to the side as he avoided the sword, Jason let out a kick at Sam''s hand as he knocked the sword off before letting out another kick which hit his stomach as he was sent flying. Not giving him time to recover, Jason went after him as he continued to punch and kick Sam.


    After some time of punching and kicking, Sam suddenly let out another roar and this one was able to push Jason back.


    "You are a dead meat" said Sam in anger as he went after Jason and this time, he seems to be faster than he used to be.


    Raising his elbow as he blocked a kick from Sam while falling back before he moved to the side to avoid another kick then taking six steps back to avoid another attack by Sam, Jason was now finding it difficult to hold his ground.


    "What is the matter Jason, why are you running around the place instead of you fighting me like a man" said Sam proudly as he continued to attack.


    While dodging the attack, Jason was mistakenly hit on the shoulder because he was slower compared to Sam who has a boost in strength.


    "Hold up man, can we take a little break cause I could really need one right now" said Jason as he raised his bleeding shoulder.


    "And you believe that I would do as you say, what a fool you really are" replied Sam as he let out an energy slash.


    Seeing that Sam won''t stop until he is dead, Jason quickly stepped out of the way as he let the pass by him before he activated the lightning boot technique.


    "Now let''s see how you are going to deal with this" said Jason with a smile as he stomp his feet on the ground before pushing forward.


    Sam was surprised to see that Jason has such technique as he now finds it out to see him. Moving from one side to another before going in a circle as to confuse Sam of his exact location. After running in a circle for some time, Jason ran forward as he sent a kick at Sam who was sent flying and there was something about the attack that landed on him and that is that it seems to be the nemesis of the being. For when the attack landed on Sam, the energy that was given to him by the possessed suddenly stop as he went back to his original realm before it went back to being stronger.


    ''What is wrong with that attack if his, why is it stopping me from being stronger'' thought Sam to himself with grit teeth.


    Going to another kick as Sam was pushed back before he was able to stabilize himself but the same weak feeling was still there and it beginning to get annoying.


    ''I have to think of a way to avoid his attack before he finds out about my weakness but how am I supposed to avoid those kicks of his when I can barely see him'' thought Sam as he look around the place in search of Jason.


    "Something seen off here Jason" said the bracelet.


    "What is it" asked Jason as he continued to run.


    "I don''t know if I am having a problem seeing things cause I can feel Sam''s energy weaken a while ago" replied the bracelet.


    "Maybe he is faking it to make let my guard down but it is not going to work" said Jason.


    "It doesn''t seem to be as you think for he just lose the sinister energy inside him not quite long but it is back now" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 114 - Lightning Stomp

    "Just let me know when he loses that sinister aura again" said Jason as he prepared to launch another attack at Sam.


    Meanwhile, when Jason and the bracelet are busy trying to figure out what is wrong with Sam, he was also thinking of a way to avoid Jason''s attack which seemed impossible due to the speed at which he is moving.


    "Dammit, here he comes again" said Sam the moment that Jason pushed forward.


    Going to one side of the wall as he kicked the wall with more power to increase the speed at which he is going at Sam. Kicking him in the jaw the moment he was in front of him which sent him falling back and before Sam can think of working on his jaw that just got broken, a barrage of kicks begin to land on him which makes him scream in pain as he continues to take more kicks and punches.


    ''Did he find out about my weakness or is he just attacking recklessly'' thought Sam with grit teeth as he continued to take more hits from Jason.


    "Even with my aid, you are still weak against your opponent. This could only mean that you are destined to be below him" said the voice.


    "No this can''t be happening, how can I still be weak against him even when I have grown in strength" roar Sam in anger as he mutters some strength to knock Jason off him.


    "Haha, do you actually think that you could beat me just because you are a little bit stronger" said Jason in a short laugh as he took a walk to pick the halberd before saying.


    "Do you know why I sent Austin and Diana away".


    "That is because you don''t want them to see you being beaten by me" replied Sam as he got up while regaining his strength once more.


    "I can see that you still don''t understand" said Jason in disappointment before continuing.


    "I sent them away because I won''t be satisfied with our fight when you die" said Jason with an evil grin on his face as he charged at Sam.


    "You better be quick Jason, you are already running low on spiritual energy" reminded the bracelet.


    "I am surprised that I was able to last this long" replied Jason to the bracelet.


    When Jason got close to Sam, he was just about to throw a punch at him when he suddenly saw a gigantic hand made out of spiritual energy coming at him from the behind, but thanks to the speed at which he is moving, he was about to step out of the way before the fist could get to him.


    Throwing the halberd at Sam only for it to be kicked to the side but that was what he had in mind as he had successfully distracted Sam.


    Letting out a roar as he sweeps his legs off the ground before sending a powerful kick to his head as he smacks his neck to the side before jumping high up as he begins to fall down in great momentum.


    "Lightning stomp" yelled Jason as he stomped on Sam''s stomach.


    After performing the lightning stomp on Sam who quickly died on the spot, the lightning boot suddenly faded away leaving Jason with a low energy as he fell on his knees while feeling weak.


    "Good thing that I was able to end the fight before I ran out of energy" said Jason with a smile on his face as he now looked at Sam who was just lying still.


    "That technique you used, I wonder who taught you" commented the bracelet.


    "I came up with it since the lightning boot grants me speed, it would be a great waste if I don''t use it to stomp on my enemies" replied Jason with a proud look on his face as he continued to look at Sam.


    "I can''t believe you would run out of energy all because of him, you really need to train hard Jason cause I feel like you are slacking off" said the bracelet.


    "You must be really crazy if you say that. Do you think it is possible for a second stage of the foundation realm to actually beat someone who has broken through to the third stage" replied Jason.


    "Of course it is, look back when I followed my previous master as he roamed the plane, we have come across a lot of cultivators who are weak but are still able to dominate those that are above them so what are you saying" said the bracelet.


    "That I am not a monster but human so don''t expect me to do the impossible" replied Jason.


    Just as they were chatting, a big smoke came out of Sam''s body as it formed a face in the air while hovering in front of Jason but due to the fact that he is short on energy, Jason couldn''t do a thing as he just lay there while looking at it.


    "Young one, I have witnessed you fight and see that you really have the potential to achieve great things" said the smoky face.


    "I know that alright, even the grand elder of the Fox family also knows which is why he picked me as his apprentice so you don''t have to say more about it since I am not new to the topic" commented Jason as he began to praise himself.


    "You have potential but you won''t be able to achieve great things if you continue to follow the path of righteousness. I can tell with just a glimpse that you are angry about something but you are just too weak to react but if you let me help you, not only


    will I help you take revenge on who has caused you to be angry and not only that, I will also grant you power over everyone" said the smoky face.


    "Is that what you have been feeding those idiots with. Will just in case you don''t know, I am not interested in borrowing strength from someone who can''t even help himself" replied Jason before he began to crawl towards Sam.


    "I can see that you don''t know what is good for you but let me remind you. if you don''t make up your mind quick, you are only going to end up endangering your life" said the smoky face.


    "Just because I am out of energy and can''t walk does not mean that I am out of option" replied Jason as he finally crawled to where Sam was as he placed his hand on his body and the next moment, blood begin to flow into his body as he was assaulted by pain once more and since he is completely drained of energy, he was finding it difficult to resist the pain.


    "While torture yourself when you can easily take power from me without going through pain" said the smoky face.


    "Shut the hell up" yell Jason before falling face-first on the ground.


    "Don''t worry Jason, you don''t have to worry about him possessing your body since you have me here so you can take a break to recover your strength and I will let you know if anything seems off" said the bracelet as he reassured Jason.


    After the bracelet has said those words, Jason raises his head to look at the smoky face with a smile on his face as he says.


    "Looks like I will have to deal with you later when I am done resting".


    After saying those words, Jason fell asleep leaving the smoky face hovering in the air in anger.


    "You bastard, do you think I don''t dare attack you just because I am like this for you to fall asleep before my eyes. Just watch as I take control of your body and slaughter those that are close to you" roar the smoky face as he drifts towards Jason''s body.


    The moment that it went into Jason''s body, it was quickly expelled by a great force and this time the smoky face became smaller in size.


    "What is happening, what is this force that is preventing me from taking control over his body" said the smoky face in surprise as he began to observe Jason.


    "Haha let''s see how you are going to take control over this body" chuckles the bracelet.


    After observing Jason for a while and seeing that there was nothing strange with him, the smoky face once again charge in as he don''t want to believe that he can''t take control of the body before him but just like last time, he was expelled out of the body and this time around it begins to fade away.


    "I wonder what secret this kid is hiding that is making it difficult for me to possess him" said the smoky face as it faded away.


    "Sigh, I wish he has more strength to play along with me until I become bored of this game" complained the bracelet.

 Chapter 115 - The Search

    "Will just run Austin, it is becoming really tiring" said Diana as she continued to follow Austin from behind.


    "We don''t have much time Diana, we need to find the others and put an end to that being before we all lose our life to it" replied Austin.


    "I am more worried about Jason, I don''t think it was a good idea to leave him behind" said Diana.


    "It won''t be an easy task to put him down so stop worrying" replied Austin.


    "You must have confidence in his ability to survive for you to leave him alone with Sam" said Diana with a forceful smile.


    "Haha, what can I say, it is not the first time that he is facing a possessed so it won''t make a difference if it were to be Sam" replied Austin with a laugh as he continued to run.


    "Not the first time" mutters Diana to herself as she begins to wonder how many of the possessed he has faced already.


    Going from one path to another in search of the others since time was not on their side, after running around the place for some time, they were able to run into Trace who seemed to be looking for something.


    "Good thing we found you" said Diana as she sat on the floor to take a rest.


    "It seems like you guys have also come in contact with a family member that is trying to kill you" replied Trace with a smile.


    "Did you have a fight with a possessed person?" asked Austin.


    "So that is what you called them the possessed, well I ran into one of the Allen family members a while back when I was searching for treasure. Good thing I didn''t let my guard down else I don''t think you will be seeing me like this" replied Trace with a smile.


    "So what happened to the possessed" asked Austin.


    "He ran away after sustaining a serious injury" replied Trace.


    "And you let him go, what if he comes back for you" asked Diane.


    "Then I will have to kill him since he didn''t learn his lesson the first time" replied Trace.


    "Like you will be able to fight with him if he were to show up before you right now" commented Austin.


    "Excuse me, are you looking down on me" said Trace with a frown.


    "It is not a matter of looking down on you but the fact that when the possessed come for you, you won''t be a match against him" replied Austin.


    "Just because you couldn''t handle a possessed doesn''t mean I can''t" said Trace.


    "Yes it would really be a miracle if you can best a third or fourth stage foundation realm expert" replied Austin.


    When Trace heard his statement, the frown on his face deepened as he turned to look at Diana who nodded her head with a serious look on her face.


    "Looks like I have made a big mistake" said Trace as he let out a sigh.


    "Let''s just hope no one runs into him" replied Austin.


    "But you know that is impossible right" said Diana.


    "Ah, we need to hurry before things get worse" said Austin.


    "It seems like you guys have been looking for me this whole time" asked Trace who suddenly brought them back to the topic.


    "Not just you but the others, we found where the cause of all this possessed is but we are no match for it which is while we are searching for more people" replied Diana.


    "Well since you have located where it is hiding, what are we waiting for. Come let''s go put a stop to it" said Trace with a smile as he took the lead and began to walk but that was when he noticed that no one was following him and he had to stop in his tracks.


    "Why are you just standing when we have work to do" asked Trace.


    "The thing is that we still won''t be a match against it even with your help" replied Diana.


    "What do you mean, is he that powerful" asked Trace in surprise.


    "If it were a little weak, we won''t be here looking for you" replied Austin.


    "So what are we supposed to do now" asked Trace.


    "What else order than to go look for the others" replied Austin.


    "You know it won''t be easy to locate them with how big this whole place is" said Trace.


    "If we can find you, it will only be a matter of time before we find them" replied Diana with a smile.


    "Dammit, I can''t believe that I am involved with you guys on this" sighed Trace.


    "What other choice do you have and let''s not forget that it will only be a matter of time before you are attacked by the possessed again and I believe you won''t be able to survive it. But if you were to come along with us and we run into it, it won''t be as difficult as it will be with just you fighting on your own" replied Austin.


    "Whatever you say man, so where are we going to begin the search" asked Trace.


    "First of all I would like to ask you, did you come across anyone while you were here" replied Austin with his question.


    "Well there were a few from the Allen family who went through this path and a member of the Patton family" said Trace.


    "Then we''ll continue to search this path to see if there is anyone still alive" replied Diana as she clapped her hands happily.


    After everything was said and done, they continued to search the path in hope of meeting someone but still, they were not able to find anyone and had to give up searching the path as they turned to search for another path.


    "As I said, it is not going to be easy to find the others" said Trace with a sigh.


    "We can''t give up now, we will have a higher chance of defeating it if we have more people on our side" replied Diana.

 Chapter 116 - Wish There Were More Like Sam

    After searching through the path that they have chosen, they came in contact with Steven and some other members of the families, and after explaining what has happened so far while they were searching for treasures, they finally agreed to follow them as they begin to search for more people which didn''t take them long before they locate more people all thanks to their number.


    "I wonder where that annoying brat would be for him not to be among the team" said Steven after noticing that Jason was not in the team.


    "Actually Jason is the one who told us to go look for you guys while he holds Sam, who surrounder willing to the being that is responsible for all that has been happening to our fellow brothers" replied Diana.


    "I find it hard to believe what you just said for Sam to surrender to an entity that has been causing us trouble without thinking about the danger that he will be in," said a member of the Phoenix family.


    "If it were to be someone from another family you will believe the word we say but since it is one of your own, you don''t want to believe the fact that he betrayed us and align himself with the enemy" asked Austin in an angry tone.


    "That is not what I am trying to say Austin, the thing is that I have known Sam for a long time, and doing what is not right is not his thing" replied the member of the phoenix family.


    "Then I guess you don''t know him that well. We need to move quickly before Jason gets into a troublesome situation" said Austin as he begins to lead the way back to the path where Jason and Sam are battling.


    Meanwhile, in the darkroom Jason was still resting and who knows how long that he has been resting when all of a sudden his body jolted as he began to open his eyes slowly.


    "Urg why am I still feeling the itching pain on my hand even after resting for so long" mutters Jason as he holds his hand in pain.


    After some time the pain begins to die down and that is when Jason remembered that he was not the only one in the room as he began to search around the place while looking for the smoky face only for him to find out that it was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where did it go" said Jason.


    "Are you looking for that smoky face" asked the bracelet.


    "Yeah what happened to it, did it get scared and run away after seeing me going to sleep without worries" replied Jason with a question.


    "He didn''t run away alright before your imagination began to run wild" said the bracelet.


    "Since you are saying that he did not run away, then what must have happened to him" asked Jason.


    "He tried taking possession of your body but unfortunately for him, you have me by your side so it was very troublesome for him and after many attempts, he ran out of energy and faded away" replied the bracelet.


    "That fool, why can''t he wait a little long for me to recover before fading away" said Jason as he began to complain.


    "You should be grateful that he is not here else I believe he would have tried pressuring you with his aura until you give in" replied the bracelet.


    "Since he is still in his cage, I am sure he can hear me so why isn''t he trying a new trick on me" said Jason.


    "That is because he needs to recuperate the energy he lost while trying to take over your body" replied the bracelet.


    "Man, so I will have to wait here in this room all by myself while waiting for the others to come" said Jason with a sigh.


    "Since you don''t have anything to do, why don''t you try and reinforce your realm or haven''t you noticed that you made a breakthrough into the third stage of the foundation realm" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course I know about it and since Austin and the rest are not back yet, I can only use this opportunity to do just that" replied Jason as he sat in meditation before closing his eyes as he began to reinforce his realm.


    After some time passed, Jason opened his eyes with a bright smile on his face.


    "Who would have thought that absorbing Sam''s energy will bring me many benefits?" said Jason with a smile.


    "If you practice hard, making a breakthrough into the GoldCore realm within a year won''t be a problem for you" reply the bracelet.


    "You are just making it sound like it is easy to make a breakthrough into the GoldCore realm" said Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Of course it is not easy but for someone like you who has a cheat like me, a breakthrough into any of the realms would be easy" replied the bracelet with a light chuckle.


    "How I wish there could be more fools like Sam to help me with resources" said Jason.


    "Hey calm down man if you depend on this technique too much, making a good foundation won''t be easy for you" reply the bracelet.


    "I know alright, I am just saying since I will need more power if I want to survive in this place" said Jason.


    "Since you seek power, then why didn''t you ask him to lend you some" asked the bracelet with a laugh.


    "If he can truly offer me power then how come I was able to defeat Sam who was lent some" replied Jason.


    "You would have to ask Sam that question yourself" said the bracelet.


    "So you are saying I should just die just so I can ask him a question" replied Jason.


    Just as Jason was about to continue his conversation with the bracelet when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the outside.


    "Looks like Austin was able to find the others" said Jason with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 117 - The Mystic Lamp

    With a smile on his face, Jason sat down as he waited for them to get to him which didn''t take long before people begin to come in and that is when Steven saw Jason sitting on the ground with a smile on his face.


    "Why is he still alive" said Steven as he pointed at Jason.


    "Looks like someone is wishing for my death" replied Jason with a chuckle.


    "Where is Sam?" asked Diana as she took a step forward.


    "That is he lying there" replied Jason as he turned to the skeleton by his side.


    Turning to the side to look at where the body is only to see a skeleton there and they couldn''t help but frown.


    "Is that Sam?" asked Diana with a confused look on his face.


    "That is him alright" replied Jason.


    "How come he is like this" said the member of the phoenix who did not believe that Sam had turned on them.


    "After consuming too much energy from that thing that has been kept in prison, he suddenly begins to wither and then this happens" replied Jason as he came up with an excuse to cover up the technique he used.


    "So you mean if we can take it down, then there won''t be any problem with our hunt" asked Trace as he lifted his head to look at the cage.


    "As long as we are able to take it down, I believe searching for treasure will be easy since it is the reason why we have been on edge all this while" replied Austin.


    "Since that is the case then what are we waiting for, let''s take him down" yell trace.


    After giving the command, different attacks begin to land on the cage until dust begins to rise before long they can no longer see the cage. After attacking for a while, they stopped as they waited for the dust to settle down but when the dust began to settle down, they were surprised to see that there was no scratch on the cage.


    "How can this be possible, with all our attacks combined it should be strong enough to rival the attack of a goldcore practitioner so why is there no scratch on it" said Trace with a surprised look on his face.


    "Hahaha, you insolent fools, do you really think that you can destroy me with those weak attacks of yours" replied an evil voice from the cage.


    "Is that the being that has been locked up" asked Diana.


    "That''s him alright, always trying to persuade others to do his bidding" replied Jason.


    "Since we can''t destroy the cage, how are we supposed to kill it" asked Austin.


    "There must be a way we can open the cage and attack him" said Trace.


    "Are you crazy, do you actually think that we will be able to stand our ground against it" replied Jason as he shouted at Trace.


    "Then what do you suggest we do cause I don''t see any other way that we can destroy him without setting it free" said Trace.


    "This is really troublesome. Come on let''s take this time to think of ways in which we can destroy him" said Austin.


    "That is a good idea" said someone from the crowd.


    With the idea in mind, everyone became business thinking of a way to bypass the possessed defense while others began to go round the place in search of any scripture that was set in place. While they were busy searching, a cry of agony suddenly rang out and everyone attention was drawn to where the sound is coming from only to see that it was actually coming from the cage as they can see one holding on to the cage while his skin begin to withered like his spiritual energy is being drained from his body.


    "Don''t go near him unless you also want to go through the pain that he is in right now" yelled Adam at Diane who was running forward to pull him out of the cage.


    Coming to a stop, Diana could not bear to hear the man scream anymore and ran out of the place. After screaming for some time, they discovered that the man was beginning to dry up and before long, he had turned into a skeleton as he fell on the ground.


    "Look like we have more things to think about before thinking about setting him free" said Jason with a sigh as he looked at the body now lying close to the cage.


    "What a waste of resources" mutters Jason to himself.


    After what happened to the man, the morale of the crowd began to die down, and seeing the state that they are in right now, the possessed couldn''t help but burst into laughter as he said.


    "Hahaha, I thought you wanted to get rid of me, so why is it that you guys are the ones losing more men".


    "You are really beginning to get on my nerves" said Jason as he grit his teeth in anger.


    "There has to be a way we can harm this thing" commented Adam who couldn''t stand the possessed making fun of them.


    "Boom"


    Shocked by the explosion, they turn to see what caused the explosion only to see Diana breathing heavily while holding a lamp in hand, then Jason turns to look at the cage only to see that there was a crack on it.


    "Is that the lamp you took from the treasure vault" asked Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "That is right, although it is quite demanding of spiritual energy, I don''t mind using it all to bring him down" replied Diana angrily.


    "So you have finally discovered its use" asked Austin with a smile on his face.


    "Not quite, I just have the feeling that it would be very useful against the cage which is why I put some of my energy into it and this is what happened" replied Diana as she looked at the lamp in her hand.

 Chapter 118 - Protecting Diana

    "You mean that you don''t have any idea that the lamp can damage the cage but you still chose to attack with" asked Austin.


    Diana nodded as a reply which gave them hope as Adam who had been trying to hold himself back from not charging into the cage to give the possessed a beating suddenly said.


    "Now that we now have a way to deal with the cage, I want every one of you to prepare yourself while Diana here does her best to open the cage".


    "Are you nut, have you ever thought about the strength which he wield before thinking of opening the cage" asked Jason.


    "You don''t have time for that right now and besides since it has been long that he has been sealed in that cage, its power should be on the decline as well so we don''t have to worry about that" replied Adam.


    "He is right Jason" admitted the bracelet.


    "Guess we have no choice then. Diana do you think you can break it open" asked Jason as he turned to Diana who seen to be exhausted.


    "I don''t know but I think I should be able to do it" replied Diana.


    Taking out the halberd as he nodded at Diana to begin the attack which didn''t take her much time before she began to launch attack after attack on the cage as the crack that was on the cage begin to expand before breaking and the moment that the cage was destroyed, a powerful wind blow out as they were pushed back before it stopped.


    Now looking at the cage as they try to see what is inside only for them to discover that there was nothing inside.


    "Did he get killed by the explosion" asked Trace.


    "That is impossible, there is no way it would be so weak that he can''t survive the hit" replied Jason as he found it hard to believe.


    "Since he is strong enough to withstand the attack, then why can''t we see him" asked Steven with a frown.


    "Hey, how am I supposed to know about that" replied Jason as he turned to Steven.


    "Eh guys something is floating in the air" said Diana as she pointed at the target.


    When they turn to look at what Diana was talking about, they all have a confusing look on their face except for Jason and Austin who has seen it before to be the black smoke that comes out of its victim''s body once they are defeated.


    "I think that should be what we have been looking for" said Austin.


    "Hahaha, I can''t believe that you actually thought you can defeat me with such a weak attack, and now that I am free from my prison, I am going to use all of your energy to recover my long-lost strength" commented the possessed with an evil laugh.


    "I knew it was a bad idea to attack the cage now see what you have cost" said Jason with a grit teeth.


    "Hey chill out man don''t you hear him saying that he will need us to recover his lost strength, so as long as we can protect ourselves against him, we should be able to beat him before he completely recovered" replied Adam.


    Adam did not wait for the others to prepare before dashing forward as he slash his blade at the possessed who effortlessly floated to the side as Adam''s attack went past him. When the others saw Adam in action, they couldn''t hold themselves back as they also charge forward attacking the possessed with all they have but no matter what they do. They couldn''t get a hit on the possessed due to his ability to move in the air.


    "Haha, you are only wasting your time throwing colors at me¡­." Said the possessed before an energy ball landed on him as he was sent flying back.


    After coming to a halt, the possessed turn to where the attack came from only to see Diana breathing heavily with the lamp still in hand.


    "How come she still has energy left to throw another attack at me. I guess I have to deal with her first before I end up dying by her attack" said the possessed to himself in a low tone.


    Seeing that Diana could still shoot at the possessed, Jason walk up to her as he place a hand on her shoulders to support her.


    "Are you okay" asked Jason.


    "Uh, I guess I won''t be able to assist you guys to deal with him" replied Diana with a weak smile on her face.


    "You have done more than enough and all that is left for you to do right now is to recover some of your energy" said Jason as he passed her a pill.


    Taking the pill from Jason, Diana was just about to place it on her mouth when she saw the possessed flying in her direction.


    "Look at" warned Diana.


    Jason was surprised by Diana''s action and has to turn to see what she is warning him of and that is when he saw the possessed coming in their direction and Jason was left with no choice but to take a fighting stance.


    "She is the one he is targeting and not you Jason" advises the bracelet.


    "Why go after her when she has no energy to give to him" asked Jason.


    "That is because she is more of a threat to him" replied the bracelet.


    "How can someone as weak as Diana be a threat to him" asked Jason.


    "Didn''t you see that she was able to destroy the cage with her attack and that is something you guys couldn''t do with your powers put together and let''s not forget about the attack that landed on the possessed not quite long which you all fail to do, now tell me who do you think would be his target if not Diana" replied the bracelet.


    "If would have to be her since she is the only one who has been able to land an attack on him" mutter Jason before turning to Diana as he said.


    "Don''t you worry, there is no way that I am going to let him harm you".

 Chapter 119 - Sacrifice

    "Haha, since I can''t harm you does not make you invincible kid" said the possessed as he continues to dodge attacks while heading in their direction.


    "Listen up people, we have to protect Diana since she is the only one who can harm him" yell Jason as he tells them of his discovery.


    After the announcement was made, everyone begins to head towards Diana as they begin to surround her from all sides to prevent the possessed from attacking her on her blind spot. Seeing the formation that they have made just to protect Diana, the possessed couldn''t help but let out a laugh.


    "Do you really think that you will be able to stop because of your numbers" said the possessed as he charged at them.


    Releasing attack after attack on the possessed in the hope that they will be able to bring him down but unfortunately, their attacks just go through him. All this time that they were trying to get a hit on the possessed, he was slowly recovering his strength and he was beginning to take form.


    "He needs to be taken down quickly before he completely regains his strength" advised the bracelet.


    Now looking at the possessed as he was no longer floating in the air but was walking slowly toward them and whenever an attack was coming at him, he would effortlessly hit it to the side. And by now, they are finding it difficult to breathe due to the pressure that is coming from him.


    "I don''t see the reason why you are all scared, you are going to lose your life one way or the other anyway so why stand looking scared when the enemy has yet to recover completely" said Trace as he tries to motivate the crowd to continue with the attack.


    "We have been trying to land an attack on him for some time and we have not been able to do so, what makes you think that we will be able to do that now that he is a lot stronger" asked Steven.


    "Stop complaining you little child can''t you see that he is no longer moving in the air, if we were to go at him, I am sure he will not be able to hold all of us back since he is now walking" said Jason as he points out the difference between when the possessed was still in his smoke form and when he has taken shape.


    "I am still wondering why Sam failed to kill you Jason" replied Sam with a frown on his face as he was not happy that he had been called a child and by the person he hated the most.


    "How can someone who can''t beat those that are under him be able to beat me" replied Jason with a light chuckle.


    "Can you guys focus on the danger that is in front of us" said Trace.


    The possessed has a wide smile on his face as he begins to walk towards them with his hand stretched out and out of nowhere comes a sword that is made out of smoke.


    "I really want to thank you guys for letting me out of my prison and what is the better way to do that other than to send you lots on your way to the land of the dead" said the possessed.


    "I don''t know about them but I don''t plan on accepting your appreciation" replied Jason as he took a step forward.


    "I am sorry kid but you will have to accept it else I won''t be happy that I am indebted to you" said the possessed.


    "Then you can go dead at least then you would have to be" replied Jason as he charged forward as he swung the halberd at the possessed.


    "Haha, I just got out of prison and you want me to die, come on shouldn''t I at least live for some more days or months before thinking about that" said the possessed with a chuckle as he slash his sword at Jason incoming halberd.


    "Thud Thud Thud"


    The sound of metal clashing could be heard as the two were engaged in a serious fight and seeing that Jason has been doing fine since he had clashed with the enemy, Adam began to give orders.


    "We can''t leave him to face that thing on his own, you two stay here and keep watch over her, the rest of you come let''s go give him a hand.


    After giving the order, Adam quickly went forward to give Jason a hand as the two members of his family which he left behind to protect Diana were both focused on the fight.


    "Hahaha here comes more people for me to slaughter" said the possessed with an evil laugh as he sent a slash at Jason that was accompanied by black smoke.


    Fending the attack away as he created some space between them as he tries to catch his breath while leaving Adam and the others to take over.


    "I don''t think that we will be able to last long against him" said Jason as he tried to catch his breath.


    "The only you people will be able to beat him is if that girl will be able to join the fight but unfortunately for you guys, she is out of spiritual energy and would need some hours to recover twenty percent of her spiritual energy" commented the bracelet.


    Jason turns to look at Diana to see how she is doing and to his surprise, her face was pale due to the amount of energy she has used to activate the lamp.


    "With the state that she is in right now, I think she will need more than a day to recover twenty percent of her spiritual energy, and let''s not forget about the lack of spiritual energy in the area" said Jason with a sigh.


    "It would be a miracle if you guys would be able to hold him off for two hours not to talk of a day" replied the bracelet.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh"


    Then came a scream and a body was seen crashing into the wall before it stopped moving and just like that someone was dead.


    "We need to act quickly before we all end up dead" said Jason with a worried look on his face.


    "There is a way to get her to recover her energy but it would be a small portion of it" replied the bracelet.


    "Say it then, as long as it is enough to send him to his grave, we don''t have to worry about the consequences" said Jason.


    "Alright if you say so. You can let her consume the whole medicine pills that you have and although they are not for recovery spiritual energy but they still have some energy stored within and if she can absorb those energies, then she would be able to recover in no time" replied the bracelet.


    "What, letting her go consume the whole pills is equivalent to us placing our lives on her hand" said Jason with a surprised look on his face.


    "That is the only option that you guys have in surviving the fight unless you have another idea in mind" replied the bracelet.


    Jason did not act quickly as he began to think if he should do according to what the bracelet said since they don''t know how long they will be staying in the ruin and with all the danger, it would be difficult to survive without the pills to heal their wounds.


    "Those that still have pills on them, please lend it to me" said Jason after thinking things through.


    "Sorry man but there is no way that I am giving my pills out" replies Steven.


    "If you want to die, then you can keep it to yourself but also remember that I can still take it from you after your death" said Jason in all seriousness.


    Seeing that Jason was being serious, Steven quickly passed his pills to him. It didn''t take long before Jason was able to take the pills from everyone including those that were already dead before going to meet Diana as he squatted in front of her.


    "Hey Diane, I want you to take these pills and try to absorb the energy that is within it and be quick with it before we lose our life" said Jason.


    Diana was looking at him with her pale face as she was trying to understand how he was able to come up with the idea of consuming pills to recover her energy but she didn''t think of it for too long before she took them from Jason as she nodded to him with a weak smile on her face before throwing some pills in her mouth and closed her eyes to concentrate.


    "You guys better take good care of her while she consumes those pills" said Jason as he rose before going to join the others battle the possessed while leaving Diana to absorb the energy.

 Chapter 120 - The Summon

    "Do you think she will be able to recover a good amount of energy using the pills" asked Austin.


    "Who knows, but there is only one way to find out" replied Jason with a smile as he went forward to attack the possessed who is now in a human form.


    With the halberd stretch out, Jason was able to stop the possessed sword from slashing at Trace who was pushed back from an attack. After he was done protecting him from danger, Jason swing the halberd at the possessed who easily hit it to the side before kicking him backward as he was sent crashing into Steven.


    "Hey watch where you are going alright" said Steven as he pushed Jason off him.


    Crawling to rest his back on the wall to recover from the pain he is going through, Jason couldn''t help but say in surprise.


    "He seems to be getting stronger by the moment".


    "With the rate at which he is recovering his strength, it wouldn''t be long before he wipes you all out" replied the bracelet.


    "Our only hope of getting out here lays in her shoulder" said Jason as he turned his gaze to Diana who was still trying to absorb the energy within the pills.


    "Let''s hope she will be able to enough energy. So if I may ask, what are you still doing sitting down here comfortably" asked the bracelet.


    "As you can see, I am trying to heal myself from the attack I took earlier" replied Jason.


    "Like there was really that much power in the attack, look if you don''t go assist them, it would only make things worse for you" said the bracelet.


    Getting up from the ground Jason pick up the halberd before going forward to join the others only for them to be sent flying back with a burst of aura from the possessed.


    "Hahaha, looks like I don''t need to bother myself with your energies to completely recover to my peak state" said the possessed with an evil laugh as he begin to make some hand sign.


    The time it took them to get up was more than enough for the possessed to complete his hand sign as he bite his lip causing black blood to drip on the floor before he placed his hand on the ground where the blood is as he mutter beneath his breath.


    "Army of darkness arise".


    The moment the words left his mouth, a whirlpool created from black smoke begin to grow in the place of the blood and when it was big enough, it exploded causing the whole place to be covered with smoke.


    "Cough cough cough"


    "What the hell just happened" asked Austin as he tries to look at where the possessed was standing.


    "Who knows but I don''t think it will be anything good since it coming from him" replied Adam with a deep frown on his face.


    "Something seems to be raising from that area" said Trace as he pointed at the area where he noticed the moment.


    "Not only from there, take a look at that side also, they seem to be moving to a certain direction" added Jason as he pointed out.


    They were all confused as to what is happening when they saw the shadowing figures moving about. The moment the smoke settle down, they were shocked stiff to see some black figures that looks just like the possessed kneeling before him.


    "Look like things that get heated up" said the bracelet.


    "Good thing they are only in the tempered body stage so it shouldn''t be a problem for us" replied Jason as he gaze at them but his attention was all on the possessed that was standing in the middle.


    Looking at the figures that were made from his blood, the possessed was all smiles as he lifted a finger and pointed it at the group of humans that have been trying to get rid of him.


    "Oh-oh, everyone gets ready for battle" said Trace when seeing the possessed pointing at them.


    Everyone was already on their guard when they the smoke earlier so when they saw the possessed pointing at them, they all knew what was about to happen.


    With a wide wide smile on his face, the possessed said.


    "Kill them all".


    After the order was given, the newly summoned possessed didn''t even bother to look at them before they charged forward with their weapons raised high.


    Seeing the possessed running in their direction, they also charge forward while slashing any possessed and whenever a possessed gets a slash, it quickly turns to a cloud of black smoke and fades away. Going from one possessed to another as he tries to make his way to the possessed but it seems to be difficult due to the number of possessed that is been summoned. It didn''t take long before someone was slashed by a possessed as a scream of agony was let out.


    "I don''t think we will be able to make it out alive this time around" said Jason as he let out a sigh.


    "Boom Boom"


    Then came the sound of an explosion as more possessed begin to turn to smoke and that is when Adam went forward as he unleashed more powerful attack on the possessed.


    "Why are you still holding back at a time like this" said Adam asked he let out another attack.


    "He right, why hold back when we are going to die anyway" said Trace as he also begin to let out a powerful attack without holding back.


    Seeing the two using their most powerful attack without any worries that they have shown their hand to their rivals, the others also went out with everything they got as the numbers of the possessed begin to decrease at an insane rate.


    Jason was still fighting the possessed with his halberd when the others notice that he is not using any powerful attack and Steven who has been at odds with him couldn''t help but speak up.


    "How come everyone here is using everything they got to deal with the threat in front of us but you are not".


    "How can I use my most powerful attack when I have already exhausted myself during the fight with Sam" replied Jason.


    "With the time you spend waiting for us, it should be more than enough for you to recover at least fifty percent of your spiritual energy so enough with the excuses of exhausting yourself in a battle with Sam.


    "I believe you must have noticed that the amount of spiritual energy in this place is very low, so tell me how am I supposed to recover fifty percent of my energy" asked Jason.


    "Can you too stop arguing for once and focus on the fight" yelled Austin when seeing the two get at each other again.


    With a grits teeth, Steven ignores Jason as he continues to battle.


    "You are lucky that you could come up with a good excuse" said the bracelet.


    "It is what you I called being prepared at all times" reply Jason with a short laugh.


    "But don''t you think it is about time you use your ultimate technique due to the situation" asked the bracelet.


    "If I were to do that, then how am I supposed to face the big one" replied Jason.


    "Is that why you didn''t bother to use it" asked the bracelet.


    "Of course, I am just waiting to see if Diana can cause enough damage to him and if she couldn''t, I will have to resolve to my lightning boot" reply Jason before turning to look at Diana whose face has gained some color.


    "Looks like she would be done absorbing the energies in no time" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    Watching as his little army is getting wiped out one after another, the possessed was not bothered as the evil smile could still be seen on his face.


    "Let''s see if you will still have any energy left to fight me after wasting them on my army" said the possessed with a chuckle.


    After observing them fighting, the possessed noticed that the girl that attacked him earlier was not among those that are fighting and begin to look for her only to see her sitting on the ground with her eyes closed.


    "What could she be up to this time around" muttered the possessed with a serious look on his face.


    The group was finally able to get some space after getting rid of the majority of the possessed that were summoned as they could now catch their breath. It didn''t take them much time to get rid of the remaining possessed leaving them with the leader.


    "I must say that you guys are really impressive to get rid of my army but it is such a shame that you won''t be able to entertain since you have already exhausted yourself on my army" said the possessed with a smile on his face as he begins to walk forward.

 Chapter 121 - You Dont Seem To Be In A Good State

    "Just because we look like this those not mean we don''t have the energy to take you down" said Trace with a frown on his face.


    "Oh really, then come at me, or are you waiting for me to make the first move" replied the possessed with his hand crossed in front of his chest.


    "Don''t go rushing into your death or cant you tell that he is trying to get you angry" asked Adam noticing Trace was about to go face the possessed in anger.


    "He is right about us not having enough strength to battle with him though" commented Austin.


    "Maybe that is his plan all along, getting us to use up our energy so that he can easily take us down without stressing himself out" added Steven.


    When they heard Steven''s word, they were all tense up as they now understand why the possessed would use such a technique was to make them wear themselves out. Seeing the look on their face, the possessed couldn''t help but let out a chuckle as he said.


    "Looks like you have already figured it out so what are you going to do now that you are drained of your energy".


    "At first I thought that I can''t bear with Jason''s attitude but this is really worst" said Austin.


    "You just hurt my feelings man" replied Jason.


    "Not now Jason, we need to think of a way to fight back" said Adam.


    "Hahaha, just take a look at you all, a moment again you were all arrogant but look at you now, all weak and pitiful. Do you know what I find pleasure most in this world" asked the possessed with a smile on his face as he waited for his question to be answered but seeing that he will not be getting one, so has no choice but to answer the question himself.


    "Seeing people lose hope in life makes me happy".


    "Do we look like someone who has suddenly given up just because we are out of options" asked Austin with a frown on his face.


    "Oh I see you are not yet broken even after losing the energy to fight" said the possessed as the smile on his face widen.


    "Swoooosh"


    Then came the sound of something moving the rough the air and the next thing they saw was a sword covered in spiritual energy as it landed on the possessed which cause him to fall back as he crashed into the cage. With anger burning in his eyes, the possessed begin to look at the area in search of where the attack came from only to see the young lady who has a pale face earlier holding a lamp with the paleness gone.


    "I thought that she was up to something else but who would have thought she will be able to regain her energy in a place like this" said the possessed as he force himself out of the cage.


    "As long as there is still a breath left in us, we will never give up" said Diana as she took a step forward.


    "What difference those it makes since you are the only one that is left with a little bit of energy" asked the possessed who still has confidence that he will be able to take care of them all.


    "There is a lot of difference alright, you see there is something that I have noticed about this lamp that I am holding and I think that it was made for the purpose of stopping you for good" replied Diana as she begin to concentrate her energy on the lamp.


    "Let''s see if you will be able to complete that attack of yours" said the possessed with a frown as he rush at her.


    Before he could get to where Diana was, Jason was already on his way with his halberd swing out to push the possessed back but it was like the possessed was expecting something like that to happen as he push himself up to avoid the halberd but before he could think of what to do next, an energy bomb fell on his face as he was sent backward once again.


    After being sent backward, Diana suddenly fell on one knee, as she began to breathe heavily.


    "Isn''t it too early for you to be out of energy" said the possessed with a sinister look on his face as he begins to move forward.


    "You don''t seem to be in a good state yourself so why are you feeling so proud of yourself" asked Diana with a smile on her face.


    "Oh you don''t have to worry about that for all I need to do is wipe you all out with a swipe of my hand" replied the possessed.


    "I would be saying my last wish if I were you" said Jason as he quickly used the lightning boot cover both his legs with lightning before dashing at the possessed in lightning speed as a kick was delivered on his face which send him crashing into the ceiling before falling face-first on the ground.


    "How come he still has that much energy in him and what is with this attack of his that suddenly diminishes a portion of my energy" mutter the possessed as he struggles to get up.


    After sending the possessed back, Jason walk up to Diana who still couldn''t get up after using the technique twice.


    "Nicely done Diana, I never thought that you would be able to absorb that much energy from the pills" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "I am sorry that I couldn''t be of more help in the fight against him" replied Diana with a disappointing look on her face.


    "You don''t have to say that for if not for your interference, I am not sure if I would be able to land a kick at him" said Jason with a smile on his face before turning to look at the possessed who has finally stood up.


    "You can leave the rest to me now" said Jason as he walked out to meet with the possessed.


    "I thought he said he could not use any moves due to the fight he have with Sam so how come he is this full of energy" asked Steven with a twitched face as he watch Jason.


    "I don''t bother using it since I don''t see any reason to when you guys already have everything under control" replied Jason.


    "So you take us to be a fool eh" said Steven who got angry over Jason''s reply.


    "You are the one who is the fool here, instead of you to be happy about having hope to live, here you are getting angry for nothing" replied Austin who can''t stand him anymore.


    Walking close to the possessed with a smile on his face as he said proudly.


    "Are you surprised to see that I still have this much energy on me even after having a fight with your victim".


    "I watch you as you ran out of energy and could not even walk, so how did you manage to recover so quickly" asked the possessed as the smile his has on his face earlier was no longer there.


    "How I manage to recover my energy has nothing to do with you, what you should be worried about is if you will be able to win this fight" replied Jason as he quickly pushed off the ground.


    The possessed eyes widen in shock when he saw Jason vanishing out of sight like he did when he was fighting with Sam. Stressing his eyes as he tries to pinpoint Jason but no matter how hard he try, he still could not figure where Jason was until he felt a tinging pain in his back and the next minute he was sent flying but before he could land on the ground, another kick was let out as he was sent up before Jason let out a hammer punch on the possessed which sent him crashing unto the ground as a big pit was made on the ground.


    "Wow how can he be so fast" said Trace with an amazing look on his face.


    "I don''t think that I will be able to hold my ground against him if I were to have a fight with him" added Adam with a warring smile on his face.


    "Steven you should be glad that you didn''t get into a fight with him else I wonder what would have become of you" said Austin as he begin to laugh at Steven.


    "Will you shut up for goodness sake" replied Steven with a frown on his face.


    "Hey you are the one that has been going around trying to pick a fight with him, so what do you think about having a fight with him if we made it out of here alive" asked Austin with a cunning smile on his face.


    "I am not in the mood to answer to you right now" replied Steven as he turned his attention to the fight.

 Chapter 122 - Absorbing The Possessed

    Standing by the pity as he waited for the possessed to come out, Jason was ready for whatever was about to happen.


    "You know that you won''t be able to maintain this state of yours so be fast with it before you end up as it plaything" said the bracelet.


    "I know alright but there is no way that I will be able to go into that pit" reply Jason with a serious look on his face as he focuses his attention on the pit with his grip holding tightly to the halberd.


    Waiting for some time and the possessed was still not coming out, Jason couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before saying.


    "I know that attack is not strong enough to kill you so stop acting and come out this minute".


    There was total silence as after Jason has spoken but there was no movement from the possessed which was beginning to get Jason angry when the ground he was standing on suddenly cracked and the next thing that happened was a fist coming at him, since he was not expecting the possessed to use underhand means, Jason was unable to protect himself from the attack as he was sent flying.


    The others were shocked when they saw Jason crashing into the wall because he has been on the offense ever since he started using his technique.


    The possessed begin to crawl out of the pit with a smile on his face as he said.


    "Here I am boy, come let''s have a fight and see who gets to run out of energy first".


    "I thought you would be an honorable fighter but who would have thought that even a powerful entity like you would do something like that" replied Jason as he pulled himself from the wall.


    "Oh come on, this is a fight to the death so I am free to use whatever means I can come up with to make sure that I win" said the possessed.


    "Then I guess it is time you take your leave" replied Jason before dashing at the possessed with his hand folded into a fist.


    "Hmm, you are being too arrogant here" scoff the possessed before he also threw a fist at Jason.


    The fists connected and Jason was sent back by the force of the attack and to the possessed surprise, Jason didn''t wait for the fall to end before he kick at the wall and forward once again and this time he did not choose to face the possessed head-on but instead he begins to run around the possessed causing a tornado to form as the possessed was being caught in it and within the tornado was a lightning spark going around making it even difficult for the possessed to escape.


    "How much energy do you think he might still have after he is done with this attack of his" asked Trace who just stare at the tornado with his head turning around.


    "I doubt that he would be able to move after this wave of attack is over" replied Adam.


    "Although he is not using his spiritual power to create the tornado, but that boot-like thing on his legs would be very demanding of spiritual energy" commented Austin.


    "Meaning he will have to end the fight with this attack else it will be the end for us" asked Diana.


    "Is most likely so" replied Austin as he placed his hand on the chin.


    She kept quiet as she begin to observe the fight in the air where one could barely see the possessed levitating while searching for where Jason would be coming from.


    No matter how he searches for Jason, all the possessed can see was an afterimage all over the place which is making it confusing for him to stop the tornado as an attack would be felt on his behind and whenever he tries to fight back, he will only end up hitting the air. The battle continued for a long time before the tornado begin to go away and that was when they saw the possessed falling heavily on the ground creating another pit in the process.


    Just when they thought it was over, they suddenly heard a roar.


    "Lightning stomp"


    And the next thing they see was the pit getting deeper before coming to a stop with the place falling quiet again. They were all eager to see how it all ended but they couldn''t bring themselves to go take a look at the pit. Meanwhile inside the pit. Jason was sitting down with his backrest on the edge of the pit while in front of him lay the possessed that is suddenly fading away.


    "Quick boy starts cultivating the heaven''s law technique before he fades away" said the bracelet in a hurry.


    Not bothering to ask the bracelet while he is instructing him to cultivate the heaven''s law technique, Jason quickly sat crossed leg as he began to cultivate the technique, and the moment he started cultivating it, the possessed that was fading away, suddenly stopped and began to flow towards Jason before entering his body.


    After he was done absorbing everything, Jason whose eyes were closed suddenly opened as he had a confused look on his face.


    "I don''t feel any changes within my body" said Jason.


    "How can you use that impure energy for cultivation" replied the bracelet.


    "Since you know that it won''t be of any use to me, then why did you tell me to use the heaven''s law" asked Jason with a frown.


    "That is because it would be very beneficial to you when you are about to make a breakthrough into the GoldCore realm" replied the bracelet.


    "But you said that it is not a pure energy and I won''t be able to use it" asked Jason as he still doesn''t understand his point.


    "I told you to absorb it because over time when you make a breakthrough into another stage, your spiritual energy will be refined which will also be the same for the impure energy that is inside you" replied the bracelet.


    "So you are trying to refine the energy of its impurity before it is time for me to make a breakthrough into the GoldCore realm" asked Jason as he now gets the point.


    "That is correct but there is a catch to it. And that is you need to make sure that the need doesn''t leak out else it would be very disastrous for you" reply the bracelet.


    Jason went quiet after the bracelet replied as he began to look up with a smile on his face before finally speaking after some time.


    "So all I have to do is stop it from leaking out right".


    "That is correct and I believe it won''t be difficult for you to do" reply the bracelet.


    "Hey Jason are you okay" yelled Austin after waiting for some time to see if anyone would come out of the pit.


    "Do you think he will be able to live after sucking himself dry from the last attack" asked Steven as he also looked at the pit.


    "If there is anyone who is going to die here then it should be you" replied Austin with a frown on his face.


    "Take it easy man, I was only asking since it has been long that we heard anything coming from the pit" said Steven as he took a step back.


    "I am fine Austin so stop worrying" replied Jason from the hole.


    Hearing Jason say that he is fine really put a smile on Austin''s face as he went close to the pit and said once more.


    "What about the possessed".


    "We don''t have to worry about him anymore since he won''t has anybody to possess" replied Jason.


    They all let out a sigh of relief when they heard that the possessed who has been troubling them all this while is no more and that is when a thought hit Austin as he turned back to the pit before speaking out.


    "Since he is no more, then what are you still doing down there".


    "Can''t you tell that I ran out of spiritual energy after battling with him" replied Jason in anger.


    "Just as I thought" mutters Austin before going back to sit down as he tries to recover some of his energy.


    "We will be waiting for you here while meditation so you can take your time" said Adam before sitting down as he also begins to meditate.


    And that is how everyone went into cultivation to try and recover some of their energy since there are no longer pills for them to treat their wounds and since there is no longer danger in the place after they have gotten rid of the possessed, they easily let their guard down.


    "It is going to take you some time to recover a little amount of spiritual energy even if you begin to cultivate the heaven''s law" said the bracelet.


    "Now that we have taken care of the possessed, I am not too bothered about it" replied Jason as he closed his eyes and went into meditation.

 Chapter 123 - The Treasure Vault

    It took the group a very long time before they were able to recover some energy and since one can''t tell how long they have spent inside the ruin, things were becoming really hard for them. After recovering enough they came together as they went to look at the pit where Jason was recuperating only to discover the place was still quiet and left with no choice, Adam had to scream out.


    "Hey Jason what are you still doing down there".


    "Cant you tell that I am still trying to recover my energy or has the fight earlier made you lose it" reply Jason from the pit.


    "I guess he is back to being stupid since there is no longer any damage" said Steven.


    "I think we will have to settle our differences once we are out of here" replied Jason.


    "Who would want to fight with a freak like you" said Steven as he left the pit.


    "Look Jason, we have a really important matter to talk about and now is the best time so we are waiting for you to come out" commented Adam before taking a step back.


    "You really need to listen to what they have to say since he claims it is important" said the bracelet.


    "They should be worried about how to recover their energy but here they are thinking about other things, what if there is another possessed in this place how are they going to protect themselves against it" replied Jason.


    "I don''t think there will be any problem for now and if there will be any, I would have scent it by now" said the bracelet.


    Letting out a deep breath, Jason climbed out of the pit, and seeing that he was out, Austin went to meet up with him.


    "I see that you have recovered a lot while you are there" said Austin after feeling the aura around him.


    "Yeah, so what is it that you guys want to talk about so badly that you needed my present for" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Well, you will have to sit down since I am not in a good position to speak in the first place" replied Austin as he sat down.


    Doing as he was told to, Jason waited for the others and that is when he noticed Steven looking at him and left with no choice, he had to make a funny face at him before he could look away. It didn''t take long before the others were gathered and that is when Adam stood up as he looked around before speaking.


    "You all know that we have been in this ruin for a very long time and still haven''t come across any treasure during our time here but we have lost a lot of our friends while we are here, I heard from Diana that there is a place not far from here that is filled with treasures of all kinds but the problem here is that these treasures are filled with trap although we are not sure if they are all filled with trap yet but according to her, there is a trap that is put in place".


    "So what do you suggest we do now because if you asked me I will say let''s go since we don''t have anything to do now" asked Trace.


    "Well that is what I plan to do from the start but I called this meeting to make something clear and that is there will be no fighting when one finds something precious" replies Adam.


    "Since you have said it all, I hope you won''t go back on your word and attack someone like me who has no family behind him" commented Jason.


    "That is why we are holding this meeting Jason, no one is going to force you to drop what you pick. It''s your luck if you find something good" replied Adam as he let out a sigh after answering Jason since he knows where he is getting at.


    "Alright since we have cleared that up, I hope none of you will come after my treasure cause I don''t mind giving you what is worse than treasure" said Jason with a smile as he stood up.


    They couldn''t help but frown when they heard him speak but they still chose to ignore him as they began to leave the room with Diana leading the way. After walking for some time, they were able to arrive at the room that was filled with all kinds of treasure and the group couldn''t have an awed look on their face as they arrived.


    "Now remember guys, you have to be careful with all these treasures, they might look good in the eyes but once you pick it up, you might trigger a trap and I can give testimony to that with this burn scar on my face" advised Diana.


    The group still didn''t bother with the consequences since they have finally located where all the treasures are being kept, who cares about hidden treasure when they can finally take what they need.


    The group was still looking around when they saw Jason walk toward a scroll and pick it up before keeping it away. Turning to look at the group who were all looking at him with a shocking look on their face.


    "Why are you all looking at me like that, I have been thinking of a way to get my hand on this scroll since I came here but couldn''t since we have to track down the possessed and now that we are done with that, I can finally have it before someone else takes it" said Jason.


    "Wait a minute, you still have that scroll on your mind" asked Austin with a surprised look on his face.


    "Yeah, since I am short of technique at the moment, it would be great if I can add this to my list" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    "And you just pick it up without thinking if there would be any trap hidden on it" said Diana with a frightened look on her face.


    "It is just as I told you previously, not all the treasures have traps in them and this scroll was one of those scrolls" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I see, so that means it will all go down to how lucky one is" said Adam with an understanding look on his face.


    "So you mean the reason why I picked up a treasure that has a trap in it was all due to me having bad luck" asked Diana.


    "Something like that but you shouldn''t feel bad because I don''t think you have bad luck, if you didn''t pick up the lamp, I wonder what would have become of us by now" replied Jason as he tried to comfort her.


    "I guess you are right about that. Maybe it was due to how important it was that there was a trap attached to it" said Diana with a giggle.


    Seeing that her mood has lighted up, Jason lets out a sigh before going to another area and seeing that Jason is going to look for another treasure, the rest quickly rush in as they begin to search for treasure they could get their hands on and that is when Austin walks up to Jason and asks.


    "Hey don''t you think something is off about this whole thing".


    "Yeah I can''t find the Triplett anywhere around" replied Jason as he continued to scan the area looking for a treasure that is to his liking.


