《Son of the Spirit Beast》


 Chapter 1 - The Birth

    Rainbow Island, Southwest of the Sun Empire, Multicolor Leaf Forest outskirts.


    They called it Multicolor Leaf Forest because every tree in the forest had leaves of different colors that all together created a fantastic sight.


    Although it possessed such a scenario, the forest was little frequented due to the various dangers within. However, from time to time, some people dared to approach the forest - whether it was to take advantage of its resources or to save time by following the path that skirted it closely, instead of having to go around by using a longer road.


    On a cloudy day in autumn, while a cold wind was carrying away the leaves that had fallen from the trees, creating a rainbow of leaves and dust, a convoy of merchants was following the path just outside the outer boundary of the forest.


    The convoy consisted of one dozen of people divided into four wagons that contained various types of goods that would be sold as soon as they arrived at Leaf City. That was the nearest city in the vicinity and took its name from the forest. At the head of one of these wagons, two male merchants were happily talking.


    "You have to admit this time we have amassed a nice amount of goods, haven''t we? As soon as we arrive in the city and sell this stuff, we will no longer worry about money for a while," commented the man who had the reins of the horses pulling the wagon.


    The man had blond hair and a healthy pink complexion. He was wearing a purple vest with golden patterns that was a distinctive vest, generally used by merchants. His light eyes, together with a round face, conveyed a feeling of cheerfulness and vivacity.


    "Yes, we can''t complain at all. Fortunately, we were able to complete everything on time, and we shouldn''t be too far from our destination too." The companion answered in a relieved voice.


    Unlike the first man, the second one had black hair with dark brown eyes. Although wearing the same vest, because of the dark circles and the stern expression on his face, he conveyed a feeling of tiredness and worry.


    "Right, your wife... At the thought of all that money, I forgot for a moment that your wife is pregnant. I understand that you have to work to support the family, but wouldn''t it be better if you all stayed in some city, Old Jian?!" The first merchant who acted as the wagon''s driver asked.


    The man named Qin Jian looked at his colleague with a dejected expression and answered as he sighed.


    "And where Shang? We are itinerant merchants, and we must constantly move to do business. Furthermore, we have no close relatives, and I don''t trust leaving her alone in a place where I don''t know anyone. I prefer to keep her with me; at least I know she is safe."


    Shang noticed the mood of his friend and promptly tried to cheer Qin Jian saying, "All right, all right... Well, luckily, your wife has spirit power and has had no problems so far. I can''t imagine what we would have done if she had given birth outdoors. I''m still young; I don''t want to have to deal with brats for a while longer." He concluded this last sentence with a loud laugh before returning to focus on the path, hoping to have brighten up his partner.


    Meanwhile, a young woman with brown skin and long brown hair was sitting with the goods in the carriage driven by the two men. Her light eyes that contrasted with her skin were looking at her big belly that contained the little life form still not born who was living inside her.


    ''We almost there now, my little one. Soon we will be in the city where you can be born. Then we''re going to live with Dad. Hold on just a little bit.'' She said while stroking kindly her belly. The child in her belly then produced a little sound as if he was listening and wanted to respond to his mother.


    The woman''s name was Farah, the wife of the merchant Qin Jian.


    In the past, she was a slave who was bought by Qin Jian to help him in his work as a merchant since she could read and knew arithmetic. Later, she was released by Qin Jian, but she decided to stay with him, and they ended up falling in love and got married.


    Despite her delicate state, she decided to follow her husband on a journey not to be separated from him at this critical moment and allowing him to complete his business as they needed money for their incoming son.


    They were a young couple waiting for their first child and eager to start a quiet life together and settle down somewhere. Unfortunately, fate isn''t always benevolent and often leads to misfortunes that change a person''s life and sometimes the whole world for good or for bad.


    *


    As the sun was setting, while the convoy began to get ready for the night, twenty men dressed in black clothes were watching the merchants in the distance, glancing at the wagons like hungry wolves waiting for their prey.


    "Boss, what do you say? It seems feasible. It will soon become dark, and it is perfect for a surprise attack. Let us do it." Asked one of the men in black to his team leader who was next to him.


    "I also think the same. We''ve been quite unlucky lately, but this looks like a succulent convoy. With this, we will be without economic problems for a while, although I hope the goods inside are of good quality to have a better profit. Get in position first, and then wait for my signal. Remember, don''t f*ck this task. Kill them all immediately without wasting time playing f*cking stupid games." The chief said in an authoritative voice while watching the merchants. Those had finally finished their operations for the night and were preparing to dine.


    An hour later, when the sun had already set completely to make room for the evening, the bandit chief gestured with his hand to his closest man to move.


    The latter communicated the gesture to the rest of the group that had scattered around. Shortly afterward, a rain of arrows rained down on the place where the merchants had gathered.


    Then, the sound of twenty or so bows shooting arrows reverberated in the air, interrupting the calm that dwelt in that place.


    This sound alerted the merchants who realized too late the danger, and they were forced to endure the rain of arrows directly without time to find a place where shelter themselves.


    "Arrows!? ENEMY ATTACK!!"


    "Sh*t, Bandits?!"


    As they pulled out their weapons, a slight aura arose from the merchant''s bodies while they tried to endure the arrows. However, not everyone was so fast, and a couple of men fell to the ground spraying blood on the cold ground.


    After the barrage of arrows, the bandits arrived with their swords raised, starting a fight against the merchants.


    Although they were people devoted to business, the merchants had all been trained to defend themselves and began to fight back. However, with the numerical disparity and more exceptional skill of the bandits with the sword, they soon began to fall one by one on the ground where their comrades laid lifeless.


    Among them, Qin Jian was fighting with three people at the same time, demonstrating great skill with the sword, while his wife was behind him with her hands outstretched on her belly to protect their child.


    "Farah, listen to me carefully. I will open a gap, and I want you to ride a horse and get out of here."


    "No, how can you ask me this!? How can I abandon you here!?"


    "Listen to me! There is no time. Don''t mind me. Think of our son. You have to look after him, do you understand? Please, do as I told you and don''t argue."


    As he said this, a tear fell from Qin Jian''s eyes. He was sad at the thought of dying and being separated from his family. But he knew that in this situation, it was the only way to give a hope of salvation for his wife and son.


    While Farah also burst into tears, Qin Jian made a large movement with his sword, momentarily pushing away the three bandits and ran towards the nearest horse, and with a sword blow, he cut the ropes that bound the horse to the wagon.


    "RIDE NOW!" He said as he positioned himself in front of the horse to prevent the bandits from obstructing the maneuver.


    Farah, covered in tears, still executed her husband''s order, striving to remain clear-headed to protect their child. With enormous effort, she managed to get on the horse and started riding away from that nightmare.


    While urging the horse to accelerate as much it could, she turned around to look at the man she loved, only to witness him being pierced on several sides by the other bandits who had already killed almost all the remaining merchants.


    "Jian, NOOO!!! AHH!!!" Farah screamed as she sobbed heavily and began to breathe with difficulty due to the painful and heartbreaking experience. But she had only time to distance herself a bit from that place when a spear flew through the air and stuck in her shoulder, making her fall from the running horse.


    Because of her agitated state and the sudden blow, she was taken aback, but she managed to wrap her lap with a light aura to protect her son while she fell from the horse.


    Slumped to the ground, almost totally without strength, the woman slowly opened her eyes to see a man with an unpleasant appearance approaching her.


    "Let''s see what we have here."


    With a kick on her shoulder, the bandit leader turned her around so he could see her face.


    "A beautiful woman, no doubt about it. But we don''t have time to waste with you. I also doubt you could be sold as a slave with that belly of yours. If you hadn''t been pregnant, I could have thought of it. Forget it; I will settle for the load."


    Meanwhile, one of his men reached him to inform him of the situation. "Boss, we killed everybody. Unfortunately, little Fei was killed, some of them weren''t so bad. But the load inside is nice; you should see what stuff. We''ll be rich for a while."


    The chief, content with the loot, replied. "Don''t care about Fei; he was just garbage. Better this way, one less with whom share the spoil. Load the goods all on one wagon if you can, and stack the bodies in the remaining empty wagons. Then we will set fire to everything, and we will leave."


    After saying that, he signaled his man to go while he returned to focus on the woman motionless on the ground.


    "Well, fortunately, the load is pretty full. My men are now loading the goods. All that is left is to set fire to everything and eliminate any traces that can lead to us. To thank you for the precious gift, I will eliminate you immediately without making you feel pain." While he was saying this, he drew his sword and leaned towards the woman.


    Farah, who had regained a bit of strength, cried inside herself.


    ''Why is this happening? Why? Jian, where are you? Help our son. Please. No matter who. at least my baby...''


    These were her thoughts while the cold metallic blade penetrated her throat, ending her life.


    Meanwhile, near the wagons where the other bandits were arranging the goods, a black shape suddenly appeared with strange features. Silently, it approached one of the men, and with a quick movement, it cut him in two halves that fell to the ground. Then it headed for the nearest bandit.


    Soon, the other bandits realized that something was wrong, but they were only able to make a short scream before they were all killed in the same way. The scream alarmed the leader who had just killed the woman and was about to return to his men.


    Shortly after that, the black shadow emerged from the darkness where the wagons were. The bandit''s leader, thanks to the light of the moon that illuminated the thing that had killed his men, could see its real appearance.


    It was a giant spider measuring 1 meter in size; its eight purple-red eyes were watching the bandit as it gave off a strong murderous aura.


    The bandit leader petrified by fear could only murmur: "Spirit Beast..." before the spider with incredible speed appeared before him and with a single stroke of its leg cut the bandit in two alongside his sword.


    Once the man was settled, the spider turned to the woman. Its purple eyes looked at those already lifeless of the woman, and then they descended towards her belly.


    It seemed to be aware that, although there was a corpse in front of it, there was something alive inside. With quick movements, it approached the woman, and two of its legs landed on the woman''s belly.


    Even though it had cut the various bandits before with those same legs in half, when its legs touched the belly, they didn''t penetrate the stomach. Instead, they remained suspended a few millimeters from the skin while a slight aura covered the tips of its legs.


    Then, those tips cut the belly following a vertical line along the stomach by cutting just a few centimeters of skin without going over. Its actions were different from a beast with a terrifying appearance that would have scared anyone.


    After a couple of minutes of cutting, the creature stopped. Increasing the aura on the tips of its legs, it began to open the two halves, now divided, of skin, while two other legs slipped inside the woman''s body with a layer of aura, thicker than before.


    With that inside, it began to pull something out of the woman''s stomach, and soon a newborn baby could be seen while he was covered in blood and amniotic fluid. His umbilical cord kept him joined to his mother while he was held between the beast''s legs, appearing unharmed though.


    With a gentle movement, the spider moved the baby in front of it and began to beat his small back softly. The slight aura shifted to the child''s body, and, slowly, the liquid inside the little one came out, causing him to cry as a consequence while he woke up.


    At this noise, the spider did a slight tremor, but then it recomposed itself. It then cut the umbilical cord and tore off a part of the mother''s clothes with which it wrapped the newborn baby.


    At this point, the spider looked at the child who had stopped crying when he was wrapped in his mother''s piece of cloth. Then, after looking at the woman already lifeless on the ground, the spider turned itself towards the forest and quickly entered it.


    On its back, illuminated by the moonlight, two eggs could be seen covered with silvery silks and fastened tightly. One was pitch black with golden patterns while the other had a dark purple color with silver pattern, the same purple color as the spider that was carrying them.


    That day, unbeknownst to anyone, it had occurred an event that no one would have thought possible. And that event was the beginning of the changes that would affect the entire world.

 Chapter 2 - Decision

    How much time had passed?


    A decade, a century, a millennium? Or more? Or was it just a day?


    Regardless of how long it went by, I found myself in a forest full of different color''s trees.


    I had arrived here by teleportation. Exhausted both physically and mentally, and without any reason to stay alive, I prepared myself for my last sleep.


    With the last remnants of my strength, I used my spiderweb and wrapped it around myself to form a cocoon. Then I closed my eyes, hoping I would never have to open them again.


    But unfortunately, my wish wasn''t fulfilled. I didn''t know how much I had slept, but, in the end, my sleep ended, and I went out reluctantly from my cocoon. The sight that appeared before me was this forest.


    Although I was unaware of how much time had passed, inside, I knew that all my companions had died, including the one I loved.


    It was he who teleported me away from that place that was about to be destroyed, although I preferred that he hadn''t.


    But, as always, his decision proved to be correct.


    Not long after my awakening, with surprise, I discovered that two eggs inside me, which I had forgotten at the time of my sleep, had been fertilized, and inside them were developing two life forms.


    The legacy of my love with the one who had changed my life.


    To that discovery, I trembled first with wonder and then with joy. When all was lost, I had found a reason to live and something to remind me that everything we had done hadn''t been in vain.


    The fruits of our love.


    At that point, I expelled the two eggs outside and wrapped them in a silk sack to protect them. So I put them on my back, where I fixed them using other silk.


    Because the priorities had changed, I decided to explore this place and see if it was a safe place for my two eggs while carrying them on my back.


    It didn''t take long for me to explore the area, and I discovered that there weren''t any dangerous creatures. So as long as my children stayed with me, there would be nothing to fear. However, two things still disturbed my mind, the same things that had always concerned my mind and those of my species: the human race and the demon race.


    They represented the greatest danger and not knowing if the area I was in had strong humans or demons tormented me. I, therefore, decided to extend my research area to the outer region of the forest, where I would be more likely to meet them.


    *


    It was during my exploration in the outer region that I heard the voices of some men in the distance.


    As I approached as quickly as possible, without making any noise thanks to my eight legs that could run smoothly on any terrain, I discovered a group of humans riding some wagons.


    From their appearance, they seemed to be merchants, although I was uncertain. Not knowing what to do, I decided to follow them from the forest without being seen. I wanted to find out the strength level of the humans in this area, but attacking without information, especially with my two eggs, was risky.


    I continued to follow them until evening, when the group stopped for the night, setting up a temporary camp. That allowed me to finally see all the humans in the group, including those in the wagons.


    Among them, I was particularly struck by a woman with brown skin. My eyes moved to her big belly. From the shapes of her body, she didn''t seem to be fat, so she was likely to be pregnant, and it shouldn''t be too long for her to give birth.


    By reflection, I turned to look at the two eggs on my back. Suddenly, I felt a certain sympathy for that human woman, but I immediately repressed it as soon as I noticed it. Part of me hated humans because of what they did, but I also knew that not all humans were guilty of that.


    Shortly after, I noticed the presence of other humans who were spreading themselves at various points. From the way they were positioned, it seemed they wanted to attack the group of merchants, so they were probably bandits.


    It didn''t take long for my deduction to be accurate, and, as I had expected, the bandits attacked the convoy. From there, it arose a battle between the two groups, and this allowed me to evaluate their combative strength.


    Fortunately, they weren''t a threat, and, despite possessing spirit power, they were the weakest humans I had ever met. Considering their non-dangerousness, I jumped forward behind them to fight them. It would be a great way to stretch out a little after a long time.


    In a short time, I killed all the bandits, including the leader nearby. It was then that I noticed the human woman I had seen before.


    I realized that she was now dead, but inside her, the little human creature was still alive. Driven by an unknown reason, I decided to free the human cub. Cutting the mother''s belly, I took out the baby.


    He was a male, covered in blood and amniotic fluid. He had a body so small and fragile, and its weight was almost non-existent in my eyes. I realized he still had some liquid inside him. So, by sending a small portion of my spirit power, I pushed out the liquid inside him, and finally, he burst into tears and gave signs of life.


    At that point, I was overwhelmed by another feeling unknown to me. Although he was a human baby, the enemy of my race, along with the demons, I couldn''t resolve myself to abandon him there. In the end, I chose to take it with me; I didn''t know the reason for this choice, but at the time, I didn''t care.


    With a human cub between my legs and my two eggs on my back, I moved towards the forest.


    *


    I reached a small lake at the eastern end of the forest. The moonlight made the bright water surface shine, giving it a silvery hue while around it reigned pleasant tranquility, interrupted from time to time by the noise caused by some small nocturnal animals in the surroundings.


    I approached the water source and plunged into it, rippling the flat liquid surface. The water near the shore wasn''t profound, so I had no danger of sinking, although that wasn''t a problem at all to me.


    Slowly, I removed the piece of the robe that enveloped the child and soaked it with water. I wanted to use it to clean the baby, who was still dirty with amniotic fluid and blood residues. However, since the water was cold, I had to use this expedient. After all, it would have been too much for the child to be directly placed in the water.


    Although this method wasn''t so ideal as he awoke crying from his sleep, I finally managed to finish the job without too much trouble. Then, I let out some silk to use it to dry him and then to wrap it up around him so that he wouldn''t get cold.


    Once finished, I returned to my den in the middle of the forest while the human cub had calmed down once it was wrapped in his silk blanket.


    Arriving at the destination, I took a large number of fallen leaves and gathered them together, creating a small circle where I could put the child. Then, I untied the silk that bound my two eggs to my back and placed them on the ground next to the human.


    I didn''t know the reason, but the sight of my two eggs together with that human cub didn''t seem strange to me; in fact, it seemed like it was the most typical picture in the world.


    Fogged by this view, I began to weave a web around my position as I thought about what had happened.


    ''Why did I save him? He is human, after all, and I had no connection whatsoever with his mother. Yet, the thought he would die like this - enveloped by the darkness inside his mother, without knowing the outside world terrified me. The problem now is: what do I do? Humans will soon find out what happened and investigate. I don''t know if this area has strong martial artists, although I doubt it, given the level of those people before. But the child needs to be with his race... ''


    Absorbed in my thoughts, I was awakened by the sudden cry of the child behind me. He had woken up from his sleep and was slowly writhing in tears.


    With a start, I turned and ran to him. I immediately inspected his body to see if he was okay, but nothing was wrong. I, therefore, understood that he was probably hungry.


    I slowly took him with my legs and carried him towards me. Then, pressing against my abdomen, I let out a substance similar to milk, and, with my spirit power, I brought that substance near the child''s mouth.


    Slowly, I let the liquid flow drop by drop into him, and soon, he became full and fell asleep again.


    ''Fortunately, he calmed down; otherwise, I wouldn''t have known what to do. For now, I''d say it''s time to go to sleep. Then, I''ll come back to where the bandit attack happened to see if there is someone who noticed that slaughter so that I could leave this baby to them.''


    Thus, the spider with a human baby and two eggs by its side fell asleep inside the thick spiderweb.


    The following morning, the spider cautiously returned to the site of the massacre and laid in wait for the arrival of other humans.


    It was around noon that she saw a large group of people. These had different types of iron armors and were equipped with various weapons. From their appearance, they seemed to be more mercenaries than soldiers of some army, given the diversity of their equipment.


    They soon noticed the brutal scene in front of them. Since they were people who made their living making war, the view of this massacre didn''t scare them, but the conditions in which some corpses were, worried them.


    "Boss, we examined the corpses. This is certainly an attack by bandits on a group of merchants. But something must have attacked the bandits since we found a wagon full of goods. The bodies of the merchants show normal sword wounds and arrows. The problems are those of the bandits: they were done in half entirely with a single blow. Besides, there is the corpse of a woman with a half-opened stomach and an umbilical cord sticking out." The soldier reported to the head of his venture company.


    The boss, hearing this, frowned and dismounted, approaching the woman nearby the bandit''s leader.


    ''These wounds... can it be the work of some spirit beast? So why did it kill the bandits and then leave the corpses? Furthermore, this is certainly a cesarean section; there is no way that a spirit beast has the intelligence to do it unless it is a high-grade spirit beast?!''


    At this thought, the mercenary leader shuddered at the terror of such an eventuality. He remembered very well the stories he heard as a child about the ancient era and the war of the massacre, especially the infernal beasts known as divine beasts.


    ''No, no ... it can''t be. The divine beasts have been extinct for millennia. Surely it has to be a human, and one high leveled too. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have left the load. But why did he leave the corpses like that, especially that of the woman?''


    Unable to find a reason, the mercenary chief stood up and told his men. "Take some horses and tie them to the wagons. Pile the corpses of the bandits in one wagon and those of the merchants and the woman in another. We will take both of us with the cargo of goods."


    Upon hearing the order of their leader, the mercenaries set to work without complaining.


    Meanwhile, inside the forest, a dark figure was watching them from afar with his eight eyes.


    ''It''s a group of mercenaries. Judging by their actions, they don''t seem to be bad people. If I left the child with them, I''m sure they would take him to the nearby city. Yet at the same time, I don''t want to part with him.'' The spider thought to herself as she watched the actions of the mercenaries.


    She remained like that all the time and, even when the mercenaries had finished their task and were leaving, the spider remained motionless as she found herself unwilling to act.


    Finally, watching the mercenaries disappear on the horizon, she turned around to return to the forest where she had her den.


    ''What have I done? What have I done? Why didn''t I leave the child there with those mercenaries? Why is it so difficult to part with him?'' Throughout the journey towards her den, the spider had repeated these questions inside her head like a chant.


    Her rational side was telling her to leave the human cub among his kind while another side was telling her, for some obscure reason, not to let that child go. Finally, after hours of reflection, she made her decision.


    ''I have decided. It is useless to think about it so much. I''ll keep him with me and raise him as my son. I don''t know the reason for this choice, but my instinct tells me not to let him go. If this is the case, I will become your mother. But to bring you up in this kind of environment, I need you to get stronger. I hope you won''t hate me for this selfish choice in the future. In return, I will give you all the love I am capable of, in the same way your mother would have done.''


    With this, the spider extracted the same milk-like liquid from her abdomen. At the same time, with one of her legs, she injured her body and blew out a tiny drop of blood from which she took only a small fraction. Then she joined that small part to her milk-like liquid, which took on a crimson color and gave it to the child to drink.


    ''This will make you stronger, but it will mark your future. It will probably bring you a lot of problems, but I''ll raise you to make you strong enough to solve them. However, as long as I''m alive, you won''t have to worry about getting hurt anyway. So, for now, you will grow up healthy and happy, then, when the time comes, I will teach you more about the world and myself.''


    With this choice, the child''s future was marked towards the tortuous path of cultivation. If this was a blessing or a curse, only time could reveal it.

 Chapter 3 - Sisters

    Slaughter of the Multicolor Leaf Forest.


    Thus was called the episode that involved the death of a dozen merchants along with about twenty armed bandits.


    This event had sparked a great uproar in Leaf City as it was a city far from war zones, so accidents with such a large number of people involved rarely happened.


    When the mercenaries returned to the city with wagons full of corpses in such terrifying conditions, they communicated what had happened to the city authorities. Soon the rumor that this massacre was the work of some powerful spirit beast spread among the ordinary people.


    The thought that it was some dangerous spirit beast aroused the citizens'' terror who had grown up as children with stories about the dangerousness of such creatures.


    However, the rumor that it was the work of some powerful martial artist who was passing there circulated too. Although people much more appreciated that rumor, those in power were more afraid of it than the idea of having to deal with some dangerous spirit beast.


    So they waited for several days, organizing teams to limit the outer perimeter of the forest around the accident''s area and blocking that stretch of road.


    After several days of useless waiting and with the anxiety of the people who spurred on the beast to be taken out, the authorities gave the task to the guards dedicated to the city''s management to send a team to explore inside the forest.


    In order to motivate them, rewards were also set up for mercenaries and volunteers of all kinds who weren''t afraid to enter that place.


    So, after several meetings and arrangements, the exploration team was sent with the task of finding tracks of the beast and killing it. But in the end, their exploration was unsuccessful.


    They scoured the outskirts of the forest without finding anything that might resemble the culprit. It had probably escaped into the heart of the forest.


    However, penetrating so deep involved a very high risk for the soldiers and mercenaries who made up the team, and, although it wasn''t an impossible undertaking, the price to be paid would have been high. Not even the proposed money could convince them to commit such madness. So they could do nothing but return.


    The authorities at that point, to calm the rumors, decided to opt to say that it was the work of a strong martial artist, hoping that this expert wasn''t real and wouldn''t appear suddenly with strange intentions.


    Fortunately, as time went on, this ruckus soon calmed down gradually and was quickly forgotten by the people who resumed their activities.


    *


    Three years after the Massacre of the Multicolor Leaf Forest


    On a sunny spring day, a child was chasing some butterflies through the vegetation.


    Although at first glance, this was a rather ordinary image, the place where he was, was far from being ordinary as a place to play. It was the heart of the Multicolor Leaf Forest, where spirit beasts of various kinds could be found, many of which were dangerous to humans. But, even though there was an inviting morsel running around, none of the spirit beasts in the surroundings dared to make a move towards that strange little animal that was running on two feet.


    In fact, in the heart of the forest, dwelt the most dangerous creature they had ever seen. And, after many deaths, they realized that it was better not to approach that area or try to attack that strange little animal that was protected by that monstrous creature that had spread death to anyone who wanted to attack the little man or tried to get too close to that area. Only insects or small beasts could approach even if they would always remain under observation.


    The child, despite being only three years old, outwardly looked like a 5-6-year-old. He had dark brown skin with black hair and dark brown eyes, tending to black. He was dressed entirely in silvery silk dresses that sparkled in the sunlight.


    Although he was in this forest, dangerous for ordinary people, he didn''t seem to be very worried while he was chasing butterflies. He was so engrossed in his game that he was about to get out of the perimeter designated by his mother.


    At that moment, he heard a sharp sound, and suddenly he heard a voice inside his head. To normal humans, this sound would have seemed only a series of incomprehensible noises produced by some beast, but for the child, it was as understandable as the language spoken by people.


    ''Don''t go any further, come back. I forbade you to go beyond the borders I showed you. You have to pay attention to your surroundings even when you are playing, do you understand?'' Said the strange voice in his head with a reproaching voice.


    The child, surprised by the voice, immediately stopped worried and with a sad tone, produced a series of sounds that meant. ''Yes, you are right, mother. I am sorry, I''ll be right back.''


    With this, the child rushed to his home, where he lived with his mother.


    This child was the same newborn rescued during the accident three years ago, while his mother was the spirit beast spider who had saved him, and for the past three years, they had been living in the middle of the forest.


    The house in question was a huge dome-shaped spiderweb, 10 meters in radius and 5 meters high, that had been firmly tied to the ground. At the center of this spiderweb, there was a large recess on the ground where he could pass inside, which would then be closed during the hours of sleep.


    When the kid crawled through that slit, his mother immediately came into his sight and looked at him intently before saying.


    ''Don''t be afraid; I''m not angry. I just want you to be careful. Anyway, it''s time to eat, come.''


    Hearing this, the child smiled happily and ran to hug his mother. Although the sight of such a large spider would generally have frightened people, for the child, it was the most comforting and enjoyable sight in the world.


    With a smile on his face, he prepared himself to eat the food prepared by his mother. It consisted of a fish and some insects cooked on a small fire that had been lit on one side.


    Although usually, the fire would have destroyed the web, this wasn''t an ordinary spiderweb. Therefore, there was no fear that it would catch fire. There was also a large hole at the top that served to disperse the smoke, which would be closed during the night, creating an isolated environment.


    While mother and son were happily enjoying the meal, suddenly, two sharp noises could be heard as if something was breaking.


    Upon hearing this, the mother jumped and turned quickly, looking in the direction of her two eggs sheltered in their silk bags. These were vigorously shaking as they continued to make such noises. Not long after, the silk bags were broken, and two small spirit beasts came out from inside them.


    One was a small dark purple spider with silver patterns, while the other was a small black snake with gold patterns. They were panting as they devoured part of their shell.


    Soon, they noticed the presence of the enormous spider and immediately realized that it was their mother. Then, they curiously looked at the strange creature beside their mother while they finished eating the eggs and the silk sacks that had contained them for all these years.


    ''Finally, they came out. Come, child, come and meet your siblings.'' The adult spider motioned for the little human in the den to follow her to meet the two newcomers. The child with a bit of uncertainty did anyway what he was asked to do and approached.


    The mother spider examined her two little ones and discovered that they were both females, then she took some water from some roughly made wooden buckets to clean the little spider and the little snake. Once finished, she prepared to introduce her two cubs to the human child.


    ''Come, my little ones; this is your big brother. Remember to follow what he tells you and not to fight. Boy come, these are your two little sisters. Come closer, don''t be afraid.''


    The child fearfully stretched his hand toward those two little beasts. The little spider, in turn, reached out one of its legs while the little snake stuck its tongue out. These came into contact with the child''s hand creating a slight tickling sensation.


    ''Well, now that they too are finally with us, I would say that the time has come to give you your names. I thought about it a lot in these years, and finally, I decided.'' The big spider happily said as she pointed to the little spider first. ''You will be called Xing, as you are luminous as a star,'' then turning to the little snake, ''instead you will be called Ye, as the enchanting as the night that supports the stars.'' Finally turning his gaze to the little boy to whom, until now she hadn''t given a name, she said. ''And you little one, you will be called Hei, like the darkness. Your task will be to protect your little sisters as the darkness does with the night and the stars. Did you understand?''


    Hei, who had finally received his name, nodded happily and asked curiously. ''Mother, and you? Don''t you have a name?''


    His mother was surprised by this question and thought back to an old episode of many years ago when she was still a low-level spirit beast who had to be careful even to step out of her lair.


    ''You saved my life. I owe you. I see you have no name, what do you say if I give you one? Since you are like a kind of treasure found by chance, I will call you Bao Bei. Abbreviated, Little Bei.''


    Bao Bei, this was the name that had been given to her a long time ago. Recalling this memory, the spider smiled at Hei and answered. ''My name is Bao Bei, but you can continue to call me mother like you always did.''


    Hearing this, Hei nodded with his head as he smiled and then flung himself out to play happily with his two little sisters.


    Although they were just born, they were still spirit beasts. So they had no problem moving immediately after birth and understanding what they were told. However, they soon got tired and, together with Hei, went to sleep under the watchful and happy gaze of their mother.


    *


    A month had passed since the birth of Xing and Ye; by now, they had become strong enough not to tire immediately after starting to play. They had also grown a few inches, becoming the size of a palm.


    While Hei, Xing, and Ye were having breakfast with insects and apples, Bao Bei turned to them with a serious look as if she had something important to say.


    ''Listen to me, my little ones. By now, you have grown enough, and the time has come for you to start your training. You have to learn to be more autonomous and learn to hunt to eat. Therefore, from now on, you will have to commit yourself to hunt the prey that I will request from you. Do you understand?'' Bao Bei asked with a serious expression as she shifted her eight eyes to her children.


    Hunting, a fundamental activity for carnivorous spirit beasts. Although it was an innate instinct within them, it was still true that hunting without a guide, especially in the non-adult phase, involved enormous danger. That is why mothers had to teach their children how to hunt, although this principle wasn''t applied to every species.


    Bao Bei wanted all three of her children to learn the art of hunting as soon as possible. After all, in a dangerous world like this, you couldn''t know when your end would come, so she wanted to be sure they were independent if something happened to her.


    Hei, together with his two sisters, raised their astonished eyes at those words. Usually, it was their mother who was responsible for getting food, and by now, they were used to it. So, they found themselves confused as they suddenly had to deal with hunting.


    ''Hunting? Mother will not bring us more food?'' (Hei)


    ''No, I don''t want mother to leave us.'' (Xing)


    ''Mother, do you want to leave us?'' (Ye)


    Bao Bei, amazed by their words and understanding their misunderstanding, hastened to respond. ''No, what are you thinking, you fools. I don''t want to leave you, but you have to learn to hunt, okay? Would you do it for your mother?''


    The three of them nodded happily and were no longer worried about being abandoned. Bao Bei refrained from revealing to them the reason why they had to become more autonomous, not wanting to sadden them or worry them.


    When they finished eating, they all came out of the huge spiderweb to start their first hunting lessons.


    ''Remember, you must always be vigilant at all times. No matter how weak a creature may seem, you must always act prudently and assess the situation well. If you decide to attack, then you must do so to end their life immediately. Playing with the prey is something I don''t accept, alright?'' Bao Bei said, staring severely at Hei, Xing, and Ye.


    Hei immediately signaled that he had understood, followed by his two sisters. Seeing that they understood, Bao Bei went on to explain.


    ''Another rule is to show respect for what you kill and eat. All creatures have their role, and killing one of them means getting your hands dirty with their blood. For this, you have to kill only if necessary and never for fun. And when you kill, you don''t have to waste anything on your prey. To survive, you have ended their life, and the only way to honor them is by making full use of their bodies.''


    Having finished saying this, Bao Bei proceeded to illustrate the various hunting tactics, such as the use of vegetation to hide and ambush, preparing traps, and multiple ways of attack to kill the prey.


    Xing and Ye at first struggled a bit as it was the first time they used their skills voluntarily. But in the end, they were spirit beasts, and something inside them told them how to move and what to do precisely. So, it didn''t take them long to digest all these new concepts. However, this didn''t mean that they had learned how to hunt since they hadn''t yet practiced with a real moving target.


    Hei, on the other hand, being human, found it more challenging to learn, since he had no unique ability such as throwing webs or injecting poison. Furthermore, Bao Bei was a spider, not a human. She had a profound knowledge in the techniques used by spiders and snakes, but it was difficult to convert these into something that could be used by a human.


    ''Mother, I can''t do it. I''m not as Xing and Ye who can use poison and have powerful fangs, and I can''t even get the webs out. Why am I the only different one?''


    Being born in an environment devoid of people, the very concept of being human was unknown to Hei. Furthermore, Bao Bei had never told Hei anything that could be traced back to the human world. A part of her was afraid to tell him the truth about his origins, fearing that the diversity of species would end up causing her to lose her son.


    Seeing his sad face, Bao Bei immediately hastened to console him as she ordered Xing and Ye to continue their training. ''Hei, listen. You don''t have to be sad. Does it matter if you are different, aren''t Xing and Ye the same? There is nothing wrong with being different, and regardless of what you are, I love you anyway. Okay?''


    Hei heard his mother''s sweet words and stopped crying even though he had still visibly red eyes from crying. ''But I also want to hunt with Xing and Ye and with mom too. Why can''t I do it?''


    ''Don''t give up. You''ll see that you''ll make it. You worry so much that you are different, but if you want, you can also have sharp fangs and inject venom, you know? For example, just let your nails grow by giving them a pointed shape to have claws, while if you bite hard enough, your teeth can become a weapon. For the poison and the spiderweb, there is a way to make you generate them, but for you, it is still too early.


    However, you have an advantage that neither your sisters nor I have. You have these hands here, and with these, you can use particular objects called weapons. With these weapons, you can hunt without having to wait for you to grow bigger, and I will teach you how to do it.''


    Hei hearing these things, especially that he would be able to do in the future the things his mother and his sisters did felt flare up with excitement as he said excited and full of desire to start immediately.


    ''Alright, mother, then I''ll wait when I''m older. Meanwhile, I will learn how to use these weapons. But what exactly are these things called weapons?''


    ''Good boy, this is the spirit. As for weapons, there are various types of weapons, and each has its characteristics. Although I''m not a great expert, I have a basic understanding of how to use them. What I want to teach you is the spear.'' Bao Bei announced.


    Weapons, or the death tools used by humans and demons. Although she hated such instruments that had killed countless spirit beasts, she couldn''t bear to see her son''s future blocked by her whim. So she decided to put her feelings aside for Hei''s sake.

 Chapter 4 - Training and Molting

    ''Before you start training with this weapon, you need to understand how it is made. The spear is a weapon composed of a long handle and a sharp-pointed head. If we want to make a comparison, you can consider it as one of my legs.'' Bao Bei said as she lifted one of her legs and simulated a lunge with it in the air.


    The mighty spider leg suddenly snapped, creating a rumble that made Hei flinch at her side. The power of this blow could be seen just by this effect. If she had struck an ordinary person, that force would have been enough to kill them instantly.


    ''Spears can be made of various materials, the simplest are those made of wood and are also the lightest to handle, but they are at the same the most fragile. However, since you''re still small, a wooden one is just fine, without considering that I''m not able to shape the metal, so it''s the only choice at the moment. The spear is mainly used for direct combat from a mid-range distance, and the longer it is, the less are the chances of being reached by the enemy, given the range advantage. But a long spear has less maneuverability, so you will have to do a lot of practice, and in the future, you will choose the length of your spear depending on how you prefer. In some cases, you can also throw the spear and hit the enemy from a distance, but you have to think about it before doing it because you would find yourself without a weapon.'' Bao Bei continued to explain.


    Despite being difficult for a 3-year-old child, Hei was able to understand this explanation. It wasn''t only because Hei was a very bright child for his age, but, above all, it was thanks to the education method his mother used on him.


    As she was able to communicate mentally, since the day she decided to adopt him, Bao Bei had sent to him mental images combined with sound to make him learn as soon as possible how to talk and understand. Furthermore, whenever she explained something to Hei, she would always use such mental images in addition to her explanation to make him understand, even though he had no direct experience with such concepts or words.


    Meanwhile, Hei, who was fervently listening as he watched the various images that were being projected into his mind, was becoming more and more attracted to the spear. The mere fact that it looked like a spider''s leg made it the perfect weapon in his eyes.


    It must be said that Hei, ever since he had begun to be aware of himself and his surroundings, had always wondered why he was so different from the creatures in the forest. Although there were beasts of various types, there were still at least several specimens of the same breed.


    But he had never met anyone like him, and this had started to worry him. Even though his mother still gave him all the love she could give him, and she never mentioned his different appearance, this wasn''t enough to completely dispel his anxiety that, with the birth of Xing and Ye, had increased even more.


    However, today, this concern had finally disappeared. Hei trusted his mother and knowing from her that one day he would be able to become like them, gave him new vigor and hope. And hearing the description of the spear, he couldn''t help wishing to start using it as soon as possible.


    Bao Bei, who had concluded the descriptive part of the spear, turned to look at Hei to see his reaction.


    ''So what do you say, do you like it as a weapon?''


    ''Yes, I love it! I want to start right away, can we?''


    ''Sure, but first I have to get you a spear. Since it''s your first spear and it''s made of wood, then you can choose which tree you want your spear to come from.''


    Hei, hearing that he could choose the tree from which his weapon would come out, smiled, and immediately rushed to look around to see the most majestic and robust tree in the area.


    The heart of the forest where they were at since it was the entire forest''s core had much thicker vegetation than the outside area, and the trees were older and more resistant. Choosing which one was the most robust was a difficult task.


    ''Where do I start? Mother said I could pick anyone, but the trees look so much the same, though. I don''t know what to choose...'' Hei thought to himself as he struggled to find the right tree.


    Unable to see the difference in hardness between the trees, he decided to go according to their leaves color. Although they were similar in the trunk, the trees had leaves of different colors from one another.


    The tree that Hei chose was one with dark purple, dark green, and dark blue leaves. He liked it because it had colors that weren''t bright and reminded him of the night.


    Ever since he had received his name and known those of his two little sisters, he had begun to appreciate the night more than the day, despite Bao Bei still not allowing him to stay awake late into the night.


    ''Mother, I want that one.'' Hei said as he pointed at the chosen tree.


    Bao Bei, seeing the tree indicated by Hei, couldn''t help but be happy inside her, immediately understanding the reason behind this choice, and approached the tree. Then, using a thread of spiderweb that she quickly produced, she broke off a large branch from that tree.


    The branch that was about to fall to the ground was immediately taken by Bao Bei, who started quickly working on it, by cutting it at various points. It didn''t take long before the thick branch took the form of a spear, although slightly different from a standard spear, since the head, usually made of metal, was also made of wood.


    When the spear was finished, Bao Bei placed it on the ground near Hei''s feet to make him look closely.


    ''Here, this is your spear. For now, you can use this; in the future, we''ll see if we can find you a metal one when you grow up, okay?''


    ''Yes, thank you, mother. I''m really happy. Thank you very much.''


    Full of happiness, Hei ran to hug his mother and stayed in that position for a while. He was overwhelmed by emotions of joy and gratitude, and he wanted to show his thanks in that way. Bao Bei, who had guessed what was on his mind, let him do it and patiently waited for him to calm down.


    Once he calmed down, Hei set his eyes on the spear resting on the ground. Meanwhile, Xing and Ye, intrigued by what was happening, had come closer to observe the strange object on the ground.


    Spurred on by his mother, Hei took the spear in his own hands and raised it from the ground. Although it was made of wood, for a 3-year-old, it had considerable weight. Furthermore, since it had a length of 1 meter, it was somewhat tricky for Hei to maneuver it, considering he had just a meter and few centimeters of height.