    "I am not talking about those three and by the way, we couldn''t find them when we went in search of more people to take down the possessed" said Austin.


    "Okay, so what did you feel is strange about this place" asked Jason.


    "I don''t know, I just have a bad feeling about this whole place" replied Austin.


    "You can relax man, look if there was anything wrong with this place, we would have scented it by now so chill and look for a treasure that catches your eyes" said Jason before walking out to search another area.


    They were just searching for treasure when they heard a scream and they turned around to take a look at what it was only to discover that it was a member of the Allan family who was bitten by a bunch of viewers.


    "Hold still man while we get rid of them" said someone who quickly raised in to give him a hand.


    After the vipers had been taken care of, the victim was put down as the rest came to take a look at him only to discover that he had a swollen hand.


    "Is he going to be alright" asked Diana while looking at him as he seemed to be losing strength.


    "I don''t think that he will be able to make it out alive without taking a pill unless we chop his hand off" replied Trace who took a glance at him.


    They were just thinking of a way to help him out when Jason suddenly chopped his hand off with a serious look on his face.


    "That is the only option we have so why delay when we can stop the venom from spreading" said Jason before walking out.

 Chapter 124 - Expelled From The Ruin

    After seeing what happened to the fellow, they all became cautious of what to pick since they don''t want to end up in the same situation or worse. Meanwhile, when they were being cautious with what to pick, he was busy going from one scroll to another. Altogether he now has four scrolls in his possession.


    He was just about to continue searching for more scroll when the bracelet suddenly spoke up.


    "A powerful energy force is coming from an object around all this treasure".


    "Do you think it is something valuable" asked Jason with a smile


    "Who knows, it could turn out to be a heavenly pill " replied the bracelet.


    "So tell me, which area do you think the energy is coming from" asked Jason.


    "It is coming from over there, a little bit to the south where those three swords were placed together" replied the bracelet.


    Not wasting more time before someone else picks it up, Jason quickly went there as he began to look for the item and after some time of searching, he was able to locate the item which turned out to be a small round object. Jason quickly put it away with a frown on his face as he began to question the bracelet.


    "Are you sure that the energy you sensed earlier came from these things".


    "Yes Jason, that thing seems to hold a massive amount of energy within it" replied the bracelet.


    "It seems ordinary to me" said Jason as he continued to look for more items.


    Going through the treasure, Jason came across some bunch of pills that has a glittering spark to them and not wanting to ask the bracelet of what kind of pill it is, Jason quickly picked it up and store it away but the moment he did that, the whole place begins to check which caught the attention of everyone as they begin to worry.


    "What the hell is happening now" yells Steven who was about to pick an axe up.


    "It seems like someone just triggered a trap" replied Adam.


    "I bet that he is the one since he has been picking things up without thinking of safety the whole time" said Steven as he pointed a finger at Jason.


    "Come on now, since I have been picking items, I have not for once triggered a trap or could it be you cause if I am not mistaking your hands were on the axe a while ago" replied Jason.


    "But I didn''t have the time to pick it up before the trembling even began so how come it was me" asked Steven with a frown.


    "How sure can we be that you did not pick it up" replied Jason.


    While they were busy accusing each other of being the cause behind the trembling, the whole place began to shake intensively and the next thing that happened was them being expelled from the ruin.


    There was total silence around the place as they found themselves standing outside the statue.


    "Did we just get expelled out of the statue" asked Diana being the first to break the silence.


    "It seems like our time is up" replied Adam.


    They were just about to talk about the scene when they saw the statue sinking into the ground until they could not see it again.


    "We really need to get out of here before things get bad" said Jason with a frown.


    "I don''t know what you guys are still doing standing looking at the sand but as for me, I am getting out of here" replied Trace as he turned around as he ran into the forest.


    "Let''s just hope that the seal out of this place is still open" said Adam as he also followed suit.


    And just like that everyone begins to back through the path they took to get to the location where the statue is and along the way, they also have to fend off the beast that is in the surroundings then crossing the lake before they get to the area where they first fought against the beast and they could see the white scream in the distance.


    "Looks like the seal is still open" said Austin as he let out a sigh.


    "Now that we don''t have to worry about the seal closing against us, I think we should take the time to rest up for a while before going out" suggested Adam as he quickly sat down.


    "I would have agreed with you but just take a look at the seal, don''t you think it is becoming dim" said Jason as he pointed at the white scream.


    "I guess we don''t have the time to rest" replied Adam with a sigh as he led the way.


    It didn''t take them too long before they were able to walk out of the scream and the moment they did, the scream faded away leaving them in awe.


    "If we were a little bit late, we would have been trapped inside" said Jason who couldn''t help but shake in fear.


    "Ah, it feels good to be able to breathe in the fresh air" commented Diana with her hand spread.


    "I guess now you will be able to treat your injury" said Jason with a smile.


    "You bet I would but the problem is how am I going to face the others before it heals completely" replied Diana.


    After coming out of the scream, they went to meet up with their various elders to give an account of what has happened inside the ruin and that is when the elder from the phoenix family begin to look at his people and discover that among the eight that went into the ruin, only four of them came back alive and Sam was not among those that made it out alive and led him to ask around only to hear that he was killed by someone from the Fox family.


    "No one is allowed to leave this place" said the elder from the phoenix family as he began to make his way toward the Fox family.


    "Elder George, I believe the training has come to an end so why are you insisting that everyone should not leave this place" asked elder Luke with a frown on his face.


    Choosing to ignore elder Luke, elder George turns his gaze at the kids with killing intent in his eyes. After staring at them for a moment, he suddenly spoke up.


    "I was told that one of you is responsible for the death of Sam so if you know that you are the one, you better surrender yourself this instant" yells elder George angrily.


    "Did they also tell you why I have to kill him" asked as he took a step forward with a straight face.


    "It doesn''t matter what he did for you to kill one of our own, you will have to pay with your life" replied elder George as he raised his hand ready to strike at Jason.


    "Hold it right there elder George, there is no way I am going to stand here while watching you kill him when you don''t know what happened in there, and let''s not forget that fighting for treasure is allowed inside the ruin so he doesn''t have to answer to anyone over the death of your family member since it is stated in the rule that it is not an offense if one was killed inside" said elder Luke as he stood in front of Jason.


    Seeing that elder Luke is willing to stand up for him, Jason let out a sigh as he just escaped death but before any of the elders could talk things through, someone from the phoenix family suddenly spoke out.


    "They were not fighting because of treasure, so does it count as part of the rule".


    When elder George heard what the boy said, he couldn''t help but frown as he shot a gaze at Jason before speaking up.


    "Did you hear that elder luke, so are you still going to stand here and protect him when knowing full well that he is not in the right".


    "I have my reasons for killing him and I don''t regret it" replied Jason as he didn''t give elder luke to speak up.


    "Elder George I can testify that Jason was not in the wrong and if he didn''t take his life, who knows if we will all be standing here" said Austin as he took a step forward.


    "Oh, I see you are all ready to stick up to one of your own" commented elder George with an evil laugh.


    "We should be the one asking you people for compensation for Sam placing our life at risk when he teamed up with an evil entity that was locked up inside the ruin and everyone here can testify to it even if your own people refuse to tell the truth" said Diana.


    The elders were shocked by this discovery as they turned to look at all of them only to see them nodding their heads while those from the phoenix family had their heads lowered.

 Chapter 125 - Returning To The Fox Family

    The elders asked them to explain in detail what happened inside the ruin and Diana didn''t hesitate to tell them what happened inside the ruin including when they tracked the possessed to where it was imprisoned and how they were able to defeat it until when they were expelled from the ruin. After she was done telling them how life inside the ruin is, the elders couldn''t help but turn to elder George with a frown on their face.


    "So elder George what do you have to say about this" asked elder Luke.


    "This¡­ This is not true, I have known Sam since the day he began cultivating and for you to say he sided with the enemy is just a story you just made up to cover up for him" replied elder George.


    "So you are saying that they are all lying against your family member" asked an elder from the ghost family.


    "What do you expect me to say elder Odin" replied Elder George.


    "We''ll be taking our leave for now but expect to receive us for an explanation later" elder Luke angrily before turning around and leaving with his group.


    "Catch you later Jason and Austin" wave Diana when seeing them leaving.


    They both wave back at her before they could go far. After their departure, the other family began to leave as well until it was remaining those from the Phoenix family.


    "Elder, are we just going to let them go like that without avenging Sam''s death" asked the kid who told the elder about the incident.


    "Not to worry Anderson, he might have escaped death in my hand today but it doesn''t mean that he will be able to escape later so don''t worry if he thinks he can kill someone from our family and run free, then they must be joking" replied elder George with an evil grin on his face.


    "I believe elder will see it done" replied Anderson.


    "Sure but why didn''t you tell me about what happened inside earlier now we will have to deal with the other family" said elder George.


    "I am sorry I forgot elder" replied Anderson with a lower head.


    "Forget about it, the damage has already been done all we can think of now is how to counter them when they come demanding for an answer but for now, we need to gather information about that kid. There was no information about him joining them so we will have to start from scratch" said elder George.


    "I don''t know if the information I have on him will be very useful to you elder but I once heard him say he is not a member of the Fox family and he goes by the name Jason" replied Anderson.


    "Did you mean what you just said" asked elder George with a surprised look on his face.


    "I am sure of it elder George and we were able to clarify it when those from the Fox family refused to help him secure a beast core" replied Anderson.


    "This is good news if it really true that he is not from the Fox family making our work easier" said elder George with a smile on his face as he begin to lead his team back.


    Meanwhile, it took the Fox family three hours to get to the weakrose cave, they walk for an hour making sure that they have gone far enough for the elders to hear what they are saying before elder Luke spoke up.


    "Jason, what you did inside was really rash and if it were not for the help of the others, I would have been helpless in front of the elders".


    "Elder Luke I didn''t have a choice since it would have been me who will be dead if I were to hold back. It was a miracle that I was able to make it out alive" replied Jason fearfully.


    When Austin saw him acting all innocent, his eyebrows couldn''t help but twitch as he thought to himself.


    ''If it wasn''t for your foul mouth, Sam wouldn''t have fallen for the possessed request, and let''s not forget that you told us to leave since you believe in your capacity and here you are acting like it was not easy to take him down''.


    "I am just telling you to not be rash with your actions next time since you know the condition of your background" advise elder Luke.


    "Thank you elder Luke for the advice" replied Jason with a bow as they continue to head towards the beast''s territory.


    "It''s nothing I just think I should let you know since you are still very young. By the way, did any of you have any news about the Triplett" asked elder Luke.


    "When we got into the ruin, we all went our separate ways and it was only later we were able to meet again but we couldn''t meet them" replied Austin.


    "I see, since they were not expelled from the ruin it could only mean that they were dead" said elder Luke.


    ''It is kind of strange that they couldn''t make it out when they are even together'' thought Jason to himself.


    "They may be strong when they are together but I am not sure if their strength put together will be able to rival the danger inside the ruin" commented the bracelet.


    "But it seems off that they all lost their lives inside" said Jason.


    "Every about going into a ruin also seems off kid, so take your mind off it" replied the bracelet.


    The group travel for five days before they were able to get back to the Fox family territory and that is when elder Luke take them straight to the family hall where they waited for the family head and the others to arrive.


    After they have arrived, they all pay their respect before they were ordered to raise.


    "It seems like we lost five of our own during your time inside the ruin but it is good to see that the three of you were able to make it back in one piece" said the family head with a sigh when looking at the three remaining candidates.


    "I see that you were all able to improve in your cultivation after spending three months inside the ruin" added the grand elder with an approving smile on his face.


    "I think you are making a mistake here grand elder because if you ask me, I will say we only spend a week or two inside the ruin if I am not mistaken" replied Jason with his fingers extended as he begin to make calculations.


    "I will have to agree on him on that one" commented Austin.


    "Haha, I see that you haven''t changed at all boy. Anyway, while you are inside the ruin, time seems to have stop so you won''t know if you have lived a year inside" said the grand elder with a laugh.


    "That is unbelievable grand elder, you mean I have been working myself up for three months without taking a break" asked Jason with a surprised look on his face.


    "That is right boy and I can see that you have made a lot of improvement in there after honing your skills inside" replied the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "I don''t see a reason why I should call fighting for my life a way to hone my skills" said Steven.


    "Haha that is where you are wrong young one, you can only bring out your full potential when your life is in danger" replied the grand elder with a laugh and the elders nodded to it in approval.


    "Grand elder is right, what other way will you be able to hone your skill if not to exchange blows with your peers" said the family head.


    "Yeah if it were to be against our peers, then there won''t have been a problem but against something stronger, I don''t see the reason why it should be called a training" replied Steven.


    There was total silence around the place when Steven said those words until the grand elder decided to speak up seeing how grave the matter was.


    "What did you just say kid".


    "I guess elder Luke will have to feel you on with the details later" replied Steven with a bow.


    The grand elder adjusted his state of mind before dismissing them out of the hall leaving only those with authority to remain.


    "Now let''s hear the report" said the family head with a serious look on his face.


    After he was given the order to speak, elder Luke begin to narrate what he was told including the incident that happened with the Phoenix family.


    "I see that the Phoenix family have grown some wings over the years for them to make a move against one of our own in the opening" said one of the elders in anger as he slam the handle of the chair after elder Luke was done narrating the whole story.

 Chapter 126 - Back To Work

    "The issue with the phoenix family is of small matter, what we really need to talk about is the discovery of this entity they elder Luke is talking about" said the grand elder with a frown on his face.


    "That is right, there has not been any report of it the other time that the ruin was open so happened this time around" commented the family head as he placed his hand on the chin.


    "Maybe at that time he was in a dormant state which is why it was not noticed" suggested one of the elders.


    "That could be true cause according to the report that elder Luke gave us, it says that it has been imprisoned inside the ruin for a very long time" reply the family head.


    "So now what do you think we should do about it" asked elder Luke.


    "Since we can''t get inside the ruin to see for ourselves and get rid of it, we will have to go into a meeting with the other family and seal the ruin for good to avoid calamity" replied the grand elder.


    "I don''t think sealing the ruin will be a good idea since it has already been tampered with previously, I don''t see why it won''t be again" said the family head.


    "Ah, I don''t think the other family will agree for the gateway to be destroyed since it is a treasure vault for them" replied the grand elder with a sigh.


    "Well it won''t hurt to give it a try since they were also a victim to this strange entity''s activities inside the ruin" said elder Luke.


    "Alright then, schedule a meeting with them. Since there is nothing else to talk about, I will be taking my leave" replied the grand elder as he excused himself from the hall.


    But before he could walk far, the family head suddenly could out to him.


    "About the matter with the phoenix family, how do you think we should address the matter" asked the family head.


    "Since elder George did not lay his hand on him, just give them a warning and if it were to repeat itself again, then they should be prepared for war" replied the grand elder before walking out.


    After the grand elder left the hall, the rest began to discuss how to go with the meeting before leaving. Meanwhile, while the meeting was going on, Jason didn''t even spare some time with Austin before walking out to meet his mother and sister who had been waiting for him to return.


    Just when Jason stepped into the area while their tent was, he hadn''t even walked up to where the tent was located when he saw Hannah running out with a smile on her face as she threw herself at him.


    "How did you know that I was back" asked Jason in surprise.


    "Mother informed me of your arrival the moment she scents your aura in the area" replied Hannah as she let go of him.


    "Right, I actually forgot that she has recovered her cultivation" said Jason before he began to look at Hannah who had some changes to her.


    And seeing the way her brother was looking at him, Hannah couldn''t help but chuckle as she asked.


    "Big brother, why are you looking at me like that".


    "Huh, oh I am just surprised to see that you have already made it into the fifth stage of a tempered body" replied Jason.


    "Haha, I knew you would be surprised when you see me like this" said Hannah with a laugh.


    "You guess I am alright" replied Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "Now I am not too far from catching up to you big brother" commented Hannah.


    "Ah hold your horse there young lady, are you trying to compete with your big brother or what" asked Jason seeing the way Hannah is acting.


    "You can say that again big brother" replied Hannah with a smile.


    "I guess you still have a lot to learn about cultivation" said Jason with a smile as he began to walk into the tent.


    "Welcome back" was the word he heard the moment he stepped inside as he could see his mother sitting close to the table with a teacup in hand.


    "Greetings mother, how is your health" greeted Jason.


    "As you can see, I am doing just fine. Go wash up and get something to eat before you fill me in on your adventures" replied Clara after feeling the aura that is coming out of him.


    Jason quickly left with a smile to take his bath knowing fully well that he stinks since it has been three months and some days that he has taken his bath. Before coming back to the tent, it was already nighttime.


    "Now that is more like it" commented Hannah with a smile on her face after seeing Jason coming in all freshen up.


    "It is surprising to see that your realm has gone up by two stages while you are inside the ruin" said Clara with a smile.


    "What big brother realm has gone up by two stages" asked Hannah with a surprised look on her face.


    "Yes, is there a problem with that" asked Clara.


    "Not at all, damn I guess I will have to work hard with my training" replied Hannah with a serious look on her face.


    When Jason heard her reply, he couldn''t help but frown before turning to his mother and saying.


    "I know what you thinking but you don''t need to worry too much about her by the way when are you going to start telling me about your adventure" replied Clara with a smile.


    "Oh that''s right, I totally forgot about that" said Jason with a laugh before he begin to tell them about his time in the ruin and it took him about an hour for him to finish saying everything.


    "You mean there was a powerful entity inside the ruin that has the power to possess others" asked Clara with a deep frown on her face.


    "That is right mother and it was all thanks to the heavens that he has not yet completely recovered his strength cause if it were the opposite, I wouldn''t have been sitting here with the two of you" replied Jason.


    "Good thing you made it back alive son" said Clara as she let out a sigh of relief.


    "That right, I find a lot of treasures inside the ruin" said Jason with a smile as he begin to take them out from the storage ring he was wearing.


    "You mean all this were brought out from the ruin" asked Hannah as she pick up a scroll.


    "You got that right, although it wasn''t easy to get my hand on them for some were hiding trap" replied Jason as he brought out the pills.


    "What is that pill" asked Clara as her eyes were glued to it.


    "I don''t know either, just decided to pick it up since it was also among the treasure and I plan to show it to the grand elder if he will know something about it" replied Jason as he passed the pill to his mother.


    After giving it a closer look and still was not able to recognize the pill, Clara gave it back to Jason as she said.


    "It must be really exhausting for you in the ruin, why don''t you go rest for tomorrow".


    Totally agreeing with his mother''s words since it has been long since he has gotten a night of good sleep, Jason left early to bed after keeping his treasures away.


    Next morning.


    Jason woke up feeling energized as he begin with his habit of cultivating the heavens law technique after waking up.


    After he was done, Jason took breakfast before rushing to the Fox family alchemy room on the hope of getting there before Austin do only to see that Austin was already there cleaning the place.


    "I see that you don''t have anything doing for you to be here at this time of the morning" said Jason with a twitched face.


    "What can I say, it has become a habit of mine" replied Austin with a smile.


    "What about the grand elder, is he here yet" asked Jason.


    "No he hasn''t" replied Austin.


    Just as Austin has just spoken, the grand elder suddenly appears at the rooftop as he said out loud.


    "And what do you need my help with".


    They were both frightened about the grand elder''s appearance as they went into a fighting stance until they saw that it was the grand elder that spoke before they were able to get themselves together.


    "Oh goodness, you just scared the living hell out of me" replied Jason with a breath of relief.


    "I see that you two are still lacking for you not to be aware of my presence even when I am standing here" said the grand elder.


    "That''s because we let our guard down since we know we are safe here" replied Jason with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 127 - Go All Out

    "I can see that you still haven''t changed even after spending three months inside the ruin" said the ground elder with a twitched face.


    "What can I say, it takes more than three months for someone to change so you shouldn''t have your hope up grand elder" reply Jason with a smile.


    "I see the reason why Sam easily gave in to the power of the entire" said the grand elder with a sigh.


    "And what is that grand elder because I am also curious to know what truly made him give in" asked Jason as he waited attentively for the grand elder to speak up.


    "The reason why he gave in was that he couldn''t stand you" replied the grand elder with a frown.


    "Uh, I think you get it wrong grand elder. I have been conducting myself ever since we got to the ruin. In Fact, I was the one that was been wrong since I don''t belong to any of the family" said Jason while acting like he was the one that was been wrong.


    "Nonsense, I don''t need to be there before I can guess who caused the whole thing. Let''s leave that matter for now and talk about your punishment or did you think I have forgotten" asked the grand elder with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Come on grand elder, I just came out of the land of the dead and you are already talking about punishment. Do you know you should be compensating me for tricking me into going to the ruin" said Jason with a frightened look on his face.


    "You little brat, if you say one more word about the ruin, I swear by the heavens that I am going to skin you alive" replied the grand elder with a twitched face.


    "Now you are swearing to the heavens when you should be thinking of a way to keep my mouth shut" said Jason fearfully.


    ''This kid, why is it always difficult to have a normal conversation with you'' thought the grand elder.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, the grand elder turned to the two as he said.


    "You guys have really improved a lot inside the ruin with Jason benefiting the most, no wonder you were able to defeat Sam even when he borrowed strength from an external force".


    "That is where you are wrong grand elder, Sam was never a match for me from the very beginning and I was still in the second stage when we fought" replied Jason proudly.


    "Oh is that so" asked the grand elder with a shocked look on his face as he began to play with his beads.


    "Yeah, and if you think that I am lying to you, you can ask Austin here" reply Jason with a smile.


    "Since you can beat Sam even when he gets help, then you shouldn''t have a problem holding your ground against me if I were to suppress my realm to your level" said the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "Well, I wouldn''t say that I will be able to hold my ground against an old monster like you" said Jason with a hand on his chin.


    Jason was just about to continue to give excuses so as to avoid getting into a fight with the grand elder but before he could even start, he began to feel the grand elder aura getting weak and the next moment he was already in the third stage of the foundation realm.


    "But I just said that I can''t fight an old monster like you so why are you still suppressing your realm to my level" asked Jason who seemed to be in tears.


    "Haha, I thought you said that I am an old monster. And I am not mistaken, the young ones are said to be more vibrant and more vigorous than the old ones that find it hard to move their old legs" replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    "That should be a fact for mortals and not a cultivator who has lived for hundreds of years" said Jason as he took a step back.


    "Haha, I can see that you are trying to avoid getting into a fight with me so let''s make it fairer for you since you are still not experienced" replied the grand elder before turning to Austin who was just watching the show and said.


    "How about Austin join you and you can both use your technique".


    "Uh, but grand elder I thought you were against the rules of fighting near the alchemy room" asked Austin in shock when he heard the grand elder saying that they could go all out.


    "When I tell you to go all out, I mean you should because I won''t be holding back myself" replied the grand elder with a smile before making some hand sign with spiritual energy gathering around his hand before releasing it in the surroundings as a forcefield was formed...


    Seeing the blue light going around the place before forming a big circle before them, Jason went close to give it a touch to see what it was, only for him to discover that it was as solid as touching a wall. Noticing the way Jason was looking at the forcefield and he couldn''t help but chuckle as he began to explain.


    "What you are seeing right now is called a forcefield. With this, you shouldn''t have a problem going all out".


    "You mean this thing here won''t bulge if we were to attack it" ask Austin with a surprised look on his face.


    "So you don''t need to worry about the alchemy room getting destroyed" replied the grand elder.


    "I still don''t want to get into a fight with an old man like you, you may not believe this but I don''t think that you will be able to handle what I am capable of doing" said Jason.


    "Oh really, then why don''t you show me what you are made of" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "You are the one that asked for it so don''t blame me if you start missing some bones" said Jason as he got into a fighting stance.


    "Enough talk and come at me together" replied the grand elder with his hand placed on his behind.


    "Austin are you ready" asked Jason with an evil grin on his face.


    "More than you are" replied Austin as he took out his sword.


    "Alright then, let''s show him what we are capable of" said Jason as he pushed forward with the halberd thrust forward at the grand elder.


    Seeing that Jason is already going for the hit, Austin quickly went forward as well as he slash his sword at the grand elder only for their weapons to stop moving midway.


    "I said you should come at me with everything you got and not to play child''s games with me" said the grand elder with a frown as he pushed his hand forward causing them to fall back.


    "You ask for it" replied Jason as he quickly activated the lightning boot.


    Seeing Jason''s legs were covered in lightning, the grand was first amazed before clearing his throat as he said with a smile.


    "Now this is what I am talking about".


    Going forward once more but this time he was faster than he used to be as he tries to land a kick on the grand elder only for him to miss the target while Austin whose sword was covered in green light was also trying to get a hit on the grand elder even though his sword art is fast but he always ends up getting hit by the invincible force the grand elder used against them when they first fought with him.


    "I can''t believe he still uses this dirty and shameless attack of his" complained Jason as he was hit by the invincible force.


    "Haha, looks like someone is finding it difficult to break these old bones of mine" joked the grand elder as he stroked his beads.


    Seeing the grand elder was mocking him, Jason threw the halberd at him out of anger and the grand elder easily hit it away but that was all that Jason needs as he was now standing behind the grand elder with his fist raised before punching at him from behind only for him to punch at an invincible force and was sent flying by the impact.


    "Oh come on, how can you be so thick skin to use such a method why fighting" complained Jason.


    "Haha, it is called being on guard at all times," replied the grand elder with a laugh.


    While the grand elder was speaking, the energy around them began to change as thousands of sword energies began to materialize and when he saw these, he couldn''t help but let out a smile as he muttered to himself.


    "The thousand swords cry technique, who would have thought that he will be able to comprehend it to such a level".

 Chapter 128 - Differences In Strength

    After the energy swords have been formed, Austin slashes forward as the thousand swords that have formed in the air began to fall down on the grand elder who has a happy smile on his face as he begins to move in the air while destroying the energy swords one at a time meanwhile Jason has ready move from the area since he doesn''t want to be caught in the clash as he waited patiently for the grand elder to leave an opening. After destroying about two-fifty energy swords, the grand elder retreated back to the ground where he let out a deep breath before pushing his palm forward while yelling and an invisible force went after the remaining energy swords.


    "Now is my chance" said Jason with a smile on his face since the grand elder will have to maintain that stance if he wants the attack he is using to get rid of the energy swords.


    Unfortunately for Jason, the grand elder was only faking it as the moment that Jason appeared behind him ready to punch him but before Jason could even move his fist forward, he felt a hot strike on his cheek as he was sent back.


    "That old man is beginning to really annoy me" said Jason with grit teeth as he placed his hand on his cheek.


    "Give it up kid, there is no way you will be able to beat the grand elder even if there were three of you facing off against him" advises the bracelet.


    "Is he really that strong" asked Jason.


    "Yes, I can even tell that he is holding back on his attack" replied the bracelet.


    "Since he is holding back on his attack, I don''t see a reason why I should do the same" commented Jason as he swings the halberd before dashing at the grand elder.


    After hitting Jason back, the grand elder quickly gets rid of the energy swords without getting hit. Taking a step forward towards Austin who seems to be having a hard time breathing.


    "I see you were able to comprehend the thousand swords cry to a level where you can make them look almost real" said the grand elder with a smile on his face.


    "I am still far from doing the real thing" replied Austin with a disappointing look on his face.


    "Oh do you mean this" said the grand elder as he waved his hand and the next thing they saw were thousands of swords hanging in the sky.


    Jason who was going after the grand elder a moment ago, couldn''t help but stop in his tracks and look at the swords with a terrifying look on his face.


    "Do you think you will be able to survive against something like that" asked the bracelet.


    "This attack is on another level compared to what Austin used to do, so how do you expect me to survive against it when I can barely fend off Austin''s attack" replied Jason.


    "Then now you understand what I mean when I say if there were to be three of you fighting, the results will still be the same" said the bracelet.


    "He is really an old monster" said Jason with a bitter smile.


    "Just be glad that he is not your enemy" replied the bracelet.


    Seeing that both Jason and Austin were close, the grand elder let out a chuckle as he said.


    "When you can manipulate your energy into making something like this, then you will be able to do this". The grand elder made some hand movement and the swords split into two with one half facing Austin while the other half facing Jason.


    "Only when you can finally complete the final stage of the technique will you be able to do something like this. Now let''s end this sparring session with this attack" said the grand elder with a smile on his face before swinging his hand down as the swords begin to fall on both Jason and Austin.


    "You have already proven to us that you are stronger and better so what is the need for you to attack us with something like this" complains Jason as he begins to push his energy to the limit as the lightning boot becomes brighter before he begins to run forward kicking one sword to another at an incredible speed.


    "Haha, I did it for fun boy now let''s see you dance" replied the grand elder with a laugh as he watched how they were going to counter the attack...


    Seeing the swords coming at him, Austin let out a roar as he also summoned thousands of swords that look more inferior to the one that is coming at him. After the swords have materialized, he sends them out as they crash into the swords before fading away, and the more they crash into the swords, the more the swords lose their color.


    After the whole energy swords has completely crashed into the swords, Austin discovered that it was not still enough for him to get rid of the swords and he has to send more at it until he completely destroys them but that came with a price which is him being drained completely of spiritual energy.


    "Hmm, seems like he can only use the attack four times at most. Now let''s see how that naughty kid is going to get rid of them" mutter the grand elder as he shifts his attention to Jason who was still going around destroying the swords and at the same time dodging the ones that are coming from behind.


    After spending much time, Jason was finally able to get rid of them all as he sat on the floor while breathing heavily.


    "I can''t believe that I have to use so much energy just to get rid of them all" said Jason.


    "Would you believe me if I told you that he was also holding back on that attack" replied the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Good thing he did, else I don''t know what I would have done against such power" said Jason as he wiped the sweat from his face.


    Since they have taken care of the swords, the grand elder destroyed the forcefield that he set earlier before pushing his realm back to the peak as he said with a satisfying smile on his face.


    "It''s been long that I have a spar as interesting as this one. I think I should send you guys to another ruin so that you will get stronger to entertain me".


    "I have known for a long time that you enjoy bullying the young but what really surprises me is the family head and the elders not saying a thing about it" replied Jason with a frown when he heard the word ruin.


    "Haha, you don''t call it bullying but training. Here is a pill that will help with your recovery" said the grand elder with a laugh before passing them a pill.


    After taking the pill, it didn''t take them long to recover their energy as Austin walked up to the grand elder before bowing as he said in all sincerity.


    "I wish for you to guide me on how to use the thousand swords cry technique".


    "You have come so far on your own and have comprehended the technique in a way you understand it. Guiding you will only slow you down instead of helping you, it will be more like I am not" replied the grand elder.


    Austin rose from his bow in disappointment and was just about to walk away when he heard the grand elder say.


    "You will be able to comprehend more if you made a breakthrough into the GoldCore realm".


    After he was done with the issue with Austin, the grand elder turned his attention back to Jason who still had a frown on his face as he asked with a chuckle.


    "Are you angry that you couldn''t break my bone".


    "Why would I bother with that when I know from the start that it will be difficult to touch your robe" replied Jason.


    "Since you knew then why the look" asked the grand elder.


    "He is just angry that he lost against you grand elder" commented Austin with a laugh as he makes his way into the alchemy room.


    "You bet I am but what really ticks me off is why use such an attack on us, don''t you know that we could have lost our lives there" replied Jason.


    "Oh come on, that attack is not enough to kill you so stop complaining" said the grand elder.


    "Let''s leave that aside, I don''t know if you can tell me what this pill is" replied Jason as he brought the pill out.


    "Is this what you brought out of the ruin" asked the grand elder as he told the pill from Jason.


    "Kind of, is something wrong with bringing a pill home" replied Jason.


    "Not at all, I just want to know where it came from" said the grand elder.


    "So do you know what it is" asked Jason.


    "I will need some time to observe the pill" replied the grand elder before walking into the alchemy room while ignoring Jason.

 Chapter 129 - Assassination

    Seeing the grand elder ignoring him, Jason went in to see what he had discovered about the pill only for him to see the grand elder was pouring himself a cup of wine.


    "I thought you were going to try and find out what this pill is when you took it from me" said Jason.


    "That is what I am trying to do kid" replied the grand elder as he took a sip from his cup.


    "You intend to find more about the pill by drinking" asked Jason as he raised a brow at him.


    "How do you expect me to study with a dry throat" replied the grand elder as he barked at Jason.


    After being yelled at, Jason went to the side as he watched the grand elder enjoying himself with the cup of wine until he was done before putting the jar to the side and he picked the pill up while rubbing his hand around it before taking scrap from the pill and placing it on the table.


    The grand elder took a lot of time to study the pill and was still not able to find anything about it and that is when he let out a sigh before pouring himself another cup of wine and seeing him pouring himself another cup of wine, Jason couldn''t hold himself back as he asked.


    "So were you able to find anything about the pill".


    It took the grand elder sometime before he was able to reply to his question.


    "I still couldn''t find anything about the pill. It just feels like it is not from this world".


    "What the hell, did you say it is not from this world" asked Jason in surprise.


    "I am just saying since I have never seen anything like it since the day I started concocting pills" replied the grand elder as he took another mouthful of wine.


    "Urg now what am I supposed to do with this then" said Jason.


    "Just keep it for now while I study this scrap with me here" replied the grand elder as he passed the pill back to Jason.


    "Maybe I will try it later when I get home" said Jason after keeping the pill away.


    "I will advise you not to be so careless as to take the pill since we don''t know what it is yet. Maybe it is a poison" advice that grand elder.


    "Now I am regretting why I took it in the first place" said Jason in disappointment.


    "You shouldn''t be kid, now go busy yourself with something while I study the pill" replied the grand elder as he drove Jason away.


    Meanwhile, in the phoenix family territory, a meeting was been held by the higher-ups of the family.


    "I can''t believe that old fox has the gust to send such message to my family" said the grand elder of the phoenix family.


    "It seems like they really want to go to war with us over such matter" said the family head.


    Elder George was just sitting with his head lowered since the reason why their family was having a conflict with the fox family was all because of him. While he was just sitting quietly, the grand elder suddenly him.


    "So have you been able to fish out information about the boy yet" asked the grand elder.


    "Not yet grand elder, I am still waiting patiently to hear from my informer" replied elder George with a bow.


    "Why is it taking so long to receive news about him, is it that you didn''t send the right person for the job or you admitted that Sam was the one who is at fault" said one of the elders who seem to be related to Sam.


    "That is not the problem elder Phil, we just need to be sure with the background of this kid to avoid unnecessary trouble and you don''t have to worry about getting revenge for your grandson" reply elder George.


    "That kid sure is lucky that I wasn''t present in the ruin else he would have been buried alongside my grandson without a care in the world if he is the son of the family head or the grand elder grandson" said elder Phil in anger.


    "Then I guess you would have faced the fox family wrath on your own" replied the family head.


    Just as they were speaking, a guard came into the hall and went straight to elder George to whisper something in his ears before he was told to go.


    "What is that all about" asked the grand elder after the guard has left.


    "It seems like the person I sent to bring me information about the boy is waiting for me outside the hall" replied elder George.


    "Then what are you waiting for send him in already" order the grand elder.


    "I have already sent the guard to go get him" reply elder George.


    It didn''t take long before a hooded man was escorted into the hall by the guard before he went back to his post.


    "So what did you find out about the boy" asked elder George.


    "It is just as you said earlier, he is not a member of the Fox family but rather a member of the Mccray family" replied the hooded man.


    "But I thought they were wiped out by the assassins so how come there is still a survival" asked the family head with a surprising look on his face.


    "He is not the only survival of the attack but his mother and sister were also alive as they took shelter in the fox family territory" reply the hooded man.


    "Then I guess you can take your leave and don''t worry about your payment I will see to it done" said elder George as he waved him away.


    After the hooded man left the hall, elder George turn to the grand elder as he asked.


    "Since he is not a member of the Fox family, things will be very easy for us".


    "I think we should let the assassins finish what they started" commented elder Phil.


    "If you are saying we should go to the assassin, you are likely to pay a huge amount of money since to them, the Mccray family no longer exist" replied the family head.


    "So what do you think we should do since we can''t go to the assassin family to get the job done" asked elder George.


    "How people can do it " reply elder Phil.


    "If we are doing this, we will have to do it secretly since it will upset the fox family that someone was killed in their territory" said the grand elder.


    "And I have the right man for the job" replied elder Phil with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Good, then we will leave the issue with the kid to you since it is your grandson that was killed in the first place" said the family head.


    After they were done with the meeting, elder Phil didn''t waste much time before ordering a guard to call him someone, and before thirty minutes a young man was already waiting for him outside his home.


    "Greetings elder, I was told that you wanted to see me" said the young man before him.


    "Yes Fred, I see that you are still improving with each passing day. If I am not mistaken you were at the third stage of the foundation realm but now you are already in the fourth stage" complimented elder Phil.


    "It was all thanks to elder help that I was able to make it this far" reply Fred.


    "That is not true, it is all due to your hard work that you were able to make it this far, all I did was instruct you" reply elder Phil as he stroked his bread.


    "I believe there must be something that is a troubling elder for you to summon me here" asked Fred.


    "Yes there is Fred, do you still remember my grandson Sam" replied elder Phil.


    "Yes I do. By the way didn''t they return from the ruin yesterday" asked Fred.


    "Yes they return but it was quite unfortunate that he was killed by someone who seen to be residing inside the Fox family" replied elder Phil in anger.


    "What, who would be so arrogant as to do such a thing. Isn''t he scared of death" said Fred as he roar in anger.


    "I guess he is not which is why I am sending you over to the Fox family territory to teach him what death is" replied elder Phil.


    "Consider it done elder in fact I will bring you his head after I am done" said Fred as he beat his chest.


    "I know that you won''t let me down which is why I choose you out of the others but look Fred, we don''t want the fox family to be aware of this so you have to be secretive about it" inform elder Phil.


    "Don''t worry elder if you don''t want them to notice anything then consider it done" reply Fred.


    "I await your return" said elder Phil as he dismissed Fred.

 Chapter 130 - Familiar Faces

    Next morning...


    Things were just as they used to be with Jason cultivating the heaven''s law technique before going to the alchemy room for work while watching the grand elder as he continue to study the pill scary before going to join Austin in a conversation before going home in the evening, but the next day was different as Jason discovered that the alchemy room was locked with Austin standing outside.


    "What is going on here" asked Jason with a frown as he pushed the door trying to open it but it just won''t budge.


    "You are just wasting your time because it won''t open" replied Austin.


    "Why is it like this" asked Jason in confusion.


    "It seems like the grand elder is very busy with something and decided to take the day off for him to seal the door" replied Austin.


    "If he doesn''t want to come today, he should have just said so yesterday what is the point in making us come today just to meet a closed down" commented Jason.


    "Well since we won''t be working today, it is the perfect time for us to train" suggested Austin with a smile.


    Turning to look at Austin who seemed okay with everything, he couldn''t help but frown as he said.


    "Do you always have to dedicate your life to training".


    "Well if you don''t want to train, how about we talk a walk around the place and maybe go grab some tea to relax the mind" replied Austin with an awkward smile.


    "I think I can agree to that" said Jason.


    "Alright then, let''s head to the market for a start" suggested Austin as they begin to leave the alchemy.


    Right after they left, someone came out from the roof of a bunch that is not too far from the alchemy as his gaze was locked on the two as they began to head in the direction of the market.


    "Elder said I should do away with him without anyone noticing. Guess I will be staying here for some time" mutter Fred as he was covered in a hood.


    When they got to the market, they quickly headed to a stack that was crowded by people to see what was going on only to see some familiar faces there.


    "Listen up everyone, I have already made up my mind to get these herbs, and whoever that wants it will have to go through me and that is if you are not afraid of getting injured" said Andrew as he made his way through the crowd.


    "There they are causing trouble everywhere they go when they should be focusing on their training" mutters Jason with a frown on his face as he looks at the gang.


    "Who said that" yelled Andrew in anger.


    "I did and what are you going to do about it" replied Jason as he took a step forward.


    Seeing who it was that could be so bold as to speak back, Andrew couldn''t help but frown while staring at Jason who seemed carefree.


    "I see that you have grown some wings to talk when I am talking. Let me tell you something, the grand elder is not here to protect you so breaking some of your bones would be so pleasant to me if you don''t get out of here" said Andrew.


    "I see that you haven''t changed your petty method of driving fear into the heart of your victim but let me remind you that this is not like back then when you guys will chase me around and beat me up, things have changed and I am not that guy you used to know" replied Jason as he stood in front of Andrew while looking him in the face.


    "Just because you were choosing to go into the ruin does not mean that you are better than us in any way" said Michael as he stepped in.


    "Oh really, since you guys are better, then why were you not chosen" asked Jason with a smile on his face.


    When Jason asked the question, Andrew and his gang were all angry as they stare at Jason with dagger eyes until they hear the sound of someone coughing before they turn to look at who it was only to see that it was Austin.


    "You guys have really grown bold as to act like you didn''t see me standing here" said Austin with a smile after gaining their attention.


    "Now I know why you are so confident about taking us down. Because you have a moron who didn''t know himself to be an honorable member of the Fox family to walk around the whole place with someone of your background" commented Andrew not even looking at Austin.


    "And who told you that I need his help to beat the living hell out of you" asked Jason as he sneered at Andrew.


    "Wait a minute, did you just call me a moron" asked Austin in anger.


    "Hold your horses Austin, you can have your turn another day since I am the one that started it" said Jason as he tries to reason with Austin.


    "They are not even worth wasting time on so why would I bother with all this freeloader here who only knows how to cause trouble" replied Austin.


    Andrew was furious when he was called a freeloader as his hand was already on the handle of his sword ready to go into a fight.


    "May I remind you where you are since you are so dumb as to pull your sword in the market" said Austin noticing Andrew taking his sword out.


    "Follow me to the forest if you dare Austin" replied Andrew in anger as he left the place while heading to the forest.


    Seeing their leader leaving in anger, the gang quickly went after him leaving Jason and Austin standing with a confused look on their face.


    "I thought I was the one that was having a fight with Andrew and his gang so how did it develop to this level" asked Jason.


    "Maybe he didn''t like being looked down on" replied Austin.


    "Since he doesn''t want to conduct himself that was expected to happen" said Jason.


    "Come on let''s go before they think we are scared of facing them" replies Austin as he begins to head in the direction of the forest.


    After they had gone into the forest, Fred came out of his hiding with a smile on his face.


    "Looks like I have a show to enjoy before undertaking my mission" said Fred as he also makes his way into the forest.


    After making their way into the forest, they saw the gang who had been waiting patiently for them to arrive so that they could settle their scores.


    "Alright, so who wants to go first" asked Jason with a smile on his face as he took the halberd out.


    "Boss, allow me to fight with him" begged Dennis.


    "Since you insist you can go have him but remember, don''t go easy on him and if possible I want you to silence him" replied Andrew in anger.


    After being granted his wish, Dennis went forward as he approached Jason who has been keeping a smile on his face since they came into the forest.


    "It seems like someone wants to be knocked unconscious once more" said Jason.


    "I never knew that you will be dwelling on things of the past" replied Denise with a deep frown as he took out two battle axes.


    "How can I easily forget my glorious days" said Jason with a light chuckle.


    Not daring to say more since he can''t compete in a battle of wit, Denise charges at him while throwing one of the battle axes at him. Moving his body to the side as the battle axe pass through before he charge forward to confront Denise but unknowing to him, the battle axe that he has already avoided begin to come at him and before he knew that he was been attack, it was already too late as the axe struck him in the back causing him to slow down on his track.


    Watching Jason as he fell on the ground with the battle axe pin to his back, Denise couldn''t help but laugh happily as he said proudly.


    "How do you like my baby".


    "It''s so lovely, I never knew that you could be this sneaky with your attack" replied Jason as he stood up.


    "I am ready to do more than that if it is enough to bring you down" said Denise with an evil grin on his face.


    "That is really kind of you to put me in a special place in your heart but it is quite unfortunate that you will need more than this to bring me down" replied Jason with a smile as he pulled the battle axe off before throwing it at Denise.


    "That is impossible, that attack contains eighty percent of my strength so how can you be standing like nothing happened" said Denise with a shocked look on his face.

 Chapter 131 - Calm Down

    "If you are saying it contains eighty percent of your strength and I am still standing fine, then I am sorry to say that you are really too weak" said Jason as he began to stretch his body.


    Being called weak really got Dennis mad as he quickly picked the battle axe and ran at Jason while swinging the axe at him only for Jason to move to the side to avoid the attack with a smile on his face and after avoiding the attack for some time, he will smack Dennis with the back of his hand before Denise will carry on with his attack as he tries to endure the pain. After attacking for something, Denise began to run out of air as he started to breathe heavily, and seeing him like this really makes Jason let out a laugh as he asked.


    "What''s the problem, already out of gas when the fight has not started yet".


    "I am going to kill you if I get my hands on you" replied Denise angrily as the vein in his head began to pop out.


    "You have been trying for some time now to do just that but you have not succeeded in getting a single hit and you still have the guts to say you are going to kill me, don''t you have shame for you to alter such words" asked Jason with a smile.


    "That''s it, I am coming after you" roar Denise as he let out a powerful force before charging at Jason, and this time when he struck the axe at Jason, Jason quickly move his body to the side slightly but that was when the same battle axe that he dodged suddenly hit him and he was sent crashing into a tree.


    "Let''s see if you will still have the mouth to speak" scoff Denise as he dashes into the area that Jason crashed into in hope of continuing his attack before Jason could have the time to fight back but before he could make any move, a fist smashed into his face and he was pushed back with a broken nose.


    "I see that you have finally decided to take things seriously" said Jason as he walked out of the tree with some pieces of wood hanging in his air.


    After getting his hair clear of the woods, Jason turned to Denise whose nose was bleeding before continuing with his conversation.


    "Since you have finally decided to fight me seriously, then I won''t be holding back on my attack either".


    After saying those words, Jason expression suddenly turn serious as he dash at Denise with his fist held out as he delivered a punch at Denise he raised his hand to defend himself against the attack but regretted it as he was sent back with a broken hand but before he could even land on the ground, a kick was already planted on his back as he was sent flying towards the other members of the gang.


    Watching the fight from afar, Fred was shocked to see that Jason was able to dominate Denise from the beginning of the fight till the end.


    "Although he is in the third stage of the foundation realm, he only fought with him using only his body strength. I see why Sam was able to lose to him." mutter Fred with a smile on his face as he continue to watch them.


    Seeing Denise lying unconscious before him, Andrew let out a deep breath before looking at Jason who was enjoying himself and nothing the way Andrew was looking at him, he couldn''t help but chuckle before speaking.


    "Come on, stop acting like it is a big deal since he is the weakest member of your guy or am I wrong".


    "He may be the weakest among us but it is an achievement to him that he was able to push you back" said Andrew.


    "Oh I just let my guard down which is why he was able to hit me and as you can see, there is no scratch in my body" replied Jason with a smile.


    "Since Denise was able to give you trouble, then I doubt that you will be able to survive against Michael" said Andrew with an evil grin on his face as he ordered Michael to go forward.


    Walking forward with rage in his eyes as he stood in front of Jason with his hand''s grip together into a fist.


    "If I am not mistaken, you are the other guy who I fought with after knocking Denise unconscious right" said Jason.


    "You are going to pay for the damage you cause me that day" replied Michael with gritted teeth.


    "I guess you haven''t learned your lesson and still want me to lecture you more about pain" said Jason as he let a sigh when Michael talk about the past.


    Not bothering to say more to Jason as he wear claws on his hand before charging at Jason with his claws stretch out as he attempted to slash at Jason but barely miss his target as Jason took a step back to avoid the claw before swinging the halberd at Michael quickly perform a somersault to avoid the halberd before kicking on a nearby tree as he push himself forward and slash Jason on the stomach before retreating backward leaving Jason with a little scratch on his stomach.


    "Seem like you guys have truly improved since the time we last met" said Jason as he ignore the wound on his stomach.


    ''I guess that was not enough to bring him down'' thought Michael with a frown on his face.


    Rasing head to look at Michael who was standing on a tree as he asked with a smile on his face.


    "Are you just going to stand there or do you want me to come get you".


    "If you have the gust to come up here then be my guest" replied Michael.


    With a smile, Jason push off the ground as he headed for the tree in wish Michael was but before he could land on the tree, Michael has already come forward while kicking out only for Jason to hold his leg while suspending himself in mid-air.


    "You think I don''t know that you are going to do something sinister the moment I come after you" said Jason with a smile.


    With a frown on his face, Michael slashes at Jason only for Jason to pull him by the leg as he loses his footing before falling from the tree with Jason still holding on to his leg as he slammed into the ground.


    "See, if you have held my warning and come down on your own free will, then you would have avoided being slammed into the ground" said Jason with a chuckle as he let go of the leg.


    "Having fun while bullying the weak are we, hope you won''t complain when start to have my fun too" chuckled Fred as he continues to watch the fight.


    After something, Michael stood up from the ground as he charged at Jason with both claws stretched out as he let out a roar in hope of pinning Jason on the chest only for Jason to bend his body as Michael went past him.


    "I thought you guys were joking about taking my life but it seems to me that you actually meant it" said Jason in fear after seeing the move that Michael just perform.


    "It seems to me that you are really a fool for only knowing that now. Do you think we will let you live in peace after what you did to us in the alchemy room" replied Andrew in anger.


    "So this is you taking revenge over such small matter" asked Jason with a frown.


    "You call losing access to the family resources a small matter, do you what we would have achieved if we were not punished by the grand elder all because of you" replied Andrew.


    "Since it has gotten to that, then I don''t see a reason while I should spare your lives" said Jason with anger as his aura begin to surge.


    "Jason calm down, they are only bluffing about taking your life" replied Austin seeing that Jason was already angry about the fact that they want to take his life.


    "You heard them admitting it themselves so what bluff are you talking about" said Jason in a cold voice as he continue to stare at them.


    "Look like he has lost it" chuckle Fred.


    When they notice that Jason''s attitude has suddenly changed, Andrew and his gang member are already scared but still, Andrew gathers the courage to step forward as he said.


    "Let me remind you that you are still in the Fox so mind your actions".


    "You think just because you are from the Fox family I can''t kill you" asked Jason.


    "Just forget about it Jason, don''t let your anger drive you to do what you will regret later" advice Austin.

 Chapter 132 - Secret Mission

    "What is there to regret if they could not find their body" said Jason as he turned to Austin...


    "Look man, just let them go with a broken leg or arm as a lesson instead of taking their life" replied Austin with a sigh as he found it hard to persuade Jason to stop.


    "Why stress their parents to go through the pain of treating them when they chose to be of no use to them, I bet they will be grateful for the good that I am about to do" said Jason.


    "You are crazy alright" curse out Austin as he doesn''t believe the words that are coming out of his mouth.


    "I thought that you already knew about that by now but it turns out you don''t know me to be a freak when it comes to my safety" replied Jason with an evil grin on his face.


    "Alright then, since you won''t listen to a word that I will say, then let''s kill them together if it is fine by you" said Austin as he brought out his sword.


    Seeing that Austin was going after them as well, Andrew couldn''t help but take a step back with a fearful look on his face as he asked.


    "What do you think you are going Austin, we are from the same family so we are considered brothers so why are you raising your sword at us".


    "Yes, what do you think you are doing, I am the one doing the killing here and if I am not mistaken, I don''t remember asking you for help" added Jason who was also confused by Austin''s decision.


    "Since you don''t want to listen to a word I say, then we take them down together and get rid of their body before anyone could find out something happened here" replied Austin.


    "Why do you want to get into trouble because of me" asked Jason.


    "We both started this together so it is likely we will end it together" replied Austin with resolve.


    Taking a step forward as he begins to approach the gang while Andrew and the rest continue to withdraw while sweating profusely just when he lifted his sword to slash at them, Jason ran forward with his halberd stretch forward to stop his sword advancement.


    "Stop it man, there will be no killing here okay" said Jason.


    "I thought you would never say that since your mind is made up on taking their life" replied Austin with a chuckle as he put his sword away.


    "Wait a minute, did you just play a prank on me" asked Jason as he turned to Austin who had a smile on his face.


    "Since you don''t want to let them go, I thought of getting involved since you won''t let others get involved with your stuff" replied Austin with a laugh.


    "You got me there man" said Jason as he also laughed before turning to look at Andrew who was shaking at the side.


    "I guess luck is on your side today but I don''t think it will be the same another day" said Jason before walking out of the forest.


    Austin was just about to go but turn as he look at them in disdain before saying.


    "I hope this stand as a warning to you, if you were to try this again, then I won''t get involved instead I will say to the others that you guys ambush him and tried to kill him only to get yourself killed and you know how everyone knows how troublesome you guys could be so believing the story won''t be a problem".


    After saying his piece, Austin also took his leave as the gang was left to reflect on their action.


    "Who would have thought that the mighty Austin would turn out to be a traitor" said Denise after they are out of sight.


    "I swear on my name that I will make him pay for humiliating me" added Michael as he bite his lip in anger.


    While they were speaking, Andrew was just sitting quietly to the side with his body shaking a little from fear and noticing the strange way Andrew was acting, Denise couldn''t help but ask.


    "My boss are you alright".


    "I am fine alright" replied Andrew as he put his ass together and made himself look cool about everything that has happened as to not damage the image he has built for a long time.


    "He must have won this round but it will be different next time this I promise you" said Denise to Andrew who has his head lower.


    "Haha, you guys are really funny, trying to defeat someone who went easy on you from the start to the end and some of you has already wet yourself yet you still have the gust to say such words" said a voice from the forest.


    "Who''s there" yelled Andrew in vigilant as he look around in search of where the voice came from but was not able to locate where the voice is coming from.


    After some time the voice was no longer heard again and the gang was beginning to get worried since they are inside the forest, they are out of the protection of the family and their offenders could use this opportunity to take revenge on them. Seeing how tense they are from just hearing a voice, Fred couldn''t help but chuckle as he said to himself.


    "I guess I can use them to get what I want".


    Since no one was coming out after some time, Michael let out a sigh as he said.


    "Looks like it was just a passerby".


    "I don''t think it is Michael, for those words were referring to us" reply Andrew with a frown.


    Observing their surrounding for hope of seeing something but the results was still the same and Andrew has to inform the others to prepare for battle but just as they were about to go into a fighting stance, a hooded person just came out of nowhere as he appear in front of them while giving them the fright of their life.


    "Calm down guys, I am not here to harm you. Although it would be an easy thing for me to do anyways" said Fred as he raised his hand.


    "Who are you and what are you doing here in the Fox family territory" asked Andrew as he was on guard.