    Seeing him take the spear, Bao Bei was overwhelmed by a flurry of emotions and memories, but she suppressed them for the moment.


    From the day she decided to take him with her and started giving him her blood from time to time, Hei''s future had been shaped toward becoming a martial artist. So it was too late to regret this choice. Moreover, the spear wasn''t in itself evil, but it could become so depending on the purpose for which the user used it.


    Bao Bei wanted Hei to learn to use the spear to be able to protect himself and his two little sisters. She also trusted him fully - a human being raised by a spiritual beast that wanted to be like them.


    For Bao Bei, Hei represented the opportunity to realize the old dream of his deceased companion. But her mother''s instincts held her back because she didn''t want to impose such a cruel fate on her child. She wanted him to choose his destiny, and she would accept whatever he decided.


    Leaving aside this storm of thoughts, Bao Bei hastened herself to explain how to hold the spear and the various basic attacks that could be used.


    Because she was a spirit beast, she didn''t know precisely the various techniques that could be used with the spear, but, having fought against humans and demons for a long time, Bao Bei knew how this weapon was generally used, and she planned to pass her knowledge to Hei. However, she knew that for Hei to learn to use the spear properly, he had to learn the technique from other humans and fight real battles. But for the moment, it was still too early.


    Hei, while he was waving his spear as indicated by his mother, was finding it difficult to move it as he wanted. But he didn''t give up - he knew it would be difficult, but the thought of looking like his mother spurred him on.


    ''Keep it up Hei, train with it every day, and in future, you will see that you will be familiar with it. Xing, Ye, come with me. Meanwhile, let us resume your workouts, you have to put the same commitment as your big brother into training, alright?''


    ''Yes, we will do our best. Promised.'' the little spider and the little snake said in chorus.


    Both of them saw that Hei was working hard, and they didn''t want to be outdone. They were also getting excited about learning to use their skills, and they wanted to be able to use them quickly.


    To increase their survival skills, Bao Bei also decided to make them undergo, in addition to training their hunting skills, physical training to improve their bodies.


    This training was quite simple and consisted of exercises like running and using their bodies to simulate blows in the air - for Xing her spider legs, for Ye her tail, for Hei a mix of punches and kicks. After all, for a spirit beast, the body was a fundamental aspect that had to be strengthened absolutely. Even for humans, it was valid this concept, especially for those who fought often.


    This hard training regime soon began to become a habit in the life of Hei and his two little sisters. Although it was tiring, they still practiced hard every day under the strict supervision of Bao Bei, who, despite being very strict in their education, became increasingly proud of their improvements.


    *


    It had been a month since the start of their training, and they began to see the results of their training slightly, which spurred the three of them to want to increase their training hours.


    However, Bao Bei categorically refused to increase their training load by telling them that, to get stronger, they needed an adequate quantity of rest.


    To make sure they rested enough, she began to force them to sleep after lunch, making them stay inside their den and sleeping with them to make sure they didn''t run away somewhere.


    It was during one of these afternoon naps that it happened.


    As Bao Bei slept with her three cubs beside her, she suddenly felt gasps nearby. Looking down, she noticed that Xing and Ye were writhing in their sleep, and then they suddenly woke up scared.


    ''Mother, what''s going on? I feel something pinching all over me.'' Ye said with fearful eyes. It was the first time she felt such a sensation, and she didn''t understand why. Turning around, she saw that Xing was also in the same condition, and she started to get even more panic-stricken.


    ''Ye, Xing, calm down. Everything is alright. Listen to me, okay? Everything will be alright.'' She tried to cheer them up as Bao Bei examined their condition. In an instant, she immediately recognized what was wrong and hastened to explain to them.


    ''Calm yourselves. There is nothing to be afraid of. You are simply molting.''


    ''Molting?''


    ''Yes, practically every now and then, when you grow up, you have to take out a part of your body to become bigger. For Xing, it''s her exoskeleton, while for you, Ye, it''s your skin.''


    ''And does it take a lot?''


    ''Well, it depends. But it is an important process, and it shouldn''t be rushed. So stay calm and let the molting continue. You must complete it properly and throw away every single old part of your body. You also have to remember that the molting should be only done if you are in a safe place.''


    With these words, Ye and Xing calmed down a bit, even if they were still a little afraid of the new experience. However, they decided to listen to their mother and let the molting process take its course.


    Meanwhile, Hei, who had woken up from the bustle in the den, stood by his two little sisters with a careful look.


    ''Mother, will I also molt as Xing and Ye?''


    ''For you, Hei, it''s a different case. You don''t need to molt, but it''s a good thing, you know? Molting is a delicate process to do if you don''t have someone to protect you. You have to stand still, and if you move a little, you can cause a bad molting with serious consequences. For this reason, from now on, you will have to help your little sisters when they molt, okay?''


    ''Yes, mother. I''ll protect them.''


    Seeing the frightened faces of Ye and Xing and feeling that the molting was dangerous, Hei thought, for the first time, it was okay to be different from them since he would be able to protect his two sisters during those times. Then, thinking back to his mother, he said, ''And you, mother? Don''t you molt? I never remember seeing you do it.''


    ''Good boy, you have watchful eyes. As for me, I also have to molt but not as much as Xing and Ye. They were born recently, and they grow fast. So they will often have to molt. I am already in the adult phase and, therefore, I don''t have to do it so frequently. I also have some control over this process, so I can decide when to do it. When the time comes, you will have to protect me, okay?''


    As she was saying this, Bao Bei put one of her legs down to caress Hei''s head. Happy to be able to help his mother, Hei focused himself on the two that were molting. Under the Bao Bei''s guidance, he occasionally helped Xing and Ye in the molting, cutting off the parts that were being thrown away with his two hands.


    Three hours passed before the molting process ended. Xing and Ye, exhausted, were laid on one side by Beo Bei while, helped by Hei, she used some water to clean them. The two of them then went to sleep after the grueling process.


    In the meantime, Hei was curious about the wastes resulting from the molting. For some reason, he found them very beautiful and asked his mother.


    ''Mother, what do we do with these? Can I keep them?''


    ''And what would you like to do?''


    ''I don''t know... but it would be a waste to throw them away.''


    ''You are right. Then, how about eating them ?''


    To this answer, Hei was stunned. He didn''t think these wastes could be eaten. Seeing him speechless, Bao Bei hastened to say.


    ''The molting process is very tiring and consumes a lot of energy. So it happens to become hungry after finishing it, and being in the wild without energy is very dangerous. Therefore sometimes eating one''s molting becomes necessary. But don''t worry, it tastes good if you cook it first with the fire.''


    Convinced by his mother, Hei decided to help her with preparing food. In the end, they opted to prepare Xing and Ye''s molts together with a couple of rabbits caught in the morning. As Bao Bei knew that humans had trouble eating raw food since Hei had become able to eat solid food, she had always prepared cooked food for him, and this habit was also passed to Xing and Ye.


    Soon, a fragrant smell was transmitted in the den, which awakened the two little creatures who were sleeping. Being still exhausted by the molting, they were more hungry than ever. Together with their mother and their brother, they put themselves in a circle around the fire. Then, the whole family ate together to recover from that hard day.

 Chapter 5 - Encounter

    It had been three years since Hei, Xing, and Ye had started their hunting and physical training sessions. These workouts all consisted of simple exercises and capturing small preys, and therefore they didn''t represent a danger to the three of them, especially since their mother had monitored them continuously.


    However, even if they were nothing special, these exercises changed their physical appearance, strengthening their builds.


    Among them, Hei was the one that showed the most changes of all. Unless they lived in a particular situation, human children would have been allowed to grow carefree and without any specific imposition by adults, and, only when they were older, would they receive training, depending on what their parents wanted them to become.


    However, the fact that he started training at just three years old allowed him to stand out from an average child as he had an unusually tall and sturdy body for his age.


    As far as Ye and Xing were concerned, since they were spirit beasts and so it was normal that they were trained from an early age, even if not with such a regime, they didn''t show any particular physical changes besides a size increase of a few centimeters due to the various molts performed during the years. But they were still more resistant and snappy than when they were just born.


    Finally, their mother, Bao Bei, hadn''t changed at all during this period. Having long since entered adulthood, even though she had once molted in these three years, she hadn''t, however, grown-up, unlike her two daughters. But you could notice some tiredness in her eyes that wasn''t visible before.


    In fact, in the last few months, she had slightly loosened her constant supervision over her children, occasionally allowing herself moments of rest where Hei, Xing, and Ye could play even though they were still forbidden to go outside their designated area.


    And today was one of these rare moments of fatigue when Bao Bei would fall asleep.


    They were in a small pond on the east side of the forest. This place was the same place where Bao Bei had brought the newly born Hei to clean him from the amniotic fluid and blood. It was also a place where they occasionally went to collect water and take a bath.


    Consequently, Hei and his two little sisters had learned to know the area rather well and it was for this reason that Bao Bei felt that she could give herself a little rest even if they were not at home since there wasn''t'' the danger that her children would get lost somewhere. She trusted them, and she knew she couldn''t always control them. As long as they didn''t come out of the designated area, everything would be fine.


    But, unfortunately, children, for one reason or another, didn''t always follow the rules imposed by adults, even if they were educated and devout children like Hei. Indeed, precisely because they were so, it happened that they violated the rules imposed on them.


    Hei had recently noticed his mother''s growing sense of tiredness, and he began to worry about it. He had tried to ask Bao Bei, but she had always told him that everything was going well, which worried him even more because he felt that his mother wasn''t telling him the truth in order not to worry him.


    Determined to alleviate their mother''s tiredness a little, Hei elaborate a plan with Xing and Ye taking advantage of the fact that they would go to the lake and that their mother would relax in the warm sunlight.


    ''Listen, now that mother is sleeping, it''s our chance. We need to act as quickly as possible before she wakes up so we can surprise her, okay?'' Hei said slowly, fearing that they could be heard.


    ''Yes, that''s fine. But how do we divide the tasks? If we want to capture as many preys as possible before mother wakes up, we should split up and enlarge the research area.'' (Ye)


    ''Won''t mother get angry if we go too far? Even if we know the place, this applies only to the part around the pond. Won''t it be dangerous if we do as you say?'' (Xing)


    ''Xing, if we don''t take risks, we will never catch the prey. Even mother tells us that there are times when you have to risk.'' (Ye)


    ''It is true, but she also says that we need to analyze the situation well before acting, and it is better not to act than to act rashly.'' (Xing)


    Listening to his sisters quarreling, Hei couldn''t help but smile. During these years, besides an increase in size, their most notable change was the formation of their personalities. With the accumulation of time and experience, two distinct characters had formed in them.


    Xing was shy, and she always preferred to deal with things prudently, not wanting to go into dangerous situations and instead preferring to analyze carefully before acting. Ye, on the other hand, was more impulsive and lively. She preferred to deal with things openly without making too many problems with it.


    As a result, this diversity sometimes generated small discussions, usually about how they should act to hunt a prey. But, even if they were so different from each other and they happened to argue, the two of them still had a solid bond that united them, and every night, they would fall asleep next to each other.


    Hei, on the other hand, had similarities with both - he always analyzed the situation before acting, but if he saw that there was a good chance, he would decide to act even if the result wasn''t 100% insured. Therefore it happened that he had to mediate between the two of them during these quarrels.


    At that point, Hei decided to intervene to interrupt the discussion between his two sisters to avoid wasting further time, ''Ok, that''s enough. We''ve already lost enough time. We will split like this: Xing, you will take care of the insects in the area while you, Ye, will try to catch fish in the pond while being careful to stay close to the shore. If you prefer,.you can try to get some mouses in the surroundings. I will instead go on a patrol, and I will go deeper in the forest. From what mother told me, from this position we are near the eastern edge of the forest, so there shouldn''t be problems. I recommend you to pay attention and not to be discovered by mother before I return.''


    With this, the different roles were decided, and finally, the discussion between the little spider and the little snake subsided. Although Xing was worried that Hei wanted to go to other areas and Ye was disappointed that she couldn''t go with him, the two of them decided to do as he said.


    Ever since they were born, they had always considered Hei as their older brother and would always follow what Hei asked them to do. They also had full faith in him - although he was so different from them, Hei always had showed deep affection towards them, and during training, he would always put in the maximum effort to improve even if he didn''t have the advantages they had.


    Leaving his two sisters and his mother behind, Hei began to go deeper into the forest. In his two hands, he was holding the wooden spear that had been given to him by his mother. Although it had become somewhat worn out, it still retained its sharpness, and by now, Hei had become attached to this weapon.


    In order not to get lost, he decided to mark the trunk of some trees with his weapon, continuing in a straight line. Although he had never been to this part of the forest, he knew it wasn''t that different from the other areas. Therefore, following the traces he left, it wouldn''t be challenging to return. Since he had been raised in this forest, there was no danger that he would get lost into the trees and the dense vegetation, and that couldn''t find the signs he made.


    After having advanced cautiously but with a firm step, keeping all his senses alert, Hei suddenly noticed a strange noise coming from a bush on his right. Hearing this, he immediately hurried to crouch while holding the spear with his left hand and taking a little bit of earth with his right hand, forming a ball.


    As he was left-handed, Hei always tended to leave his spear in his left hand when he didn''t grasp it with his two hands. However, when it came to throwing things, including his weapon, he would always use his right hand. Strangely, although the left one was his dominant arm and had more strength than the right one, with it, he couldn''t throw as well as with his right arm.


    Once the ball of earth was formed, Hei threw it against the bush to flush out the creature inside it. This, when struck by the small earth ball, made a strange noise and came out of its hiding place, becoming visible.


    It was a multicolored hare. This species of hare was called with that name because they had a mixture of different colors, and they were very famous because their meat was said to be very nutritious and light, suitable for those who were sick. But even though they were so renowned, it was challenging to capture them because they were fast and small and could sneak into even small cracks.


    Seeing that it was a multicolored hare, Hei''s eyes lit up. This animal was the perfect prey to bring to his mother who, despite not being sick, was still suffering from a lack of strength.


    Struggling to remain calm, Hei tried to get closer slowly to be able to sink his spear into the hare. However, the animal proved to be faster than expected. Seeing him approach, the hare wasted no time lingering in that position and escaped.


    Seeing that it was running away, Hei immediately pursued it. Although he would usually have analyzed first whether it was appropriate to pursue a prey in unknown territory, his desire to be useful to his mother and helping her were clouding his mind and not allowing him to reason with a cool head.


    A peculiar feature about Hei was that he was very attached to his family, and he would do anything to protect them. But this deep affection, despite being his strongest point, also represented a flaw because, as on this occasion, it didn''t allow him to be rational and cool-headed.


    So, he ended up going too far from his previously determined research area and was nearing too close to the edge of the forest. And it was just as he was about to reach the hare that suddenly he noticed a kneeling figure that was busy to pick up what looked like mushrooms.


    It was a young girl about 12 years old. She had a fair complexion, although with a slight tan due to frequent exposure to the sun, with long brown hair. She wore a simple brown robe, and she held in her two arms a small basket where she had placed the various mushrooms she had found.


    Seeing her, Hei was as if lightning had struck him. He immediately forgot about the hare that was running away and stopped to look at the girl.


    It was the first time he saw a creature like her, or rather, it was the first time he saw a creature like him.


    Although it no longer represented a source of concern, the fact that there were no creatures like him had always remained a mystery. His mother had never answered him adequately, changing the subject each time. Treating it as a pure curiosity, Hei also decided not to investigate further since it wasn''t something so important anyway.


    Yet, being now faced with someone like him, that pure curiosity flared up again in search of answers.


    The girl who was at first frightened by the loud noise and Hei''s unexpected arrival calmed down herself when she saw it was just a child. From his appearance, he seemed to be a 7-8 years old child, but it was his clothes that intrigued her the most - silvery-white silk dressed from head to toe.


    This luster was clear evidence of the quality of these garments. Wondering if he was the son of some important person due to the clothes, she asked Hei in a gentle voice, "Hi, are you here alone? Where are your mom and dad? Did you lose them?"


    When Hei heard her spoke, the words the girl said had no meaning to him, and they were nothing but a bunch of distorted sounds. Sensing that she was trying to communicate with him, Hei tried to do as usual by interacting with the method his mother had taught him.


    The girl suddenly heard a series of strange noises similar to those of an animal. Frightened by this phenomenon, she fell to the ground from her squatting position, wondering what was that.


    While Hei didn''t understand why the girl had fallen to the ground when he spoke to her, suddenly, he heard a loud noise resounding inside him.


    Frightened, he immediately understood that it was his mother, and she had discovered that he had moved into an area where he was not supposed to go.


    Finally, realizing this time he had made a huge mess, he turned abruptly and disappeared into the forest, leaving the young girl on the ground in a daze, while from behind her rose her father''s voice who was calling her from afar.


    Following the sound of his mother''s voice, Hei finally managed to return to the lake from which he had left. There, he could see his mother beside a frightened Xing and a frightened Ye because they had disobeyed their mother''s order.


    ''Where have you been? Why did you disobey what I ordered you by even going to places you don''t know? Did you even got your two sisters involved in this?! Do you have any idea how you made me worry and how dangerous and stupid was what you did?''


    Bao Bei was furious. She didn''t expect Hei to be, who was usually the most responsible among the three of them, to one to have broken her orders and done something so dangerous. But above all, it was a rage due to fear. Fear that something would happen to Hei, and she would lose him forever.


    Hei, frightened by the shouts of his mother, began to cry and was barely able to tell why he had done this.


    Listening to the reason behind his action, Bao Bei was stunned. She didn''t expect her to be the reason for this foolish plan, and she felt horrible since she indirectly placed her son in danger. With her anger slightly subsided, she approached Hei and pulled him near to calm him down.


    ''Everything is alright. I understand, there is no need to cry. Now, calm down, okay?''


    Seeing his mother no longer as angry as before, Hei, along with Xing and Ye, breathed a sigh of relief. Then, taking advantage of her not being so angry, while he was continuing to crying, Hei decided to tell his mother about the meeting he had int the forest.


    ''Mother, I know I was wrong, and I''m sorry. But while I was chasing a multicolored hare, I saw a creature like me. It wasn''t like the other animals in the forest, and it wore clothes like me.'' Hei said with excitement, starting to forget that he had been scolded just a moment ago.


    Hearing this, Bao Bei shuddered. Suddenly she felt something breaking insider her, as the worries she had always kept within herself came out.


    Holding back herself with difficulty, she told her children, ''Let''s go home first. Once we arrive at home, we will have to talk about various things, and you will have to listen extremely careful, all right?''


    Thus, without waiting for their response, she turned to head for home while Hei, Xing, and Ye followed behind her, confused by their mother''s behavior.

 Chapter 6 - Truth

    The distance from the lake to their den wasn''t so far away, so it didn''t take them long to get home, considering they were going at a brisk pace.


    All the way, Bao Bei didn''t say a single word to Hei, Xing, and Ye, and they were too scared and nervous to say something.


    They didn''t know precisely why their mother was behaving this way, but they instinctively sensed that it was better not to ask questions for the moment.


    Once at the den, Bao Bei positioned herself in the center, and she momentarily closed her eight eyes. With her eyes closed, she said to her children, ''Come here near me.'' Then, seeing that they hadn''t moved yet, she added, ''Be at ease, as I told you before, I just want to talk to you. There are important things I want to talk about, and you have to listen carefully, okay?''


    Noting that she was back to normal, Hei and his two sisters were delighted and prepared themselves to do as their mother had said. Since they still had some fear and remorse, Xing positioned herself on Hei''s head while Ye rolled up around his neck instead.


    This was an arrangement they had invented to move around together while hunting. After all, it wasn''t always better to split up to reach a goal as they could be in danger alone, and since Xing and Ye weren''t very large, they could be easily hidden and not to be noticed in that way.


    Seeing the little spider and the little snake climbing Hei''s body with agility, Bao Bei couldn''t help but smile inside herself.


    Even if she was angry about what they had done this time, she couldn''t deny that she was happy that the three of them were becoming more and more inseparable, and she hoped that they could remain united forever as they were today.


    ''Well, then. I will begin by reiterating, first of all, that what you did was stupid and reckless. If I gave you rules, it''s because there is a reason behind these rules. But, since you''ve already apologized, I''ll let you go this time. But just for this occasion, try not to forget, okay?''


    Feeling that they had been officially forgiven, the three of them could loosen their tension while they became curious about what their mother could want to talk so seriously if it wasn''t because of what they had done.


    ''The thing I want to talk to you about is the creature that you, Hei, saw in the forest. The one similar to you.'' At this point, Bao Bei paused to think carefully about how to chose her words.


    There were things she wanted to say, but at the same time, she didn''t want to do it, and things that shouldn''t have been spoken about yet for the moment.


    Meanwhile, Hei became full of excitement because he knew his mother was going to answer the question he had asked himself for so long.


    ''What you saw was a human being. Or to be precise, a female specimen called woman while you are a male specimen called man.''


    ''Human being?'' Hei echoed perplexed.


    Although he had knowledge of the concept of male and female and therefore immediately understood what the words man and woman meant, he couldn''t well grasp the meaning of the words ''human being''.


    ''Yes, human being. As I told you long ago, there are so many existing species. For example, Xing is a spider, while Ye is a snake. The totality of all animal type species is called spirit beasts. Human beings are a collection of specimens different from spirit beasts and, although they are very similar to each other, they are at the same time different from one another. Besides them, there is a third group called demons. They are similar to humans, but they have horns of various sizes and differ, like humans, from one another.''


    Human beings, spirit beasts, demons.


    These were new terms that, for the young minds of Hei, Xing, and Ye, were difficult to understand. Fortunately, Bao Bei was talking to them mentally, projecting various images into their heads to make the explanation more understandable.


    ''As I told you before, the one you met is a female human being. Depending on age, humans can be divided further, as well as by gender. As you described her to me, she seemed to be a young girl. You instead, since you are still small, you are called a child.''


    Hei, listening to all this new information, couldn''t help but become absorbed in his mother''s explanation. At last, his curiosity was being filled, but at the same time, this was getting bigger and bigger.


    ''And why I haven''t seen a human being until today? Here it is full of creatures, though.''


    ''It is because human beings and spirit beasts tend to live usually in different places, far from each other. Furthermore, human beings are individuals who prefer to live together with their kind rather than live with other species.''


    To this, Hei suddenly became sad. Humans lived with their fellows, and there were no traces of them here. According to this reasoning, Hei shouldn''t live here but with other humans, away from his mother and his two little sisters.


    Ye and Xing, taking the meaning of this phrase, jumped from fright, and they clung even closer to Hei saying in a chorus, ''No, Hei will remain here! He''s our big brother, and his place is with us!''


    ''Of course, he stays here. It''s natural. I said before, in fact, "usually," but Hei is a particular case. Moreover, even if he is human, it doesn''t mean that something has to change. Hei is and always will be a member of this family in the same way as you are. Do you understand?''


    The three of them, heartened by the words of Bao Bei, exulted in happiness. For a moment, they had feared that being different could separate them.


    The concept of diversity, although it was a present and undeniable thing, was something that was up to individuals to decide whether to let this affect their relationships with others.


    ''As for communicating, humans use what is called language, which is composed of words. To give you an example, they are similar to the sounds I taught you to communicate, and each of these words has a meaning of its own. If you don''t know their language, it becomes difficult to communicate with them. That''s why, when you talked to that girl, she couldn''t understand you.''


    ''So, if I learned this so-called language, would I be able to communicate with them, right, mother?''


    ''We spirit beasts cannot speak using our voices like humans, but it is possible to converse using their language through the mind. But, since you are a human, you don''t need to resort to this expedient. Not to mention that, at the moment, you three are able to talk to each other with your minds, besides the sounds produced with you bodies, only because I act as an intermediary. To do it yourselves, you need what is called spirit power, but for you, it is still too early to talk about it in detail.''


    Although Bao Bei had decided to tell the truth about the outside world and the creatures that lived there, she thought it wasn''t necessary to say everything at this moment. Indeed, she could produce a negative result by mentioning everything right now.


    Spirit power was a power that had to be handled carefully; otherwise, the risk of internal injuries was possible. Considering their curiosity, Hei, Ye, and Xing could seriously injure themselves without realizing the danger of their actions while trying to stimulate their spirit power that hadn''t still formed.


    The fact of today had also reinforced this conviction. Although they looked mature for their age, they were still cubs for their ages, and it was better for them to proceed cautiously.


    At this point, Bao Bei asked Hei the question that she had held all this time. The question she most feared to ask.


    ''Hei, listen to me and tell me the truth. Now that you know about humans, do you want to meet them again?''


    This question made Xing and Ye stunned, and they hastened to look at Hei. He also was surprised by his mother''s question, but seeing the serious eyes of Bao Bei, Hei finally answered.


    ''I want to stay with you, Xing and Ye. I don''t want to go and live away from you with other humans. But I want to know how these humans are, and what''s special about them. Maybe I can learn something useful in order to protect all you in the future.'' Hei confessed with a smile.


    He actually wanted to get to know humans and learn more about them, but it was only out of curiosity. As interesting and attractive as they could be, they weren''t in the least able to make him dissuade from being with his family.


    When Bao Bei listened to this, she could finally put her heart at rest and replied, ''Alright. Since you want to know more, I will permit you to visit them. However, you will go with Xing and Ye each time, and you will be able to stay there for a limited period, and you won''t have to reveal anything about our house and that you live in the forest, okay?''


    Hei, who thought his mother would never have consented to his request, looked at Bao Bei in amazement before answering, ''Sure mother. I''ll always take Xing and Ye with me, and I''ll do as you ask. We will no longer disobey your rules, thank you so much, mother. ''


    He ran to hug his mother in excitement. In the end, he had obtained permission to visit the place where the humans lived and to learn about them. Although it was only for a short time during the day, it was still sufficient for Hei since he considered his home being the one in the forest.


    Ye and Xing were also very excited and worried at the same time. They were happy for their brother, and they were curious about these human beings with an external appearance like Hei. But, at the same time, they were worried about having to go to an unknown place full of creatures they didn''t know.


    The reason why Bao Bei had chosen to send them together, instead of just sending Hei alone, was because, in her heart, she knew that Hei''s response of this time was because he didn''t know and hadn''t interacted with humans.


    Sending him along with his two little sisters was her way of always reminding him that he had a family near him waiting for him.


    It was also a good thing that Xing and Ye could learn about human society. Moreover, if they wanted to remain with Hei, it was inevitable that they had to learn how to behave with humans, in the same way, Hei had learned to live with spirit beasts.


    ''I know you''re excited and all, but it''s still too early to send you to talk to humans. First, I have to do a reconnaissance to find out if they are dangerous or not for you; then, you have to learn to speak the human language that I will teach you. The only problem is that the human language can differ from area to area and from era to era. I''m not sure that the one I know it''s the same as the one used by these humans near the forest, but we can give it a try, and eventually think about a solution if they are different.''


    With this, a new session was started in Hei, Xing, and Ye''s daily training. In fact, in addition to the classic training of hunting and physical strengthening, Bao Bei would teach them various aspects of the human culture she had learned during her life, hoping that these customs were still valid since she didn''t know which area she was in or how long had passed.


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 Chapter 7 - Meeting

    One year had passed since that day on the lake. A lot of things happened at that time, and in the end, Bao Bei had no other choice but to reveal the truth about the humans to her son Hei, and she had to agree to let him get in touch with them.


    But, despite her son''s great desire to know his species and broaden his horizons beyond that familiar forest, Bao Bei decided to extend the wait as much as possible.


    There was a valid reason for that choice. She wanted Hei, Xing, and Ye, to learn all that was needed to interact with humans to avoid troubles and misunderstandings.


    She didn''t know how much had passed. And she knew that if she sent them as they were, without proper education about human society, they would only get unwanted attention. In the end, that attention could bring danger to all of them.


    Therefore, she spent this year scouring the area outside the forest to understand the situation better, as well as teaching her children about human culture.


    Since she would frighten anyone if she showed up directly, she could only moved at night when Hei, Ye, and Xing were sleeping. This was only after reinforcing their home-like spider web with new spider web''s defensive layers.


    Although she was worried and anxious about leaving them alone, she knew that the forest around didn''t contain monsters that were strong enough to break the spider web. She also moved away only up to a distance where it allowed her to monitor their refuge from far, and return quickly in case of need.


    Of course, this was true as long as they stayed inside their home without leaving since she created a secret passage in case they needed to escape for any reason. But fortunately, after the lesson received that time at the lake, the three of them had promised never to disobey Bao Bei again, and therefore, they remained in their home to sleep.


    The first few nights, because it was the first time Bao Bei wasn''t present with them during the night hours, they were a bit afraid, and they struggled to sleep. Fortunately, they had each other to keep each other company and to face the loneliness of the night.


    But, as the days went by, they soon got used to this feeling, not to mention that Bao Bei would always leave after they fell asleep and when they woke up, she would be present with them with a pleasant breakfast.


    However, thanks to her patrols, Bao Bei was able to understand the situation better, and she was able to find the answers to some questions she had.


    She had thought of doing something like this several times, but the tender age of Hei, Ye, and Xing didn''t allow her to go too far from them. Moreover, as the days passed in their company increased, the desire to know the outside world diminished within Bao Bei.


    After all, before she met Hei, Bao Bei had lived a period of constant struggles and fatigue, so she had become so absorbed in this peace that she wished it would last forever.


    However, it wasn''t possible to stop the passage of time, and she had to recognize that it wasn''t healthy to limit the future of her children only by her selfish whim.


    Thus, she decided to do a reconnaissance despite the risks involved.


    In doing so, she discovered that they were on an island called Rainbow Island that was divided into three kingdoms. At the time, they were in a forest on the eastern part of the Rainbow Island that was called Multicolor Leaf Forest.


    Both names sounded unfamiliar to her, and they couldn''t make her recall anything. However, it wasn''t strange as it could happen that the people occasionally changed the name of a place, especially when it had passed a long time. And a lot of time had passed since the year she remembered.


    One hundred thousand years had passed since the era in which she lived.


    Although the spirit beasts that had developed spirit power had a longer lifespan than humans and demons, they couldn''t live that long. However, by performing a special technique, they could go into hibernation and thus preserve their life in exchange for absolute inactivity during that time frame.


    Unconsciously, Bao Bei had activated this technique after she was teleported on the Multicolor Leaf Forest. Therefore, she had managed to live so long, even though she would have to be dead by giving up living for 100,000 years.


    This discovery brought enormous amazement to Bao Bei. She hadn''t expected that it had passed so much time and that she had unconsciously activated this particular technique. She didn''t know whether to be happy about this time gap, but she decided not to dwell too much. From the beginning, she had a hunch that it would be like this. And instead of thinking about the past, she decided to focus on the future brought by her three cubs.


    Apart from these discoveries, she also found that the nearest city was called Leaf City since its proximity to the forest, but because it was a city full of people, she decided to discard it.


    For their first interaction with humans, a city could be too much to handle for Hei, Xing, and Ye alone.


    Fortunately, near the outskirts of the Forest eastern side, there was a village of humans who had settled there. They had build the village there to take advantage of the sources of water passing by and the abundant supply of timber. Since it was only the outer edge of the Forest, the creatures present inside weren''t a significant problem for humans, as long as they did not go too deep and attracted the attention of dangerous beasts.


    This village was probably the place where the girl, who Hei had seen that day, came from. It was in the same direction that Hei had followed and, since there weren''t any other settlements nearby, it was the only possibility unless she was a passing traveler.


    Regarding the language, she discovered it was a different language from the one she remembered. But this year of reconnaissance let her understand that new language.


    Despite being a spider, she was still a high-grade spirit beast. Creatures like her had an intellect equal to or superior to human beings. Moreover, with her years of life, she knew how to use glimpses of fragments to understand the language slowly.


    Of course, it wasn''t a process that could be done in one day, and it took her several months to start making sense of those words, but in the end, she succeeded.


    She then taught Hei and his sister the ancient language of humans that she already knew and the new one she learned on her reconnaissances.


    Since it was a language learned without proper education, there were likely to be errors. But that didn''t matter too much. After all, Hei was only about seven years old, and he wouldn''t seem strange if he made some mistakes.


    Furthermore, Bao Bei trusted Hei''s ability to learn, and she knew he could improve and fill his gaps, not to mention that he could benefit from the help of his two little sisters who had undergone the same training.


    So once they were assessed as being at a passable level, Bao Bei finally gave Hei, Xing, and Ye permission to go to the human village and let them experience the outside world firsthand.


    They set off in the morning at dawn and, having them climb on her back, Bao Bei soon reached the eastern outer border of the forest. At that point, she stopped and had her three children come down to tell them the latest recommendations.


    ''Remember what I taught you and stick to the rules I imposed on you. Try not to get noticed too much, and if you run into some trouble, don''t worry. I will come immediately to help you. Remember to come back here before sunset, all right?''


    "Yes, mother, we''ll pay attention, and we''ll be back in time. Don''t worry; everything will be fine." Hei comforted Bao Bei as he hugged his mother, then it was Xing and Ye''s turn to hug her even though it was a little different from the word hug since they didn''t have arms.


    Xing used her legs to wrap herself around her mother''s legs as well as Ye, who used her tail instead.


    After that, the two of them went up Hei''s body, and they hid under Hei''s clothes. For that occasion, Bao Bei had woven a scarf and a hat to hide the two little spirit beasts.


    Despite not representing a threat, they were still species not liked by the majority of people, and it wasn''t advisable to frighten humans during their first visit. So they decided to hide under Hei''s clothes to look at the situation first.


    At this point, Hei finally set off and left the Forest for the first time.


    The sun had risen and had begun to heat the air, although it remained some of the night cold. With everything new to him, He looked around with curiosity, and then he went straight to the direction his mother had told him.


    After a while, he could see a row of houses from afar that formed what looked like a village. Since it was the first time, he decided to observe it from that position for the moment.


    Despite being curious, he also had a bit of nervousness for that unknown world he had known only through his mother''s stories.


    Seeing him uncertain, Ye urged him, "Aren''t we going? Even if we see things from afar, we won''t be able to understand much if we are here."


    To this, Xing replied in Hei''s place, "Can''t we take it easy? After all, we don''t know who we''re dealing with. Watching them from afar is more advisable for now."


    Seeing them having conflicting opinions, as usual, Hei smiled and hurriedly said, "You are both right. If we stay here, we won''t be able to observe much, but if we get too close without having understood a little how the village is, it could be dangerous. So, we will get closer, but we won''t go inside for the moment. The ideal would be to be able to find that girl or another child."


    By opting to use both a proactive and a safe method, the three got closer.


    Slowly, the houses got bigger and bigger as they could begin to see agricultural fields located on the opposite side. They also perceived some rumors coming from the people who lived there.


    It was typical for villages'' people to start their days with the rising of the sun, taking advantage of the sunlight to comfortably carry out their activities.


    This village was named after the nearby forest and was called Leaf Village. Although it was a village, given the proximity of the forest with its abundant resources, it was larger than ordinary villages and housed not only farmers but also hunters, blacksmiths, leather workers, miners, and merchants.


    Since it was the only settlement in the eastern side of the forest while Leaf City was on the western side, the village represented the only place where the merchants, who passed by, could buy the various goods deriving from the Multicolored Leaf Forest. Although they were products obtained from the outskirts of the forest, they were still highly sought after by people, and they were sold rather well.


    As he didn''t want to meet them directly, for now, Hei walked around the village, hiding behind every possible hiding place he could find.


    His years of training in hunting had given him a considerable skill in concealing his presence and moving without being seen. After all, it was well known that animals had more perceptive senses than people, so it was normal for a hunter to learn these skills.


    As he walked around the village, he saw a girl with long brown hair come out of one of the houses. Her fair complexion shone in the rays of the rising sun. She wore a dark green suit with the sleeves pulled up, and she left the house carrying a large bucket containing water.


    Her light brown eyes were narrowed a little from the effort of carrying such a weight, but she still proceeded at a brisk pace towards the small vegetable garden behind the house.


    When he saw her, Hei got excited because he immediately recognized her as the girl he had seen a year ago in the forest. Although she had grown up, only a year had passed. As a result, her outward appearance didn''t change too much.


    Unsure at first about what to do, he stroked Xing with his right hand while stroking Ye with his left hand. Feeling their warmth and their presence, Hei took courage, and he began to walk towards that girl slowly.


    Since the girl''s house wasn''t located in the center of the village, and Hei had proceeded furtively, no one had discovered him. But when he approached the house, the girl was finally able to see him.


    In truth, she remembered him. After all, meeting a child in a forest alone that suddenly disappeared was unusual. After Hei left, she begged her father to take a look around because she was worried about the child''s safety, but they couldn''t find anything. For days this thought tormented her mind, and it was only after some time that she managed to push it away from her mind.


    But seeing him again, this memory surfaced alive more than ever in her mind. Rather than his face that she saw only for a brief instant, it was his shiny silver clothes in contrast with his brown complexion that had impressed her strongly. And it was these that reminded her who he was.


    Seeing him getting closer and being in excellent shape, she couldn''t help but smile. Just from this gesture, one could say that she was a good-hearted person since she was so worried so much about a child she didn''t know at all.


    When Hei arrived near her, he prepared himself to greet her using the language taught to him by his mother, "Hi, my name is Hei. And yours?"


    Although his intonation was a bit uncertain and his accent was not typical of the place, Hei was nevertheless able to formulate the sentence so that it had a meaning.


    Because he used understandable words this time, the girl could replied, "Hi Hei, I am Lei Lei, but you can call me big sister Lei. You''re the child of that time in the forest, right?"


    "Yes, I am... er... I''m sorry if I scared you that time, I didn''t want to." Hei said in an apologetic tone.


    Bao Bei had expressly told him to apologize if he was able to see the girl again as it would be an excellent way to arouse sympathy towards Hei so that he would have someone who could introduce him to the village safely.

 Chapter 8 - Misunderstanding

    "Yes, I am... er... I''m sorry if I scared you that time, I didn''t want to." Hei said in an apologetic tone.


    While he was apologizing to Lei Lei for the scare of the other time, she smiled and gently replied in a calm voice, "You don''t have to worry. You didn''t scare me, don''t worry. Instead, I tried to look for you soon after you disappeared because the forest is a dangerous place, but where did you go?"


    This question had tormented her for the whole year. Lei Lei, after all, couldn''t imagine how a child of that age could wander alone towards the interior of the forest from which even his father with the other adults of the village prefers staying away.


    Since they had expected such a question, Hei responded by following the script invented by his mother, "Uhmm... actually, a little after meeting you, I was called by my mother, and then we left immediately. We were passing through, and we had to go in a hurry. That''s why you didn''t see me; I''m sorry I made you search in vain."


    Hearing this, Lei Lei smiled cheerfully heartened. In the end, she managed to reveal the mystery that enveloped Hei, that strange child dressed in silver who had disappeared into the forest.


    ''Fortunately, he had his mother. Dad was right. Such a small child couldn''t have wandered alone through the forest.''


    "Don''t worry; it''s all right. Rather than that, why are you here? Are you passing through with your mother again?"


    "Ehmm... yes. We finished the things we had to do, and mother said we could stay here for a while to rest, and she permitted me to visit the village. Actually, this is the first time I visit a village. I wondered, could you guide me?"


    A truth not fully revealed. This was the most effective way to ask for something when, at the same time, you wanted to keep some things hidden.


    Although it was not easy to identify the truth from what was false, there were still people able to understand by various methods whether what one person said was true or not, not to mention those who could do it innately without the need for tricks or particular techniques.


    Therefore, Hei, by telling the truth, even if not totally, would have been credible in front of anyone''s eyes. Besides, who would have ever imagined that the mother he was talking about was not a human being but a spirit beast? No one would have ever thought of such a thing, considering there was no evidence that such a thing had happened in the past.


    Upon hearing this, Lei Lei was impressed. She didn''t expect that Hei had never visited a village, but then, she thought that perhaps he had always been in the city and therefore it was reasonable that he didn''t know how a village was structured. The fact that it was the first time Hei was visiting a human settlement didn''t even come into her mind.


    "Sure, why not?. Don''t worry; your big sister will take you for a complete tour of the village. If you want, you can stay with us for lunch with your mother, what do you say?"


    "Uhmm... mother doesn''t like being around other people very much. At first, she didn''t want me to come here, but I insisted, so she permitted in the end."


    Hearing that, Lei Lei understood why the child had a slightly nervous expression while talking to her. It was probably due to the absence of his mother, who hadn''t wanted to accompany him. So, bending her knees a little to lower herself to the same height as Hei, she extended a hand towards his head to cheer him up.


    But, just as she was about to stroke Hei''s head, she noticed eight small purple lights shining toward her. At that point, she was able to focus on what those eight lights were, and she discovered that on Hei''s head, there was a palm-sized spider that looked at her curiously.


    Finding out that it was a spider, she instinctively blocked her hand as she screamed in fright, and she fell on the ground.


    Because of that sudden scream, Xing was seized by fright and made a small gasp as she hid back inside the silk hat. Hei instead, noticing the fear that Xing had, put himself on all fours on the ground while he ferociously looked at the girl who had frightened his sister.


    Ye also came out of the scarf, and she hissed ferociously at Lei Lei. Seeing that there was also a snake, the young girl was even more afraid. This was because, despite having grown up in a village and having some familiarity with animals, the spider and the snake emerged suddenly from the strange child, represented feared and repulsed species by the majority of people.


    Hearing her daughter''s scream, Lei Lei''s father, who was at home while having breakfast, came out the back door with a long butcher knife, and with a worried voice, he screamed, "Lei, where are you? Are you okay?"


    It was a middle-aged man who already began to show some wrinkles. His graying hair and his massive build gave a ferocious sensation to the man but at the same time, melancholy. The brown eyes of the man moved quickly in search of his daughter, who he found shortly after sitting on the ground. In front of her, there was a child dressed in silver with a small snake coiled on his neck.


    Seeing the snake, Lei Bai knew instantly why his daughter had screamed. Then he said authoritatively to the child on all fours on the ground, "Don''t move for any reason, child. You have a snake attached to your neck, I don''t know if it''s poisonous or not, but for your safety, don''t move."


    Then he approached cautiously towards Hei holding the long knife tightly in his right hand. He intended to get as close as possible so as not to alert the snake and then cut off its head with a sharp blow.


    Sensing the man''s intentions towards his sister Ye, Hei turned to stare fiercely at him. His gaze became thinner as he revealed a row of white teeth and hissed like a snake. His legs were ready to snap at any time, while his left hand went behind his back to grab the wooden spear fixed there.


    Seeing the child do such actions and show him an angry and ferocious look, Lei Bai was stunned. He didn''t expect a child of this age to give such pressure only with his eyes; rather than a child, he seemed to be facing a beast ready to jump on him at the slightest signal. He also could see that the snake didn''t seem to want to hurt the child, but it had also turned to look at him with ferocity.


    Puzzled, the man couldn''t understand who this child was and where he came from. But he knew that they had somehow scared his daughter, and as a father, he certainly couldn''t let it go. He then proceeded to advance with decisive steps towards the child-snake pair.


    But it was at that moment that she heard Lei Lei screaming at him, "No! Dad. Stop! There has been a misunderstanding, Hei is innocent. It is all my fault, please. Don''t do anything."


    Noting how worried her daughter was, Lei Bai couldn''t help but stop and answer, "Okay, but I demand a clear explanation of who this child is and what happened."


    Since her father had consented her to speak, she smiled. Then she started to tell who Hei was and what had happened.


    Seeing them discussing with each other, Hei slightly lowered his hostility. Initially, he was surprised by Lei Lei''s screaming and Lei Bai''s arrival. For this reason, he had assumed an offensive position to defend his two little sisters. But since they didn''t seem to have bad intentions towards them, Hei remained in his place, still holding his position with his left hand near the spear, ready to pull it out at the slightest signal.


    Meanwhile, Xing, who had recovered from the fright, also left her hiding place ready to lend a hand to Ye and Hei if a fight broke out.


    Once he heard his daughter''s explanation, Lei Bai finally relaxed as his daughter wasn''t in danger.


    "So, when you noticed the spider, you got scared, and you screamed while this kid got angry because you scared his pet, right? Well, I understand they are dangerous species, but you should be more careful anyway. Hey, right? I want to apologize for my daughter; she didn''t intend to scare your spider."


    "Yes, I apologize for this. Hei. I''m sorry if I screamed, I behaved like a fool."


    Seeing that they were apologizing, Hei eventually returned to an upright position and answered as he stroked Ye and Xing on the head to calm them. "It''s okay; it''s partly our fault. I should have told you that they were with me. I''m sorry if we scared you."


    Even Ye and Xing, once they understood that it was partly their fault, responded by apologizing to the young girl. Since they had no vocal cords, Ye and Xing obviously couldn''t use words, and they weren''t yet able to speak telepathically, although they wouldn''t have done so even if they were able to do it right now. Instead, they lowered their heads to indicate their regret about this event.


    Noticing their movements, the father and daughter couple were struck by this action. It wasn''t a common recurrence to watch animals behave like that. With curiosity, Lei Bai asked Hei, "Hey, boy, are you a beast tamer?"


    A beast tamer, it was a very rare profession. These cultivators were able to stipulate what were called spirit pacts with spirit beasts. Through this spirit pact, they could communicate between them, and the beast tamers used this communication to fight with their beasts in battles.


    Since you had to spend so much time training your beasts instead of yourself, it wasn''t an activity chosen by many. However, the most skilled beast tamers were people who had a particular reputation in society, and their services were highly sought after.


    As far as spiritual beasts were concerned, these included only those who had developed spirit power and could, therefore, take an evolutionary path towards their final form. Those without spirit power were simply called animals, and they had less intelligence than those with spiritual power. They were usually used as livestock for people with little or no spirit power who made up the majority of people.


    Even for humans, it was difficult to awaken spirit power and to reach high levels, so they could only be content with raising normal animals. After all, high-grade spirit beasts weren''t something within reach of any passing cultivator, let alone people who hadn''t the slightest trace of spirit power.


    Therefore, seeing the intelligence of this spider and this serpent, Lei Bai concluded that they were spirit beasts with a certain degree of intelligence. However, it wasn''t possible for a child with the age of Hei to have developed his spirit power, nor to have reached an adequate level for spirit pacts.


    Consequently, the only valid explanation was that his mother was the beast tamer and that that little spider and that little snake were nothing but the offspring of the spirit beasts of Hei''s mother. Only then did it become plausible that a child such as Hei was able to command two spirit beasts.


    Hei, hearing that question, didn''t know how to answer. Beast tamer wasn''t a covered topic during his study with his mother. Not knowing what it was and because he had to hide his true origin, he decided not to answer.


    Seeing that he wasn''t answering, Lei Bai had a greater certainty that he had hit the mark. However, being a rather perceptive man, he knew it wasn''t nice to investigate too much into a person''s origins, especially if it was someone dangerous to offend.


    Not wanting to incur the wrath of Hei''s mother, Lei Bai replied, "Ok, forget the last question. Anyway, as it is still early morning, what do you say if you come to have breakfast with us first. Then you and Lei can go for a tour of the village."


    Hearing that he didn''t want to investigate further, this time, Hei decided to answer and agreed to have breakfast with them. Although they had already done it early in the morning, this tumult of emotions had made Hei, Xing, and Ye very hungry. Moreover, the three of them were very curious about the human kitchen; therefore, they consented to Lei Bai''s request.


    Seeing him accepting their proposal, the father and daughter couple smiled and became happy even if for different reasons. Lei Lei, because she was afraid that Hei still had it with her because of the scream of before, and so she wanted to do something to make up for it in addition to her excuses; Lei Bai thought, on the other hand, that he had partially realized Hei''s origin and wanted to form a good relationship with him in order to make a good impression with his mother. After all, it was always convenient to have relationships with someone powerful, and although he didn''t know her real strength, he knew she wasn''t an ordinary person if she could give her son two spirit beasts at such a young age.


    So Hei with his two little sisters, who had overcome their fear and distrust and they had come out of their hiding places, followed Lei Lei and Lei Bai into their home to have breakfast.


    Since they had agreed to welcome him into their home and had also accepted Ye and Xing in a certain way, Hei felt that, overall, things were progressing better than he had expected, and there would be no hitch in their mission of discovering human society.

 Chapter 9 - Village Life

    When Hei entered the house, he could immediately notice the warm atmosphere that was perceived inside.


    Although Lei Lei and Lei Bai''s abode was humble and without luxurious decorations, you could immediately see the love they had for their home and how they cared for it.


    It was kept so well that, although there were few pieces of furniture, it didn''t give a feeling of poverty but instead of neatness and harmony thanks to the various flower vases probably placed by Lei Lei.


    The house consisted of a single floor: at the entrance, there was a large room that served at the same time as a dining room and a kitchen; at the bottom, there were two bedrooms used by the father-daughter couple and a separate room used by Lei Bai for his work.


    In the large room, there was a wooden table with some chairs around it. Placed on the table, it could be seen a pot of freshly made congee and a bowl and two chopsticks placed untidily on the table. Some of the congee on the bowl had even fallen on the table.


    Seeing this, Lei Lei couldn''t help puffing and complaining to her father, "Dad, you dropped the congee on the table and got it dirty. Why didn''t you pay attention?! Then I am the one that has to clean it up."


    "Sorry, Lei, it is that as soon as I heard your scream, I immediately ran outside to check if you were okay. So I hurriedly put down the bowl that was then turned upside down."


    Feeling that it was partly her fault, Lei Lei didn''t continue. Taking a breath, she began cleaning and tidying up the table so that Hei and his father could have breakfast.


    Hei, who until now had remained silent, was attracted by the smoldering white thing on the table that was emitting a pleasant smell. He didn''t exactly know what it was, but the scent made his stomach growl.


    With curiosity, he approached and asked, "What is this white thing?"


    Since Lei Lei was busy arranging the table, it was Lei Bai who answered. "It''s called congee, a dish made with rice after a long cooking in water. Haven''t you ever heard of it?"


    "Uhmm... actually, it''s the first time I''ve seen or heard about it."


    "Really? But it''s such a popular dish. What do you usually eat for breakfast?"


    "For breakfast? Let''s see, meat, fish, insects, and occasionally harvested fruit."


    At the mention of the word insects, Lei Lei gave a little cry of surprise as her father laughed out loud. They certainly didn''t expect Hei to have this kind of taste.


    "You have a strong stomach, kid! Good, good, as I always say: if it doesn''t give you a stomach ache, then it''s edible."


    "Daddy, what are you teaching him? What if he starts eating weird things because of you, ugh. I already have to put up with you carrying horrible things to eat from time to time."


    Seeing them discussing so cheerfully between them, Hei thought about the little squabbles with Ye and Xing and how sometimes they teased their mother to amuse her, although it couldn''t be too serious as a prank.


    There wasn''t much difference between his family and the family formed by Lei Lei and Lei Bai, so he also became infected with the cheerful atmosphere and burst out laughing.


    At this, the father and daughter couple stopped arguing to watch Hei. They had been surprised by Hei''s candid laughter that seemed to contain a pure, uncontaminated joy. This made them both smile and, once they had finished arranging the table, they invited Hei to sit down.


    Lei Lei had prepared two bowls full of congee and two small plates also containing congee. She didn''t know if Hei''s beasts could eat it, but she wanted to make up for the misunderstanding in some way. So she had prepared a dish for them just in case.


    "Come and eat Hei, it''s better to finish it while it''s still hot. I don''t know if they can eat it, but I''ve prepared a portion for your little spider and your little snake."


    Due to her daughter''s concern, Lei Bai couldn''t help but be proud of her. Lei Lei was a kind and benevolent girl. Every day she tried to help him with their expenses by growing plants and helping him to pick mushrooms and fruits when they went to the forest. She was his pride, and every day, she looked more and more like her mother.


    Discovering that Xing and Ye had also been included, Hei immediately sat down and pulled his two little sisters out of their hiding place. All this time, they had remained to observe, but now that they had seen the concern for them, they decided to come out.


    At that point, the three of them, together with Lei Bai, started eating. Lei Lei had already eaten, and she wasn''t hungry yet, so she didn''t eat with them. But she sat with them anyway to watch that strange show and to help Hei how to use chopsticks, making her father laugh even further. After all, he had always eaten with his hands until now, so he wasn''t used to eat with chopsticks


    Although he didn''t show it, since her mother''s death, her father had always had a somewhat melancholy air about him. Although she did her best to help him, she hadn''t been able to eliminate all traces of that melancholy. However, perhaps because of his sincere appearance or his unusual behavior, Hei had managed to eradicate that melancholy momentarily.


    Only this was enough for Lei Lei to be grateful to that strange child who appeared today.


    Once they had finished eating, the eaters sighed in satisfaction: the congee had warmed their whole body, and it left a good taste inside them. Even Ye and Xing, who preferred to eat meat, had found the meal of their liking.


    At this point, Lei Bai stopped Lei Lei and said, "Leave it to me, I clean it up here. You go with Hei around the village, don''t worry."


    Despite pretending not to notice, he knew that Lei Lei was doing her best to make up for the emptiness left by her mother. Because of this, he wanted to use Hei''s arrival to give his daughter some free time and lighten her duties.


    Seeing that her daughter insisted on cleaning herself, Lei Bai picked her up and put her out the door. Then he motioned for Hei to come out and closed the door behind them.


    "I won''t open the door until lunchtime, so it is useless to insist. Accompany Hei on his tour and have fun."


    Disoriented but at the same time amused by her father''s strange behavior today, Lei Lei couldn''t help but smile and do as her father had said.


    "Okay, then. But you prepare the lunch. We certainly can''t look bad when we have guests today."


    Once this was said, Hei and Lei Lei started their tour of the village.


    The Leaf Village was a village consisting mainly of houses that also served as a place of work for crafts such as blacksmiths and other similar jobs that required a forge or a personal laboratory.


    The focal point was the central square that housed the market where people could sell their products on stalls set up during the day. These were mostly used to sell food since it wasn''t convenient to transport bulky goods to the market every day or to accept requests for items that required special services such as repairs and more.


    In addition to the market, there was also the village chief house. There, the most important inhabitants gathered to discuss how to manage the village.


    Although it wasn''t comparable to a city, Leaf Village had still about 1000 inhabitants that needed someone impartial and educated to take care of disagreements between villagers or to decide maneuvers about the economy.


    This role was carried out by the village chief, who coordinated the group of people chosen by the various factions present in the village.


    Since not everyone could read and write, this role was usually entrusted to the most educated of the village.


    In this regard, Lei Bai had previously been appointed as a representative. He was a butcher, and, from time to time, he would join the various hunts conducted by the hunters.


    His skill in dissecting animal carcasses without wasting their meat had been recognized by every inhabitant so much that even veteran hunters preferred to leave him the task of skinning animals rather than doing them themselves.


    Because he knew how to read and write, he was a perfect candidate to represent the faction of the hunters who mostly consisted of people who preferred to act rather than discuss.


    However, his wife''s death had been a big blow to him, and he reluctantly gave up the role to look after his daughter. Nevertheless, he would always find time to lend a hand to the hunters'' faction if he was needed.


    As far as leisure facilities were concerned, there was the village tavern situated towards the northern part of the village. As the only tavern, it was large enough to accommodate the various customers. It also had bedrooms that could be used by passing travelers who happened to have to linger in the village.


    Once given an overview of how the village was structured, Lei Lei brought Hei, Ye, and Xing to the outer fields.


    Since they could count on an expanse of fertile and relatively large land, agriculture was also a rather important sector for the life of the village.


    Seeing these expanses of land filled with various plants, Hei couldn''t help but ask, "Is this what is called agriculture, right? What kind of plants are those?"


    "Yes, right. Mostly we grow cereals like flour and oats, but we also have rice paddies on the other side where a small river passes by that helps to make the soil wet. Then there is the uncultivated land we use to feed our animals. Are you interested in agriculture, Hei?"


    At this question, Hei replied with a small nod of the head. He had already heard about agriculture from his mother, but seeing the various expanses of fields had aroused intense curiosity in Hei that he immediately wanted to experiment with planting something.


    As for the animal husbandry, his mother had long explained how Hei should behave in this regard.


    Those that were used as farm animals were animals or spirit beasts without spirit power. Although they had little intellect, they were still able to feel emotions. However, this lack of spirit power made them easy targets for common predators, not to mention spirit beasts with spirit power.


    So, although they were limited in their freedom and they had a life span already set, it was still better than sending them into nature where they would barely resist one day.


    It should be pointed out that being born without spirit power wasn''t synonymous with remaining forever in the rank of animal. It happened that, from time to time, some animals could awaken their spirit power, thus becoming a spirit beast.


    If they encountered such a case and it wanted to be freed, Bao Bai, together with her children, would tried to help it, provided that the lives of her children weren''t endangered.


    Therefore, even Hei, with his two little sisters, had adopted a similar thought and would help such cases, provided their lives weren''t put at risk.


    So, seeing during their visit to the grazing fields for the animals that they were treated well without abuse, Hei decided not to intervene.


    By the time they finished their tour, it was now afternoon, and it was lunchtime. With a grumbling stomach, they returned to Lei Lei''s house.


    Once they arrived, they could smell a particular smell coming from the house, a sign that Lei Bai had been busy with the preparations for lunch.


    However, instead of entering the house, Hei stopped to look at the back yard of the house where he had met Lei Lei this morning.


    "Big sister Lei, these plants are different from those on the fields. What kind are these?"


    Seeing that he was pointing to her plants, Lei Lei showed off a smile mixed with a bit of sadness. "They are medicinal plants. If prepared in particular ways, they can be used to create medicines to help people heal. "


    Medicines. Hei had already heard this term and knew more or less their use. However, he had never actually seen one, so those plants aroused his interest in agriculture even more.


    The fact of being able to create life to give nourishment or well-being to living beings was something very mystical in Hei''s eyes and, therefore, worthy of being deepened. Also, he thought that maybe he could bring more food to his family and maybe find some plants to help his mother.


    "Big sister Lei, can I ask you to teach me how to grow it? I am interested in both cultivating food plants and these medicinal plants. "


    Seeing the serious and determined look of Hei, Lei Lei was amazed. She hadn''t expected that he was so determined in his choice. After all, children at his age were not so interested in cultivating plants, preferring more exciting jobs to their eyes as hunting.


    "Do you really want to learn how to grow plants? Won''t you leave halfway?" On her warm, gentle tone of Lei Lei''s voice had just appeared a harsh and severe note so unsuited to the image of that young and kind girl.


    Nevertheless, Hei remained convinced of his decision and replied, looking into her eyes, " I''m serious. I want to help my family, and I think learning to grow plants is a great way to help."


    "All right, you convinced me. I will teach you how to do it. If you want to cultivate plants like cereals and rice, there isn''t a need for such in-depth knowledge. The problem is medicinal plants: these tend to be more fragile, and they need special care. If you are not careful, you risk killing them. The reason I am practicing cultivating medicinal plants is that I want to become a doctor. My mother died years ago because of an illness, and there aren''t experienced doctors in villages like ours. There are only a few herbalists who know how to fight normal ailments but not more complex diseases. Unlike cultivators martial artists, we have no spirit power, and we can only do our best using the knowledge available to us."


    She didn''t know exactly why she had revealed this to Hei. Perhaps because in some way, she could see herself reflected in him.


    Even her father was unaware of it. She had simply told him that she wanted to practice planting such medicinal herbs since they were profitable, and they could help with the income.


    And in fact, she had sometimes managed to sell satisfying products, even if with difficulty, coming to buy an old book with general notions of medicine. But even then, she had said nothing to her father.


    Perhaps because he knew he would start doing crazy hours at work or ask his neighbors for a loan to give her better books to learn from.


    With her mother''s death, Lei Lei had decided not to be a burden to her father, so she wanted to slowly accumulate her money without imposing this burden on Lei Bai.


    "Big Sister Lei, you will see that you will succeed in fulfilling your wish. Trust me."


    Hearing his words, Lei Lei answered, "Ahaha, thanks, Hei. I feel much better now. Yes, I will succeed in my intent. In the meantime, I''ll teach you everything I know, but for now, let''s go back inside to have lunch. From the smell, I believe that dad has exaggerated with cooking, so you, Ye, and Xing will have to give your very best to eat."

 Chapter 10 - Master and Student

    Once inside the house, to welcome Hei, Xing, Ye, and Lei Lei was the sight of a large amount of dishes that was filling the table.


    Although they were relatively common and not made with expensive products, this sight was enough to amaze the four who had entered.


    It was the first time they saw so many dishes put together. Even Lei Lei, who expected more or less such a thing, was amazed by her father''s commitment.


    "Dad, how much stuff did you prepare? I imagined you would cook a lot but not so much. It would be a shame if we didn''t finish it."


    "Don''t worry; we have Hei with us, and even those little pets of his seem to have a certain appetite."


    "Yes, Ye and Xing are rather gluttonous with eating, but you didn''t have to prepare so much... you have already done so much for us..."


    Hei, who had learned from his mother that things had to be earned, felt a certain feeling of unease.


    After all, it wasn''t just him, Xing and Ye had also been included for both breakfast and lunch. And the two of them, despite their appearance, were competent eaters. Consequently, he didn''t want to take advantage of the generosity already shown to them by the father and daughter couple.


    But Lei Bai was stubborn by nature, so he didn''t pay attention to what Hei had said and answered. "Don''t worry. I did it because I wanted to. You don''t have to feel uncomfortable or anything. It was purely my decision, so let''s forget about it and just let''s eat together."


    Hei, after thinking it over for a moment, replied with something that surprised both Lei Lei and Lei Bai. "Then, in that case, let us repay this generosity by working for you. I, Ye, and Xing have experience in hunting, and we know how to skin an animal. "


    On their way back, Lei Lei, in addition to explaining the village''s structure, had mentioned her father''s work as a butcher and his hunting trips with the various hunters. This had astonished Hei, who wondered if he could watch Lei Bai at work. After all, until now, they had observed and used the techniques taught by their mother, so Hei and his two sisters were somewhat interested in other methods of hunting and skinning.


    Therefore, this event allowed him to advance his request and be able at the same time to satisfy his curiosity while repaying the generosity received. Furthermore, his mother had said that it would be better to find something to do during his stay in the village; otherwise, the sight of a child who was constantly wandering around for no reason would have attracted attention.


    After all, the Leaf Village was still a village, and there weren''t so many things to see. Therefore he couldn''t wandered continuously with the excuse of wanting to explore the village, not to mention that his primary mission was to learn how to interact with humans.


    Hearing Hei''s answer, Lei Bai was stunned for a moment before answering, "Do you know how to skin and cut an animal? Do you also say your two spirit beasts can do it?"


    Lei Bai''s bewilderment was very natural. Who could have imagined that a child of Hei''s age could be able to do such a thing? Besides, were his two spirit beasts also capable of it? Being a snake and a spider, he expected them to be more good at digesting the prey instead of cutting it and processing it.


    "Yes, mother taught us from an early age about this process. Although we cannot say we are experts, we aren''t beginners neither. We can also help you with hunting when you go outside."


    Seeing Hei''s confident look, Lei Bai had no more doubts. He had lived for many years and saw various things. Although Lei Bai wasn''t an expert, he knew more or less when someone was lying, and he could see the sincerity in his eyes. But not only that, but he could also see confidence and pride typical of those who were proud of their abilities and had full confidence in them.


    Hei, this child who appeared out of nowhere. He had known him only today, but he had given him a continuous surprise. He had already been very impressed when he learned about Hei''s real age at breakfast since the kid looked a little bit older on the outside. Lei Bai, therefore, guessed that this was due to a particular diet or regime that had contributed to the child''s accelerated growth.


    But he didn''t expect him to be capable of such skills. Suddenly, a strange emotion formed inside him. Initially, he wanted to be hospitable to leave a good impression on his mother and to let Lei Lei have a free day to cheer her up in Hei''s company, not to mention that the child was quite interesting, so Lei Bai was more than happy to welcome him for this day.


    However, now, he was no longer so interested in the mother, but his attention had shifted towards Hei. He had never seen a child like him, and if he was capable of what he had said, this meant he possessed great talent. Therefore he wanted to see what this child was able to do and what his limitations were.


    For those who had devoted their whole life to a specific art, their most significant concern, once they had reached a certain age, was to find a worthy successor. Although during their youth, the people had dreamed of reaching the pinnacle of their art, not everyone was capable of it. Consequently, to prevent their efforts from becoming smoke dissolved in the air, they took with them disciples to whom they entrusted their dreams.


    Lei Bai also was like that. At first, he thought that his children would become his successors, but Lei Lei wasn''t interested in his job. With the death of his wife, then, his desire to teach his children what he knew had vanished, and he decided he wouldn''t teach anyone else.


    Yet, before him, there was a child with a possible great talent. So his desire to pass his knowledge was awakened.


    After a while, he replied, "All right, but first, I want to see the things you can do. If I think you are telling the truth, then I''ll let you work with me if that''s what you want. But now, let''s concentrate on eating while it''s still warm."


    Leaving the question in abeyance for the moment, Lei Bai sat up and started pouring the food on his bowl. Shortly after that, he was followed by Lei Lei, who had listened to their discussion in silence, and finally by Hei with Xing and Ye.


    Despite the massive amount of food present, lunch was consumed quickly. Whether it was because they were hungry due to the various experiences of today or because they wanted to see Hei''s abilities, the father and daughter couple ate faster as possible, and they quickly finished their share of food. Even Ye, Xing, and Hei finished rather soon since they had a healthy appetite, and they usually ate very fast.


    Once lunch was over, they immediately moved to Lei Bai''s laboratory, where a couple of small rabbit carcasses were hung. All around, you could see various ceramic containers with bottles of vinegar, oil, and other substances around. At one corner, there was an extinguished brazier that was used to smoke the meat. The only source of light was a window above the brazier that could be closed with small curtains.


    Although it was very crowded with meat and other objects and it wasn''t so large, it was still sufficient as a place to work for a couple of people. Lei Bai had explicitly taken a house on the outermost side of the village to have as much space as possible for his workshop.


    At this point, he took one of the hanging carcasses and placed it onto the only table present inside. Then he made a sign to Hei while saying, "Okay, it''s time to show me what you can do. My knives are there; you can use them as you like. "


    Hei nodded that he understood and took one of the knives. It was the first time he saw a metal knife, but he was familiar with the type of weapon. During the past years, Bao Bei had built him a stone knife with a wooden handle. Although the blade was not perfect, it was enough to practice how to dissect captured prey. Then, after a first adjustment about the weight and the feel of the new knife, Hei proceeded to perform the required task.


    His speed couldn''t be called fast, but, without a doubt, it was constant. Finally, after various efforts, he separated the skin from the meat and removed the entrails and the organs inside. Then he proceeded to divide the meat. Once finished, he sighed and wiped his forehead from the sweat with his arm.


    Lei Bai, therefore, proceeded to evaluate the quality of the cut. He was verifying if the meat had been wasted during flaying. And the result he saw surprised him. It couldn''t indeed be said that it was perfect, but it was good, extremely good considering the young age of the one who had made the cut. He didn''t know what kind of experience Hei had in the past, but it was certainly not a novice''s job.


    At that point, Lei Bai trembled. His desire awakened earlier exploded again before this performance. If he had managed to reach such a level at such a young age, where could he arrived? Would he be able to process the flesh of the legendary beasts of which he had heard in legends that possessed meat with an otherworldly flavor?


    Struggling to calm down, Lei Bai looked straight at Hei and said thoughtfully, "Hey, listen to me. Would you like to become my disciple? I will teach you everything I know, and you can stay here with us as much as you want. But you have to think about it very carefully: when you choose a master, you choose him forever, and you can reveal the techniques learned only when you are judged worthy of being a master. What do you say?"


    Hearing this, Hei thought for a moment. From Lei Bai''s tone of voice, it was something important, but he didn''t know much about it. However, he could feel the sincerity of the man. Although he didn''t know entirely what a student-teacher relationship entailed, he wanted to give the man a possibility.


    "Okay, but I would like to ask if Xing and Ye can learn these techniques too. It''s possible?"


    "You mean your spider and your snake? Of course, of course. They can learn everything they want. Don''t worry. I am more than glad to teach them too."


    Although it might seem strange that some spirit beasts wanted to learn specific techniques, in Hei''s eyes, it was nothing weird given that he didn''t have such a clear conception of division that humans had with other species.


    Thus, Hei and Lei Bai formally became student and master. Despite knowing that it wouldn''t last long, Lei Bai still wanted to teach that child every technique of his while he still had the occasion. Who knows, maybe his techniques would reach the pinnacle he had never been able to achieve. Just that thought was enough to fill him with energy.


    "Did you finished? How long do you want to stay there?" From outside Lei Lei was calling them. In the beginning, she also had entered, but immediately after the meat processing had begun, she left because she couldn''t stand the sight. However, she remained outside, curiously awaiting the result.


    "Yes, we''re done. Now let''s go out, Hei, great job today. "


    Once they went out of the workshop, Lei Lei started bombarding her father with questions, so he gave her a brief description of what had happened, avoiding adding too many details, knowing that her daughter didn''t like such things.


    "And hence, from now on, Hei will be my disciple, and he will work with me."


    "Ah, great. What a beautiful thing, hahaha. But you can''t have Hei all for yourself; you''ll have to give him some free time. I promised him I would teach him how to grow plants. "


    "Growing plants? Uhmm, it''s not like I totally agree, but that''s okay. Since you promised him, you better teach him properly. "


    "Of course. Just watch, I''ll be a better teacher than you dad. "


    While the father and daughter couple squabbled happily together, Hei looked out the window, and seeing that the sun was showing signs of starting to set, he stood up.


    "Big Sister Lei, Master, I''m sorry to interrupt you, but I have to go. I promised my mother that I would be home by sunset."


    The two stopped at this. They were sad that Hei had to leave, especially Lei Lei. However, her father knew that it wasn''t possible to make him stay for the night if his mother imposed a time of return.


    "Okay, go ahead. If your mother permits you, you can come tomorrow. I''d like to talk to her. But if she is busy, it doesn''t matter. Give her my regards and my thanks."


    "Hei, I''ll wait for you tomorrow, okay? So we can start our studies on plants. The same goes for Ye and Xing. "


    "All right, I''ll try to come tomorrow if I can. Thanks for everything for today." Greeting them quickly, Hei set off with Ye and Xing to the Multicolored Leaf Forest at full speed. He didn''t want to break his promise to his mother and to make her worry.


    Fortunately, the distance wasn''t so big and, unlike when he came in the morning, he started to run for the return. So he managed to reach the destination before the sun completely went down.


    Waiting for him was Bao Bei, who had observed him from afar all the time. Without saying a word, Hei rushed towards his mother hugging her. Xing and Ye did the same.


    Although not a day had passed, it was still the first time they hadn''t seen their mother during the day. Usually, during the night they slept, and therefore they didn''t notice so much her absence and, in any case, she would be near them when they woke up the next morning.


    Bao Bei, without saying anything, took them and placed them on her back, and then she headed for their home.


    On the way back, she had her three little cubs tell her about their experiences and their thoughts. Hei, Ye, and Xing were very excited about today and the many new things they discovered. As they were still very young, new things had an irresistible appeal for them.


    Coming to know that they would learn how to cultivate plants and how to use the dissection techniques used by humans, Bao Bei was pleased.


    ''Good little ones, you did a good job. Do your best to learn all of it, okay? If you want to go tomorrow, it''s fine, but the day after tomorrow you have to stay here. Remember that you can''t ignore your classic workouts, so you''ll have to alternate. But you will still go there often, so be assured.


    Hei, if they ask you questions, continue with the story of the spirit beasts tamer. If they insist, tell them that I haven''t started training you yet and they''ll stop. As for what these terms mean, I will teach you when you awaken your spirit power. It''s a lot to learn, and now it''s better if you focus on what you can do.''


    "All right mother, I''ll do as you say. I''m not in a hurry. Today I had a lot of fun. They are good people, and they have also accepted Ye and Xing. But being with mother is still the best."


    Happy with the answer, Bao Bei jumped slightly, entertaining her children who began to bounce on her back happily.


    Thus the strange family formed by three spirit beasts, and a human child returned home after a long day to rest in view of the next day.

 Chapter 11 - Do you want to be my knight?

    Five years had passed since Hei with Ye and Xing had begun to frequent the Leaf Village.


    At first not used to the new environment, they gradually gained familiarity with the village thanks to Lei Lei and Lei Bai, this father-daughter couple who had welcomed them since the beginning with kindness.


    Due to the frequent visits and being a student of Lei Bai, Hei became soon known by the other villagers.


    The strange child with silver clothes, who went around with a spider and a snake on his body, immediately aroused the inhabitants'' interest.


    Some of them were curious about the origins of this child, who appeared out of nothing. Others instead were wary because they knew nothing about him.


    However, Lei Bai had some influence in the village and had proposed himself as his guarantor in case anything happened. So, Hei was accepted without too many uproars.


    Soon, the sight of him wandering around with Lei Lei became familiar, and the inhabitants eventually began to consider him one of them despite not having a house in the village.


    Every time Hei went to the village, he paid attention to return before evening to the outer limit of the Multicolored Leaf Forest, where Bao Bei would wait for her cubs to come back.


    Despite having a great time in the village and being accepted by the inhabitants, Hei''s heart was always with his mother. Lei Bai and Lei Lei had offered him several times to stay for the night and sleep in their house. But, Hei had always refused their invitation, wanting to go back to his mother instead. However, the next day, he would return in the morning at dawn if he wasn''t busy with training.


    In this regard, seeing that Hei, Xing, and Ye were so happy about spending time in the village, Bao Bei decided to reduce their training load. After all, they were still young, and she thought she could give them more time to play.


    If possible, she wanted not to deprive them of the possibility of going to the village every day, but she knew that it wasn''t advisable to cancel the training altogether. Therefore she could only reduce their exercises by a little.


    During these years, Hei, who was now 12 years old, had grown a lot since the first time he came to the Leaf Village. Whether it was due to the regimen of training performed or the mixture of milk and blood provided by his mother weekly, Hei looked more like a young man of fifteen-sixteen years old rather than a twelve-year-old.


    Regarding his personality, Hei had further developed his kind and polite behavior. He would always treat everyone with respect and listen to what he was told, carefully keeping in his mind the lessons he learned. But at the same time, he had also developed a wild feeling like a lurking beast ready to act at the slightest signal. Usually, it wasn''t visible, but it could be noticed from time to time in his eyes. And it was this sharp contrast that had caught the attention of many young girls in the village.


    It had to be said that over the years, the villagers had speculated about its origin. The most quoted hypothesis was that he was the son of some martial artist in reclusion near the village. Or at least the son of someone who had awakened his or her spirit power.


    It must be known that it was a common belief that the children of those who had developed spirit power were more likely to awaken it. So Hei, who was rumored to be the son of an expert, had become an excellent candidate for the various families in the village, considering that there were only a handful of people who had developed it without achieving significant results, though.


    After all, as a family, who didn''t dream of giving birth to a descendant who could overcome their condition as humble people and become an important person known far and wide.


    But Hei was, in the end, still too young to fully understand the relationship between a man and a woman, not to mention that, even if he had been aware of it, he wasn''t the type to bring anyone close to him.


    Although he was friendly with everybody, it didn''t mean he would lower his guard and his defense.


    Bao Bei had taught him that a spirit beast must always be vigilant because, at any time, there could be a danger. Therefore, since he considered himself a spirit beast with a human body, he would never forget this principle. For him, the words of his mother were the same as laws.


    The only ones to whom he wouldn''t apply this rule to some extent, in addition to his family, were Lei Lei and Lei Bai. Being the first to accept him and due to their relationship as student and master, Hei would lower his guard with them. Even Ye and Xing were quite at ease with them nearby, unlike with the other inhabitants. However, he had never revealed what Bao Bei forbade him to tell.


    As for Ye and Xing, the two little spirit beasts, they too had grown, doubling their size. Luckily for Xing, Hei hadn''t cut his hair in these years, so they had consequently become long enough to get under his neck, and she could still hide herself using Hei''s hair as a hiding place when he wasn''t wearing a hat. Ye, on the other hand, didn''t have these problems because she could coil herself several times around Hei''s neck if it was necessary and hide under his clothes.


    Therefore, their movement formation had become a routine, and the three of them felt more comfortable moving around like that. Hei also liked to carry them around in that position since it reminded them when their mother carried them on her back around the forest.


    Even today, he was transporting them in that way as he approached the village.


    It was still dawn, but you could already hear people at work, breaking the silence that had reigned during the night. However, there was something wrong with those noises.


    ''Strange... even if the inhabitants are early risers, they are usually those who have to go to the fields while those who work in the village tend to get up later. But loud noises are coming from the village plaza... ''


    Since there was no smoke or sign of alarm, Hei judged that nothing dangerous had happened and went to Lei Bai''s house. Maybe he could answer him.


    When he reached his master''s house, the figure of a young woman welcomed him. She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail. She had a light white dress with flower-shaped embroidery that revealed a bit the curved shape of the girl''s body. On her head, a small straw hat to protect her from the sun. In her hand, she held a ceramic vase containing water that was being poured onto the plants planted on the ground. While she was watering the plants, on her face, you could see a slight smile with here eyes containing some satisfaction for how the plants were growing.


    This young woman was none other than Lei Lei, the young girl who had met Hei as a child many years ago on the outskirts of the Multicolored Leaf Forest.


    Over the years, Lei Lei had become a young lady very much appreciated by everyone, especially by the young men of the village, considering she was in a suitable age for marriage. She had a toned and well-proportioned body due to the various jobs she did during the day that kept her in shape. But it was her gait that made the difference.


    In fact, over the years, she had managed to accumulate, thanks also to Hei and Lei Bai, who had discovered her secret in the end, enough money to buy several books on medicine and plant classification and potion preparing. Therefore, this knowledge had given her an intellectual air in the eyes of others. She had also begun helping the village herbalist to treat the various sick people, thus becoming well-liked by the people she helped.


    Lei Bai became very proud of her; he became so pleased that he appeared younger by about ten years. His future had become bright after years of difficulty: his daughter had begun to take her own path, and she was making him proud every day that passed, while at the same time he had a student who would surpass him and who would keep the techniques he had honed for all his life, taking them to a new level.


    If it were possible, he wanted Hei to stay with them and marry Lei Lei. He could indeed see that she had begun to develop very different feelings from a sisterly love towards Hei, who, despite being several years younger than her, still had a more mature appearance and gait. If this happened, he couldn''t desire anything else in his life. But he knew that this was unlikely to happen.


    As his teacher, over the years, he had realized the potential of Hei. He knew that it was only a matter of time for Hei to awaken his spirit power. Being aware of his real age, he realized how incredible this fact was. As far as he knew, no one had awakened his spirit power so soon on the Rainbow Island.


    The fact that he was a genius was indisputable. Such a person wouldn''t be confined in a tiny Leaf Village or a Leaf City. Indeed, perhaps, the entire Rainbow Island would be small for such a person. His daughter, however, despite being as proud as he was of her, unfortunately, didn''t have the same capabilities as Hei, so if they wanted to stay together, Hei would have to be content to stay in a small pond instead of going to the big sea that awaited him. However, wasting all that talent would be a severe crime, and he knew that Hei''s mother would never allow it.


    He could, therefore, only give up his dream of seeing the two of them married. He only hoped that Lei Lei wouldn''t get too hurt by their eventual separation, and she would be able to continue on the path she was following.


    Seeing her focused on her work, Hei coughed slightly before approaching her. In these years, he had learned how to remedy his silent and imperceptible walk to the ordinary people. In order not to frighten Lei Lei or others, Hei had taken the habit of coughing when he was nearing someone.


    Hearing that familiar sound, Lei Lei turned with a smile, "Hi, Hei. How are you? Did you have breakfast? Ye, Xing, how are you? Did you two have breakfast? "


    "Yes, but we''ll gladly have another breakfast if you insist!" Ye and Xing replied in chorus before Hei could answer. More than their size, over the years, it was their appetite that had increased dramatically. They would never say no to an extra meal.


    "Ahaha, how cute. All right, you better expect a big meal, but then you have to help me with my work, okay?" Although she didn''t understand the noises produced by the two little beasts, Lei Lei had learned to some extent to understand what they wanted to express generally the two of them. Not to mention, she had realized the Xing and Ye could understand her without problems.


    "If you''re busy, don''t worry. We''ve already had breakfast anyway. You already do so much for us by offering us various meals during the day."


    "It isn''t a bother to me at all. I''m glad to cook for you, Ye and Xing. Moreover, thanks to you, Dad can take on more jobs at the same time. Considering you don''t want to get paid, offering you food is a must. So, don''t worry too much about these things."


    With that, Lei Lei put the vase down, and she headed inside the house without waiting for Hei''s answer as if that conversation had already ended.