    "The name is Fred and I am a member of the phoenix family so you have nothing to worry about" reply Fred with a smile as he put his hand down.


    "And what is a member of the phoenix family doing here" asked Andrew.


    "Well you can say that I am here on a mission" replied Fred.


    "On a mission here in the fox family territory and did the family head knows about this mission you speak of" asked Michael.


    "It is more of a secret mission so the family head can''t know of it" replied Fred.


    "You are on a secret mission here and you still have the guts to tell us, ain''t you worried that we will root you out" asked Andrew.


    "Oh please, I am not scared of that since my mission is also related to what you plan to do to that boy who just mop the ground with your asses" reply Fred.


    "What do you mean by that" asked Andrew.


    "You see, while they were inside the ruin, he killed the grandson of an elder in the phoenix family and I am sent here by that elder to take revenge on the behalf of his grandson" replied Fred with an evil smile on his face.


    "Jason killed someone from the phoenix family" asked Andrew.


    "I also heard about the matter from my father after the meeting the other day" replied Michael.


    "Since it has nothing to do with the fox family, then we won''t say a thing about it" said Denise with a smile.


    "But it won''t be easy for you to get rid of him, I believe you saw how he was able to suppress us in the fight earlier so I doubt you would be able to do it on your own" added Michael as he look Fred straight in the eye.


    "Oh you guys are hurting my feelings with does words, in front of me I don''t think he will be able to move" replied Fred in pride.


    "If you are that strong, then why is it taking so long for you to get rid of him" asked Andrew with a frown on his face.


    "Well that is because I was told to do it without the notice of others else you would have found his body lying in the market by now" replied Fred.


    "I see but you have your chance earlier when we were fighting so why did you stay your hand" asked Denise.


    "Oh dammit, were you dead when I said that I can''t do that with people around to avoid getting into s fight with the fox family" replied Fred as he smack Denise in the head.

 Chapter 133 - Team Up

    "So what do you plan to do now that things are not going the way you plan" asked Andrew as he focus on Fred.


    Ignoring Denise who has just received a knock from him as he looks at Andrew with a smile on his face as he replies.


    "Since I can''t touch him now and there is no way that I will be able to drag him into coming to a quiet place where I can easily complete my mission, then I might as well ask for him from you guys since you can easily get him to follow you to a place where I can do away with him".


    "So you want us to help you bring him to a place where you can kill him" asked Denise.


    "That is right since you also want him gone, so why don''t you help me to help make your wish come through" replied Fred with a smile on his face.


    "Since you were given this mission, I believe you were given a reward so what is in for us" asked Andrew.


    "Well since I am helping you finish what you could not, I thought it would be enough to compensate you for all the trouble" reply Fred.


    "No it is not even close since we have another day to try again" said Andrew.


    "So what is it that you want" asked Fred.


    "I want twenty percent of whatever your family is giving you" replied Andrew with a smile.


    Fred''s expression has a little change as he begins to think about the offer until he eventually agreed with his offer.


    "So when are you bringing him to me" asked Fred.


    "We will be bringing him here tomorrow before nighttime so you don''t need to worry about it" replied Andrew.


    "Alright then, I will be waiting for you then but let me tell you something, if you don''t come with him, then you will have to compensate me for making me wait" said Fred with an evil grin on his face.


    Leaving the forest with the others, Denise couldn''t help but look back at Fred who was just watching them with a smile on his face as they leave.


    "Boss I don''t think it is a good idea to work with him since we don''t know what will happen to us once he has killed him" said Denise.


    "He can''t since the family will be involved and that would lead to war with them so unless he wants the two families to go into war" replied Andrew.


    "So we can trust him all because of that" asked Denise.


    "That is exactly my point" replied Andrew.


    "Then what are we going to compensate him with if we could not convince him to follow us into the forest" asked Denise.


    "As long as it is that annoying boy, convincing him to go into the forest with us wouldn''t be a problem" replied Michael.


    Meanwhile, Jason and Austin were finally done walking around the place before calling it a day as they went their separate ways. When he got him, Jason went straight to bed since he was exhausted from the tour until the next day when he started the day with cultivating the heaven''s law technique and that when a thought struck him.


    "How can I forget to check the treasures that I brought out of the ruin" said Jason as he smack his head lightly.


    Quickly bringing the scrolls out as he went through them with a frown on his face while looking at the scroll with a pale face.


    "How am I supposed to understand what is written in these scrolls" complains Jason.


    "I think when the scroll was made, they were still in the old era when an ancient language was been used" replied the bracelet.


    "This is completely useless for this generation and the next generation to come" said Jason.


    "Not really Jason, it could be a very useful technique if you were able to comprehend what is written inside" replied the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to comprehend what I can''t understand" asked Jason with a frown.


    "You can try going to the family library to see if there are books about other languages and see if you can find the one belonging to this scroll there" suggests the bracelet.


    "That is a good idea, why didn''t I think of going to the library in the first place" said Jason happily.


    "That is because you are depending on me to come up with a solution to knowing what is written inside the scroll" reply the bracelet.


    "Please don''t start with me now alright. By the way, did you know what these pills are for" asked Jason as he brought the pills out.


    "I can''t tell what their use is but you can always feed it to a beast and see how it is going to react to the pills" reply the bracelet.


    "I can''t believe that the grand elder and I could not realize that method" said Jason with a bright smile on his face as he quickly got up and rush out of the tent as he made his way to the beast territory in anticipated.


    "Now let see what pill to try first" mutter Jason as he sat in a tree while looking down at some beast that were passing by.


    "What is the use of selecting a pill to use when you can use them all" reply the bracelet in anger.


    "Relax man, I need to be careful not to give the same pill out twice" said Jason as he kept the other pills before jumping down from the tree as he smack a beast on the leg to prevent it from running away.


    "Instead of you being happy that you are going to be of use to me, you are thinking of running away when you saw me" said Jason as he held the beast tightly before taking it away where he would be free to do what he wanted to without being disturbed.


    After searching for the perfect place for his experiment, Jason quickly fed the beast half of the pill before distancing himself from it in case it suddenly blow up. But after watching for some time and seeing that nothing was happening, Jason was confused as to why it didn''t work as he took a step forward to check on the beast but that was when the beast begin to scream in agony while rolling around until it stops and not knowing what has happened to the beast, Jason walks up to it and was just about to place his hand on it but that is when the beast let out a strong aura as Jason was sent flying backward as he crashed into a tree with an astonishing look on his face.


    "What just happened, how come an eight-stage body tempered body beast could have the power to send a full pledge foundation realm foundation realm practitioner like me flying" asked Jason as he force himself out of what remained of the tree.


    "Cant you tell that he has broken through to the first stage of the foundation realm" reply the bracelet.


    "What the hell, how come he was able to jump three entire stages only by taking half of the pill" asked Jason with a confusing look on his face.


    "That is also what I am trying to understand here too. I want to know if the effect of the pill is to boost one realm or the reason why the beast was able to break through into the foundation realm was that the pill is so powerful" replied the bracelet.


    "Well we''ll take about that later since I have to take care of this beast first" said Jason as he brought out the halberd while staring at the beast in front of him waiting for it to make it move.


    "I just help you to make an advance in your cultivation and this is how you chose to repay me, what an ungrateful beast you turn out to be" complain Jason as he watches the beast charging at him.


    Moving to the side as the beast was about to ram into him before smacking it with the halberd as he did a u-turn in the air before smacking it again from behind then throwing the halberd at it as it pierce through the beast abdomen killing it on the spot.


    Walking up to the beast as he places his hand on it to absorb the energy before turning back to the bracelet as he asks.


    "So you think the reason why it was able to make a breakthrough into the foundation realm was that the effect of the pill is too powerful right".


    "It is possible but let''s not forget that it could be that be that the pill has the effect of boosting one''s cultivation realm" reply the bracelet.


    "So you mean it is safe for me to take the pill" asked Jason.


    "Not yet, we need to be absolutely sure before you can take it" reply the bracelet.

 Chapter 134 - Trap

    Jason went in search of another beast to use as an experiment and when he finally found one and tested the same pill on the beast, the same thing happened as the beast gained an increase in the realm but it was unfortunate for it since Jason has to kill it and absorb its energy.


    "We just had to go ahead and waste a pill on these beasts" complained Jason after he was done absorbing the beast''s energy.


    "At least you were able to gain them back so why are you still complaining" asked the bracelet.


    "Well, that is because I have to go through the stress of looking for a beast to feed the pill before having to fight it" replied Jason.


    "Alright then, why don''t you take the pill now that you are sure that it helps boost one cultivation realm" said the bracelet.


    Taking a look at the surroundings to ensure that it is safe before looking for a good spot for cultivating. Talking the pill out with a conflicted look on his face.


    "What is it this time around" asked the bracelet when seeing Jason hesitating.


    "I was just wondering if half of the pill could make the beast advance in realm, what would happen if I were to take it all" replied Jason.


    "If your body can contain the whole energy that is stored inside the pill then go ahead" said the bracelet.


    "Nope I think I will have to do it the normal way" replied Jason as he split the pill into two before taking a seat as he threw the pill into his mouth before closing his eyes as he went into meditation.


    It didn''t take much time before the pill started to work as Jason could feel the energy surging through his poles but the feeling went away really quick and Jason had a confusing look on his face as he said.


    "Wait is that all there is to the pill that I just took".


    "It seems like it isn''t enough for you to make a push into the fourth stage of the foundation realm" replied the bracelet.


    "Then I guess I will take it all" said Jason with a smile as he threw another pill into his mouth and quickly closed his eyes as he went into meditation.


    After taking the pill, Jason body jolt a little before it went back to normal and that is when he was assaulted by pain as he fell on the ground while holding his stomach in pain as he try his best to endure the pain he was going through and it got to the stage that he begins to swell.


    "What is happening to me" yelled Jason in fear.


    "It seems like the energy is too much for you to contain it all which results in you expanding in size and if things were to continue like this, I am sorry to say but you are going to explode if you fail to contain it" reply the bracelet.


    "What the fuck, so I am going to die if my body can''t contain the energy" curse out Jason in fright.


    "That is what I just said so why are you cursing" said the bracelet.


    "Come isn''t there a way that I can stop myself from blowing up" asked Jason.


    "There is but it won''t be easy since things have already gotten to this stage" reply the bracelet.


    "Just tell me how I can stop myself from exploding alright" said Jason as he yelled at the bracelet.


    "You can get rid of it by expelling the energy from your body" replied the bracelet.


    After being told how to stop himself from exploding, Jason quickly went into action as he began to drive his spiritual energy to the maximum and it was only then that his body stop expanding in size and after some time it was able to retain back to his normal size with his robe cover in sweat.


    "Purrh, let''s not do that again" said Jason in relief.


    "You are the one who wanted to overdo it. Well, at least you were able to make a breakthrough into the fourth stage" reply the bracelet.


    "Yeah, time for me to head back home" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "Wait ain''t you going to try the other pill out" asked the bracelet when Jason decided to call it a day.


    "I am not ready to stress myself with all that besides I can test them out another day" reply Jason as he made his way back to the tent.


    What await him when he got home was Andrew and his gang who seem to be waiting for him for a long time.


    "What are you doing here, does this place look like a place for you to step on, or do you want to get beaten to death" said Jason with a dead stare.


    "Look here Jason this is the property of the Fox family so we are free to walk here the way we like so stop saying like you own the place" replied Denise.


    "I don''t see any other members of the family around which shows that you are not welcome here so leave" said Jason.


    "I am not leaving this place not until you battle with me" yell Andrew while ignoring Jason''s threat.


    "Look I just had a rough day and I am not looking for another, so if you are looking for who to battle with you, I suggest you pay Austin a visit" reply Jason.


    "I don''t have any score to settle with him so I don''t see a need for me to go to him but you and I still have unfinished business" said Andrew.


    "Look coming here is total suicide since you are not a match for me so I will just say this once more get out of here" replied Jason.


    "If you don''t agree to fight with me, you are going to regret it for life" said Andrew with an evil grin on his face as he turn around and begin to walk out of the place with his gang following from behind.


    "Hey you, what do you mean by that" said Jason coldly while they were walking away.


    "You will find out soon enough" replied Andrew with a laugh.


    "You are looking to die if you try anything stupid" said Jason with anger.


    "Oh really then I will love to see you try my friend. All I asked of you was just a fight and you are turning me down like I don''t worth anything" reply Andrew.


    "Alright then since you want to fight, I will give you one but it is going to be really fun so why don''t we go on with it right now" said Jason as he finally gave in to Andrew''s request.


    "This place is not fit enough to fight, why don''t we go into the forest where it is void of others" suggested Andrew.


    "Fine by me since I don''t want anyone to come to your aid when I am trashing you" agreed Jason.


    After Jason agreed to his suggestion, Andrew begin to lead the way as they walk into the forest and after going deep inside, Andrew didn''t stop but instead, he continue to go deep which was beginning to see off.


    "Something is not right here" warned the bracelet.


    "I know alright, let see what card they have in their hand" replied Jason as he continue to follow them.


    "Ain''t you worried about what they plan to do to you" asked the bracelet seeing the way Jason was speaking like someone who has everything under control.


    "They are not worth for me to worry about and if it comes to what I am thinking they are planning to do to me, then I will be so glad to send them on their way" replied Jason.


    After walking for some time, Jason suddenly stops walking since he is no longer interested in going any further.


    "When are you going to tell me what you are up to" asked Jason with a deep frown.


    "What are you talking about" asked Andrew with a confused look on his face as he also stop in his track.


    "Oh coming enough with the pretense, we have been walking in this forest for a long time now and you still don''t want to make your move" reply Jason as he folded his hand in front of his chest.


    "I see that you notice that something was off but is too let now since you are going to die anytime from now" said Andrew with an evil smirk on his face.


    "Look out Jason" warn the bracelet just as Andrew was done speaking and the next thing that happened was a sword coming from behind him but was he was able to avoid it all thanks to the bracelet.


    Taking a step back as he begins to scan the area with a frown on his face.. Meanwhile, Andrew has his crew has already run away just as the fight begins leaving Fred to deal with him.

 Chapter 135 - Greet Sam For Me

    After scanning the area for a while and he was still not able to find the suspect, Jason stood up as he said out loud.


    "Since you have the nerves to attack me, I don''t see any reason for you to hide or are you scared of me".


    "Stop living in dreams boy and face reality, this is called testing the field" replied Fred as he came out of his hiding.


    Looking at Fred as he stood on a tree while still wearing a hood, Jason was all frowning as he begin to access the young man before him.


    "He seems to be in the fourth stage of the foundation realm just like you but he''s much more stronger compare to you" said the bracelet after he was done analyzing Fred.


    "It doesn''t matter if he is a lot stronger than me as long as he dare attack me when I least expected it, he will surely pay for it" replied Jason.


    "I am surprised that you could dodge that attack even when you are unaware of my existence" said Fred with a smile as he look at Jason like a superior being who is looking at his subject from above.


    "Did those weak fools hire you to get rid of me since they are unable to" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Oh please let''s not talk about them, I am here on my own accord" replied Fred with a laugh.


    "Then what business do I have with you for you to attack me" asked Jason.


    "Hahaha, you can call me Fred, I am a member of the phoenix family" replied Fred.


    "Oh now I see where this whole thing is going, are you here on the behalf of that useless thing known as Sam" said Jason when he heard the family name.


    "I was thinking of just taking your life without you feeling any pain but after listening to what you have to say about Sam, I am going to torment you that you would even be begging for death" replied Fred angrily.


    "Please do as you feel like doing but that is if you can do more than what your fellow useless family member couldn''t and prove me wrong that you people are not useless" said Jason with a light laugh.


    "That is it boy, I hope your fist is as strong as your mouth mouth" roar Fred as he charges at Jason.


    Letting out a deep breath, Jason swung the halberd at Fred who let out a smirk as he twisted his body before slashing his sword down on the halberd as Jason was pushed backward. After being pushed back by Fred''s attack, Jason let out a smile as he mutter to himself.


    "Guess I''ve found myself a difficult opponent this time around".


    Seeing that Jason was able to stand his ground after their first strike, Fred expression change as he was wondering how Jason was able to take an attack from him when he is in the third stage of the foundation realm but unknowing to him, Jason has already made a breakthrough not quite long.


    "It must be a fluke" Thought Fred as he charge at him once more while slashing his blade swiftly as Jason did his best to avoid getting cut by the sword but no matter how hard he tries to avoid the sword, he was still unable to avoid some strike from cutting him and he has no choice but to distance himself from Fred as to catch his breath.


    Taking a look at his body and seeing that his robe has already been turned to rag with blood staining some part, Jason couldn''t help but say to Fred.


    "I have to give it to you that you are stronger than Sam but do you have to go that far as to damage my robe or is there something else you wanted to see".


    "If you can just stand still and let me give you a good cut in the head, I will be so happy" replied Fred with a twitched face.


    "I am sorry to disappoint you but I don''t plan on dying here today" said Jason as he grip the halberd tightly before dashing at Fred but before he could get close to where he was standing, Fred suddenly disappeared only to appear behind Jason as he let out a slash but Jason was able to deflect the attack as he swings the halberd once more at him, only for Fred to disappear again and the moment he appeared this time around, he was able to slash Jason in the leg before pulling back with a smile on his face.


    "It is such a shame that your fist is not as strong as your mouth was" said Fred.


    "You were just lucky with that attack so I don''t see a reason why you should be so happy like you have achieved something big" replies Jason with a mockery laugh.


    Fred let out a scoffed as he went from one tree to another as he tries to confuse Jason and after something of moving around the place, Fred sprint forward in great speed as he slash his sword forward at Jason who has his back to him but before the sword could get to him, Jason lifted the halberd as he stopped the attack before throwing a fist at him and seeing Jason using his fist, Fred quickly let out a punch of his own but letting regretted the idea as he was sent crashing into a tree.


    Removing the stain of blood from the edge of his mouth as he pushed himself out of the tree while charging forward at Jason in rage, Fred threw a kick at him while Jason use his hand as a shield to protect himself from the attack. They continue with their exchange for a long time with Jason getting the end of the stick as he was knocked back with a kick.


    "I have to admit that you are really good to be able to hold on until now" said Fred with a smile.


    "And I am quite disappointed on the phoenix family for them to send someone as useless as you to finish with Sam could not" replied Jason as he spat some blood to the side.


    "You are calling me useless when you could barely stand your ground, is this you saying your last word" said Fred as he let out a laugh.


    "You are the one who is about to die and when you do, please say hello to Sam for me" replied Jason with a cunning smile.


    After saying those words, Jason quickly activated the lightning boot while looking at Fred before kicking off as he rush at him in a lightning speed.


    "So fast" said Fred in astonishment as he was knocked to the side.


    Crashing into a tree after taking a kick from Jason, Fred was just about to get out of the tree but before he could, Jason has already appeared in front of him with a smile that say "I told you so" as he punched him causing him to break through the already damaged tree and crashed into another one while letting out a mouthful of blood in the process.


    "Why didn''t they tell me about him having this insane power, now I have not even used my technique but has already been turned into a sorry state" mutter Fred as he struggles to get out of the tree.


    "Where is the smile you have on your face earlier" asked Jason as he smashed him flying back once again.


    After beating him to some extent, Jason quickly picked him up from the ground as he looked at Fred''s dead eyes before saying.


    "If you were giving the grace to reincarnate again, try not to mess with someone you know nothing about". After saying those words, Jason gather some energy into his fist before punching Fred in the face as his hand went through while opening a big hole in the head.


    After defeating Fred, Jason was just about to take his hand off when the blood begin to flow from Fred body as it went through his hand before going round his body and that is when he realized that the strang technique has activated as he began to grit his teeth together as he tried to stop himself from screaming out of pain and after he was done absorbing the whole energy, Jason suddenly fall on the ground powerless as he tries to catch his breath.


    "Are you okay" asked the bracelet seeing Jason in this weak state.


    "Yeah I am fine, it''s just that the pain seems to be getting strong when it has been used on stronger cultivators" replied Jason.


    "So what are you going to do about his body" asked the bracelet as he was referring to Fred''s body.


    "If the phoenix family did not get a reply from Fred after somedays, they will assume that he is dead and will send a stronger opponent next time, so I am going to hide it away from the Fox family" replied Jason.

 Chapter 136 - Nightmare

    After regaining enough energy to move around, Jason took the storage ring that Fred was wearing before he buried the body to prevent others from seeing it.


    "What a day today turns out to be, I am going to need a good sleep when I get home" said Jason as he began to walk out of the forest.


    "It was quite a rough day that comes with benefits don''t you think" asked the bracelet.


    "I wouldn''t call it benefits, if not for the fact that I recently made a breakthrough, I am not sure if I would be able to hold my ground against him" replied Jason.


    "That reminds me, what if they decided to send someone stronger to come after you, are do you plan to deal with it" asked the bracelet.


    "If the next one becomes too strong for me to handle, then I will call my mother for help since she is the only one I have right now" replied Jason.


    "And how do you plan on dealing with Andrew and his gang for bringing you to the other family for slaughter" asked the bracelet.


    "Well since I don''t want the higher up to be aware of the phoenix family coming here to take my life, I will just let them be until I have my fill before thinking of what to do with them" replied Jason with a frown.


    "I see, then it is better that you use this chance to reinforce your realm before they attack" said the bracelet.


    After making his way out of the forest, Jason quickly went home to reinforce his realm which took him about five hours for him to finally stabilize his realm, and by then, his mother and Hannah were already home.


    "Where have you guys been to all this while" asked Jason the moment his mother walked inside.


    "I took your sister out for training" replied Clara with a smile.


    "That is right big brother and I were to continue in this way, it wouldn''t be long before I catch up to you and you wouldn''t have no choice but to take me along whenever you are going out for training" added Hannah who bashes in with a happy look on her face.


    "There is no way I am going to sit back and let you catch up to me so think again little sister" replied Jason with a smile before turning to his mother as he said.


    "Mother there is something I am having trouble with recently and would need your help".


    "What is it that you need help with, is it with your cultivation" asked Clara.


    "No mother, I am not having any trouble with my cultivation" replied Jason.


    "Then what could it be" asked Clara with a frown.


    "Well it is like this". Jason begins to narrate what happened in the afternoon when he got home and how he was set up by some members of the Fox family and the more he talked, the more his mother begins to get angry until she couldn''t take it anymore as she slammed the table.


    "You mean those bullies actually set you up to be killed by someone from the phoenix family, they are going to pay for their evil deeds" roar Clara in anger.


    "Calm down mother, there is no way that I can touch them now since it will make those from the Fox family think of me as a killer since I don''t have any evidence with me" replied Jason as he tries to calm his mother down.


    "I guess you are right about that son, so what do you want me to do" asked Clara after taking a deep breath to calm herself down.


    "I believe the Phoenix family will be sending someone else after someday since the fighter they sent won''t be returning since he is already dead, so I want you to keep watch over me" reply Jason.


    "It is only a small matter so you don''t have to worry too much my son" said Clara with a serious look on her face.


    "If you are going to busy yourself with big brother, then how am I supposed to continue my training" asked Hannah.


    "You can see how serious this matter is so your training will have to wait until your brother''s safety is guaranteed" replied Clara with a smile as she played with her hair.


    "But it is not fair mother" said Hannah as she stomped the ground before walking out.


    After having a little word with his mother, Jason went back to cultivating before it was the next day when he rose as he went to the alchemy room to see if the place was open and to his surprise, it was and Austin was even working away as usual. Walking up to him, they exchange words before Jason excuses himself to look for the grand elder only to see the old man drinking from the jar.


    "I can''t believe you actually close the place without informing us" said Jason the moment he saw him.


    "I am sorry that I didn''t inform your guys, you see I was too absorbed in finding out what the pill is used for that I have to leave the territory to visit an old friend who is also an alchemist just like myself to see if he know one or two about it" replied the grand elder as he turns himself a cup of wine.


    Seeing that it was all for the sake of finding more about the pill that he left without informing them, Jason decided to let it slide as he turned to the grand elder as he asked.


    "So was he able to find anything about the pill".


    "Actually he also was really troubled about it just like me so I decided to take a rest there to have a chat just like old time since we don''t know when we will be seeing each other again" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "Even with all the stress of going there, there is still no information about the pill" mumbled Jason.


    The grand elder was just about to drink from his cup when he noticed some changes with Jason''s aura and he couldn''t help but smile as he said.


    "It looks like someone has made a breakthrough once again".


    "Oh haha, I was quite lucky to come across a fruit in the forest while I was training and since I was starving, I decided to take a bite without thinking of looking it up to see if it was poisonous but who could have thought that it was filled with spiritual energy" replied Jason.


    "I see, then I guess that you are a really lucky guy to have come into such a fruitful encounter" said the grand elder.


    "By the way grand elder, I have a question that I want to ask you" asked Jason as his expression suddenly turn serious.


    "What is it boy" replied the grand elder.


    "Well I have been having trouble answering this question, if someone were to threaten my life, is it wrong if I were to kill them when I have the chance" asked Jason.


    The grand elder didn''t answer Jason right away as he took a mouthful of wine before turning his gaze at him as he replied with a question of his own.


    "Did anyone from my family offend you in any way".


    "Not at all, I am just asking to clear my doubt" said Jason with a smile.


    "If you say so, it wouldn''t be bad if you were to kill someone that wanted you dead since you are only trying to look at for your well-being" replied the grand elder.


    After answering the question, Jason bowed to the grand elder before turning around to take his leave but before he could take a step, the grand elder suddenly spoke up.


    "Boy, I am guessing that the reason why we can''t discover anything about the pill was likely because it is not of this world so it is going to take a lot more time before we will be able to come up with something".


    "Just my thought as well, but I am not in a hurry to use the pill so you can take your take" replied Jason before walking out to do his stuff.


    After they are done for the day, Jason decided to go see the blacksmiths to sell the part of the beasts he was able to secure before absorbing their energy while he was experimenting on them but on his way, Jason came across Andrew and his gang who thought he is dead as they have a frighten look on their face as he walks past them with a smile while paying less attention to them.


    "How can he still be alive" asked Denise with a shaking body.


    "He must have killed Fred for him to be walking around freely" replied Michael with a frown on his face.


    "This is really bad since he is alive it will only be a matter of time before he comes for us" said Andrew before turning around as he walked out of his gang.

 Chapter 137 - Elder Phil Worries

    Looking at their leader walking out of them, Michael has a worried look on his face as he knows what is about to happen to them and he also left the place but before leaving, he turns to warn the others.


    "Is better everyone stay at home since it is the only safe place for us right now unless you are tired of living then you are free to roam the place".


    After saying these words to the others, Michael left the place and it didn''t take long before the others also left the place in a panic.


    "Hahaha, just look are scared they are when they saw me" said Jason in laughter as he makes his way to the blacksmith shop.


    "Now that they have seen you, it will be difficult for you to get them down" reply the Bracelet.


    "There is still time so they can hide for all they want" said Jason with a smile.


    When Jason got to the blacksmith shop, sold the beast''s part to him before heading back home where he saw Hannah training while his mother was sitting on a log as she watch over her. And seeing how devoted his little sister is about catching up to him, Jason was motivated to cultivate also and since he can''t go into the forest to train due to the fact that someone wants him dead, he could only fall back to the space inside the bracelet to train.


    A week later¡­


    Inside the phoenix family meeting hall, there was a total silence everywhere as elder George has his head lower.


    "It is been a week now that elder Phil sent Fred to the fox family territory and we still haven''t heard any news from him" said the grand elder after scanning the hall.


    "I believe he is just waiting for the right time to strike him down which is why it is taking so long for him to return" replied elder Phil.


    "I don''t that is the case since Fred is the kind of person to get his job done quickly so it is likely that he has already been caught by the Fox''s family or he was killed by the target" commented the family head.


    "And since the Fox''s family are not retaliating, it could only mean that Fred was killed by the kid" replied the grand elder.


    "That is impossible, there is no way that someone who seems to be in the third stage of the foundation realm could kill Fred who is in the fourth stage" said elder Phil as he did not want to believe that Fred was dead.


    "If you think that is the case, then why don''t you send someone to the Fox family territory to see if he could be found" suggested elder George.


    "There is no need to search for him when my grandson kill is still alive at there" said elder Phil with gritted teeth as he excuse himself out of the hall before going home where he summon someone.


    Within ten minutes, a young man with a scar on his face and a slim body like someone who has been starved for years could be seen making his way to elder phil''s mansion where he fell on one knee as he greeted before saying.


    "What could it be that is troubling you elder" asked the young man.


    "Oh blake I have a mission for you and one that I want you to complete within three days, I don''t care what means you have to use to get it done all that I want to hear is good news" replied elder Phil with a serious face.


    "And who might my target be" asked blake with an insane look on his face.


    "He is named Jason of the Mccray family who is residing in the fox family territory together with his mother and sister. Knowing you to be a reputable killer in our family, I believe it won''t a difficult mission for you to handle" relieved elder Phil.


    "Well that will depend on the strength of the target and let''s not forget that it is the fox family we are talking about here so getting it done within that amount of time won''t be easy," said blake.


    "You don''t have to worry about him, he seen to be within the third to fourth stage of the foundation realm" replied elder Phil.


    "And what about the fox family" asked Blake with a smile on his face.


    "According to the information we got on him, he live close to the forest so you don''t have to worry about the members of the fox family getting involved" replied elder Phil.


    "Then I don''t have any problem but there is still an issue with my pay elder Phil" said Blake with a cunning laugh.


    "Here is your pay for the task, I hope you won''t let me down" replied elder Phil as he tossed a storage ring at Blake.


    "Elder Phil you know by now how I have never failed in any task that has have been assigned to me by the family till date and this one won''t be exceptional so worry not" said Blake with a chuckle as he kept the storage ring away.


    Not wasting more time with elder Phil, blake left the mansion leaving elder Phil starring at the sky.


    "If you are able to escape Blake''s clutches then I will have no choice but to get the assassin family involved" mutter elder Phil after some time.


    After spending a week training inside the bracelet, Jason was finally able to control the speed of the lightning boot and he has also improved in his phantom kick and the iron fist technique.


    "Ahh, now all that is left for me to do is think of a way to get the lightning orb so that I can continue with my training" said Jason with a smile.


    "Or you can think of looking for an area that lightning could easily be found and get baptized by the lightning strike instead of wasting your time searching for the orb" suggested the bracelet.


    "You know fully well that it is not going to happen so why stress yourself" asked Jason with a frown.


    "Come on Jason it is just a strike and since you have already know how it feels since you have been tempered by the lightning in here so why are you still scared of it" said the bracelet.


    "You can''t compare fake to the real thing, beside I struggle to endure the pain from the lightning strike so if it were to be the real thing then I guess I would be crippled the moment I got strike" replied Jason.


    "After searching far and wide you still couldn''t find the lightning orb, you will still make up your mind to get struck by lightning so I don''t have any worries" commented the bracelet.


    "That would never happen so don''t get your hopes up" said Jason.


    "We shall see about that, by the way, when did you plan to go look for a way to read the scrolls that you brought out of the ruin" asked the bracelet.


    "Dammit, why do I keep forgetting about it" replied Jason as he smack his face lightly.


    "Those scrolls might contain some ancient technique and here you are not showing any consign about it" said the bracelet in annoyance.


    "I just said that I forgot, so what else do you want from me" replied Jason.


    "Simple, get to the library and look it up" replied the bracelet as he expelled Jason out of the space.


    After gaining Consciousness, the first thing that Jason did was grumble before standing up to go take a look outside only to see that it was not yet night time and he quickly ran off to the library where the attendant led him to where he could find a book that is related to the ancient language but no matter how hard he tries, he was still not able to find the book that is related to the language written on the scrolls and he has to give up the search as he exited the library.


    "I don''t think it will be that easy to break" said Jason to the bracelet with a sigh.


    "I suggest that you take it to the grand elder and see if he might know the language" suggested the bracelet.


    "He is having troubles with the pill and if I were to add the scrolls to his trouble, then he might end up killing me out of frustration" reply Jason with a chuckle.


    "We are talking about ancient language here and not pills Jason, the two things are different" said the bracelet.


    "I don''t any different here if he cant figure out what the pill can do, then what makes you think he will be able to know the era this language came from" asked Jason.


    "At least it is worth a try" reply the bracelet.


    "Since it is already getting dark, I will let him have a look tomorrow" said Jason as he finally agreed with the bracelet.

 Chapter 138 - Tricking The Enemy

    Next morning¡­..


    Getting up in the morning, Jason went straight to the alchemy room after doing whatever that need to be done as he ignore Austin once more due to the fact that he always come early. Making his way to the room which the grand elder used to relax when he has nothing doing, jason saw him seating with a frown on his face as he keep on staring at the scrap of the pill that Jason left behind for research.


    "Are you still worrying yourself about finding something about that pill" asked Jason seeing how focus the grand elder is with the pill making he unable to notice he is in the room.


    "What can I say, it has really gotten into me that i cant find anything about the pill when I am a alchemy" replied the grand elder as he raised his head to look at Jason.


    When the raise his head up, Jason was shocked to see that his hair was scattered with some black spot under his eyes which it obvious that he hasn''t been sleeping.


    "Look old man, I suggest you take some rest and try another time instead of overworking yourself" said Jason in concern.


    "Dont worry about me kid, I have done things that are far worst than this back in the days" replied the grand elder with a smile.


    "Yeah and that was when you were still young now you are old and weak and what you needed the most is rest before you die out of something like this old man" said Jason.


    "Sigh, it seems to me that you still want to continue with your training boy" asked the grand elder with a cunning smile on his face.


    "No..no..no grand elder, you can continue with what you are doing" replied Jason as he waved his hands with a awkward smile on his face.


    "That is much better, now tell me what do you want from me" asked the grand elder knowing fully well that there is no way Jason will just come to check on him without having problem that he needed his help with.


    "Well it is like this, I just can''t read the language that was used in this scroll so I decided to bring it to you to see if you might understand the language" replied Jason as he brought out one of the scrolls.


    Instead of taking the scroll from Jason, the grand elder just look at him with a twitch look on his face before turning his sight back to the scroll as he begin to observe it and seeing how worn out it look, the grand elder already have an idea of where it came from as he turn his gaze back at Jason.


    "How many treasure did you bring out of the ruin".


    "Well if you must know I didn''t bring anything good except from the pills and some scrolls which proves to be very difficult for me to read" replied Jason.


    After listening to Jason complaint, the grand elder took the scroll from him as he begin to look at the content that was written in the scroll and the more he look, the more the frown on his face deepen and seeing the grand elder in these way, Jason couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he said.


    "Seem like even you don''t understand the language that is writen in there".


    "There seem to be a lot of strange stuff hidden inside the ruin and you just had to bring them out and now i am doubting if your luck is good at all" replied the grand elder as he passed the scroll back to Jason.


    "I regretted not taking any weapon instead of all this useless scrolls and pills" grumble Jason as he kept it way.


    "I won''t say it is useless since the only problem we are having right now is how to translate what is written inside" said the grand elder as he tries to cheer him up.


    "Then I guess I have to continue searching for a way to break it down" replied Jason.


    "Okay now that it is settled, you can leave now" said the grand elder as he chased Jason off the room.


    After leaving the room, Jason went back to do his stuff until it was time for him to head home. After biding fareware to Austin, Jason begin to head home and for weeks Jason has been very observant when ever he is heading home since he don''t know who might be watching him. Meanwhile, in a roof not too far from where he was, sat blake who has a straw hat on as he begin to watch him from above.


    "That must be the kid elder Phil wants dead" said Blake as he lick the edge of his lip before leaving the roof.


    After Blake left the spot where he was hiding, Jason suddenly turned his head over towards the same spot only to see that there was nothing there.


    "I thought I felt something" he mutter to himself before he continue to head home and this time around he was walking at a slow pace.


    "Did he just discover that he is been followed" said Blake to himself with a light chuckle as he watch him leave the area.


    After a little walk Jason was finally able to get home where he saw Hannah and his mother sitting in a log as they look at the forest that seems not too far from where they are sitting.


    "You guys seems to be the relaxing type today" joke Jason as he walk up to them.


    "One need have to relax the body once in a while and today is the day I chose for your sister to rest" replied Clara with a smile.


    Looking at the three as they were chatting, Blake couldn''t help but smile.


    "Six layer of tempered body, a second stage foundation realm cultivator and a four stage foundation realm cultivator. This is going to be a very easy task that I have taken so far and yet elder Phil was just worrying over nothing" mutter Blake to himself as he let out giggle.


    "Do you know that you are been watched" asked Clara as they continue to look at the forest while still acting like everything is okay.


    "I got the feeling not quite long after leaving the alchemy room and that is all" replied Jason with a serious look on his face.


    "Is that why you decided to lower your realm mother" asked Hannah.


    "That is right my dear, this way the opponent will have the confident to attack without planing things out since he already has the thought that we are no match for him" replied Clara with a warm smile on her face as she gave Hannah a light pinch on the cheek.


    After sitting for a while, they went inside until it was dark which is the best time for Blake to take action since no one will be able to notice anything strange about the place since it is dark.


    "They must be sleeping by now" said Blake with a chuckle since he has been waiting outside for two hours for them to go to sleep before he proceed with his attack.


    Coming out of where he is hiding, Blake begin to walk towards the tent with his hand hold onto the swords tightly as he is ready take the target once he is in sight.


    After making his way to the tent, Blake looked at his sides to see if there is anyone watching before going inside where he saw the there sleeping peacefully. After confirming where his target would be sleeping, Blake lifted his sword before stabbing it down on the target but before the sword could get close the body, it was stopped by a force and not nothing while the sword would stop half, Blake tried forcing it down and that is when he heard a voice from his behind.


    "Did the Phoenix family sent you here to assasinate me". The voice came from Jason who was sitting close to the table.


    Blake quickly turned to look who it was that just spoke only to see that it was the young man that he was supposed to kill. With a confusing look on his face, Blake turn back to look at the person laying before him only for him to discover that it was the lady that was sitting with the little girl earlier. But since his realm is higher than theirs, he still compose himself as he kept the sword back into the scabbard as he answer.


    "What if I was sent by the Phoenix family, do you think that you will be able to escape death".


    "I guess they haven''t learnt their lesson even after the death of the first assassin" said Jason as he shook his head in disappointment.


    "You can run your mouth for all I care but I am going back with your head" replied Blake with a evil grin on his face.

 Chapter 139 - The Grand Elders Rage

    Hearing the killer that the Phoenix family has sent to kill him say those words, Jason couldn''t help but let out a laugh for a minute before speaking up.


    "You should be worried about going back to your family alive to give a report instead of your saying you will be taking my head with you".


    "I don''t have any problem dealing with you and this lady here, so why should I get worried over something like this" said Blake with a scoff as he believes he will be able to handle the three of them if they were to come at him together.


    "And that is how you are going to die because of your arrogance," replied Jason with a serious look on his face.


    After the little speech, the spiritual energy around them begins to get intense making it hard for Blake to breathe while Jason and his little sister are doing fine and it must be linked to his mother being protective of her children. But it was not the same thing for Blake as he discovered that the lady who he has thought to be in the second stage of the foundation realm, suddenly has a boost as her realm moves from the foundation realm all the way to the Nascent soul realm.


    "You were never in the foundation realm" said Blake with a fearful look on his face.


    "That is right and knowing fully well that you won''t show yourself easily if you were to discover my strength, I decided to bring it down so that you will have your guards down and it actually works" replied Clara with an angry look on her face as she stared at Blake.


    Knowing that he has doomed himself this time around, Blake decided to make a run for it as he quickly dash out of the tent at top speed in hope of keeping his life and seeing him run away, Clara let out a chuckle before walking out of the tent.


    "Don''t you dare try anything stupid and leave this place" Jason advises Hannah, before leaving too.


    "You get to watch the fight while leaving me to stay in this place all by myself doesn''t seem right" mutters Hannah with an angry look on her face.


    After getting out of the tent, Jason could see his mother not too far from the forest staring at something not too far away and he decided to go forward to take a look at what it is only to discover that it was a body hanging on a tree while blood was staining the tree. Seeing that her son has arrived, Clara decides to take the body off the tree to get rid of it only for Jason to insist that he will do it himself leaving his mother with no choice but to head back to the tent.


    After his mother has left, Jason couldn''t help but let out a smile as he stared at the body laying on the tree.


    "Finally another resource for my cultivation" said Jason as he made way to get the body down before searching for his Blake storage ring and after he had found it, he began to absorb the energy until there was nothing left of him before taking the body into the forest to dispose of it. After he had done that, Jason went home where he saw his mother sitting on the ground with a frown on her face, and the moment she saw that Jason was back, she quickly spoke up.


    "We need to inform the family head or the grand elder about the phoenix family action before things get worse".


    "I don''t think that they will still send more people here to finish me after seeing that the two previous assassins that they have sent have yet to return" replied Jason with a wave of his hand.


    "You think they are just going to leave you alone just because they did not return, you must be really naive to think so. Look let me tell you something you don''t know about all this big family and that is since they previously sent somebody to get a job done and it did not go according to plan, they will have to send a more powerful force over to get it done" said Clara as she begins to lecture Jason about the family.


    "If they want to send my people over, then they will regret it for sure" reply Jason.


    "That is not the point Jason, knowing that you have offended a big family, they have likely done a research on you and if it were to be discovered that you are a member of the Mccray family, then those responsible for the destruction of our family will have to take action once they failed to do that on their own" said Clara taking the matter really reason.


    Seeing how his mother is acting and hearing the fact that those assassins will be involved and if that should happen, then they could kiss the world goodbye, Jason couldn''t help but nod in agreement and at the same time making an oath that if the phoenix family should try something like that, then he will have to get rid of them also.


    That went on peacefully since there was no longer danger as they slept off until it was morning where they went to do their stuff like anything has happened before and if one were to look at the tree that Blake died on, the trace of blood wouldn''t be found there.


    After he is done with his morning practice, Jason quickly heads out to the alchemy room where he quickly makes way inside since he needs to act really fast before the Phoenix Family makes another move on him.


    Making his way into the room that the grand elder used for researching, Jason quickly bowed, and seeing Jason acting this way since he would usually try to tick him off once he stepped inside, the grand elder commanded him to speak up.


    "You remember when I asked you if it was right for me to kill someone who tried to take my life" asked Jason.


    "Yes I do and I remembered asking you if someone from the family did something to you but said no" replied the grand elder with a nod.


    "Well actually someone in the fox family did and it is more appropriate if I say a gang did" said Jason.


    When the grand elder heard this, his eyebrow twitched as he flared in anger.


    "You mean someone in my family actually tries to get you killed" asked the grand elder in anger which caused Austin who was meditating outside to rush in to see what happened that would cause the grand elder to get angry only for him to see Jason standing still in front of the grand elder.


    "You really got guts for you to get the grand elder angry, looks like even the heavens won''t be able to save you today" mutters Austin as he continues to peep.


    Jason was frightened when he saw the grand elder get angry since ever since the day he has been working for him, he has not seen him like this. After some time, he was able to answer the grand elder''s question.


    "Well, it was Andrew and his friends who gang up with someone from the Phoenix family to get rid just because I make them angry".


    "So the Phoenix family still has the guts to come into my territory to kill someone without any permission from me and those fools still chose to align with the enemy" said the grand elder as he quickly walked out of the alchemy room and the next minute he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Hey, what do you mean by those slams trying to get rid of you" asked Austin who still didn''t understand what was going on.


    "I week back I was trick by Andrew and his gang into having a fight which they led me into the forest where there will be fewer people to interfere with their plan and at out of curiosity I decided to stop following them after I have been taken deep into the forest only for a sword to come at me from behind and it was only by luck that I was able to avoid the attack and after the attack, I couldn''t find them anywhere in the forest except for the attack" replied Jason.


    "For them to lend the enemy a hand, they are seriously going to pay for it dearly but this is if what you said seems to be true" said Austin knowing that those kids will refuse to admit their wrongdoing, and with their parents support, they might be able to go free.


    Looking outside the alchemy room, Jason was hoping to see the grand elder arriving with those fools so that he could do away with them but unfortunately for him, his wish never came through.


    .

 Chapter 140 - The Truth

    Inside the fox family room, the grand elder was sitting in his usual spot in anger as he waited for the elders of the council to arrive and after some time, they were finally in the hall together with the family head who was as confused as everyone one of the elders as to why they were holding another meeting. Seeing that everyone has arrived, the grand elder let out a sigh as he said at loud.


    "Do you all know that the Phoenix family has been coming into our territory all this while even when we have stated it clear that they should let the boy be".


    "That is impossible, there is no way that they would have come into our territory without anyone knowing" disagree the family head as he finds it out to believe that those from the phoenix family could easily enter their territory.


    "There has been an attack on the boy by a member sent from the phoenix family to assassinate him and the intruder has been helped by some fools from our family" said the grand elder as he ignored the family head.


    "And who are these people that you say that assistant the intruder" asked the family head with a frown on his face when hearing that someone helped the attacker.


    "Who else could it be other than those trouble makers of the family who cant take their cultivation seriously rather they choose to cause trouble wherever they go" replied the grand elder in anger.


    "Guard.....guard" Yelled the family head.


    After hearing the grand elder say those words, the family head already has a clue as to who the grand elder was speaking about since they are the only one who has been causing trouble in the family. It didn''t take long for the guards to arrive in the hall.


    "Tell Andrew and his friends to come here this instant and also invite their parents" order the family head.


    After getting the order, the guard left the hard as he went out to complete his task.


    After the guard had left the hall, one of the elders turned to the grand elder as he asked.


    "So what measures do you think we should take at a time like this".


    "We can''t leave things lying down when we know what they have done" added another elder.


    "Retaliating is equivalent to a declaration of war" replied the grand elder and everybody went quiet.


    Declaring war against the other family is not a good idea since many lives would be at stake so until there is no other choice, they will need to think of another approach to get back to the phoenix family.


    After some quietness with no one speaking, the family head spoke up since the matter is quite serious.


    "I don''t think there is a need for us to go that far over a kid who is not even a member of our family".


    "He may not be one of us but it is also true that he is living in our land which puts him under our care and for the phoenix family to sneak into our territory without getting permission from us, show how they view us to be inferior to them" replied the grand elder.


    "But there has to be another approach we can use against them apart from going into war with them" said elder Luke.


    "It will all depend on how they are going to respond to the matter" replied the grand elder.


    While they were speaking, a knock came from the door before it opened and that is when they could see some young boy walking inside with their parents tagging along.


    After entering the hall, they all bow before Andrew''s father begins to speak.


    "I would like to know why we have been summoned into the hall".


    "There has been issue with the members of the Phoenix family and it seems like your good for nothing children knew of it and still choose to help them out all because of a little conflict they had with the boy who is living close to the forest with his mother and sister and it happens to be the person the Phoenix are looking for" said the family head as he tries to contain his anger.


    Andrew''s father was shocked to hear that his son was helping an intruder and to be sure about what he just heard, he turned to his son who was standing beside him and asked.


    "Andrew, is it true that you help an intruder with his task of eliminating the young boy when you should have reported his existence".


    "That is not true father, I never met anyone from the phoenix family that kid is lying against because of a little issue we had" replied Andrew as he refused to submit.


    "Jason may be a troublesome person but I don''t see a reason why he should lie against someone he could easily deal with" said the grand elder.


    "Grand elder, I have known my son to be a troublemaker but helping someone from the other families with their task and at the same time making their identity unknown to others is something he will never do" said Andrew''s father with a bow.


    "I never expected you to side with your son without investigating the matter. What about you guys, are you also saying that I am lying about you helping the intruder" said the grand elder as he locked his gaze on Denise and the rest.


    "Grand elder just like Andrew here, I don''t know anything about an intruder coming into our territory" said Michael with a bow.


    The grand elder went quiet as he began to look at them one more time before withdrawing his gaze and resting his back on the chair.


    "I thought we can handle this matter nicely with you guys running free with little punishment but since you don''t want to agree to your wrongdoing, then you leave me with no choice. Guard summoned Jason from the alchemy room" order the grand elder after asking them once more time.


    The guard runs off leaving Andrew and his gang with a worried look on their face. After some time of waiting, Jason was escorted into the hall by the same guard who quickly returned to his position after completing his task¡­


    After entering the hall, Jason begins to scan the place as to why many people were gathered only for him to see Andrew among the people and that is when a wide smile appears on his face as he said.


    "Look who is here, so you thought that you can easily run scout free after setting me up".


    "What are you talking about you loser, who are you saying set you up" asked Andrew with a frown when he saw Jason.


    "Oh so now we are acting dumb eh" said Jason with a smile on his father.


    "Look here kid, you better hurry up and stop all this accusation about my son setting you up" said Andrew''s father in anger when seeing Jason playing around.


    "You must be the father of this unfulfilled child of yours" asked Jason as he turned to the middle-aged man standing next to Andrew.


    "And so what, hurry up and tell them that my son was innocent" replied Andrew''s father.


    "But your son was never innocent in the first place so what are you talking about" said Jason before turning to the grand elder who was sitting above them, Jason greeted them all before asking.


    "I would like to know why I was summoned here".


    "Jason, are these the people you said brought you to the forest where they left you with the member of the phoenix family" asked the grand elder.


    "Yes they are, I remember just coming back from my training only to meet them waiting outside our tent and I tried chasing them away but he refused to say that he will not leave until I have a match with him which I refuse to but after many persuading, I agreed to fight with him and that is when he suggested that we go into the forest for the fight to avoid getting interrupted which I also agreed on and that is how I followed him into the forest but to my surprise, Andrew was not coming to a stop even after going deep into the forest and I have to stop following them since it didn''t seem right only for him to smile at me and that was when a sword was sent my way which I barely avoided only to see that they are nowhere to be found" replied Jason aa he told them about the event.


    "He''s lying grand elder, I have never been to his place" yelled Andrew before anyone could speak.


    "Silence¡­.. Who gave you the right to speak" said the grand elder in anger as he slammed his hand on the wooden table in front of him.


    Andrew could only lower his head while trying to avoid the grand elder''s angry gaze.

 Chapter 141 - Old Rivals

    After asking Andrew to keep quiet, the grand elder took a deep breath to calm himself before looking down at Andrew before turning to look at his father as he asked.


    "Garry you said that your son here will never do something like that which means you are in support of everything he does".


    "That is not my point grand elder, it is just that he will never go so far as to sell the family out" replied Mr. Garry with a bow.


    "Do you know that your son would have been dead by now if it weren''t for the fact that the young man decided to let me know" asked the grand elder as he looked Garry deep in the eyes.


    Instead of answering the grand elder, Mr. Garry turns to his son who has his head lower and couldn''t help but have a doubt that his son was lying to him, and then again he has refused to go out for a week now which kind of links the puzzle together. After taking all things through, Mr. Garry decided to ask his son some questions since if he were to side with his son and things were finally laid out with his son having a hand in everything, he would also be held accountable for it.


    "Andrew, do you mind telling me the reason why you have decided to stay out home for some days" asked Mr. Garry with a serious look on his face that said that all he wanted to hear was the truth.


    Hearing his father bring up the matter with him staying at home, Andrew was just about to come up with a story but that was when Denise''s father also spoke.


    "That is strange, my son was also hiding at home for days like he has done something that places his life at risk".


    "It''s the same with my son Michael too and when I asked him why he isn''t going out with his friends only for him to tell me that he taking his training serious and won''t have time to play around with them but who would have thought that it will be because they have done something bad" said Michael father after some of the parents have spoken.


    "Looks like you won''t be escaping trouble this time around" said Jason with a chuckle before turning to look at Andrew''s father as he continued.


    "The reason why he went into hiding was that he knew I would be coming for him since he knew what he had done".


    Seeing that the truth had been let out, Andrew was not able to say anything, his father was disappointed that his son had let him down and with nothing to say, he bowed at the higher up as he pleaded on behalf of his son.


    "It would have been a different case if he tries to kill him and fail since a little punishment would be enough to calm everything but for your son to keep the identity of an intruder secret, his punishment is yet to be decided so you can go back to your home in two days their punishment would be let out" said the grand elder as he dismissed them out if the hall.


    "It would have been better if you leave them to me since it will be a lot of work for you" said Jason as he was not pleased with the way they handled the matter.


    "You don''t have to worry about the punishment that would be upon them, though it won''t be a life-threatening one but it won''t be a light one either" replied the grand elder as he stroked his beard.


    "But you are the one that said if someone tried to take my life, that I wouldn''t be at fault if I were to kill them" said Jason.


    ''This kid, must you make things difficult for me as a grand elder'' thought the grand elder with a frown on his face.


    "Can you just let this one slide just for my sake" replied the grand elder in hope that Jason would give him some face.


    Seeing that the grand elder was pleading on their behalf, Jason decided to let the matter go.


    "Well since I was not injured during the ambush, I guess I can let it go but you will have to compensate me with something" said Jason with a wide smile on his face as he waited for the grand elder''s reply.


    "And now you are using it to your advantage in the situation" mutters the grand elder with a twitched face.


    The family head couldn''t help but chuckle when he heard the grand elder mutter to himself.


    After some contemplation, the grand elder dismissed Jason from the hall saying he will get back to him and after leaving, the grand elder let out a deep breath as he said.


    "Now that the issue with the kids is settled, let''s talk about the phoenix family".


    "Grand elder there is no way we should declare a war between them based on the circumstances" replied the family head.


    "I guess I will have to pay the grand elder of the Phoenix family a visit" said the grand elder as he stood up and walked out of the hall.


    "Let''s just hope that they were able to settle this without getting into a fight knowing how they don''t agree with each other" commented the family head with a sigh knowing fully well that they won''t be able to avoid getting into a fight.


    Meanwhile, after leaving the hall Jason went straight to the alchemy room where he could see Austin gazing far into the distance like someone who is thinking deeply about life.


    Shaking his head helplessly, Jason went forward as he stood in front of him as he said while laughing.


    "So what are you thinking about".


    Looking down at who was standing in front of him, Austin let out a sigh before replying.


    "So how did it go with Andrew and his gang".


    "Well they tried denying it at first but after some time the truth came out and they were sent out of the hall saying that their punishment will be let out in two days" said Jason.


    "It is good that you were about to make them talk, else it would have been a different case if he were to put it all on you that you are framing them since you can''t beat them" commented Austin with a sigh.


    "Like that is going to happen with the grand elder being in charge of everything" replied Jason.


    "Now that''s taken care of, how about a spar" asked Austin with a smile.