    At this, Hei could only make a wry smile and follow her. In some aspects, Lei Lei was so stubborn that there was no way Hei could win in a dialogue.


    Inside the house, Lei Bai was already sitting at the table reading a series of papers that looked like a letter sent to him.


    "Good morning, master, how are you today?"


    "Uhmm ... Ah, it''s you, Hei! All right, you instead? And those two little gluttons of yours?"


    "We''re all fine. Today is also a beautiful day. So it''s good to have come." With that said, Hei took out Xing and Ye and put them on the table while they waited for Lei Lei to finish making breakfast.


    "Master, can I ask you if that series of papers you are reading has to do with what the others are doing in the village?"


    "Did you notice? It''s nothing special; it''s just a typical event in our village. From the foundation of this village, every ten years, a big party is organized. On that occasion, we celebrate the passage of age from the old generation to the new one. The various boys who are judged ready to join the adult group of the village receive the blessing from the village head and other influential people. Then there is a dance made by new adults, and after that, the party can start with drinks and food in large quantities. This is a letter from the village chief with a list of meat he wants for the party and other orders for the food. He also wants Lei Lei to open the dances."


    On hearing this, Lei Lei stopped what she was doing, and, with quick steps, she headed for her father and asked. "Really? And why I was chosen among the others? If I''m the one to be chosen, then I have to... " with a flushed face, Lei Lei couldn''t finish what she wanted to say.


    "Well, the opening of the dances is given to the non-adult member of the community that most contributed to the village. There are so many people you have helped in these years, so the fact they would give you this was more than evident. "


    Hei didn''t understand what this role consisted of, so he asked, "If she has to open the dances, than what she must do exactly? Having never been to such an event, I don''t know what is usually done or other typical customs."


    "Nothing special, the future adults will dance in pairs in front of the whole village. The person who opens the dances is none other than the first couple to dance. They dance alone for a song in the middle of the plaza. Then during the next song, the other couples are invited. And in the one after that, anyone is free to join. Since Lei Lei was chosen for the role, what do you say? Would you like to-- "


    "Ahhh, stop, dad. Don''t say it... I''d do it, ok?" Lei Lei said as she glared at her father for trying to say more than necessary. Lei Bai, in response, burst out laughing and remained silent to watch with curiosity as her daughter would invite Hei to be her knight.


    With a red face and heavy breathing, Lei Lei turned to Hei, who looked at her curiously, not knowing what was happening.


    "Sooo... as Dad said, in this event you have to dance as a couple... if I have to open the dances, I have to pick a knight for the event, but I would like to have a person I trust. Sooo... yes... I was wondering... do you want to be my knight for that night?" With great courage, Lei Lei finally managed to formulate the invitation.


    Regularly, the man would have invited the woman as his lady, but since Hei came from outside and had never seen such a celebration, it was more than reasonable for her to make the first move.


    With the anxiety that was beginning to assault her body, Lei Lei eagerly awaited Hei''s response to her request.

 Chapter 12 - Festival Preparations

    "Do you want to be my knight?"


    A simple question but that concealed many hidden meanings.


    The choice of the knight for the young village ladies was a critical decision. It was said that the person who you chose for that night had a high chance of becoming the future lady''s husband.


    This was because the lively and festive atmosphere of the event, combined with the beauty and charm of the night, created a unique romantic mood. And that was such a rare sight in a rural village like theirs.


    But, even if this wouldn''t happen, it was still a crucial moment in the life of the village women. Therefore, it was vital to at least bring a person with whom they felt comfortable.


    With the anxiety that gripped her chest, Lei Lei''s eyes were fixed, with trepidation and fear, on Hei, who was surprised by her invitation.


    ''Knight? Mom said they were a type of soldiers who fight on horseback, but I don''t think this is the meaning in this case. But from how she''s behaving, I think it''s important to Lei Lei.''


    Hei didn''t understand the weight of this request very well. Children usually learned the meaning of couple and love between spouses/fianc¨¦s through the interactions of their parents. However, Hei had only Bao Bei as an example.


    He knew that she had once had a partner and that he was the father of Xing and Ye, but her mother had always preferred not to mention hi, saying that it wasn''t yet the right time to talk about him.


    Nevertheless, he had seen some couple relationships by observing the various people in the village. He had noticed how sometimes men tried to do romantic actions for important occasions, to be forgiven or simply to say thanks to their partners for their support.


    Since Lei Lei had been of great help in these years and because it was at the same time a special event, as described by Lei Bai, Hei decided to follow what he had observed from others.


    "Yes, that''s fine. I will be your knight for the event. "


    At those words, while Lei Lei breathed a sigh of relief and wore a radiant smile on her lips, Lei Bai burst out laughing heartily. "Ahaha, Ahaha, well-done boy. But you better not think it''s an easy event. Since you''re the couple who will open the dances, everyone''s attention will be on the two of you, so you can''t look bad. In this regard, you know how to dance, boy?"


    "How to dance?" Hei asked, puzzled.


    This perplexity was normal. Bao Bei had mostly taught her children about human society in general: aspects like writing and reading were necessary, but things like singing and dancing were left out. Or rather, he had seen these things, only, it was the sounds and moves used by forest animals. He strongly doubted that the love rituals used by animals had the same meaning as human dancing or could be appropriate for the event.


    Seeing himself being answered with another question, Lei Bai considered it as a no and laughed again. "You don''t know how to dance then. This isn''t good. The festival is in a couple of weeks, so we have little time. Listen to me; for this purpose, you are exempt from work. You will have to spend your time learning to dance. Lei Lei will be your teacher. "


    "Dad? What?"


    "Well, you and Hei are the ones that would dance together. It''s more than reasonable for you to be his teacher. Or do you want me to ask one of the other girls? "


    "No! Ok, all right. I will do it. Yes, there are no problems. I can do it." She replied while her face flushed.


    This responsibility, although an honor, was also a source of anxiety. That was because she didn''t want to look bad in front of everyone. Therefore, the possibility of getting familiar while she was teaching Hei was an excellent proposal.


    "Well, it''s decided then. But now, let''s eat that I''m hungry. Without food in the stomach, you can''t work. "


    Once finished eating, Lei Bai lock himself up in his workshop while leaving Lei Lei and He in the main room, which had been cleared of various furniture to make room and proceed with the dance lessons.


    "Well, Let''s start then ¡­ There are various types of dances, but what is used for the festival is called slow waltz. The dance consists of only three steps, so it is quite simple. The difficulty is to coordinate the steps with the music and keep the movements fluid. The idea is to build a square where the couple dances, and you should also slightly rotate as you move. So, let me show you how to do it. "


    After the brief explanation, Lei Lei proceed to show Hei how to put his feet to advance or retreat while following the imaginary square.


    As they had to put their hands over each other''s backs, the beginning was somewhat embarrassing for Lei Lei. She tried to calm her thoughts by sighing deeply, as she turned her attention to teaching Hei the moves.


    The latter, although he was a bit clumsy at the beginning because he wasn''t very familiar with the style, he soon became familiar with the steps. Fortunately, thanks to his training, he had a remarkable body flexibility and an excellent balance.


    It took a couple of hours, but in the end, Hei understood how to move without looking stiff and without going out of time. Now, all he needed to do was to synchronize his movements with those of Lei Lei correctly. The young girl became happy and amazed that Hei had learned so quickly how to dance the slow waltz.


    After all, the festival was only a couple of weeks away. Therefore, the sooner Hei learned the basic steps, the sooner they could practice the real thing.


    When they finished their session, Lei Bai had long since finished his job and had been looking at them with a satisfied expression. Then, he cleared his throat and turned towards his daughter.


    "Good, I see that things are going well. I would say that for now, it may be enough. You can practice later or in the coming days anyway. Didn''t you have to the herbalist? You should better hurry up."


    "Ah, right. With the dance matter, I was just about to forget. Then I''ll go. See you later then. Hei, for the lessons, we can try later when I get back, okay?" Lei Lei said as she went inside her home quickly to get her things and went out just as fast to go to the herbalist on the other side of the village.


    Once she left, Lei Bai approached Hei and asked in a low voice. "Listen, Hei, there''s something I want to ask you, or rather your mother. As you can see, this event is important for the village girls, so the choice of dress is essential. Usually, it is the mother who sews the dress to her daughter, but unfortunately, my wife passed away many years ago. Even if it''s just a bit, I want to make this occasion special for Lei Lei. So, I wondered if you could ask your mother if she could get me the silk with which your clothes are made. I want to give her a beautiful dress to make her happy. Obviously, I won''t ask you for free. I''m willing to pay any amount your mother would say."


    Lei Bai was usually a straightforward guy, but this time he was speaking with a slight hesitation in his voice. It was evident that this issue was essential to him. So Hei replied, immediately calming him down.


    "Don''t worry; there aren''t any problems. I will ask mother to give me enough for you. About the price, you don''t have to worry, you are my teacher, and you did a lot for me, Xing and Ye that I have so many things that I have to repay you. "


    At this, Lei Bai was truly moved. Every day he thought more and more that welcoming Hei in his home and choosing him as his student was the best choice he had ever made. Having secured the silk for his daughter''s dress, Lei Bai burst out laughing and went back to work with Hei.


    The following days were a succession of work, training, and dance sessions. The only moments Hei could rest was during the night with his mother.


    Hei told her all the details of the event, and she willingly provided him with silk for both Lei Lei''s dress and Hei''s new robe. She would do Hei''s robe, while a village tailor would do lei Lei''s dress.


    In addition to the silk, Hei planned to bring a bouquet to Lei Lei. He had seen many men do this, and therefore he began to examine which flowers could best for the occasion.


    You should know that during these years, Hei had learned how to cultivate plants, and he had planted every species of flower or plant he could get his hands on. In a short time, the area around their spider web house had become strewn with greenery and other colors, bringing an air of friendly calm to that part of the forest. Even the other animals and spirit beasts that kept themselves away from that area due to Bao Bei became curious and approached the field of flowers and plants from time to time. Until they did nothing wrong or didn''t disturb the quiet in the spider web house, Bao Bei wouldn''t attack them, and she would let them get closer.


    In the end, the two weeks passed quickly, and the day for the long-awaited event arrived. For this occasion, as the event was in the evening, Bao Bei permitted her children to stay the night there. It was the first time for her, but she thought this time she could let it go. However, just in case, she would sleep on the outskirts of the forest so that she could reach them immediately if necessary.


    For the occasion, Hei had an elegant black silk robe with gold and silver patterns. After Bao Bei made the robe, Hei had borrowed dyes from Lei Bai, and, with the help of Ye and Xing, he had dyed the robe and then realized the patterns. Although they were quite simple, the mere fact that they had done it themselves as a family was enough to make the robe unique to them.


    Xing and Ye also dressed up for the occasion. Xing had a silver bow behind her back while Ye had a golden one at the base of her neck.


    Although they couldn''t dance directly on the stage to avoid frightening or making others uncomfortable, they could still enjoy the festival by standing on Hei''s body.


    Once they arrived at Lei Bai''s home, the latter was standing at the door of the house. When he saw Hei approaching, he greeted him cheerfully and then motioned for him to stay out for a moment. Soon after, he stepped aside to let Lei Lei go out.


    She was wearing a long dark green dress with purple floral patterns. The fabric adhered harmoniously to the body of the young woman, enhancing the shape but without appearing vulgar.


    Her hair was gathered behind her neck, but as they weren''t tied in a ponytail or braid. They swayed a little because of the light wind. On them, there were tied small purple flowers. Those, together with the floral patterns of the dress, gave her a fragrance of freshness and delicacy.


    For the occasion, her face was wearing makeup, but only in small quantities. Just enough to enhance her eyes and mouth. For a young woman like her, too heavy a make-up would ruin her beauty.


    When he saw her, Hei was stunned. He was used to seeing her every day dressed in simple clothes and without makeup. Even though she was still a beautiful young lady, it couldn''t be denied: today, she was more beautiful than ever.


    With small steps, he approached Lei Lei and handed her the bouquet he had prepared for her.


    "The dress is perfect on you. You are wonderful today. Here, these are for you. "


    Since he knew the unfamiliarity of his student in male-female relationships, Lei Bai had secretly given lessons to Hei on how to compliment a woman and how to behave on this special occasion. After all, he wanted today''s evening to be unforgettable for his daughter. At least he owed it to his wife.


    However, even though he had received private instructions from his master, Hei really meant the words he had said. He was impressed, and he hadn''t told her these words just because he had been told so. Then, he took a small flower that was attached to a thin thread, and he tied it on Lei Lei''s right wrist.


    "This is a little thought from me, Xing and Ye."


    Receiving the bouquet and the small floral wristband, Lei Lei was moved. Clearly, she didn''t expect all this. After all, after all these years, she had learned that Hei wasn''t very well versed in these romantic gestures. "Thank you very much, Hei. You too, Xing and Ye." Then she put her hand near to her face to admire the gift she had received.


    At that moment, Lei Bai cleared his throat with a cough. "It''s time to go, let''s move."


    So the three of them, together with Xing and Ye on Hei''s body, moved towards the village''s center where the square was.


    Due to the festival, the various stalls usually arranged for the market had been removed. In their place, there were a myriad of long tables arranged horizontally with seats on both sides to accommodate all the inhabitants. In front of these, right in front of the village chief''s house, a wooden stage had been placed. That was where the couples would perform for the dance event.


    The air that could be breathed in that place was full of intense joy and harmony. The inhabitants had few festivals to celebrate, so they would always welcome these rare occasions with open arms. Everyone was showing off their best clothes, and they were finishing up arranging the various dishes and drinks prepared for the event.


    To avoid having to go through the tide of people, Lei Bai made the complete tour, arriving at the back of the village chief''s house. Once there, he sent off Hei and Lei Lei to go and find a place to sit and enjoy the show.


    In the village chief''s house, there were already many couples of participants for the dance event. Everyone was very anxious, especially the women since they were worried about making a bad impression in front of the whole village. The atmosphere that was breathed inside the house was different from the one outside.


    Seeing them so nervous, the village chief''s wife smiled and handed everyone a cup of hot tea to calm their nerves, comforting them with words of encouragement.


    It took another hour before the noise outside calmed down, and all the inhabitants took their places. It was now evening, and the moon was illuminating the square with its delicate light, unlike the scorching light of the sun. In order to help with the lighting, torches were placed here and there on wooden posts fixed to the ground.


    Everything was ready, and finally, it was Lei Lei and Hei''s turn to enter the stage. With the last words of comfort from the village chief''s wife, the two left the house towards the stage.

 Chapter 13 - My Most Beautiful Night

    When Hei and Lei went up to the stage, what greeted them was something truly amazing: the moonlight combined with the blushing torchlight that accompanied the myriad of eyes focused on them gave a breathtaking feeling.


    Even Hei was quite impressed, and a little restlessness began to form within him. With a deep sigh, he managed to calm his heart.


    Being the knight, he had to guide the lady during the dance. To be agitated wouldn''t help at all, especially since Lei Lei was already agitated on her own. He had to look confident and determined for the sake of both.


    They stopped in the middle of the stage with their eyes looking at those of the other. Both nodded slightly with their heads to communicate between them that they were ready to begin. Soon after, the music finally started.


    Some inhabitants, skilled in the musical arts, had dusted their instrument off, and they had formed a musical band for the occasion. After all, today, it was one of the few events where they could perform in front of everyone and show off their art and ability.


    He put his right hand on Lei Lei''s waist, then taking her right hand with his left hand, he stepped forward with his left foot. Lei Lei immediately followed with a step backward with her right foot.


    The rehearsals done during these two weeks proved to be effective because, very soon, the nervousness in both of them faded away as the body''s memory took place to guide them during the dance.


    After 5 minutes, the music ended. Hei and Lei Lei stopped their dance as they gasped to catch their breath. Although it wasn''t particularly hot, they were sweating a lot. Looking into each other''s eyes, they couldn''t help smiling. They didn''t know precisely how pleasant was their dance, but from the outbreak of applause and shouts, it seemed they had at least made a satisfactory performance.


    At this point, it was time for the other couples. Moving back a bit to make room for the others, Hei and Lei Lei prepared for the second round.


    Since they were no longer entirely under everyone''s attention, Xing and Ye came out of the robe to rest on Hei''s head.


    The two of them also wanted to dance and, since they couldn''t do it on stage, they would dance using the head of their big brother. Although it was small as space, it was enough for the two of them.


    Thus, even the second dance ended as it began the third round, which saw the participants'' parents and other important people of the village involved. For this round, Hei stepped aside to allow Lei Bai to dance with his daughter while he danced with Ye and Xing.


    At the end of the third round, the village chief came forward to say his speech.


    "Old friends, tonight I see that you are very cheerful. Today is a special day for all of us. Today we welcome the new adults who will give new life to our village. They will be the future foundations of this place. I pray that their future will be as bright and serene as this evening. I know each one of them, and I know they are good guys, they will certainly live up to their respective tasks. Well then, let''s welcome them with a strong applause in their new path."


    Everyone, at those words, burst into loud applause and screams of joy. In addition to conferring the status of a real adult, the village chief''s blessing also announced the beginning of the long-awaited banquet.


    For the festival''s dinner, Hei, Xing, Ye, and Lei Lei sat down with the other participating couples while Lei Bai was with the village hunters group.


    Due to the cheerful atmosphere and being warmed by the food''s taste, it didn''t take long to make friends with the other dancers. After all, after sharing such an intense experience, they unconsciously felt more united between each other.


    The dishes on the menu of this evening were many and different. It passed from dishes with vegetables and fruit to dishes with varying types of meat and fish. Since meat was expensive, it wasn''t something you could eat daily or in large quantities. But today, it was an exception since no one spared themselves during the festival''s preparations.


    There were also lots of drinks, especially wine. For the new adults, this was the first time they could drink alcohol in the company of other adults. But, not everyone liked it, so there were other drinks like water, milk, cider, mead, beer and various types of juice.


    Intrigued by the taste of the dishes and drinks, the alcoholic ones, in particular, Hei and Lei Lei began to taste a little of everything as they ate. Usually, Lei Lei wouldn''t eat a lot during meals, but, perhaps because of the atmosphere of the festival or because of the previous effort, today she was eating much more compared to her usual quantity.


    Xing and Ye, sitting on Hei''s legs, were also enjoying the inviting banquet. In particular, in addition to eating, Xing much enjoyed red wine while Ye preferred beer instead. To avoid that they could exaggerate with the alcohol, Hei ordered them to drink only small doses at a time, and always accompanied by food.


    As for Hei, he found particular taste in a drink known as Huanqiu that resembled a yellow wine. Lei Lei, on the other hand, seeing that she was feeling a bit drunk after a few sips, stopped drinking alcohol, and switched to soft drinks instead.


    Thus, submerged in this mood of celebration and joy, the banquet proceeded smoothly, and everyone drank and ate until they were full.


    When several hours had already passed, some of the inhabitants, especially those who had drunk too much or felt tired, had begun to take their leave. Others, however, who had higher resistance, soon formed small groups to continue drinking all night. Lei Bai was obviously among the latter.


    Lei Lei, seeing this, turned her head towards Hei and said to him. "Hei, what if we take a walk? So let''s digest tonight''s dinner a little. Xing and Ye can come with us. "


    "Yes, sure. There are no problems. Where do you want to go? "


    "Follow me, and you''ll find out." So, without another word, she took Hei''s hand with extreme firmness, and without turning around, she proceeded to move away from the square. Hei, a little astonished, let himself be guided without resistance.


    From afar, Lei Bai, who was drinking with his acquaintances, glanced towards them as they walked away. Taking a sip of beer, he gave a bitter smile.


    ''I should stop her before she can say what she feels. After all, even if Hei is living with us at the moment, he won''t be doing it again in the future. It hurts my heart so much, thinking about how this will hurt her in the future. Yet, I can''t tell her not to become attached to him; I''m not capable of it myself. I just hope he can stay with us for as long as possible so that she can keep her smile.''


    Indeed, Lei Lei had decided to tell Hei what she felt. She knew that he was younger than her by several years and that probably, he wouldn''t understand the love between a man and a woman. She also knew that he didn''t love her or see her as a possible fianc¨¦e, but she wanted to tell him anyway.


    Lei Lei, despite her sweet and unselfish nature, wasn''t a naive girl. She also knew that there was a chance that Hei would go away from here, and what she was going to do now might be useless. However, she didn''t want to regret in the future, just because she had been afraid to say what she felt. Regardless of the result, she would reveal her most intimate feelings.


    Lei Lei led her to the fields where the crops were. Then, she took a small hidden path until they came to a small clearing filled with flowers with a shade that ranged from light blue to dark blue. The flowers belonged to the same species, and their petals'' shape was identical. Five petals that took the form of a star with delicately curved edges. In the center, there was a touch of bright yellow deriving from the pollen contained.


    Once arrived, Lei Lei let go of Hei''s hand, and she lowered herself with her back towards Hei to caress one of the flowers. The sight of this young and fragile girl immersed in a field of flowers and illuminated by the light of the moon was breathtaking. Especially her hair that moved slightly behind her neck was giving a feeling of delicate beauty.


    Hei was stunned once again when he witnessed this. Even Ye and Xing were watching this view speechless. Whether it was due to the alcohol in their body or to the so evocative atmosphere, Lei Lei looked even more beautiful than before.


    "Do you know what these flowers are called, Hei?" She said in a light tone that was so clear in the silence of the night. Without waiting for him to answer, she continued.


    "They are called Myosotis, that is their official name. They are poisonous flowers that are used as medicinal ingredients. They also have another name among ordinary people: forget-me-nots.


    It is said that this name derives from a legend from a distant country. Two young lovers were walking along a river; fascinated by the flowers on the course of the water, the young man bent down to pick them up to make his beloved happy but slipped falling into the water. Then he was overwhelmed by the current that was too strong. Before he was swallowed, he shouted to his beloved ''forget-me-not.'' Thus, they became particularly famous among couples of lovers. It is said that if the couple wears the forget-me-not flowers like a garland, then they won''t be forgotten by their loved ones.


    Hei, since I met you, my life has changed. I lost my mother a long time ago, and a part of my father also died with her. Seeing him so destroyed by the pain, I was afraid. Afraid of losing him too, and being alone in the world. So I decided to replace the void left by my mother, helping as much as I could my father. But in this way, I erased my childhood and the joys that come from it. I was sad, but I did my best not to show it. But one day, you arrived and changed my world. I will never forget the first time I saw you and the emotions I felt when I saw you a second time a year later. Over time, you, Xing, and Ye have become part of my life and have brought the light inside my father and me. "


    Hei and his sisters were silently listening to what Lei Lei was saying. He could perceive the intensity of the emotions hidden in her words. Only, he wondered what Lei Lei really wanted to say for saying all these things.


    "Then tonight, it was a succession of strong emotions. Ever since I can remember, I''ve never felt more alive than now. This is the best night of my life. This is why I decided to reveal my feelings.


    You are unique, Hei, not only because you have talent in so many things. It is your personality that makes you unique. How you behave, how you do things, how you treat people, plants, animals. I have never seen a person as pure as you. I''m sure you are destined for so many things in your life, and this is nothing else than a starting point for you. Just a short chapter in your great life, but even so, I want it to be a chapter you won''t forget. A chapter that will accompany you forever until the end. That''s why I started cultivating these flowers. "


    At that point, Lei Lei stood up and turned to look Hei straight towards his eyes. In her hands, there was a dark blue forget-me-not flower that she put in Hei''s hands.


    "Therefore, forget-me-not."


    Then she brought her face close to Hei''s and kissed him on the lips. Although it was chilly outside, the contact between the lips warmed Hei''s body while something similar to an electric discharge ran through his body. His senses went numb as he stared blankly at Lei Lei, who had stepped back a few steps. On his lips, there was still a sweet taste that reminded him that what had happened wasn''t a dream. Confused, he remained silent, not knowing what to say. Ye and Xing also observed dumbstruck that scene, clearly not expecting such a development. Luckily Lei Lei spoke first, interrupting that silence and saving Hei from that awkward feeling.


    "It''s okay. It''s something I decided on my own. It is my selfish action without taking into consideration your feelings, but just mine. You don''t have to give me an answer at all. I love you. You are the first man I love in that sense. But I also know we aren''t destined to be together, I just wanted to say what I felt for not having to regret in the future. There is no need for you to change your attitude towards me. I just want you to promise me that you''ll never forget me or the time you spent here. Can you promise it to me?"


    With difficulty, trying to regain his salivation as his throat had dried up, Hei took a deep breath and prepared to answer. But before he could do it, he was interrupted by Lei Lei, who said with an alarmed voice. "Look! There is a great quantity of smoke coming out of the village. It''s strange, even if they had lit fires, how could the clouds of smoke be so large? No, it''s impossible. Something is wrong, I don''t know why, but I have a bad feeling. Hei, please, let''s go back to the village."


    Hei, who was still groggy from before, came to himself at these words. Then he turned to look towards the direction of the village that was emitting large amounts of smoke. At one point, large flames could be seen expanding further into the village area.


    ''Fire? But the inhabitants wouldn''t be so careless to cause such a dangerous fire...''


    "Lei, all right. We will return to the village, but even if we run, it will still take a lot of time at your speed. So, hold on to my back and hold on tight. I''ll run as fast as I can. Okay?"


    Usually, Lei Lei would feel embarrassed to be carried away in that way, especially by Hei, and she would, therefore, categorically refuse. However, it wasn''t the time to think about such things, and with a nod of her head, she clung to Hei''s back. To let her put her hands to hold on around Hei''s neck, Ye moved towards her big brother''s head along with Xing.


    So Hei, after a deep sigh, snapped running as fast as he could go in that moment.

 Chapter 14 - Meeting the Enemy

    Hei, while transporting Ye, Xing, and Lei Lei, was running at his maximum possible speed between the crops fields.


    However, with the weight of a person on his shoulders, he found it difficult to move at ease. But it wasn''t the time to make a complaint. The quantity of smoke seen from the grassy area where they were before, was the tangible proof that something had happened, even though they hoped with all their hearts that the inhabitants had just lighted several bonfires to celebrate the night.


    However, their expectations weren''t met. When they finally were able to see the village''s houses, they discovered that they were set ablaze while intense flames were running rampant. It seemed as if the fire wanted to wrap the village denying any way out completely.


    Also, there was a strong burning smell in the air, along with another scent that Hei knew well.


    ''Blood and burnt flesh... this, it''s certainly not the work of someone in the village.''


    It was unthinkable that someone or a group of people from the village had staged all this. Therefore, the only possible explanation was that the culprit was someone from outside with bad intentions.


    At this, Hei, by instinct, extended his left hand towards his back to grab his spear, but he only found Lei Lei, who flinched due to the contact while recovering from the shock of seeing her village in flames. Because of that, Hei gritted his teeth, blaming himself for not having brought his spear.


    It must be known that during these years, apart from training and hunting, there had never been other occasions where Hei was forced to use his weapon.


    Therefore, since today was a day of celebration, he had asked his mother to leave his spear at home. After all, it would have been inappropriate to bring a weapon to a party.


    Bao Bei, after having reflected on his request, thought to herself that it was a valid reason and agreed to it. Therefore, Hei had no weapon with him at this moment. His various knives also, which he received as a gift from Lei Bai, couldn''t be used for the same reason.


    This meant, therefore that, if they went inside and met someone who wanted to harm them, Hei would have to use only the several close combat techniques taught by his mother.


    Because Hei''s body was still developing and his spiritual power wasn''t awakened, he couldn''t bring out his full strength in unison with his martial art techniques. So, he wasn''t entirely confident, but in this situation, this was still better than nothing.


    While he was reflecting, Lei Lei, with a dry voice, said, "Hei, please, let''s go inside. I know what you''re thinking, but if there are injured people, then I have to help them. I''m also worried about my father. I don''t want to lose him too."


    Hearing her expressing her desire to go inside, Hei took a deep breath before replying. "All right, but whatever happens, you have to remember to do as I tell you. I promise I will protect you at any cost, and I will save both your father and the other villagers. Xing, Ye, get ready to go hunting. The preys of this hunting session will be quite dangerous, so pay close attention and don''t hesitate. "


    Ye and Xing lightly pulled Hei''s hair to say they had understood. All those flames had scared them a little, but they still resolved themselves. Although they weren''t as well seen in the village as Hei, they were still welcomed and treated with kindness by Lei Bai and Lei Lei. Their mother had taught them always to repay their debts, whether it was with compassion or violence, so they couldn''t hold back now.


    At that moment, Hei started running again, entering the sea of flames. Fortunately, there were empty spaces between the fire; otherwise it would have been practically impossible to come inside.


    Inside, the scene was even more surreal than outside. The burning houses were emitting creaks while the wood was contracting itself and collapsing. The streets were stained with crimson blood, and here and there you could see some corpses lying on the ground.


    At that sight, Lei Lei came down from Hei''s back to vomit from the disgust on the ground. Hei approached her while looking at her with a worried expression.


    "I''m fine. It''s nothing. Really. Let''s continue." Lei Lei replied as she stood up. Her face had turned to a white ash color, and she was shaking everywhere. Nevertheless, she resolved herself to go forward and to examine the bodies to see if they were already dead or they were alive.


    Hei followed her closely, worried that she might feel sick again. As for Hei, although it was the first time he saw a human corpse, he wasn''t so upset that he couldn''t continue.


    It must be clarified that this wasn''t because Hei was insensitive. Instead, he found sadness for all this destruction and for those who had died. However, it must be remembered that a spirit beast had raised him. So, the weight of an animal or spirit beast''s life, in his eyes, was the same as a human life.


    This differed entirely from the concept of human superiority, which put human beings first, even at the expense of other creatures.


    Therefore, since he had killed many animals over the years and witnessed their carcasses, Hei wouldn''t be so impressed to see the body of a person.


    Fortunately, after several minutes as they advanced, Hei and Lei Lei were able to find several children still alive, hidden in a corner with tears in their eyes as they did everything they could to remain silent.


    Lei Lei, seeing them, immediately ran towards them, and, once the children recognized her, they burst into tears again on her lap.


    "It''s okay, everything''s fine. Don''t be afraid, now your big sister and big brother are here, okay? Tell me what happened. "


    "They... they... sob... they came suddenly... they were so many. They did bad things to those they saw and started burning houses... Dad said to take my little brothers and hide somewhere. I don''t know where my parents are. I want my mother and my father boo-hoo ... " replied the oldest of them, who was more or less 7-8 years old. In their eyes, you could see the fear and the sadness they felt.


    "Lei, listen to me carefully. I want you to take these children and find a safe place nearby. I''ll go to check out the situation, all right?. "


    "Hei, what?! No! It''s too dangerous for you to go alone, you''ll get killed. "


    "No, on the contrary. If I am alone, I will have more chances to get out alive. At the moment, the children are scared, and taking them with us would be only a risk. You''re a doctor, aren''t you? Then your job is to help those in need. Leave the rest to me, okay? "


    "Okay, but come back safe and sound. All right? "At that point, Lei Lei took the children and started to look for a house that wasn''t set on fire where to hide temporarily. Hei, meanwhile, got on all fours, ready to run at his real maximum speed.


    Normally, Hei would run on his two legs so that his hands were free to grab his spear. However, his fastest method of running was the four-legged one that he would usually use to approach the prey.


    Together with his two little sisters, he headed towards the center of the square. That place was devoid of houses, except for that of the village chief. So, it was more likely to host the inhabitants.


    On the way, he suddenly discovered a man dressed in black who was checking a still intact house while waving his sword, which was slightly stained with blood.


    "Where are you? Where are you hiding? Do you want to play hide and seek? Where did you disgusting brats?!" the man said as he tore a wooden door to pieces.


    From the words, he was saying and his tone of voice, Hei realized that he was one of the people responsible for this whole incident. His eyes suddenly turned cold and dull as if they had lost their light. Then, with his two hands, he lightly stroked his two little sisters to tell them to get ready.


    At that point, taking advantage of the fact that the man was busy bawling and breaking things noisily, Hei arrived behind him. With a silent leap, he charged towards the man who was soon taken aback for a moment. But that moment was all Hei needed.


    Since he hadn''t placed all his weight in the jump, Hei remained attached on the back of the man who staggered a few steps due to the sudden collision. Then, he put his right arm around the enemy''s neck as his left hand passed behind the man''s head to go to Hei''s right shoulder. The legs instead formed a pincer around the enemy''s waist as Hei''s feet were positioned halfway up the forearms of the armed man to prevent him from using his arms.


    ''Snake Bind, Form 1'' One of the submission techniques learned from Bao Bei.


    It should be known that for the future of Hei, Bao Bei had spent a lot of time, especially when he was still a child, in creating a series of combat moves. Animals and spirit beasts didn''t need them, but it didn''t mean they couldn''t understand human fighting styles, especially those that had fought against humans before.


    Thus, Bao Bei had devised what she called Snake Style and Spider Style. These styles were designed using the movements of snakes and spiders as a model. Hei''s four-legged gait was part of the Spider Style while the submissive move was part of the Snake Style.


    However, Hei''s offensive didn''t consist only in this move. Xing and Ye, who were above his head, moved to the enemy''s and then went down his face.


    Seeing a snake and a spider, the man''s eyes opened wide with fear as he tried to wriggle away. By instinct, he decided to activate his spirit power to avoid the worst. But at that moment, a piercing pain flow inside his body, making him lose his grip on his sword.


    Xing and Ye had pierced the eyes of the man, making him blind. Xing stabbed his right eye with one of her legs as Ye used her fangs to break the left one in half. Then, they pushed their way deeper as Hei increased the pressure on his neck. In a short time, the man collapsed to the ground. He died without being able to scream for help due to the strangulation.


    Once confirmed he was dead, Hei let go of the man''s neck as he held out his left hand on his face to take back Xing and Ye who were dirty all over with blood, and momentarily placed them on the ground. Then he examined the corpse of the newly killed man without being too impressed by the pitiful state of the face.


    "Black suits, armed with a sword. There is also a set of knives on his waist. From how he was moving before, was he activating his spirit power? So if he can use it, even his companions can. The question is, is he one of the commanders or just an ordinary member. If he was only a regular member, what is the level of the leader? "


    As he was reflecting to himself, he suddenly heard something that made him shiver in the back. Footsteps had stopped behind him as a fellow of the newly killed man looked stunned towards Hei. He was incredulous at what he was seeing and wondered if he was dreaming or not. Then, noticing that it was too realistic to be a dream, he drew his sword as he said. "Bastard, what the f*ck did you do?! Now I''ll kill you, you filthy son of a b*tch!!!"


    Hei immediately ran to take the weapon of the newly killed enemy, and then take a defensive stance. He had never used a sword. However, since it had similarities with the knife, he vaguely sensed how he had to move to use the weapon. In the meantime, he snapped his tongue to tell Hei and Xing not to intervene yet.


    The newly arrived enemy charged madly against Hei, blinded by the anger for the loss of his friend while from his body came out a faint white aura that went to enhance his attack. Hei used the newly picked sword to block the enemy blow directed towards his head.


    The impact, however, was more massive than what he had expected, and his arms began to ache due to the pressure they were receiving. To avoid succumbing there, he raised his feet and jumped to the left as the enemy sword hit the ground. Hei had jumped to the left so he could move forward and land a blow to the face. Although he didn''t know how the spirit power worked, he knew that the head, especially the eyes, were rather delicate points.


    Unfortunately, the enemy demonstrated his experience by following with a horizontal slash at the height of Hei''s waist. Despite being pissed off, the multiple battles helped him to react instinctively.


    Hei could, therefore, only receive the blow completely using the sword to parry. The impact was even stronger than the previous one, and Hei''s sword began to give signs of collapse. Without a weapon, he would have no chance of surviving, or so the enemy thought.


    Indeed, in an unknown moment, Ye and Xing had climbed on the man''s shoulders, too concentrated to rage against Hei to notice two small animals climbing over him, considering that the two of them weren''t so heavy despite the amount of food they ate. Without hesitation, the two of them charged towards the man''s ears to pierce the auditory channels. Xing used one of her legs again while Ye used her tail instead.


    Although he was using his spirit power, the man hadn''t reached a level where he could strengthen delicate parts like eyes or the inside of his ears. Then, when his eardrums were pierced, he felt a sharp pain that made him lose his concentration momentarily.


    Hei, who was just waiting for this moment, jumped up and placed his right foot at the wrists of the enemy''s arms that held his sword. Unlike before, this adversary hadn''t dropped his weapon due to the pain. So, he kicked them down with the right foot to prevent him from using his sword or his arms for a moment; then, with the left arm, he pointed the tip of his sword on the right eye of the man dressed in black. The blade penetrated the eye and continued to the brain where it got stuck.


    In this way, even the second enemy was dead, and Hei fell to the ground gasping for air. His arms were hurting, and the two battles in succession had taken away a lot of his energy.


    "Fortunately, I have my two little sisters with me. Otherwise, I don''t know what I would have done. "


    "Ehehehe, since we were so good, then you''d have to buy us a lot of beer, okay?" Ye replied as she waved her tail excitedly.


    Xing, on the other hand, uttered a cry to argue, "But I don''t want a beer, I want red wine. I like that!"


    "All right, all right. When it is all over, I''ll buy the two of you whatever you want. But remember that the last word is up to mother." Hei said as he stroked them.


    Although it wasn''t an appropriate speech in such a situation, precisely because it was stupid that it was able to calm Hei''s heart from the tumult of emotions that were assailing him. After all, if he hadn''t had Ye and Xing, he would have certainly been dead.


    "Now, it''s time to continue again. We aren''t too far from the village plaza; I don''t know why, but I feel that the inhabitants are certainly there."

 Chapter 15 - Awakening

    Hei got up from the ground after recovering a bit from the two previous fights. Although he felt pain in his arms, it was still at a bearable level, and it didn''t prevent him from moving and fighting.


    Before continuing, he began to rummage the body of the second man. On this one, he found other knives that he put together with those he found on the first corpse.


    These were small knives, used mainly to be thrown out quickly as a diversion or to catch the opponent by surprise. To help the throwing, they were attached to a leather belt on the waist so that the user could stretch their arms and be able to throw them immediately.


    Hei, therefore, took one of these belts, and, as he felt uncomfortable with this on his waist, he fixed it on the upper part of his body with the knives positioned diagonally on his chest. There are a total of 7 knives, which Hei hoped they could prove themselves useful.


    In addition to the knives, he changed his sword with the other one used by the second man, as the first one he had taken was now about to split. After this, he set off again.


    Fortunately, he didn''t encounter other enemies along the way, and he arrived at his destination.


    Once he arrived, he hid in a corner, and from there, he could see the surviving inhabitants sitting on the ground, huddled towards the house of the village chief and the square. The stage and the various tables for the festival had been destroyed to have more space.


    Around them, there was a myriad of men dressed in dark clothes with weapons of various types in their hands. Approximately, there are only a hundred of them on the square, but it was likely that their number was higher since they could rapidly subdue the village


    The villagers amounted to about a thousand people, but considering that most of them consisted of women, children, and the elderly, their fighting strength was far less. Moreover, not all the men were fighters, and most of them find it hard to stand up due to alcohol.


    There was a high risk of sending all the helpless to their deaths. Besides, they weren''t in conditions to fight and didn''t have weapons with them. So, in the end, they couldn''t do anything but accept for the moment such a situation. This was also because the assailants appeared not to have the intention of exterminating them at the moment.


    The only thing they could hope for was that someone traveling there would see the smoke and alert the Leaf City so that they could send a rescue team. Alternatively, that an expert would come to save them, but they didn''t hope too much for this as it is unthinkable for them that someone able to kill all these bandits would walk around nearby at this moment.


    Yes, these men were bandits. They were part of a group called Blades of Slaughter. It was a group founded long ago, but that had acquired more and more power during the last decade.


    You have to know that the Rainbow Island was divided into three kingdoms: Lake Kingdom, Mountain Kingdom, and Forest Kingdom. Leaf City and Leaf Village were located in the Leaf Region, one of the regions that composed the Forest Kingdom


    The Blades of Slaughter''s leader was called Little Blade and was the younger brother of the bandit chief who had assaulted a group of merchants twelve years ago but ended as a victim of a spirit beast that took a baby unbeknownst to anyone.


    Overwhelmed by the pain of the loss, he began to look for clues on the incident, only to discover there wasn''t an actual culprit. The local authorities declared that the culprit for that incident was a spirit beast. But since the carcass of the creature had never been shown in the city, it was difficult to believe. Even the possibility that it had been a traveling expert was hardly credible; after all, if he had really been a human, he would alert the authorities or at least burn or bury the bodies.


    Since the Forest Kingdom King chose the lord of Leaf City among the city''s most influential families, it was assumed that there were power games. Little Blade came to the conclusion that his brother had been killed in that way to make it pass like a severe accident caused by a spirit beast and thus shake the reputation of the family in charge of the city or perhaps it had been orchestrated by the same family in charge to prove they were still able to fix the problems and protect the territory assigned to them by the king.


    Infuriated that his brother had died from others'' power games, Little Blade decided he would get revenge. Thus in 12 years, he incorporated the various scattered groups of bandits forming an actual military force of 500 men. His goal was to take revenge on the real perpetrators, but since 500 men were still too few to directly assault a city, he decided to use the Leaf Village as an exchange pawn with the Leaf City.


    Regardless of whether they would accept or not his requests, the prominent families in the city would suffer a severe blow in their power and prestige.


    For this reason, he had expressly ordered not to kill the inhabitants for the time being. Except for the first who had fallen during the attack, serving as an example in case they wanted to rebel.


    On seeing this scene, Hei''s heart was calm, and he remained in his hiding place to carefully observe to formulate an action plan. During his hunting training, Hei had learned how to be patient and analyze the situation, waiting for the prey to make a false step before jumping against it.


    After all, charge directly against so many enemies would be stupid. He knew the limits of his abilities, and he would never do such a thing unless he was confident in his means or had been forced to act accordingly.


    Unfortunately, the situation didn''t develop the way he wanted. Soon, he could hear the cries of a woman being dragged along on the ground with the cries of various children. When he saw who it was, Hei''s blood froze completely.


    It was Lei Lei, the one who was being pulled by the hair by one of the bandits while trying to free herself from the grip. Blood was coming out of her mouth, a sign that she had been hit, and her new dress had become completely dirty. Even the children who were with her were being dragged in the same way by the other bandits.


    "Lei! Bastards! What the f*ck did you do to her?! I''ll kill you!!! "


    A man rose from the village people sitting on the ground. It was Lei Bai, Lei Lei''s father. He had kept his cool at first because he knew his daughter was outside the village with Hei and must have escaped the danger. However, seeing her wounded and treated that way, his blood boiled. At the same time, a murderous fury began to form against those who had harmed his daughter.


    With a sprint, he headed towards Lei Lei''s position as he charged against the man who was pulling her hair. But, after doing a few meters, he felt something mighty hit his side, sending him flying several meters while he landed sprawled on the ground.


    "Dad!! No! Please, answer- " She began to scream. However, she received a punch in her face from the man who was carrying her, fainting due to the blow.


    "Pieces of sh*t, didn''t I tell you to stand guard?! Why the f*ck could he run there? If you don''t want to be beaten to death, do as I tell you." A man with an imposing appearance said. He was six feet tall with short black hair. His eyes were small, but they still contained a sharpness that seemed to be able to peer into people. From the attitude that the other bandits had towards him, it appeared that he was the elusive leader who had brought them together.


    Turning to the man who was carrying Lei Lei, he said while pointing at Bai, "Take that man over there and put him together with the others." Turning then to ask another of his subordinates, "There is no news from the troops outside yet, right? Remember to report if there is any news immediately."


    To avoid being caught off guard, he had sent most of his men out of the village. In that way, they could report if there were any movements nearby. Fortunately, Hei and Lei Lei had entered a side not yet covered by their surveillance, and for this reason, they were able to enter without being seen.


    After witnessing all this, Hei could no longer hold his heart in turmoil. Although he was very calm and rational, he became very passionate and emotional when it came to people who were dear to him. Lei Lei and Lei Bai had become part of those people and seeing them treated that way, a rage that had never existed before, exploded in his heart.


    With determination, he removed his belt of knives and threw away the sword. He took only a single knife that he hid on the sleeve of his robe. Then he stepped out of his hiding place into the square, towards the man who was approaching Lei Bai''s body as he was carrying Lei Lei.


    The sound of footsteps immediately alerted the approaching bandit as well as his companions. Seeing that it was just an unarmed young man, his heart relaxed. "Brat, where did you hide all this time? I advise you not to make a wrong move if you don''t want to be hurt."


    Then, he approached Hei to take him and bring him along with the others. But it was at this moment, while the bandit took him by the shoulder to pull him, that Hei quickly brought his left hand to the throat of the bandit and stuck the blade of the knife into the flesh. Then with a horizontal movement, he widened the wound inflicted while the bandit slumped to the ground.


    However, Hei hadn''t yet calmed his anger; with extreme readiness, he pulled the sword tied to the waist of the bandit, and with that, he stabbed him in the chest seven times.


    All this happened under the stunned gazes of the other bandits. They were incredulous that something like this had happened before their eyes. Shortly after that, they came to their senses and unsheathed their weapons. They wanted to tear that little boy who had dared to do such an insult to them. But they were suddenly blocked by the leader.


    "Everyone stop. You have your orders to execute, don''t forget it. I''ll take care of that kid." Then turning to Hei, he said, "I don''t know where you came out shitty brat, but you have really f*cked yourself up. If you think you can run away after taking out one of my men, you''re very wrong. But don''t even expect it to end soon. This will be a slow torture, and when I finish, I will expose your corpse so that those as*holes in Leaf CIty can understand what it means to go against me."


    Hei remained silent all the time, giving just a brief look at Lei Lei to see how she was. He then prepared for the upcoming fight. His whole body was giving him signals that this man was dangerous and that he had to flee, but he couldn''t do such a thing. He couldn''t abandon Lei and Lei Bai.


    Ignoring the warnings from his instinct, he charged towards the bandit chief while trying a lunge to the chest. Little Blade parried it, deflecting Hei''s blade with ease and replied with the same move, but Hei had already moved with a somersault on the ground. While performing this move, his right hand picked up a handful of earth in his palm, and he threw it to the bandit''s face.


    Little Blade, irritated by this move, used his free hand to cover his eyes. But in that way, he exposed an opening that Hei used to strike again. However, his blade didn''t hit the mark.


    A few centimeters from the flesh, a stronger aura than the one used by the other bandits before had formed around the chief''s body, and this aura blocked the blade of Hei''s sword. To this, the bandit chief smiled, and with a movement of his leg, he kicked Hei''s stomach, causing him to fly a few meters. Hei spat blood as he collapsed on the floor, gasping. The kick was powerful, and if it weren''t for the protection offered by his mother''s resistant silk, his ribs would no doubt have been broken.


    "Uhmm... you''re stronger than it looks. Not bad, it''s a shame to kill you, someone like you would have been handy. "


    Seeing him approaching, Xing and Ye came out of Hei''s body. Suddenly they began to emit loud noises, and their bodies began to glow slightly. Then they charged at full speed against the enemy. The bandit leader was a little struck that a spider and a snake had come out of the body of the boy he had just laid down, but he quickly recomposed himself. With a few quick fists, he sent Xing and Ye flying to their big brother.


    The blow they received was violent: Xing''s exoskeleton was cracked while Ye lost part of her scales. Seeing his two little sisters being brutally beaten that way, Hei lost his mind.


    Again in the throes of a murderous impetus, regardless of his condition, he stood up from the ground. His body began to emit a slight aura that amazed the enemy.


    "Spirit power awakening?! Do you seem to be 14-15 years old from your appearance, is it possible that you awakened it so early? "


    Astonishment was evident in Little Blade''s eyes. This was because, on Rainbow Island, those with an average talent awakened their spirit power between the ages of 18-20. Only the big sects possessed geniuses capable of awakening it at 14-15 years.


    ''If he has that age, then does he belong to some big set? And if so, does he have an escort of some kind nearby? ''


    Such were the thoughts that were going through Little Blade''s mind. After all, geniuses of that caliber weren''t left unattended, but they were bred with care and often had an escort with them.


    However, Little Blade didn''t have too much time to think about it. Hei pounced on him without worrying about the consequences, concentrating only on tearing the piece of sh*t that had hurt his two little sisters.


    Seeing him arrive, Little Blade dodged the attack moving sideways, but he didn''t proceed to attack. He was still on alert in case anyone arrived. But this hypothetical escort had yet to appear. This left Little Blade perplexed because he didn''t understand why he hadn''t shown himself.


    Finally, he decided to stop thinking about it. It didn''t matter if the boy was part of some big sect or if someone would arrive, once he killed all the witnesses, what should he have to fear? So, with his sword ready, he prepared to receive Hei''s charge and cut his head in two.


    ***


    Outskirts of the Multicolored Leaf Forest


    Bao Bei woke up suddenly as she looked around, disoriented.


    "How many hours have passed? Damn it; lately, my life energy is decreasing more and more. I struggle to stay awake for long periods and my periods of sleep get longer and longer. I don''t have much time left. "


    Although her lethargy had slowed her metabolisms, making her capable of living until today, that mechanism didn''t stop the time, and her body would age anyway. As a result, she had aged a great deal during her hibernation period, and when she resumed her functions actively, the effects of this aging became more and more evident.


    It was also for this reason that she had allowed to reduce the training of her children and let them go to the village more often. She didn''t want to be seen in that state by them and make them worry.


    As she moved her legs a little to wake up, Bao Bei used her spirit power to monitor the area and control the situation with Hei, Ye, and Xing.


    What she discovered made her blood run cold. She realized that there were hundreds of foreign presences outside the village and that there was a smell of blood and smoke. She also discovered the presence of her children. But they had something different, all three of them had awakened their spirit power.


    Noticing this, a mad fear gripped her heart. Then Bao Bei left the forest without hesitation to head to the village to see how her children were.

 Chapter 16 - The Fury of a Mother

    With the blood coming to his head, obfuscating his judgment, Hei pounced toward Little Blade while emitting a wild scream. He wanted to tear apart every single piece of his enemy''s body.


    However, while he was running, Xing, from the position she was, threw one of her spiderwebs towards Hei''s ankles. Although it wasn''t strong enough to lock him in place, that move was enough to make Hei fall on the ground, letting him avoid the sword that otherwise would have cut his head in half.


    Seeing this, Little Blade was surprised. He didn''t expect the boy in front of him to remain alive in this attack. Or the spider to save his master that had lost his reason.


    But that did nothing but postpone the inevitable. Little Blade wouldn''t let Hei escape, not only because of the risk that he was part of a big sect but also because of his potential. A kid with a talent like that would be a dangerous enemy in the future if he grew up and learned how to use spirit power. He might as well uproot the roots in this way now that his fangs were yet to develop.


    With slow steps, he approached Hei, who was still motionless on the ground. The fall had made him regain his reason. The adrenaline that was fueling his body until now was fading away. That created a moment of exhaustion in which it was difficult for Hei to move.


    Little Blade looked into Hei''s eyes and, how his brother did with his mother, he prepared to cut the throat of the son, finishing unknowingly the cycle that united their families.


    But as the blade was about to fall, a sudden shiver ran down his back, paralyzing him. Unconsciously, he shifted his eyes where he felt the thing that was giving him such a thrill could be found. Looking up, what he saw was a creepy sight.


    In the air, where Hei and Little Blade were, there was a large spider about 1 meter in size, with its eight eyes looking downwards. These were concentrated on three different points, and when they saw the conditions of Hei, Xing, and Ye, Lei Bai trembled slightly. Not because she was scared or anything but because she was in a rage.


    Suddenly, it could be heard the sound of something cracking, no, it was the air that was forming friction sounds like it would crumble at moments. Then an immense pressure descended on the bandits in the square and outside the village. There became paralyzed on the spot.


    The villagers who weren''t directly victims of that pressure, were still on their knees trying to breathe slowly. For people without spirit power, it was dangerous to be subjected, even passively, to a mighty spirit power as the ripples of that could cause severe injuries on their bodies.


    In Leaf City, various high-level martial artists lifted their heads at the same time. Unconsciously, although their perception didn''t arrive that far, they could still feel that someone very powerful was about to unleash his power.


    Seeing the big spider, Little Blade, as his brother 12 years ago, only managed to mumble some words, "High-grade spirit beast, then it was true-"


    But it was unable to say anything else because suddenly he felt something crawling near his feet. After looking down, his blood froze at the sight of what he saw: hundreds and hundreds of little spider were climbing his legs, going up on his body


    Panicked, he began to take them off with his hands, but there were too many spiders. He tried a roll on the ground. However, this did nothing but facilitate the small animals that had reached the neck.


    With resolution, Little Blade tried to use his spirit power to drive them away, but even that didn''t work. In desperation, he also scratched his face and throat in an attempt to drive them away. Soon blood started coming out of his neck because of his nails that went deeper and deeper into the flesh, but he didn''t seem to care much about it. His only concern at the moment was to kill these lousy spiders.


    He wasn''t the only one squirming on the ground in terror. Even the bandits in the square, as well as all the others outside the village, were in the same conditions. All of them went so far to self-harm themselves to get rid of those infernal creatures.


    As they witnessed this, the villagers were both terrified and disoriented. The pressure on them had abruptly diminished, and they could now move if they wanted, but none of them did. They were all witnessing with horror at the sight in front of them. The bandits had suddenly slumped to the ground for some reason. After that, they began scratching themselves, even going so far as to pierce the flesh on the neck and face. They were overwhelmed by the shock, and they couldn''t understand the reason for their actions.


    It must be known that the spiders that suddenly appeared weren''t real spiders. Everything the bandits thought was happening, was happening in their minds. This was, in fact, an illusion created by Bao Bei, who, in her anger, decided to make them pay hard for how they had beaten her children. For this reason, she chose this illusion: in this way, she would have caused despair in their hearts, causing them to commit suicide to end the nightmare they were experiencing.


    Meanwhile, in an unknown time, Lei Bai had awakened from fainting. The kick was heavy, but he could still move, though with difficulty. Fortunately, the bandit leader hadn''t attacked him intending to kill him, but he had thrown a kick casually.


    In small steps, he approached Lei Lei to examine her conditions carefully. On her face, there was a large bruise due to the hit received, but she didn''t seem to be seriously injured. Relieved that she was all right, he looked up at the big spider who had descended to Hei while carrying Xing and Ye on her legs.


    This spider was carefully touching them with its legs, moving their bodies to examine their wounds. From the delicate way in which it was moving its legs, it didn''t seem to be the ferocious creature of before. The one descended so suddenly into the middle of the night. Especially while considering that the bandits were still shaking on the ground while emitting inhuman rales because of self-harm.


    The way it was behaving, more than a spirit beast, was like a mother examining anxiously if her children were all right.


    ''Mother? ... Mother?! Could-?!'' Lei Bai, after seeing that scene, came up with an impossible hypothesis, but this impossibility was now being shown before his eyes.


    The elusive mother he hadn''t met even once during all these years.


    The clothes made with that strange silk that couldn''t be found anywhere nearby and Hei''s peculiar behavior regarding human customs.


    Ye and Xing, those two little spirit beasts who had a high intelligence and obeyed Hei without having formed a spirit pact.


    All of a sudden, the various pieces of the puzzle connected, and Lei Bai finally came to formulate the impossible hypothesis that appeared more like an absolute truth at this time.


    ''His mother is a spirit beast. He was raised from an early age by a spirit beast; that''s why he considered Xing and Ye to be his sisters, they really were so. So when he said he was going home, he meant the heart of the forest?!''


    Noticing his gaze fixed on her, Bao Bei shifted her eyes towards Lei Bai, who was startled by that while he was about to be engulfed by fear. Then she started moving towards Lei Bai, her son''s master, as she carried her children on her front legs.


    ''Stay calm. I''m not going to hurt you.''


    An unfamiliar voice appeared in Lei Bai''s mind that he immediately forgot his fear. Because whoever had spoken was none other than the big spider who was approaching him.


    ''You are Lei Bai, Hei''s master. Although this is the first time we see each other, I know you because of the many stories my son told me. I wanted to thank both you and your daughter for all that you did, not only for Hei but also for my little ones, Ye and Xing.''


    Lei Bai was speechless. From such a beast, he would have expected anything but words so cordial and respectful. But it was another thing that caught his attention. The expression ''my son'' used by the spider. This confirmed the hypothesis that a spirit beast had raised Hei as its son.


    "T-there is no need to thank me. Hei has done so much for me, and he is also my student. Ye and Xing were also very helpful, and they brought a lot of happiness to my daughter. Welcoming them was the least I could do to repay all they did, especially for Lei Lei. "


    After he had said this, he gently rubbed his daughter''s face. He had taken a significant risk this time; he could have died before and left Lei Lei alone, or worse, he could have lost her while having to live alone. He had promised his wife that he would protect their daughter, but he had failed to do so. Fortunately, Hei''s mother had come to save them from that desperate situation.


    "I ... I want to thank you very much for what you did. If it weren''t for you, I would have lost the most precious thing left to me in this world. If I had lost Lei Lei, I don''t know what I would have done. After all, my daughter is the only reason left for living. No, in these recent years, I have had another one: to see Hei rise to the pinnacle of this world. As a teacher, there is nothing more comforting than seeing your pupil reach the top with the techniques taught to him. Although in this case, I doubt that my techniques can be handy. "


    ''You''re wrong, you''ve taught my children so many useful things. I''m sure these techniques will be indispensable for their future. The same goes for your daughter. That''s why I have a gift for you.''


    Having said this, Bao Bei placed her children on the ground, and then she carried one of her legs towards her mouth. At that moment, a small ripple was created in space. From there, a big sack then came out that she handed to Lei Bai.


    "T-this ... how is it possible. A pocket dimension?! I read that such things were possible, but they were described in the books about the old era, how is it possible that-? "


    ''How I did doesn''t matter. What you have to be concerned about is the content of this bag. There, you could find the spirit core of the spirit beasts I killed during these years. Although being of low grade, their value is, however, more than enough to repair your village and help the various families that are victims of this tragedy. They should also make enough money to send your daughter to a school for doctors in the Leaf City. I ask you not to refuse, not only because I would find it rude, but above all, for your daughter. The task of a parent is to protect and guarantee the future of their children, even at the expense of their pride and their life. You know this concept well, so I ask you again not to refuse. Also, because, after all, all this is partly my fault.''


    To this, Lei Bai could do nothing but accept. That money was beneficial now more than ever. Although Leaf City would sent aid, they would certainly not pay all the necessary expenses out of their pockets. And the villagers had to work anyway, so it would become challenging to make a quick reconstruction of the village. However, with these spirit cores, the story was different.


    The term spirit core referred to a concentrated sphere of spirit power found in spirit beasts. These varied according to the level of the killed spirit beast, and they could be used in multiple ways: alchemy, creation of formations, or directly applied to enhance one''s cultivation. Therefore their market price, even for low-grade ones, was high in the eyes of ordinary people.


    ''I advise you also to collect the weapons and other objects of the bandits. Although they aren''t of great quality, those things can still be sold for a fair amount.''


    "We can''t. You killed those bandits. We can''t take their weapons. They belong to you. "


    ''Their leader is more than enough. The others are just useless weights. I am also doing this because I want to ask you to say nothing to those who will come to investigate. This incident cannot be hidden even if I make all the bodies disappear, so I ask you, at least, not to reveal what you know about Hei. You know the consequences if you reveal his origin, don''t you?''


    Bao Bei said in a harsh tone as she took the corpse of the leader in her pocket dimension. Although she didn''t want to use that tone of voice, she used it instinctively when it came to the safety of her children.


    "Yes, I understand perfectly. Don''t worry; I could never reveal anything that could harm Hei after all that you did for us. I guess this is goodbye then. I honestly knew that this day would come, but I thought it was still quite far. However, I imagine that with Hei''s talent, there was something to expect. I wish you a good trip then, Hei. That your road can take you wherever you want to go and that you can realize all your dreams. If my techniques are useful to you one day, then it will be the greatest reward for me."


    After those words, Lei Bai bowed his head in gratitude, but he was stopped by a vigorous hand.


    "You mustn''t, Master. I am not worthy of accepting your bow. I couldn''t protect Lei Lei as I should have. But I will become stronger so that something like that won''t happen again. Thank you for everything you have taught me. I also want you to tell Lei Lei that I am sorry for everything. Tell her to follow her path and her dreams; that she is an extraordinary woman and that she deserves only the best. If the future allows it, maybe one day we will meet again, but in the meantime, tell her to go ahead with her life without expecting me. Tell her that I will never forget her, NEVER."


    Hei, who had struggled to communicate his message, fainted and fell between the legs of Bao Bei, who also took Xing and Ye. With a nod of her head to Lei Bai, she vanished into the darkness of the night while the last bandits finished took their lives, ending this hellish nightmare.

 Chapter 17 - End of the Dream

    Bao Bei arrived in no time at all in their spider web den, inside the Multicolor Leaf Forest. For her, traveling this distance was child''s play.


    When she entered, she carefully put Hei, Xing, and Ye to the ground while they were still unconscious due to the exhaustion and the turmoil of emotions received this night. All three of them were also breathing heavily due to their injuries. While not life-threatening, the injuries received weren''t at all light.


    At this point, Bao Bei sank to the ground while inwardly sighed with relief. Her anger had subsided, but now she was in the grip of a mad fear never felt before.


    Although she had managed to save them in the end, she had run the risk of losing her children forever, even though she had promised to protect them.


    Despite all her preparations for every possible situation, due to a moment of fatigue and inattention, she had almost lost the only reasons of life left to her.


    If she really lost them, what would she do? What would she have left? What reason would she have to stay alive?


    Probably she would take revenge by scattering death and destruction everywhere until she would be killed by someone or would simply run out of power like a candle that eventually goes out after being wholly consumed.


    However, the sight of her three cubs managed to calm her down after a while.


    ''It''s okay. Nothing is lost yet. This time I took a big risk, but it won''t happen again, I won''t let my cubs fall into such danger while I''m still alive.'' Bao Bei promised to herself as she began to think about how to act from now on.


    The massacre that occurred was too big compared to the previous incident. It was probable that Leaf City would mobilize all its strength, no, perhaps the army of the Forest Kingdom would come personally. They would surely investigate the surroundings and push themselves into the heart of the forest. So staying there was no longer an option.


    They had to leave the house that she had built personally and that for 12 years had hosted her family, guaranteeing them a sweet harmony and a safe place to rest.


    With a broken heart, she began to collect the spider web that made the house. After a while, it came down, and Bao Bei started making the spider web into thin pieces, scattering the fragments in the night wind.


    Thus, there remained no trace of their beautiful home in the heart of the forest. Only three small bodies huddled on the ground, and the various crudely made objects gave some clue that there was something there before, but soon after, those objects also disappeared entering the pocket dimension of Bao Bei.


    At that point, only Hei, Xing, and Ye remained while they were still asleep. Lifting them gently, Bao Bei then prepared to leave the place that she had called home for 12 years.


    ***


    Leaf Village, Nightmare of the Massacre''s aftermaths


    Nightmare of the Massacre, so it was called the incident that had involved the villagers of Leaf Village and a large group of bandits famous throughout the kingdom.


    The forces of the nearby Leaf City had set out on the night of the massacre after noticing intense undulations of spirit power. Since it was their duty to protect the surrounding territory in the king''s place, the family in charge of the city immediately sent various units that arrived in the morning at dawn.


    Upon their arrival, what they discovered was a gruesome sight. Hundreds and hundreds of men had killed themselves by digging the flesh on their necks and faces with their own nails. There was no doubt that they had suffered long before they took their last breath. There were some corpses dead by swords'' strikes or burnt by the flames, but they were a more ordinary sight than the spectacle offered by the body of the bandits.


    With the stench that permeated those bodies, they made their way into the now almost wholly destroyed village, coming finally to the square. There, they discovered the survivors who were much more numerous than what the soldiers expected in the first place. Indeed, after seeing the condition of the bodies outside, they thought that there would be an even more obscene and disgusting spectacle inside. So they started questioning the inhabitants about what had happened.


    What they discovered caused them to remain dumbfounded: they didn''t know if the inhabitants were serious or were making fun of them. But since each of the respondents replied with the same version, unless it was a mass joke, they had to conclude that it was the truth. Furthermore, there were the bandits'' corpses to verify that story. The various soldiers present, therefore, immediately reported alerting Leaf City.


    As Bao Bei predicted, this incident would then make its way around the entire kingdom, alerting the capital that it would later invite their forces to sift the surroundings and the interior of the forest finding nothing but that could match the description of the beast.


    Later, the spider would become a sacred animal revered by those who lived in the villages to protect them from the assaults of those who came to damage their homes.


    ***


    Village Chief''s house, Leaf Village


    Immediately after Bao Bei had left, Lei Bai had gathered the village chief, and the most authoritative exponents still alive. While causing absolute bewilderment because of the request for an immediate meeting, they accepted because they had seen Bai talk to the spider who had come to save them and wanted to ask him about it.


    Bao Bai, therefore, began to tell him that Hei was indeed the son of a great expert beast tamer and that spider was none other than the spirit beast of Hei''s father. However, Hei''s father didn''t like being seen, so he only sent his spirit beast to clean the bandits up. Since they didn''t personally know powerful people with whom to make a comparison, they concluded that it was nothing strange that behavior.


    Although Bao Bei had told him not to reveal Hei''s origins, she implicitly told him to find a plausible excuse to explain this story to the inhabitants. Lei Bai, who was a discerning person, understood immediately and formulated this story using the same theories already possessed by the inhabitants.


    Then he added that Hei''s father had given them a purse with spirit cores to sell to get funds for rebuilding the village. At that news, those present burst into tears of joy as they had thought they would have to face months and months of difficulty to recover.


    However, Lei Bai revealed to them the condition for which they had been given a similar grace: they shouldn''t mention anything about Hei and his elusive father; they should only say that it was the work of a spirit beast that had then vanished into thin air.


    The inhabitants were a little struck by the condition but accepted without problems: running into the wrath of an expert who could tame such a beast was suicide; only an idiot would do it. Moreover, if now they could have hopes to repair the village immediately, it was only thanks to this expert.


    Then Bao Bei also told them of the idea received to collect the weapons and various objects of the bandits. Although it was gruesome to rummage in corpses, it was also true that by doing so, they would have more money to compensate the families with victims in this tragedy. Therefore, the men with the strongest tempers took on this task while the others began to remove the rubble and extinguish the fire. The women and the elderly, on the other hand, started to help the injured ones and set up places to sleep near the square.


    Lei Bai for his contribution was excused from the various tasks and was sent to the village chief''s house to let Lei Lei rest inside. Her condition wasn''t severe, but it was better to sleep in a comfortable bed to recover immediately.


    Shortly before dawn and therefore the arrival of the forces of Leaf City, she woke up. At her side, she found her father sitting sleeping; he had remained close to her all night. With a pang of pain in her face, she touched it, thinking about what had happened as she looked around.


    Noticing her movements, Lei Bai awoke with a start. As soon as he saw her, he burst into tears of happiness and embraced her forcefully. It took several minutes before he calmed down and freed his daughter from his embrace.


    "Dad, stop, I''m fine. Instead, how are the others? What happened? And the bandits? Hei instead? Xing and Ye?"


    "It''s all right. It''s all over now. You don''t have to worry about it. Everything will be fine now. "


    At that point, Lei Bai told her daughter about what happened after they both passed out. Thanks to the other inhabitants'' stories, he had discovered how Hei had fought for them and how he had almost died. Knowing this, Lei Lei''s eyes burst into tears. In her mind, she could see Hei''s body being brutally beaten, and yet he would stand up to defend them.


    Lei Bai then went on with the arrival of Bao Bei and what happened next. Obviously, to his daughter, he didn''t omit anything, and he revealed everything to her, including Hei''s origins.


    Listening to this, she was surprised but then smiled as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Thus the mystery that enveloped Hei was finally revealed to her. But later, she became sad again, hearing the words of farewell he had left for her to his father.


    "Lei, are you all right? I know you are sad because of Hei- "


    "No, it''s okay. After all, I knew it would happen. It was only a matter of time. Don''t worry, I''m fine. I just need a little rest. You go out with the others; the village needs you. "


    "Are you sure? If you need me, you know that you come first. I almost risked losing you even though I swore to protect you. I don''t want anything bad to happen to you. "


    "I''m fine. Nothing will happen to me here. Other people need your help more than me now. "


    With a determined look, she finally convinced her father to go outside, and then, she burst into tears.


    The disgust at the corpses'' sight, the sadness at the burning houses'' sight, the fear of seeing her, and her father almost killed, knowing that Hei had fought for them, and he would no longer be there after having been with her for so many years. All this tumult of emotions exploded, flowing in the tears that ran down her cheeks.


    It took a long time before she could calm down. Her emotions had finally subsided, and she could, therefore, rethink the final words spoken by Hei.


    I''ll never forget you


    The promise she had asked him to make, but he hadn''t been able to do it in the grass area where the forget-me-nots were.


    Go ahead with your life


    Although it was easy in words, how could one go on with one''s life when one lost a loved one. Even if he wasn''t dead, who knows when she could see him again.


    With a resolute expression, however, she decided to respect Hei''s request as he had done with hers.


    ''All right. I will do as you wish, I will continue my studies and become a doctor. I will help the people in the village and those who need care. One day, who knows, maybe sooner than you think, I''ll see you again. That day I will show you how much I have grown and my progress. I hope you won''t get into trouble until then, and you''ll be fine.''


    With a silent promise at the dawn of the new day and her new life without Hei, Lei Lei prepared to travel the path she had chosen.


    ***


    An unknown forest somewhere in the territory of the Leaf Kingdom.


    After traveling a distance that she deemed sufficient for the moment, Bao Bei took refuge in a small forest nearby for a little break, waiting for her children to wake up.


    Fortunately, the Forest Kingdom hadn''t by chance this name: it had, in fact, a vast number of forests scattered throughout its territory.


    After building a temporary shelter, she crouched next to her still unconscious cubs. However, soon after, she got up because she noticed small noises coming from them. With great joy, she saw Hei open his eyes, followed by Ye and Xing shortly after that. Their bodies were still weak, so they remained lying on the ground.


    ''How are you? Don''t move; you haven''t recovered yet. It is better for now that you lie while resting.''


    "Lei Lei? Lei Bai? The inhabitants and the bandits? What happened, mother?"


    ''It''s okay, Hei, don''t worry. I saved the inhabitants and cleaned up the bandits. Lei Lei and Lei Bai are fine. You even talked to him before you fainted, don''t you remember?''


    ''Yeah... right. Now I remember. I wasn''t able to protect Ye and Xing as mother had asked me. I haven''t been strong enough,''


    ''No, it''s our fault that we are too weak. We slowed you down, big brother.'' The two little spirit animals responded together.


    To this, Bao Bei couldn''t help but emit a small noise like a sigh. So she prepared to cheer up her cubs.


    ''No, it''s my fault. As a mother, it is my duty to protect you, but I didn''t do it properly. Don''t worry; such a thing will never happen again. I will not allow you to be hurt.''


    "No, it isn''t mother''s fault. We are the ones who are too weak, but this will not happen again. We will train and become stronger. So trust us. Let us face dangers and adversities; only in this way, we could really become stronger. Train us to improve our fighting skills. "


    At Hei''s request, Bao Bei''s eight eyes lit up: his response revealed the fighting spirit inside him. Ye and Xing were also determined to become stronger.


    ''All right, but if you are in a situation where there is no hope, I will help you. But in other cases, you will do it yourselves. There are several things to discuss now. I told you that I would tell you about it when you would awaken your spirit power, and now the time has come. But before this Hei- ''


    "I know, it''s no longer possible to go to the Leaf Village. If we go, we will endanger the people there. I already said goodbye to Lei Lei and Lei Bai, so there is nothing left to do. Do you know, mother? These five years seemed like a long beautiful dream. However, now that dawn has arrived, it is also time to wake up. I don''t know when I can see them again, but for now, I have to continue on my way. But it''s okay because even so, they stay here with me in my heart. Besides, I''m not alone, as long as I have you and Xing and Ye by my side, I could never feel alone. "


    ''My good son, this was nothing but a starting point. From now on, many obstacles will be waiting for you, but I will be close to you anyway to help you. Don''t worry about anything now, rest. When you wake up, we will start planning our new future.''


    Hei and his two little sisters went back to sleep while Bao Bei covered them with soft silk to protect them from the cold. Her eight eyes rested on the rising sun that began to illuminate the earth. From today onwards, their new life would start.

 Chapter 18 - Martial Artist’s Path

    Several hours passed before Hei, and his two little sisters could wake up. His body wasn''t hurting like before, even though fatigue was still partly present.


    Since he hadn''t put anything in his stomach since last night, he was incredibly hungry. After all, the various events that occurred at Leaf Village had drained entirely the energy accumulated with the festival''s big banquet.


    When they woke up, the three of them found themselves in a place unknown to them. When they woke up for the first time at dawn, they didn''t pay it so much attention. But now, they could see that it wasn''t the Multicolored Leaf Forest but another forest. Seeing this, they became slightly nervous, but fortunately, their mother was behind them sleeping.


    To prevent them from being bothered or suddenly attacked, Bao Bei had placed various spiderwebs, each one connected to the tips of her legs. If someone had touched one of those spiderwebs, the contact would have pulled the wire tight, warning Bao Bei about it.


    It was a less secure system than the continuous surveillance with spirit power, but it was more hidden and appropriate when you didn''t want to waste energy. Moreover, the enemy wouldn''t be able to notice that he had been detected, thus coming to a nasty surprise.


    Noticing movements from her cubs, Bao Bei awoke. She saw that the three of them had woken up and were hungry. With her legs, she took three bowls of food and handed them to them. Since she knew they would be hungry after finishing sleeping, she had prepared accordingly and hunted some prey nearby.


    Once they finished eating, Bao Bei looked seriously at Hei, Ye, and Xing, while examining their status. Then she prepared to begin the talk she had mentioned earlier in the morning but which she had left unanswered.


    ''My little ones, listen to me well, especially you, Hei. Now that you all have awakened your spirit power, it is time to understand what it is and how it is structured. It is important that you understand these notions well, but before that, I want to ask you something Hei. Do you want to become a martial artist?''


    Hei was amazed by this question but then replied immediately. "I don''t know what exactly a martial artist is or what spirit power is. I only know that I want to become stronger. This incident made me realize how weak I am and how many are my limits. When I awakened my spirit power, I felt an energy filling my body. If I can become stronger, then I will become a martial artist. Never again, I will put my little sisters in such danger. I will never be so helpless again while the people I care about are hurt."


    Hearing this answer, Bao Bei smiled inwardly. Given Hei''s talent, it would have been a pity not to let him develop his spirit power. But the cultivator''s path was an arduous path littered with dangers and death. It wouldn''t have served much if she had imposed it to him. Only if he really wanted to improve with his whole being, Hei could reach ever-higher peaks.


    Bao Bei, therefore, took a serious tone and began her speech. Hearing their mother''s voice, the three listened in silence. Ever since they had remembered, their mother had always omitted various things saying that it wasn''t the time to talk about it.


    Although they trusted her and asked no more questions about it, the curiosity behind these terms had only increased.


    Now that Bao Bei had decided to reveal their meaning, how could they miss this opportunity?


    First, she started with the definition of spirit power: it was nothing but the natural energy that fuel the world. Every living being was endowed with it, yet only a part was able to awaken it. Even inanimate objects could awaken it, but there were several conditions to be met for this to happen.


    The human beings who awakened it were called cultivators or martial artists. To increase one''s spirit power, one had to go through the process of cultivation. In order to do this, cultivation methods were needed that were used during meditation alongside with breathing techniques.


    It was also possible to cultivate without cultivation methods, going purely by instinct as the humans of the past had done when they first discovered this power. However, cultivation based on intuition was very dangerous. A small mistake during cultivation would bring severe damage to one''s body, with some permanent or even fatal. It took an indefinite number of trials and deaths before enough knowledge was formed to create a cultivation method.


    The martial artists were divided into ranks according to the amount of spirit power and other characteristics; these ranks were, in turn, subdivided into various stages. At the end of each stage, there was a small block. Then, and a large one when advancing to the next rank. These blocks were called bottlenecks.


    These happened because cultivation alone wasn''t sufficient to move from one stage to another or from one rank to another. Other energy stimuli were required to make this jump. This usually needed the help of medicinal pills or other resources. One could also advance with more extreme training or new insights obtained during meditation. Lastly, one could engage in life and death fights or go around the world to experience new things.


    Once the human side was dealt with in general, Bao Bei then turned to spirit beasts, explaining the differences in cultivation and how they were classified.


    There was a first distinction between animals and spirit beasts: the former didn''t possess spirit power while the latter did. However, it should be pointed out that the definition of spirit beasts didn''t mean exclusively animals endowed with spirit power. But rather anything other than humans and demons that possessed spirit power, including therefore plants and inanimate objects.


    Incidentally, it should be known that the demons followed a system similar to the human one, even if with some diversifications. They were quite similar to each other, differing mostly from a somatic point of view.


    As far as classification according to spirit power was concerned, spirit beasts were differentiated both by humans and by demons in levels. There were a total of 7 levels that were the same number of ranks as human and demon martial artists.


    However, it had to be said that in reality, only six ranks/levels actually existed; the seventh grade or level was almost unattainable. Ever since the sentient species became capable of recording the events that occurred to transmit them to future lineages, only one being had succeeded in that endeavor.


    If it wasn''t for the precedent that happened before the eyes of the whole world, one might have thought that rank was an illusion and that there were only 6 of them.


    Therefore the seventh grade became named God Rank and became the ultimate goal of all the martial artists. They wanted to free themselves from the chains that were imposed since birth as creatures destined to die. It was said in fact that by becoming a God, it was possible to escape from the clutches of time, thus becoming immortal.


    Returning to the spirit beasts, these differed further from humans and demons because they had no bottlenecks, except one, excluding the attainment of God rank. And the only thing they had to worry about was accumulating their spirit power in their bodies by fighting and eating spirit cores.


    However, that only bottleneck was a mountain almost impossible to climb that only a few could overcome: reaching the divine beast stage.


    By divine beast, it was meant a sixth-level spirit beast that had received the baptism of the elemental laws that ruled the world, thus becoming an entirely different species. It was thanks to this change of species that they were able to mate with spirit beasts with whom would normally have been impossible.


    For example, Bao Bei was a spider while her companion was a snake. It should have been impossible for them to procreate in the same way humans couldn''t have children with other species. However, since they had both become divine beasts, they were considered of the same species. Therefore they were able to give birth to Ye and Xing.


    It should also be added that spirit beasts'' cubs didn''t always awaken spirit power. But they were more likely to do it rather than animals'' cubs. Nevertheless, the cubs of divine beasts were always born as divine beasts, although their method of cultivation would remain like that of the spirit beasts.


    At that point, Bao Bei stopped her speech. From the stern expressions of her three children, she understood that they were in a moment of reflection, trying to digest every single information received.


    This time she hadn''t used mental images to help them understand. The path of those who tried to understand spirit power, the energy that fueled the world, was full of mysteries and enigmas. It was, therefore, crucial that they were able to formulate their own hypotheses and realize the consequences of the facts only by listening to information obtained from others.


    After a while, however, they awoke from their thoughts and motioned for their mother to continue.


    ''All right, going back to our discussion. From now on, you will have to train to increase your spirit power. Ye and Xing, you two just have to accumulate your spirit power. As you are already divine beasts, you don''t have to worry about the bottleneck on the sixth level. For you, Hei, the story is different instead. To advance, you need a cultivation method and techniques manuals to fight. Fortunately, your father left me these things, so you don''t have to worry about it.'' At this point, Bao Bei stopped for a moment, undecided whether to continue or not, but she decided not to reveal everything, given that some topics were still too big for them.


    ''Listen to me carefully, for no reason in the world must you reveal that the two of you are divine beasts. There''s a reason why you don''t have to talk about it, but it''s too early to know. I want you to take your first steps in peace without worrying about things bigger than you. To help you do that, I will teach you a technique to make your body smaller and return it to its normal size whenever you want. Unfortunately, it applies only to divine beasts. But I think you will be happy to be able to continue using your movement formation, right?''


    To this, Hei, Ye, and Xing nodded their heads and expressed themselves with happiness. Indeed they had thought of it in the past. Since Ye and Xing would surely grow bigger, they would no longer be able to remain attached to Hei''s body. But now, it wasn''t a problem anymore.


    ''Another thing. When you move around, you have to say that you are a beast tamer, okay, Hei?''


    "Yes, I understand, mother. But exactly what is a beast tamer?"


    ''A beast tamer is nothing but a martial artist who, instead of fighting directly, uses spirit beasts. Through a pact between the person and the spirit beast, it is possible to form a bond between them. Whit that, they can communicate mentally and help mutual cultivation: this is called a spirit pact.