    "I guess it wouldn''t hurt to have a little spar" agreed Jason before they moved further away from the alchemy room in fear of destroying the place.


    It took them a long time before they were able to finish their spar before returning back to the alchemy room to check if the grand elder is back only for them to see that he still hasn''t arrived.


    "Why is it taking him so long to run" asked Austin.


    "Who knows, maybe he and the elders are thinking of which punishment would be more befitting of them and it must be a punishment that I will agree with" replied Jason with a smile.


    "I am even shocked that you were willing to just let them go scot-free with what they did to you" said Austin with a chuckle.


    "It was all because of the grand elder else they won''t be alive as will speak" replied Jason.


    It took the grand elder sometime to get to the phoenix family where he stood by the entrance as he gave the place a looking with a frown on his face and after something, he took a step forward as he makes his way into their territory before he could walk far, the family head of the phoenix family came to welcome him.


    "The grand elder is waiting for you in the hall" said the phoenix family head with a bow as he lead the way.


    After being led to a hall, the phoenix family head left leaving the grand elder to enter alone which he did only to see an old man with grey hair sitting with shogi in front of him.


    "Do you care for a game" asked the old man.


    "It''s been long I have been invited for a game of shogi so why not" replied the grand elder with a chuckle before taking a seat next to the old man.


    Letting out a light laugh, the old man makes his face move before speaking.


    "So what brought you into my territory Alfred".


    "You already know why I am here so stop pretending Josh" replied Alfred before making his move.


    "So you came from the fox family territory only to talk about a boy who is not even a member of your family" said Josh.


    "That boy you are trying to kill is my apprentice" replied Alfred.

 Chapter 142 - Battle Between Two Old Monsters

    "That boy killed someone very important in my family and you just want me to let him go just like that without paying the price" asked Josh.


    "And he did it while they were inside the ruin so it is not an offense for him to kill while he''s inside" replied Alfred.


    "It would have been a different case if he were to be a member of your family but he''s not so why are you even bothered about it" asked Josh.


    "That is because I was the one that sent him there so he is considered one of our own" replied Alfred as he made his next move.


    "I don''t care what you have to say about him, there is no way that I am going to let him go scot-free" said Josh.


    "Since you refuse to let it slide, then you leave me no choice. If a member of your family was found within the boundary of our territory, then you can consider them dead" commented Alfred as he stood up ready to take his leave.


    "You know, two members of my family were sent to kill the boy a time again but they have not been seen ever since they left, I don''t know if you may have a clue about their whereabouts" asked Josh.


    "I don''t know, maybe they are no longer in existence" replied Alfred.


    "First it was an important member of my family and now two others that were sent to kill him had also gone missing don''t you think you owe me an explanation for that" said Josh as he stood while staring Alfred in the eye.


    "You are the one that sent them to go wild in my territory so whatever that happens to them is your cross to carry" replied Alfred with a deep frown on his face.


    "Oh really" said Josh with a chuckle and the next moment, he charge at Alfred at an incredible speed with a crane in his hand as he swung it at Alfred.


    As if he has been expecting Josh to do something like that, Alfred struck his hand forward to meet the attack as they were evenly matched in strength.


    "You know I have been thinking why it is taking so long for you to launch an attack but who would have thought that you still haven''t changed one bit even after so many years always the sneaky bastard" said Alfred in anger as he look Josh straight in the eye.


    "What about you always been the passive one" replied Josh.


    Pushing back from each other, Josh doesn''t care if they are going to end up destroying the hall as he gathers energy in his palm before throwing it forward as a giant palm sent heading in the way of Alfred who moves out of the way as the palm stroke the wall creating a deep palm print on it. Seeing that his attack fail to hit Alfred, Josh let out a low roar as he sent another palm attack forward and just like the previous one, Alfred avoided it as it struck the one.


    After trying to hit Alfred with his palm attack multiple times but was not able to, Josh sent the same attack from his two palms before going for Alfred since if he was able to dodge the attack then using that as a distraction, he could land a hit on him before his plan didn''t work as Alfred suddenly begin to attack as he let out a scream and the palm attack fade away with josh been sent away.


    "I don''t have the time to play around with you today so I will be taking my leave" said Alfred with a frown as he turned around getting ready to leave but before he could, josh has already stood up from the fall.


    "Even if my people won''t be able to get into your territory, let''s see if you will be able to stop the assassin family then" said Josh with a smile on his lip.


    Alfred suddenly stop on his track when Josh spoke about the assassin family and seeing him stop, Josh couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before speaking.


    "Seems like someone is scared of the assassin family and I believe you know about what happened to the Mccray family and for you to let them hide in your territory makes you their enemy".


    "We have no trouble with each other so if they come for them, I can only let them do as they want but if you dare bashed in with your people, then a war will be declared between our families" warned Alfred before leaving the almost damage hall.


    After Alfred has left the hall, the family head and elders charge into the hall to hear what brought the grand elder of the Fox family to their territory but before they could think of asking, they saw the hall in a sorry state with their elder standing there covered in dust.


    "What happened here" asked the family head but suddenly shut his mouth when he saw the way the grand elder was looking at him.


    Ignoring the new arrivals, the grand elder took a walk outside with anger written all over his face as he clenched his fist.


    "I would like to see the way you are going to act against the others when they visit your family" said the grand elder with an evil smile on his face.


    They were all confused as to what must have the grand elder of the fox family said to him for him to say something like that but out of fear of being beaten to death, they decided to keep their mouth shut.


    Looking at the sky for some time in silence, the grand elder suddenly disappear from where he was standing.


    "Where is the grand elder going this time around" asked one of the elders in a low voice in fear that he would hear him if he were to speak in a loud voice.


    "Who knows but it won''t be a good news for the Fox family" replied the family head.


    Turning their attention back to the hall, the family head couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he said.


    "When are they going to put a stop to all this fighting whenever they met".


    "We need to get someone to clean this place up before the grand elder returns" said elder Phil as he sent for the guards that are patrolling the area to clean the place up.


    Meanwhile, after traveling for four hours, the grand elder was finally able to arrive at the fox family territory as he went into the hall where they use to hold their meetings. And the moment that the grand elder arrives, the elders have already been summoned beforehand.


    "So how did the meeting with him go" asked the family head after arriving.


    "He refused to let the boy go and now he is talking about involving the assassin family since I don''t want to grant his people access into our territory" replies the grand elder as he let out a sigh.


    "How can he do something like that, didn''t he know we will be implicated if they find out that the members of the Mccray family are taking shelter here" said the family head in surprise.


    "We don''t have to worry about the assassin family for now but instead, we need to tighten our defense because if you think about it the reason why we''re able to get into our territory in the first place without our notice was because our defense is too weak" replied the grand elder with a serious look on his face.


    "But we need to think of something fast else things won''t turn out well when they pay a visit" suggest elder Luke.


    "That will be of less worry for us since they can''t just barge into another territory without confirming if the information they received was true or not. So let us take about the defense of the territory and let me warn you all, if you were to spot any member of the phoenix family within the territory, you are free to take their life" replied the grand elder before taking a walk outside but before he could walk far, he told the family head to handle the issue with the defense on his stead before he finally takes his leave.


    Returning back to the alchemy room, the grand elder was shocked to discover that the whole place was quiet but far ahead, there was some damage done to the place and he couldn''t help but mutter to himself.


    "Did those annoying kids get into a fight".


    Ignoring the damaged area, the grand elder continue heading into the alchemy but that was when he saw Jason and Austin sitting outside while having bruises on their body and he couldn''t help but frown since he already have a clue as to what would have cost those bruise on them.

 Chapter 143 - The Assassin Family

    PqppppTaking a walk forward as he ignored all that he had seen, the grand elder made his way to the alchemy room where he saw the two pantings heavily and he was left with no choice but to shake his head.


    "Since I am away, you decided to waste your time playing around eh" said the grand elder with a twitched face.


    "Ah, thank goodness that you are finally here" commented Jason as he rose with a smile on his face.


    "Where you waiting for me" asked the grand elder since he didn''t remember having any business with the young man.


    "You bet we are, how do you expect us to close this place when you are not around" replied Jason.


    The grand elder couldn''t help but twitch his eye brown when he heard Jason reply and began to wonder if there was anything wrong with his head.


    "Jason, do you mind telling me where we are right now" asked the grand elder as he focused his gaze on him.


    "We are in the Fox family territory. Grand elders are you sick or something, or could it be because you have not been having a good sleep these days because of your research" replied Jason with a worried look on his face.


    The grand elder almost fell on his face because of the unexpected question that Jason has just said.


    "You are the one that is sick, you annoying kid" the grand elder said inwardly as he stared into the distance which was getting Jason more worried as he began to tug on the grand elder robe and it was only then that he gained his attention.


    "Are you okay grand elder" asked Jason.


    The grand elder took a deep breath as he tried to calm the anger that was boiling within him before he turned to Jason as he asked straight away.


    "Jason who is the protector of this territory".


    "You are of course or is there another being in hiding that is protecting the family" replied Jason with his own question.


    "You idiot of course I am the one protecting the Fox family so who would be so foolish as to come find trouble at my place" said the grand elder as he couldn''t stop himself from smacking Jason in the back of his head.


    "That makes a lot of sense but do you have to hit me in the head to point the fact" complain Jason as he rubs the back of his head.


    Meanwhile, Austin was just sitting down while watching the drama unfold before him.


    "So what punishment have you decided to give to the gang" asked Jason.


    "We still haven''t decided on that" replied the grand elder.


    Since there was nothing left for them to do and since it is already getting dark, Austin decided to take his leave and it was the same for Jason but before he could think of leaving, the grand elder suddenly called him.


    "What is the problem grand elder" asked Jason when seeing the worried on the grand elder''s face.


    "I am just returning from the phoenix family and things do seem to be going well" replied the grand elder with a sigh.


    "Are they still coming after me because I don''t mind getting rid of them all" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "If it is the phoenix family you are worried about then you don''t have to worry since they won''t be sending anyone to kill you" replied the grand elder dispirited.


    "Since they won''t be coming for me, then what is the problem" said Jason seeing the way the grand elder is acting, he knew there is more to the matter than what it seems.


    "Since the phoenix family could never come into our territory without my approval, they have gone to get help from somewhere else" replied the grand elder.


    "If they do that, you can just send them away just as you did with the phoenix family" said Jason.


    "It is not as simple as it seems boy, the helper they are going to call is a dangerous one. Do you still remember the family that attack the Mccray family" asked the grand elder with a serious look on his face.


    "You mean the assassin family" replied Jason and when he gave the reply, his expression suddenly change for the worst.


    "That is right Jason and since they could get rid of your family, then it would be a big joke if you think the Fox family could hold its ground against the assassin family" said the grand elder.


    "Is there really a need to go this far" commented Jason.


    "Since they can''t get to you and having an unfinished business with the assassin family, they decided to go to them, so for the good of all, I want you and your mother with your sister to leave this place before they get here" said the grand elder with a worried look on his face.


    "What about you guys if they couldn''t find us" replied Jason knowing that they still won''t be able to avoid facing the same casualty as their family did.


    "You don''t have to worry about us, as long as they couldn''t find any trace of you here, we could just have a little disagreement and nothing more but if they were to find you guys here then we''ll really get into trouble with them" said the grand elder.


    After hearing the other reasons, Jason thank him for all that he has done for him before running home Where he saw his mother and Hannah training. Seeing the way Jason was attacking, Clara knew that something was wrong as she stop with the training before going to intercept Jason.


    "What is it with you today" asked Clara as he hold Jason who seems to be shaking in fear.


    "The assassin family is coming for us, we need to get out of this place as soon as possible" replied Jason.


    "And who told you that they are coming for us" asked Clara with a frown on his face.


    "The grand elder Just informed me that the protector of the phoenix family is going to inform the assassin family about us since they can''t get to me" replied Jason


    After hearing those words, his mother didn''t wait for Jason to continue what he was saying before she cut him off.


    "Everyone go get your things and be fast with it" replied Clara before hurrying into the tent to get gather her stuff while Jason and Clara also went to do the same.


    After some time, they were finally able to get their stuff ready before waiting for nightfall.


    "Where do we go from here" asked Jason as he stare at the forest.


    "We are going to settle down in the capital for a while since it is the only place we can hide from them" replied Clara with a serious look on her face.


    "But it is going to take us a week to get there, can''t we go somewhere else" asked Hannah.


    "That is the only place in which we will be accepted without thinking of them following our trail due to its population but if we were to go somewhere else is either we are rejected or they are no place for us to stay" replied Clara before leading the way into the forest.


    Not having much to say they could only follow their mother from behind since she is the strongest in their team.


    After leaving the Fox family territory, they make their way to the capital in the middle of the night.


    Meanwhile, somewhere far from the region where the five families reside, the grand elder of the phoenix family made it to a tower where he make his way forward only to be stopped halfway by a guard who was on duty.


    "What business do you have doing in a play like this" asked the guard not even showing concern about the person standing in front of him.


    "I am here to deliver an important to the head of your family" replied josh.


    The guard went silent for a while before nodding his head as he instructed the grand elder to wait for him while he delivered his message to the family head which he agreed with and it didn''t take long before the guard came back after leaving as he told Josh to follow him. Going through the tower with the guard leading the way, it didn''t take long before they got to a room where the guard instructed him to sit down and that the family head will be with him shortly which Josh did since he don''t want to cause any trouble as he waited patiently for the family head to coming.


    "I heard that you have an important message for me grand elder of the phoenix family" said a voice out of nowhere.


    Looking around to see who it was that has just spoken only for him to notice that he is the only one in the room.


    "You don''t have to worry about seeing me, just drop your message and leave" replied the same voice.

 Chapter 144 - Journey To The Capital

    The grand couldn''t speak since he don''t know who he was talking to and with a grunt he spoke up.


    "I heard that the Wallace family are reputed for being ruthless and fearless so how come you don''t want to face me even when you are on your turf".


    "Do you remind you that you are not in the phoenix family territory so mind the way you speak here for you might not be able to make it back alive" said the voice.


    "Are you threatening me" asked the grand elder.


    "If you say so, be fast with your message and leave because I don''t have all day sitting here chatting with you when I should be attending to some important matter" replied the voice.


    ''What an arrogant bunch they turn out to be even the guard don''t know who to respect to'' said the grand elder inward.


    Letting out a cough, the grand elder straightens his back before he begins to speak.


    "Well, I am here to inform you that the mission you took on years ago was not successful as there are still some members of the family who are still alive".


    "You know that we have done a lot of missions so you need to specify the one you are talking about" said the voice and one can hear the anger in his tone.


    "I am talking about the elimination of the Mccray family" replied the grand elder.


    "Nonsense, we completely wiped them out that night. If you are here to insult our prestige then don''t blame for what is to come next" roared the voice in anger.


    "What I am saying is the truth, there were three survivors of the Mccray family who went to the Fox family to hide" reply the grand elder honestly.


    There was silence for some time before the voice spoke up.


    "I will investigate this matter and if I were to find out that what you said is not true, then your family will have to face the consequences for joking with us. We are not called the assassin family for nothing".


    "I am only trying to help here since they might be thinking of getting their revenge" said the grand elder.


    "Coming here to seek revenge is suicide even a fool will have to think twice before coming here. If that is all you have to say then I advise you to take your leave" replied the voice.


    Not wasting much time the grand elder left the tower as he made his way to the phoenix family territory. After his departure, a meeting was held in the tower with the elders being present.


    "Why is the grand elder not here" asked one of the elders after noticing that the grand elder was absent.


    "I don''t think we need his presence for what I am about to say" replied the family head.


    "So why did you call this meeting" asked an elder who seem to be in his sixties


    "Do you still remember the mission that has to do with the Mccray family" said the family head.


    "Yes, and what does it have to do with the meeting" asked another elder.


    "Well, I just an information from the phoenix family grand elder that they were three survivors who ran to the Fox family in hiding" replied the family head.


    "That is impossible, there is no way anyone could get past our encirclement without getting killed" said an elder in anger as he slammed his arm on the table.


    "I also doubt him when he told me the news but it could also be possible too" replied the family head.


    "Why don''t we send a scout there to gather more information" suggested another elder.


    "There won''t be a need for that, we will just send some of our men there to take care of the matter" replied the family head.


    "I am still confused as to why would the phoenix family come all the way from their territory just to give us this information, it


    felt like they wanted something from us" said another who found it quite odd for the grand elder to give them the information.


    "We don''t owe them anything so don''t worry about it and let''s decide who to send to the Fox family territory" replied the family head.


    After traveling out of the Fox family, the Mccray family (Jason, his mother, and sister), they headed to a small town that is about five hundred miles away from the Fox family territory to rest for the night.


    "We have been traveling for two days now mother and there is still no sign of the capital, why don''t we just stay here" asked Hannah with a sleepy face and by the look on her face, one can tell that she hadn''t slept for days.


    "Do you think we''ll be able to survive here with how things are going. Our only chance of surviving is by going to the capital where the other family won''t be able to monitor our movement" replied Clara as she led them into an old building that seen on the verge of collapsing.


    Getting inside the building, Jason couldn''t help but twitch his mouth after smelling a foul smell of alcohol.


    "Shouldn''t we continue with our joining, so what are we doing here" asked Jason as he placed his hand over his nose.


    "Before continuing with our journey, we will need to purchase a map to lead us to the capital and at the same time get a place to sleep for the night since you guys are already exhausted" replied Clara as she begin to look around.


    After discovering what she was looking for, Clara left them by the entrance to approach a man who was sitting on a mat while dressed in a rag and they begin to communicate before she held out some spirit stone while the man gave her a scroll before she went back to them with the scroll in hand.


    "Now that we have the scroll, I say we should go book a room" said Clara before heading out towards another building that looks more better than the one they just came out from.


    Getting a room wasn''t a problem for them since it was rare for travelers to stay in a place like this. Putting their things down, Hannah quickly fell on the bed and slept off not even caring if the place was okay or not.


    Putting the scroll on the table, Clara rolls it before she begins to look for their location. Seeing her like this, Jason couldn''t help but stare at the map even when he didn''t know where they were.


    "I thought you knew the way to the capital mother so why did you purchase it in the first place" asked Jason.


    "I do know the way to the capital but if we were to go by the route I know, it might take us a week to get there which is why I purchased this map since we need to look for the shortest path there" replied Clara as her gaze was still on the map.


    "So were you able to find any" asked Jason.


    "I did and it will take us about one thousand miles to get there so you better get some sleep Jason" replied Clara before going to bed.


    "That''s going to take us four days to get there" said Jason dispirited.


    "Which is while I told you to get some sleep" replied Clara.


    "Isn''t that asking too much from us" said Jason.


    "Since it is too much for you, then you shouldn''t have gone to the ruin in the first place" yell Clara at Jason before resting her back and shutting her eyes.


    Jason did dare say anything knowing fully that the reason why they are in this mess was all because of him insisting on going to the ruin to hunt for treasures.


    "Those damn cowards from the phoenix family can''t just let the matter with Sam and decide to back at me. I swear to pay you back in full" swore Jason with his fist clenched together in anger before going to sleep.


    Meanwhile, in the Fox family the grand elder was sitting on the roof of the alchemy building late in the night with a jar of liquor in hand with the family head sitting not far from him.


    "So what do you plan to do when the Wallace family comes looking for them" asked the family head as he took a sip of his drink.


    "What is there to say rather than saying that they left the territory in the middle of the night after the phoenix family has failed in an attempt to kill them" replied the grand elder as he took a deep breath.


    "But we both know that they are not going to buy that lie" said the family head.


    "They are not called the assassin family for nothing, if they could not find them here then they will have to use their connection to search for them" replied the grand elder.

 Chapter 145 - The Search

    The next morning.


    Outside the fox family territory stood four men while dressed in black robes and with a mask on to hide their identity.


    "I never thought a day would come when I will be sent here to search for some fugitive" said one of the men.


    "Be quiet Alex, you know how serious this matter is for the family head to personally send us here to deal with it as soon as possible" reply one of the men who is more muscular compare to the other three and seem to be the leader of the team.


    "Of course I do but don''t you think the family head is taking this too seriously. I mean we are feared by all so if they find out about the survivors what can they do to us" asked Alex.


    "We may be fear among those in this region but it is another matter when it comes to our client, we should be honored that they were willing to let us take charge of the matter instead of doing it themselves so when they found out that it was not successful, you can imagine what would become of our family" Replied Derrick.


    "Now that you have understood how important this mission really is, I don''t have anything to say to you but we are not going home until we complete it" added the leader before moving ahead.


    Letting out a sigh, Alex also follow suit but before he could go far, his friend said to him.


    "I know you are thinking this kind of mission is not befitting of you, so I want you to think of it as a training session".


    "If only it could be that simple Wilson but it isn''t and Berry here is just taking everything seriously" replied Alex.


    The moment that they entered the fox family territory, an alarm was sent directly to the hall to notify them that someone has gone through their defense which led to them sending more guards to check out what was going on and among the guards that were sent out to investigate who it was, was elder Luke who is in charge of the search.


    "Looks like the Fox family are on high alert for there to be so many people coming here" said Berry with a smile as he can hear the hurried footsteps heading their way.


    It didn''t take long for them to arrive at the location where the alarm went off and before them were four young men in masks standing still like they have been expecting them.


    "Who are you and what business do you have here" asked one of the guards.


    "You are welcome you asked but the problem here is are you sure that you are qualified enough to know who we are" asked Alex as he step forward with an evil grin on his face.


    ''First, they sent us all the way to this place, and here they are acting mighty when they should be honored to have us in their territory'' thought Alex.


    "Let me through" said elder Luke as he make his way through the guard before he was standing face to face with them.


    "You guys must be from the Wallace family if I am not mistaken" asked elder Luke after observing them.


    "Good eyes old man" reply Berry with a smile.


    "When the guards heard them claiming to be from the Wallace family, they couldn''t help but tremble in fear especially for the guard who has spoken before as he was very thankful to elder Luke for taking charge over the matter else who knows what would have happened to him.


    "Please come with me, this is not a nice place to keep a guest" said elder Luke after discovering who they were as he took the lead out of the forest before instructing one of the guards to go inform the family head about their guest.


    It didn''t take them long enough to arrive at the hall where they could see the others waiting for their return.


    They greeted the hall before waiting for their reply.


    "It is very rare to see a member of the Wallace family in our territory not to take of four men which make me curious as to what brings you here" asked the family head.


    "There is a rumor about our enemy taking shelter in your territory so we came to investigate" replied Berry as he took a step forward.


    "I don''t remember letting your enemy take shelter here when it could bring trouble to us but I do remember a lady leaving close by with her children, you can go look at them and see if they are the ones you are looking for" said the family head with a straight face.


    "It is good that you are willing to cooperate with us. Let''s not waste more time here come on guys let''s get to work" replied Berry before giving orders out.


    "Elder Luke will take you there" said the family head.


    Taking the lead, elder Luke took them out of the hall leaving the family head and the elders.


    "For the Wallace family to send four Nascent soul realm practitioners over show how important this matter is to them" mutter the family head with a frown on his face.


    "Let''s just hope they don''t suspect we have a hand in it" commented the grand elder as he appear inside the hall.


    The family head was not surprised to see the grand elder in the hall as he has already suspected that he has been in the hall since the guest from the Wallace family''s arrival.


    "Seem like the Phoenix family really did it this time around" said the family head.


    "I hope he would be able to shoulder the consequences for it" replied the grand elder with a sigh.


    Just as they were speaking, the door to the hall was pushed open once more with elder Luke rushing in with a worried look on his face while the guests followed from behind.


    "How did the search go, did she turn out to be the one you are looking for" asked the family head when seeing the look on elder Luke.


    "That is not it when we got there, we discover that the place was deserted" replied elder Luke.


    There was a little silence in the hall before the grand elder spoke up angrily.


    "I am really disappointed with you people even after I have told you all about tightening the defenses, you still let them leave the territory with knowing. So if those from the phoenix decided to come in, they would have succeeded".


    "This came as a surprise to us too grand elder, just as you instructed we double the defense" replied the family head.


    "You don''t have to worry about that since they wouldn''t have gone too far from here" said Berry as he didn''t wait for anyone to speak up before leading his team out of the hall.


    After leaving the hall, Alex turn to berry as he asked.


    "Now that they are not here, what should be our next move".


    "The only place that is closer to the Fox family territory is Carpie town, so that is recently the best place for us to start the search" reply Berry.


    "Ah, now this whole thing is becoming really annoying" said Alex as he let out a sigh.


    "Don''t worry, I believe Berry would let you have your way with them once we capture them right Berry" asked Wilson with a smile.


    "Sure thing if it is enough to compensate you for the time wasted but first thing first, let head to Carpie town" replied Berry.


    And before long they have already made their way out of the Fox family territory. Meanwhile, inside the hall, the family head suddenly let out a sigh.


    "Thank goodness they didn''t suspect anything" said the family head.


    "They still wouldn''t have done anything since they are not completely sure about our involvement" reply the grand elder.


    "Wait a minute, you mean you knew all along that they have left the territory" asked elder Luke after hearing the two conversations.


    "Yes and if you must know I was the one that informed him of the danger" replied the grand elder with a nod.


    "I am truly sorry for not informing you all about it since it wouldn''t have pulled through if you were to know" added the family head.


    "We understand your reason" said elder Luke.


    "Let me make this clear, this matter was said here and should die here. If anyone comes to know of it, then you have to pay the price with your head" commented the grand elder with a serious look on his eyes which sent a chill down their spine showing how serious he is about the matter.


    After he was done saying those statements, the grand elder took his leave as he stared at the sky for some time before letting out a sigh.


    "I have done my best, the rest in your hand now" mutter the grand elder before going to the alchemy room.

 Chapter 146 - Request For Backup

    It was noisy in the morning when Jason woke up tiredly only to see that his mother was already up and by the look of things, she is preparing to leave while Hannah was still sleeping soundly in the bed.


    "When am I going to get a good sleep" complained Jason as he stood up.


    "Once we get to the capital, then you can have all the sleep you want but until then, we have to hurry out of this place since our pursuer could already be on our tail" replied Clara as she went to wake Hannah up.


    With a little unwillingness, Hannah finally got up before she was handed some bread and water before they left the inn.


    "So where are we heading to" asked Jason right after they came out of the town.


    "To get to the capital, we need to go through a mountain in the east not far from here before passing through wasteland then taking the path on the north, Will take us directly to a town called Lapis where we can get some transportation that will take us directly to the capital" replied Clara as she began to look at the map while moving her hand on it to show them the path they would be taking.


    "It looks quite an easy trip to me" commented Hannah after withdrawing her gaze from the map.


    "What you deemed to be an easy trip would actually take us approximately four days to get there so tell me it is still an easy trip to you" asked Jason with a sigh.


    "What did you just say it is going to take us four days to get there" yelled Hannah in shock.


    "Well if we are fast on our feet, it will take us about four days but it will be more than that the more we stay in this place" replied Clara before taking the lead forward.


    "So I Will have to open my eyes all day without taking a rest, I am going to die before we even get to the capital" said Hannah who was almost in tears as she followed her mother.


    "Hahaha, you don''t have to worry about getting a rest, I believe mother will give you some time to catch your breath" replied Jason as he struck her hair lightly.


    They continued walking towards the path that led to t mountain which seemed to take forever for them to even see the mountain until it was getting dark and that was when they could finally see the mountain in the distance. Meanwhile, back in Carpie town the four men from the Wallace family have finally made it there.


    "They should be taking shelter in here" said Berry as he looked around the place.


    "We should split up so that we will be able to cover more ground" added Alex.


    "We are to meet here after we are done searching" replied Berry before picking a place to search.


    After going their separate ways to search for the target, Alex makes his way towards the same shabby building that Jason and his mother went to previously to purchase a map since it is the busiest place in all of Carpie town.


    Looking at the place as it was crowded with people getting drunk here and there with some of the men playing with the ladies in the building and with a sigh, Alex make his way to a table as he sat down before placing his leg on the table before letting out a deep roar.


    "S.I.L.E.N.C.E"


    After the roar, there was absolutely quiet before all eyes were turned to him, and seeing that he has gotten their attention, Alex let out a creepy smile before placing a small purse on the table.


    "I only have one reason to be here and that is to gather information about some runaway and anyone who could tell me what I want to hear, then this purse here would be given to him or her for the trouble and I believe it is a fair deal so let''s get to business" said Alex.


    Before we move on to business, would you be so kind as to give us the description of the person you are looking for" asked a middle-aged man who has a lady on his leg.


    "That won''t be a problem. If you most know, there are three in number consisting of a boy and a girl with a grown-up woman" replies Alex.


    After Alex has given the description out they begin to battle for who wants the purse but unfortunately for them, none of them were able to give him what he wanted to hear which left him disappointed and was just about to walk out of the building but that was when he heard a voice in the crowd.


    "There was a woman who came here with a boy and a girl yesterday".


    Turning around to see who said those only for him to see a man dressed in rag seating on a mat while pouring himself some liquor, not wasting time Alex walked to him as he squat before asking the man.


    "Do you by any chance know where they are at the moment".


    "No I don''t but the least I can say is that she came here to purchase a map from me" replied the man not even bothering to say what map they came to purchase but Alex already has an idea what it was.


    Getting up, Alex threw the purse at him before walking out of the building as he went to the spot where they had agreed to meet up. After waiting for some time, the others also arrive at the spot with berry having an angry look on his face which makes Alex chuckled as he asks.


    "So were you guys able to find anything about them".


    "Nothing man, I even went through the trouble of asking whoever I see but it was like they have never been here" replied Derrick.


    "What about you Wilson, were you able to find anything" asked Berry.


    "I only know that they rented a room in the Inn to spend the name and nothing more" replied Wilson.


    "What about you Alex and with the look on your face, I find it hard to believe that you didn''t have any news" said Berry as he turned to Alex.


    "I may have some information about them but it is not something that we can do on our own, so I suggested that we request for backup" replied Alex.


    "What makes you think we will need back up to get the three of them" asked Wilson who seemed confused as to why would Alex say something like that and he was not the only one who felt that way.


    "Are you saying we are not good enough to catch them" asked Berry with an angry look on his face.


    "That''s not what I meant when I say we need more people" reply Alex seeing that Berry has misunderstood him.


    "Then explain yourself" said Berry.


    "Well I got information from someone in an unpleasant place and according to the man, they came to purchase a map" replied Alex.


    After listening to his reasoning, Berry begins to think since it would be difficult to locate them now that they have left Carpie town.


    "Do you understand why I said we''ll need more people" asked Alex.


    "I guess you are right and since we don''t know where they would be, we have no choice than to request for more men but the problem now is if they would be able to make it in time" replied Berry.


    "They can start searching those areas that are closest to them while we split up to cover some part" suggested Derrick.


    There was no disagreement about his suggestion since it is the only choice they have. Taking out a transmission seal from his robe, Berry sent a message to their family head before keeping the seal away.


    "I''m taking the path that leads to the mountain" said Alex before anyone could say anything.


    After picking the path he want to search, the rest did the same before making their move but before going their separate way, Berry commanded.


    "If anyone should come across them, do not hesitate to inform the others".


    After giving the instruction, they split up and went their separate ways.


    "Keep on dreaming if you think that I will let you know if I were to come across them. They are all mine" mutter Alex with an evil grin on his face.


    The reason why Alex chose to take the path that led to the mountain was because it was an unusual place for one to be and since they are being chased, it makes it the perfect place for them to hide from their pursuer.


    After following the path for some time, Alex came across some footprint on the ground, and although it doesn''t look like those made by humans since it has almost been wiped out by the wind but he still didn''t lose hope but instead a smile appeared on his face as he picked up speed while moving ahead.

 Chapter 147 - Confrontation

    It was really late in the night and they still have not made it to the mountain yet showing how far the mountain was to them.


    "I need a rest for once or I don''t think that I will be able to make it to the capital" said Hannah as she stopped in her tracks.


    "Come Hannah, this isn''t the time to be playing around" replied Clara as she walked up to her.


    "But I am a really tired mother, we have been on the run since morning with no time to rest and eat something and it is already late in the night" said Hannah in tears.


    "But there is no place for us to rest here" replied Clara before taking a look around the place to see if there is any place for them to rest before continuing with her word.


    "The only place that we can take shelter on is the mountain, so come let''s hurry, I promise you will get all the rest you want once we get there".


    "You promise" asked Hannah as she wiped the tears off her face.


    "Though you can''t rest for long since we don''t know about the movement of our pursuer so you can take a rest for sometime before we continue with the journey" replied Clara with a smile.


    Since their mother had already agreed to let her rest once they got to the mountain, Hannah was happy as she continued walking again. And seeing her this way, Jason couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before following her from behind.


    Meanwhile, Alex was still following the trail that he saw earlier during his search, and this time it was quite clear that whoever the print belonged to must be heading to the mountain.


    "If I were to increase my pace, I might be able to catch up to whoever it belongs to" mutter Alex to himself before taking his eyes off the trail as he pushed off while running towards the direction of the mountain.


    After traveling for a long time, they were finally able to arrive at the foot of the mountain and that is when Hannah finally gave up as she put her things down before resting her body on the mountain and closing her eyes.


    "Come on, this is not the best place for us to rest up" said Clara as she looked up the mountain.


    "So where are we heading to mother" asked Jason.


    "We are going up the mountain Jason and do you mind carrying your sister" replied Clara.


    Doing as he was instructed, Jason carried Hannah on his back before they begin to climb the mountain, and after sometimes, Clara was finally able to locate a better place for them to rest for the night and that is when Jason finally put her down before going to a corner to rest also. Seeing that her children have gone to sleep, Clara lets out a sigh as she makes her way to the edge of the mountain where she keeps watch.


    In about two hours that they were resting, Clara suddenly pick up foreign energy not too far from where they are. Not hesitating to know who it was that is in the mountain at this time of the day, Clara quickly went ahead to wake them up knowing fully well that the only people that could be in the mountain at this time would surely be their pursuer.


    "I think they have caught up to us, we need to hurry out of this place as soon as possible" said Clara as woke Jason up before carrying Hannah on her back before running forward with Jason following behind her.


    "Is it a crime for someone to have a sleep" complains Jason.


    Sensing that the foreign energy is getting closer to them, Clara stops in her track since it is no use running when their enemy is already behind them. Seeing that his mother has stopped running, Jason was just about to ask her why she suddenly stops but before he could, his mother pushed Hannah to him before instructing him to look for a place to hide.


    Meanwhile, Alex who was chasing them after picking the energy of someone in the mountain suddenly has a smile on his face after noticing that the energy has stopped moving as he moved faster and before long he was already standing opposite a lady.


    "I wonder what a lady would be doing at a place like this, could it be that you are trying to get away from someone" asked Alex with a cunning smile on his face.


    Instead of replying to his question, Clara was just observing him and there was something that reminded her of the Wallace family which robe he was dawn on and the mask covering his face.


    "You are from the Wallace family ain''t you" said Clara with a serious look on her face.


    "Look like the Wallace family is quite famous for you to recognize a member when you see one" replies Alex with a chuckle.


    "How can one not know about the family who only knows how to kill for a living" said Clara.


    "With the way you are speaking is making it certain that you are the one I am looking for but I thought you are three in number so where are the rest hiding" asked Alex with a smile on his face as he begin to scan the place.


    "What business do you have with my children besides you have to think about your own safety before thinking about the others" replied Clara as she pulled out a sword.


    "Look like someone is already prepared to die" said Alex with a chuckle as he placed his hand on his back.


    "Who is going to die here hasn''t been decided yet so don''t just jump to conclusion yet" reply Clara before pushing forward to deliver a powerful attack to her opponent.


    Seeing the lady charging towards him, Alex took a step back before swinging his hand upward at the sword that is coming at him as he blocked the sword from coming any further. After successfully stopping the sword, Alex swings his hand once more as a short sword flew into the sky before falling on his hand as he also begins to fight back with a smile on his face.


    "You know at first I was angry to be sent to the Fox family territory to get a job done but now that I have finally caught up to you, I just want to drink your blood to quench my anger" said Alex with an evil laugh as h continue to fight.


    Trying her best not to waste time to talk to the mad man in front of her, Clara swing out another sword from her free hand as she deliver a slash are his stomach as he was not expecting it and Alex was left to take a step back as he looks at the blood soaking his robe.


    "What a cunning woman you turn out to be but good thing that I also brought an extra sword along so let have a lot of fun" said Alex with a smile on his face as he ignored the pain he was going through.


    Taking out another short sword, Alex quickly charges forward as he slashes the sword at any opening he could find leaving Clara to defend herself from getting any serious injuries. But the more they fought the more it became difficult to know who will come out victorious since they are evenly matched as they both have injuries in some part of their body.


    Meanwhile, Jason was busy watching the fight going between the two with a worried look on his face together with Hannah who was woke up by the sound of metal clashing against each other.


    "With the way things are going, it won''t be long before your mother loses the fight" comment the bracelet.


    "There must be something I can do to help her defeat him" said Jason as he clenches his fist together in anger.


    "There is nothing you can do to help the situation, instead you would only get in her way" replied the bracelet.


    "Don''t you have any plan on how we can distract him even if it is for a second since it is enough for my mother to deal a fatal blow to him" asked Jason.


    "The only way that you can help your mother in this situation is only when he is distracted but I don''t think it would be that easy for someone of your caliber" replied the bracelet.


    "All I just need to do is distract him, then that is what I am going to do" said Jason.


    "Take it easy there Jason, any wrong move you make could cause your death" advises the bracelet.


    "Don''t worry about me, I am not just going to rush up to him like a fool" replied Jason as he focus his gaze on the fight.

 Chapter 148 - Secret

    The fight continue for a long time with Clara getting more injuries on her and after fighting for some time, she made the mistake of blocking an attack from Alex which was aimed at her chest only for her to discover that it was faint but was already too late for her to defend herself as the short sword was stab into her stomach which makes her groan as she holds the sword firmly while not letting go. Seeing it as an opportunity, Jason activated the lightning boot before dashing out with the halberd in hand as he swung it toward Alex''s head only for him to miss the target as Alex was holding the halberd with a smile on his face.


    "You should have just gone into hiding and watched as I killed your mother instead you decided to rush in and get yourself killed" said Alex as he licked his lips like a mad man.


    "You are the one who is going to end up dead" replied Jason in anger as he kicked the halberd upward which took Alex by surprise as his hand went along with the halberd creating an opening on his ribcage. Gathering spiritual energy into his hand as he executed the iron fist technique before landing the hit on him as the sound of bones breaking could be heard.


    With a painful expression on his face, Alex swung the halberd on him as he was sent crashing into a slope.


    Walking toward Jason who is finding it hard to get up on his feet. Throwing a punch at him to put him down in his place, Alex couldn''t help but let out another punch at him which seemed to be more powerful than the previous one before picking him up after seeing that he couldn''t struggle again.


    "So you think that you are tough to attack me eh" said Alex before punching Jason in the stomach which caused him to let out a spit.


    "What is the matter boy, where is that fire you had in you a moment ago" asked Alex as he continued to hit him on the stomach while Jason yelled in pain.


    Not being able to watch her brother being beaten, Hannah came out of her hiding as she yelled for Alex to stop hitting her brother.


    "Oh now the whole family are together" said Alex with a smile as he turns to look at the young girl with a tearful eye.


    "Please I beg you, let my brother go" pleaded Hannah as she knelt on the ground weakly.


    "I don''t care if you plead from now till tomorrow, since he has the guts to hit me, he should be prepared to get killed as well" replied Alex before smacking Jason on the stomach.


    What Alex didn''t know was that while he was busy chatting happily, Jason was gathering energy in his hand waiting patiently for Alex to let his guard down. It didn''t take much time for Alex to feel relaxed again after seeing that he had everything under his control as he turned to Hannah with an evil grin on his face as he said.


    "Get ready, once I am done with him, I will be coming for you".


    The grin he had on his face suddenly turned to a frown as he felt a stingy pain in his ribcage and it was exactly the spot where the boy had punched him previously.


    "You annoying kid, I am going to kill you this instant" roar Alex in anger as he thrust a punch at Jason to knock him down before pulling out his sword as she raised it ready to chop it down on his head but before he could, a swoosh sound was heard and Alex just stood still before crimson red line begins to draw on his neck before he let go of the sword as he felt on top Jason dead.


    The moment Alex fell upon him, begin to struggle as he tries to get Alex off him before the technique would activate since he don''t want his mother to about the demonic technique he is using but unfortunately for him, the technique suddenly activated Jason as he was about to push him off him as the pain begin to go through his head not been able to hold it in due to how damage his body is, Jason let out a scream of agony as his vein begin to pop up while his body continues to absorb the energy.


    Hearing Jason screaming, Clara became frightened as she went to check up on him only for her to see that Alex''s body was decomposing with her son being under him. She was just about to pull him off only to see that the buckle body that was fighting with her previously had suddenly turned to a skeleton.


    After the process was over, Jason pushed the skeleton to the side as he began to breathe weakly but that was when he noticed that his mother was looking at him.


    "What just happened" asked Clara after some time of silence.


    "I don''t know mother, he just fell on me and the next thing I saw he was already burning like someone who was thrown in a volcano" replied Jason as he quickly came up with an excuse.


    "Are you sure that he just burned up" asked Clara once more.


    "Yes, mother. My guess is he tried to take me along with him to the afterlife but before he could complete his attack, his time was already up" replied Jason.


    Deciding not to think too much about the matter since they have made it out of a tough fight. Turning back to Jason who was still laying on the ground weakly as she asked.


    "Do you think you can move".


    "I think I should be able to after gaining some strength" replied Jason before taking out a pill from the storage ring he was wearing before popping it in his mouth before dropping his head as he closed his head while waiting for the effect to kick in.


    It didn''t take long before he was able to stand on his feet before stretching his body, although he could still feel some pain but it was not as it used to be and after absorbing Alex''s energy, Jason''s realm quickly shot to the six stages of the foundation realm.


    "I can''t believe you still have one of those pills on you" said Clara after seeing Jason recover slightly from the injuries he included.


    "I got them from the grand elder before our departure" replied Jason with a smile before passing some to his mother whose wounds are still bleeding and she continues to lose, it won''t be long before she will lose her life.


    Not hesitating, Clara took the pills from Jason before popping them on her mouth before sitting in a meditation position with her eyes close as she waited for the pill to begin it work which didn''t take long before the wound that she has sustained during the fight with Alex begin to heal but to their surprise, the deep wound that was on her stomach was not healing though it has stopped bleeding which got Hannah worried as she went close to her.


    "Why isn''t the wound healing".


    "I don''t think the pill is sufficient enough to heal me completely of my injuries" replied Clara with a smile.


    "So what are we supposed to do now that your wound is not healing" asked Jason worriedly.


    "I am fine alright, if you are worried about my wound I guess the only option I have right now is to get treated and that will be when we get to the capital" replied Clara before ripping a piece of the robe she was wearing making it look short as she uses it to bandage the wound before turning to Jason with a frown as she said.


    "What you did back there is really careless of you, you would have gotten us killed".


    "Sorry mother, I just thought maybe you could use some help which is why I charge in to help in a way that I can" replied Jason.


    "Instead of helping out, you should have taken your little sister and gotten out of this place" said Clara.


    "I can never leave either of you behind so if it were to repeat itself, I will still make the same decision without hesitating" replied Jason.


    Seeing that Jason would never listen to her, Clara could only let out a sigh before speaking.


    "Let''s just be glad that we manage to get rid of this problem. By the way I see that you were able to make another breakthrough when your life was being threatened".


    All Jason could do was smile before replying.


    "Now that we have dealt with him, our journey to the capital will be smooth".


    "That is where you are wrong for he couldn''t be the only one that was sent after us" said Clara.


    "You mean there could be others who are also searching for our whereabouts" asked Jason.


    "That is right so we need to be careful" replied Clara before keeping her sword away.

 Chapter 149 - The Waste Land

    Clara turns around to give the body one more look before continuing with their journey, this time around Hannah couldn''t complain after what happened, she knew they have to continue with going forward. Meanwhile,e all this time that they have been walking in the mountain, news has already gone to the Wallace family about the request for back up and they have already stationed themselves on the places that are linked to the Carpie town since they don''t have any idea of the path they are going to take.


    The sun was already out and they could still be seen walking in the mountain looking exhausted, especially Hannah who could hardly keep her eyes open.


    "Are we there yet" asked Hannah while struggling to walk.


    "Not quite, we still have a long way to go once we get out of the mountain" replied Clara.


    Letting out a deep sigh as she continued to walk, not even trying to complain but it was not the same thing with Jason, who business thinking about her they are going to avoid the others since their mother is not in a good state to fight.


    "There is no need thinking too much about it, the least you guys could do is look for a place to his completely healed completely heal, and maybe by them they would have given up on the search" said the bracelet.


    "Only if we could but you can see that she is seriously injured so there is no way we can hide completely healed completely heal" replied Jason.


    "If only you still had enough pill to cure internal injuries, it wouldn''t have been a problem to get rid of the injuries" said the bracelet.


    After traveling for a long time, they were able to get to the wasteland but instead of continuing their journey, they decided to take a little break. Taking out a jar of water, Clara passed it to Hannah before giving them food to eat. Taking a rest, Clara told Jason to reinforce his realm before she also went into meditation.


    "So when are you going to tell them about your secret" asked the bracelet.


    "When I feel like it is the right time I will but for now I just want to keep it to myself" replied Jason.


    "Then you should learn to keep it hidden instead of giving stupid excuse cause" said the bracelet.


    "It was an accident alright, how do you expect me to avoid coming in contact with his body" replied Jason.


    After they were done resting, they continue with their journey but as they were about to step into the wasteland, Clara instructed them to stop which makes them confused as to why would their mother stop them all of a sudden when there is no danger ahead.


    "Why are we stopping" asked Hannah as she took a look at her mother who was scanning the area.


    "We are about to step foot into the wasteland and according to the rumors going around, it is not the best place to be" replies Clara with a frown.


    "I don''t see any danger here so if you asked me I would say it is safe for us to continue" said Jason.


    "Not all danger could be seen on the surface Jason, some of the deadliest beasts are hidden underground while waiting patiently for their prey to come to them" replied Clara.


    "You mean there are beasts hidden underground" asked Hannah in surprise.


    "That is right. If they were to be found on the surface, it would have been quite easy for travelers to pass through, but since the majority of the beast is hidden underground, making it across would be very difficult since you will have to be very wary of where you stepped foot on" replied Clara.


    "Since they are hidden underground, how are we supposed to cross to the other side" asked Hannah.


    "You can leave that to me. You see after my many years of hunting in the beast territory, I have grown to know where a beast could be hidden and where it wouldn''t" replied Jason with a proud look on his face.


    Seeing her brother boosting, Hannah couldn''t help but shake her head in disappointment before turning to look at their mother as she asked the question again.


    "Mother what are we going to do".


    "I don''t know Hannah but just give me some time to think things through okay" replied Clara with a smile before turning to look at the wasteland.


    Jason was left speechless by his little sister who acted like he was not even there when he actually had a way out of the wasteland without getting attacked by the beast.


    "Hey I said that I can get us out of this place so don''t worry" said Jason to Hannah as he tries to reassure her.


    Getting annoyed by her brother, Hannah gave him a look for a while before speaking up.


    "I never wanted to say anything from the start and just pretend like I didn''t hear what you said but since you want to hear me speak so much, then I have no choice but to tell you that there are times to take things seriously and time to play around".


    "Do I look like someone who has the time to play around at a time like this" asked Jason with a frown on his face.


    "Big brother, that is what you have been doing. Just take a good look around, can you see any beast roaming around" asked Hannah as she stare at him while waiting for answers.


    "If there are truly beasts roaming in the opening, we would have gone to slay it" replied Jason.


    "Good. so tell me big brother why are we still standing here" asked Hannah once more.


    "That is because we don''t know where the beast could be hiding" replied Jason.


    "Alright then, since you already know the answer to that question can you stop bugging me" said Hannah.


    Jason couldn''t help it when his face twitched.


    "But I am telling you right now that I can truly tell if a beast is in our way" replied Jason who seemed to be in tears.


    "Yes you did but that is in the beast boundary but we are no longer there" replied Hannah.


    "Why can''t you just believe me for once. Dammit this is the reason why I like having Austin around, he would have understood unlike you who hasn''t even gone hunting with me" said Jason as he let out a sigh.


    "And whose fault is it" asked Hannah as she gave him a look.


    "Come on now, if you were to go with me, then who is going to look after our mother" replied Jason, seeing that he is about to bring up another topic that won''t be in his favor.


    While they were still talking, Clara suddenly picked a stone from the ground and threw it on a spot not too far from them which caught the attention of their two as they turned to look at their mother.


    "What are you trying to do, mother" asked Jason.


    "Trying to see if it would be safe to head there and to my surprise it is" replied Clara with a smile.


    "You can tell that it is safe for us to head there just by throwing a rock" asked Hannah with a confused look on her face.


    "Yes" replied Clara with a nod.


    "How can you tell that there is no beast there" asked Hannah.


    "Simple, by throwing a rock there I will be able to tell if any beast is hiding there through the movement of the soil but if there is none, it can be considered safe" replied.


    "Can that also work" said Jason as he turned to the bracelet for answers.


    "Of course, you see beasts are very sensitive to sound and since they heard something close to them, they won''t be able to hold themselves back as the only thing they would be thinking of doing is to devour the object" replied the bracelet.


    "I think I get it now, but the problem now is how long can we keep it up before we get to the other side of the wasteland," said Jason as he begin to look around them.


    "It all depends if you can find enough objects to use as a test since they don''t believe in your ability to lead them out of here" replied the bracelet.


    "I can''t blame them for that since our life is at stake here" said Jason.


    After confirming from the bracelet that the area in which the rock landed on was completely safe, Jason turn to his mother as he asked her the question that has been bothering him.


    "If we go by this method you came up with, is it possible for us to make it to the other side without running out of rocks".


    "I think we should have enough to get us to the other side but we are not continuing now since it is already getting dark" replies Clara as she looks at the sky.

 Chapter 150 - Life And Death

    "Why don''t we just travel at night when there will be no sign of the sun shining down on us" asked Hannah.


    "That is because our vision will be limited to certain things and just because it is already dark, that does not mean that the beast is fast asleep" replied Jason as an experienced hunter.


    "Your brother is right about that, unless you want to fall into the jaws of the beast that is hiding underground, you are free to continue" joke Clara.


    "I can hardly venture on my own when we were still in the Fox family not to talk about now that we are in a strange place" said Hannah.


    Instructing them to take asleep so as to have enough energy to continue their journey. The next day making it the third day journey to the capital and after sleeping for the night, they were finally filled with energy as they ventured into the wasteland with their mother leading the way. After going deep into the wasteland, they could see skeletons of all kinds laying on the ground with some belonging to humans while some belonging to some beasts that came in unaware of the danger roaming in the wasteland.


    "Don''t look at them" said Clara when seeing the careful look on Hannah''s face.


    "I wonder how many people must have lost their lives in this place" said Jason after seeing many humans body on the floor.


    "You won''t be able to get your answer since there has never been a record of it but if you ask me, I will say they more than a thousand who has lost their lives in this place" replied Clara as she continue to throw a stone on the ground.


    There have been some times that a beast will come out to attack his prey when a stone was thrown at it only for it to end up being killed by Clara. They travel a long way and that is when they finally run out of rock leaving Clara with the option of using her energy to knock at the ground which was a little task on her side considering that she was seriously injured and has yet to recover.


    Using her spiritual energy truly helps a lot as they were able to go a long way but as time went on her face begin to go pale from exhaustion with was beginning to get Jason worried and left with no choice, Jason decided to tell her to rest for a while which she refuse to as she said.


    "That would be the greatest regrets of all, to rest in the face of danger.


    "But you need to rest considering your condition" replied Jason worriedly.


    "We don''t have enough time on hand now, so I will do just that after we make it out of this wasteland" said Clara as she push on.


    They continued with their journey for two hours when Clara suddenly fell down out of exhaustion and they both have to work up to her to see what was happening to her only to see her getting dried up from using a lot of her energy.


    "I will handle it from here, just don''t stress yourself anymore" said Jason before giving her support as he instructed the bracelet to scan the area to see if there was any beast nearby and after getting confirmation from the beast, Jason led the way as he went to the spot where the beast has told him to be safe with Hannah following from behind in fright that Jason might lead them into danger but after going from one place to another without attracting the attention of the beast which makes her wonder if what she has said about him previously was wrong.


    It took them long enough before they were able to see the other side of the wasteland but that is when the bad news came.


    "You need to make haste for a beast is heading your way and since your mother is badly injured, I don''t think you will be able to survive an attack from it" warn the bracelet.


    Seeing that her brother''s expression is getting serious, Hannah knew something was up as she had to ask.


    "What is it big brother".


    "We are being chased by a beast, come on let''s get out of this place before we end up as it meal" replied Jason as he make a run for it while supporting their mother who also tries her best to run so as to reduce his burden.


    The beast that has been giving chase from underground earlier suddenly came to the surface after seeing that its prey are on the run as he continue to give chase.


    "What is that thing" said Hannah worriedly when she turn around to see if the beast is still giving chase.


    Looking back to see what it really was that they have been running from only for Jason to have a frown on his face when he finally saw the beast. The beast is more like a centipede and it is a lot bigger.


    "I know you are thinking that it is weaker and that you can take it out because of its sluggish movement but what you don''t know is that you would not be able to influence an attack on it due to his defense and you will end up drawing the attention of the other beast to yourself" advice the bracelet when seeing Jason hesitating.


    "Let''s just focus on leaving this place" replied Jason before looking ahead.


    Looking away from the beast, Hannah pick up some speed as she ran ahead of Jason while ignoring the fact that there could be a beast hidden anywhere, and whenever a beast was about to lay an ambush on her, Jason would quickly send the beast flying with the help of his halberd. After running for a while, they were finally able to make it out of the wasteland but not daring to linger close to the wasteland to catch their breath since the beast was still giving chase which only stop in its pursue after they have run far from the wasteland.


    After they have finally escaped the beast, Jason took out some pills and he gave them to his mother to help her recover some energy before sitting down as he let out a sigh. Taking a look at the strange land before in front of him which was covered with trees of all kinds.


    "Look like I will have to go look for something to eat after resting for a while" said Jason after observing the thick forest that was before them.


    "So what are we supposed to do now that we have let the wasteland" asked Hannah.