    For this to happen, there is a need for both parties'' consent. But on this point, there are no problems. I want you to make a spirit pact with Ye and Xing to further strengthen the cover of being a beast tamer. But your spirit power is still insufficient, so it''s a thing for the future. Did you understand everything, didn''t you?''


    "Yes, mother. We have understood everything perfectly. We will do as you wish." The three who were excited about this idea answered in chorus.


    After all, they were brother and sisters, so being able to get even closer to each other was a good thing in their eyes.


    ''All right, good little ones of mine. However, we cannot start our training yet. First, we need to find a place to stay. The best place is to find a sect; there, we will find enough resources for your growth. I don''t know where they are situated. So the first thing to do is to find a city where to obtain information. Going further north there is a big city, so we will go there, and then we will move to the nearest sect. Once we arrive there, we can start your training.''


    So the four of them started to move towards this new path that would mark their future.

 Chapter 19 - Green City

    Green City, one of the great cities of the Forest Kingdom, was famous for its thriving market, which contained all kinds of merchandise for sale.


    Unlike other cities, it had no forests in its surroundings and therefore used that space to its advantage to expand and build various types of structures. Apart from the capital, it was the largest city in the kingdom.


    Furthermore, since it was located on the part of the kingdom that bordered the sea, it had no risks like the frontier cities. So the guard''s number and their strength were remotely comparable.


    But if this was a problem in the citizens'' life, this was a blessing for the underworld groups that had a strong influence in the city.


    Brigands, thieves, murderers, and every other kind of criminals had made Green City their point of reference. After all, no one would have been willing to always sleep in caves or other outdoor places. And in any case, they needed a place where they could sell their stolen goods without having to worry about being arrested.


    The royal family, as well as the leading ministers, were aware of it. But they turned a blind eye because the city''s various criminal groups each year donated a massive quantity of goods to the kingdom.


    Thus, in Green City, it was possible to buy anything, including drugs and deadly poison and even slaves.


    Although it wasn''t an activity encouraged by the kingdom, it wasn''t banned either. But, there were regulations about who could be sold as slaves. Only people without acquaintances and relatives or who had been captured in a war were sold.


    Furthermore, there were cases of slave traders hiring bandits or murderers to assault innocent people and kidnap those who could make a profit as a slave.


    Of course, they were rare episodes that only happened in places far from the big cities. After all, they didn''t want to provoke the capital''s wrath if they exaggerated with the attacks.


    At that moment, a young boy from the outward appearance of 14-15 years, was crossing the city gates. He wore a low-priced, slightly worn brown robe. His brown skin was dirty with earth, and his hair was messy.


    If it weren''t for the wooden spear that stuck out, they might have thought he was a tramp. But the people who saw him concluded he was instead a young mercenary looking for work.


    This boy was none other than Hei. To avoid creating a fuss, Bao Bei thought it would have been better if Hei didn''t directly wear his silvery silk clothes. He should instead put some low-quality robe on top when arriving at the city.


    Despite providing some protection due to their resistance, Bao Bei''s silk was a precious material in the eyes of other people and could have brought inconvenient problems. At the moment, they didn''t want to attract too much attention, not with Leaf Village''s incident still quite recent.


    So they took advantage of a group of travelers who were sleeping outdoors to steal one of their reserve robes. As compensation, they left the fur of an animal they had hunted that would be worth more than the cost of that old robe.


    As a result, Hei entered the city without problems, leaving only a fleeting impression in the people at the gates.


    As for Ye and Xing, they were hidden in their usual hiding places. However, along with them, there was also Bao Bei.


    For the occasion, she had shrunk herself to become a tiny spider, and she hid on Hei''s head. To prevent Ye from feeling alone, she would occasionally change position while moving towards his neck.


    Accustomed to his mother carrying the three of them, Hei was very nervous with his mother on his body. Although Bao Bei had become tiny, for Hei, it was like he was carrying a valuable cargo. After all, he wanted his mother to have a good trip while she was on his body.


    The reason for this choice was because, in her usual size, she would have attracted too much attention. At the same time, she didn''t even want to send Hei alone to an unknown city. So she opted for this decision.


    Because they didn''t know where to start, Hei and his mother and his two sisters decided to follow the flow of people. Even if they didn''t know exactly where they were going, it was an excellent opportunity to take a look at the structure of a city. After all, except for Bao Bei, their experience was limited only to the Multicolored Leaf Forest and Leaf Village.


    Green City, therefore, didn''t disappoint their expectations.


    Unlike a village where there were mainly houses, here there were a vast amount of buildings not used as dwellings. They went from being shops that specialized in selling a specific product to structures such as hotels, public baths, schools, and so on.


    But what surprised Bao Bei''s three cubs was above all the number of people there. They were far numerous than the Leaf VIllage''s inhabitants, not to mention the diversity between them.


    There were people of low stature who wore low-cost clothes, usually with dark colors. In their tired eyes and the paleness of their skin, you could see that they slept little and worked hard.


    Then there were the middle-class people who had a stable income and could afford a decent lifestyle, and they wore clothes of much better quality. Their appearance was decidedly better, and they wandered the streets slowly while taking a look around if something could pick up their interest.


    Finally, you could see elegant carriages that carried people with bright clothes and adorned with precious gems. Their wealth was visible, but no one dared to have strange thoughts because they were accompanied by bodyguards.


    To crowd the streets further, there were a lot of stalls selling their products. They were mainly agricultural, but occasionally, you could find stalls selling cheap weapons and tools as well as small items for the house. Their cost wasn''t much, but because they were cheap, they attracted many buyers.


    Not knowing where to start asking for information, Hei tried to stop some people, but none of them stopped to listen to him.


    So Hei decided that instead of asking passers-by, he should try with the stalls'' owners. But even these didn''t pay any attention to him since he wasn''t interested in their goods.


    With no other option left to him, Hei tried his luck with the shops. He decided to try one that caught his eye: it was a herb and medicinal pills store; these items were used to grow one''s cultivation.


    Hei naturally had no gold, silver, or copper coins to buy anything, but he had a currency far more precious than all those: spirit cores.


    Due to their multiple uses, their price was very high. Besides, in the negotiations concerning rare goods, gold and other currency had often no purchasing power. But spirit cores or spirit stones were always accepted. Regarding spirit stone, they were nothing but stones containing spirit power.


    The main difference between the two was that the spirit cores'' energy had to be diluted with other elements. Therefore they were mostly used in alchemy. Spirit stones, on the other hand, could be directly absorbed by martial artists to raise their cultivation, and they were also used as fuel for arrays.


    The shop was very spacious inside and well-ordered. On the shelves, there were exposed various herbs and bottles containing pills, each labeled with a brief description of their use. Not all of them were used for cultivation, but many were specifically designed for combat, causing an immediate strengthening of a specific type in the one who swallowed the medicine.


    As he began to turn to take a look at the goods on display, an annoying voice was suddenly heard.


    "If you came to snoop, then you''d better go away. I don''t have time for those who just want to see without buying."


    The speaker was a middle-aged man with a thick beard and long dark brown hair behind a counter. He wore a simple black tunic but of good quality. His eyes at first glance appeared closed, but noticing carefully, one could see they were open and carefully controlled every single movement of Hei.


    From the way he spoke to him, Hei concluded he was the shop owner. "I came to see, but if there is something that interests me, I would like to buy it."


    "Really? And yet you don''t look so wealthy from your appearance. Do you think this shop is like the stalls out there selling common plants? No, each of these plants contains spirit power as well as the pills. They are all objects that have a huge cost for ordinary people."


    Since it seemed useless to try to convince him in words, Hei released his spirit power a little.


    Hei was generally forbidden by Bao Bei to use his spirit power because he hadn''t yet started his cultivation. He would become a bit tired if he used it even for a brief moment.


    However, if he hadn''t done so, the owner would have thrown him out directly. Of course, before doing so, he had obtained permission from his mother.


    "Spirit power? What?! Uhmm... from your appearance, you seem to be no more than 14-15 years old. Boy, tell me-" The owner got up while trying to question Hei, but then suddenly stopped to resume talking shortly after, "Sorry, just forget it. Go ahead and let me know if you need help." Then he sat down and left Hei alone.


    The reason he didn''t investigate further was that he knew that martial artists didn''t like too many questions about them and their origins. A boy able to awaken his spirit power so young was undoubtedly from a big sect or a big family. It wasn''t a good idea to investigate if they hadn''t announced their identity first.


    Hei, a bit puzzled by the strange behavior of the owner, returned to focus on the goods on display. Everything was fascinating, and as he liked plants, he was very attracted by that view. Even the pills aroused his interest since he was the first time he saw them.


    With furtive movements, even Ye and Xing peeped to smell the smell of the products. For some reason, their stomach began to grumble as they watched the plants.


    Bao Bei also awoke from her brief sleep as she quickly scanned the goods. Then she signaled Hei to go to a shelf and pointed to a bottle.


    Anti-impurity pills (skin) - 10 pieces - 20 gold coins per bottle


    Thus it was written in the description below.


    ''The impurities are nothing but a substance inside the body that limits the efficiency of a person''s body. Therefore it is necessary to eliminate them to have good foundations and advance with cultivation. We spirit beasts don''t have this problem because, through the energy absorbed directly by spirit cores, we are directly purified by this substance.'' Said Bao Bei while explaining the importance of such pills.


    ''And what exactly does skin mean in the description?'' Hei asked with curiosity since there had to be a reason for this specific indication.


    ''As I told you, human cultivation is divided into seven ranks. The first is called a spirit apprentice and includes seven stages: skin, muscles, organs, bones, blood, meridians, and marrow. The first rank is the basis of all your future cultivation. It consists in making the martial artist''s body capable of producing spirit power and imbuing it in every single part of the body. As you progress towards higher stages, your body improves.


    The first stage improves the hardness of your skin by increasing the defense. The second strengthens the muscles, thus increasing strength and speed. The third is the organs that increase reflexes and resistance to ailments, such as paralysis or poisoning. The fourth is the blood that influences stamina and regeneration. The fifth is the bones that improve flexibility and agility. The sixth instead concerns the opening of the meridians with the creation of the circuit where the spirit power flows, and it increases instinctive perception. The seventh instead is the marrow that improves all the abilities of the other previous stages. The latter, however, isn''t an indispensable step to advance. But if you advance to the second rank, by skipping the seventh stage of spirit apprentice, it will be much more difficult to advance. Your potential will also be limited.


    Regarding the sixth stage, although you can still let your spirit power flow without the meridians opening, the two of them aren''t remotely comparable. Furthermore, before the meridians open, the only source from which you could obtain spirit power is your''s own body. With the opening of meridians, it is instead possible to absorb the environment''s spirit power to restore it more quickly.


    However, this spirit power absorbed from outside has to be purified, and only a part will be absorbed. So, it makes it almost impossible to use that in battle unless you are willing to suffer permanent wounds. Moreover, it is extremely tiring for the body if you try to do it when you have suffered too many injuries. There is a risk that the body won''t hold up the process.''


    Bao Bei finished her long explanation and then asked Hei if he understood. He answered yes and stared with new curiosity at the pills. With the newly acquired knowledge, he realized that there were other similar pills, but they only reached the fourth stage. Astonished, he tried to ask the owner who answered him with a strange look.


    "They cannot be sold to the normal public. Only sects and the army can manage these resources to prevent powerful martial artists from being left without affiliation."


    "I understand, then I take a pack of anti-impurity pills (skin), then I wondered if, in addition to the plants, by chance, you also sell the seeds?"


    The fact of not knowing that it was forbidden to buy medicines that strengthened beyond the fourth stage had surprised the owner. However, Hei''s subsequent request astonished him even more.


    "Boy, are you an apprentice spirit farmer?"


    "More or less. I have cultivated various medicinal plants and not, but I would like to try my hand at cultivating plants with spirit power. So, I need the seeds and, if possible, also a manual with the known species and their cultivation methods."


    Thanks to Lei Lei, Hei had learned how to cultivate plants and flowers, but they were plants without spirit power. Although the process shouldn''t diversify too much, growing spirit plants required different requirements: first of all, the presence of a spirit vein. A spirit vein meant a place where a steady flow of spirit power naturally flowed from the earth. Thanks to this energy, the plants would have enough nourishment to become spirit plants.


    Spirit veins weren''t common on Rainbow Island. Only the territories under the control of the sects and other strong influences possessed one, thus ensuring a secure source of energy.


    "Yes, I have them, but I must warn you that cultivating spirit plants is more difficult than cultivating normal plants. However, if you are willing to buy, it isn''t my business."


    Therefore the man went to retrieve a couple of books that he kept under the counter. Then, he momentarily closed the shop to bring Hei to the back where all the seeds were placed. There Hei collected an enormous quantity of various types of seeds. Since he didn''t know if his first attempts would bear fruit, he wanted at least to have multiple types of plants to experiment with.


    Since they were only seeds, the cost was significantly lower than the pills and the mature plants. But as Hei had taken them in large quantities, the price, in addition to the pills and books, went to reach the 100 gold coins.


    He then exchanged various first-level spirit cores in exchange for the selected items.


    It had to be stated that spirit beasts were divided into only seven levels. However, that didn''t mean that those of the same level had the same strength and, therefore, the same price. Like how a first-stage spirit apprentice couldn''t compare to a seventh-stage spirit apprentice. Likewise, a newly awakened spirit beast couldn''t be compared to a spirit beast near to the second level.


    So, to accurately calculate the right price, merchants used unique scales with arrays that calculated the spirit power contained inside an object by comparing it with a sample of measurement.


    When the payment was finished, the owner gave Hei various leather bags to put everything into. Since he had bought so much from him, he gave Hei these for free and let him come out from the back to avoid too many looks.


    With various bags hanging over his body, he left the shop. Once he was sure to be alone, he motioned for his mother to proceed. The multiple bags containing his purchases were sucked into Bao Bei''s pocket dimension, leaving Hei free from their burden.


    Since he had noticed the strange look of the shopkeeper, Hei decided at the end not to ask him any question about the near sects. That would have given the man the confirmation of not being familiar with the situation in the Forest Kingdom.


    So he went back to the busy streets to find food and to find information about the sects nearby.

 Chapter 20 - Water Buffalo

    When Hei got back on the streets, he continued to follow the crowd of people. Now he had to find some food first and then ask for information. The dilemma was whether to try one of the city''s various restaurants or to buy some simple meals in the stalls.


    As he walked, he suddenly noticed that the people in front of him had stopped. They were looking at something in front of them. From there, various shouts of men and animals could be heard.


    Curious to know what was going on, with agile movements, he pushed his way through the crowd until he reached the front. Once there, he could finally see what was blocking the passage.


    In the middle of the road, there was a series of wagons full of goods pulled by large animals of the same species: specimens of water buffalo.


    These were animals commonly used for multiple uses: they ranged from the plowing of agricultural fields to the production of milk that was more nutritious than dairy cow''s milk. They were also useful in transporting goods because of their size.


    The water buffalo was divided into two types: river buffalo and swamp buffalo.


    The first had a black skin with some specimens that instead had dark, slate-colored skin, while the latter had a gray-colored skin at birth which then became slate blue. Another difference was that river buffaloes had longer faces and bigger limbs than swamp buffalo.


    The specimens that were pulling the wagons were river buffalos. They all had black skin except for one specimen in front of the others that had an albino color. In addition to the color, the buffalo in the front was also distinguished by its size. It reached about 2 meters in height at the withers. It was indeed a fantastic specimen, but unfortunately, its grandeur was contaminated by signs of lashes and burns.


    It was carrying the largest wagon. But it had stopped because the weight it and its companions were moving was too much. Their strength was, in fact, failing. In order to give them the chance to recover, it decided to stop, even at the cost of being whipped for doing so. Seeing this scene, Hei immediately realized that unlike the other buffalos, the albino specimen was a spirit beast and that, therefore, it still had energy to continue, but it had stopped for the good of his companions.


    This was the first time he saw a spirit beast, excluding his mother and sisters, in a human settlement and that they were used for a specific purpose. The various spirit beasts he had seen over the years were only wild ones while at Leaf Village, there were only normal animals without spirit power.


    However, this first encounter, instead of generating in him a sense of surprise, created inside him a sense of disgust and anger. It was evident that the load was too heavy for the buffaloes. They were about to exhaust their forces. Moreover, instead of letting them rest, they were continually whipping the albino buffalo to make it advance as it was the leader of the other buffaloes, and they followed its leadership.


    Normally Hei would not have interfered, considering that there were various variations to consider to free an animal. For example, he had done nothing for the animals in Leaf Village as they were treated well. For him, the use of animals and spirit beasts for purposes such as the transport of goods and the production of meat was permitted because it was part of the food chain, where in order to satisfy their need for food, they had to use other living beings'' life.


    However, this was valid until the specimen in question was treated with care. At the same time, it should have a satisfying life before its end. Otherwise, it would have been just unnecessary suffering inflicted only for amusement, to the detriment of beings that couldn''t defend themselves.


    Hei didn''t repudiate the conflict: the strict law of the forest had taught him that to live, he had to fight with all his strength. But this didn''t mean that he accepted such a scene of unnecessary torture like the one taking place before his eyes. After all, except for some rare cases, animals and spirit beasts generally killed each other solely to satisfy their primary need for food and not because they enjoyed killing.


    ''Mother, Can-''


    ''Go, don''t worry. Do what you think is right. I will always support you in any case.''


    So Hei stepped forward and pulled away from the crowd. Then he continued to move forward to position himself close to the albino buffalo. When he arrived there, it happened that another whip was coming, and it hit Hei''s face instead of the albino buffalo.


    The blow left a bright red mark on Hei''s cheek, but he didn''t back away. On the contrary, he looked into the eyes of the person with the whip who, when he saw that strange boy''s eyes, took a couple of steps back in fear. Hei''s gaze was comparable to a predator waiting to bite the prey.


    Seeing this twist, the surrounding people burst into various discussions with each other.


    "Has he gone mad? Who''s that boy?"


    "Doesn''t he know who those wagons belong to? Does he want to die? "


    "To whom do they belong? I don''t seem to recognize the owner. "


    "Idiot, they are Dong Zhen''s wagons, one of the most famous Green City''s merchants, he is also known as a slave trader. He is said to have a monopoly on this business in Green City."


    "Are those his wagons? Really? Shit, then it''s really the end for that guy."


    While people were arguing with each other, a fat middle-aged man suddenly came out of one of the wagons, dressed in a luxurious red robe. He wore rings with precious stones on each of his fingers as he was holding a half-bitten fruit with his left hand. His black hair was neatly combed back, and several golden hair clips held them in place. At first sight, he seemed only a fat, well-dressed merchant, but his eyes contained an evil glow that made those who watched closely disgusted.


    Behind him came another person. He was a man about six feet tall with short dark hair neatly combed. He wore a light iron armor without a helmet and decorations, while two medium-sized swords were attached to his waist. He gave off a feeling of threat and violence that testified that he was a fighter who had his fair share of fighting and killing and that he shouldn''t be joked with.


    "What the hell''s going on? What is all this mess? I don''t pay you to transport my wagons and then stand in the middle of the road." The fat merchant scolded with an air of annoyance. While he was doing this, he waved to the man behind him who lightly drew his sword out.


    Upon seeing this, the man with the whip immediately began to panic as he tried to respond without stammering in fear. "L-lord Dong, I apologize if we disturbed you, but as you can see, the albino buffalo didn''t want to move and then this boy-"


    Slam!


    The man with the whip received a punch in the face from the armed man behind Dong Zhen. In a moment, the merchant''s guard had moved from his initial position to where the man with the whip was. Seeing this, Hei was very surprised because he had a hard time to follow his movements. The man was obviously at a level far above his own.


    "As I said, I don''t pay you to sit still, consider it as a warning. If, for any reason, it happens again, then consider yourself a dead man. I hate those who waste my time and money." Then with an amused look, he turned to Hei, "Boy, why did you stop the passage of my wagons. Think well before you speak because if I don''t like the answer, then something will be done to you that you won''t like."


    Since Dong Zhen had a prominent position in Green City, especially in the underworld, he feared no repercussions from anyone. But Dong Zhen also knew when to restrain himself and not be fooled by appearances. He didn''t know Hei, and from his appearance, he seemed to be a penniless young mercenary. However, his instinct told him that the boy could hide more than what was showing. So he gave him the chance to explain himself so that he could have the right motivation if someone later looked for him in this matter.


    "The albino buffalo is tired. He needs rest. Not just him, but the other buffaloes too. The load in their wagons is too heavy, especially in that of the albino." Hei observed with a forced, calm tone. With that guard present and the presence of others in the remaining wagons, it was unwise to use a forced approach.


    "And why should I care? If you are suggesting to stop to let them rest or move the goods in other wagons, then we aren''t going anywhere because I have no time or money to lose to do either." Dong Zhen then expressed himself in a contemptuous smile. He couldn''t understand if it was that boy was stupid or what, for stopping his convoy only for some stupid animals.


    "You would lose time anyway if they don''t even have the strength to walk. Furthermore, if you continue to whip them like that, without letting them rest, there is a danger that they will get sick or even die. In that case, wouldn''t you lose money like a fool?"


    Hearing the boy''s response, Dong Zhen''s eyebrows frowned. He hadn''t liked the answer and the tone used by Hei. Furthermore, it wasn''t a meaningless statement: losing the other buffaloes wouldn''t have been a big problem, but losing the albino one would have created a considerable loss of money.


    The guard, feeling his master''s discontent, drew his sword ready to slice the brazen brat who had dared to fight back but was suddenly stopped by his master. Even though he was angry, the boy in then didn''t say anything offensive directly, and making him execute would only admit that the boy was right and he was wrong.


    ''Interesting, even the descendants of the city''s wealthy families wouldn''t dare to answer me that way. Or he is so stupid he doesn''t know who I am, or he trusts the strength of his background. In any case, it is better not to risk for the moment and gather information and then settle the matter later, away from prying eyes.''


    "All right, but if I let them rest, I will lose a lot of time and money at the same time. Given you are the one who launched the request to let them rest, then you''d better think of a way to reward me. Let''s see, 50 gold coins, I believe, are enough to show your sincerity. "


    Upon hearing this number, the various spectators suddenly jumped. Fifty gold coins just to rest some water buffaloes was an absurd amount. A poor family with that amount of money could live decades without problems. Not even wealthy families would have dared to waste such a sum of money on something so insignificant and useless. But Hei didn''t flinch and quickly threw a spirit core towards the guard who caught it while being surprised at the boy''s resolve.


    "This should suffice, I suppose, now let the buffaloes rest and feed them. Otherwise, it would mean that you aren''t a man who keeps his word, merchant." Said Hei while also adding a sly smile as if he wanted to make a mockery of his opponent.


    That smile only made Dong Zhen more irritated, but he tried to control himself. For a merchant, his word was the thing that mattered most. Even if they could be dishonest and try to cheat others, once an agreement was decided, they had to respect it until the end. After all, nobody wanted to do business with those who took back their word and didn''t respect their part of the agreement.


    Receiving approval from his guard to indicate that the spirit core was worth about that price, Dong Zhen said. "All right then. As we have agreed, we will let the buffaloes rest. "


    Then turning to his subordinates, he said, "Let the beasts rest and feed them. Once finished, move your asses to carry everything in my shop."


    At that point, he got out of the wagon and started walking towards Hei with his guard. Once he reached a distance where the others couldn''t hear them, he said in a low voice. "For today, I let you go away, little boy. But try doing a stunt like that again, and I''ll cut your head in two after making you swallow your balls." Once his threat was over, he started moving again with his guard.


    Once he had moved away, the people around breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, they had been afraid of witnessing a murder in broad daylight, but in the end, the fat merchant had restrain himself. Some of the passers-by tried to get close to Hei. They wanted to ask him what had passed through his head to come up with such a stunt. But Hei listened to no one and approached the albino buffalo.


    The spirit beast was weak but bellowed to thank him for what they had done. His tired eyes still contained light of vitality, a sign that he was still fighting.


    Hei put his hand on its head, stroking it gently. Then he moved to the wounds on its body and became furious. Now that he was closer, he could see all the scars and burns that had healed over time. It wasn''t the first time it had been tortured like this. With a firm step, he headed for the man with the whip, who was struggling to his feet after being sent to fly by the merchant''s guard. Seeing the strange boy approaching him, he began to shake the whip madly.


    But although he was capable of hitting a large, motionless target, he wasn''t so capable of hitting a moving person. While dodging down, Hei filled the gap and then punched him on the same spot where he had received the first one just now.


    The man released his grip on the whip and fainted on the spot. He was still very much affected by the previous blow. At this point, however, the other men in the wagons drew their weapons, convinced that now that there wasn''t the personal guard of their leader, the boy wanted to give them a lesson.


    "I''m not going to fight with you. I just wanted to hit this piece of shit here. To remedy this, I will help you feed the buffaloes. I doubt you are very enthusiastic about feeding them, right? "


    Indeed, the order of their leader had left them with a bitter taste as they didn''t want to lower themselves in feeding some stupid beasts. But if the boy volunteered, it was another story; they could take advantage of it to go and have a bite while he fed the filthy beasts. As far as the attack on the man with the whip was concerned, for them, he could even go to fuck for what they cared about him. After all, it wasn''t they who had been hit, even the chief guard punched him.


    So, while they were going to eat, Hei fed the buffaloes while trying to examine their conditions. While doing this, the eyes of the albino buffalo never lost sight of Hei, watching all his movements. Because of its experience, he didn''t trust humans, and the only reason he obeyed without resistance was for its companions. But that human boy smelled like a spirit beast, and somewhere inside it, a strange feeling was forming that told it to obey and protect that human.


    After a couple of hours, the buffaloes had partly recovered their strength. Although they weren''t at their peak condition, reaching the shop of the fat merchant wouldn''t be a problem. Before saying goodbye, Hei approached the ear of the albino buffalo, saying, "Don''t worry, I''ll come and save you all together with my family." And then he separated from them.


    The albino buffalo was struck with such words, and a sense of rebellion soon began to form. It undoubtedly believed Hei''s words and decided that it would be on the alert, preparing its companions to flee.

 Chapter 21 - Sons of Underworld

    Hei had moved away from the water buffalos, but his thoughts were still focused on them. It bothered him having to leave the water buffalos in the clutches of people like that, but if he had tried to do something, he would have endangered not only the buffaloes but also the surrounding people who had no fault but that of being helpless to such cruelty.


    Hei knew he couldn''t take it out on them for not having intervened because, in the end, everyone already had people to take care of. After all, they were ordinary people who had to deal with everyday difficulties and were barely able to protect the little they had.


    The problem of food and the search for the sect had already taken a back seat. Now Hei had to get information on that bastard merchant.


    The problem was that it seemed difficult to implement: from the fragments of the spectators'' discussion, he had realized that the merchant called Dong Zhen was a big shot in the city.


    The mere presence of that guard at his side was clear evidence of this statement. He was also not the only guard owned by the merchant. Surely his shop was closely monitored.


    Obviously, with his mother by his side, getting rid of them directly would have been child''s play, but he didn''t want always to have to depend on her. Not to mention that he had noticed his mother had become even more tired than usual after taking care of the bandits that night at Leaf Village.


    Therefore, unless it was necessary, Hei decided that he would manage fights with his two sisters. So, finding information on the target was the first thing to do.


    As he thought about how to act, Hei realized that while he was absorbed in his thoughts, he had ended up on the street outside the city center. The buildings around it looked worse, and everywhere there was a silence that made people shiver.


    Suddenly, with the tails in his eye, he saw a boy running into an alley followed shortly after by two adult men chasing him.


    Realizing that he had ended up in a blind alley, the boy tried to turn back but was stopped forcefully by the shoulders and thrown against the wall by one of the two men. The second man instead stood beside him and pulled out a knife that pointed at the boy''s throat.


    Intrigued by this scene, Hei decided to investigate to find out what was happening. Since it was an alley with only one exit/entrance, he opted to climb onto the roof of the adjacent building to observe unseen them from above.


    "Well, well, what do we have here? A sewer rat who came to take a walk?" The man with the knife said as he laughed unpleasantly and then went on, "I have come to know that business is going good for you and your gang, yet I also know that you are paying nothing to Lord Dong. As you know, if you want to carry out your operations in this city, you have to pay for his blessing."


    "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about... business, gang? I''m just a passerby who is touring the city. "


    "Do you think we''re stupid? Have we written fools on the forehead? "


    "Well, I don''t know. If you want, I can check, I can do it for free, what do you say- " then the man with the knife punched him in the stomach and then slammed the boy''s head against the wall.


    "As I said, sewer rat, I advise you not to treat us like morons and behave yourself if you don''t want to become a cripple. Did you really think that boss Dong Zhen wouldn''t know about the thefts made by your companions? If your leader believed he could escape paying boss Dong, then he is foolish. As if a group of kids could dominate the underworld of this city. You are only sewer rats that you will live, and you will die in the sewers, nothing more. "


    At these words, the boy became angry and tried to free himself only to get another punch in the stomach.


    Meanwhile, Hei, hearing the name Dong Zhen, was crossed by a cold shiver. Unexpectedly, he had an opportunity to learn more about this Dong Zhen.


    "Mother, I''m going to attack these two. In this way, I will be able to learn more about that merchant. I ask you to leave the fight to me, Xing and Ye, okay? If only you can tell me which stage are these two." Hei proposed with a fighting spirit; the anger inside was boiling as he remembered the poor water buffaloes. So, having someone to beat was a good thing, mainly if they were associated with that fat merchant.


    ''All right, don''t worry, my little ones. Neither of them has awakened their spirit power. Incidentally, those you defeated at the bandits'' attack on the Leaf Village were first stage spirit apprentice. So you won''t have any problems beating these two men.''


    With their mother''s encouragement, the three of them lurked on the edge of the roof, ready to pounce like raptors on Dong Zhen''s two unaware henchmen.


    ''Big brother, leave us the one with the knife, okay?'' Xing said with a convinced tone. Usually, it was Ye who launched herself frontally at the enemy, but if Xing had advanced this proposal, it meant that she had a plan in mind.


    ''All right. What''s on your mind?''


    ''I''ll go down first on the head of the one with the knife. I''ll hurt him on the forehead with my legs so that the blood runs on his eyes. At that point, Ye will quickly descend towards the hand holding the weapon, biting it so that he let go of the grip, and then she will move around his neck to suffocate him while I proceed to immobilize his hands with my spider webs.


    Meanwhile, big brother, you will have to descend immediately, after Ye''s attack, on the other man, taking advantage of the moment of distraction that will be created to knock him out. What do you think?''


    ''I like it. I''ll make him taste the power of my fangs. He won''t even be able to move his hand.''


    "Ok, but don''t overdo Ye. We need him alive. It is good as a plan. Good job Xing, we''ll do so then."


    After receiving the consent from Hei and Ye, Xing was happy but then became severe to prepare herself for the attack.


    The next moment, Xing went down as she had said and succeeded in wounding the enemy who, surprised and alarmed at the sight of blood, took a few steps back but then burst into a scream of pain when Ye bit him.


    Meanwhile, the other henchman who was holding the boy nailed to the wall, was surprised at this scene. When he recovered and tried to do something, it was too late because Hei came upon him from above.


    Since he was afraid of causing too severe injuries if he hit him like that with a kick or punch, Hei opted for another option. When he came down from the roof, he did this in such a way as to descend into the exact position of the man. Taking advantage that the enemy was exposed and didn''t expect any sudden attack, Hei placed his left arm around his neck with his left elbow in front of the man''s adam''s apple, and with his right hand pushed the left hand upwards to increase the pressure on his neck.


    ''Snake Bind, Form 3, Guillotine Snake.''


    Guillotine Snake was one of the submission techniques taught by Bao Bei to Hei. This was the second time he used one Snake Bind''s forms on a human being, but this time he just had to choke him until he fainted instead of killing him.


    Shortly afterward, the enemy collapsed due to a lack of oxygen and fell to the ground motionless. Although he appeared dead, if you took a closer look, you could notice that he was still alive.


    At that point, Hei turned to look at his two little sisters who had finished to deal with their target. Seeing this, Bao Bei on Hei''s head, smiled inwardly satisfied with how her children had gone.


    Meanwhile, the boy was staring at them as if he was dazed. Since Xing''s appearance, everything that happened next, in his eyes, was nothing more than a crazy dream. But then he discovered that it was real and he fell to the ground after realizing he ran away from danger, or so he hoped.


    "You¡­ who are you? Are those animals yours? Why did you help me?" The boy asked with great effort. Although they had saved him, he was afraid of that spider and that snake, not to mention that the human with whom those creatures had come also seemed to have a threatening air.


    "We didn''t do it to help you, it''s just that I have something to ask these two," Hei replied, pointing to the bodies of the two men who fainted on the ground after taking Ye and Xing back on him.


    "Those are Dong Zhen''s men, do you have something against him?" Seeing that Hei wasn''t answering, the boy added, "My name is Han, if you have something against that fat merchant, then I can give you a hand. I''m part of a group that is unhappy with that bastard. If we can help you in any way, we''ll be more than happy to do it, especially the boss. So, what do you think? Certainly, you can''t transport those bodies in the middle of the road, or you will do nothing but warn Dong Zhen''s men. Come with me to our base. You will stay safe for the moment. "


    Listening to this, Hei began to think about whether to accept Han''s offer. He was a stranger, and it wasn''t wise to trust the words of strangers, but from the previous events, he didn''t seem to have friendly relations with the merchant. Maybe they could have more information about him. Finally, after talking with his mother and sisters, he nodded his head to say that he accepted the proposal.


    Seeing him accept, Han immediately began to tinker with a part of the wall, and a hole soon opened. From there came out the head of another boy who looked at Han with surprise.


    "Han, are you all right? When I saw Dong Zhen''s henchmen were chasing you, I immediately went to call the others, but I was expecting a different sight." The guy who had just taken his head out of the hole said. Behind him, the figures of five other people could be seen.


    "I was lucky. Leaving that aside, boss, there is someone you will surely like. He saved me by knocking those men out. He says he has something against that fat man. Can we take him to the out hideout?" Han turned to a young man behind the one who opened the hole.


    He was a young man about 18-19 years old with short blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a tattered blue tunic, broken at various points, and he carried in his right hand a one meter-long metal stick. From the attitude that Han and the others had toward him, he had to be the boss Han had mentioned.


    Without saying a word, he nodded, and with a movement of his hand, he indicated to take the bodies lying on the ground and bring them in with Hei. Then they closed the hole.


    Hei followed the boss and the rest of his subordinates inside, following a series of corridors that went downwards. These were very dirty, and there was an intense smell inside, but it seemed that the others were used to it because they were walking without problems.


    Hei, since he wasn''t used to it as he had always lived breathing the clean air of the forest, covered his nose with his sleeve but advanced without making a fuss. Even Ye and Xing shook their bodies slightly as they hid deeper to breathe their big brother''s smell to cover that stench.


    After some time, they came to a large room where the air was cleaner and more breathable, but it couldn''t be said to be the ideal place where to live.


    On the sides, there were dozens of tents while the center was occupied by a kind of table made of various wood pieces from different objects that were piled together.


    Within this room, there were about twenty people who were mostly teenagers, but some smaller children could be glimpsed.


    They all wore frayed clothes with patches. Their build was skinny, and their complexion was pale. However, they didn''t seem to be sad or in despair; indeed, within them, a combative light shone.


    When they saw the group approaching, they crowded around them with a worried look as it was unusual for their boss to come out so suddenly armed.


    "It''s all right. There was a problem, but everything is solved. Come back to rest. Later we will have a banquet to welcome a new guest. I hope you will give him a warm welcome." Said the boss with a reassuring voice.


    When they heard that everything was going well, the boys breathed a sigh of relief as they looked curiously at Hei, who was unknown to them.


    But since their boss had told them to rest, he evidently had important things to talk about with the newcomer. Glad that there would be a feast later, the surrounding people returned to their tents.


    At that point, the leader brought Hei along with subordinates with whom he had come, into a large tent isolated from the others, and motioned for them to enter while Han and the boy who had opened the door tied the two unconscious men and kept watch over them outside the tent. Once settled in, he turned toward Hei.


    "My name is Kang. Thank you for saving my subordinate. Can I know your name?"


    "My name is Hei. There is no need to thank me. I didn''t do it because I wanted to save your subordinate but because I needed those two. "


    "That doesn''t change the fact that you saved him. Anyway, you need information about Dong Zhen, right? Then you come to the right place. I am the Sons of Underworld''s leader. Our group is composed mainly of children and youths who have been rejected by those who were supposed to take care of them.


    Although people only regard us as sewer mice, living in the sewers, we can learn about many things that are typically hidden from people. Such as a young man who stops Dong Zhen''s wagons to let his buffaloes rest and then attacks his men."


    Hearing this, Hei''s eyes flickered for a moment as he quickly placed his left hand behind his back to take the spear.


    Seeing him do this, Kang burst into laughter and hurried to reassure him. "Calm, calm. You have nothing to fear. It was just to make you understand that I know your situation. I don''t know why exactly you''re doing this, but it''s not my business. If I can give annoying that fat man, then I am more than happy to help you." At that point, Kang briefly stopped as he resumed in a more serious voice.


    "Even if you question those two, they can''t give you what you need as opposed to me. For example, a secret passage to sneak into Dong Zhen''s shop."


    "Why would you do that, because I saved Han?" Hei asked, confused. Although he wanted to repay Hei, giving such information could pose a significant risk to Kang and his group.


    "That also, but let''s say it''s more like an instinct. You don''t seem at all to be a stupid or impulsive person, so if you attacked his men voluntarily, it means that you have something you can count on, even against his personal guard. The only reason he has remained in his position is thanks to that guard. If you somehow managed to get rid of him, then Dong Zhen will not remain in command for long.


    If I can get a higher charge in Green City''s underworld, then I can feed even more people. Most of the ones you''ve seen before would have been dead for a long time if it weren''t for this place, but there is a limit we can get with petty thefts. I can''t put the lives of my subordinates at risk, but giving you this information isn''t a problem, as long as you really have a way to kill that guard." Kang stopped to provide Hei with the chance to think.


    Hei thought for a moment as he looked at the four subordinates behind Kang. From their eyes, one could see the respect and trust they had in their leader. Evidently, they had overcome so many difficulties together. Then after he decided, Hei replied.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t tell you the method. I still ask you to tell me the secret passage and to trust me, but I will understand if you decide not to. In the meantime, I would like to question those two while you think about it. "


    "Uhmm, you don''t seem to lie, but... let me think about it for a while, we''ll discuss it after having eaten."


    Then the people inside the tent came out, and Kang ordered his subordinates to start preparing food while Hei stood in a corner with the two henchmen to question them. He didn''t know if Kang would accept, so it was better to start drawing up a backup plan.

 Chapter 22 - Emergency! Difficult Decision!

    While the inhabitants of that place prepared food as ordered by their leader, Hei woke up the two bound men and began to ask them some questions.


    Unfortunately, these two were just simple henchmen with no importance among Dong Zhen''s men. Therefore even the useful information they possessed was scarce.


    The only important thing Hei discovered was the location of the merchant''s shop and information about his personal guard.


    The latter was called Feng and was a fifth stage spirit apprentice. His level was such that it could have allowed him to have a position of a particular relevance in the kingdom''s army or a sect. However, he chose to stay with Dong Zhen because, in addition to money, he was guaranteed autonomy.


    Moreover, Feng had committed various crimes when he was younger, causing him to have several enemies seeking revenge. The only reason he wasn''t directly attacked was because of his employer''s prominent position in Green City. So as long he and his employer didn''t annoy some big shot and remained in the city, he would be safe


    Although these were useful information, they were nevertheless straightforward to find, and there was nothing that could help him concretely to enter without being seen.


    The two tied up henchmen couldn''t say anything about some secret entrances or about how the shop''s interior was composed and where the animals were hidden.


    After all, not having awakened their spirit power, they had no qualifications to go inside.


    At a certain point, Kang also came, and with a slight smile, he turned to Hei. "So, how it''s going? Did you find anything interesting? "


    "Nothing I couldn''t find on my own. Those men couldn''t tell me the information I was looking for. "


    "Well, after all, they are just trash among that fat merchant''s men. It isn''t surprising that they don''t know anything. What do you want to do with them now?"


    "I don''t need them anymore. You said you wanted to ask those two questions. So you can take them and do whatever you want." Then Hei stretched a little and turned to walk away from the two bound men.