    "We will have to wait for mother to recover before deciding on our next move but for now you need to take some rest" replied Jason before getting up as he begin to walk forward.


    "And where do you think you are going" asked Hannah as she stare at Jason back.


    "I am going to look for something to eat while we wait for mother to recover" replied Jason with a smile.


    "So are you going to leave us alone in this place" asked Hannah.


    "Relax no one should be coming out of the wasteland anytime soon. Besides I am not staying there for long" replied Jason before walking into the forest.


    After heading inside, Jason didn''t waste time to observe the surrounding before instructing the bracelet to scan the area for any beast before going after the beast after the location was given and it didn''t take him much time for him to find the beast as he took out one of the beast limb.


    "Lucky you I only need this for food else you would have been dead by now" said Jason as he watch the beast as it struggles to get away.


    Since he has finally secured their meal, Jason head back to where his mother and sister were resting only to see his mother who faces was pale a moment ago has finally recovered a little. And seeing Jason was finally back from his hunt, Hannah dash forward to lend him a hand but decided against it after seeing the blood flowing out of the limb he was carrying on his shoulder. Seeing the way she was acting, Jason couldn''t help but let out a chuckle as he placed the limb down.


    "How are you finally now mother" asked Jason after putting the limb down.


    "Much before and it wouldn''t take long before I will be able to walk on my own again" replied Clara.


    "Then I guess we will have to help ourselves with some of this before we move out" said Jason with a laugh before turning to Hannah as he instructed her to get some branches which they would use to set the fire which didn''t take her much time to gather some dry branches since there are some close by.

 Chapter 151 - Hes More Of A Leech

    After resting for a while, they venture into the forest with their mother taking the lead. Following the description on the map, they were able to make it out of the forest before the sun was about to go down. Now looking at the town that was before them and although it looks better than Carpie town, it was still considered a small town.


    "Is this where we are supposed to get transportation to the capital" asked Jason as he looked at the busy town not far from them.


    "That is it alright, Lapis where almost all business is conducted but we have to be careful since we don''t know if there is any member of the Wallace family in the vicinity" replied Clara.


    "I doubt that there will be any in this place" said Jason.


    "Knowing the Wallace family, they are already stationed in other towns just in case we show up" replied Clara.


    "Are they really that jobless to be doing something like this" complain Hannah.


    "That is just the way they operate since they don''t want to give their target the chance to escape to later come and hunt them. We will wait here until it is dark before going inside to purchase some horses" replied Clara.


    And that is how they waited in the forest not far from Lapis town to avoid being seen by others until when it get dark before they finally decided to head into the town in hope that some of the citizens have already gone to bed only for them to see that the place was still as noisy as it was in daylight. Making their way toward the stable where they are supposed to get a horse, only for Clara to notice someone among the crowd where a black robe with a mask on, and she quickly drags her children to the side where they hide away from the young man.


    "Hey man, sorry if I am bothering you but have you seen a lady walking around with a boy and a girl" asked the young man as he stop a passerby.


    "Almost all the woman here has children so how am I supposed to know who you are looking for" replied the passerby before walking away.


    Seeing that the man just stop has a point in what he was saying, the young man let out a sigh before walking away.


    "Just like I thought it won''t be easy searching for them once they get into a town" said Berry before walking away.


    Seeing the man walking away, Clara turns to the two before her as she advises.


    "Since we are here it would be very difficult for them to track us so I want you guys to try and blend with the crowd alright".


    And reply with a nod before getting out of their hiding place as they continue heading toward the stable which didn''t take them much time to reach.


    "And how may I help you" said the owner of the stable when seeing the lady hurrying toward him.


    "I would like to purchase two horses from you sir" replied Clara.


    "That is going to cost you about three hundred spirit stones" said the owner with a straight face.


    "Isn''t that a little too much for a horse" asked Clara.


    "This is business madam, if you want them you can pay up and if you don''t, you can just leave" replied the owner.


    Seeing that the owner is not in the mood to negotiate the price with them, Clara could only bring out the spirit stone that is left after renting a room to spend the night in Carpie town but unfortunately for her, the spirit stone that was with her was not even up to a hundred and she couldn''t help but let out a sigh as she turns to the owner of the stable ready to please when Jason spoke up.


    "Sir is it okay if we pay you with some of our valuables" asked Jason.


    "As long as it is of the same value with the spirit stones then sure" replied the owner as he turned to Jason.


    After getting assurance from the owner of the stable, Jason brought out the storage ring that he took away from Fred as he began to take out weapons after weapons with some pills until there was nothing left before turning to the owner with a smile on his face as he asked.


    "Will these be enough sir".


    The owner was lost for words as he stare at the bunch of pills and weapons laying in front of him and it was only after Jason has called him again that he was able to regain his reasoning as he cleared his throat before speaking.


    "It should be enough for you to get the horses. Right this way please".


    Leading them inside the stable where they quickly made their choice before dragging the horses out of the stable. Keeping the stuff away, the owner decided to close for the night leaving them to do their stuff.


    "I wonder how am I supposed to ride this thing" said Jason as he look at the horse.


    "Easy, just watch as I move around with mine" replied Clara before getting on the horse moving around.


    Seeing how easy it was for his mother to walk around, Jason quickly got on the horse as he hold the reins of the horse just like his mother did before swinging it gently and the horse begins to move forward and he let out a smile. Seeing that he was able to get it right, Clara instructed Hannah to climb on her horse since it is Jason first time riding before they ride out of the stable as they make way towards the entrance leading out of Lapis town but that is when someone yelled hurriedly, Clara turn around to see what it was only to see a drunkard pointing at them and before long the young man who has been asking around look in the direction where the hand is pointing at only to see a lady and two kids riding a horse as he got up from his seat before rushing toward their direction.


    "We need to get out of here really quick" warned Clara in an uneasy tone before smacking the reins hard and the horse let out a cry before dashing out in full speed.


    Jason also smacks his rein hard and the horse ran out with Berry giving chase from behind but after he failed to catch up to them, he went back to get a horse before riding out of Lapis town.


    Getting out of the town without being chased didn''t make Clara slow down one bit after seeing the expression on the man''s face which tells that he will surely give chase, the only thought that was going through her mind is to move faster to get away from him for if he were to know their destination, it wouldn''t be long before they caught and with the state that she is in, she won''t be able to put up a good fight against the young man.


    After getting far enough, Clara turn around to take a look at her environment to see if the man is on their tail only to see that they were alone in the road as she let out a sigh as she thought of relaxing but that was when a horse cry could be heard as she turns around only to see a horse coming at them at full speed.


    "We need to move faster" instructed Clara before moving ahead again and Jason also did the same as they move faster.


    "There is no doubt about it, they are the survivals of the Mccray family" muttered Berry as he hit the reins harder.


    After riding for some time and seeing that they couldn''t shake the young man off, Clara decided they head onto a rocky path to try and confuse their pursuer.


    "He more of a leech to you guys" joke the bracelet.


    "You are not helping here" said Jason.


    "Why haven''t you used that liquid you got from killing that spiky frog to shake him off for some time" suggested the bracelet.


    "Dammit, I actually forgot about that" replied Jason with a laugh before turning to his mother as he said.


    "Mother I think I might have a way we can get rid of him".


    "Since you do then go ahead and do it or are you waiting for us to get caught you use that head of yours" replied Hannah who was already panicking in fear.


    with a twitched face Jason was just looking at his sister in anger when his mother suddenly spoke up.


    "Don''t listen to your sister, you can see that she has already lost it. So about that plan of yours, do you think it is going to work".


    "Definitely" replied Jason with a nod.


    "If you say it would work then I will leave it to you, just tell me when you are ready" said Clara.

 Chapter 152 - Searching For A Physician

    Keeping watch as he begins to watch the pursuer as he tries to get close to them but due to the rocky path they are traveling on, it makes it difficult for him to catch up to them. wiping the reins with more force as the horse increases its speed but before he could get any further to them, a small jar was thrown at him, and with a smirk, he waved his hand as the jar was smashed in mid-air but it didn''t take him long enough for him to regret his actions as the content inside the jar exploded with a green smoke spreading out of it and since is in the range of the explosion, his skin begins to erode. Having no choice on how to get away from the smoke since the horse he was riding has already lost it.


    Seeing how he is going to die if he doesn''t get away from the smoke, Berry quickly jumps off the horse before taking out some pills from his storage ring as he pops it into his mouth while watching his horse struggling for a bit before dying. Now looking at his skin as it still looks the same as it was after coming in contact with the smoke.


    "What kind of poison is this that just won''t go away even after taking a pill" said Berry with a frown on his face.


    Seeing that their pursuer has stopped after Jason threw whatever it was that is in the jar at him, Clara let out a sigh of relief but then again she couldn''t help but turn her gaze at Jason who has a proud smile on his face as she begins to wonder.


    ''I wonder where he got that thing from, for it to bring down a horse and at the same time stop that man from passing through''.


    Letting the matter go for now, Clara led the way as they took another path after losing their pursuer before facing their actual path to the capital. And seeing that he has lost his target, Berry let out a bitter roar before taking his leave.


    "Now that I know what they look like, I need to head back home and get a picture of them to make the search easy and as for this wound, maybe the physician would be able to do something about it" said Berry as he made his way out of the path.


    Meanwhile on the road to the Capital was all smiles as he said to the bracelet happily.


    "I can''t believe it actually works, maybe I should try using it another time".


    "You can use it when your opponent least expects it but the problem is, I don''t think that you would be able to use it more than once since you are already short of supply" replied the bracelet.


    "As long as I would be able to avoid getting caught by my enemies, it doesn''t matter if I only used it once" said Jason.


    After riding for some hours, they were finally able to see the capital from Africa and by then their mother''s condition had worsened.


    "We need to get inside quickly and have your wound treated as soon as possible" said Jason with a worried look on his face as he turned his gaze to look at the towering buildings that were ahead of them.


    "I can still hold on so you don''t have to worry about me" replied Clara with a painful look on his face.


    Knowing her mother to be the type of person who won''t let others worry about her, Jason decided to be silent about the whole thing as they continue to make their way toward the capital which took them about fifteen minutes to get there and unlike the fox family, there was a multitude of people standing outside with guards standing outside as they go about checking those that want to get inside the capital and to Jason surprise the weakest of the guard seem to be in the gold core realm.


    "The security here is very tight" mutters Jason with a shocked look on his face.


    "That is because unlike the other family territory, the capital is been governed by the minister who was appointed by his majesty granting the other family with no privilege over its property and since they are not under the protection of the families, they have to hire some able men who would be able to protect the capital from the attack of bandit" replied Clara as she fills Jason in on the information about the capital.


    "But don''t you think that they are going too far in checking everyone that is going inside" asked Jason with a frown since their job is just to fend off the bandit who has the intention of raiding the capital.


    "Not at all since the bandits could also disguise themselves so it is appropriate for the guards to make sure that those that came in here are those who want to reside or came for business" replied Clara.


    Thinking about what his mother just said, Jason finds it right for them to do just that but then again if those from the Wallace family were to come here, would they be classified as a threat to the capital. With this thought in mind, Jason turned to his mother to clarify but the answer he got from his mother was also what he had been expecting.


    After something, it was finally their turn to get checked by the guard which didn''t take them long enough to get access inside and getting inside the capital, Jason couldn''t help but be awed by the structure of the buildings, market place and others making him feel like he is in another world but it all came to a stop when his mother suddenly throw up.


    "Are you okay mother" asked Jason worriedly as he rush forward to check on her.


    "Yes I am fine Jason" replied Clara as she wiped the stain of blood off her lips.


    "You need to get her treated as soon as possible before things get worse" advises the bracelet.


    Not daring to linger to look around the place as he move forward while asking around where they could get a physician which did not cause them much time to find where they could get one as they race to the location that was pointed out to them but what they saw when they got to the building that they could get one, they once again saw a crowd of people standing there as if waiting to get treated.


    "What is wrong with this place anyway" said Jason with gritted teeth before coming down from his horse as he went to the place that is most crowded to see if he could get a physician.


    But to his surprise, the reason why they were crowded was just to get their name written down as soon as possible to meet the physician.


    "Please everyone, I don''t know if you will be so willing to let us see the physician first because my mother here is very injured" pleaded Jason as he pointed at his mother who was struggling to get off the horse.


    "I am sorry boy but the rules here are simple, first come first serve. Who cares if your mother is going to die in a minute" said a young man with a bulky body.


    "Yeah, do you think it is easy getting an appointment with the physicians in this place" added another from the crowd.


    "I know it isn''t easy but you can see the state that she is in and if she doesn''t get treated soon enough, it won''t be the same as what you are all saying" said Jason as he continues to beg the crowd.


    "Like we said kid, nobody cares about your issues and as you can see, we are also here to get treated as well so enough with the babyface and get in line" said someone from the crowd.


    Seeing that no one was willing to step down for his mother to get treated, Jason decided to walk out of the place in search of someone who could help his mother but before he could take a step forward, a low voice rang out of the midst of the crowd and turning around to see who it was only for Jason to notice a blond girl with blue eyes standing not far from him while wearing a white robe with a badge on the chest which has the imprint of a flower who seems to be around his age.


    "Just take a look at these guys, an apprentice in training is about to treat her first patient" said a slime man who had one of his eyes swallowed as he laughed at the lady who just said she could help.


    "Shut up you fool it is just a wound, if I can''t treat something like these, then I am not fit to be called an apprentice" replied the lady as she barked back at the man who was making fun of her not quite long.

 Chapter 153 - Amanda

    After barking at the man, the young apprentice turns to Jason before asking.


    "Do you mind if I take a look at her wound".


    "As long as you can heal her, I don''t mind letting you see the wound" replied Jason with a nod before letting the apprentice take a look at the wound.


    After examining the wound for some time, the apprentice withdrew her gaze before turning to Jason.


    "If I am not mistaken, this wound was caused by a sword" said the young apprentice.


    "Everyone here can tell that it was caused by a sword so does that make us a physician also" chuckle the young man who was barked at.


    "It would have been easy for them to heal the wound without coming here to get her treated if it were to be an ordinary stab but the problem here is that there seem to be some poison lingering in the wound which could be caused by the sword" replied the young apprentice with a frown as he turned to the man.


    "You are just making things up here young lady" said the man.


    Seeing how the man is trying to get into a fight with the only physician which he could find at the moment, he suddenly yelled at the man with his eyes burning in rage.


    "One more word from you and you won''t be needing the physician anymore. I remember pleading with you all to let us see the physician but you refused but now that someone has volunteered to help, you are trying to distract her".


    Feeling the killing intent in the eyes of the young man, he did better than to open his mouth and go back to wait in line. Seeing that he has stopped with his racket, Jason turns back to the young lady with a smile on his face as he asks.


    "Will it be possible for you to remove the poison from the wound".


    "These... It shouldn''t be a problem but I will need some herbs and a quiet place to conduct the treatment" replied the young apprentice after hesitating a little before giving him a reply.


    "Just tell me what you need and I will go get it ready" said Jason.


    "Since you say so, here is the list of the herbs that I will be needing to start the treatment" replied the young apprentice as she wrote down the list of herbs before passing it to Jason.


    Going through the names, Jason found it difficult to recognize any of the herbs that were written down and left with no choice, he turned to the apprentice as he asked in an awkward tone.


    "Do you mind telling me where I can get all these herbs".


    "You can purchase them in the herb store not far from the tavern" replied the apprentice.


    "Thanks" said Jason before turning to Hannah as he instructed her to look after their mother as he went out of the hall to search for the tavern which shouldn''t be difficult for him to locate. Getting there, Jason quickly purchased the herbs before heading back to the hall but on getting there, he saw that their mother was vomiting blood once more. Knowing fully well what could be causing it, he rush in as he passed the herbs to the apprentice as he asked what they should do next only for him to let out a bitter smile as he replied to the apprentice.


    "You just arrive here and didn''t have the time to look for a place to rent before her condition worse".


    There was a little silence between their two before the apprentice decided to speak up.


    "Well there is an apartment that hasn''t been used for years now in the area where I live, you can rent it now, and don''t worry about the bills I will help you talk to him to let you in until you have enough money to pay the rent".


    "That can also work, if you don''t mind can you lead us there" replied Jason.


    With a nod, the apprentice walks out of the hall before leading the way. It took them twelve minutes to get there and the apprentice left to talk to whoever was in charge of the place before coming back after a short time as she unlock the door.


    "Quickly put her down here" said the apprentice hurriedly as she wipe away the duct from the bed that was in the room.


    Putting his mother down, Jason turn to give the place a look and he could tell that it has really been long since someone has live in the apartment with the whole place being filled with dust and cobweb.


    "Do you mind lending me a hand here" said the apprentice as she took the herbs out of the container that they were being kept in.


    "What do you want me to do" asked Jason as he went over.


    "I will need some liquor to wash the wound first before thinking of getting rid of the poison but I don''t have any with me so I was thinking if you have with you or you can go get one" replied the apprentice as she tore the piece that Clara has used to cover the wound.


    "I think there should be some here" said Jason before taking the storage ring that belongs to Alex out as he began to search the content and after a while, he took out a jar of liquor before passing it to the apprentice.


    Taking the jar, the apprentice instructed him and Hannah to hold their mother tightly before she begin to clean the wound with the liquor while Clara let out a painful moan in her unconscious state. After she was done clearing the wound, she begin to squeeze them together before utilizing her energy to refine them, and before long, a liquid dropped from the herb and fell Into the wound causing Clara''s face to twitch a little before there was a sign of relief on her face.


    Seeing that everything is done, the apprentice wipes the sweat from her head before getting up as she said.


    "She should be able to recover soon enough".


    "What about the poison" asked Jason to be certain that the poison is finally gone.


    "It will take some time for the medicine to get rid of the poison and her body will begin to heal the wounds on its own. If I am not mistaken, she has tried taking a pill before to heal her wound" said the apprentice.


    "That is right but apart from stopping the bleeding, there was nothing else" replied Jason.


    "Since that is the case, the effect of the pill is still there, and given some time of reach, she should be fine by tomorrow" said the apprentice with a smile.


    "Thank you for your help, I don''t know what we would have done if you didn''t lend us a hand" Jason and Hannah begin to thank the apprentice.


    "It is only natural that I help her since it is within my ability. And by the way, I am Amanda, you can always come to look for me in the physician hall if you need any help" replied Amanda with a smile.


    "I am Jason and she is my sister Hannah" said Jason.


    "Nice to meet you too, I think I should head back before I get into trouble" reply Amanda.


    "Please don''t let us hold you back" said Jason.


    "I will come check on her condition tomorrow so until then" replied Amanda before rushing out of the place.


    Watching as Amanda made her way out of the resident, Jason let out a sigh as he make his way back to take a look at how his mother is faring.


    "It is rare to see someone who is willing to help a stranger" said the bracelet.


    "I am really grateful to her for saving my mother. And as for those from the phoenix and Wallace families, they should be prepared for what is about to hit them" replied Jason with gritted teeth.


    "I don''t think you are ready for that yet, maybe you need to keep a low profile for the now until you are capable enough before thinking of taking revenge" advises the bracelet.


    "I know that I am weak right now but it won''t be long especially those from the phoenix family, I promise to wipe them out of existence without leaving a single being be it an unborn child" said Jason as he clenched his fist together.


    "Don''t let your anger get to you, just focus on your training and how to manage things here" suggest the bracelet.


    While Jason was chatting with the bracelet, Clara let out a groan and Jason has to turn to take a look at her only to see that she was fast asleep with Hannah sleeping beside her soundly.


    "Now we need to think of how to get enough spirit stone to pay for the rent" mutter Jason with a sigh.

 Chapter 154 - Home

    Looking at how dusty the place is, Jason couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "There is lots of work that needs to be done here" Jason said as he got up before taking a walk around the place.


    Meanwhile back in the Wallace territory, Berry has finally made it back and as to his arrival, both Derrick and Wilson were already waiting inside the hall waiting for someone until they saw Berry walking in with a corroded hand and with a twitching face, Derrick asked.


    "What the hell happened to you".


    "It was caused by one of the targets who happened to pass by Lapis town" replied Berry with a frown on his face.


    "The target was able to injure you" asked Wilson with a surprised look on his face.


    "It was actually the work of a poison I guess which he threw at me" replied Berry.


    "I see and since you were able to arrive here so quickly means you have already dealt with him" said Derrick.


    "Not really, after using the poison on me, the horse which I was riding on died on the spot giving them the chance to get away" replied Berry with gritted teeth.


    "They ran away and you decided to come back here without even giving chase to know exactly where they ran to" asked Wilson.


    "I actually wanted to but I couldn''t due to the fact that the poison was still in the area and it would only worsen my state if I were to go through it and let''s not forget about my arm" replied Berry.


    "What about your arm" said a voice from the hall.


    "Greeting family head" greeted Berry and the others when they heard the voice and there was silence. After some time, Berry decided to carry on.


    "After I was infected by the poison, it seems like it is moving around my body while trying to affect the body parts" said Berry as he looked at his arm.


    "You can pay elder Damon a visit, maybe there is something he can do about that arm of yours and as for the rest of you, you will have to continue the search without Berry for now" replied the family head.


    They nodded to his order and were just about to leave when the family head spoke up once again.


    "It seems like Alex was not able to make it to the meeting".


    And it was only then that Berry noticed that he hadn''t heard the annoying voice even when he came with an injured arm.


    "For him to miss the meeting, it could only mean that Alex is dead" suggested Derrick.


    "If you say so, the problem is who could have been strong enough to kill someone as powerful as him" said Wilson as he found it hard to believe that his friend was dead.


    "Who else could have killed him if not for the target" replied Derrick.


    "That is not true, I have seen them with my own eyes, and knowing Alex there is no way he will lose against a foundation realm expert and a lady who has a foot on the grave" said Berry.


    "If you say so but then again why is he not here" asked Derrick.


    "Maybe he finds a lead about the target and decided to follow it, knowing the kind of person he is, he will ignore the call for a meeting and continue with his track, and let not forget that he was already angry about being given such a lame assignment" reply Wilson with a smile after knowing the strength of their target.


    "Whatever, if he is still alive just as you claim he should be, he will have to come back and face his punishment" Derrick.


    After saying those words, they were just about to leave but that was when Berry remembered that he still hadn''t shown them the identity of the target.


    "Wait a minute, I might have something that would help you a lot in your search" he said before taking out a scroll and brush as he began to make some drawings on the scroll before passing it to Derrick after some minutes.


    "That is not exactly how they look but it is close to it, I want you to make extra copies of it and pass it to the others" instructed Berry before walking out of the hall as he make way to elder Damon.


    "With this, it would be more easier to search for them" said Derrick with a smile before also walking out.


    The next morning¡­..


    Jason woke up and went to check on his mother and to his surprise, she was already awake and thought the wound was still there but it doesn''t seem to be causing her any trouble like it did the other day and to her side was Hannah who was still asleep.


    "You seem to be doing okay" said Jason as he approached her with a smile on his face.


    "Yes, and it is all thanks to that young lady who help extract the poison from my wound. I would like to thank her personally for saving my life" replied Clara as she remain lying still on the bed.


    "You have to recover from your injury before thinking of doing something as such besides she will be coming today" said Jason with a smile.


    Clara only smiled before closing her eyes but all of sudden, she opened them which frighten Jason as he asked her what the problem was out of fear that something might have happened to her.


    "Where are we" asked Clara.


    "An old apartment. You can call it our new home" replied Jason as he let out a sigh.


    "Our new home? Since when did we have a home" asked Clara confusedly.


    "Well, you see Amanda help us purchase this place in hope that we will pay for the rent later after we have settled down since she needs a place to begin your treatment" replied Jason.


    After hearing the whole story, Clara finally close her eyes as she went back to sleep without any worries.


    ''Who would have thought that she will frighten the living hell out of me over such matter'' thought Jason to himself as he went to wash off since he has not been able to do soon due to his mother''s health.


    "Time to go look for something to eat" said Jason with a smile after he was done washing up.


    "You should be careful about your pursuers being in the area" advises the bracelet.


    "Since we are already inside the capital, I don''t see any reason why I should be scared about them causing there here" replied Jason.


    "You may have made it into the capital but according to what your mother said the other day, they can still have their way here so be careful" said the bracelet.


    "No problem" replied Jason before walking out of the apartment.


    ''Since this place has been abandoned for a long time, there shouldn''t be any problem leaving it unprotected for now'' thought Jason as he make his way to the market.


    After spending some time in the market, Jason make his way back but then he saw that the door was open, with a frown on his face he hasten as he went inside ready to see who could be so daring to come in only for him to run into Amanda and by the look of things, she just arrived.


    "Why are you in a rush" asked Amanda as she let out a sigh which tells how frightened she was by Jason''s sudden appearance.


    "Sorry if I frighten you, I thought maybe the enemy has found out where we are hiding" reply Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "But I told you that I would be stopping by to check on your mother''s condition" said Amanda.


    "I actually forgot about that" replied Jason with a smile.


    "So how is she doing" asked Amanda with a smile as she made her way to the bed only to see her sleeping.


    "Unlike yesterday, she was feeling much better" replied Jason.


    "That''s good to hear" said Amanda with a nod before looking at the wound as she took something out of her storage ring before passing it to Jason.


    "Feed her that pill when she is awake" said Amanda.


    "Are you leaving" asked Jason.


    "Yeah I need to go for my training" replied Amanda with a smile as she made her way to the entrance.


    "Ah, I thought that you would be staying for a while until she wakes up" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "Maybe another time" she replied as she opened the door and just as she was about to go out, she turned around and said.


    "I think you should clean this place up to make it look anew again" said Amanda before closing the door behind her.


    After she has gone, Jason let out a sigh as he mutter to himself.


    "This place sure needs a cleaning".

 Chapter 155 - Tracking The Wallace Family

    Just after Amanda left the apartment, Hannah suddenly woke up as she made a few stretches here and there before turning a gaze to Jason.


    "I thought I heard Amanda speak not quite long" asked Hannah.


    "She just left for work" replied Jason.


    "Is there anything I can eat, I am really starving" said Hannah as she held her stomach.


    "There is but before we get to that, let''s get this place cleaned up" reply Jason.


    Left with no sure, Hannah had to join him to clean the place up but just as they were cleaning, they heard the door being open and Amanda was right in front of them with a worried look on his face.


    "Why are you looking like that" asked Jason with a frown as he stopped what he was doing.


    "There is trouble, I think whoever that is after you is now in the capital" replied Amanda.


    "What do you mean by that, we never left a track behind when coming so how did they manage to find us" asked Jason with a frown.


    "I think they would have a high chance of finding you with this" replied Amanda as she brought out a poster with their face on it.


    When Jason saw the poster, he couldn''t help but frown deeply as he took it from Amanda to take a closer look at it and after some time, he turned his gaze back to her as he asked.


    "Did you by any means see who posted it and if I may ask, are there many posters of this kind in the capital".


    "Yeah, it was posted by a man dressed in black but I was not able to see his face due to the fact that he was wearing a mask" replied Amanda.


    "The Wallace family" mutters Jason as he clenches his fist together in anger.


    "Are the Wallace family the ones chasing after you" asked Amanda when she heard him calling their name.


    "Yes they are and since they already know what we look like, it wouldn''t be safe for us to walk around, and by the way did you have an idea of his cultivation" replied Jason.


    "He seems to be in the gold core realm but if you are thinking of going after him I suggest you abandon that idea because he is not the only member of the Wallace that was sent here" said Amanda.


    "Hmm, how many do you think might be in the capital at this minute" asked Jason


    "I don''t have a clue about that since this is not the first time that they are doing business here" replied Amanda as she shook her head.


    "Alright thanks for your help, please be careful if they found out that you have helped us, it will bring you trouble" said Jason as he let out a sigh.


    "I will alright, I just want to inform you about it and now that you already did, I will be taking my leave now" replied Amanda with a smile before leaving.


    "Guess there is no way we are going to have a peaceful stay here if we don''t get rid of them" mutter Jason in anger.


    "Be careful boy, you still don''t have enough strength to go against them" said the bracelet.


    "What if I were to use the pill to boost my cultivation?" replied Jason as he made his way to a quiet place before sitting on the ground as he took out one of the pills.


    "Have you forgotten what happened to you the last time you took the pill" asked the bracelet.


    "What other choice do I have, if I don''t make a breakthrough soon, it won''t be long before they make their way here" replied Jason.


    Popping the pill in his mouth, Jason went into meditation and it didn''t take long before the effect of the pill began to kick in as his inside began to swell due to the essence amount of energy that was being released from the pill.


    "If you feel like you won''t be able to absorb everything, you can try to exhale some of the energy out of your body" advises the bracelet.


    "There would be no need for that" replies Jason as he continues to absorb the energy.


    After some time of absorbing the energy, the expansion of his body began to reduce as he continued to absorb the energy until there was nothing left of it and that was when he opened his eyes with a disappointing look on his face.


    "I can''t believe that I still couldn''t achieve a breakthrough even after absorbing the whole energy inside the pill" said Jason.


    "With every breakthrough you have the more energy that would be required for the next" replied the bracelet.


    "So I need to go through another round of pain just to breakthrough" said Jason to himself as he let out a light sigh before taking another pill out as he popped it in his mouth.


    Going through the same process as usual as he greedily absorb the whole energy but there was still no sign of him breaking through, letting out an angry roar as he pop another pill in his mouth before closing his eyes as he begins to absorb the energy and finally, after about fifteen minutes, he was finally able to achieve a breakthrough but by then he only has one pill remaining.


    "I guess I will have to give this one to my mother, maybe it would be useful to her" said Jason before keeping the pill away.


    "I don''t think you are strong enough to face them being just a seven stage of the foundation realm" advises the bracelet.


    "If I were to face them, I know that I will only end up dead but it would be a different case if I were to sneak up on them" replied Jason.


    "But you don''t know how strong your enemy is" said the bracelet.


    "According to Amanda, the one that places the poster all over the place seems to be in the gold core realm" replied Jason.


    "And I remember she said there are more of them and for him to be sent to do all the work, shows that there are others who seem to be ordering them around" said the bracelet.


    "It won''t matter as long as I can kill him, I will be able to raise my cultivation up when I use that technique on him" replied Jason as he got up from his meditation state.


    "Are you thinking of attacking them right away" asked the bracelet seeing Jason getting up.


    "How am I supposed to attack them when I don''t even know where they are residing" replied Jason.


    "You got a point there" said the bracelet.


    "But I really need to think of a way to track where they are staying before they track us down" commented Jason as he placed his hand on his chin as he began to think.


    "Maybe you should ask Amanda if she by any means knows where they reside when she visits again" suggested the bracelet.


    "I can''t put her life in danger so I need to think about another way to track them down" replied Jason as he turned down the bracelet idea.


    "Then what do you plan to do then" asked the bracelet.


    "What other way can I track them down if not by doing it myself" reply Jason with a smile.


    "Are you insane? With what she told you earlier, it is likely that they are all over the place. And you going out would only bring more problems to your mother and sister" said the bracelet as he yelled at Jason.


    "I am going to be careful besides I have survived in the beast territory for a year without being caught so who are the Wallace family to track me down" replied Jason proudly.


    "The reason why you were able to make it out of the beast territory in one piece was because of my help" said the bracelet seeing Jason taking all the credit.


    "I would have made it out alive on my own without your help so I don''t see any reason why you are feeling like I couldn''t do without you" reply Jason.


    "You ungrateful kid, if you think that you can compare humans to beasts then you are wrong" said the bracelet.


    "It doesn''t matter if they are better as long as I am careful enough not to get caught, there shouldn''t be a problem" reply Jason.


    "Then what are you going to do about the posters that have been going around" asked the bracelet.


    "I think I will look for them when it gets dark to avoid being caught in the act" replied Jason.


    Handing the pill to Hannah as he instructed her to give it to his mother when she woke up, Jason lied about going to get some stuff he bought earlier as he walked out of the apartment with a serious look on his face.

 Chapter 156 - What A Strong Wine

    Before leaving the apartment, Jason took a robe and straw hat out from Blake''s storage ring before going on a walk. Going around while looking for places that there was supposed to be a poster of them.


    "Where do you think would be the best place to begin my search" asked Jason after stopping at the marketplace.


    "Well, you can try checking the tavern since it is the usual place for everyone to relax after a stressful day of work" replied the bracelet.


    After getting the information he needed, Jason made his way to the tavern which was busy with drunkards and some set of people telling stories, with his straw hat lowered, Jason went to purchase a jar of liquor before looking for a spare sit where he sat down and pour himself a cup as he scans the area.


    "Be careful boy, I don''t think you are ready to take something this strong" said the bracelet when Jason left the cup close to his nose to smell it.


    "What a strong wine" commented Jason after his nose was assaulted by the strong smell of the liquor.


    Taking a gulp from his cup, Jason''s face began to twitch as he took the cup off his mouth.


    "Who would have thought that it would be this sour" said Jason who was on the verge of spitting the content in his mouth away.


    "Can you just focus on the reason why you are here instead of being carried away by a liquor" replied the bracelet in an angry tone.


    Putting the cup down, Jason began to look around to see if there are any members of the Wallace family in the tavern and after roughly searching for about twenty minutes, he was able to locate four men sitting above where they were sitting.


    "They are four in number and they are all in the gold core realm" said Jason with a frown before taking another mouthful of wine as he twitched his face once more.


    "It is going to take a while before I will be able to get used to the taste" said Jason as he put the cup down.


    "So what do you plan to do now that you have found them" ask the bracelet.


    "Next will be for me to track them back to their base before going back to formulate a plan on how to take them down" replied Jason before taking his leave.


    Looking for a hidden place to hide until they are done with their drinks, it was already getting dark when they exited the tavern as they began to take their leave.


    Making sure that they have gone far enough, Jason begins to follow them from afar until they arrive at a huge building that is filled with all kinds of people, and on top of the building was the symbol of two swords clashing together.


    The four of them continue with their discussion as they went inside the building while Jason was left standing outside a little hesitant if he should also go in but after some time of thinking and seeing the set of people going inside were not putting on masks, Jason decided to go in and the moment he did, he noticed that the place was more noisy and crowded compared to the tavern and beneath where he was standing was a round ring with two men facing each other while the audience is cheering them on.


    "I thought they were going to their hideout but who would have thought that they would waste their time watching a fight" complains Jason with a twitched face as he begins to scan the area in search of them which takes him some time before he is able to locate them.


    "This is a place to earn some money boy so don''t look at it in that way since it could also be considered doing business" reply the bracelet.


    It took a whole hour before they were able to leave the building and that was after the fight was over and this time they went directly to a building that was not too far from the tavern where they greeted an old man before going inside. Judging by the way they were paying respect to the elder, Jason knew he must be someone from the Wallace family even when he didn''t have his mask on the robe he was putting on still sell him out.


    "I don''t think you would be a match against that old man, he may look weak on the surface but he is a monster if he should unleash his aura" warn the bracelet.


    "I will just leave him to my mother once she recovers from her injury" replied Jason.


    "Even your mother would be helpless before him" said the bracelet.


    "If we can''t touch him, then how are we supposed to leave here" asked Jason.


    "I don''t know but if you ask me, I would say you should go hide for now until things settle down" replied the bracelet.


    "There is no way they are going to let things settle down if they don''t get rid of us" said Jason with a frown.


    "So what do you have in mind" asked the bracelet.


    "Well if I can''t beat him, I will have to take his subordinate down leaving him to run the place on his own" reply Jason.


    "That would be drawing more problems to Yourself" said the bracelet.


    "I don''t think so, just think about it since they are not the one who owes the place will they do as they please" asked Jason.


    "Of course, they won''t since it would be considered as a challenge to the king and even if they are more powerful than him, it doesn''t mean that they won''t go unharmed" replied the bracelet.


    "Exactly, so long as I did it secretly there shouldn''t be a problem going unnoticed while they would be left in rage since they don''t know how to find me" said Jason with a smile.


    "You are thinking too much boy, I don''t think everyone here is below the gold core and if I am not mistaken, you won''t be able to beat them unless you attack when they least expect it" replies the bracelet.


    "I have my ways of getting things done as long as they are not walking in pairs," said Jason with a smile.


    After watching for a while, Jason left the place and the moment he did, the old man that was standing in the surrounding turned his gaze toward the spot where he was standing with a frown on his face before going into the building. Making his way back to the apartment, Jason quickly took the robe off and kept it away before going inside.


    When he got inside, he noticed that his mother was already awake and she seemed to be talking to Hannah and someone else which didn''t take him much time to recognize who it was as he proceeded forward with a smile on his face.


    "I see that you guys are having fun" said Jason with a smile.


    "Oh you are back" asked Amanda as she turned to look at him.


    "Yeah, I just went to get something not far from here" replied Jason.


    "But you shouldn''t be moving around like that with the¡­." Said Amanda but before she could complete her sentence, she saw Jason signaling her to stop.


    "You don''t need to bother about that, I already know that they will be searching for us" replied Clara with a frown look on his face.


    "You told her" asked Jason as he turned to Amanda.


    "Not me but she did" replied Amanda as she turned her gaze at Hannah.


    "You think I don''t know what you went out to do, mother asked about you and I told her right away" said Hannah with a worried look on her face.


    If it were to be someone else that was listening to her, they might really think that she is really scared but Jason knew that she was pretending. Deciding to let the matter go, Jason went to his mother''s side as he asked.


    "So how are you feeling now".


    "Much better compared to the way I was feeling in the morning" replied Clara with a smile.


    "That is good to hear by the way, did Hannah give you anything" asked Jason.


    "She did but I won''t be taking it anytime soon until I am completely recovered from my injuries" replied Clara.


    They chatted for some time until it was time for Amanda to leave and Jason had to see her off before coming back.


    "So what did you find out about the Wallace" Clara knew well that Jason might have left to get information about them after their posters were pasted all over the capital.


    "There seem to be more members than I expected to see with the weakest being a gold core practitioner" replied Jason with a sigh.


    "That is to be expected, those may be the set that was sent by the family to conduct some business here" said Clara not being surprised that they are much.

 Chapter 157 - The Sect Recruitment

    "So what do you think we should do now that they are searching for us" asked Jason.


    "Just because they have posters of us everywhere, does not mean that they knew we are here. So we can take this time to plan things" replied Clara.


    "I have this feeling that they already knew that we are here in the capital" said Jason.


    "What makes you think so" asked Clara as she raised her gaze to him.


    "It''s just my instinct" replied Jason.


    "You need to relax some, I know that you are exhausted from all the stress you have been through while after your little sister and I" said Clara with a warm smile on her face as she told Jason to take a rest.


    "Yes, mother" replied Jason before looking for a place to rest.


    While they were thinking that he was sleeping, Jason has already dived into the space inside the bracelet as he begin with his training since it is the least he could do.


    "I really need to get my hand on a lightning orb to make it easy for me to deal with the members of the Wallace family" said Jason after spending some time training inside the space.


    "You can try searching the marketplace to see if there is any" reply the bracelet.


    "But there is no way I will be able to walk around the place when the sun is still out," said Jason with a frown.


    "You have already made a friend, so why don''t you ask her to help you look around if she could find any" suggested the bracelet.


    "That could work but the problem here is if she will be willing to help out" said Jason.


    "Of course, she will be willing to help you out based on the situation you are in" replied the bracelet...


    "Then I will have to give it a try then" said Jason before going back to training.


    It was only after he was done with his training did he finally decide to leave the space and went to sleep.


    Waking up in the morning, Jason begins with the cultivation of the heavens law and as his cultivation improves, the more understanding he gains about the earth energy which helps with the ability to absorb more spiritual energy. After some hours, Amanda came to check on their mother since she has yet to fully recover and Jason taking the opportunity, he went to her as he asked.


    "Hm Amanda I would like to know if there is any way I can get a lightning orb".


    "You want to purchase a lightning orb" asked Clara with a curious look on her face as she don''t know what her son wants to use it for.


    "Yes mother I have reached a bottleneck in the technique I am practicing and in other to make a breakthrough, the grand elder told me that I will need a lightning orb since the technique practice has to do with a lightning attribute" replied Jason with a smile.


    "A technique with the lightning attribute, why didn''t you tell me before choosing to practice it" asked Clara with a frown.


    "I couldn''t due to the way things have been then" replied Jason.


    "If you are thinking of buying a lightning orb, it won''t be easy for you to get one here" said Amanda.


    "You mean there is none here in the capital" asked Jason.


    "Is not that there is none but it just too rare to see one. The only place with the least possibility of finding one would be the auction house" reply Amanda.


    "Ah, that would be spending a lot of money just to be able to get it" said Jason with a sigh.


    "Yeah if you want to get a hold of it, you will need a minimum of one thousand spirit stones since there will be others who will also be in need of it" replied Amanda.


    "Is there no other way that I can get a lightning orb apart from the auction house" asked Jason knowing fully well that he can gather that many spirit stones.


    "There is but it is more difficult than the auction house" replied Amanda.


    "What is it" asked Jason in anticipation.


    "That would be for you to join a sect" replied Amanda with a smile.


    "To join a sect" asked Jason with a frown.


    "That right, being a member of a sect you will be entitled to the resource there and something like the lightning orb won''t be so difficult for you to get and that is not all. Once you become a member of a sect, the Wallace family won''t be able to touch you anymore" replied Amanda.


    "You mean if I were to join a sect, I would be given resources for my cultivation and the Wallace family will be off my tail" asked Jason with a surprising look on his face.


    ''If I could get in, I will be able to buy my time until I am strong enough to take my revenge'' thought Jason with a cunning smile on his face.


    Amanda just nodded to his word as a reply while not knowing what was going through his mind.


    "It is true that the Wallace family won''t be able to touch us once you join a sect but it is a different case if they already have a member in one of the sects, they would be able to pick on us" said Clara.


    "That is right but if that should occur then it would be a battle between the two sects" added Amanda.


    "Since there is a way for me to keep the Wallace family at bay for some time, it would be foolish of me to let it slip by so tell me Amanda how can I join a sect" asked Jason in joy as he has finally forgotten that he was thinking of ways to get a lightning orb.


    "There seems to be recruitment in two years in the hallow mountain and the requirements to join a sect is, you will have to be in the gold core realm then you must qualify in the selection event" replied Amanda.


    "What selection event are you talking about" asked Jason with a confusing look on his face as he don''t know what Amanda was talking about.


    "The selection event is like a tournament between those that are participating in the event and through this method, the sects will be able to gain a total understanding about everyone" replies Amanda as she begins to explain things to him.


    "So as long as I am able to defeat my opponent, I will be qualified to enter a sect" asks Jason.


    "That''s right but you are forgetting the fact that you need to be at the gold core realm to qualify for the event" replied Amanda.


    "It''s just gold core, I still have some time before it will be time" said Jason as he assured her.


    "You are saying you still have time, if I am not mistaken, you are at the seven-stage of the foundation realm meaning you still need to advance three more stages before you will be able to make it to the gold core realm which will take about four years to attain the gold core realm" replied Amanda.


    "I know how troublesome it will take me to break through into the gold core realm so you don''t have to worry yourself" said Jason with a smile.


    Seeing that her words just fell on deaf ears, Amanda couldn''t help but let out a sigh as she gave up on persuading him before checking on their mother once again and taking her leave. Right after she left the apartment, Jason began to make plans on how he is going to make a breakthrough quickly into the gold core realm and the only thing that came to mind was through hunting the members of the Wallace family down.


    "I hope you know what you are about to get yourself into '''' said the bracelet.


    "Haha, you worry too much. Since I won''t be facing that much, there should be a problem" replied Jason with a chuckle.


    "Let''s just hope that you don''t run into that old monster" said the bracelet as he was referring to the old man they saw the other day.


    "If I ever cross paths with him, I think I will be able to leave unscattered with the help of the lightning boot" replied Jason.


    "You must be really thinking highly of yourself if you think that you would be able to outrun him with just the lightning boot" said the bracelet in a mocking tone.


    "Are you saying all this just so I will lose the will to continue with my plan" asked Jason with a frown.


    "Not really, I am just stating the truth boy. That old man is too strong for you to check off so quit the idea of hunting them down and let''s think of something else '''' reply the bracelet.


    "I don''t have the time to sit around thinking when I already have a plan in mind to take them down" said Jason.

 Chapter 158 - Attack On The Wallace Family

    Going to seat on his own, Clara couldn''t help but worry about her son since his attitude has changed after hearing news about the sect recruitment and he has not yet breakthrough to the gold core realm which deepens her worry.


    While Clara was busy thinking about her son''s welfare, the same could not be said about Jason himself who was busy wrecking his brain on how to could defeat the members of the Wallace family.


    "There are many ways for you to weaken their fighting powers although it will be very difficult to achieve but the easiest way to weaken them would be to poison them" suggested the bracelet.


    "Poison them" asked Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "Yes, if you can place a poison in something they are attached to, you will be able to defeat them with less stress" replied the bracelet.


    "But we both know that it won''t be easy to achieve that" said Jason.


    "True but it would be a different thing you were to meet them in the tavern" replied the bracelet.


    "But it still won''t be easy to poison them" said Jason.


    "With how crowded the tavern is, it would be a lot easier for you to poison them" replied the bracelet.


    "Then I will need to think of the poison to use and it would have to be a colorless and odorless one at that" said Jason.


    "You have to go look around to see if there is any pill that falls under the description" replied the bracelet.


    Leaving the apartment, dawn on the robe and straw hat before heading to the market as he went to a store and purchased some pills for dizziness since he was not able to find any poison. Making his way back to the tavern as he took the same spot as the last and begin to pour his drink while scanning the area for any member and there they were having fun with some of the ladies.


    With a smile, Jason down his wine before making his way towards where they were drinking has he staggered before crashing on one of the girls as they but sway to the side which gave him the right chance to drop the poison on their drinks as their attention was drawn to the falling duo.


    Swing himself to the side as he pushed the lady to one of the men as he let out a buff before finding his balance.


    "I am really sorry about that" apologize Jason while acting to be drunk with his hat lowered as he continues to walk past their table.


    "What a crazy drunkard" muttered one of the men as he took his drink while smacking the lady on her butt as he let her go.


    Making it back to his seat, Jason begins to monitor them, and seeing them drinking from their cup without a care in the world, a wide smile suddenly appears on his face.


    "The first step is done, now all I have to do is sit and wait for the effect of the pills to kick in" said Jason as he pour himself a cup before downing it.


    "With how high their realm is, it will take a long time before the effect will kick in" replied the bracelet.


    And just like what the bracelet said, it took them about an hour for the effect of pills to kick in as the once vibrant men that were chatting happily became suddenly quiet with their heads dropping down once in a while.


    "It''s about time" said Jason with a smile as he begins to observe them.


    After sleeping for a while one of the members stood up and went to the restroom while the others are still drinking and Jason seeing this opportunity, went along as he also went into the restroom and though they were in a different room, Jason was able to tell which of the restroom he is as he went in while pulling his halberd out readily to deliver a killing blow before the enemy signal the others which will place him in a disadvantageous position.


    Facing the pit before him as he begins to ease himself until he felt someone standing behind him.


    "Who is there" he asked as he tries to turn around to take a look at who it was but before he could see the face of who it was that was behind him, he felt a sharp pain on his head before the sight before he begins to blurry and he fell dead.


    "Too easy" said Jason as he pulled the halberd off the head before keeping it away.


    Bending down as he took the man storage ring away before absorbing his energy until there was nothing left for him to absorb and it was only then that he decided to leave the restroom with a skeleton lying there.


    "One more and I will be able to make it into the eight-stage" mutter Jason happily as he sat down on his chair before ordering a drink.


    When he returned, Jason discovered that the other members are no longer inside the tavern and decided to ask the lady that served him wine.


    "Excuse me, do you know where the young men sitting at that table went".


    "One went to the restroom while the other two have already left" replied the lady with a smile.


    With a smile, Jason took his jar and left the tavern before speaking to the bracelet.


    "Hey, do you think you will be able to track them down" asked Jason.


    "I manage to catch a glimpse of their aura when you approach them earlier" replied the bracelet.


    "Then can you track where they are now" asked Jason.


    "Just give me a minute" replied the bracelet before falling silent until some minutes before speaking up.


    "Head to the marketplace" instructed the bracelet.


    Wasting no time since his resources are on the run, Jason makes his way towards the market, and just like the bracelet has said, he saw the two members slumbering away.


    "Those pills really did a lot of damage to them" said Jason as he looked at the duo.


    "You need to get things done quickly before the effect wears off" advises the bracelet.


    Quickly taking the halberd out Jason make his way to the closest member but before he could even think of getting close, the man quickly shot an energy blast at him which took Jason by surprise as he was sent flying into one of the buildings.


    Letting out a mouthful of blood, Jason pulled himself from the wall as he tried to hold his ground.


    "Are you okay" asked the bracelet.


    "Yeah I am fine, it''s just that I never expected him to have the strength to attack me" replied Jason as he spat to the side.


    "So you are the one who dare drug me and my friends" asked the man in anger as he tries to open his eyes.


    Hearing the commotion that is going on, the other member that was sleeping not too far from them also woke up, and just like his friend, he knew that he was under the influence of a drug.


    "Damn, how am I supposed to battle against the two of them" said Jason as he positioned himself in a fighting stance while staring at the two of them.


    "I don''t remember me and my friends having a problem with you so why did you have to drug us" asked the first man as he took a step forward.


    "How can you remember the wrong you have caused me when you have been busy leaving dead bodies in your wake" replied Jason angrily as he quickly activated the lightning boot before dashing forward with his halberd in hand.


    "We may be at a weaken state right now but it does not mean that being in the gold core realm is for show" said the first man before swinging his hand lightly at the incoming Jason.


    It may be a light wave of his hand but the shockwave that follows suit should not be underestimated. A mighty wind blew towards Jason while threatening to tear him apart if he were to be drawn into it, quickly taking a step back before moving to the side was the only way that he was able to avoid being caught by the wind.


    With a face full of sweat, Jason attempted to dash at the man only for him to be stopped by the other member who seems to be drunk as he swung his blade at Jason from behind and it was only thanks to the warning of the bracelet that he was able to avoid getting seriously injured.


    "I don''t think that I will be able to take the two of them out before the drug wears off" complains Jason as he distances himself from the two men.


    "Since you can''t defeat them since they are together, why don''t you try separating them" suggests the bracelet.

 Chapter 159 - You Are Next

    Seeing that the fight is not going according to the way he has planned, Jason decided to separate the two into having a one on one match with them but no matter what he did, he still wasn''t able to separate them and was left with no choice, he ended up battling the two of them.


    Apart from having problems dealing with the technique they are using against him, he has been faring quite well against them.


    After his breakthrough to the seven-stage of the foundation realm, Jason discover that the amount of spiritual energy that is needed to use the lightning boot is not as tasky as I use to be. At most he will be able to sustain it for about ten minutes.


    So using the lightning technique against the sleeping members of the Wallace family was quite effective since they are in a weakened state. Swinging the halberd at the first member of the Wallace family as an energy arc was left in his wake as it went after his opponent who has to stress himself before he was able to fend off against the attack. But just as he was thinking of delivering an attack of his own, Jason was already before him as he threw the halberd that is coated with him spiritual energy at the other opponent to himself time.


    Throwing his fist at him was not a good idea since his opponent was anticipating that attack but was the only thing he could do. With his fist coming close to his opponent''s face, a fist was also thrown towards him but it was as if he has expected him to do the same thing since it is the only way to fend of his attack. With an evil grin on his face, Jason quickly withdraws his fist and send a kick at the top of the opponent''s head which he easily dodge but that was when he felt a pain in his back as a warm liquid begin to flow down.


    Surprise as to how he let his guard down, he swing his arm in hope that he would be able to go hit Jason but failed as Jason quickly let go of what he was holding before throwing a powerful punch at his jaw after he has successfully avoided the swing.


    After he was done with all these series of attacks, Jason decided to back off to catch his breath and at the same time the other member was already coming at him, retrieving his halberd with a wave of his hand, Jason went to approach him since he has already done critical damage to the other one, he should have enough time to deal with the approaching enemy as he stretches the halberd at the incoming enemy only for his halberd to be deflated to the side by the enemy sword before a kick follow suit as it lands squarely on Jason''s stomach as he was sent back.


    After he was sent back, Jason quickly rolled to the side to avoid a sword attack that was aiming at his neck before kicking the sword off his opponent hand before sending another kick which his opponent held in place before slamming him hard into the ground as Jason let out a mouthful of blood when he was slammed into the ground the second time as a pit was created.


    "This guy seems to be more powerful compared to the rest" said Jason as he struggled out of the pit with a bloodstain at the edge of his mouth.


    "You are just lucky that they are not in their peak strength else I wonder how you are going to defend yourself against them" replied the bracelet.


    Seeing that the young man is still standing after taking a smashing from him, the member of the Wallace who has done the damage to him signal the other member who has slightly recovered from the beaten as they began to close in on him which really got him worried since he has been injured as has not found the time to relieve himself of the pain, they are already thinking of tagging against him.


    "This is really becoming troublesome" said Jason with a frown as he look at the two closing on him.


    "Quick boy get out of their encirclement before it becomes too late" warn the bracelet noticing something unusual about the two.


    Jason quickly activated the lightning boot technique as he dashed out of the encirclement and the moment he did, something spark in between the two as a formation was activated at the spot not far from where Jason was standing forming an energy net. Seeing that the young man was able to leave the place without being caught in the energy net, they couldn''t help but have a surprising look on their face since it has never happened before that they would miss their target.


    "How did he know we were going to set a trap" asked the first member of the Wallace family.


    "I also don''t get how he was able to notice something strange about our movement when he looked like a cornered beast not quite long" said the other member of the Wallace family as he shot Jason a look.


    "You must be dreaming if you think that you will be able to take me down with those little tricks of yours" commented Jason with a smile on his face.


    "How did you know that we were going to set a trap for you" asked the first member of the Wallace family.


    "I don''t remember me saying earlier that I am going to tell you how I was able to predict your move before you execute it but since you are willing to know that much, how about giving me your friend''s head and I promise to tell you" reply Jason.


    "You must be joking if you think that we are going to listen to what you have to say" said the second member as he abandon the formation before dashing at Jason who just stood there with a smile on his face and when the opponent is only three kilometers away from him, Jason threw the halberd at him as a distraction and after he has knocked the halberd to the side, his eyes opened in fright as he saw a fist coming for his neck which he wasn''t expecting and before he could think of defending himself, the fist has already reached is target as it pierces through his throat and without wasting time Jason quickly withdraw his fist since it is not the right time for him to absorb the energy.