    Seeing this, Kang was a little surprised. He expected Hei to ask to kill them, but he didn''t.


    This wasn''t because Hei wanted to be merciful to them. He had just sensed that Kang was a determined person and willing to do anything. He certainly would take care of them properly once he had finished asking them what he needed. Therefore, explicitly asking to kill them wasn''t necessary. They would all die anyway.


    As he was walking away, he heard Kang''s voice from behind. "The meal is almost ready, as I told you before, I would like to thank you for saving Han. Let me at least offer you a meal."


    Indeed, they hadn''t still put anything on their stomach, and it was now time for lunch. Ye and Xing, in particular, were hungry; as young spirit beasts, it was normal for them to eat a lot.


    "All right. But I would like to feed my spirit beasts if it''s okay for you. "


    "Of course, do as you wish, they are also invited."


    Having obtained the consent of the group leader, the other members wouldn''t make any fuss if Ye, Xing and his mother ate the food they had prepared, thus avoiding an unpleasant situation.


    Kang put two pieces of cloth on the two bound men to silence them and left them in a corner. Then he led Hei to the table where the others had already finished setting the table.


    The dishes on the plates were mostly typical food like rice and potatoes, along with some bread. There was no meat, but it was to be expected since its cost was higher than any other regular food. However, this didn''t decrease in any case, the joy of the people around.


    At the table''s head was Kang while Hei sat next to him. Next to them were the other four members who had entered the tent before. Along with them, there was also Han, who was a little nervous about being there.


    Usually, those who would sit closer to the boss were the most important members of their group who had fought from the start alongside Kang and founded this organization.


    Only those who had made more merits for the common interest of the group could sit next to the founding members.


    This didn''t mean, however, that there was discrimination between the original members and those who came later, or who didn''t have so much merit on them.


    Kang loved them all equally, and it was only for that reason that he was trying to reach a higher position, so to finally give them a decent home.


    After everyone took their seats at the table, Kang got up and took a glass.


    "As I told you before, today we have a guest, his name is Hei." Here he paused to point towards Hei, then continued, "Hei saved Han from Dong Zhen''s henchmen today, so I decided to invite him to eat with us to repay him. Always remember to help each other and always thank those who help you. Well then, enough talking. Let''s make a toast to Hei. "


    Then he brought the glass he was holding upwards and was quickly followed by all the others. And then they all drank their glass.


    For the occasion, some wine with water was used. Although it wasn''t the best, since it was being offered free of charge, Hei made no complaints. In any case, he drank a little, leaving the rest to his two little sisters who finished the glass in a short time.


    Once the toast was over, it was time to eat. Soon the table guests were busy serving themselves and talking to each other.


    Kang took advantage of the meal to get to know Hei a little better. Because he suspected Hei wouldn''t tell him anything or would lie about his past, he asked questions about simple subjects such as his impression of Green City and its inhabitants. In this way, he wanted to evaluate Hei''s behavior based on his answers.


    As they weren''t direct personal questions, Hei answered without problems, stopping from time to time to get food for his mother and his two little sisters.


    Kang, in particular, was interested in them: he could perceive that they were spirit beasts, but he didn''t know exactly how strong they were, although their small size made one think that they were more or less comparable to a first stage spirit apprentice.


    Kang himself was a second-stage spirit apprentice. Usually, an individual with such talent would have been well received in a sect.


    But he didn''t like being commanded and preferred to do things his own way, not to mention that he couldn''t abandon the rest of those without spirit power.


    Only the four companions who were with him from the beginning had developed their spirit power reaching the first stage; as for the rest, it was improbable they would awake it, so they needed his strength to survive in this city.


    Since they were all outcasts abandoned by their families, they couldn''t have a normal life like other people, and since they had become accustomed to this lifestyle, it was unthinkable that they decided to change at any moment, not to mention they had no funds to start again from scratch, not yet at least.


    Kang planned to accumulate enough money to free the youngest from this life of outcasts; for the older ones, as long as they wanted, they could continued to follow him.


    Hei was very surprised by this. He didn''t expect Kang to have such motivation, and he decided inside that he would help him.


    Since he had decided to attack Dong Zhen, he could directly kill him with his guard rather than leave him alive. Besides, if there was anything of value, he could give it to him. In this way, Kang would be able to realize his dream beforehand.


    While they were at the end of the meal, the entrance to the room they were in was suddenly opened, and a boy of 15-16 years ran like a mad towards Kang''s seat. When he was almost there, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.


    Luckily, Kang caught him before he could hit the floor and asked with surprise, "What''s up, Nishi? Why are you running so fast? Didn''t you have to be with the others to get food for the evening?"


    Nishi, who was still panting conspicuously, tried to speak, but his pants were so intense that it took a couple of minutes and several glasses of water to be able to respond.


    "Boss, trouble has happened. I was with Cai, Cui, Tetsuo, and Yuki when suddenly we were stopped by some men. At first, they wanted to approach Cai and Cui, and we told them to fuck off. Then they started behaving violently and so we responded. But then, other men arrived, and they took all the others. During the fight, Tetsuo told me to go report to you, but because I didn''t know who those men were. So, after the others were captured, I followed them and saw them enter Dong Zhen''s shop."


    Nishi ended his speech in one breath. It was apparent he was still very shaken by the incident, but above all, he wanted to help his companions.


    Listening to this, everyone''s eyes focused on Kang. He was the boss, and it was up to him to decide and give orders. However, Kang also was having a hard time due to this report.


    Cai and Cui were two beautiful sisters, daughters of a minor noble who had fallen into disgrace. Originally destined to become slaves, they managed to escape and reached Green City after various vicissitudes. There, they met Kang, who welcomed them together without asking questions about their origin.


    After gaining their trust, he later learned of their history. As soon as he heard their name among the kidnapped and then the name of Dong Zhen, a doubt occurred inside Kang''s mind.


    ''Is it possible that that bast*rd came to know about it? If not, why kidnap them? Although of a minor noble, they are still daughters of the nobility. Their price as slaves is high... so was Han''s attack used as a distraction? Making me believe that I was the target as I am the head of the Sons Underworld, to capture the two of them without any complications?''


    All of a sudden, everything made sense, and he understood the reason behind the merchant''s actions. A blinding rage began to overwhelm him, but he repressed it.


    Right now, the most important thing was to stay calm and think about what to do.


    Kang wanted to save them, but to act meant to endanger all the others. Four people had the same weight as the other twenty people here? This doubt assailed Kang.


    Dong Zhen''s shop was well protected all around the outside. But even with their secret passage, they didn''t know how many guards there were inside. Furthermore, the most dangerous unknown remained: the personal guard, Feng.


    Thinking of him, Kang immediately remembered something and turned to Hei.


    "Hei, please, I need to know what secret card you have against Feng."


    To this request, Hei was speechless because the situation had deteriorated to such an extent.


    He could see desperation and anger at his own impotence in Kang''s eyes and remembered when he couldn''t do anything against the bandit chief at Leaf Village. His gaze was identical to Kang''s now.


    However, this was about his family. Although he had a good impression of Kang and the others, it didn''t mean that he trusted them blindly. The history of the spider that killed hundreds of bandits had been spread around all the kingdom. And it was likely that it had also reached Green City. If Kang saw that his secret card was his mother, a spider spirit beast, it wouldn''t take long to make the connection.


    Although he didn''t fear possible repercussions, he didn''t want to receive unwanted attention either, especially when he could avoid it.


    "I''m sorry, Kang, but I can''t. I can assure you that I can kill him, but you have to trust me. If you want to save your companions, I can give you a hand, but the choice is yours. "


    Hearing Hei''s words, he knew it was useless to try and insist. He could only do as he said, to trust him. However, Hei was a person he had met only a few hours ago, how could he put the fate of his subordinates at stake just by relying on the words of someone he barely knew.


    The logical choice would have been to renounce the two girls, and bargain for the other two who had been kidnapped. But Kang had always acted based on his instinct and his principles. As a result, this time, too, he would rely on them.


    "Everyone, prepare your stuff, once you''re done, leave Green City without being seen. Wait somewhere near the city, if you don''t see us back in a couple of hours, then consider us dead and go elsewhere. If you stay, all you will obtain is to get yourself killed."


    Listening to his words, the people around him were overwhelmed by fear. Ever since they joined the Sons of Underworld, Kang became their essential guide and column, the reference figure that their parents should have taken on. Instead, they were now being told to get ready to leave without him.


    Anticipating their pleas, Kang raised his voice and replied, "During all these years, we have considered and treated each other as brothers and sisters. The others have been captured to be sold as slaves. If we abandon them, who we would be different from those bast*rds who abandoned us when we needed them most? Precisely because we are a family that I can''t abandon them. But I can''t either risk the lives of all of you. For this reason, you must be ready to escape if we fail, but I promise you that we will do everything to return alive with our brothers."


    Then he turned to his four old companions, "Delan, Yuhan, Zenko, Sen, are you with me, right?"


    The four simply smiled and nodded their heads. After all these years, there was no need for so many words. They would follow Kang as they had always done, even if this meant their death.


    "Well then, begin to make your preparations. I would like to attack at night, but there may be a chance that that bast*rd will do something meanwhile. So as soon as the others are ready, we will start our attack." At this point, he turned toward Hei with a resolute look. "I am putting the life of my men in your hands. I hope that your secret card proves to be useful, as you say."


    With an equally resolute look, Hei replied, "Don''t worry, you are in good hands. There is nothing that can beat it. Besides, I also have someone I want to save from that place. I would have attacked it soon anyway, so having you with me, just makes the plan easier, that''s all."


    Hearing those words, Kang extended a hand to Hei. From the words Hei had just spoken, he didn''t seem to be lying, so Kang wanted to express his respect through that gesture.


    Hei responded to the handshake and then began to help others with their preparations. The sooner they would attack, the sooner they would release those who were held captive by Dong Zhen.

 Chapter 23 - Infiltration

    Fortunately, after Kang gave his orders, it didn''t take long for the residents to pack their belongings into bags.


    Not living in luxury, they knew how to live with the bare essentials. Obviously, over the years, they had accumulated various personal items, but they weren''t as important as their own life.


    Of course, Hei had nothing to prepare since he didn''t live there, but he started helping them anyway to take down tents and store the food for the journey.


    Kang and the other four selected for this mission came out of their tent armed. They all had similar leather protections, but each one differed in the type of weapon he had.


    Zenko had red hair and a massive build. Taking advantage of this feature, his choice of weapon was a battle-axe held with both hands.


    Yuhan and Delan were twins with light brown hair. They had a slimmer build than Zenko, but you could still see that they had a well-trained body. Respectively, they had a double edge sword and a pair of sharp daggers.


    Sen instead used a bow. He had long black hair and the most slender body of all. However, he had sharp eyes that allowed him to observe the situation calmly and to use his bow as best he could. At his waist, he had a short dagger in case he had to switch to close combat.


    Finally, Kang had a metal staff that reached his eyebrows. It was different from the metal stick that Hei saw in Kang''s hand when he entered through the secret passage in the wall, both in size and in the quality of the weapon itself. Evidently, this was his real weapon. He also carried a dagger in his waist.


    Seeing that they would leave soon, Hei took the opportunity to give the last food leftovers from the meal to Xing and Ye. Because of that bad news, the people at the table had lost their appetite, leaving various leftovers on the table.


    Since he had been taught the value that represented what he ate, Hei couldn''t bear that food was wasted, so he gave it to his two little sisters so that they could be full of energy.


    When they finished eating everything, Kang told the people present with a resolute look, "Well then, remember what I said. Two hours, no more. If you don''t see us coming, go away immediately. Remember always to stay together and help each other. "


    At that point, the two groups left the room towards the dark tunnels and then split up at some point. The first one headed to Dong Zhen''s shop. The second one to the city gates from where they would then go outside.


    Once separated from the others, Hei asked Kang for details of how they would enter without being seen. The young man set off first with an introduction to how the space around Dong Zhen''s shop was structured.


    The merchant had bought a large piece of land and built walls around it. There was a single entrance guarded by guards while the perimeter of the walls was also guarded.


    Going straight from the front entrance, there was Dong Zhen''s shop. Although it was called a shop, it was nothing more than the merchant''s residence where he preferred to conduct his business, since his men surrounded him. Behind this ''shop,'' there were two other smaller buildings.


    "The building from at we will arrive is where the animals are kept. As they aren''t kind people, the animals that are forced to stay there all the time. Without the possibility of going to the pasture, the animals must necessarily carry out their needs there. Therefore, to remedy the problem, the merchant''s men placed a hole that leads to the city''s sewer system to dispose of the animal''s organic waste. These underground tunnels are connected to the city''s sewer system, which is connected to that hole." Kang explained as they passed through these tunnels, the smell inside was strong, but it started to get more and more intense as they approached the sewer system.


    Hearing that they would enter the place he was looking for, Hei gave a start. He didn''t expect to find them so fast.


    This was a good thing for him since he could ascertain the conditions of the water buffaloes immediately, but he would have to wait to free them.


    Given that Kang was the one who had shown him the secret passage, he certainly couldn''t abandon him without helping him free his kidnapped companions.


    "From the way you are explaining, I infer that you have already used that passage and not just one time, have you?" Hei asked thoughtfully.


    It was hard to believe that he knew so much information without having experienced this passage himself and without having explored the place a little.


    Kang smiled slightly at Hei''s question, "Yes, I discover passage a long time ago when I wandered through these tunnels trying to memorize the routes. Sometimes I return to see what the situation is like. I have always considered Dong Zhen an enemy to be eliminated. Even though, up to now, I have never engaged in such an action, except for a few small skirmishes with his less important men. But my experience is limited only to the outside, I never went inside the buildings to avoid alerting the guards, so I don''t know how much use my information has."


    "No, the ones you have are already more than I could have hoped for. Don''t worry. We will free your companions." Hei said, trying to console Kang lightly. Although he didn''t show it on the outside, Hei knew how restless Kang was inside.


    After walking a little more, they reached the entrance that led to the sewer system, and from there, they finally reached the hole.


    From inside the sewer system, you could barely see the outside as there was a large number of feces, manure, and other waste in the hole. The stench was incredible, and flies were flying everywhere.


    However, the group paid little attention to this. Indeed, they wouldn''t pull themselves back from fulfilling their mission just to avoid getting a little dirty.


    So, one by one, with Kang in front of everyone, followed then by Hei, and finally, by the other four, they slowly came out of the hole and ended up getting completely dirty with everything present in the duct.


    Ye and Xing made some complaints about the smell, not being used to it, and they held their breath while waiting to come out. Hei had already got used to the smell and tried to console his two little sisters to resist.


    Once they all came out, they saw that they were near a wooden building. From outside you could hear animal noises coming from inside.


    There was no guard nearby, but it wasn''t a surprise. After all, who would guard some animals, considering the stench that laid there?


    Fortunately, it was blowing a bit of wind, and the group could breathe a bit of clean air. At the moment, it was still afternoon, although it would soon start to set. If there was a positive thing in the fact that it was still daylight, it was that, at least, they wouldn''t have visual difficulties in moving, although this would be the same for their enemies.


    Seeing that they were still adapting to the environment, Hei started moving to the adjacent building, followed shortly by the others.


    The building in question was nothing more than a stable; inside, the water buffaloes were sleeping, each in their own designated spaces, on one side of the stable; the other was occupied instead by the manger.


    Hearing that there were people, the water buffaloes began to wake up and moo but were immediately stopped by another bellow with an authoritarian tone. The albino buffalo had produced it.


    This one came out of the perimeter area where it was sleeping and looked towards Hei, who was approaching.


    When he reached it, Hei held out a hand and placed it on its head as he looked at the spirit beast straight in its eyes, "I came as I promised, today you and your companions will be freed. But it is not yet time to leave. I must first help them free their companions. Then we can leave. For the moment, stay here and keep the others ready for the escape, okay?"


    The albino buffalo bowed his head slightly to tell him that it had understood, then pointed to a point towards the manger where there was a small wooden bedside table with a drawer.


    Seeing that the albino buffalo was insisting on that direction, Hei approached the bedside table and opened the drawer. Inside there was a jade container, and after opening it, Hei saw that there was a small round object inside.


    Intrigued, Ye and Xing came out and approached the object. But it was Bao Bei who explained what it was, ''That is the egg of a bee. If they have taken the trouble to keep it in a container, the hive from which it was taken is likely a hive of spirit beast bees. Therefore the bee inside has the possibility of being born or at least developing as a spirit beast. The spiritual beasts bees are highly sought after because of the honey they produce, which has beneficial effects for cultivation. However, raising a colony is not a simple task.''


    After listening to his mother''s explanation, Hei took the egg gently. It had been so long since he had seen one. The last time was the eggs of his little sisters.


    Without hesitating, he handed it to his head in the direction of his mother, who immediately understood what her son wanted. The egg quickly disappeared in Bao Bei''s pocket dimension.


    Seeing that the egg had been secured, the albino buffalo relaxed and began to prepare his companions. Besides it, there were eight other buffaloes.


    When he had finished what he had to do, Hei returned. Kang and the others were looking at him with a dazed expression. The spectacle that had taken place before their eyes was so incredible that they even wondered if they were dreaming.


    The interaction between Hei and the buffalo was far from normal. It seemed as if they were really talking between them. They had already noticed this detail during the banquet, but they didn''t think Hei was capable of something like talking with a beast whom he didn''t have a spirit pact with.


    "I''ve finished, now we can go and save your friends," Hei said as he joined them.


    "Yes, sure. Let''s continue." a little surprised, Kang shook his head to get concentrated again. It wasn''t the time to be impressed by other things; saving his companions had the priority.


    Thus, the six of them left the stable in the direction of the other building. Kang had only glanced at the outer perimeter, so he didn''t know if the second secondary building contained the slaves under Dong Zhen''s possession.


    When they arrived there, they saw that there were two guards at the entrance. These were fully armed, though they were gasping due to the heat.


    Seeing them, the group stopped to decide how to proceed. The problem was that they couldn''t afford to make a fight break out at all. The noise from this could alert the other guards. The only solution was to finish them in one fell swoop.


    As they thought, Hei found the situation familiar and remembered the strategy used before in the alley. So he proposed to others to climb on the roof and attack from the top to take them by surprise and take them out.


    The others accepted the plan, and the group moved to the back. Fortunately, the area under Dong Zhen''s jurisdiction was enormous. Otherwise, they would have been identified by the guards around the perimeter as they attempted to climb the roof of the building.


    The first to reach the roof was Hei, who helped others to climb. Once they were all up, they approached the ledge to give a rapid peek before they had to shrink back.


    In the distance, two other guards were approaching, carrying some crates. From the direction they were going, Hei and the others could see that they were headed toward this building.


    At that point, each member of the group pondered whether to attack or not. Although there were six of them and the guards were only four, they had to take them out with one shot.


    Initially, they had planned to attack the two guards at the entrance in groups of three, but with the addition of two other enemies, this plan had become impossible.


    While Kang was undecided whether to wait for the two new guards to go away or risk to take them out along with the two originals guards on the spot, Hei came out saying.


    "If necessary, I can take one out, along with my spider and my snake. It''s not a problem."


    Hearing this, Kang''s eyes suddenly lit up, "Really? If you really can, then I can take one while the others can attack the other two in pairs. "


    Hei nodded with his head. With his little sisters, he was sure to take his target out in a surprise attack.


    Therefore, when the two guards with the crates stopped at the entrance to talk to the two guards stationed there, all except Sen, who remained on the roof to attack with his bow, fell from the roof like raptors and each attacked their targets.


    Without showing mercy, they aimed directly at the head of their enemies. With the gravity''s force to increase the power of their blows, it was unlikely that the guards could survive the attack.


    Hei''s spear, therefore, stuck in the head of his target as Ye and Xing went down and bit his throat with their fangs. Blood splatters soon depicted a bloody image while four people fell to the ground almost simultaneously, now deprived of life without having been able to say or do anything else, except for a slight start of surprise.


    With the enemies settled, Hei let Xing and Ye enter inside to check if there was anyone, but apparently, there was a green light. The group, therefore, immediately entered with the crates that had fallen on the ground. They also brought along the corpses of those they had just killed.


    Inside, they could see that the building was nothing more than a warehouse for weapons, armor, and other miscellaneous items.


    Of course, they weren''t objects of enormous value since it was unthinkable to leave things like that available to anyone, but, on the whole, they still represented a significant sum.


    While they were searching among the objects, Kang proposed to his companions to make a change of weapon and armor.


    Their weapons and leather armors were nothing but second-hand objects; excluding Kang''s stick, the others showed signs of wear. Considering that there were still other guards, it was better to take advantage of this warehouse to equip themselves better.


    While the others were switching their gear, Hei was hesitant about changing his spear or not. With the silk protection under his clothes, it was useless to wear leather or metal protections. They would only slow him down while resulting at the same time, less effective than Bao Bei''s silk. However, it was also true that the sharpness of his wooden lance wasn''t at the same level as one with a metal spearhead.


    So, he decided to change his spear with one of the same length. The new spear had a wooden handle but with a metallic head. He avoided taking one entirely of metal, because he had no way to get used to the weight quickly right now, not to mention that he wanted some flexibility in his spear. Bao Bei kept her son''s old spear since it was one of her gifts for him.


    When they finished arming themselves, the group left and looked at the house where the fat merchant was staying. It was the only place left to search, and therefore it was very likely that the prisoners were kept there somewhere.


    Without further delay, they proceeded cautiously towards this building.

 Chapter 24 - Value of the Dead

    Dong Zhen''s shop that also served as his home consisted of two floors. According to Kang''s hypothesis, the ground floor was used to welcome visitors and conduct business while the upper one was where the merchant''s bedroom was located along with that of his personal guard. But, since it seemed strange that the slaves had been placed in plain sight, it was probable that there was also a basement.


    While praying that his companions were there, Kang led the group to the back of the building. There, a closed door led to inside the house. It was from there that the two guards with the crates had come. Thankfully, it wasn''t locked, so they could get inside without problems.


    Once inside, they looked around. They were in a kind of small corridor that served as a link with the back door.


    In front of them, there was a door that led to the interior rooms. On the left instead, there was a small table with unlit lamps, and a little further up a staircase that descended downwards into what, at first sight, looked like a basement.


    With silent steps, Sen went to the door in front of them and pulled out a small mirror. Then he silently opened the door as far as it took to insert the mirror. Through the reflection, he could see what was behind the door.


    After looking sufficiently, he slowly closed the door and joined the others, communicating what he had discovered.


    "There are two people inside, but they are just guards who are playing cards; the interior is instead a room to receive guests."


    Listening to this, Kang smiled slightly.


    "I was right. The fat man is on the other floor with his guard; otherwise, the guards on the ground floor wouldn''t dare to play during their turn. The group to relieve the guards present now will only arrive in the evening, so we still have some time. Let''s continue."


    Everyone then headed towards the stairs leading to the basement, without having first taken a lamp each, which they lit with a fire striker. As the stairs creaked loudly, they had to walk slowly, taking one step at a time to avoid making loud noises.


    When they came down, the sight they saw was somewhat disconcerting: there were many large metal cages, and in each of these, there were people who went from children to young adults, with the majority of them being women. Each of the confined people had worn-out clothes and lay on the ground with a defeated air as if they had resigned themselves to their fate.


    While feeling angry inside, Kang began to inspect the cages one by one in search of his companions with his subordinates, hoping they were unharmed. Luckily, they had foreseen that there would be little light in the basement, otherwise searching in the dark without the aid of a lamp would have been very difficult.


    In the meantime they were looking, Hei was attracted by a door that led to another room. Since he didn''t know the four abducted belonging Kang''s group, he preferred to explore the basement as he couldn''t be useful in searching for them anyway.


    When he pushed the door, he was greeted by a strong smell of blood mixed with pee and other recognizable scents. The room was completely dark and cold since no light source heated it.


    Moving the lamp to direct the light, he noticed a blood-stained table with the corpse of a woman above it. Approaching, he examined the woman''s body, seeing various signs of bruising. Since she didn''t emit a lousy scent, Hei sensed that it hadn''t been long since her death, at most one or two days, but since the temperature was low inside, it was difficult to determine if she hadn''t been here for longer.


    ''Are you okay, Hei? Does the sight of this woman bother you?'' Asked Bao Bei when she saw her son remaining thoughtful in front of the woman''s body. It wasn''t as if he had no experience seeing a corpse, yet there seemed to be something different this time.


    ''No, I''m fine. I was just asking myself something, that''s all.'' Hei answered as he continued to stare at the woman.


    ''Tell me. You know you can tell me everything.''


    At that point, Hei was silent for a moment and then began to express his doubts.


    ''You always said that we shouldn''t waste food, and when we kill any living being, we must honor it by not wasting their deaths. Furthermore, you have always said that the value of spirit beasts'' life is the same as humans.''


    ''Yes, this is what I taught you from an early age.'' Bao Bei confirmed while she was waiting for what doubt her son had. Xing and Ye were also carefully listening because they could sense that their big brother was particularly serious.


    Hei, therefore, formulated his question,


    ''If this is true, why have we never eaten human flesh? Looking at this woman''s body left behind in this way, I wondered why to waste such a resource. At the village, I learned that ordinary people have to suffer and struggle so hard to live and yet at the same time they burn the bodies or bury them in wooden crates, and they then kill other living beings when it would have been enough to eat the person who had just died.''


    ''Yeah, it''s true. We, too, have asked ourselves several times the reason, right Xing?'' Ye commented as Xing nodded her head while also adding to what his sister had said,


    ''Long ago, you took the bandit''s leader body, and yet, even after all this time, you never gave us his flesh.''


    Hearing her children say this, Bao Bei was struck. The fact that Ye and Xing were wondering about this wasn''t at the end so surprising, given they were spirit beast. But what struck her the most was that it was Hei the first to ask that question. Thinking about it, she forgot to discuss this during their stay in Leaf Village as, excluding the bandits'' attack, they had lived peacefully.


    With a serene tone, she asked them.


    ''If I died, would you eat my carcass? If Lei Lei and Lei Bai had died, would you have eaten them?''


    Hearing this, Hei seems horrified by this idea as well as his two little sisters. Eating their mother? That action was something they had never thought of in their heads. Their mother was their world. How could they think of eating her?


    The same applies to Lei Lei and Lei Bai. They were indeed human, but they had been kind towards them, becoming important people for the three of them.


    Sensing their mood, Bao Bei continued, ''The same goes for humans, it is unthinkable for them to eat their loved ones as well as strangers. In the human race, this taboo of not eating human flesh is firmly rooted. There are exceptions, but those that are discovered in doing so are considered monsters that must be annihilated and purified.


    The reason I never made you eat human flesh is that, otherwise, they would have considered you like monsters, and I don''t want that to happen. So, for whatever reason, you mustn''t eat human flesh, all right?''


    ''Okay, mother, we will do as you wish.'' Her three children answered in unison while agreeing to their mother as they had sworn long ago to respect her rules.


    However, Hei continued on the subject by proposing something else.


    "What if I give the people I kill, the bad ones who harm good people, as a meal for animals and other spirit beasts? Thus, the latter won''t be forced to eat each other, and they will live longer. By avoiding wasting their bodies, those bad people will regain their value in their deaths by prolonging the life of other living creatures. It would be nice to live without having to extinguish other lives, but even if we can''t do it, at least we can reduce the number of deaths, right?"


    Watching his son smile innocently at this proposal, Bao Bei was stunned. Inside, she felt rather strange. She was proud of how Hei grew up, but at the same time, she couldn''t help but wonder if it was good to have raised him that way. Had he been born into a human family, would he still have such thoughts?


    Casting her insecurities away, Bao Bei gently stroked Hei''s head and answered.


    ''You can but not the whole bodies. If they are used to eating full human corpses, animals and spirit beasts could end up seeing humans as their only food. If you want to do it, then you have to process the bodies like you would with an animal''s carcass.


    Alternatively, you could always bury the corpses directly in the ground. From there, they will decompose and become energy for the soil and plants that will be the nourishment of other beings. What do you say?''


    ''Alright, I will do so, mother. To start, can you take this woman''s body with you? I would like to bury her, as you said. Among the seeds I took, there is a flower called rafflesia, the corpse flower. It takes on an odor similar to decaying meat, but if it is germinated inside a corpse, it can grow faster while absorbing it. Instead of being forgotten in this dark place, this woman will become light for other living beings.''


    Having listened to her son''s desire, Bao Bei proceeded to place the woman''s body in her pocket dimension.


    While she was doing this, Hei moved his lamp to the other parts of the room to see what else was there. Then, he noticed the presence of a cage, like those in the other room.


    Inside, there was a person dressed in ragged clothes. She was sitting with her legs between the arms, and her hair was hiding her face. From her long dark blue hair and the slight build, Hei guessed she was a young girl.


    She seemed to be sleeping because, even though Hei had entered the room, she hadn''t noticed him. Near her feet, there were two bowls, one with water and another with some rice. A corner of the cage was instead used as a place to do her needs.


    Noting this, Hei frowned. He had remembered the conditions of the water buffaloes. Those poor creatures were forced to remain in the stable without being able to go outside, except for work. They also had to live most of their lives locked up in the dark.


    "It''s okay. Now you can go outside." Hei walked over to the cage but noticed it was closed. Looking in the middle of the room, he saw a set of keys attached to the wall near the door that led to the previous room.


    Taking the keys, he opened the cage, but no answer came from the girl. Seeing that she wasn''t moving, Hei went inside and knelt down, trying to shake her with his hands.


    When she did this, the girl gave a slight jolt and raised her head just enough to let Hei catch a glimpse of her eyes.


    Two sapphire blue pupils were looking straight at Hei. However, instead of having the brightness that suited a young girl, they had an opaque color, almost dead, as if there were no life inside those eyes. Her pale white complexion emphasized, even more, this feeling.


    But apart from looking up, she had no other reactions in seeing Hei or that the cage that trapped her was open.


    Since they didn''t have much time, Hei decided to take her by lifting her with his two arms. Her weight was light as a feather, almost non-existent. Her apathetic face shifted slightly to Ye and Xing on Hei''s body, who watched her with curiosity.


    He didn''t know exactly why he had done so, but speaking of the value that a living being could have in its death, he realized that it would be sad to leave her in that dark place alone.


    If she wanted, she could start to live again. Otherwise, if she was destined to die because she had stopped wanting to live, then she might as well do so by becoming the light of another being, rather than staying frozen there.


    Returning to the other room, he saw that the others had succeeded in their intent and had freed their companions. Fortunately, the cages'' keys had been placed in the corner of the room.


    In addition to the four kidnapped in their group, Kang had also freed the other prisoners. Logically speaking, it would have been better just to free his companions and leave the others there. After all, more people meant they were more likely to be discovered.


    But Kang decided to save them. If they were able to do so, why not free them too?


    Now, however, there was the problem of how to proceed with the plan. With all these people, they were more than twenty of them, excluding Hei and Kang''s group.


    The original plan was to sneak their comrades into the hole once they were released. Meanwhile, Hei would use his secret card and eliminate the guard, Feng. After all, the buffaloes were unable to pass through that hole in the ground. The main entrance was, therefore, their only way to freedom.


    But it would have been difficult for the guards not to notice more than twenty people rushing to the animal stable, considering that it was still daylight.


    Even if Hei had created a diversion, there was the possibility that the guards would decide to take care of them first, since, for them, it was unthinkable that something could happen to their boss''s bodyguard.


    At this point, the only choice that remained was to cross the main entrance with the buffaloes, hoping that Hei''s secret card could keep the other guards at bay.


    Meanwhile, Hei was still holding the girl who was looking at the situation absently. She didn''t seem to matter what was going on.


    As he slowly put her down on the ground to ask Kang how they wanted to proceed, they suddenly heard footsteps going down the stairs leading to the basement.


    With their heartbeats accelerating, everyone turned to the source from which the noise came. Soon two lamps, identical to those used by Hei and the others, were visible. The two in the adjoining room that were playing cards were the ones holding them.


    Suspicious because the other two who had been sent to the weapons deposit hadn''t returned yet, they decided to take a look down to see if they were having fun with some slaves while they were on duty.


    Obviously, the two guards weren''t checking because they were loyal to the job, but they simply wanted to have fun too, and they found it unfair that those two were doing it secretly without having told them anything.


    The sight they found before them, however, was different from what they expected. The people who should have been in their cages were all out and free to move. Out of the corner of their eyes, they also saw the special prisoner their leader had brought some time ago.


    Immediately, Hei and the others lashed out fiercely against the two guards, taking advantage of the fact that they were still disoriented, aiming at their vital points.


    Seeing that they were in a difficult situation, one of the guards managed to make a loud cry before being hit in the throat by Hei''s spear that stuck him in the wall.


    Witnessing such a bloody spectacle, some girls who had been captured gave a short cry, but they soon shut their mouths.


    But the damage had already been done. Just the scream of the guard was sufficient to alert those present in the building. Soon, a bell could be heard ringing.


    This was the signal that something was taking place nearby. So, all the guards had to join up with Dong Zhen to protect him until they made sure what was happening.


    Listening to this, Kang bit his lips and said to Hei, "Hei! Use your secret card now! We need to get out of here right away!" So he started driving all the others out of the basement to the main entrance. There were only four guards there, and if they took them out quickly, they wouldn''t be surrounded by the others coming toward this location.

 Chapter 25 - Escape

    "Hei! Use your secret card now! We need to get out of here right away!"


    Hearing Kang''s words, Hei nodded with his head to indicate he had understood. Then he started to climb the stairs first, while Kang calmed and gave orders to the newly freed people.


    Once on the ground floor, without hesitation, Hei passed through the door that led into the inner rooms from the back corridor.


    As it was said before, it was a room with huge sofas and a meeting table. Everything was decorated with elegant and expensive ornaments, and the walls were covered with beautiful paintings.


    Without wasting time admiring the opulence of the room, Hei went straight to the stairs that led to the first floor where the merchant was with his guard.


    At the top of the stairs, two guards were waiting for him with their weapons drawn. Evidently, the guard Feng wasn''t the only person in charge of the protection on the first floor.


    With readiness, they began to activate their spirit power, but Bao Bei stared at them in the eyes, and they assumed blank expressions as the aura that began to condense on them became extinct.


    Hei, therefore, shortly before reaching them, swung his spear, and with its sharp head, he cut their throats clean.


    Blood spurts came out violently as the two guards collapsed on the ground. Although they were bleeding profusely, they didn''t seem to mind it as they didn''t even try to stop the blood from leaking out.


    Without paying further attention to the two of them, Hei went on. He was in another long corridor with various rooms on the sides that served as bedrooms.


    Not knowing in which room the merchant and his guard were, Hei wanted to break down the doors one by one, but Bao Bei beckoned him to go directly to the door to the left on the bottom of the corridor.


    Following what his mother had told him, Hei promptly headed for the door and kicked the handle to open it.


    The door was forcefully opened, and from inside, Hei could see Dong Zhen''s figure. With trembling movements, the merchant was sitting on the ground, leaning against the bed.


    It seemed that the amazement of seeing the door of his room smashed had frightened him. However, Hei, looking at him, had a strange feeling as if something was wrong.


    ''Mother-''


    ''Come in, don''t worry. Your intuition isn''t wrong, but they cannot do anything to you with me here.''


    Without further delay, Hei ran forward into the bedroom.


    On the side of the door, hidden by a piece of furniture, were the merchant''s personal guard, Feng, kneeling while he had both his swords held up.


    As soon as Hei entered, Feng threw himself at full speed against him, aiming at the intruder''s chest, as if he wanted to impale him on the wall.


    Over the years, Dong Zhen had adopted this tactic several times but, even if someone had suspected it could be a trap, the possibility of being able to kill the merchant and their confidence in their own abilities, made Dong Zhen''s enemies choose to enterer the trap, confident that they could still succeed.


    However, Feng''s abilities were far superior, and none of those who had made an attempt on the merchant''s life remained alive.


    Indeed, even Hei, despite perceiving something wasn''t right, was still forced to enter to kill Dong Zhen.


    However, this time, things didn''t end up like the merchant and his guard had thought. They hadn''t calculated the factor that there could be someone extremely powerful and dangerous among the intruders, more than what the guard Feng could handle.


    Before he could reach Hei, Feng felt his body being paralyzed, and he felt his spirit power being suppressed.


    With horror, he looked at the boy who had just rushed into the room. He didn''t dare to believe that such a young man could possess such power.


    After all, although the strongest sects'' sect leaders in the Rainbow Island could easily defeat him, it didn''t mean that they were at a level that they could prevent him from moving or even circulating his spirit power.


    Seeing his bodyguard stopping, Dong Zhen for the first time in many years had a hint of fear as he called loudly,


    "What the hell are you doing? Why did you stop? Take him out now!! Did you hear me?"


    But Feng wasn''t even able to open his mouth. As much as he tried to force himself, all he could produce was nothing but confused sounds.


    Bao Bei then told Hei, ''I immobilized him, so you don''t have to worry. Finish him right away so you can get back to the others.''


    ''Thank you, Mother. Without you, I would not have succeeded.'' Hei affectionately said to his mother.


    Indeed, even if he expected something like this, Feng''s strength was something he couldn''t handle at this moment.


    Even if he had parried with his spear, the force behind that blow was so strong that it would have impaled him to the wall anyway.


    So, Hei took his spear with both his hands, and with a heavy lunge, the weapon penetrated Feng''s windpipe. The guard then fell to the ground without even being able to react.


    Looking at his trusted guard over many years of service, Dong Zhen was genuinely taken by pure terror. Never he imagined that Feng would have been killed so quickly, much less by a boy.


    As he began to think of what words to use to plead to be spared, Dong Zhen recognized Hei''s face.


    "But you are that brat who stopped my wagons. Please, whatever you want, it''s yours. Do you want the buffaloes? Then you can take them all, just don''t hurt me." The merchant desperately begged as he tried to rely on Hei''s desire to save the buffaloes. He didn''t know that Hei had already ascertained the water buffaloes'' condition.


    Seeing him plead in that way, Hei didn''t answer but simply pointed his spear at the merchant.


    His mother had taught them that it was dangerous to leave someone alive who had tried to kill you once.


    However, she had also taught them they should decide after evaluating the circumstances. Regarding the man in front of him, who was pleading for his life, there was certainly nothing that could make Hei change his mind.


    Thus, he stabbed him to the heart with his spear and immediately ended his life.


    Probably others would have tortured the merchant or given him a slow death for what he had done, but Hei didn''t like to torture living beings. If he had to take a life, then he might as well take it off quickly.


    He also didn''t have time to waste to teach the merchant a lesson. The priority was to get out of there and free the imprisoned buffaloes.


    As Hei finished the merchant and his guard, Ye and Xing, for their mother''s order, left Hei''s body to explore the bedroom. Eventually, they found several bags full of gold coins.


    They didn''t represent the totality of Dong Zhen''s wealth, but it was still a nice sum. It was certainly enough for Kang''s group to get a new life.


    Taking the gold coins'' bags after placing his spear behind his back, Hei lowered himself to bring his two little sisters back up and then turned to his mother.


    ''Mother, can you deal with the other guards who are coming? I also wish you call the buffaloes by telling them to come.''


    ''I''ve already done it, my little one, don''t worry. As for the guards, they fainted on the ground, so you are free to go.'' Bao Bei replied, knowing well her son.


    Although it would have been easy to put an end to those guards'' lives, creating another massacre would cause another ruckus like the bandits'' massacre of bandits in Leaf Village.


    By making them faint instead, even if they could connect the incident with the strange boy the merchant met during the day, it would be seen instead as the work of some strong organizations that had hired assassins to kill Dong Zhen without leaving a trace.


    After all, it was difficult for a newly arrived young foreigner to be able to take out one of the most influential people in Green City on the same day of his arrival.


    However, Hei had accomplished this task over the course of a day. Whether it was for some premeditated karma or just for a fortunate chain of events, he had managed to do all this.


    Without wasting time, he went down to the ground floor and from there, went out of the building, straight towards the main entrance of the merchant''s estate.


    Waiting for him, there were already the water buffaloes with the albino buffalo in command. There was no trace of Kang and the others.


    Actually, Kang wanted to stay to wait for Hei, but, although the guards were fainted on the ground, it didn''t mean they were already out of trouble.


    Nevertheless, seeing the water buffaloes arriving at the main entrance, Kang realized that Hei was fine, and he would get by. Thus, without further delay, he took the others away from that place.


    Seeing that the water buffaloes were already there, Hei smiled and gave them a quick look to see if they were okay. The albino buffalo, therefore, approached him and beckoned with its head to jump on his back.