    "You shouldn''t have come at me in that manner when knowing full well that you are not in the right state to fight" said Jason as he watch the body falling on the ground.


    "You¡­ You killed him" said the first member as he look at his friend''s body lying there.


    "Looks like I did and you are going to be next" reply Jason with a smile.


    "I am going to reap you to thread you bastard" roar the enemy before charging at Jason more fiercely.


    Pulling back as he avoid a snack from the enemy, Jason withdraw his halberd before stabbing it at his opponent who easily hit it to the side to avoid getting stabbed before going forward as he sent another punch at Jason only for him to raise the halberd to meet with the fist but he later regretted his action as he was sent flying before smacking into a building.


    "What is going on, how come he is able to get stronger when he is still in his weaken state" complain Jason as he got out of the wall before rolling to the side to avoid another attack of the enemy.


    "He is blinded by rage when seeing you kill his friend so it should be expected" replied the bracelet.


    "This fight is going to be a lot troublesome compared to when I was facing the two of them" said Jason as he begin to avoid getting hit.


    "Just try to bend time until he runs out of stamina" replied the bracelet with a light chuckle.


    "It''s not funny to be battling against someone who is stronger than me" said Jason.


    "It is since your opponent is in a weaken state" replied the bracelet.


    Choosing to ignore the bracelet and focus more on the battle with the remaining member of the Wallace family before their battle draws more attention to them.


    Jason was able to avoid getting more hit after he was hit once and after battling for some minute, Jason was able to get some hit on him until he couldn''t use the lightning boot anymore which make the battle more difficult for him to fight since he couldn''t match up to the speed of his opponent which ends in him getting smack once in a while getting wounds all over his body

 Chapter 160 - Eight Stage Foundation Realm

    "If you can''t defeat him, then make a run for it". Advise the bracelet.


    "How can I leave them when it would be difficult for such an opportunity to present itself again" replied Jason as he continued to dodge his attack.


    "Is their body more important than your life" asked the bracelet as he doesn''t understand why Jason can''t just run now that he is at a disadvantage.


    "As it stands now getting their bodies is my top priority" replied Jason before activating the lightning boot as he made up his mind to use up all his spiritual energy as long as he put his opponent down.


    Now after the lightning boot has materialized on his legs, Jason was finally able to stand his ground against his raging opponent as he swung his halberd at the opponent but still was not able to hit him and Jason was not bothered about it as he continued to swing the halberd while his opponent continues to dodge but after understanding his fighting pattern, he quickly stomps his foot on the halberd as he pinned it to the ground before throwing his fist at Jason. Left with no choice but to let go of the halberd since it is the only way that he could avoid getting hit by the powerful fist. Missing his target, the opponent began to charge forward-thinking that Jason won''t be able to fight against him without the use of the halberd but the next moment he saw Jason taking out two swords as he charged at him before slashing at him.


    He hardly managed to avoid getting a severe injury as he took a step back before staring at Jason with dagger eyes.


    "What is the matter, can''t handle a little sword dance" said Jason with a smile on his face.


    "That is not how to do a sword dance. Come let me show you a real sword dance" reply the member of the Wallace family as he tightened his grip on his sword before dashing at Jason.


    "Fast"


    Was the word that left Jason''s mouth as he focus his gaze at the coming opponent before slashing his sword upward when the enemy was close by and before the sword could reach the opponent, he suddenly disappeared from sight before appearing behind Jason as he was ready to stab him from behind but surprisingly to him, Jason sidestep to the side as the sword went pass before stabbing his sword on the opponent stomach and since he was not expecting Jason to avoid his attack, he couldn''t protect himself against the attack as the sword easily pierces into his stomach.


    After successfully stabbing the sword into his stomach, Jason quickly took his hand off before kicking him back before he would be held in place. Finally able to hold his ground, the opponent bent his head to take a look at the sword that was planted in his stomach, after taking a look he turned to look at Jason as he asked.


    "How did you manage to predict that I would be appearing behind you" asked the member of the Wallace family.


    "Don''t bother wasting your breath on asking me questions because I would be answering any" reply Jason.


    "Hmm, since it has already gotten to this I hope you are ready to die" the opponent said before his aura began to rise and it seems like the effects of the pills are already wearing off.


    Ready to see how things would go, Jason quickly rushed at him before he could complete what he was doing. Throwing the sword at him, the opponent swing his hand as he hit the sword to the side before staring at Jason but to his surprise, Jason was no longer at the spot he was standing and he has to scan the area in hope of locating where he should be hiding to he was not able to find him.


    "Did he run away knowing that he won''t be able to defeat '''' mutter the member of the Wallace family as he stopped the technique he was about to unleash but he still didn''t let his guard down since he is not certain that he ran away.


    He was just about to go pick up his friend''s body but just as he was about to bend down to check on him, he suddenly felt something flying at him and he rolled to the side only for him to see some wood piercing into the ground.


    Just looking at where the woods had pierced into, the opponent was so annoyed that he was forced to let his aura break out since he thought the young man had run away but to his surprise, he launched an attack against him.


    Before he can draw in his anger, more woods are coming his way which he quickly sent to the side before he looked at where the woods came from before charging there only to see that the place was void of no one and he begin to scan the area once more as more woods was sent his way, pinpointing where the woods came from as he also went there only to see that the place was empty.


    "Are you going to fight me or what" he roared after he was fed up with the tricks he was playing.


    "I want to but I can''t beat you on a one on one" replied Jason as his voice begins to echo over the place.


    "Since you know you can''t beat me, then why did you still try to" asked the member of the Wallace family.


    "That is because I know I can, just take a look at you would you believe that I would be able to injure you" said Jason.


    "You just got lucky and nothing more" replied the member of the Wallace family.


    "Ain''t you ashamed of saying that a foundation realm cultivator like myself was able to injure a gold core cultivator like yourself" asked Jason in a mockery voice.


    "The only reason why you are able to injure me was that I have been poisoned by you" replied the member of the Wallace family.


    "It still didn''t change anything alright" said Jason.


    "Then why don''t you come and face me now since it doesn''t change a thing" replied the member as he tries to locate where the voice is coming from.


    "That won''t be a problem since I am already standing behind you" said Jason with a chuckle.


    Turning around while swinging his hand in an attempt to knock the young man down but when he did, he noticed that he had been tricked as there was no one standing behind him.


    "You should have seen the look on your face" said Jason as he began to laugh at his opponent.


    "You¡­ Do you think this is funny" he asked in rage as he turned around in search of where the voice was coming from.


    "Of course, it is not funny but I think this is" replied a whisper that came from his behind and the member of the Wallace family felt a cold chill run down his spine.


    The one speaking was no other than Jason who has successfully tricked his enemy to the stage that he has been driven by anger that he couldn''t think straight.


    "So what did you think about being defeated by someone stronger than you" asked Jason.


    "I have to admit that you were able to defeat me when my guard was down but I have a question to ask you. Why are you attacking us when we don''t even know who you are" said the member of the Wallace family as he stood still knowing fully well that he would be killed if he were to do something funny.


    "I thought you guys were looking for some fun aways for about a week if I am not mistaken" replied Jason.


    When the man heard Jason reply, his body couldn''t help but choke as he asked.


    "You are from the Mccray family".


    "It took you long enough to realize that but it is such a shame that you won''t be able to do anything about it" replied Jason as he pierce his throat before he could say a thing before stabbing the sword into his heart as he ended his life.


    "That took a lot from me just to end their lives but at least I could use them to advance my cultivation" said Jason as he deactivated the lightning boot before playing his hand on top of the dead body and the next moment, the blood begin to flow into his body and at the same time he begins to feel pain all over his before it begins to subdue until there was nothing left of the body.


    "Finally I have made it into the eighth stage of the foundation realm" said Jason as he let out a sigh before moving to the other body as he rested his hand on it before absorbing the energy.

 Chapter 161 - Uproar In The Capital

    After he was done absorbing the energy, Jason took their storage ring away before looking for a place to hide the skeletons before heading home.


    "I see that you are in a happy mood" said the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "Why won''t I be happy when I finally defeated someone who is a higher realm than me" replied Jason with a wide smile.


    "But this is not the first time that you have defeated someone that is stronger than you" said the bracelet as he didn''t understand what Jason said.


    "You can''t compare these two to Simon who is only a stage ahead of me" replied Jason.


    "Now I understand what you were talking about but I think you should not use this method anymore" said the bracelet.


    "Why did you say so" asked Jason.


    "Didn''t you see the mess you have caused, it will only be a matter of time before they will begin to investigate the matter after noticing their disappearance. And I advise you to leave those storage rings behind if you don''t want them to track you down" replied the bracelet.


    Doing as the bracelet has instructed, Jason threw the storage away after taking the content that was stored inside it.


    "Done, now they won''t be able to find me" said Jason with a smile as he dust his hand.


    After he was done dealing with the storage rings, Jason retrieved his weapons before leaving the scene as he headed home. Getting home, he noticed that his mother and sister were still awake, and with the look in their eyes, it''s not difficult to know that they were worried about him.


    "Why the look on your faces" asked Jason.


    "You are Jason. Even since you heard that a wanted poster has been put all over the capital, you have not been able to remain still instead you choose to walk around the place when it is late in the night" replied Clara with an angry look on her face as she stared Jason right in the eye.


    "Your behavior these days is really getting us worried" added Hannah as she rested her head on their mother''s bed.


    "I was only taking a walk around since I can''t stay indoors all day. And you don''t have to worry about the Wallace''s tracking me down" said Jason.


    "Worry you say, who in their right mind will go around patrolling when their life is hanging on a thin rope" asked Clara as she was enraged by her son.


    "Mother I am doing fine besides there is no way that you are going to find a single member of the Wallace family walking around this late at night" said Jason as he tries to explain to his mother that he is careful of his movement.


    "Then tell me, what is it that you always do that makes you move at night" asked Clara as she stared at him while waiting for an answer.


    "Well¡­. I have been going around doing" said Jason as he tries to come up with a good lie.


    "You are going around doing what" asked Clara with a frown on her face knowing that her son is about to lie to her.


    "I have been going around trying to earn some spirit stones for us to survive in this place since the Wallace family around" replied Jason as he pulled out his hand to reveal some spirit stones to back his words.


    His mother went quiet for some time as she began to look at him attentively before turning his gaze from him and lay on the bed.


    "Go get some sleep" said Clara before shutting her eyes.


    Unknowing to Jason, his mother already guesses as to what her son is doing and for him to bring out some spirit stones, verify everything for there is no business that is still open at a time like this apart from the tavern and the battle arena.


    "I hope you know what you are doing" she thought to herself before sleeping off.


    Seeing that his mother won''t be troubling him about the matter anymore, Jason let out a sigh as he went to the side to sit down.


    "Damn, I almost blew my cover" said Jason inwardly.


    "With the way things are going, it won''t be long before your mother begins to notice your movement" replied the bracelet.


    "I need to think about how to get through this without her suspecting anything" said Jason.


    "I''ve told you already stop hunting the members of the Wallace family and think of other ways to gather resources for your breakthrough since you will only end up drawing the enemy closer to you" replied the bracelet.


    "The only thing I can think of right now that can bring my power to the next level is the lightning orb and the only way that I can have it is by joining a sect and to do that I will need to be at gold core realm before it begins" said Jason.


    "I am only trying to help you here but since you don''t need it, then you can do as you please" replied the bracelet angrily.


    "Oh I will" said Jason before closing his eyes as he began to meditate.


    Meanwhile back at the mansion where the Wallace family resides, every one of them was giving accounts of how business went and that was when the old man noticed that three of their family members are not around.


    "Where did buso and his friends go this time around" asked the old man.


    "Elder Kang, I heard them mention something about going to the tavern to relax when we were on our way coming" said one of the members.


    "They are really audacious as to abandon their duty and go drinking while having fun with the ladies. Go fetch them here and make sure to give them a good beating while you are at it" order elder Kang toward the young man who told him about their whereabouts.


    He left as instructed by the elder and about an hour later, he returned back to the mansion with a frown on his face.


    "Why did it take you so long to get here and don''t tell me that they persuade you into drinking with them" said elder Kang in anger.


    "That is not it elder" replied the young man.


    "Then what is the problem" asked the elder Kang with a frown.


    "They were nowhere to be found in the tavern and I tried searching the battle arena since they might have gone there after having their fill but I was still not able to find them which is why I took so long to return '''' replied the young man.


    "They were nowhere to be found, do you think that they might have gone back to our territory" asked another member.


    "That is not possible since they will have to report to me first before leaving" replied elder Kang with a frown.


    "Then what do you think might have happened to them" asked another member of the family.


    "I want you three to investigate this matter and give me a report as soon as possible" replied elder Kang before walking out.


    In the morning, there was a commotion in the marketplace as there were signs of fighting over the place with some buildings being destroyed in the process. Those whose store has been destroyed are in rage as they begin to swear here and there before going to report their complaint to the overseer of the place.


    Back in the morning, Jason was already done with his cultivation and was just about to go greet his mother when Amanda barged in with a worried look on her face.


    "There are bad news people" said Amanda.


    "What happened?" asked Clara.


    "It''s like this, this morning the whole marketplace was damaged like a huge fight happened at night. Now those that their place of work has been destroyed have gone to report the matter and a while ago two bodies were seen not too far from the marketplace with their bodies being devoid of any skin making them look like they have been dead for long" replied Amanda.


    Hearing Amanda report, Clara turned her gaze to look at Jason who was watching by the side and all he did was smile before raising his hand up saying he was not involved in any fight. After Amanda was done with the report and did a few things, she left the Mccray family.


    "Now that Amanda is gone, do you mind telling me what is going on" asked Clara with a frown.


    "Believe me when I say I don''t have anything to do with it, why can''t you just believe me" reply Jason.


    "Then how do you explain the skeleton that Amanda just talked about" asked Clara.


    "How am I supposed to know" replied Jason.


    "That was the same state that our attacker also went through after coming in contact with you and you are telling me that you have nothing to do with it" said Clara with a frown.


    "Maybe that was a secret technique they usually use when they are about to die so as to avoid leaking information about their family to the enemy" replied Jason.

 Chapter 162 - Demonic Art

    Seeing that Jason doesn''t want to admit that he was the one who was in a fight with those cultivators and if she is not mistaken, they have to be from the Wallace family but since he doesn''t want to admit it, there is nothing she could do to force him to speak up. Left with no choice, she has to do something to prevent him from going out today.


    "Since you said that you are not responsible for their death, then do you mind staying with us for the night and don''t worry about how we are going to survive if you don''t go to work since we have enough to sustain us for two days" said Clara.


    "But you know there is no way that I am going to this place without doing anything, I am going to get bored" complains Jason.


    "You can see that it is no longer safe to wander around at night and with three people already found dead, there is no way that I am going to let my son put his life at risk" replied Clara.


    "But I have been careful while working at night that even the Wallace family won''t be able to notice a thing if I were to walk past them" said Jason as he tried to beg his mother.


    "My mind is made up since we are here to hide from the eyes of the Wallace family, then that is what we will have to do" replied Clara.


    "What if we needed something, how are we supposed to get them" asked Jason.


    "If you need anything, you can always speak with Amanda whenever she arrives" replied Clara.


    "Give it a rest big brother, you know mother''s mind is already made up and there is nothing you can do to make her agree with your request. Besides, it has been long that you have played with your sister" said Hannah with a wide smile on her face as she tugged on his robe.


    "You know that your big brother needs to train so as to protect you and mother and staying here all day is not going to help" replied Jason as he began to play with her hair.


    "It''s not fair, you are supposed to spend so much time with your sister" said Hannah as she began to swing his hand.


    "I''m sorry Hannah, maybe another time" replied Jason with a smile before walking to the side as he sat on the ground and began to meditate.


    Back at the Wallace family mansion, there was a meeting held with the elder Kang sitting down with a frown on his face.


    "So Bosu and the others are not yet to be found" asked elder Kang as he turned to the young man who he sent to look for them.


    "Not at all elder Kang but there has been news about some skeleton found in the marketplace with the place almost look destroyed and it looks to the fight took place at night while another body was found in the tavern but just like the ones in the market, it looks dried up like it has been years that the body was let there" replied the young man.


    "And you think all these dead bodies should belong to Bosu and the others" asked elder Kang.


    "Yes elder Kang, but I am finding it hard to believe how they were turned to a skeleton in just a night considering how resilient their body has become after breaking through to the gold core realm" said the young man.


    "That has to be the handle work of a demonic art" replied elder Kang.


    "Demonic art" asked the young man in confusion and it looks like he is not the only one that is curious about this demonic art elder Kang was talking about.


    "That right, you see long ago there were families that practiced inhuman techniques. As they use the blood of humans to cultivate just as we draw energy from heaven to cultivate. I think those sets of family are still around and are beginning to make once more" reply elder Kang.


    "So what do you think we should do about it since they seem to be coming for our people" said someone from the group that was in the meeting.


    "I don''t think that is the case since their bodies were found in the market. It could only mean that whoever is behind this attack must be attacking those that are still wandering around in the night" replied elder Kang as he shook his head.


    "But Elder Kang, a body was also found inside the restroom in the tavern, what do you think about that" asked another member.


    "This¡­ Ah, I think you guys need to walk in a group of four when moving at night since we don''t know when whoever that is behind this will be attacking" replied elder Kang helplessly since he didn''t know what to say to them.


    "What are we going to do about the attacker" asked the young man who was tasked with the mission to look for Bosu.


    "There is no way we can tell who he is but I want you to do something, go and retrieve those bodies before words about it begin to spread after identity has been discovered" instructed elder Kang.


    The young man bowed before taking two more people with him as they left the mansion to get the body.


    Jason has been in a meditational state for hours and he has been getting really bored and had to dive inside the bracelet to practice his skill last since he doesn''t have anything to do at the moment. Using the time he had, he began to work on his phantom kick technique and was thinking of a way to apply it to his halberd and bring his fighting powers to another level.


    "Now that you have been banned from going out at night, have you thought of ways to gain more resources for your cultivation" asked the bracelet.


    "No, all the stuff I have with me here are all garbage" replied Jason as he began to bring all the scrolls out of the storage ring as he made up his mind to get rid of them.


    Picking a burning lamp as he prepare to burn all the scroll to ashes but just as Jason was placed a scroll closer to the lamp in an attempt to burn it down, the words that were written on the scroll begin to twitched and by the look of things, the words will be coming out anytime soon and just as Jason took the scroll out of the lamp, the words that seem to be falling out of the scroll suddenly went back to the way they were leaving Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "Did you see what just happened" asked Jason as he was referring to the bracelet.


    "Try putting the scroll close to the lamp again" said the bracelet.


    Following the bracelet instruction, Jason places the scroll on top of the lamp and the words begin to fall out. Before Jason could say a word, the bracelet had already spoken up.


    "Now take a closer look at the scroll".


    Moving his head closer to take a closer look at the scroll only for him to see that the ancient words that were written inside the scroll previously had been completely wiped out and in its place was a drawing.


    "What did you see boy" asked the bracelet when noticing the change in Jason''s expression.


    "Do you know those ancient words that have been proving difficult for us to read" said Jason as he referred a question to the bracelet.


    "Yes I do, so what about those words" asked the bracelet.


    "They are gone only to be replaced by some weird drawings" replied Jason as he lifted the scroll in hope for the bracelet to see.


    "All this drawing seems to represent something and for whoever owes this scroll to place such rules in order for others to not be able to read the scroll could only mean that he is trying to hide something" said the bracelet after going through the scroll.


    "And you think it has to do with all this drawing" asked Jason.


    "It seems like it, why don''t you try testing the other scrolls to see if they are hiding something" replied the bracelet.


    Picking the rest of the scrolls as he begins to try them out and just as the bracelet suspected, they were also hiding something either it is a weird drawing or a battle technique.


    "Do you think all these weird drawings are somehow connected to each other" asked Jason.


    "There is one way to find out, try writing them somewhere else" reply the bracelet.


    "How am I supposed to do that when I need to hold the scroll in place" asked Jason.


    "You can ask your little sister to help you out with that" replied the bracelet.

 Chapter 163 - Secret Of The Scroll

    Calling Hannah over to help with the drawings while he holds them close to the lamp. It took about an hour for her to draw everything before sitting down to massage her wrist.


    Taking all the drawings as he lay them down before observing them, the view that was before him is more of a map.


    "It seems to be a world map and take a look at those four places that are marked x, there must be something hidden there" said Jason with his hand on his chin as he focused on the map.


    "It is really a map, do you think you will be able to recognize any of those places" asked the bracelet.


    "No, they don''t look familiar to me. Let me ask my mother, maybe she will be able to recognize them" reply Jason before turning to his mother, who was sitting on the bed while watching them doing so until she saw Jason looking at her.


    "What is it" Clara asked.


    "Well, I don''t know if you will be able to recognize any of these places" replied Jason as he took the map to her.


    Looking at the map, Clara first frowned before looking at Jason as she said.


    "Get me the map I bought earlier from Carpie town".


    Jason left for a minute before returning with the map as he handed it to her.


    "Do you manage to recognize any of the places?" asked Jason.


    "Some places look familiar but I have to confirm first before saying anything" replied Clara.


    Placing the map down, she began to compare the two maps and after some time, she lifted her head to look at the map that Jason brought to her before she spoke up.


    "They seem to be the same thing".


    "That nice, so mother, where is this place" asked Jason with a smile on his face as he pointed at one of the x marks.


    "That is a forest close to the Platton family territory while this is the temple of seal and here is the warberry forest and here is the Mccray territory" replied Clara.


    But when she mentioned the Mccray territory, she couldn''t help but turn to the map once more before turning to Jason as she asked.


    "Jason, what does all this marking means".


    "At first I thought it was just a place where a treasure is hidden but since you said the warberry is also among those x marks, I think it is a map that leads to where some ruins are" reply Jason.


    "There are ruins in all this location" mutters Clara to herself for some time before asking Jason.


    "Can you tell me where you say this map".


    "I found it inside a treasure vault inside the ruin we went to, back in the Fox territory" replied Jason.


    "Then could it be that the reason we were attacked has nothing to do with the grudge the other family have against us but rather it was because there was a ruin hidden in our territory" said Clara as it dawned on her.


    "You mean it could be possible that we were attacked because they discovered that a ruin was in our family territory" asked Jason.


    "That could be possible" replied Clara with a nod.


    "If that is the case, then how come the Platton family still exists?" asked Jason.


    "That could likely be because they have not known of its existence" replied Clara.


    "I see, well now that I know where the ruins are hidden, all that I have to do now is make preparations" said Jason with a smile on his face as he took the map, ready to leave only for his mother to stop him in his tracks.


    "Where do you think you are going, young man" asked Clara with a frown.


    "I am going to make preparations to explore those ruins" replied Jason.


    "You are not going anywhere Jason, going into a ruin is no different from hanging your life on a thin thread so there is no way I am going to let you go that place alone" said Clara.


    "But I will be alright mother, so you don''t have to worry about my safety" replied Jason.


    "I still don''t agree with you going there on your own and since I won''t be there to protect you due to the restriction that was set in place in place by whoever made it" reply Clara.


    "But I won''t be going alone" said Jason.


    "Then who do you plan on going with because if my memory doesn''t fail me, you don''t have any friends" replied Clara as she stare at Jason.


    "I have Austin and Diana from the Platton family" said Jason.


    "It''s still not enough to guarantee your safety" reply, Clara.


    "But I am not as weak as you think I am" said Jason as he release his aura.


    Feeling the aura that Jason was hearing, Clara couldn''t help but open her mouth in surprise as she said.


    "Since when did you breakthrough into the eighth stage of the foundation realm".


    "It should be two days ago after residing inside this apartment" reply Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "I see" said Clara with a nod before thinking.


    "So do you think I am qualified to go with my friends" asked Jason seeing that his mother is no longer saying anything.


    "It shouldn''t be a problem for you and your friends to roam the ruins but the thing is how do you plan on getting to them because there is no way I am letting you go back to that place where your life could be taken at any time" replied Clara.


    "I will think of a way to get them to come here" said Jason.


    "If you can do that then I will be able to let you explore the ruin" replied Clara.


    After getting his mother to agree on him going to the ruin, Jason took the map that belongs to his mother and put the marking on the right spot since it is the easiest to read before making his way back to his resting place.


    "I just have a question for you, how do you plan to get Austin and Diana to come here" asked the bracelet.


    "I haven''t thought about that but it shouldn''t be that difficult to get in touch with those that are far away" reply Jason.


    Just as he and the bracelet were discussing, Amanda suddenly came in which put a smile on Jason''s face since he can''t go out. Getting up to go meet up with her was the only thing Jason could think of now that he knew where he can go hunting for resources.


    "Hello Amanda how are things going" said Jason with a smile.


    "OK.. What is happening here" asked Amanda as she became confused by Jason''s attitude since knowing him, this is the first time that she has seen him acting like this.


    "He probably wants something from you that is for sure" reply Hannah with a twitched face as she stare at Jason.


    "Go play at the side. This is not the best place for a kid like you to be around" said Jason as he chased her away.


    "I don''t see a reason why I can''t place here but since Amanda is in a hurry, I guess I will excuse you for a while but don''t think that I only left because you asked me too" replied Hannah before leaving.


    Watching as Hannah is making her way to their mother, Jason couldn''t help but grit his teeth in anger, and seeing this, Amanda couldn''t help but giggle which drew Jason''s attention as he asked.


    "What is it".


    "You should have seen the look on your face" replies Amanda as she tries to stop herself from laughing.


    "That''s how she is some days, always thinking of a way to piss me off" said Jason.


    "You should be glad to have a sister like her at least you won''t be bored all the time" reply Amanda with a smile.


    "Believe me when I say you don''t need someone like this she-devil as a little sister" said Jason.


    "Hahaha, now you are calling her a she-devil, this is really funny. So tell what is it that you want to talk about that makes you chase your little sister away" asked Amanda after calming herself down.


    "I wanted to ask if there is a way to send messages to love ones and friends that are far from us" reply Jason.


    "Well there is one but it seems to be a little far from here. Do you want to send a message to a friend" asked Amanda.


    "Yes, and it is very important that they receive the message as soon as possible" reply Jason.


    "Is that the reason why you chased your sister away" asked Amanda.


    "Something like that, so tell me how long will it take me to get there" reply Jason.


    "You should be able to get to the message tower in an hour or two" said Amanda.


    "I will have to trouble you to show me the direction to get to this tower you speak of" reply Jason.

 Chapter 164 - Reunion

    After he was told where the message tower is, Jason pleaded with his mother to let go since there is no way he will be able to get the two to come to the capital without communicating with them and after some pleading, Clara finally decided to let him go. Later in the night, Jason sneaks out of the capital as he makes his way towards the location of the tower, and about an hour later, he was already standing before the tower but it was quite unfortunate that they were close for the day and Jason had to wait until dawn before he could go inside.


    Sending his request in the message tower was quicker than he expected. Making his way back to the capital, Jason makes his way back to the appointment where he saw Amanda and Hannah were discussing when they heard the sound of the door getting jammed.


    "It took you long enough for you to get back or did you go somewhere else" asked Hannah as she looked at him.


    Jason walked past them as he went to lay down to take a rest when Amanda suddenly asked.


    "So how did it go".


    "Good, now all that I have to do is just sit back and wait for them to come to me" replied Jason with a happy look.


    "That is good to hear, at least you know that the message will be sent" said Amanda.


    That evening in the Fox family, the grand elder was busy Studying when he felt the energy in the air become intense like the space around that region is going to break as an arrow appeared and pierce the wall close to where the grand elder was sitting.


    With a "hump" the grand elder was able to pull the arrow off the wall with a wave of his hand as it fell on his hand.


    On the arrow was a little letter that was wrapped in it, taking it off the arrow, the grand elder begin to go through the content that was inside before letting out a breath of relief.


    "Good thing they made it out alive, now what is it that he needed Austin''s help with" mutter the grand elder before getting rid of the letter.


    The same thing also happened in the Platton family at the time that the grand elder received his but unlike in Diana''s case, the arrow almost pierces her on the leg if not for having a quick reflex.


    "Who is so daring as to send me a message that would take my life" she said while pulling the arrow off the ground.


    Opening the letter, Diana couldn''t help but open her eyes wide in shock and let out a giggle before continuing to read the letter.


    "I wonder what he needs my help with" said Diana before destroying the letter.


    Two days later in the capital, there has been no incident about seeing dead bodies around the place and everyone seems to have forgotten about the matter except for the Wallace family.


    "It''s been two days now and there has been no attack on any of our members" said one of the young men.


    "Could it be that he was just passing by when he noticed Bosu and the others walking that late then decided to use them to boost his cultivation since no one will notice him" commented another member.


    "I doubt that it could be that due to the uproar that he cause, he decided to lay low for the time being so I advice you guys should continue moving in a group of four" reply elder Kang.


    "Alright elder Kang" they all replied before going out to do their stuff.


    Around the evening when the moon is already out, knocking sounds begin to come from the door, and Hannah together with their mother couldn''t help frown as they prepare to attack who it may be since they both know that Amanda won''t be coming at this time of the day.


    "I think I know who it was" said Jason as he stood up from his meditation before running towards the down.


    Who came into his view when the door was open was no other than Austin who was dressed in a hood. Seeing the person in front of him, Jason threw a fist forward as he tries to punch the stranger who is before him but as if anticipating that something like this is going to happen, Austin quickly swing his hand forward as he smacked Jason fist from the lower side which sends it upward before he dives at him as they fall back into the apartment while flipping his legs to kick the door closing it behind them in the process.


    "It''s me you dumb wit, is this what you need my help with. Attacking me on the outside when the Wallace family are searching all over the place for you" yell Austin as he pulls his hood down.


    "It really is you my friend, why didn''t say so in the beginning before forcing me to attack" said Jason with a chuckle before getting up from the ground and shaking hands with him.


    Taking a closer look at Jason, Austin couldn''t help but shake his head as he let out a little smile before saying.


    "With the rate at which you are making a breakthrough, it would not be easy for me to catch up with you".


    "Come on. You ain''t doing bad yourself only been at the peak of the sixth stage" replied Jason with a chuckle.


    "Now that I am here, do you mind telling me what you need my help with" asked Austin as he withdraw his hand.


    "We''ll get to that when the other person arrives and as for the other stuff, did you have it with you" replied Jason before stretching his hand forward for Austin to hand it over.


    "For you to request this much from the grand elder, I don''t know why I have the feeling that it is going to be dangerous" said Austin before handing a ring over to him.


    "Of course, it is going to be really dangerous, else why do I need your help with it if it were to be easy" reply Jason as he took the storage ring from him before checking the content that was inside.


    Jason let out a satisfying nod before leading him forward to greet his mother as they went to sit by the side to discuss what has been happening in the Fox family territory and how Andrew and his gang were given the punishment of taking care of the hall. While they were chatting, another knocking came from the door and Jason went to get it only to see Diana looking as beautiful as ever with the injuries she incurred in the treasure vault being gone.


    "Hello Diana, Long time no see" said Jason with a wide smile on his face as he usher her in.


    "You tell me when you almost took my life with the message arrow" reply Diana as she rolled her eyes on him before going in.


    Jason couldn''t help but twitch his face in reply to Diana''s words as he shut the door behind them.


    ''So the message tower cant be relied on to deliver a safe message. I guess I will try using it on my enemies next time'' he thought to himself.


    When Austin saw Jason leading the guest in, he couldn''t help but stand up in amazement as he asked.


    "You also asked her for help too".


    "Sure since we are already friends and I trust her to the extent of telling her where I am hiding and let''s not forget her ability to control the mystic lamp, what we are about to do will become much easier for us" reply Jason.


    "What is it that we are about to do anyway" asked Diana happily.


    "Looks like someone can''t wait to go do something exciting" commented Jason with a chuckle.


    "You bet I am, It''s been really boring staying at home training all day without doing anything exciting" said Diana.


    "By the way, how were you able to sneak past your family defense without being caught" asked Jason knowing fully well that there is no way that the Platton family won''t let a talent like her out without any protection.


    "I just went to the family head and requested for some days out to train and he granted me permission to go" reply Diana with a smile.


    "Is it that simple or you are just making it sound like it is" asked Austin.


    "Of course, it''s not. Let''s not go to that now and discuss what you want us to help you with" reply Diana.


    "Yeah, now that she is here, don''t you think it is about time you start talking" added Austin.


    "What do you guys think about going to a ruin to hurt for treasures" asked Jason with a wide smile on his face as he waited for their reply.

 Chapter 165 - The Temple Of Seal

    When they heard Jason talking about going hunting in a ruin, they couldn''t help but frown as they stare at him. Meanwhile, Jason was smiling at them as he expected them to have a shocking look on their face but it didn''t happen.


    "Do you call you all the way from our territory just so you could crack a joke out of boredom?" asked Austin with a frown?


    "Yeah, the only ruin that there is has just been seal not quite long and you happen to be there when it did so what are you talking about" added Diana.


    "I know that you guys won''t believe me so I won''t bother wasting my time explaining things to you instead, why don''t you take a look at this map" replies Jason as he opens the map for them to see for themselves.


    Looking at the map, Diana begin to study the map and that is when she noticed one of the marked spots is pointing at a location that she is familiar with as she couldn''t help but turn to Jason who has a wide smile on his face and asked.


    "Why did you get this map?


    "What else if it is not from the same place that you took the mystic lamp. While you all were busy picking other treasure, I was busy gathering scrolls although it turns out to be a waste since there was not much cultivation manual that is between my realm" replied Jason.


    "So you plan on exploring these ruins" asked Austin.


    "Yeah I plan to explore them with you guys and since we don''t know if the possessed will still be trapped inside the other ruin, we will need you to have your mystic lamp ready for anything. I believe you must have familiarized yourself with it by now" reply Jason.


    "What did you think I have been doing all this while after returning from the ruin. Right now I can use it swiftly without draining myself and I believe there is more to the lamp other than using it for battle" said Diana with a smile.


    "That would be for the better" replied Jason with a nod.


    "So when are we leaving" asked Austin.


    "Since we don''t have anything doing, why don''t we set out tonight" reply Jason.


    "Don''t you think we need to prepare ourselves first before leaving" asked Diana.


    "All we need is already here in this ring" replied Jason before passing the storage ring over to her.


    Checking the ring and seeing that it is filled with pills, she let out a sigh before throwing it back to him.


    "Since everything is already in place, what are we waiting for, let''s get going them" said Diana before getting up.


    After talking with his mother and sister for some time, they left in the middle of the night making their way out of the capital before looking for a place to rest.


    "So which ruin are we going to explore first" asked Austin while looking at Jason.


    "Who knows how to read the map more between the two of you" said Jason.


    "Well don''t ask me, my focus has always been on cultivating so I don''t have the time to study map reading" Commented Austin.


    "I know how to read a map" reply Diana with a smile before Jason handed it to her.


    After she was given the map, Diana turned to Jason as she asked.


    "So which of the ruin are we heading to".


    "Which of the marked do you think is closer to us" said Jason.


    Looking at the map for some time, Diana begins to study the location of the two maps before speaking up.


    "The temple of seal seems to be the closest among the three" reply Diana.


    "Then the temple of seal it is then" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "You guys are forgetting something here, the temple of the seal does not belong to any of the family and rumor has it that those living in the temple of the seal are incredibly powerful so you might want to rethink about going there" comment Austin.


    There was silence between them before Jason spoke up.


    "We are not going inside so there shouldn''t be any problem".


    "Actually the mark seems to be very close to the temple of seal and my instinct is telling me that it is located inside the temple" added Diana.


    "It still didn''t change anything, there must be a way to get in without getting caught, all we have to do is find out how," said Jason.


    Seeing that there is no way they are going to convince him from not going, they have to make up their mind since just like he said there, there has to be a way to get inside the temple without being seen.


    And that is how they sent out for the temple of seal which took them approximately three days due to the fact that they were riding on horses and if they were to travel on foot, it would take them about six to seven days.


    Arriving at an environment that was surrounded by hills with a tall tower standing in the middle and once in a while, some cultivators could be seen coming out of the tower once in a while.


    "Do you see any opening around the temple?" asked Jason as he pulled his out of the hill they were hiding to take a peep at the temple.


    "There seem to be none, why don''t we go try exploring the other marking instead of risking our lives here" advises Austin.


    "Take a look at that spot from the north, there seems to be an entrance" said Diana as she point ahead for them to see.


    "That''s it Diana keep up the good work" reply Jason with a smile.


    "You have found the entrance great, now how do you plan to make it there without getting seen" said Austin.


    "Easy, we will just have to wait for them to leave the place" replied Jason.


    "I don''t think we will have to wait that long, look if we were to take that path, we will be able to get to the entrance without being seen" said Diana once more.


    "Are you trying to help here or you are insisting we charge in there and get killed" yell Austin at Diane.


    "I am just trying to make things easier for the team or could it be that you don''t want to go in with us" asked Diana.


    "That is not it, it just that it is bad news if we were caught going in" replied Austin.


    "You don''t have to worry about them finding us out, we can just say we get lost and they will let us off the book" said Jason before leading the way through the path that Diana has picked out to be the safe path.


    Whenever someone was coming out of the tower, the team will have to hide until they are gone before moving forward before long they have already made their way into the temple.


    "Now that we have successfully made it past them, we should look for the ruin before we are found out" said Jason as he begin to search the place in hope of finding the entrance to the ruin.


    "Wow, can you take a look at that huge statue over there" said Diana while staring at a statue that was inside the temple.


    "It seems to be holding something in his palm" replies Austin.


    The team had to climb the statue in other to see what it was that the statue was holding and to their amazement, there was a scroll laying still in the palm.


    "What could this scroll be used for" asked Austin.


    "Who knows, maybe it is the key to the ruin" reply Jason as he went forward to grab the scroll and the moment that he touches the scroll, the temple begin to tremble and the next thing they saw was a golden ring that has appeared in front of the statue.


    "Who dare come into the temple of seal" roar an elderly voice and more people begin to make their way into the temple.


    "Let get out of here before they capture us" said Jason before jumping into the golden ring.


    Seeing Jason not hesitating before into the golden ring, Diana and Austin also follow suit before the residents of the temple could see them.


    Making their way into the temple the group could see a golden ring in the middle of the statue and the old man that was leading them couldn''t help but frown as he said.


    "Someone has broken the seal that was placed on the statue".


    "Who could be so stupid as to destroy the seal that has been holding that demon in place for years" said a middle-aged man.


    "There is only one way to find out who it was that broke the seal and that is for us to member our own people after them" said the old man.


    Four members came forward as they offer to go after the intruder before going into the golden ring.

 Chapter 166 - The Scepter Is Mine

    After entering the golden ring, they were transported into another world of total darkness and it almost bears the same remembrance to the world they entered in warberry but the only difference between the two is that unlike the ruin in the warberry cave that was bright with a different path all over the place while the world that they are currently in only have one path and there was not much light in the place.


    "I knew it would lead us into a ruin" said Jason after looking around the place.


    "We need to watch out for those possessed since if this ruin is related to the one we have been before, there is likely to be one here also" replied Austin with a serious look on his face.


    Instead of Jason continuing with their journey, he started asking the bracelet.


    "Can you scan the area to see if there is any possessed in here".


    "Let me give it a try" said the bracelet as he began to scan the area before speaking up shortly.


    "There seems to be something blocking me from seeing what''s inside".


    "Do you think it is the possessed" asked Jason?


    "I doubt it, there is no way that thing would be able to notice my presence here" reply the bracelet.


    "Then what could it be that is stopping you from seeing what''s ahead" said Jason as he begin to contemplate on the matter.


    "Ahh, are we just going to stand here doing nothing or what" asked Austin.


    Seeing the impatient Austin getting angry, Jason couldn''t help but let out a sigh before replying.


    "I don''t see any reason why you should be angry since we manage to dish them".


    "And you think they didn''t notice, it is only a matter of time before they will come chasing after us" said Austin.


    "There is no way they will be able to catch up to us" reply Jason.


    Just as Austin was about to talk back, the golden ring that they used in getting into the ruin suddenly appear not far from where they were standing.


    "You see, they are already here" said Austin.


    Jason was lost of what as he don''t know what to say but seeing that the golden ring has not completely taken form, Jason lead the team deep into the ruin and with every step they took, the place would light up. After they have left, the golden ring took its form as people begin to jump out.


    When the four men have finally gotten out of the ring, they begin to scan the area in the hope of finding where the intruder has run to but just like the bracelet couldn''t search deeply, so also were they.


    "It''s going to be difficult to locate them" said tribe #1


    "We need to get them as soon as possible before they get to the core" reply tribe #4 as he begin to follow the path that led down into the darkness while the other member follow from behind.


    After running for some hour, Jason and his team made it into a building that seems to be normal except for the dry bones laying on the ground, and Jason couldn''t help but let out a chuckle when seeing this.


    "Why are you laughing" asked Austin since he didn''t see anything funny about the place.


    "This place kind of reminds me of the room that almost took your life" replied Jason in laughter.


    "You are not funny you know that" said Austin with a frown.


    "Just think about it, what if this does happen to do the same thing to us, how crazy would it be" reply Jason.


    "Thud"


    Then came the sound of the door closing while he was laughing and he has to turn his back to make sure that it is not real only for him to see that the door was shut. There was silence for some time before Austin spoke up.


    "You were saying".


    "Enough with that and let''s think of a way to open the door" said Jason hurriedly as he went to pull the door.


    "If you are thinking of opening that door, I don''t think pulling it upward" commented Diana while looking at Jason pulling on the door that won''t barg.


    "Then what do you suggest we should do" asked Jason as he stopped what he was doing.


    "Since it is a trap door, there has to be a key somewhere in the door that could be used to open the door" replied Diana.


    "But you can see that the room is empty so how do you expect us to find it" asked Austin.


    "That is because you are not searching hard enough. The key could be any component of this room like the floor, wall, anything. All we have to do is look for the rest spot where it is" replied Diana.


    Austin and Jason couldn''t help but look at each other as if wondering if this girl is supposed to be like us since the beginning of their journey, she has been of help in many ways especially when it comes to do with stressing the brain. Just like she said, for the door to shut, there has to be a way to open it from the inside and that will have to be a key of the sort in the room.


    They begin to search the place for any key and that is when the door begins to move together leaving Austin with a twitched face.


    "Here it goes" he said before speedy up his search.


    After searching for about ten minutes, Diana was able to locate where the key was and by then, the walls were already suppressed to a little tight room. With a light hit from her, the walls stop moving before a room appeared before them.


    They all rush into the new room that has opened before then and that is when Jason asks.


    "How did you know where the key would be there".


    "Easy, unlike the others that wall seems to be more darker compared to the others so I just thought it was the right one" reply Diana with a smile.


    "I think I need to stop associating with you since you are making me look like a fool" said Jason.


    "You are too funny. Come let''s check this room out maybe we might be lucky enough to find a treasure inside" giggle Diana before checking the place out.


    Meanwhile, by the entrance of the room which they have come out from, the four tribe men were standing as one of them places his hand on the door trying to open it.


    "The sound came from here meaning they went through here but why won''t this damn door open" said tribe #3.


    "Maybe it is one of those trap doors that the elder has been talking about" replies tribe #1.


    "If it is really a trap door, then there must be a key to opening it" suggested tribe #3 as he begin to search the place in hope of finding any abnormal thing about the door.


    Swiping his eyes through the door, he saw a little level on the wall which he pulled down and the door begin to slide up revealing an empty room for them to see.


    Walking inside, they begin to search for signs of footsteps on the ground which would indicate that someone has been to the room. Seeing three different footsteps, the group came to realize that they were three in numbers who had come into their temple but the problem now is where are they.


    "Maybe they manage to get out of the room before the door begin to close" suggested tribe #2


    With a little complaint here and there, the group finally decided to leave the room and continue their search while Jason and his team were standing with a shocking look on their face as they could see a skeleton sitting on a throne with a crown on his head.


    "Do you think that we mistakenly walk into a royal palace?" asked Jason after some times.


    "It seems like that" replied Austin with a nod.


    "Since it is a palace, there is supposed to be a treasure store in place in this room" commented Diana happily.


    "Why do I have the feeling that Jason is becoming a bad influence to you" said Austin with a sigh when he heard her talking about treasure.


    "Hey I didn''t do anything and by the way am I the one who got locked up in a room all because he want to take a treasure away" reply Jason.


    Austin couldn''t help but frown when hearing Jason bringing up the matter about him almost getting himself killed just because of a treasure.


    "Come on guy no infighting between us and let''s focus on the mission at hand" plead Diana as she scents the awkwardness between the two.


    Not bothering himself with Jason, Austin turn to face the skeleton sitting on the throne with a scepter in his hand while wearing jewelry on his neck.


    "I am taking the scepter from his highness" he said after making up his mind.

 Chapter 167 - Legacy

    "Since you are taking the scepter, then I will be taking the jewelers" said Diana.


    Jason couldn''t help but have a twitched face when he saw the two already taking possession of things.


    "Since you guys have already claimed the scepter and jewelry to be yours, am I supposed to take the rag of a robe to myself" Jason asked with a frown.


    There was a short silence between the three until Austin spoke up.


    "Do you have a problem with that?".


    "Yes I do if you may know" replied Jason.


    "It was your fault for being slow so deal with it" said Austin before going forward to take the scepter off the skeleton.


    Austin was already one meter away from the skeleton and was just about to hold it when the skeleton, which seemed to be lifeless, suddenly shook and its head lifted with his eyes staring at Austin.


    "Looks like someone finally managed to make it into this world, oh it seems like the recent generation is more promising than the previous" said the skeleton as he noticed that Austin was not the only one standing in its palace.


    "There seems to be a spirit in the skeleton" mutters Diana which everyone in the room could hear.


    "Spirit, am I more of the consciousness of this body that is left behind after my death to help guide those who are interested in my heritage" said the skeleton with a chuckle.


    "What is this skeleton talking about" asked Jason to the bracelet.


    "It is more of a will that is left in the body of an expert upon death" replies the bracelet.


    "So for there to be will left in this skeleton, it means he still has a lot that he needed to do but because his life came to a stop before he could accomplish them, he needed someone who could accomplish it for him" said Jason with a nod.


    "What nonsense are you talking about" asked the bracelet.


    "If he doesn''t have any motive in mind, then why did he leave his will behind when he should have died completely" reply Jason.


    "That¡­ Ah you can think whatever you want to" said the bracelet in annoyance.


    "Since you are here, I guess you want to have my legacy" asked the skeleton.


    "Legacy, we are here to hunt for treasures but you also want to offer that as well, I guess we have no choice but to take it too" replied Jason with a smile.


    "There is no treasure in this world that comes close to competing with my legacy children" said the skeleton with a chuckle.


    "Since your legacy is more important than the treasures here, then I think I will be going for that. So let me have it" replied Jason.


    "Yeah, since it is deemed important, I also want it too," added Austin and Diana following suit.


    "I see that you all want to inherit my legacy but there is a take in getting it" said the skeleton.


    The three couldn''t help but frown over what the skeleton said and Diana being the brain of the team asked the skeleton.


    "What do we have to do in order to take your legacy".


    "Simple, for you to claim my legacy, you will have to prove yourself worthy of it by passing a test" replied the skeleton.


    "I knew it would come to these" said Austin as he prepared himself for what was to happen.


    "Come to what? Asked Jason.


    "You see whenever a legacy is left behind by an expert, there are trials that one needs to undergo before they are acknowledged to take the legacy" explains Austin.


    Just as he was explaining things to Jason, three doors suddenly appear before them with an ancient aura excluding from them.


    "Feel free to step inside when you are ready" said the skeleton with an excited look on his face.


    "And what are all these doors?" asked Jason with a frown.


    "This is the doorway to the trail ground where you would be tested to see if you are worthy of inheriting my legacy" replied the skeleton.


    "I see, do you mind giving us a hint of what the test would be so that we will be able to prepare ourselves" said Jason and Austin nodded in agreement to Jason''s request.


    "I am sorry but there is no way that I would be able to tell you what the test would be. It is left for you to discover that by yourself" replied the skeleton before resting his back on the throne.


    The three look at each other before nodding their heads in determination before picking the door. The moment Jason stepped inside, he was transported directly to a wide room that is devoid of any life source with a door in the distance.


    "What am I supposed to do now?" said Jason as he looked around him.


    "Welcome to the trial ground. Your test is to make your way to the door ahead of you without making any wrong move cause if you do, this would be the consequences for doing so" said a voice.


    After the voice has spoken, an illusionary being suddenly appears before Jason as he tried making his way to the door before but made a wrong move after walking for a while and a bolt of lightning struck him from above taking its life in the process.


    Jason felt a cold chill run down his body when he saw the scenery before him.


    "Make your move when you are ready" said the voice.


    "This trial is going to be a little troublesome for me" muttered Jason as he stood still while watching the floor only for him to see that they were made of two colors which were mixed together forming a kind of pattern on the ground.


    "If I am not mistaken, the trial you are being given happens to be a puzzle one" said the bracelet.


    "Puzzle," asked Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "It is more of a chess kid, please tell me you know how to play chess" replied the bracelet before asking the question.


    "Well I have dedicated my time to training so how am I supposed to learn how to play one" said Jason with an awkward laugh.


    "You are beyond saving kid, if you don''t know how to play one then how are you supposed to make it to the door" asked the bracelet.


    "Since I have been refining my body with a lightning strike, I think I will be able to take some hits," replied Jason.


    "Do you think you would be able to face the might of this lightning?" said the bracelet.


    "Is it by any chance different from the one in the lightning tower? Asked Jason with a confused look on his face.


    "If you want to compare the two then I will say the might of this lightning is fivefold more powerful than the one in the lightning tower so do you still want to give it a try" reply the bracelet.


    "Are you kidding me, only those who are seeking death will be so brave as to face such lightning" said Jason as he discarded the idea of facing the lightning.


    "Haha, I thought you would man up for once and face the lightning since you can use it to advance your Supreme Heavenly Lightning technique" advises the bracelet.


    "Not going to happen, I would rather remain in the first stage than to risk my life just so I could cultivate the second stage" replied Jason as he didn''t agree with the bracelet.


    "Alright if you say so but I want to remind you that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity if you were to miss it, I don''t think that you would be able to come across one anytime soon" said the bracelet.


    "Then so be it" replied Jason as he still refused to temper his body with the lightning strike.


    "Since you claim to have explored this world for so long, is there by any chance that you know one or two about chess?" asked Jason.


    "I do but this chess before you is not one of those ordinary games that are played for fun, this chess before you is operated by an array formation, any wrong move would trigger the formation which will lead to the lightning striking down on you" reply the bracelet.


    "Do you think you can handle it?" asked Jason.


    "I am seventy percent certain that I will be able to get you to the door" reply the bracelet.


    "That should be more than enough for me" said Jason.


    He was just about to tell the bracelet to direct him when he remembered something as he spoke up.


    "Don''t you dare play any tricks with me"?


    "Relax, since you have made up your mind not to face the lightning, what else can I do other than to do as you say" reply the bracelet.


    "Good, now let''s begin with the trial" said Jason as he took a deep breath before taking a step forward.

 Chapter 168 - [Bonus ]The Second Trial

    Taking instructions from the bracelet, Jason took a step forward toward a white pattern floor and there was no sign of the lightning coming down which show that he is on the right track but just before he could think of relaxing his muscles, a figure appear at the other end as it steps on the black pattern.


    "What the hell is going on here, there was no challenger when the illusion figure did it so why is mine turn different" said Jason with a frown.


    "It just as I thought, it won''t be considered a challenge if you were to move around the place without an opponent for you to beat" commented the bracelet like he was expecting it.


    "Hey what are you talking about" asked Jason?


    "Your goal isn''t just to get to the other side but to beat that figure in front of you in a game of chess" reply the bracelet.


    "And how do they expect me to do that when I don''t know how to play in the first place" said Jason.


    "You have yourself to blame for that boy" reply the bracelet.


    "Why is everyone saying that word" complain Jason.


    "That is because you are too ignorant to things that are around you" reply the bracelet in an annoying tone.


    "Alright fine, once we are done with all this exploring I will occupy myself with something" said Jason as he gave up.


    "Good, now make your move before your time runs out and get hit by a lightning bolt" replies the bracelet.


    "You are the one giving instructions here so hurry up and tell me where I should go" said Jason hurriedly when he heard the lightning will strike him if he were to run out of time.


    "Step on the white pattern on your left" instructed the bracelet.


    Doing as he was told, Jason moved to the white pattern on his left and the figure also made his move forward and that is how a heated game begins between the two as they begin to get closer to each other and the more they draw close, the more they get closer to each other the more the platform they were standing on begins to shrink until they only have one platform to themselves which was facing each other.


    "Now what am I supposed to do" asked Jason.


    "I don''t know, that chess seems to be different from the one I know but since the only pattern that is remaining happen to be the one the both of you are standing on, I think for either of you to be considered a winner, you have to knock the other person out of the pattern" reply the bracelet.


    Since there is no other option for him at the moment, Jason decided to give it a shot but before he could think of making a move, the figure has already launched an attack on him which clarifies the bracelet conclusion.


    Lowering his body as he avoid the kick that was coming for him, Jason threw a punch of his own that hit the figure off the pattern before a lightning bolt descended from the sky and struck the figure turning it into ash.


    "That¡­. That would have been me turning to ash if I were to get kicked off the pattern" said Jason with cold sweat coming from his face.


    "But it was not, so be glad boy" reply the bracelet with a chuckle.


    Right after the figure has been eliminated, the black pattern which it stood on earlier on suddenly begins to change before turning to a white pattern. Not waiting for the bracelet to tell him what to do next before he step on the pattern and a "humming" sound was heard before white pattern begin to spread all over the place.


    "Looks like you have won the trial" said the bracelet as he let out a sigh of relief.


    "Are you sure about that cause I don''t want to be hit by a lightning bolt?" asked Jason as he stood still on the pattern?


    "If you are not declared the winner, then can you explain why there are white patterns all over the room" reply the bracelet.


    "That makes sense though" said Jason as he also thought about the matter.


    Taking a step into one of the patterns as he await the lightning bolt to strike him but nothing happened after some time and he decided to go forward with a smile on his face. Making it to the door, Jason didn''t hesitate to open it as he sent out of the trial ground.


    "Now that I have completed the trial, I cant wait to see what the legacy is going to be" said Jason with a smile as he waited to be returned back to the throne.


    After the transportation was done, Jason was just about to speak up when he saw the view before him.


    "Why am I not transported back to the palace" complain Jason with a deep frown on his face.


    In front of him was a wide round ring with a bulky man standing inside with his upper clothes off while staring at Jason as if telling him to get into the ring if he dare.


    "I think you just went through the first stage of the trial and what you see before you is to be the second stage of the trial" replies the bracelet.


    "Why didn''t that rotten skeleton say so in the first place" said Jason with an angry look on his face.


    "He did tell you guys to prepare yourself for what to happen" reply the bracelet.


    "I don''t remember telling you to remind me about that" said Jason.


    "Since you already know about it, then why don''t you head to the ring and end this trial once and for all" replies the bracelet.


    Jason went straight into the ring where the same voice spoke up.


    "The test this time around would be a battle and you would be deemed the winner if you get to force your opponent off the ring".


    "Forcing my opponent off the ring should be very easy for me" said Jason with a smile.


    "Be careful Jason, it might be an easy thing to do but don''t you think that there is something off about the challenge?" asked the bracelet.


    "As long as he is also on the same level as me, I won''t have any problem beating the living hell out of him" reply Jason with a smile as he begins to crack his fist.


    "Don''t get carried away and try to focus here" Said the bracelet.


    "I am focused alright, besides he challenges me to a battle and if I were to withdraw from the fight, he is going to look down on me and believe me it won''t be nice if it were to happen" reply Jason as he took a step forward.


    Seeing the young man before him is ready to battle, the bulky man let out a chuckle before balancing himself as he stared at Jason meanwhile Jason was just standing still a smile plaster on his face as he waited for the bulky man to make his move.


    Noticing the attitude that the young man is showing towards him, the bulky man let out an angry roar as he charge forward while throwing a kick at Jason only for him to see the young man twisting his body to the side to avoid his attack before swinging his hand lightly at the kick which knocks it down before following up with a kick which hit the bulky man at the side of his neck before falling on the ground on one knee.


    Placing his hand on his back he looks down on the bulky man with a smile on his face as he asks.


    "I thought you were very proud of your strength earlier on for you to challenge me into a battle so where is that proud look now that you are at my mercy".


    The bulky man was just staring at him with fire in his eyes and if look could kill, Jason would have died a thousand times.


    Seeing the bulky man staring at him was kind of annoying to Jason and he had to send a powerful kick at the bulky man which sent him flying out of the ring.


    "I thought that I was going to have some fun fighting but who would have thought that he would be so weak to take a hit from me" said Jason with a sigh as if he was disappointed about the outcome of the fight but if one were to look into his eyes, he would be shaken to see that he is happy about winning.


    "Now that you have cleared this stage, I think it should be about time you were sent out of this place" commented the bracelet.


    "You got that right" reply Jason as he begin to wait for the voice to declare him the winner of the match which didn''t happen instead another opponent appear on the ring which clarify that it is not over.

 Chapter 169 - You Shameless Ruler

    With the new arrival of the opponent, it didn''t take long before they begin to fight and it didn''t take long before Jason won the match and begin to wait for the voice to announce him as the winner but just like the previous time another opponent came to challenge him.


    "How many battles do I have to win before that dumb voice would be satisfied with my performance" said Jason in anger.


    "Maybe when you are dead" joke the bracelet as he lets out a chuckle.


    "You are not helping" said Jason as he continued to exchange blows with his opponent.


    "What do you want me to say, I remember telling you to try and understand the trial you are about to take but you decided to accept the challenge since it has to do with fighting. So stop complaining and continue to have fun" reply the bracelet.


    "But that was before the match started now it is different" said Jason as he dodged the attack.


    "With the way things are going it won''t be difficult to understand the aim of this trial, so I will have to advise you to conserve your strength because you are going to need it later on" advises the bracelet.


    "What are you getting at, why are you not saying everything you moron or are you only going to be happy when I fail to claim the legacy for myself" asked Jason in anger.


    "You are the moron here, with all that I have said so far you still don''t understand that the trial has to do with your stamina to continue the fight" replied the bracelet as he barked back at Jason.


    "Oh, why didn''t think of that?" said Jason with an awkward laugh.


    Since he already has an idea of what is happening, Jason began to battle with fifty percent of his strength. Though it took much longer before he was able to defeat his opponent, eventually he won the fight and this continue over six more matches before the voice spoke up once more.


    "Congratulations for defeating your opponent. Now it is time for the main event to begin, the rules are simple: win this match with any means and you will be deemed worthy of inheriting my legacy".


    "I knew it has to be you who is behind all this you shameless ruler" yell Jason in anger as he stare at the sky since it is likely that the voice came from above.


    "Cough Cough, how am I supposed to let you have my legacy like that without you working for it" replied the skeleton.


    "You shameless thing, how can you still call yourself a ruler with this attitude you are displaying" said Jason after confirming that the voice belongs to the skeleton.


    "Are you still continuing with the challenge or not?" asked the skeleton.


    "How can I stop now after coming this far" replied Jason.


    "Then stop complaining and continue with your trial" said the skeleton and before long another opponent has appeared on the ring but unlike the previous one, this new opponent seem to be a lot stronger with the aura that is coming from him.


    "I guess I don''t need to hold back on this blockhead and I" said Jason with a bright smile when seeing someone worthy to fight.


    "Pfft. A blockhead is calling another blackhead, you are really funny you know that" reply the bracelet with a laugh.


    Ignoring the bracelet, Jason went toward to approach his opponent as they both took their stand before exchanging below. At first, Jason thought the opponent before him wouldn''t be that troublesome for him to defeat but after exchanging blows with him, he dawned on him that if he actually fought with his full strength at the beginning of the trial, he wouldn''t have been a match for him.


    They both exchanged more blows and no one was getting the advantage over the other which annoy Jason since his opponent was created out of illusion, so he decided to add more energy to his attack to boost his power and it did take long before he overwhelmed his opponent and before long, his opponent has already been thrown out of the ring.


    "I have gotten rid of all your puppets so when are you going to declare me the winner and hand over your legacy" said Jason proudly.


    "I can see that you are really full of yourself but I am sorry to disappoint you, you won''t be having the legacy anytime soon since you have yet to complete the trail" replied the skeleton.


    "What now?" asked Jason with a frown.


    "This is only the second trial you need to pass in order to proceed to the next trial" replies the skeleton.


    "Are you that happy tormenting a youngster over your legacy which I might lose interest in at anytime. So you might want to reconsider before playing games with me" said Jason.


    There was a little silence before the skeleton suddenly spoke.


    "Fine, there are three more trials before you will be qualified to receive my legacy".


    "See, it wouldn''t hurt you to say what I needed to hear" said Jason as he jumped off the ring as he headed to the door.


    "I wonder what the trial would be this time around" said the bracelet.


    "Who cares as long as I can claim the legacy, other things don''t matter" reply Jason before going through the door.


    After arriving at the next trial ground, Jason begins to observe his surroundings trying to figure what the test would be this time around since he doesn''t want the same mistake to repeat himself. There seemed to be nothing in the room after he was done observing and he couldn''t help but doubt if he was in the right room or not.


    "Since you went through the door, it is supposed to bring you directly to the next trial ground. So don''t let your guard down" advise the bracelet.


    And that is how Jason begins to pay attention to his surroundings before the skeleton voice echo in the room once more.


    "You may now begin with your trial".

 Chapter 170 - [Bonus ]Battling Oneself

    After the announcement was made, Jason waited for his opponent to arrive but there was no opponent to be seen in the room they were and Jason was beginning to get really Impatient and that is when a figure was beginning to materialize in front of him. And Jason couldn''t help but frown when he saw the figure standing before was actually himself.


    "You want me to battle myself" asked Jason with a frown.


    "You got that right boy" replied the skeleton.


    "Why can''t you just give me another opponent instead of letting me battle with myself" asked Jason.


    "The only opponent one would find difficult to defeat is likely to be themselves. So you can defeat yourself in this round, you will be declared the winner of this round" replied the skeleton.


    "You are beginning to show your true color as a scam now right" said Jason.


    "Young it is just a test so stop complaining and continue with it" replied the skeleton as he was already tired of talking with Jason.


    Seeing that the skeleton doesn''t want to talk to him again, Jason took a deep breath before getting closer to his clone as he waved his hand trying to communicate with him and surprisingly, the clone waved back at him.


    "Cool, hey you look awesome" said Jason with a smile.


    "You too man" replied the clone with a smile.


    Jason was just about to continue with his discussion when he heard the skeleton saying in an angry voice.


    "Will you get this trial over with"?


    "All the best man because I won''t be going easy on you" said the clone with a serious expression.


    "But I am you, why would you want to take this seriously when we are the same? Shouldn''t you be helping clear this trial" asked Jason?


    "It is a trial man so I can''t go easy on you or else you won''t be declared the winner and let''s not forget that you are the original, so it should be easy for you to beat me" reply the clone.


    "I think you are right about that" said Jason as he agreed with what the clone said.


    They both took a step back as they prepared themselves to launch an attack and the moment the signal sent off they both pushed forward as their fist was sent at each other. It was just like a stimulation was running as they were using the same fighting strategy.


    "Why is he copying my moves?" said Jason with a frown as he withdrew his fist.


    "He is your clone you blockhead, so he can do anything the main body can do. It is just like looking at a reflection of yourself in front of you" reply the bracelet.


    "This is not going to be an easy battle as I thought it would be," said Jason before taking his halberd out.


    Seeing Jason holding a halberd in hand, the clone let out a chuckle before also taking out a halberd of his own which put a frown on Jason''s face.


    "He also has my weapon on him" said Jason in shock.


    "Are you deaf when I said he is just a reflection of you, whatever you can do, he also would be able to do it" reply the bracelet?


    After the clone had brought out his weapon, he didn''t give Jason the time to think before he dashed at him while thrusting the halberd forward in hope of stabbing it into his arm to disable him but before the attack could get close enough, Jason has already swept the floor with his halberd in an attempt to take him by the leg which forces the clone to flip up as he abandons his previous attack.


    While he was still in midair, the clone sent out a barrage of attacks down on him which Jason barely avoided as he spoke up out of anger.


    "I have never done that attack before so how in the world did he know to execute it".


    "Just because he is your clone does not mean he did not have the right to do as he pleased. And I must say, your clone seems to be much better at fighting than you, which makes me wonder if you are the clone here" reply the bracelet with a laugh.


    "I still don''t know why I am talking to you" said Jason.


    They both exchanged blows as they were in a stalemate and unlike the previous trials he has gone through, this seems to be the hardest. Since he has about an hour, he has begun the challenge and there is still no progress.


    "Why don''t we turn this up a notch" said Jason as he kept the halberd away before activating the lightning boot.


    "I was about to ask you when you plan to use that move of yours" replied the clone with a laugh before also keeping the halberd and activating the lightning boot.


    Letting out a deep breath, Jason launch himself into the air at an incredible speed before descending as he planned to stomp the clone in one swift move but before he could even get close to reaching the ground, the clone which was standing in front of him not quite long suddenly appeared before him as he threw a fist at him that is cover with the iron fist technique.


    Reacting quickly, Jason brought his two hands in front of him in hope of stopping the attack but the moment that they come in contact, a cracking sound was heard as his hand caved in causing the punch to hit him in the chest even though the strength behind the attack has lessened and he was sent crashing down into the floor while throwing up a mouthful of blood.


    "Hey, Jason are you alright" asked the bracelet worriedly.


    "Yeah, I think I would live" replied Jason as he crawled back up.


    "That clone of yours seems to be on another level compared to what a clone should be capable of doing" said the bracelet.


    "And it''s like he could predict my every move, making it difficult for me to hit him" replied Jason as he watched the clone with a serious look on his face.

 Chapter 171 - There Can Only Be One Jason

    Being beaten up by a fake was really making Jason angry and looking at the smug look on his face, couldn''t help but ignore the fact that his clone is as good as him and charged forward with his fist gathering more energy as he thrust it at his clone. And seeing Jason making a move, the clone also threw a punch forward with energy wrapping around it as they collided.


    Surprisingly, Jason was the one who was not able to withhold the impact of the attack as he was sent crashing into the ground while throwing up another mouthful of blood.


    "This is annoying, I am the real thing here so why is it difficult to defeat a fake" roared Jason in frustration.


    "I think it has to do with the fact that your arms were injured during that previous attack" said the bracelet as he tried to encourage him.


    "It''s not just that, it can actually read my attack" replied Jason with a frown.


    "Okay since you know the reason why you can''t hit him, then why don''t you try a different approach" suggests the bracelet.


    "What are you suggesting?" asked Jason.


    "Since he already knows your fighting style, why don''t you try fighting in a way you have before. I believe it won''t be difficult for you to copy Austin''s fighting style" said the bracelet.


    "You mean that I should start fighting like that reckless beast?" asked Jason.


    "Yes since it is the only option you have right now but if you feel like you don''t have to, then you can continue with your torment until you fail the trial" reply the bracelet.


    "Guess I have no choice then" said Jason with a sigh.


    Keeping the halberd away. Jason took out a sword from his storage ring before swinging it around. Seeing Jason abandoning his favorite weapon for a sword, the clone couldn''t help but ask.


    "What the hell are you doing".


    "Getting ready for a rematch of course" replied Jason with a smile on his face.


    After he was done formalizing himself with the sword, Jason activated the lightning boot technique as he charged forwards the clone.


    "I know I might not be able to use his technique, but this should be close to his fighting style" mutters Jason with a happy expression on his face as he sends out a slash that is covered in spiritual energy.


    Seeing the slash coming at him, the clone let out a scoff before swinging his halberd to meet up with the attack that was coming at him. After successfully nullifying the attack, the clone was just about to let out an attack when he suddenly felt someone standing behind him and he quickly reacted swinging the halberd at his back as a metal sound rang out as he was forced back.


    After stabilizing himself, the clone lifted his head to look at Jason and it was at that moment that he discovered that he was fighting a different person. The person before him was more of a raging beast who didn''t care about his well-being and it seemed to be a lot faster.


    "This feels great, I never knew I would be able to move this fast while using a sword" said Jason as he stared at the sword in his hand.


    "That is the difference between using a sword and a halberd boy. I suggest you finish this fight as soon as possible since you are now using more energy compared to when you are using a halberd" reply the bracelet.


    "Why did you say so?" asked Jason.


    "You have been too accustomed to using a halberd that you are finding it hard to control your use of energy" reply the bracelet.


    Finally understanding what the bracelet was talking about, Jason decided to end the fight quickly before he ran out of energy. Taking a deep breath, he swiped his sword down twice as two energy slashes went after the clone who quickly rolled to the side to avoid the attack before swinging his halberd as he also sent an energy attack of his own too.


    With the lightning boot still active, Jason was able to easily avoid the attack before pushing forward as he let out three more energy slashes to distract the clone before throwing the sword at him leaving him barehanded as he dashed inward in an attempt to punch him down.


    Seeing Jason coming at him barehanded, the clone let out a chuckle as he roared.


    "You are being too overconfident here"


    Avoiding the sword that was coming at him after he was done taking care of the earlier attack, the clone ready his halberd to attack Jason the moment he got into his attack range as he let the sword go past him.


    "You have lost" said Jason with a smile on his face as continued to advance towards the clone and just as the clone thought he had him where he wanted him, Jason suddenly did a casual flip as he avoid the attack before landing behind the clone with the sword in hand as he stabs it into the clone heart.


    The clone became weak as he tried to pull the sword out of his chest as he continued to spit out blood while staring at Jason.


    "There can only be one Jason" said Jason with a frosty look on his face as he pulled the sword out before kicking the clone backward.


    "How is it, was I able to entertain you enough" yelled Jason at the sky.


    "Congratulations for passing the test now you can proceed to the next trial ground" said the skeleton.


    "You can''t even answer my question and you call yourself a ruler" mutters Jason before walking forward.


    Before he could open the door, Jason turned to look at his clone laying dead on the ground as he shook his head on the fact of killing himself just to pass a trial.


    "I will have to teach that skeleton a one or two when I get back" said Jason before passing through the door.

 Chapter 172 - Lightning Dragon

    After he was transported to the fourth trial ground, Jason couldn''t help but widen his eyes in shock as to the sight before him. The trial ground this time around doesn''t seem to be on earth as the whole place was covered in a lake of fire with barely enough dry space for someone to stand on.


    "That''s it, I am out of this place" said Jason as he lost the will to fight.


    "Are you leaving just like that after coming this far?" asked the bracelet as he was surprised to see Jason giving up just like that.


    "You got that right" replied Jason.


    "What about the legacy, don''t you want it again" asked the bracelet.


    "He can keep his legacy for the next person who manages to make it into this room for I don''t need it anymore" reply Jason.


    "But still there is no way you will be able to leave this place without clearing this trial" said the bracelet.


    "Just watch as I break my way out of here" said Jason before looking at the sky and yelled.


    "Hey great ruler, I give up on the challenge for the legacy, I don''t need it anymore just get me out of here".


    "I am sorry kid but there is no way to leave this mini world not until you have completed the trial" replied the skeleton.


    "I can''t leave this place unless I have completed the trial" asked Jason with a frown.


    "That''s right kid" replied the skeleton.


    "Then I will have to fail the trial and still leave this place, you''re lost" said Jason.


    "You should have noticed by now that the only way for you to be considered as a loser, is after your death. So if you don''t want to continue anymore, then just throw yourself into the river" reply the skeleton.


    Jason''s face couldn''t help but twitch after hearing the skeleton reply and bend his head to take a look at the sea of fire before cursing the skeleton inward.


    "The rules of this trial is quite simple, you will be challenging that dragon over there to a race. If you are able to make it to the finish line before the dragon does, it will be considered your win" said the skeleton after seeing that Jason is no longer complaining.


    "You want me to race with a dragon at a place like this" asked Jason with a frown.


    "That is right, kind of easy am I right" replied the skeleton.


    "Easy my ass, are you trying to get me killed? How can you call this simple when there is hardly any place for me to send on and let''s not forget that my opponent is a dragon who can soar the air and is also immune to fire" said Jason angrily.


    "Is anything wrong about that?" asked the skeleton.


    "The whole thing is wrong even with you, now I know why you haven''t been able to have a successor all these years, it''s because you don''t want anyone to inherit your legacy. You better call my opponent here let''s get this done" reply Jason.


    The skeleton was lost of what to say and decided to call the dragon over. The moment the dragon appeared, it took its place before staring at Jason as steam left his nose.


    "Ain''t you ashamed to be facing someone who is at disadvantage here" said Jason with a twitched face.


    "Why should I be ashamed, you want to inherit my master''s legacy then you will have to go through me" replied the dragon in a deep voice.


    Jason was frozen in place when he heard the dragon speak as he turned to take a good look at it once more. It was a white dragon with scales all over its body with tiny wings under the wings and a thin long horn on its forehead.


    "You can speak" asked Jason.


    "Of course, I can or do you want me to start acting like those dumb beasts" replied the dragon.


    Instead of answering the dragon, Jason turned to the sky as he said.


    "Hey ruler, will it be possible for me to take this dragon along with me after I''m done with the trial".


    "Well I can make an exception for you but you will have to clear the trial first before we can talk about that" replied the skeleton after some time.


    "That wouldn''t be a problem" said Jason with a smile before taking his place.


    "I thought you were angry a moment back, so why do you suddenly have a change of mind" asked the bracelet.


    "If I can have that dragon to myself, I will be able to boost my fighting powers to another level" replied Jason with a smile.


    "That dragon seems to be a lightning dragon for sure so it would be very beneficial to you if you were able to tame it" said the bracelet.


    "More reason why I need to have the dragon for myself" reply Jason.


    Seeing that the young man is interested in it, the dragon lets out a scoff.


    ''A low life like you want to tame an ancient dragon like me, dream on'' thought the dragon.


    Seeing that they have taken their place, the skeleton suddenly spoke up as he began to tell them the rules of the game which is to make it to the door before the other does. After stating the rule, the skeleton gave the signal for them to start.


    The moment that instruction was given, the dragon quickly pushed off leaving Jason behind.


    "No you don''t" said Jason as he activated the lightning boot before taking off. And due to the speed that he was in possession of, he was able to ignore the fire as he speed up and before long he was already behind the dragon who was surprised to see that the young man was quite fast but that is when he noticed the sizzling sound that is coming from his leg and he had to lower its head to take a look only to end up having an astonished look on his face.


    "He also practice a lightning technique" said the dragon.

 Chapter 173 - [Bonus ]Im Going To Kill You

    The dragon was only shocked for a few seconds before he sped off into the distance while leaving Jason behind covered in dust. He thought of spending things up also but decided to wait until the time is right before he will do so.


    Keeping his pace, Jason was able to catch up with the dragon after some time but whenever he thought of overtaking the dragon, it will just increase its speed as Jason would be left behind once more and it continues like this and Jason was beginning to suspect that the dragon was playing with him. Which gave him a perfect plan.


    When he got close to the dragon this time around, instead of overtaking it, Jason brought out his halberd and knocked the dragon on the head which stunned it for a while and before he recovered from the state, Jason has already gotten far but the dragon could see a happy look on his face as he had his tongue out like he was making fun of him.


    "I was thinking of going easy on you but since you prefer the hard way, then that is what I will do" said the dragon angrily as it let out a roar before spreading its wings and flipping them for some time than swinging down on the lake.


    It was just a casual swing but the lake of fire begin to surge from side to side before forming a huge wave as it went after Jason.


    "Be careful Jason, there seems to be powerful energy heading your way" warned the bracelet.


    Turning around to take a look at what it was that is heading his way only for him to see the mighty fire wave that is chasing after him with the dragon levitating in mid-air, he knew straight away that it was the dragon.


    "Mr dragon, I only gave you a light touch on your head. Do you have to go that far as to seek my life" said Jason who was almost in tears.


    "You only gave him a light touch you say, don''t worry he is also going to give you a warm bath so you don''t have to worry about a thing" commented the bracelet with a chuckle.


    "He is just going to give me a warm bath but, what I am seeing here behind me doesn''t seem to be a warm bath and if I don''t make a run for it, I will lose my life in there" replies Jason with a twitching face.


    He Increase his pace as he try to make it to the finish line before the lake of fire could get to him but no matter how fast he is, he still couldn''t outrun the lake of fire and before long the lake was already falling on him and left with no other choice, Jason took a powerful jump to the sky as he manages to avoid the mighty splash of the lake of fire before turning to the dragon as he yelled at him.


    "What is wrong with you, are you trying to get me killed".


    "I thought you wanted to play dirty when you strike me first" said the dragon with a proud smile on his face.


    "I was only playing with you, if I wanted you dead I would have stabbed my weapon into that head of yours" said Jason.


    "Oh please, do you think that your weapon is strong enough to penetrate my defense? Don''t make me laugh" scoff the dragon.


    He decided to ignore the dragon since the fellow is more shameless than him so he decided to continue with the race as he let loose before dashing towards the door and seeing Jason taking advantage of the moment, the dragon let out a roar before dashing forward as well with a trail of fire following behind him.


    Now they were competing for who would make it to the finish line and it doesn''t seem to be an ordinary competition as they both let out attack after attack in the hope of taking the other party down but no matter how hard they try, their attack never seem to get to the other while they are getting close to the finish line.


    "You have to make it to the finish line before he does, else it would be classified as his loss," said the bracelet.


    "Don''t worry, I have a plan" replied Jason as he stared at the dragon.


    "You actually had a plan" asked the bracelet in shock. Since the day he has met the young man, he has always remained dependent on him so when he heard him saying he had a plan, he was shocked.


    "Yeah, just watch what I am about to do" he replied before pushing off.


    When they have gotten seven kilometers away from the door, Jason suddenly turned to the dragon and yelled.


    "Hey, dragon I heard that your master has been a useless ruler before his death is that true".


    Hearing the young man talking about his master, the dragon couldn''t help but stop in his track as he replied angrily.


    "My master has always been unmatched as a ruler before his death so who are you to call him useless".


    "Got you there big guy" said Jason with a chuckle as he was now standing in front of the door.


    "You trick me" said the dragon in bewilderment.


    "You got that right, Wait did you actually think you could win me" reply Jason with a chuckle.


    "I''m going to kill you brat" roar the dragon before flipping his wing as he prepares to launch an attack.


    Seeing the dragon is about to make a move on him, Jason quickly yelled for aid knowing fully well that he won''t be a match for him.


    "Hey, when are you going to tell your dragon to hold his anger, or haven''t I won the race".


    "Well you angered him so it is only right if you quench his anger by yourself since you decided to use my name as a trump card to win" reply the skeleton.


    "Then who is going to inherit your legacy if I were to end up dead" said Jason.


    The skeleton could only let out a sigh before ordering his dragon to stop since his word makes some sense.

 Chapter 174 - [Bonus ]Breakthrough Part 1

    After the dragon had been stopped from launching an attack on Jason, he couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he turned to the dragon and said as he wiped the sweat off his face.


    "I am going to be your master soon enough so you must as well give me my maximum respect".


    "In your dreams young man, I would rather rot in this place than to be your beast" replied the dragon, still burning in anger.


    "If you would be able to leave with me is not within your power to decide since your master has already promised to gift you to me" said Jason with a wide smile on his face.


    Seeing that Jason is trying to get the dragon angry, the skeleton reminded him that he is still not done with the trial so he should stop thinking of owning the dragon.


    "This is the last one right?" asked Jason while looking at the door.


    "That is right and all you have to do now is to get inside and get it done or could it be that you are scared of what is hidden inside that room" replied the dragon with a mockery tone.


    "Why should I be scared of the next challenge, when defeating a mighty dragon as you in a race" said Jason as he rolled his eyes on the dragon.


    "Hey the only reason why you were able to beat me to the finish line was because you cheated. If you truly believe in your capacity, then let''s have a rematch" reply the dragon angrily.


    "As you can see, I am trying to round up this trial stuff and get out of this place. By the way, you already lost the race and it would be too embarrassing if you were to lose again so I won''t agree to your challenge" said Jason.


    "You are just making excuses here, if you really think you can beat me, then let''s go" said the dragon as he refused to let Jason continue with the trial without racing with him once more.


    Looking out the dragon who seemed to have gone mad all because he lost to him, Jason couldn''t help but shake his head in disappointment as he opened the door ready to go in but before he did, he turned to the dragon and replied.


    "I''m sorry but I don''t have the habit of accepting challenges just because someone asked me too so if you want to race that badly, you can always ask your master to make you an opponent that you would be able to win easily".


    After saying those words, Jason quickly went through the door before the dragon will lung at him out of rage.


    "You¡­. Just pray we don''t get to see each other outside this world because if we do, I am going to rip you to piece" said the dragon as he stomped his feet on the ground before walking into the lake of fire.


    Meanwhile after Jason went through the door, he was quickly transported to a world that is filled with lightning sizzling here and there and he couldn''t help but twitch his face in anger after seeing the sight in front of him.


    "And what is the trial supposed to be this time around" asked Jason with a frown as he continued to watch the lightning hitting the ground forcefully.


    "To tell you the truth, you have already passed the trials" replied the skeleton hurriedly.


    "Since I have already passed the trial, why did you lead me into this world when you can just hand the legacy over to me" said Jason angrily.


    "The thing is, in order for you to be able to master the technique that I left behind, you would need to gain a body that should be in the level with a heaven rank weapons" replied the skeleton.


    "My body needs to be on the same level with a heaven rank weapon" Jason muttered to himself.


    "I think I have a clue as to why you need to cultivate your body to such a level" said the bracelet.


    "And why is that?" asked Jason as he turned to the bracelet for an answer.


    "It seems like using the other party''s technique could actually leave one body in a sorry state after activation of the technique" replied the bracelet.


    Understanding the requirement for using the technique, Jason turned to the lightning sizzling ahead of him as he said in a deep voice.


    "I don''t think I need to temper my body before I could practice the technique".


    "I have already studied you during the previous trial and your body doesn''t seem to be at that level" replied the skeleton.


    "Is there no other way for me to learn the technique without going through that lightning?" asked Jason.


    "There is another way you could  practice the technique and that is for you to absorb a powerful beast blood essence but we don''t have time for that now" replied the skeleton.


    "So there is no other way I will be able to avoid the lightning strike" said Jason in disappointment.


    "Well it seems like the heaven also wants you to go through the lightning baptizing" commented the bracelet.


    "Heaven your head, you think that you will be able to convince me to go into that place" said Jason.


    "That is not it, the only way you can inherit the legacy is to go through the lightning and you also need to temper your body with lightning in other for you to cultivate the second stage of the supreme heavenly lightning" reply the bracelet.


    "Well if it comes to worst, I will just have to abandon the legacy since it is not the only treasure that is in this place" said Jason as he has made up his mind.


    After speaking to the bracelet, Jason turn to the lightning as he said.


    "I am no longer interested in your legacy so can I leave now".


    "The only way for you to leave this world is to cultivate my legacy" replies the bracelet.1

 Chapter 175 - Breakthrough Part 2

    "I can only leave this place after learning the technique you say" asked Jason with a frown.


    "Those who came into this world of mine to seek my legacy won''t be able to leave not until they have passed the trials and have met the requirement of cultivating the technique" reply the skeleton.


    "I know that you are just making things up here" said Jason as he doesn''t want to believe what the skeleton is saying.


    "You are free to believe what you want to believe boy but this place is programmed to let those who have learned the technique to leave at will" replied the skeleton.


    Jason could feel his head hurting just thinking about going into the midst of the lightning and seeing the young man contemplating if he should go in or wait outside, and the skeleton couldn''t help but let out a sigh before speaking.


    "Since you are cultivating a lightning technique already, it should be easier for you to withstand the lightning baptizing".


    Jason shook his head to the skeleton word as he reply coldly.lplp0


    "Since you are confident that I will be able to make it through the lightning, then why don''t you go in first and get your soul baptized".


    "With what you are saying, you are hoping for me to die" said the skeleton.


    "Since you want my life so badly, why can''t I do the same" replied Jason with a smile.


    The skeleton decided to let him go since he would be placing himself in a tight situation.


    "When you are ready, feel free to go in" the skeleton said before his voice began to fade.


    After the voice had faded away, Jason return his gazed back to the lightning once more as he begin to think of a way to avoid getting serious injury from the strike and that is when the bracelet gave him the idea of attacking the lightning if he think he could not take it anymore and it was only then that he made up his mind and went in but he didn''t go alone as he has in his hand the halberd.


    After getting in, Jason let out a deep breath before sitting on the ground as he awaited the lightning to fall on him. It didn''t take long before a lightning streak suddenly fell on him as his body shook from the hit. Then came another streak of lightning then and within five minutes, he has been hit by over a hundred lightning and there is no hope of the lightning stopping anytime soon.


    Meanwhile, Jason who has been taking the hit since the beginning could already feel his arms going numb but at the same time, the lightning which has been hitting him earlier has been sinking deep into his bones. The same thing could be said about the halberd which now has a lightning spark to it since Jason has been using it to fend off some of the lightning attack.


    After absorbing more energy for some hours, Jason''s skin begins to crack as a white glow could be seen coming from within and before long they begin to fall off while a new one begins to surface after some minutes, he has shed his old skin. After he has shed his skin, the rate at which his body begins to absorb the lightning strike begins to increase and before long, a ball of lightning begins to gather in front of him while he was not aware since he has his eyes closed.


    It took some time before the ball of lightning that had been gathering in front of him grew to a thrice the size of its original size before ramming into him forcefully as his body pulled back a little due to the impact. After he was done absorbing the energy, Jason suddenly opened his eyes that had been shut for a long time as a powerful aura burst out of his body.


    "Seems like you were not only able to cultivate the second stage of the supreme heavenly lightning technique, but you also to achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation" said the bracelet in praise.


    "After going through the trouble of being beaten by the lightning, it wouldn''t have been fair if I am not rewarded for my endurance" replied Jason as he got up and begin to clench his fist together and whenever he did, the sound of lightning could be heard sizzling whenever his fist are together like they wait to charge forward and crush their opponent.


    "I can feel my body is charging with more energy compared to before '''' said Jason excitedly.


    "That is all thanks to your body gaining more power after breakthrough into a heaven rank and I believe you will be able to battle those that is a stage or two ahead of you" replied the bracelet.


    "That reminds me, where is that so-called ruler who claims that I will only be qualified to inherit his legacy once my body is strong enough?" said Jason as he remembered the reason why he had decided to absorb the lightning in the first place.


    "I''m here kid, congratulations on a successful breakthrough", replied the skeleton in praise.


    "Cut the crap and out your legacy for me to learn" said Jason as he went straight to business.


    "Hehe, you don''t need to worry about that since you have met the requirements, it is only right for me to let you have it" replied the skeleton with a short laugh before a lightning ball began to fall from the sky.


    Seeing the ball coming toward him, Jason decided to fight back but before he could, the bracelet advised him not to resist as the ball of lightning fell on top of his head and the next moment information about the technique began to flood his head.


    It took some time before he was able to learn the technique although it was not to perfection.


    "I hope you are not forgetting about the dragon you promised me" said Jason.


    "Don''t worry about that, once you are out of this place, he will be yours to keep since he doesn''t have anything to do here" replied the skeleton.

 Chapter 177 - Rematch

    The four of them couldn''t help but have a twitched face when they heard the dragon calling Jason a shameless prick and with the way he is speaking, it is clear that once he caught sight of him, he''s going to burn him to ash.


    "Lower your voice you damn dragon and pay respect to your new master" said Jason as he yelled back at the dragon.


    The dragon suddenly turned his gaze over where the voice came from as he let out a mockery laugh before speaking up.


    "You want me to pay respect to you as my master, dream on".


    "This¡­ I''ve never thought that it would be so hard for you to please but you see, I don''t have much time to spend here so the earlier you take me as your master and leave this place the better for you" said Jason.


    "Like I said before I was brought here, I would rather stay in this world than to follow you as your beast. But if you really want to be my master so badly, how about a bet" suggested the dragon.


    "What is the stake?" asked Jason with a frown.


    "It is going to be the same race and if you were to win this time around, I will humbly pay respect to you as my master but if you were to lose to me, you will have to admit that you cheated and still won''t be your servant" replied the dragon.


    "I thought you would have forgotten about that by now but who would have thought that you would actually hold to it" said Jason in surprise.


    "What can I say, since you refuse to have a rematch with me, I can only use this method on you. Now are you in or not you shameless prick" ask the dragon.


    "Enough with the names already and yes if that is what it will take to get you to acknowledge me as your master, then am I" replied Jason as he took a step closer to the dragon.


    Seeing that Jason has agreed to the match, the dragon let out a chuckle before turning to the skeleton that was still seated on the throne as requested.


    "Master, do you mind sending us back to the trial of fire".


    "That won''t be a problem, beside I am also interested to see how the match between the two of you is going to turn out since it takes another hundred years or so before I will see something exciting" reply the skeleton before snapping his hand and they were all teleported out of the throne room into the trial ground that was filled with a lake of fire.


    When they arrived at the place, Diana couldn''t help but frown as she was reminded of the place which had given her the fright of her life. Below where they were standing were Jason and the dragon as they took their place while waiting for the ruler to give the signal.


    "Now that I have a breakthrough, it should be much easier for me to win this race if I give it my all" mutters Jason as he looks at the dragon from the side.


    "I doubt that you will be able to win this match since the dragon is the one insisting on the match" reply the bracelet.


    Jason was just about to say something to the dragon when he heard a loud sound and before he knew it, the dragon had already spread his wings before dashing away.


    "Why didn''t you notify me?" said Jason as he turned to the skeleton.


    "How would you know that the match has started when you are not paying attention" replied the skeleton.


    And Jason could only grit his teeth in anger before activating the lightning boot as he stomped the ground before dashing the sky and began to chase after the dragon who didn''t hold back as he continued to flip his wings while dashing.


    When he noticed that Jason was catching up, he turned around and swiped his claws downward which caused the lake of flame to swell to the side before charging at Jason.


    "Are they allowed to attack each other?" asked Austin, who was worried about his friend''s safety.


    "Not to worry kid, this isn''t the first time they are doing something of this scale so it shouldn''t be a problem for him to get rid of the obstacle" replied the skeleton.


    And just as he said, the moment the flame got close to Jason, he swiftly swung his halberd down as he tore a huge gap in the wave before passing through and continued the chase.


    Seeing that his previous attempt failed, the dragon sent more and more attacks in an attempt to slow Jason down but no matter how hard he tries, Jason just seems to be fast enough to get through and it didn''t take long for him to stay ten meters away from the dragon.


    "You have been having your turn since the beginning of the race, now it''s my turn" said Jason with a smile before throwing his hand in the air as lightning began to sizzle in the air before a sword was formed as he slash it down causing a gigantic sword to fall.


    "That..that is master lightning emperor technique" said the dragon in fear as he slowed down to avoid the attack which was falling down on him.


    Seeing that the dragon was unable to avoid the attack that was heading his way, Jason took the opportunity to go forward at top speed before the dragon would be able to get rid of the attack since he is no longer on his lightning boot after being drawn of energy by the attack.


    And just like that, the sword was already close to the dragon and the dragon had no choice but to let out an attack of his own to nullify the attack which took about twenty seconds to completely get rid of it but then Jason had already made it to the finish line.


    "So are you ready to pay respect to your new master?" said Jason with a wide smile on his face.

 Chapter 178 - The Unknown

    The dragon was angry to see that he lost to a kid that could hardly win him in a race previously to the extent that he had to cheat. But since they have already made a bet and he lost, he quickly lowers his head and breathes out a flame orb which landed in Jason''s hand as he began to observe it before it disappeared from his hand and he suddenly felt a connection between the dragon.


    "What is that orb that went into his hand?" asked Austin.


    "The dragon just gave him part of his soul as a sign of loyalty" replied the skeleton.


    "So he is now the dragon''s new master" asked Diana with a happy expression on her face.


    "Since he lost the bet it is only natural that he will complete the end of the bargain" replies the skeleton.


    "Now that he has a dragon as his beast, his fighting power has increased by another fold" said Austin with a smile.


    "That''s right, now it would be difficult for him to be scared of the Wallace family anymore" added Diana.


    "You guys are forgetting that he is just in the nascent soul realm and although he could rival those that are two-stage ahead of him, that doesn''t mean he is unbeatable" replied the skeleton.


    Meanwhile, down below after he has accepted the dragon''s soul, he lets out a smile before raising his gaze at the dragon and he orders him to get up.


    "I see that you have managed to comprehend the first step of the lightning emperor within the few times that you have been in this world" said the dragon happily as he tries to bootlick him.


    "It wasn''t easy and it was all thanks to the technique that I practiced which was the reason why I was able to comprehend it" replied Jason.


    "Which means my master technique and the one you are practicing are supplementing each other" asked the dragon.


    "It seems like it but I don''t think that I will be able to use it frequently due to its high damage of spiritual energy" replied Jason as he let out a sigh.


    "But the more you grow in strength, the more you will be able to use it" advises the dragon.


    "I know about that but it would still be considered a waste if I can''t put it to use now" said Jason.


    "Since we don''t have anything to do here, I think it''s about time we leave" said Jason as he turned to the skeleton.


    The skeleton nodded his head slightly before snapping his finger once more as they were brought back to the throne room once more.


    "Now that you don''t have anything to do here, I believe you are thinking of taking your leave to look for treasures" asked the skeleton.


    "It seems like you can read my mind" replied Jason with a smile.


    "It''s not that I can read your mind but there is nothing left for you here to take" said the skeleton with a chuckle.


    "Well, there is actually something that we want that is in your possession and we don''t know if you would be so kind as to give it to us" asked Austin as he began to laugh awkwardly.


    "Please feel free to take anything you think would be useful to your cultivation" replies the skeleton.


    "Well, what I want from you is actually the scepter that you are wearing" said Austin with an awkward look on his face.


    "I also want that jewelry you are wearing" added Diana with a warm smile.


    The skeleton couldn''t help but open his mouth in surprise as he froze in place. Seeing him like this, Jason couldn''t help but let out a laugh as he asked.


    "What is wrong great ruler".


    "It''s nothing, it''s just that all this stuff your friends are asking for is a symbol of kingship so taking them away is like stripping me of my kingship" replied the skeleton.


    "But you are already dead, so what use are they to you" said Jason in anger when seeing that he won''t want to let his possession go.


    "You won''t understand boy" replied the skeleton.


    "Look I plan on taking that crown from you since you don''t have much time in this world but since it would be in the form of stripping you of your identity, I have decided to let you keep it" said Jason.


    After a little hesitation, the skeleton decided to hand the scepter and jewelry to Austin and Diana before seating on his throne.


    "Now it didn''t hurt you when giving them your stuff, so how about giving me your crown before you go back to sleep" asked Jason with a smile.


    "Scram you little scum before I beat you to poop" replied the skeleton.


    Seeing that the skeleton is been a little greedy in giving his crown out, Jason decided to forget about it as he turned around before making his way out but before he could get too far, the skeleton suddenly spoke up.


    "You can search for treasures in the whole of the rooms but please don''t go near the sealed door".


    Hearing the skeleton warning them to beware of a certain room, they couldn''t help but turn to the skeleton as he asked.


    "Why did you say we should not go into the sealed room".


    "That is because a part of a great demon is sealed inside the room. Although it is just a part of his body, he still holds a lot of power in his possession" reply the skeleton.


    "Does he have the ability to possess others?" asked Jason as he wanted to be certain if it was the same creature they fought in the ruin.


    "He does have the ability to possess others as long as the victim is weaker than him but that is not what makes him powerful" replies the skeleton.


    "Then what is it" asked Austin with a frown.


    "The ability to grow stronger the more he is battling" replies the skeleton.


    "Alright then, since we alright have information about him in advance, it would be easier for us to get rid of him" said Jason with a smile before leading the squad out of the room.


    After they had left the room, the skeleton quietly sat down before turning motionless on the throne. Meanwhile, the four members of the tribe that were looking for the intruders had finally made it to the sealed room.


    "Do you think they are inside this room?" asked tribe #2.


    "We have searched the whole rooms but still haven''t found them but I am certain that we will be able to find them here no doubt" reply tribe #1.


    "I don''t think we should go into that room, there must be something that is sealed in that room" disagree tribe #4.


    "But there is no way we can return home without capturing the intruders" replies tribe #3.


    "There is no doubt that they are hiding inside this room" said tribe #1.


    "So what are we waiting for just standing here, let go in and get them out before we are injected out of this place" reply tribe #3.


    After they have made up their mind, the tribe members begin to force the door open but to their surprise, it just won''t budge and they have to apply more strength into the pull and before long the seal begins to weaken, and about a minute the door suddenly opens as a burst of foil energy came out from the door as it pushed them back.


    Just a few minutes that the energy burst out of the room, they could feel the energy in their body going chaotic.


    "I told you we shouldn''t go inside, now look what you''ve done" complain tribe #4.


    "We need to get rid of this strange energy inside our body so stop complaining will you" reply tribe #3


    And they begin to fight against the strange energy in their body but no matter how they try to get rid of the energy, the more they realize the energy seen to be more powerful than theirs as they begin to lose their consciousness and before long tribe #3 and #1 has completely given up on resisting the strange energy as their minds were completely clouded with darkness.


    Seeing that their friends are no longer moving, they thought that maybe the strange energy had killed them and they began to fight about the energy inside their bodies, only for their friends to suddenly get up as they took a step towards them. At first, they thought all was well until they felt the same foil energy coming out of their body with their eyes devoid of life.


    Tribe #4 was just about to ask what had happened to them but before he could say a word, his friend was already running toward him with his fist clenching together before throwing it at him as he was sent flying backward.


    "What has gotten into him" said tribe #4 as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 179 - [Bonus ]Encounter

    The that his friend was still thinking of attacking him after succeeding the first time, tribe #4 got up as he went into a fighting stance before went into battle with tribe #1 and seeing what happened to tribe #4 who let his guard down, tribe #2 suddenly dash at tribe #3 to initial the first attack and that is how they begin to fight one another but to their surprise, tribe #1 and #3 who were in the same level with them suddenly became stronger as they were forced to pull back before running out of the area in fear of losing their lives and there is still the problem of the strange energy that is running wild in their body.


    Seeing the two running away, the two new possessed begin to give chase only to end up losing them.


    Meanwhile, when all this is happening, Jason and his friends were busy going from one room to another in search of treasure and at the same time, he was hoping that they come across the sealed door but it seemed like luck was not on his side as they continue to hunt for treasure when two figure suddenly crash into them.


    "Who are you people and what are you running from for you to forgetting watching where you are going" said Austin angrily as he pushed the figure that is on top of him away.


    "You three must be the intruder we are looking for " said tribe #4 after getting up.


    "The intruder you are looking for" asked Jason with a frown.


    Seeing that Jason still doesn''t know what they are talking about, Austin shakes their head as he begins to wonder how he came to know him.


    "They are from the temple of seal you idiot" reply Austin as he sent him a telepathy message.


    And it was only then did he remember how they came into the ruin in the first place but since they have already sent some of their members to come to look for them, it could only mean that they have already been caught if they were to go out.


    "Since you are searching for our whereabouts, then why are the two of you running in fear?" asked Jason with a frown.


    "Well it''s actually like this" tribe #2 begins to narrate what happened and to his surprise, the intruders didn''t seem to be surprised about the existence that is sealed behind the door. Instead, he was excited to see that they had found the location of the sealed door.


    "Looks like they beat us to it" said Jason as he felt disappointed in himself.


    "Ain''t you worried about your safety" asked tribe #4 in surprise.


    "What is there to be scared of when it is just a powerless being that was locked up inside the room" replied Jason.


    "Man there is no way that I am going into that place after knowing how I manage to escape getting killed by the possessed" said Austin as he pull back with a worried look on his face.


    "You worry too much Austin. You have forgotten that you have grown stronger compare to when we fought with him and let''s not forget about Diana and him" reply Jason as he turns to the dragon which has to shrink himself to the size of a parrot as he took shelter on his shoulder.


    Taking a look at the dragon who was snapping on Jason''s shoulder, and with Diana claiming to have to gain more control over the mystic lamp, Austin was finally able to relax himself. But the same could not be said about the two tribe members who are wondering if the ground before them were crazy and that is when the foil energy inside their body begins to run wild once more as they couldn''t hold themselves back before throwing up black blood as they body begin to make some changes.


    "You guys need to get out of here before we lose it and attack you" warned tribe #2 as he could no longer resist the foil energy.


    "Seem like they have already been attacked by the possessed" said Jason with a frown since he knew how it works.


    With how strong the two are, if they were to fall completely under his temptation, they will suddenly receive a boost in strength which would be very dangerous to them even with the help of the dragon.


    "I think I can get rid of the energy before they gave in" commented Diana before taking the mystic lamp out and sending a little surge of her energy into it as a bright shot out of the lamp before costing the two as they begin to scream in pain but before long, they have returned to normal with a black smoke being pulled out of their body before depleting into nothingness.


    Seeing that there is nothing left for her to do, she quickly kept the lamp away as they waited for the two to regain their strength which didn''t take long before they were able to stand on their feet once more.


    "We are back to being ourselves once more" said tribe #2 in surprise as he could not feel the foul energy inside him.


    "That is impossible, it could feel my mind going blank a moment again unless it was there doing" added tribe #4 as realization dew on him.


    "You are welcome since you don''t know how to appreciate good" replied Jason with a smile.


    "That is not it, it just that we are surprised how you were able to get rid of the energy that is battling is way in our body when we have tried all the best we could" said tribe #2 with a bow.


    "Well, everything has their nemesis so it shouldn''t be too surprising for you guys"  reply Jason.


    "Well since you were able to get rid of the energy inside us, do you think you will be able to do the same to our friends that have already lost it" asked tribe #4.


    "Want do you think Diana, can you pull it off" said Jason as he turn to Diana for answer.

 Chapter 180 - Confrontation

    The two members of the temple of seal turn to Diana to hear what her reply would be since she is the only one with hope on her to get rid of the foul energy that is inside their friend''s body. Seeing as they are looking at her, Diana couldn''t help but shake her head before replying to their question.


    "I don''t think that I would be able to return them back to the way they used to be".


    "But you were able to cure of the foul energy that is inside of us, so why can''t you do the same for them" asked tribe #4.


    "That is because your case is a little different from theirs" replied Diana.


    "And how is that" asked tribe #2.


    "The two of you were still in control of yourself before I helped but they are different. According to what I have noticed about the ability to take control of others, once the person who has the energy inside of them gives up on control, they lose their soul and become a vessel for the possess" replied Diana.


    "In other words our friends are dead" asked tribe #4 with a frown.


    "Exactly, so if you were to meet them in a battle, don''t hesitate to attack them else you would be the one to end up dead" replied Diana with a serious look on her face.


    "We were only sent here to capture the intruders but who would have thought that our life would be at risk why doing so" said tribe #2 as he let out a sigh.


    "I know it may be wrong for us to come into your territory without permission but we have no choice since we need to get rid of that thing that is hiding in this place since we don''t know when he will be able to attack us" reply Jason as he tries to look like a savor in front of them since their life would depend on it if they ever want to leave the ruin.


    "You mean you knew of its existence and still decided to come" asked tribe #2 as he was thinking that the three have lost their mind.


    "Actually, we are here to look for¡­" before Austin could finish his sentence, Jason had already kicked him on the leg to interrupt him before speaking.


    "We have dealt with him previously in a ruin before and although we lost many of our comrades, we were still able to defeat it not until news began to spread about there being another in the temple of seal which is why we came here to eliminate him once and for all".


    "Instead of barging into our territory, you would have just asked for an audience with our leaders and he would have offered you help" said tribe #4.


    "If we were to tell you that we came here to help, would your leader had let us in" asked Jason as he turned to tribe #4 for an answer.


    Tribe #4 hesitated a little before giving a reply.


    "Well¡­. Knowing the kind of person leader is, he would have to investigate the matter before giving you permission to enter".


    "Which means we would either be captured as prisoners or killed for coming into your territory" asked Austin with a frown since he is familiar with their method.


    "We don''t have time for that right now. Do you think you can lead us to where the sealed door is" asked Jason?


    "That won''t be a problem" replied tribe #2 before leading the way and after some minutes of going around the place, they were finally able to make it there.


    But instead of going inside, the group waited a little bit far from where the door was since they could see two humans standing guard at the entrance.


    "Are those the friends you speak of earlier?" asked Jason only for him to receive a nod in reply.


    "It seems like the possessed knew his life was threatened after he could not feel his energy on their body anymore" commented Diana.


    "What is the point of staying guard there when he can''t even break free from his cage?" said Jason with a chuckle.


    "What if he has the means to break the cage up and just need those two to keep any intruder out until he is done?" replied Austin as his gaze remained on the entrance.


    "That would spell bad news for us if he were to actually break out of his cage before we could get inside" said Jason.


    "What happened if he were to break out of his cage" asked tribe #2 since the other party happened to know more about what is inside the room.


    "Once he frees himself from the cage, he will begin to regain his strength and once he is back to his peak, I don''t even your leader will be able to last five seconds with him" replied Diana with a frown.


    "I don''t think if all the leaders were to come together to defeat it would even be possible" added Jason.


    "Is it that strong when he is at his peak?" asked tribe #4 in surprise when seeing how they are rating him.


    "Yeah, so we need to get rid of it before he can get out of the cage" replied Jason.


    "Then what are we waiting for just hiding here when we should be thinking of how to get rid of those two" said tribe #2 who suddenly has the strength to fight after hearing how strong their opponent is.


    "We can''t just walk there man, we need to come up with a plan on her to get those two out of the way first before thinking of facing him" replied Diana.


    "If it is those two that you are worried about, you can leave them to the both of us since it is only proper that we put an end to them ourselves" said tribe #4.


    "Since you say so, then I don''t think there is no need to worry about them" reply Jason with a smile before they left their hiding and begin to head to the entrance.

 Chapter 181 - Pledge Your Loyalty To Me

    After they have made up their mind on what to do, the group set out as they prepare to take the two protectors out, and instead of everyone dashing at the two, tribe #2 and #4 were the ones who went forward to confront their friend and seeing the intruder heading their way, the two didn''t waste much time before running at them like a savage beast as they quickly took out their weapon before slashing it down on the two.


    Tribe #2 and #4 also react the same way not even caring if they were once comrades since their life would be over if the being inside the room should free himself from the cage.


    Since the two had already engaged with their once allies, Jason and the rest sneak their way into the room and the moment they got inside, they could see a huge cage hanging in mid-air with black smoke coming out of the cage once in a way.


    "You have finally made your way here, so what is it going to be? Are you going to free me from my prison and pledge your loyalty to me?" asked a deep voice that came from the cage and it even seemed to be even deeper than the previous possessed they faced in the ruin.


    "I can''t believe that someone who is locked up in a cage could be this shameless as to ask those who are free to roam the world to pledge loyalty to him as a servant" reply Jason with a chuckle.


    "What are you talking about young man, I was very powerful and feared among others when I was at my peak so being a servant comes with a lot of benefits for you to think so you better think wisely" said the possessed.


    "If you were really powerful and feared by others, then tell me how did you end up at a place like this" asked Diana this time around.


    "That was because I was trick by that shameless lightning emperor and his friend and was locked up here in this cage and since it has been for about thousand of years that I have been in this place, I believe that shameless fool would be dead by now making my escape easier" reply the possessed.


    "How did you know that he is dead?" asked Austin.


    "Well I have known him for a long time and he was barely able to breakthrough into the immortal emperor realm by chance and it was where his potential can take him, so unless he made another breakthrough and gained an additional five hundred years of lifespan, he would perish" replied the bracelet.


    "Is that true?" asked Jason as he turned to the dragon that was resting on his shoulder.


    "He''s about that, my master has been stuck at immortal venerable for a long time and it was only due to luck that he was able to come across a heavenly fruit which helps in breaking through to the immortal emperor realm" replied the dragon.


    After hearing from the dragon, he turned back to the cage before saying.


    "Since they were able to trap you inside that cage show how weak you are and there is no way we are going to pledge our loyalty to you".


    "Fool, if you become my servant there are anythings you can gain in this world and you would be feared by all" said the possessed in anger.


    "Yeah, I''ve heard about that before but it turns out that the person who said those words happen to die by these very hands" reply Jason with a smile.


    The possessed became quiet for some time before speaking up.


    "You already met my other part" asked the possessed.


    "You get that right and just like you, he was so boastful and thought he is invisible but who would have thought that he will encounter us" reply Jason.


    "That is impossible, there is no way you will be able to beat my other part unless he was still trapped inside the cage when you attack but it still won''t be an easy task for you weaklings to accomplish that" said the possessed as he finds it hard to believe that they were able to defeat his other part.


    "We never fought him while he was in his cage, we let him out of the cage and defeated it while we were weaklings at that" replied Austin with a smile after being called weakling.


    "There is no way you will be able to subdue my other part call less of defeating him with this amount of strength you possess" said the possessed.


    "Don''t worry, soon enough you are going to discover if what we say is true or not after you join him¡­ In whatever he is" reply Jason before turning to Diana.


    Seeing Jason looking at her, Diana knew it was time to act and quickly took the mystic lamp out but before she could think of infusing her energy into it, the cage begin to shake as a voice filled with killing intent rang from above.


    "We will have to see if you can defeat me" said the possessed before the cage which was suspended in mid-air suddenly begin to fall down at great speed before crashing down while creating dust all over the place.


    "How did he manage to force the cage to fall down" said Austin as he looked towards the area that the cage has landed on in hope of seeing if the possessed was able to free himself.


    "I think he took the time we used in talking him to gather enough strength to free himself" reply Diana with a frown.


    "We need to prepare ourselves for what to come" said Jason as he continue to watch the area that it fell on.


    "There is no way he would be able to free himself from the cage even with that fall or have you forgotten how we tried to open the cage in warberry cave but still fail even with all our strength put together" asked Austin.


    "I don''t know if he can but we need to prepare ourselves just in case he manages to open it" reply Jason as he took out the halberd as he prepare himself for what was to come next.

 Chapter 182 - The Plan

    Just as they were waiting, they suddenly heard a voice from within the dust.


    "As I have said before, you are too weak" said the possessed as he begins to make his way out of the cage after creating enough opening for him to pass through.


    Watching as he forcefully came out of the cage, Austin couldn''t help but feel his hand go numb out of free.


    "This one seems to be far stronger than the one we faced in the ruin" he said as he held onto his sword tightly.


    "It still doesn''t make a difference since we already know his weakness" replied Jason as he continued to watch the possessed.


    The possessed couldn''t help but let out a grin after seeing their current state unlike they used to be when he was still inside the cage.


    "A moment again you guys were claiming to be powerful enough to defeat me but just take a look at you now as you are finding it difficult to move" he said as he let out an evil laugh before continuing.


    "Tell you what, I am going to pretend that I didn''t hear what you said earlier about defeating my other part as long as you pledge to be my servant else don''t even think of getting out of this place".


    "Sorry but our answer still remains the same so do your worst" reply, Jason.


    "Very well, don''t blame me for being cruel on you then" said the possessed as he let out a roar while his aura begin to soar and before long the three could feel the kind of pressure they would feel when standing against their grand elder and it doesn''t seem to be coming to a stop as his energy continue to soar.


    "Do it now Diana" yelled Jason knowing how difficult it would be for them to face off with the possessed if he were to continue with what he is doing.


    After getting an order from Jason, Diana didn''t bother to waste any time before releasing all the energy that she has stored inside the mystic lamp as a multitude of bright arrows begins to head for the possessed and seeing the attack heading his way, he let out a chuckle before raising his hand as a dark energy gash out of his hand while heading forward to intercept the arrow attack while he continues to regain his strength.


    When the arrows and the dark energy clash together, the possessed let out a scoff before focusing on increasing his strength as he taught that attack of his would be enough to put an end to them but to his surprise, the arrow didn''t seem to be destroyed as the dark energy he sent forward begin to shrink as the arrow continue with his advancement until there was no longer any dark energy in its path before it pierces into the body of the possessed as he let out a painful scream.


    "Get ready to fight and don''t forget to use your lightning ability on him" said Jason to the dragon.


    "Rest assured, I have fought with him previously along with my master so I knew of his weakness against lightning" replied the dragon as he jumped down from Jason''s shoulder and began to grow in size, and within seven breaths, the dragon had already returned to his original size as he let out a powerful roar.


    "Hey, can you still feel his aura?" Jason asked the bracelet since he is the only one who can tell if the possessed is in a critical state.


    "His aura seems to drop a lot after he was hit by the mystic lamp, but I still don''t think it will be enough for the four of you to stop him" replied the bracelet.


    "You don''t have to worry about that since Diana will continue to subdue him while we attack from the side when he least expects it" said Jason.


    "Who would have thought that a young girl like you would be in possession of the faith lamp, Dragic I still can''t believe that you are alive after all these years but it is quite a shame that you have gotten weak" said the possessed as he took a step forward.


    "What can I do other than to seal myself away until I found someone who is worthy to be my master. And besides, you don''t seem to be in a better state" replied Dragic.


    "The only reason why I am in this state is all because of that stupid lamp that your shameless master decided to keep with him but it doesn''t matter since she has not discovered its real power" said the possessed in anger as he look in Diana way.


    "It must be fate because I remember my master gave it away after you were locked up so enough with the complaint" replied Dragic.


    "I knew that there is more to this lamp than meets the eye, I guess it was worth it for me to go through all those pain just to get it" said Diana in excitement.


    "Don''t get your hope up yet kid for you are still far from utilizing its full strength and if I am not mistaken, you can''t use that attack more than three times" reminded Dragic when seeing how happy Diana was.


    "Don''t you think it is wrong to reveal this at this time?" said Diana which also clarified that Dragic was right about her being able to use the attack three times.


    "He already knew about the faith lamp ability and flaw and let''s not forget that now that he knew you had it in your possession, it would be very difficult to attack him with it" replied Dragic.


    "So we are back to fighting a tough opponent" said Austin with a sigh.


    "Not really, as long as we were able to distract him enough for Diana to land a hit on him, it shouldn''t be difficult to defeat him" replied Dragic as he came up with a plan.

 Chapter 183 - [Bonus ]Battling The Possessed Part 1

    They all agreed to Dragic idea since it is the only way they could keep him busy far enough for Diana to launch her attack.


    "I promise to hit him with all that I have got" said Diana in all seriousness.


    "Good, now I want you to focus on gathering as much energy that you can and wait for my signal before releasing the stored energy on him" instructed Dragic.


    "What about us because I don''t see any reason why we should attack him when he is this powerful" asked Austin.


    "Your duty is to protect Diana from any harm while Dragic and I will handle him" reply Jason before jumping on Dragic''s back.


    "Eh, do you mind telling me what I will be protecting her from cause I just can''t see anyone here apart from us" asked Austin as he feel like he is useless in the fight?


    "Are you forgetting that there are still some possessed outside and let''s not forget that he might launch an attack on her at any time" reply Jason with a frown?


    Hearing what they were talking about, the possessed couldn''t help but let out a laugh before speaking.


    "You don''t have to worry about me attacking her since I will be done with you in a second".


    "You will be done with us in a second, don''t make me laugh. You seem to have forgotten about me, or have you forgotten what I could do to you" said Dragic.


    "The only way you could land a hit on me was all due to that shameless lightning emperor but since he is not here with you, you are nothing but just a walking corp" reply the possessed with a smile.


    "Then get ready to be defeated by this corp" said Dragic before flipping his wing as he left the ground before spitting out a bolt of lightning at the possessed.


    "I see that you haven''t changed your attacking pattern Dragic" reply the possessed before stretching his hand forward as he deflected all the bolt of lightning that was heading his way before swinging his hand at them as three dark energy flew at them.


    "Hold on tight" warned Dragic before moving to the side to avoid the first energy ball then going down a little to avoid the second one before spitting out a bolt of lightning at the dark energy ball that was heading at them as the two attacks clash against each other and the lightning begins to consume the dark energy ball before falling down on the possessed.


    The possessed let out a scoff before swinging his hand and the lightning ball was pushed down on them. Seeing the lightning ball coming their way, Dragic didn''t bother to dodge out of the way instead he opened his mouth as he began to consume the lightning at a fast rate before sending it back at the possessed but this time the ball seem to have grown a lot bigger and faster as it slams into the ground while creating a lightning field.


    "Let''s see how you are going to avoid this one" mutter Dragic as he stops to watch from above.


    Then came a laugh as the possessed was simply planted into the ground with lightning running around his body.


    "It seems like you have improved a lot compared to the last time we fought but it is such as shame that you are too weak to defeat me" said the possessed before pushing off the ground.


    Seeing the possessed coming at him, Dragic sent a telepathy message to Jason as he told him to begin his attack since the possessed won''t be expecting it and that when Jason got up before taking the halberd out like a lightning sizzle through its tip before activating the lightning boot as he descended from Dragic back and let out a powerful slash with lightning energy surging out of the halberd and coated the possessed before he was sent crashing back into the ground while creating a pit.


    Seeing that the possessed is unguarded, Dragic lets out a powerful lightning blast towards the pit and the pit begins to expand due to the shockwave from the lightning attack.


    "Do you think we had him?" asked Jason as he went back into Dragic back.


    "It is going to take more than that to put him down. So what we are doing right now is to subdue him from growing stronger" replied Dragic.


    Just as they were speaking, the possessed suddenly flew out of the pit as he began to charge at them with his eyes burning in anger.


    "Looks like you have gotten into his black list" said Dragic with a chuckle when seeing the angry look on possessed face.


    Throwing some bolt of lightning at the possessed before he would get to them since they would be a disadvantage if he did. But it seems like the possessed has another thing in mind as he smashes his fist together which results in him being covered in a red glow before screaming.


    "Vengeful soul, demon sword" and the next minute red cloud begin to form above them as a sword which seems to be covered in blood begins to come down as it charges at the possessed who had his hand held out as he caught it in his grip.


    "I think he is taking us seriously this time around" said Dragic while looking at the sword in the possessed hand.


    "What is it with that sword anyway" asked Jason.


    "Let''s just say it is a weapon sent from hell to feed on the blood of those who stand against his will" replied Dragic.


    "Wow, is it really that powerful" asked Jason in amazement.


    "Yes, and it drew its power from feeding on the blood of his opponent so whatever you do, don''t get hit by him" replied Dragic before swinging his tail at the income possessed who also slash the sword forward but before the sword could get close to the tail, another lightning bolt crashed into him as he was sent smacking into the ground once again.

 Chapter 184 - Battling The Possessed Part 2

    After the possessed was smashed into the ground, that possessed let out a roar.


    "Dragic I can''t believe that you have also become shameless just that pig of a master of yours" said the possessed as he dashed back into the sky.


    "What is wrong with you people, you are looking for someone to insult then here I am, why insult my master" complain Dragic.


    "You can''t blame us for that since that old man is really shameless and annoying" reply Jason as he supported the possessed on that fact.


    "I can''t believe that you are also siding with him" said Dragic, a little angry at Jason.


    "You might want to focus on the battle" reminded Jason as he stood up ready to act at any time.


    Deciding to put the matter with his master down, for now, Dragic begins to fire lightning upon lightning at the incoming possessed but as if he has gone mad after being sent crashing into the ground, the possessed begin to avoid the lightning that was heading his way and whenever he felt like he could not avoid some of the light, he will quickly slash the sword at it which will sometime numb his body due to the shock.


    And taking note of this, Jason turned to Dragic and asked.


    "Hey Dragic, why is it that apart from an attack that has to do with lightning, no other element seems to work on him".


    "That is because unlike other elements, the lightning is like a punishment from heaven against those that have sinned, and since the technique he is cultivating happened to be a demonic one which happened to be a disgrace in the eyes of the heaven, it became very effective against him", replied Dragic.


    "I see, good thing I decided to study the lightning technique then" said Jason.


    Seeing the possessed has manage to avoid the lightning bolts that were sent at him, he swiftly slash the bloody sword at them before Dragic could attack but before the attack could come close, Jason quickly drew his hand in mid-air as he quickly produced a mini mature lightning sword before sending it down on the incoming attack.


    The possessed was shocked to see the young man using another lightning attack which he was always wary of back when he has been trapped by the lightning emperor but although the one before him was smaller in size, it still couldn''t stop him from getting angry.


    "Tell me boy, are you that shameless pig reincarnation" asked the possessed.


    "What if I told you that I am, will you give up on resisting and let me end" reply Jason with a smile.


    "In your dreams boy, and if you think that you would be able to defeat me with a lightning of that caliber, then you have to think again" said the possessed before sending out slash after slash at Dragic who would either move to the side or go up to avoid the attack.


    After attacking for some time and seeing that he has not been able to land an attack on Dragic or the young man that was riding him, the possessed became angrier as he said.


    "If you think you are strong enough to defeat me, then why don''t you come down here and prove it inside of circling up there like a coward that you are".


    "Nice try but there is no way we are going down there just so you can slaughter us. besides I thought you said you are powerful, so why are you worried about us being in the sky when you can just beat us down" reply Jason.


    "How can I simply go up there to beat you when I have not recovered to my peak state" said the possessed in anger the more he speak with the young man.


    "Then you can''t blame us for your inability to fight in mid-air, '''' replied Jason with a laugh.


    "Just watch as I shut that mouth of yours" said the possessed before turning his gaze to Austin and Diana who were at a distance from them as he already made up his mind to attack them since he can''t get to Dragic.


    Seeing the crazy look on his face, Jason knew straight away that he is going for his friends and decided to remind him of his words about not attacking them until he is done with dragic but he did not give a reply as he stretched his hand at their direction ready to attack at any time and seeing this, Austin couldn''t help but take a stance with his sword held in both hands tightly.


    "I guess it is time for me to act, but what can I do against a monster like him?" mutters Austin as he summons his courage to strike.


    "Come on we need to help them out, else they would be gone" said Jason as he urged Dragic to help out.


    "That is what he wants us to think but you are the one who is going to help them out while I attack from above" replies Dragic.


    "Sounds like a good plan" said Jason with a nod before jumping down from Dragic''s back.


    And seeing the young man is no longer riding on Dragic, the possessed suddenly turned his hand towards him as he let out a low scream.


    "Dark cutter blade" and the next minute dark energy surged out of his body before forming a wind blade as they headed for the descending Jason.


    Seeing that he will be killed by those blades if he fails to act on time, Jason began to urge the spiritual energy inside him before he was able to activate the lightning boot and move out of the way at the last minute before the attack could get to him.


    Just as he thought he had escaped getting cut to pieces, the dark energy blade charged toward him like he had been marked and no matter what he did, he just couldn''t shake them off.

 Chapter 185 - The Frustrated Possessed

    Seeing Jason running around the place as he tries to avoid the dark energy blade that chasing after him and the most annoying thing about the attack is within a minute the blades will split in two and continue to go after it target and if he were still unable to connect the enemy, it will continue to split.


    "Will you just stand still and let me take care of them" yelled Dragic at Jason as he tries to get rid of the blade but with Jason running around the place it becomes an impossible task for him.


    "How do you expect me to just stay in place when my life could be taken at any time" replied Jason as he yelled back at Dragic.


    "Just do as he says Jason, haven''t you noticed that those blades are multiplying the more you continue to resist" said the bracelet.


    "So you want me to just face all those attacks like a man, why don''t you do just sent your spirit to take it in my stead" asked Jason with a frown as he continue to avoid the blades.


    "You fool, not only are you dumb but you still can''t tell that he is trying to get rid of the attack but since you are moving around the place, how is he supposed to do that" reply the bracelet angrily.


    "Oh, you could have told me what he planned to do instead of just telling me to stand still" said Jason with a chuckle before turning around to face the attack with his eyes close.


    Seeing that Jason has decided to stand in his track, Dragic spat out a bolt of lightning towards the blade that was taking the land as a mini-explosion occur before lightning spark begin to spread out of the explosion as the remaining blades were absorbed by the lightning.


    Jason lets out a breath of relief after the blade has been taken care of and turns to the possessed who seem to be angry.


    "I can''t believe you claim to be powerful and needed us to be a loyal servant when you can''t even keep your promise, so tell me how should we truth you" said Jason.


    "Shut your mouth boy" roared the possessed before charging Jason.


    "Like I am going to let you get me that easily" said Jason before swinging the halberd at the incoming possessed with lightning arc charging forward.


    The possessed moved slightly out of the way as the lightning pass him as it flew up and seeing the attack has missed its target, he continue to go after Jason.


    "Let''s see you avoid this attack" the possessed said with a grim face before pulling his hand back and was just about to throw it forward but before he could, his body was sent flying with lightning spark going around him.


    This time, the possessed crashed into the cage he was trapped in as he spat out black mist from his mouth. Struggling to his feet he stare at Dragic who was still hovering in the air.


    "Don''t look at me like, he sent an attack at me and all I did was return the attack to him tenfold" said Dragic with a smile while looking down on the possessed.


    "Haha, nice one Dragic" replies Jason with a clap as he put the halberd to the side.


    "Just keeping avoid my attack great ruler" continue Jason as he bows to the possessed while chuckling.


    And seeing the young man making fun of him, the possessed couldn''t help but grit his teeth in anger before letting out a roar as a powerful aura burst out of his body as it begins to spread while pushing everything with a meter from him back.


    "What is happening" asked Jason as he was forcefully pushed backward.


    "He seems to be forcefully trying to absorb more energy in order to recover his strength" replied Dragic as he move back a little.


    "We need to stop him before he succeeds in regaining his strength" said Jason.


    "There is nothing we can do right now. The only one who has the chance of stopping him is her" replied Dragic as he turned to Diana who was still concentrating on fusing more energy into the faith lamp.


    Knowing that Dragic meant for her to use the power of the faith lamp, he couldn''t help but turn to her and ask since they are running out of time.


    "Hey Diana, do you think you can stop him from absorbing more power?".


    "I can give it a try if you want" replied Diana as she opened her eyes to take a look at the situation before turning to Jason who nodded his head as he gave her the go ahead.


    Pushing more energy into the faith lamp, Diana swipe her hand forward as a huge straw fan made of energy from the faith lamp head straight for the possessed as a gala pushed against him with the foul energy that was surrounding him been blown away while leaving the possessed standing there with a bewildering looking on his face.


    "His aura seems to have subdued" mutters Jason with a surprising look on his face.


    Meanwhile, the possessed was just staring at the lady who was still holding the faith lamp with a pale face.


    "What have you done to me?" he asked while staring at her angrily.


    "Do you think we are just going to stand here and watch you increase your strength so that you will be able to wipe us out? What a fool you are if you really think we are going to do so" reply Dragic.


    "So that shameless pig has finally succeeded in making you a coward just like he used to be before his death" said the possessed with a frown.


    "If that is all it is going to take us to bring you down, then so be it" replied Dragic.


    "For a beast as weak as you with all these weak children are still far from being enough to get rid of me" said the possessed in pride.

 Chapter 186 - [Bonus ]Jasons Rage

    Hearing the possessed calling them weak children, Jason couldn''t help but frown as he spoke up while pointing at the possessed.


    "If you are calling us weak then what about you cause I see you getting stronger like you used to instead, you seem to be getting weaker".


    "My power may seem to have decreased by a lot but I still won''t have a problem ending you with just a snap of my hand" reply the possessed.


    "Why don''t you give it a try then and see if you would be able to accomplish what you just said" said Jason while signaling the possessed to come to him.


    "You are courting death you little boy, just because you have the protection of Dragic didn''t mean you are completely safe from harm" replied the possessed while seeing the young man looking down on him.


    "Enough talk, come let''s get this over with" said Jason.


    The possessed became angry to the state that he can''t control himself and dashed at Jason while swinging the blade at him. And since the possessed has been weakened by Diana''s attack, it became easier for Jason to avoid his attack before sending his own attack.


    Seeing that Jason has gained the possessed attention, dragic dove down from the sky before flipping his wings as he sent gale in their direction which the possessed easily avoid as if he was expecting him to attack him from behind.


    "Hey Dragic, I''m also here so be careful with your attacks okay" said Jason as he also avoided the gale.


    "I knew you would be able to avoid it but I didn''t expect him to do the same '''' replied Dragic.


    "If you think that you will be able to get me like that then you must be joking" said the possessed.


    "You need not waste any more time with him else he will only end up getting stronger while we grow weak" said Austin.


    The possessed couldn''t help but let out a chuckle before swinging his hand as a powerful wind stroke Diana as she was knocked unconscious.


    "Now let''s see how you plan to get rid of me without her help" said the possessed with a smile as he turned back to Dragic.


    "You shameless freak" roared Jason in anger before running forward as he swung the halberd down on the possessed who easily Deflected it with the sword.


    "What''s the problem, are you angry that I hurt your little girlfriend" said the possessed with a chuckle before applying strength in his hand and pushing Jason falling back.


    "Be careful boy, don''t let your anger gets to you" advised Dragic as he spat out a lightning strike to distract the possessed from following up with another attack.


    "I know what I am doing alright" Jason yelled at Dragic before getting up.


    "Haha, I can''t believe I was able to stimulate your emotions just by harming her. I wonder how you are going to react if I should take her life" said the possessed with an evil grin on his face as he turned his gaze at Diane who was still on the ground.


    "You wouldn''t dare" reply Jason before he threw the halberd at him.


    The possessed let out a scoff before sending the halberd flying with just a wave of his hand and he was just about to attack Jason only for him to discover that he is no longer standing at his position but instead, he was now standing by Diana before storing her away in the storage ring.


    "Remember, you only have an hour to get her out of there else she would be as good as dead" warn the bracelet who Jason has turned to for help since she is now used against him.


    Instead of answering the bracelet, Jason kept the halberd away before taking out two swords at the possessed while his eyes were burning in rage.


    "All I have to do is defeat you in one hour".


    Hearing the young man saying he is going to defeat him in an hour, the possessed couldn''t help but let out a laugh as he turned to Dragic who was still hovering in the sky and said.


    "Hey Dragic, I don''t know where you found this kid but I think you did well. Being able to defeat me in an hour was something your shameless master couldn''t achieve while he was still alive and he thought he could do any better".


    Dragic''s gaze was all on Jason who has been silent all this while as he continues to look at the possessed before speaking up.


    "Since he has been extremely weakened by Diana''s attack, I think you would be able to hold your own against him so let''s go get" said Jason as he turned to Austin with a smile.


    "Haha, I see you are fired up to take him out but don''t you think it would be boring just fighting" reply Austin with a laugh.


    "What do you have in mind?" asked Jason as he didn''t understand what Austin was talking about.


    "Let''s make this fight interesting by making it a bet, the one to land more hits on him gets to choose the next ruin to visit and when to go" replied Austin with a smile.


    "Hey are you guys making fun of me" said the possessed in anger when hearing the two betting on who could get a hit on him.


    "Hey I want to be involved in this game of yours too" commented Dragic as he seemed interested in the game.


    "Fine but you will have to go easy on us" reply Jason.


    "That''s it, I am going to send you all to your grave, that is if you are going to have anybody part remaining" roared the possessed as he charged Jason who was closest to him.


    "Here we go then, which you best of luck although you wouldn''t need it because I am going to win this bet this time" said Jason before activating the lightning boot and dash towards the possessed.

 Chapter 187 - Conclusion

    Charging forward with two swords in hand, Jason was moving faster compare before and when he was just about five meters away from the possessed, he let out a slash which created an x sign lightning arc that went after the possessed who took a step backward before pushing a black mist towards the lightning that was heading his way but just as he was about to launch an attack at Jason, he saw someone appearing behind him.


    Taking the opportunity that has presented itself before him, Austin said in a deep voice.


    "Windless slash"


    After altering those words, Austin Lifted his sword which seems normal as it lack any speed but the moment it begin to come down, the movement of the sword became unpredictable as it landed on the possessed but the attack didn''t just end there as more attack begins to hit him from a different angle.


    The attack doesn''t seem to be strong but there seen be no end to it as Austin''s hand was just moving no stop with the possessed screaming in pain.


    "Enough with all this nonsense" yell the possessed as he let out a shockwave from his body which pushed Austin back and it was only then that he stopped.


    Just as the possessed was about to go after Austin, lightning fell from the sky and struck him down.


    "With the power of my attack I believe I should be rank higher than Austin" said Dragic.


    "What rank are you talking about, I have yet to land an attack on him and you people are already claiming your spot" reply, Jason.


    "How can you be in the lead when you only threw two attacks on him while I did more than twenty" said Austin.


    "It is indeed much but not effective like my attack" replied Dragic with a chuckle.


    "It doesn''t matter, the rule of the bet says more hit and not how effective the attack is" said Austin.


    All this while that they were arguing about who was to at the top, the possessed was already annoyed that he''s been used for fun and couldn''t help but let out a roar before smacking Austin who was in the middle of an argument with Dragic and was sent flying backward while throwing up a mouthful of blood as he was trying to get up.


    "This is your punishment for underestimating your opponent" yelled the possessed as he swing the blade down while trying to cut him down but before the sword could fall on him, Austin lifted his sword to interfere with the attack, and the moment the two swords collide, Austin his body being pressed down a little from the force which came with the blow as he let out another mouthful of blood.


    Lifting the sword once more to deliver another blow, but that is when he felt a lightning strike coming from behind and he had to get out of the way before he get hit.


    "I''m your opponent now" said Jason in a deep voice as he went forward before slashing his sword at the possessed as he was trying to defend himself against the lightning strike, Jason suddenly appeared behind him before another lightning strike which the possessed could not avoid and was struck from both sides.


    Then came another bolt of lightning coming from the sky that fell on him as he let out another painful scream. Seeing that the possessed is been distracted, Austin took the time to pop a pill on his mouth to his wound before picking his sword up and joining the battle.


    "How are you feeling" asked Jason seeing that Austin has also joined the battle.


    "Much better" Austin replied before lifting his sword a little higher and muttering with his eyes closed.


    "Thousand swords cry"


    Energy swords begin to appear in the sky and unlike before when they look to be made out of energy, the thousand of swords that is before them is has already materialized into a real sword, and seeing this, Jason couldn''t help but turn to Austin with a shocking look on his face as he asked.


    "I never knew that you have improved the technique to such level" said Jason.


    "Haha, It was all thanks to grand elder help that I was able to advance this much and besides I plan on using the attack on you when we had our spar but who would have thought that I will be using it here" reply Austin with a sigh.


    "Is it not a bad thing that you are using it here Austin instead of using it on a spar?" said Jason with a frown when hearing Austin complaining about using the technique here.


    "I prefer I used it on you first during our spar" he replied in dejection before swinging his sword down and all thousand swords that have been hovering in the sky begin to fall down on the possessed who tried to fend off the attack.


    And the moment he tries to pary one of the attacks more would but attacking for the other sides which makes it difficult for him to avoid getting injuries. And seeing the possessed is completely occupied by Austin, Jason begins to draw some line in the air as has a lightning sword begin to materialize before him and he places his hand on the sword handle before pushing off from the ground before slashing the sword down on the possessed as another gigantic sword appear above the possessed and begin to fall down on him while he was still defending himself against the sword attack.


    The possessed was defending himself from the sword''s attack when the gigantic sword fell on him as begin to scream in pain why is body begin to reduce just like how the possessed they fought in the ruin. Seeing that they both are delivering more attacks than him, Dragic took in a deep breath as his stomach begin to expand before breathing out as a huge lightning ball fell from the sky before smacking down on the possessed.


    Was already in pain when Austin attacked him before Jason intervein and now Dragic who seen to be the strongest of them all has attacked him also, the possessed couldn''t handle all the attacks and his body begin to disintegrate.


    "You are all lucky that I was not able to reach my peak else I would have dealt with you all with just a snap of my finger" said the possessed as he continued to disintegrate.


    "That is what you have been saying since the beginning of our fight and you calm to be strongest in the world that the lightning emperor has to scheme against you" reply Jason.


    "That''s all because you have the faith lamp with you else you all won''t be a match for me" said the possessed.


    "That''s right we do have the faith lamp with us" reply just as he just remembered that they do have the faith lamp with them and he decided to take Diana out of the storage ring.


    When Diana was let out of the storage ring, she has already gained consciousness and just laying on the ground.


    "What happened" asked Diana as she looked ahead of her where she could see the possessed reducing in size.


    "Oh, look who''s awake" said Austin with a smile.


    "Do you think you can still use the faith lamp?" asked Jason as he turned to her.


    "I think so" replied Diana.


    "How can you be so heartless man, she just woke up and you already instructing her to use the faith lamp what if she loses consciousness again" said Austin as he yelled at Jason.


    "We have no choice Austin, as you can see our attack won''t be enough to take him down so we need the faith lamp to end this fight" reply Jason.


    "It''s alright Austin since it is the least I can do and besides I would only lose some strength and nothing more" said Diana.


    Quickly sitting down cross leg, Diana begins to infuse all the energy she has left into the faith lamp as her face begins to go pale before a bright energy burst out of the faith lamp as it took the form of a sword before flying toward the possessed who had his eyes wide open when seeing the sword heading his way and tried to fend against the attack before due to the lightning attack and sword attack that continues to strike on his, he couldn''t defend himself against the bright sword that was heading his way as it pierces his chest and exploded into a bright light which coated the possessed as he rate at which he begins to fade away increases.


    "I¡­.hate you all" yelled the possessed with difficulty as he continues to fade away.


    "Good thing that you hate us because we also hate you as much" replies Jason loudly for the possessed to hear even while he is tormented to death.

 Chapter 188 - Leaving The Ruin

    After screaming for some time, the possessed suddenly silence which could only mean that his consciousness has faded away leaving only a black mist floating there which seems to be on the verge of fading away and seeing this, Jason turns to the three who were still standing beside him as he said.


    "I will be back in a minute".


    After saying those words, Jason left them as he began to head to where the black mist could be seen floating while they were looking at him confused as to what he is going to do only to see him sitting down cross leg before the black mist.


    After settling himself down, Jason took a deep breath before cultivating the heavens law technique as he began to absorb the black mist slowly until there was nothing left and it was only then he rose from his position. One thing that he figured out about the black mist was that it was a lot purer than the previous one.


    "That''s because the possessed was in the midst of lightning with help in its purification as it wants to wipe away the foul energy from existence" said the bracelet as he began to explain things to him.


    "That explains a lot" replied Jason before heading back to join the others.


    It could be said that the others were able to see him absorbing the black mist into his body and were already waiting for an explanation and seeing the look on their face, Jason knew they wouldn''t let him go free without explaining himself.


    With a smile on his face as he turns to his buddy Austin before speaking up.


    "There is this technique that I practice which helps in absorbing energy and since the possessed was made up of energy I decided to absorb and let''s not forget that I would be achieving a breakdown into the Golden core soon and I would be in need of energy".


    "But that is a foul energy you just absorbed into your body, ain''t you afraid that you are going to end up corrupted by the energy" asked Diana.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, I have already thought of a way to subdue the energy from taking charge of my body" replied Jason with a wave of his hand.


    "And what means do you have to subdue the energy" asked Austin with a frown.


    "Are you forgetting that I''m cultivating a lightning technique that since to be the foul energy nemesis" replied Jason with a smile?


    "That right boy, with the use of the lightning element, he will be able to subdue the energy whenever it acts up" added Dragic as he reduced his size before resting on Jason''s shoulder.


    "But he won''t be able to do that all the time you know" said Diana.


    "Everything is under control so can you stop worrying about me and let''s focus on looking for treasure" reply Jason.


    "There is no way we will be able to find any treasure in this place or have you forgotten that we have searched through the majority of the room and still couldn''t find anything" asked Diana.


    "That''s right, this place seems to be more of a prison instead of a treasure ground" added Austin as he also agreed with Diana.


    "They are right master, apart from the old master legacy, there is nothing in this world that would catch your eye" commented Dragic.


    "Since that is the case, let''s go check on the others" suggested Jason since they don''t have anything to do at the moment.


    They all left to check on the other two from the temple of seal since they haven''t gotten help from them while they were fighting the possessed which could only mean either they are died or were seriously injured.


    After living the room, the group was shocked to see that the whole place was in a terrible state with bloodstain everywhere but no one could be seen and after searching for a while, they were able to see tribe #4 laying on the ground far from the room with wounds all over his body and by the look of things, he won''t be moving anytime soon and beside him lays one of the members that has turned against them.


    Seeing the group in front of him, tribe #4 couldn''t help but chuckled weakly as he said with blood flowing from the edge of his mouth.


    "For you to be standing here, it could only mean that you have already taken care of whatever was sealed in that room".


    "You don''t need to stress yourself anyone, here have some pills to recover from your injuries" replied Jason before heading forward to place some pills on his mouth which he didn''t resist to.


    After absorbing the pills, tribe #4 begin to cultivate and Austin was left to look for the other member which could also be in the same situation and before long he returned with tribe #2 who seem to be in a better state than his friend as he was able to walk except for the wound that was showing from his tattered robe.


    They waited for some time before the other member was able to recover some of his strength as he let out a smile before bowing to them for helping out. Before asking about how they were able to deal with the possessed, they were able to answer with a little lie to avoid letting out their secret and that was when Austin asked how they were able to deal with their friends that were possessed.


    "I don''t know what happened, we were just fighting it out when he just let out a scream before rolling on the ground then a black begin to come out of his mouth and he died" replied tribe #4


    "It was the same occurrence from my side" added tribe #2.


    "It seems like their body loses control after we defeat the source" said Austin.


    "Since he is no more, those bodies will only end up as an empty vessel" replied Dragic.

 Chapter 189 - Doorway

    Now looking at the body of one of the men that was possessed laying on the ground dead, Jason couldn''t help but hold himself back from rushing forward to absorb his blood to help in his cultivation.


    "Waste of resources" mutters Jason.


    "What did you say?" asked Austin as he turned to Jason who was just looking at the body.


    "It was nothing" replied Jason hurriedly before turning his gaze away from the body.


    Austin gave him a look before turning away. The group waited for a long time for those of the temple of seal to recover their energy which took them a long time before they were able to recover fifty percent of their energy.


    "So what are you going to do about their bodies?" asked Diana.


    "We''ll take their body along with us and give them a proper burial" replies tribe #2.


    "Let''s forget about that and talk about who won the bet cause it seems to me that you two have forgotten about it" said Dragic.


    "Huh, what bet are you talking about" asked Diana in surprise.


    "You didn''t know a thing about it so don''t get yourself involved young lady" replied Dragic.


    "Well, we made a bet about who gets to land more hits on the possessed. It would be the one to pick which place to visit next and time" said Jason as he began to tell Diana about their bet.


    "I can''t believe that you guys still have the gut to play around when your opponent is way stronger than the three of you put together" replied Diana.


    "But we still manage to defeat him right?" asked Dragic.


    "Yes.. I think so" reply Diana as she finds it hard to reply.


    "That''s all that matters. Now back to business, who do you think won the bet" asked Dragic.


    "Isn''t it obvious that I won or did any of your attacks hit him more than mine" replied Austin with a proud look on his face?


    "Those weak attacks of yours can''t be counted for, so I am the winner of the bet" said Dragic.


    "You only hit him thrice with your lightning attack so how can that be considered your victory" asked Jason with a frown.


    "My attack may be few but they were more powerful than the two of you put together" replied Dragic.


    "You wish, you sneaky dragon, if you are talking about attack, then Diana could be said to be the winner" replied Jason.


    "Too bad she isn''t so that makes me the winner" said Dragic.


    "No, you are not Dragic" replied Austin.


    "Can we get out of this place before the three of you can argue about who the winner of the bet is?" said tribe #4.


    "Yeah how about that since it is going to take much time before you guys can actually decide on the winner" added Diana.


    The three had to stop their argument since what they just said made a lot of sense but there was now a problem that they will have to deal with.


    "How are we supposed to avoid being caught by your people?" said Jason.


    "That would be a difficult task since they are all waiting in the hall for us to come out" replied tribe #2.


    "Nothing good will come out of it if we were to walk into them" said Austin with a frown.


    "Look once you explain to them and with our friend''s bodies as proof to your words, you shouldn''t have a problem leaving" reply tribe #4.


    "I can''t risk leaving this place just so your people can make us captive" said Austin as he didn''t believe what they were talking about.


    They all went silent after hearing Austin''s words, especially Jason who wanted to see how his mother and sister were doing.


    "There are three ways to leave this place without arriving at the path you took to get here" Dragic suddenly spoke up.


    Hearing Dragic says that there are many ways to leave the ruin without arriving at the hall where the door to come into the ruin is, Jason couldn''t help but laugh in happiness before talking to Dragic.


    "Why didn''t you say that earlier instead of making us crack our brains thinking of how we are going to escape being caught by them".


    "I said there are other ways to leave but I still don''t know if those doorways are still functioning or not" replied Dragic.


    "So there are doors ways leading out of this place, do you by any way know where they lead to" said Diana while lifting her gaze at Dragic.


    "I didn''t get the chance to use them before I was sealed here so I can''t tell for sure where they lead to" replied Dragic.


    "Don''t worry about that man, since it can take us out of this place is more than enough for me" said Jason with a smile.


    "What about us, how are we going to get home if we go through those doorways" asked tribe #2 with a worried look on his face.


    "Don''t worry guys, you can choose to go through the doorway that will take you back to the hall alright" replied Diana with a smile.


    "Thank goodness" said tribe #4 with a sigh.


    "Since it has already been decided, then let''s get out of this place" said Jason.


    Follow me then" reply Dragic before jumping down from Jason''s shoulders and beginning to lead the way towards a room that was a lot wider than the rest but there was nothing stored inside which makes them wonder if they are in the right room.


    "There doesn''t seem to be anything here" said Diana as she began to observe the place.


    "That is because they were hidden just in case the place was raided by the enemy" replied Dragic before flipping his wind as he headed to a corner and placed his pawn on the wall as the whole place began to shake.. After a little shake, three doors became visible in the room with the one in the middle being the biggest.

 Chapter 190 - New World

    Looking at the three doors before them, Jason became confused as to which of the doors they should open that he had to turn to Dragic who was still hovering in the air and asked.


    "So which of these doors do you think we should pick".


    "As I said earlier, I have never used them so there is no way that I will be able to direct you. The choice is yours to make" replied Dragic.


    "Eh, what about us how are we supposed to go back home" asked tribe #2.


    "That shouldn''t be a problem, that huge gate will take you directly to where you came from" replied Dragic.


    There was a happy expression on their face when they knew they could get home without any worries and that is when tribe #4 remember that the strangers won''t be following them.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to come with us?" asked tribe #4 as he turned to Austin who seemed to be the one urging the others not to return.


    "You go ahead, we''ll make do with what we have" replied Austin.


    "Alright then. since you have made up your mind, I guess we''ll have to take our leave and thank you once more for your help" said tribe #4 with a bow, and tribe #2 followed suit before he opened the huge door and left with his friend.


    "Now that they are gone, we need to think about which door to go through," said Diana.


    "I don''t know about you guys but I have had my eyes on that door" commented Dragic while pointing at the door on the left.


    "Alright, since that is the door you have chosen, I say we go through that one" replies Jason as he points at the other one.


    "I think I am with Jason on this one" said Diana with a chuckle as she also decided on the same door with Jason.


    "What is wrong with you guys, since Dragic picked the door on the left, it could be that it is the safest and closest to our destination" complains Austin.


    "You heard him saying he has not made use of the doors so what makes you think he is right with his pick" asked Jason.


    "This¡­ How am I supposed to explain this" said Austin as he was lost of what to say.


    "It''s alright man, if you believe that his pick is the right one, you can go with him. And as for me, I am going through this door" replied Jason.


    Seeing that Jason didn''t plan on changing his mind, Austin gave up on arguing with him and chose to go with his choice.


    "Since we have already decided on that door, what are we waiting for, let''s get out of this place" said Diana.


    Dragic went back to sit on Jason''s shoulder before the door was opened and they began to go in one at a time. Meanwhile back at the temple of seal, the golden ring begin to glow and tribes #2 and #4 came out.


    Seeing that the other two who also volunteered to go into the golden ring were not with them and the leader couldn''t help but frown.


    "Where are the others?".


    Instead of answering his question, they decided to let them see for themselves as he took their body off their storage ring.


    Looking at the two dead bodies lying on the ground, the leader couldn''t help but let loose as his aura began to flare.


    "They got nerves to kill our own after sneaking into our territory" he said as he clenched his fist together in anger.


    "They are not responsible for their death, in fact, it was due to their help that we were able to come back alive" reply tribe #2.


    "If they are not responsible for their death then who is" asked the leader with a surprised look on his face.


    "There seems to be an evil entity that was imprisoned inside that place which has the ability to possess others and let them do his bidding. They couldn''t overcome the entity energy on time and get possessed and it was only due to those intruders that we were able to get rid of the energy inside us" reply tribe #2.


    "So what about this entity you speak of" asked the leader.


    "They took care of him already which is why we are standing before you alive else we would have been killed by the two after getting a boost in their power" reply tribe #4.


    "Since he is already dealt with, why are the intruders not with you?" asked the leader.


    "They refuse to come with us and since they are more powerful than the two of us put together, so we were left with no choice but to leave" reply tribe #2


    "So they plan on staying inside until we are no longer staying guard here, what a foolish idea they had if they think they will be able to escape this temple" said the leader.


    "Actually they don''t plan on staying there" said tribe #4 with his head lowered.


    "What do you mean by that?" asks the leader.


    "Well there seems to be another way to leave the world inside that will take them to another location so it would be a waste of time to wait for them to come" replied tribe #4.


    "Are you sure about what you are saying?" asked the leader in anger.


    "If we didn''t see the other doors that lead out of the world, I would have doubted it if they told me that they won''t be coming here" reply tribe #4.


    Meanwhile, the so-called intruders that the temple of seal has been looking for are now standing before a sea with a confused look on their faces as they stare at the sea.


    "Where are we?" asked Diana who broke the silence.


    "I have no idea but I don''t think it is any closer to our territories" replied Austin.

 Chapter 191 - Prince Trace

    "Well good thing I was not the one who made the decision of going through the door" commented Dragic.


    "What do you mean by that" asked Jason with a frown.


    "What I am trying to say is that you are to be blamed for leading us here when you know anything about where they will lead to" replied Austin.


    "Like you knew any better" said Jason.


    "At least I knew more than enough to agree on picking the door that Dragic chose in the first place" reply Austin with a chuckle.


    "This is not the time for us to quarrel among ourselves, instead let''s take the time to look around and see if there is anybody around to asked about where we are '''' said Diana as she barked at them angrily.


    The guys suddenly quiet down after hearing what she said and they begin to walk around while searching for someone to ask questions but it was quite unfortunate that the place was devoid of any human presence and they had to continue their search while covering wide space.


    "There don''t seem to be anyone here" said Diana after they has searched until nighttime when they decided to take a break.


    "Hey Dragic, haven''t you been to this place before" asked Jason as he turned to Dragic.


    "I could have but due to how time has flown, it would be difficult to recall something about this place" replied Dragic.


    Hearing dragic reply, Jason let out a sigh as he mutters to himself.


    "I guess I have made the wrong move this time around".


    "You sure did, next time listen to others'' opinions before making a decision" said Austin.


    "Guys wait, something is heading our way" said Diana as he instructed them to keep quiet.


    And it was only after they have quieted down that they were able to hear the sound of something heading in their direction and it seems to be in a hurry. They prepare themselves for battle just in case it was trouble heading their way but after waiting for a while, a wagon came into view with some guards escorting them.


    When seeing some people standing close to them couldn''t help but halt their movement as a voice rang out from the wagon.


    "We are from the yin yang empire and demand you leave the way".


    Hearing the stranger saying they are from the yin yang empire, they couldn''t help but look at each other before Jason asked the question.


    "Have anyone of you heard about any yin yang empire".


    "Don''t ask me, I spend most of my time training" replied Austin.


    "Same with me, why don''t we just ask Dragic since it has been a long time since he has been roaming the world" added Diana.


    "A lot has changed since the time I was roaming so don''t bother asking me" reply Dragic.


    "I guess we will have to turn to them for an answer if we want to get out of this place" said Jason before speaking loudly for the other party to hear.


    "We are not actually from this place and it would be great if you can help us get back to where we came from".


    Then came an angry roar from the other side.


    "Do you think you can trick us with those lame excuses of yours. Look if you don''t want trouble with us, then get out of the way or face the consequences".


    Jason was already angry that they are in the middle of nowhere, to begin with, and for this newcomer to try and use their number to oppress them, he suddenly lost it as he yell out.


    "I''m telling you that we are lost and would need your help in getting back, but instead of you trying to reason with us you chose to threaten us. Do you think just because we are small in number we wouldn''t date challenge you"?


    "You insolent fool, you think you will be able to win against our army. Guards take them down since they dare to stand in our way" replied the voice in a roar.


    Austin and Diana were shocked to see how their friend was able to cause trouble within a period of time.


    "I guess next time I will be the one to speak instead of this loud mouth" said Austin as he took out his sword.


    Just as the guards were about to charge forward, a voice bellow from within the wagon.


    "Stay your hand".


    A young man walks out of the wagon while wearing a glowing robe which signifies that he is a very important figure in the yin yang empire.


    "Is this how you all present yourself to others all because you are guards from the palace?" asked the young man.


    "We''re sorry about that prince Trace" reply the leader of the guards with a bow.


    "Let this be the last time that you do something this stupid, if I were to find out that any issue similar to this, I will have your head cut off" ordered prince Trace with an angry tone.


    "Yes, prince Trace" replied the captain with a shiver as he knew the prince met what he said.


    After he was done speaking to his people, prince Trace turned in the direction where Jason and his group were standing before speaking up.


    "This stranger is it true that you are not from around this place".


    "Finally someone who truly hears what I said" reply Jason with a sigh.


    Seeing the way the young man was talking to their prince like they are equals, the captain couldn''t help but yell at Jason in anger as he said.


    "Who are you to talk to the prince in such a manner, now get down on your knees and apologize".


    Prince Trace to the captain with a frown on his face as he asked.


    "And who gave you the order to speak" he said before hitting the captain on the face as the captain could only lower his head without retaliating.

 Chapter 192 - Hes My Pet

    After getting the captain to shut his mouth, Prince Trace turned back to the three as he apologized on behalf of his captain.


    "Do forgive my subordinate for acting rudely. I hope you don''t mind telling me where you are from and how you came to be in our yin yang empire".


    "We are from the Grador Empire and we were transported here by a teleportation mechanism" replied Austin who took a step forward to explain things before Jason would cause more trouble and truly, Jason has already given him a funny look.


    ''You must be joking if you think that I am going to let you speak for us'' Austin thought to himself.


    "The Grador Empire it does sound strange to me for I haven''t come across such a name during my time studying about places that are close to our empire" prince Trace said in contemplation before turning to his subordinate for answers only for them to shake their head.


    "Looks like we won''t be leaving this place anytime soon" said Diana with a sigh.


    Seeing the disappointing look on their face, Prince Trace couldn''t help but make a suggestion.


    "I may not be able to know of this Grador Empire you speak of but I think I can take you to meet someone who might have an idea about this place you speak of".


    "But my prince, we are already short on time" said the captain.


    "I know which is why they are coming with us. Since we are going to see Elisa anyway" reply prince Trace.


    Seeing that the young man is willing to help them out, Austin bows slightly as he thanks him before prince Trace invites them to join him in the wagon only for the captain to disagree about it.


    "My prince these people can''t be trusted and let''s not forget the in-fighting between you and your brothers, they could be either of their men '''' said the captain.


    "Don''t be silly, how can those who are working under my brothers be this young" reply prince Trace.


    "We wouldn''t mind following them to be on a safe side" suggested Diana.


    "But I insist you follow me inside" said prince Trace with a serious look on his face.


    "Come on guys, he insisted that we go with him so why make things difficult for him. Thank you for your offer" replied Jason with his fist clenched together in greeting before going inside.


    Austin and Diana couldn''t help but let out a sigh before going inside as well and that is when the captain came close to prince Trace and began to whisper.


    "My prince, although they look young, their cultivation isn''t weak so you have to be cautious while you are with them".


    "I can tell that they are strong which is why I invited them in, if they are not one of my brother''s men then I can persuade them to work for me" replied prince Trace with a smile as he slapped the captain on his shoulders before entering the wagon.


    Entering the wagon, prince Trace smiles at the three before speaking up.


    "I''m prince Trace the fifth prince of the yin yang empire and the heir to the throne if nothing goes wrong and you are".


    "My name''s Jason and these are my friends Austin and Diana" replied Jason with a smile.


    "And what is that humongous lizard that is resting on your shoulder" asked prince Trace after spotting Dragic.


    "Oh, he''s my pet Dragic" replied Jason.


    Right after the word left his mouth, Dragic suddenly turned his gaze at him before sending him telepathy.


    "So now I am your pet eh".


    "Do you prefer to be called servant since you don''t like being called a pet which still has some respect? '''' replied Jason.


    "If I knew that I am going to fall this low to the extent that a youngly like you would treat me as a pet, I would have stayed back with my master" complained Dragic.


    "Too bad you can''t go back now" replied Jason with a chuckle.


    Just as Jason and Dragic were discussing, Austin suddenly raised a question for prince Trace.


    "About this Elisa that you speak of, are you sure that she will be able to help us out".


    "If there is anyone in the empire that I can think of who would be able to help you with your answers, it has to be her" replied prince Trace.


    "Seems like it is our luck for running into you my prince" said Diana.


    "Please just call me Trace, I kind of feel uncomfortable when my title is included" replies prince Trace and they all laugh at it.


    After traveling on the wagon for a long time, they finally made it to their destination where the three couldn''t help but open their mouth in amazement when they saw where they were standing. The place seems to be a lot bigger than the capital.


    "You actually came late even after promising that you would be here early Trace" said a voice coming from after while Jason and the others are still observing their surroundings.


    "Calm down now Elisa, something came up and I have to attend to it" replies prince Trace with an awkward smile as he tries to explain things to Elisa.


    "You always come up with an excuse, why can''t you just keep a promise for once" said Elisa feeling disappointed in him.


    "I really tried to Elisa but it wasn''t easy for me to sneak out with my guards following me around" reply prince Trace.


    "Whatever you say, so who are they" asked Elisa while looking at the strangers.


    "They are my friends, we met not too long ago and they seem to be in need of your assistant in going home" replied prince Trace before he begin to introduce them.


    "They need my assistant in going back, how can I be of any need to them when you are here" asked Elisa.


    "That is because you are the only one who can help them in finding their way back" replied prince Trace with a smile.

 Chapter 193 - Research Room

    "What makes you think that I will be able to help them in getting back when you can''t Trace?" asked Elisa with a frown on her face.


    "That is because they are not from this empire and if there is anyone who could help them is you Elisa" replied prince Trace with a smile.


    "Did you just say they are not from here?" asked Elisa with a surprised look on her face.


    "That''s right miss, we are from the Grador Empire" replied Diana.


    "Wow, why didn''t you say that earlier instead of wasting time on words" said Elisa as she took Diana by the hand.


    "I see that you have grown some interest in them" chuckled the prince Trace, seeing Elisa changing her attitude.


    "You know how rare it is to meet people who are not from our empire, so why shouldn''t I be interested in them. I don''t know we are wasting time here, come let''s go inside" reply Elisa before dragging Diana into a building while the others followed from behind but before following them in, Prince Trace instructed the guards to wait outside.


    "But my prince it''s not safe to leave you alone inside" said the captain.


    "It will be unwise for anyone to attack me while I''m inside so just do your best to guard this place" replied prince Trace before joining the others.


    Meanwhile, after being dragged into the building, Elisa didn''t stop there as she continued to take them toward a deep room where she pulled some level and an underground passageway came into view.


    "Where are you taking us to" asked Diana who was confused by the way Elise.


    "We are going to my research room of course" reply Elisa with a smile before walking down the stairs.


    "Is it really necessary for you to build your research room underground?" asked Jason.


    "To keep my research a secret from the world, the best choice I have in doing so is to build an underground research room" replies Elisa.


    After they have descended from the stairs, they came across a roadblock and that is when Elisa let go of Diana''s hand before walking up to the wall and resting her palm on it while moving it to the side like there was a mechanism in place.


    After moving her hand around for a short time, the wall began to split in two as a huge room came into view with books laying everywhere.


    When they enter the room, Jason couldn''t help but be amazed by the number of books they are in there and he decides to pick one of the books to flip through only for him to be attacked by a weasel.


    "Ah, I am being attacked here" yelled Jason as he tried to pull the weasel off his face.


    "Hahaha, that''s enough Molly" orders Elisa and the weasel jump off Jason before jumping into Elisa''s embrace.


    "Is that your pet?" asked Jason with scars all over his face.


    "Yes, isn''t it cute" replied Elisa before hugging the weasel?


    "Cute my foot, that crazy beast almost rips my eyeballs out, I won''t be satisfied if I don''t cut him to pieces" said Jason in anger.


    "I would like to see you dare" reply Elisa whose face suddenly turns serious as her aura begin to surge.


    "Kid I will have to advise you to give up on the idea of fighting with her, she is not someone you could face" advises the bracelet.


    Seeing that Jason has gotten Elisa angry and knowing how frightening she could be if things were to continue this way, prince Trace came forward with an apology look on his face as he began to speak.


    "Please calm down Elisa, he didn''t mean what he say".


    "That''s true, I only said those words out of anger. How can I cut such a cute weasel to pieces" added Jason?


    "Hmmph, you better be" said Elisa as she began to calm down.


    Seeing that she has calmed down, Prince Trace let out a sigh of relief before speaking up.


    "Since that is already taken care of, while don''t we move to the question at hand".


    "You said you came from the Grador Empire right?" said Elisa before she begin to put some scrolls as she began to go through them in hope of finding something that is related to the empire they spoke of but after searching for some time, she had a disappointing look on her face.


    "There doesn''t seem to be any Grador empire in my research but I promise to research more on the other empire and see if I could find anything about it" Elisa said with a bitter look on her face.


    "Oh well, I guess we''ll have to stay here a little longer before we can go back home" commented Jason.


    "Why don''t you give me some names that will help with my search like places that are popular there? '''' asked Elisa.


    That is when they begin to call their clan names since it is the most popular place there and when they are done, Elisa told them to move to the side as she still has business to settle with prince Trace.


    Seeing that they have been given some space, Elisa turns her gaze to him as she asks.


    "So do you have it".


    "Yes I do, although it took more time than I expected but I was still able to get my hand on it without being caught by my brothers" replied prince Trace before pulling out a dagger that was wrapped in cloth as he passed it to Elisa.


    After receiving the dagger from him, Elisa begins to observe it with a curious look on her face which leads to prince Trace in asking her.


    "Are you sure that you would be able to identify the poison that my father has been affected with".


    "I am the one that told you to bring it to me so enough with the questions and let me focus for once" reply Elisa with a frown.