    Following the request of the buffalo, Hei first gave the bags containing the gold to his mother to put them in her pocket dimension. Then he climbed on its back. From there, he could feel the vibrations produced by the breath of the buffalo that echoed through its skin. Although it was full of wounds, it was very soft and warm to the touch, and being on its back wasn''t so bad.


    At that point, the albino buffalo emitted a bellow and began to march, immediately followed by the other buffaloes who lined up in pairs with the albino buffalo alone at the front of the line.


    Shortly after, they began to accelerate their pace and then ended up galloping at full speed. To avoid falling, Hei lowered himself by placing his head on the albino buffalo''s back and clinging on it firmly, while paying attention not to hurt him.


    Fortunately, Dong Zhen lived in a less crowded part of the city, not too far from the main entrance, and it was also late afternoon. Therefore they found few people in the streets who were utterly stunned to see a herd of adult buffaloes running at full speed on the streets.


    Nevertheless, after recovering from their initial astonishment, they soon began to run with terror to get out of the way and avoid being crushed. This chaos continued to spread as the buffaloes advanced.


    Once they arrived at the city''s main entrance, the guards positioned there watched the scene unsure on how to act. Usually, it should be their job to quell any chaos that occurred in their surveillance area, but who was so foolish as to block the run of mighty animals like buffalos. So they watched, paying attention only that the people nearby weren''t involved, by making them move away.


    Seeing that the guards didn''t want to act, Hei gave a short sigh of relief, and, once out of the city, he signaled the albino buffalo to head towards a precise direction. Waiting for them in a specific place, were the rest of Kang''s group who were anxiously awaiting news of their leader and their other companions, hoping that they would be well and could be reunited again.


    But instead of Kang and his companions, what they saw was nothing but the indistinct masses that approached at high speed towards them.


    With the terror that soon spread in them as they thought it was Dong Zhen''s men who came to capture the rest of the group, they started running to escape. But their speed wasn''t comparable to that of the buffaloes, and in no time they were reached.


    However, rather than the scene they had imagined in their heads, they saw several buffaloes slowing down. On the back of a white buffalo, they saw a familiar face. It was the boy brought by their leader and who had gone along with the others.


    Relieved that it wasn''t Dong Zhen''s men, the people there approached Hei and soon started bombarding him with questions. Seeing that Kang''s group hadn''t arrived yet and unable to follow all the questions that were being asked, Hei gave a summary of what had happened.


    On hearing that everything had gone well and that their companions would soon arrive, they emitted cries of joy. Although they trusted Kang, they didn''t expect such a result without victims or injuries.


    Han, who was among those people, approached Hei, who had meanwhile descended from the albino buffalo.


    "Not only did you save me today, but you helped us all. You helped my family. I really don''t know how to repay you. I''m grateful to have met you, though."


    Hearing Han''s sincere words, Hei smiled briefly and scratched his head. In his opinion, he had done nothing for which he deserved to be thanked. After all, Hei hadn''t saved Han because he was driven by a sense of altruism and justice, nor had he joined Kang because he wanted to rescue his kidnapped companions. His goal was just the buffaloes, although he would help other people if he had had the chance.


    "It''s nothing. There is no need for me to thank you, your boss has already repaid the favor." Hei said briefly, not wanting to be thanked further.


    After a while, Kang finally arrived with all the others he had led away from Dong Zhen''s estate. Since Hei had done all that chaos at the entrance, they had managed to get out not seen, using a secondary exit known by few people.


    The Sons of Underworld''s members, seeing their leader return with their companions, burst into tears again and ran to greet him. Even though it had only been a few hours since they had greeted each other, it seemed like years had passed for all of them.


    After taking a while to calm his subordinates still in the throes of their emotions, Kang ordered them to take out reserve clothes and supplies for the people they saved along with their companions. Without questioning his order, his subordinates began to help the former slaves, telling them reassuring words.


    Taking advantage of the fact that he had finally freed himself from their encirclement, Hei approached Kang with the gold coins'' bags recovered from his mother''s dimensional pocket.


    "Dong Zhen, as well as his guard Feng, are dead. I also found these in his room. Although they aren''t enough to make all these people live in luxury, it is enough to give them a home and a normal life."


    Listening to what Hei said, Kang assumed a strange expression looking with desire at the money that was being offered to him. "I cannot accept, if it weren''t for you we wouldn''t be alive now. It''s only thanks to you that we can laugh and joke in joy, so this money is yours."


    "If you don''t want them, then I''ll throw them down here. In that case, you or another person will be free to take them. Remember, I''m not your subordinate, so I don''t have to do what you tell me." Not leaving Kang time to reply, Hei threw the bags on the ground attracting the attention of everyone present.


    With the eyes of his subordinates watching him, Kang began to sweat. For pride, he wanted to refuse such generosity since he felt that he still had to repay the debt for being helped with the liberation plan. However, this choice wasn''t just about him, but all the people he was in charge of. Being the boss meant protecting and giving a future to the people who took orders from him and were willing to follow him in any situation.


    After thinking about it for a while, he decided to accept by silencing his pride.


    "I don''t know how to thank you, Hei. One day I will surely repay the favor, rest assured. It goes not only for my honor but for all the Sons of Underworld''s members."


    After saying this, he respectfully bowed his head toward Hei. Seeing their leader make such a gesture, the other members also followed his example and bowed to Hei. This also applied to the former slaves. They had understood from the conversation that it was thanks to that boy that they were now free.


    Embarrassed by the gratitude and respect of so many people, Hei was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond. His mother and two sisters were pleased. That Hei was thanked and respected was more gratifying than to be appreciated themselves.


    Fortunately, Kang soon pulled him out of this situation, ordering those present to begin preparations to leave. Since there wasn''t much left for the evening, they had to find a secluded place to sleep. At the same time, they had to decide how to move.


    "Hei, even if you don''t want to be thanked, at least let me offer you another meal for the time being. I don''t accept a no as an answer, what do you say? "


    Convinced by his mother that it wasn''t a bad idea and by his two little sisters who were hungry again, Hei accepted the proposal smiling, "All right. One last meal then, before separating our paths."


    So all the people in that place moved like a single group in search of a more secluded area where they could spend the night instead of remaining in full view on the terrains that surrounded the city.

 Chapter 26 - Celebration

    After walking for a couple of hours, they found a small wood and decided to search the area. Fortuitously they discovered a cave uninhabited where to spend the night. Therefore Kang told his subordinates that they would camp there for the night.


    Although it was not the maximum of comfort, sleeping outside, at least they wouldn''t have to sleep directly exposed to the elements. Furthermore, sleeping in the cave was easier to monitor than sleeping in an open space.


    While the various Sons of Underworld''s people split their tasks to prepare everything necessary to spend the night there, Hei took on the task of finding water in the surroundings to preserve as much as possible what they had brought with them.


    He volunteered for this task as, in that way, he could take advantage of it to take the buffaloes out for a short walk so that they could eat and drink while the others finished their dinner preparations.


    Once he had been given the various empty waterskins that they had, he then went into the woods leading the buffaloes. Obviously, his two little sisters and his mother were with him.


    The various animals, hearing them approaching, all hid in their small burrows. It was rare for them to see powerful animals like the buffaloes, not to mention the albino buffalo, which was emanating calm and power at the same time. But in addition to that, they instinctively felt that there was something else they had to hide from, even though they didn''t know what.


    After all, small animals had to pay attention every day to avoid being devoured, and therefore they knew how to recognize when there was something dangerous nearby. Leaving aside the various tiny insects that approached exploiting the fact of being seemingly insignificant, Hei didn''t encounter any inconvenience while driving the buffaloes.


    Eventually, he encountered a pond during his scouting. The buffaloes placed themselves neatly side by side and began to drink to quench their thirst. The water didn''t look clear, and it was a little muddy. However, it wasn''t a problem for them to drink. Ye and Xing also came down from Hei''s body to go drink.


    Seeing this, Hei scratched his head, unsure about what to do. Drinking water directly could make him ill or so he had learned from his mother. It happened that Bao Bei purified with her spirit power the water she took before giving it to Hei to drink. This was done mostly when the water wasn''t particularly clear.


    But now he didn''t have to take the water only for himself but also for all the others. So it didn''t seem appropriate for him to disturb his mother with such a request. Therefore, he decided trying to purify it himself first.


    So, both his hands emerged inside and took some water out. The water in his hands was murky and not attractive.


    Trying to concentrate, Hei closed his eyes to perceive only the small amount of water he had in his hands, trying to grasp its essence by activating his spirit power. However, shortly after that, he had to give up because the process quickly consumed the little spirit power he had.


    Seeing him dejected from the failure, Bao Bei told him to comfort him,


    ''What you tried to do is not something you can grasp immediately. It is an alchemy''s basic technique, but also one of the most difficult: to make one''s spirit power resonate with the object in question. With this technique, it is possible to change the property of the object or help it to merge with others. Purifying the water or creating pills that are useful in cultivation are among the things you can do with it, but all this requires precise control and perseverance.''


    Hearing this, Hei gave a bitter smile and answered, ''I understand. I just wanted to give it a try, but I didn''t think it was that hard.''


    ''Did you want to purify the water to bring it to the others?'' Bao Bei asked, sensing the reasons behind her son''s actions.


    Seeing that he nodded his head, she came down from Hei''s head, and, with the appearance of a tiny spider, she approached the water.


    When she came down, the water buffaloes that were drinking suddenly froze. Among them, the albino buffalo was the most shocked of all. Without delay, it unconsciously bent its front legs together with its head as if it wanted to bow. The other buffaloes also followed its example.


    At the strange behavior of the albino buffalo, Hei was speechless. He couldn''t understand why it was behaving like that in front of his mother, considering it was the first time it saw her directly.


    Bao Bei shifted her gaze to the albino buffalo and raised one of her legs to signal to it to stand up and stared at it for a few moments. Then she looked away and concentrated on the pond.


    However, after getting up, the albino buffalo''s eyes shone as if he had just been reinvigorated by something. It had had a similar reaction when Hei told him that he would release him and its companions and unconsciously trusted his words, restoring the vigor that was gradually disappearing from its body.


    But now it was different. It seemed as if its whole being was bursting with joy and trepidation. In its gaze, instead, there was a resolute light. It was as if all the suffering it had endured so far was a prelude to this meeting. If a comparison has to be made, it will be as if a person found the purpose of their life.


    While Hei, Ye, and Xing were still watching the scene numb, Bao Bei put one of her legs in the water, letting some of her spirit power escape come out.


    After a short time, there was a change in the water. A portion of water became clear without the turbidity that was before. After doing this, Bao Bei motioned for Hei to come closer to fill the waterskins.


    With his mind still thinking about what had happened, Hei did his job anyway and completed it. Now that he had done what he had to, it was time to go back to the others. But the curiosity was still present in his heart.


    Seeing her curious children, Bao Bei smiled inwardly and said to them, ''Do you want to know why they knelt first? I will tell you, however, only after we have settled into a sect. All right?''


    Since their mother had promised to reveal it to them later, the three of them nodded their heads and no longer continued the subject and resumed walking. It didn''t take long for them to get into the cave where the others were.


    When they arrived, they could smell a slight fragrance flowing from outside the cave. The people there had already started cooking. From the smell, Hei realized that they had caught some wild game nearby.


    At that point, he began arranging the buffaloes just outside the cave entrance as there wasn''t enough space inside. The albino buffalo beckoned that it was all right when Hei tried to apologize for this. Apparently, they wanted to sleep outdoors as they had always been forced to rest and spend most of their time indoors.


    After setting the buffaloes, he brought back all the waterskins now full and positioned them in a corner of the cave. When he saw him coming back, Kang approached Hei and patted him on the shoulder.


    "You found the water, well done. In that way, we should be good for quite a while. Come on. Dinner is almost ready." Then he motioned for Hei to follow him.


    While following him, Hei saw that the others had placed themselves in a circle around a bonfire above which there was a boiling pot. The fragrance he had perceived came from there. They probably added the prey captured into the pot to create a kind of meat stew, since, on the ground nearby, there were some skins with some meat still attached. Looking after the pot, there was a group of young women who were tasting the stew to see if it was okay.


    When Kang made his way through the circle of people, all those present interrupted their conversations and stared at him. Even the women in charge of eating stopped their movements. Hei followed shortly after, and, at Kang''s request, he stood beside him.


    "Today is a new day for everyone. This morning had started as an ordinary day, yet so many things happened that we never thought could happen so fast."


    At that point, he stopped for a moment to look at the listeners. Then he continued in a calm voice, "Dong Zhen is dead as well as his bodyguard. However, even so, we cannot return to Green City. With his death, a power struggle will begin to take his position. In truth, I wanted to take part in this fight, but thanks to Hei, we now have another option. Going to another city and starting from scratch, not like sewer rats but like normal people in a real home of our own. We have enough money to carry out this project. Obviously, anyone is free to join our family if they desire to."


    Hearing the last sentence, the former slaves burst into tears at this news. They didn''t expect them to be given the opportunity to join the Sons of Underworld as they were strangers. It was already unbelievable that they had been freed and brought here. This news was, therefore, like a godsend: having fallen into slavery, they could no longer return to their native cities or villages, and they no longer had relatives or friends to rely on.


    Seeing them cry, Kang smiled and said, "Cry, cry as much as you want tonight, not out of sadness but out of joy. You are no longer slaves, but Sons'' of Underworld member! But all this couldn''t have happened if it hadn''t been for one person. I and all of you will always be indebted to him, but at least for tonight, I want to make a toast to this person. Hei, the one who changed our destiny." At that point, he took a large bottle of wine from the ground and took a sip of it and then handed it to Hei.


    Hei, seeing Kang''s determined gaze, took a sip, and then passed it to the person closest to him. Like that, the bottle was passed from person to person, and everyone drank from it to attest their bond.


    Ye and Xing wanted to take a sip, but Hei thought it was better not to. After all, even if he didn''t care, it didn''t mean that other people would be willing to drink from the same bottle from which had drunk two animals. So he promised them that he would make up in the future by buying them a bottle of whatever they wanted to drink.


    When the toast was over, it was time for dinner. Since there were no bowls for everyone, for the little ones, glasses were used to put the stew in. They could drink directly from the waterskins anyway.


    The surrounding atmosphere didn''t take long to become cheerful and festive as everyone laughed and joked happily. Taking advantage of it, Hei, after putting his bowl down to let Ye and Xing eat first, turned to Kang.


    "Kang, I have a question I hope you can answer. With all that happened today, I couldn''t ask about it."


    Intrigued by that premise, Kanga motioned for the others to move away slightly to leave them more space and privacy as he replied, "Tell me, if it''s within my abilities, I''ll be happy to help you out."


    "Okay. The real reason I came to Green City was to find information about the sects in the surrounding area."


    "Sects? Do you want to be part of a sect? I thought... "Surprised Kang was speechless for a moment. With all the mystery that hovered around Hei, he thought this mysterious guy was part of a sect or had some famous relatives belonging to a sect. He didn''t expect him to be a wandering cultivator.


    "No, I''m not a part of a sect. I would like to join one, but I don''t know how many there are and where they are located." Hei replied, pressing Kang to get his answers. They had solved this incident and saved the buffaloes. So now, they had to reach a sect as soon as possible. Only then would his training begin.


    "There are several of them nearby, but they are all small sects. The nearest large sect from here would be the Flowers Sect. It was once a sect composed of only women, but their power deteriorated, and therefore, they began to accept male disciples as well. Although they are no longer as renowned as they used to be, their profound knowledge of growing rare flowers and plants still makes them worthy of ranking between the big sects."


    Upon hearing the Flower Sect''s description, Hei was immediately attracted. Because he wanted to plant the seeds he had bought, a sect devoted to plant cultivation was the ideal, as there would be more material there about growing rare plants. As for cultivation manuals or techniques that the sect could provide, he wasn''t very interested; after all, his mother had already told him that she would supply everything he needed, and Hei wouldn''t have doubted his mother. Therefore he made Kang tell him the direction he should have to follow to reach the sect.


    While busy in their discussion, one girl suddenly approached Kang with shyness and asked in a low voice,


    "B-boss, could you come and give us a hand? There, as you can see..."


    With her voice disappearing from her throat, she timidly pointed to a corner of the cave where a blue-haired girl lay motionless, leaning against the cave wall. Next to her, the other female prisoners of Dong Zhen were trying to make her eat but to no avail.


    Since they had run out of ideas, they finally decided to ask Kang about how they should proceed. Understanding the situation, Kang was about to go to their rescue but stopped his tracks, seeing Hei had moved first. Intrigued, he motioned the former slaves to leave the blue-haired girl alone for Hei to resolve the matter.


    Hei sat down next to the blue-haired girl and stood there in silence. Then he asked another bowl of stew and placed it on the ground while he ate a bite of it. Meanwhile, he urged Ye and Xing to eat from the same bowl as he knew his two little sisters weren''t yet satisfied.


    The girl moved her gaze slightly when she saw a small spider and a small snake eating the stew, but she had no other reaction. This scene continued for quite a while without being disturbed as Kang had given precise instructions.


    After about a quarter of an hour, Xing, who didn''t understand why the girl was watching them without eating, stuck a piece of meat with her two pedipalps. Then, she approached the girl by touching her hand with one of her legs.


    Surprised by the contact, the girl looked down, and she could see Xing holding this piece of meat, signaling her to take it. Following the example of her sister, Ye also grabbed a piece of meat but with her tail.


    At that point, Hei turned to the girl to tell her what his little sisters were trying to do, "They''re sharing their food with you, it''s not something that happens every day because they''re very gluttonous. Please, accept their gifts." Then he didn''t add anything else while waiting for her response.


    She, who didn''t respond to what Hei had said, eventually accepted the offered pieces of meat and brought them to her mouth, surprising Hei as he didn''t think she would be willing to do it.


    Happy to be able to get her to eat, Ye and Xing started bringing her more and more meat, even forgetting to eat. Perhaps it was strange for them to find someone who didn''t want to eat, and they wanted to change her mind. But whatever it was, as long as they were fine, Hei wouldn''t try to stop them.


    The people who were watching took that spectacle took a sigh of relief. In the end, the girl had eaten, but they inwardly thought that it would be difficult in the future if she made a fuss every time they had to eat. Their only hope was she could improve over time.


    With the hope for a better future, the celebration for today''s success ended to leave room for the night, and for the tomorrow that didn''t have certainties, but that could also reserve many surprises for them.

 Chapter 27 - Goodbye

    Once the celebration ended, it was time to go to sleep and finally have some rest.


    Unfortunately, the tents they had with them weren''t enough for everyone, even if they tried to huddle together inside. So, the older males decided to sleep directly on the ground.


    Hei refused the tent offered to him, saying he preferred to sleep without. Indeed, it had to be noted that because of his childhood, he had developed the strange habit of being at ease to sleep only if he was inside his mother''s silk. Otherwise, he preferred to sleep directly on the ground, not to mention that other people needeed the tent more than him.


    After they had finished organizing for the tents and fell asleep, Hei stood up stealthily, after a couple of hours, with Ye and Xing sleeping soundly. Paying attention not to make a noise, he went out in the buffaloes'' direction and began to wake them up slowly, starting from the albino buffalo.


    The albino buffalo initially seemed a little surprised by the rude awakening, but it made no fuss and calmed the other buffaloes by telling them to be quiet.


    The reason he was doing this was that he wanted to use the night''s cover to travel. Even if it was rude to leave without saying goodbye, he thought it would be better to do so than to leave tomorrow morning.


    In fact, his mother could travel great distances at high speed without making a noise. If they wanted to reach the Flower Sect quickly, then moving that same night was the best because otherwise, they would have to wait for the next night to travel at full speed while during the day, they would have made only a little way.


    As he lined up the buffaloes, Hei heard footsteps behind him and turned around quickly. At the entrance to the cave, he could see Kang waving his hand and making a bitter smile.


    "So, I was right. For some reason, I imagined that you would leave tonight." Kang said in a calm tone but at the same time with a touch of bitterness.


    Without waiting for Hei to answer, he continued, "Actually, I would have liked to make you one of ours. But I guess you have already decided your own path. I know you harbor many secrets, and honestly, I am very curious. But it''s none of my business, not to mention I owe you. Only, if you need a hand in the future, don''t hesitate to ask. I don''t know when we''ll meet again, but I feel that one day our paths will cross again."


    At that point, he took a little break before continuing, "But before you go, I must ask you one last favor. I hope you won''t say no." After saying this, he pointed behind him.


    As if they were waiting for Kang''s gesture, the moonlight''s rays illuminated a small corner of the entrance left in the dark before.


    There was a blue-haired girl there. Her pale white skin seemed to sparkle in contact with the moonlight, and her blue eyes looked blankly at Hei. Her worn-out clothes had been replaced with a simple blue dress, probably belonging to one of the other girls in Kang''s group. Her feet, on the other hand, weren''t wearing sandals, but they were naked while they were dirty from the ground due to direct contact.


    Watching her, Hei was speechless because he had guessed what Kang was trying to say to him, which was taking her with him.


    It was true that he had saved her and had helped her to eat, but taking her with him was different from what he had done before.


    Seeing that he was hesitant, Kang added, "I don''t know what they did there, but she was left marked. She doesn''t talk, and she barely moves as if she were a doll. The girls had a lot of trouble changing her. I know I ask you a lot, but you are the only one who she showed a hint of reaction to. Although I said that I would welcome everyone, I have to think about the collective good rather than that of a single individual. We have no way to help her, but you do, instead. So I ask you to take her with you."


    Hearing Kang''s words, Hei sighed. He had wondered how they would look after her in the future, but he didn''t think they would ask him to be responsible for her. It was true that he was intrigued by the girl''s story, but if he took her with him, it would mean exposing his secrets to a stranger.


    As he was about to refuse, Hei heard his mother moving slowly and saying, ''Say yes, we will take her with us.''


    Surprised by this twist, Hei couldn''t help asking the reason. After all, his mother was the one who had taught him not to trust blindly people he didn''t know well.


    ''She is special, she is about the same age, and yet, she also has developed her spirit power. That must be why she was caught. Perhaps she even awaken it when she was younger. Such talent is enough to attract unwanted looks, but if properly protected and trained, it can prove to be an excellent ally. Although I told you not to trust others easily, at the same time, you have to find good companions to whom you can entrust your life. You and your little sisters alone aren''t strong enough to fight against the difficulties of this world.''


    After her speech, Bao Bei stopped talking and waited in silence. Ye and Xing were also affected by their mother''s speech and begged Hei to say yes. Previously, they had taken a liking to that strange girl and were curious to know about her.


    Since both his sisters and his mother were favorable, Hei had no more doubts and nodded his head, "All right. I will take her with me. I hope to be able to help her in some way. "


    Expressed his consent, he approached the girl and took her hand, "Come, from now on, you will travel with me. Don''t be afraid. I won''t hurt you. "


    To reassure her, Ye and Xing came out of Hei''s body and climbed the girl''s outstretched hand, ending up on her shoulders. She had no reaction of disgust or terror but simply looked at both of them. Slowly, she began to move, being guided by Hei to where the buffaloes were. Then she was helped to climb over the albino buffalo, which fell to the ground to make her climb.


    Seeing how Hei was able to communicate so easily with the animals, Kang was once again stunned, but he quickly recovered.


    After making sure that the girl wouldn''t fall from the back of the albino buffalo, Hei turned to Kang for the final farewell. "I think it''s time for me to leave. I thank you for the help you gave me, and I wish you all good luck."


    "No, we are the ones we have to thank you for. Without you, this future would have been impossible." Then Kang extended a hand forward, and Hei reciprocated by shaking his hand.


    When they separated their hands, Hei led the buffaloes into the woods while the darkness swallowed them slowly.


    Kang sighed, thinking it was a pity he hadn''t managed to convince Hei to stay. Together they could have done great things. However, it wasn''t the time to regret. He had to rest now. Then, he would start establishing their new home.


    *


    Arriving at the pond they had found earlier, Hei sent the girl down from the albino buffalo and asked her mother, ''If we keep her with us, then I think it''s better to give her a name, what do you say mother?''


    Bao Bei replied, ''Why don''t you decide together and give her a name? You can also give it to buffaloes so it will be more advantageous in the future.''


    Hearing that, Ye and Xing got excited thinking about what name to give her. However, they realized that they didn''t know so many people''s names and reluctantly had to give the task to Hei.


    Hei also didn''t know so many people''s names, so he thought it would be better to give her the name of some flower, which was very suitable as she was a girl.


    Since she had blue eyes and hair, he started to recall all the flowers he knew with that color, but for some reason, they didn''t convince him very much. But as he was thinking, his eyes fell on her feet still dirty with earth. That was a very clear contrast.


    The girl was indeed stunning and possessed a mysterious and fascinating feeling around her. But, that atmosphere was ruined by the dirt she had in her feet. It was as if her purity was being slowly contaminated.


    Yet to Hei, it seemed the opposite. The girl wasn''t being contaminated by dirt, but she had come out of the soil. Then he came up with the perfect name for her.


    "Lian," Hei whispered as he looked at the blue-haired girl. She shivered slightly but said nothing.


    ''What a nice name, where does it come from?'' Ye and Xing asked in chorus as they climbed Lian''s body as if they were on Hei''s.


    "It comes from the lotus flower. It is born in murky waters, yet its beauty isn''t affected at all; actually, it is more emphasized. It is present in various colors, including blue. It means rebirth. I don''t know what they did to her there, but I hope one day she will recover and come back to being alive and being reborn into a new person." Hei explained, telling them what he had thought about when he was choosing the name.


    Ye and Xing paused a moment to contemplate its meaning and then continued to run over her body, humming her name ''Lian, Lian.''


    It was bizarre for Hei to see them so attached to another person, not even with Lei Lei and Lei Bai, they had shown such an attitude. Perhaps it was because they perceived her as a helpless creature they wanted to protect or that she had no repulsion or fear in her eyes.


    Although, over the years, Lei Lei had always been friendly with them, she couldn''t hide a slight trace of fear if they approached her suddenly, since spiders and snakes weren''t creatures that you would normally consider beautiful and cute.


    Obviously, Ye and Xing clearly understood Lei Lei''s point of view and never made it a problem, preserving for her a deep affection and a sweet memory. But it was another thing to be accepted without prejudice or fear from another person. After all, the only one who had no problems with them, excluding their mother, or animals and spirit beasts in general, was their big brother.


    While they were playing, Hei turned towards the albino buffalo and said, "I think that the time has come to give you a name too. What about Shui?"


    The albino buffalo nodded its head to indicate that it liked the name. Literally, its name meant water. It represented the species of buffalo to which it belonged.


    While Hei wanted to give the others buffaloes a name, Shui shook its head. Confused, Hei tried to ask why and Shui answered that there would be plenty of time to name the others in the future, but it was better to leave because they didn''t want to make him waste time on them thinking about the names.


    They had, in fact, lost some time, and finding a name for the rest of the buffaloes wouldn''t be easy. Thus accepting its suggestion, Hei signaled that they had to leave.


    Since the buffaloes, although they were fast, weren''t as fast as Bao Bei, they were sent in her dimensional pocket.


    Although this was like a separate dimension inside a living being that had reached a high rank and it was usually used to contain objects, it was also able to carry living beings.


    Of course, it wasn''t an unlimited space, and its size was based on the strength of the user''s soul. Furthermore, it wasn''t a suitable place to spend long periods unless one wanted to have undesirable effects on one''s own cultivation since they were inside the soul of another being. Precisely for this reason, this was used as an extreme means of transport only if it was strictly necessary.


    Once the buffaloes were inside, Hei picked up Lian as he saw she wouldn''t move while his mother increased in size. To accommodate two people on her back, she expanded her size to two meters.


    Then Hei mounted on her back, placing Lian in front of him. Ye and Xing were also advised to hold on tight and look after Lian if she moved during the journey. Fortunately, Lian kept her attitude and didn''t flinch as she was placed on the back of a two-meter spider.


    At that point, Hei gently touched his mother''s back to tell her they were ready. So with the moon still high in the sky, Bao Bei began to move quickly in the dark night in the Flower Sect''s direction.

 Chapter 28 - Flower Sect

    Flower Sect, one of the big five sects existing on the Rainbow Island. There were two big sects in the Forest kingdom, two in the Lake Kingdom and one in the Mountain Kingdom.


    In the past, the Flower Sect occupied the first place among the five big sects, but over time their power and influence had diminished to the last place.


    Concerned about the rapid decline in prestige, the then sect leader decided to make a sharp change, changing the very foundations of the sect.


    The sect that, up to that time, had welcomed and was managed by women alone, decided to absorb various minor sects and clans within themselves. They offered them positions of importance, thereby also welcoming men within the sect.


    Thanks to that move, they managed to preserve their position among the five big sects. However, the original members had lost much of their internal influence, creating various factions in the sect previously united.


    In addition to accommodating other sects and clans within it, the sect also implemented a system of division between inner and outer sect.


    In the inner sect, there were the various clans and sects''members who had joined the Flower Sect along with its original members. In the outer sect, the inhabitants of the neighboring territories were welcomed, plus all the foreigners who wanted to join the sect.


    In this way, the Sect was able to triple its original territory. But it had to compromise with the kingdom to occupy more land.


    The main difference between the inner sect and the outer sect was that the outer sect''s members worked to support the needs of the inner sect through production jobs. In return, in addition to being guaranteed their safety, they were promised a vague hope of becoming martial artists.


    The outer sect was composed of people without or with minimum spirit power. They were forced to maintain a specific share of donation to the inner sect in order not to be chased away. Even so, everyone worked hard with the hope that their children could enter the inner sect and change the fate of their family.


    To increase their enthusiasm, even more, they were given as rewards techniques manuals and cultivation methods of little importance, but which for them represented a gift from the heavens.


    Over the years, the outer sect had increased its members exponentially. So, they began to implement a careful selection for those who wanted to join by increasing their donation share and the admission requirements.


    In order not to lose their privileges, the outer sect''s members began to rival one another, increasing the climate of rivalry and division in the sect. However, at the same time, the quality of the outer sect''s members improved, increasing the overall strength of the Flower Sect.


    *


    At the entrance of this big sect, there was a large group of people who came to be selected as outer sect members. Every year, a brief test was carried out to see their potential. However, instead of crowding and pushing each other to be the first, they were all huddled on one side of the road. They were too intimidated to get in line.


    In the middle of the road towards the sect territories, there was a herd of buffaloes, arranged in a row in pairs. In front of them, a single albino buffalo stood majestically with a blue-haired girl on its back. She was wearing a large black robe covering her entire body while she was looking disinterestedly into the surrounding environment. Near that albino buffalo, there was a boy with a vigorous and handsome appearance. His brown skin, in particular, made him stand out because there weren''t many people with that kind of color in that area. On his back, there was a spear, apparently of good quality.


    The group in question was none other than Hei and the others. Since he would join the Flower Sect, he thought it would be problematic to hide the buffaloes and then make them appear out of nowhere. So he decided to introduce himself to them. However, this choice had attracted the attention of all those present. The guards at the entrance had no other choice than calling the outer sect examiners who hadn''t arrived yet.


    When they arrived, they were taken aback by this view. It wasn''t so much for the boy or the girl as for the albino buffalo instead. They immediately understood that they had a spirit beast in front of them, and it seemed that it was strong enough to defeat them without problems.


    Without hesitation, one of them took something from his pocket that lit up slightly. It was a communication talisman: connected with another talisman that acted as the receiver, it was possible to communicate with another person, although the distance was limited.


    The person who the examiner called was nothing but the sect leader of the Flower Sect. Since several factions had been created in the inner sect, the acquisition of new blood from the outer sect had also become a matter of contention. The sect leader had made arrangements to be warned if someone extraordinary would arrive.


    But like how she had ordered this, the representatives of the other factions had imposed similar orders. Soon, all the principal elders of the sect were informed of the situation.


    The examiner who had communicated with the sect leader turned to Hei, "Follow me. You will conduct your evaluation inside." Without another word, he motioned for Hei to follow him.


    Even the other examiners wanted to go with him, but they knew they couldn''t all go and neglect the task for which they had come. Warning their respective superiors was more than enough. So, they stayed behind to examine the others present.


    Hei meanwhile followed that one examiner leading the buffaloes in tow. Since there was a slight air of tension, he followed without uttering words, merely observing the surrounding landscape. Even Lian would turn her head from time to time even though it was because she was forced by Ye and Xing, who wanted to see the new place where they would be.


    On the way, they met many people busy to grow wheat and other plants. When those people saw the examiner, they greeted him with courtesy before they quickly returned to work.


    The fields extended for meters and meters and occupied much of that area. In the distance, you could see many hills surrounded by small woods with a high tower each at the top. Because together they formed the perimeter of a circle, Hei realized that all this was part of the sect''s territory.


    After walking for a while, they came to a large, isolated building. It had an ancient but robust appearance, and the absence of other buildings in the surroundings gave it a solemn feeling.


    The examiner asked Hei to let the other buffaloes stay outside and bring in only the girl and the albino buffalo. Without making a fuss, Hei did as requested. So, he went inside with Shui and Lian while the examiner remained outside.


    Once inside, he found himself inside a large room with a polished wooden floor. On the walls were hanging various weapons and flower designs. It looked like a mix between a sanctuary and a dojo for training. On the other side of the room, there were three figures seated side by side.


    In the center, there was a woman with long purple hair elegantly placed behind her neck. She had cherry-pink eyes and wore a white robe adorned with cherry-petal designs. She was sitting on the ground in seiza style. In front of her, there was a teapot from which came a fragrance of tea.


    To her right was a short-haired man with grizzled hair and a serious face that was slightly scarred along the left eyebrow. Unlike the woman, he sat with his arms folded and his legs crossed. He wore a simple black tunic without drawings of any kind.


    On her left, there was another man with a more youthful and friendly appearance than the first. He had long black hair tied back in a tail with light brown eyes. He, too, sat in a seiza style wearing a light blue tunic with white clouds patterns. But, although he had an elegant appearance, a hint of savage could be seen in his eyes.


    Hei led Shui and Lian to them, stopping a few meters ahead. As previously agreed, his mother, Ye, and Xing remained hidden for the time being.


    When he stopped, the woman in the center turned to him, "Welcome to the Flower Sect. I''m the sect leader. On my right, you can see the first elder while on my left the second elder. Because of your special circumstances, we will conduct your assessment."


    Hei nodded his head to indicate that he understood and waited for them to continue.


    Seeing that he made no reply but only nodded his head, the second elder instead came out with a short laugh and said. "Interesting, although you are in front of the three of us, you are not at all agitated. It doesn''t seem that you don''t understand the position we cover, but rather that you don''t fear this position, am I right?"


    The first elder retorted with a harsh tone. "Whoever knows his position and those of the people he has before him, yet he doesn''t behave properly is more guilty than the one who doesn''t know."


    Before they started to digress, the sect leader said, "That''s enough, we''re about to conduct an evaluation, not to waste time on comments. Boy, even if you answered me, it''s more pleasant to hear words than just a nod."


    The sect leader''s gaze was gentle and firm at the same time. The two elders said no more as Hei replied, "I apologize for my behavior. I will remember. "


    "Well then, you can start telling us what you are called, where you come from, your age, and how you managed to get a spirit beast." The sect leader said calmly, including Lian in the questions. Since they had come together, it was normal for them to ask about her.


    "My name is Hei while she is Lian. As far as our age and our place of origin are concerned, I cannot mention it. The albino buffalo here with me is nothing but a spirit beast that I met along with my journey along with a group of normal buffaloes."


    Hei''s replies could hardly be said to be exhaustive, and the three of them didn''t like them as they knitted their eyebrows. They didn''t think he would have the courage to tell them he couldn''t mention them.


    Before the situation took a strange turn, Hei prepared to tell the version agreed with his mother.


    "We are the children of a wandering martial artist. Our father is a beast tamer, and he sent us on a journey so we could earn experience. To grow faster. he suggested to join a sect."


    This was Hei''s answer by exploiting the cover story already used in the past. With slow steps, he approached Lian and held out a hand to her. Quickly, Ye and Xing came out of Lian''s clothes to Hei''s hand.


    "As you see, I can communicate with spirit beasts and animals."


    Hearing those words, the three of them were really surprised. Beast tamers were very rare to meet, especially one so young-looking. They were quite sought after, in particular, when it came to exploring unknown regions in search of treasures.


    If they could get their hands on him, their sect could increase in prestige. If possible, they wanted to include him immediately in the inner sect within their respective factions.


    But they also had to keep in mind that he was a stranger and, even though he had potential, inserting strangers into the inner sect could pose a danger.


    As they pondered the question, the first elder asked, "Can''t we talk to your father, verifying his identity would automatically verify yours."


    "It''s not possible. My father is a loner. He doesn''t like dealing with other people. He told me that if I encounter problems, I can directly request another sect and not fixate on one. "


    On hearing this, the three became nervous. If they insisted on having a certainty about the children''s identity, the couple could leave and apply to another sect. After all, not everyone would be so careful, and they would certainly take the risk to recruit such a young beast tamer.


    The second elder proposed at that point, "Why don''t we let him enter the outer sect? After all, this was initially an evaluation for the outer sect. In that way, we will have plenty of time to make a decision later. "


    Accepting the proposal of the second elder, the other two nodded. So, the sect leader resolved, "All right, we''ll do this. For you, it''s ok, I guess, right?"


    Hei replied calmly, "Yes, there are no problems for us to remain in the outer sect. My only request is if it is possible to live in an area isolated from the other people. We prefer quiet."


    The request was unusual for a boy of his age but not so unacceptable. The sect leader, therefore, consented to his request,


    "You will be assigned the hill to the north-west, there is a small house not used for a long time. You can stay there for the moment. The examiner who brought you here will take you there. However, if you have decided to be part of the outer sect, you must also work like everyone else. The examiner himself will explain the details of the available jobs, the donation system, along with your rewards. If you have no other questions, you can go now."


    "We have no other questions. We thank you for the opportunity." Hei politely replied as he bowed quickly to the three of them. Then, he led Lian, Ye, Xing, and Shui to the outside.


    Once Hei left the room, the sect leader asked, "What do you think?"


    "There is no need for me to tell you what I think as you won''t certainly reveal to me what you really think." The first elder answered the sect leader sharply and stood up, without too much ceremony, to leave.


    Being the first elder, he was also the sect vice leader and the second in power within the sect. He led the faction of the minor clans joined at the time of the union and was in contention with the faction led by the sect leader who represented the original members.


    The faction led by the first elder was the most reluctant to accept members of the outer sect, preferring to have only blood-bound members. However, it happened from time to time that there were some individuals worthy of being acquired.


    "Grumpy as usual, yet in front of the boy, he held himself with that reproach. I would say that he is interested, although there is to say to whom, though. Isn''t that true?" The second elder retorted with a mysterious tone as he also left after greeting the sect leader.


    He was a genius born in the outer sect who had climbed the ranks to become the second elder. His faction represented the minor sects joined at the time of the union. Unlike the clans, they didn''t pay much attention to the issue of blood and accepted people from the outer sect without problems. Although it was the weakest of the factions, it was also the most popular as a choice for outer sect''s members.


    ''Smart fox, he realized it then. The boy has certainly talent and, even if he looks like a fifteen-year-old, he had already awakened his spirit power. That alone would make him a first-rate talent among the big sect without considering his beast tamer talent. However, the girl seems to be about 11-12 years old, and she also awakened her spirit power. If so, she would be the most extraordinary genius on Rainbow Island in all its years of history. But at the same time, I get the impression that the boy''s age isn''t equal to his exterior aspect, but he is younger, maybe the same age as the girl.''


    With several doubts in mind, the sect leader took a sip of tea while pondering how to move.


    Her faction, as tradition, mostly accepted women, but from time to time, she also took men. If she played her cards well, not only she could restore order within the sect''s internal situation, but she could also give a devastating blow to the other big sect''s prestige.

 Chapter 29 - Outer Sect Rules

    When he left the building, Hei was greeted by the examiner who had taken him to that building. Having received a message from the sect leader, he knew what he had to do.


    Therefore he began to drive Hei to the house that had been assigned to him while explaining to him the various rules of the outer sect.


    The members of the outer sect had to make a donation every four months. Otherwise, they would be expelled from the sect. To do this, they could choose between growing plants, raising livestock, or working as a miner.


    Although the latter was the hardest job, it was also the most important of the three. That was because what the miners were digging wasn''t just rock or minerals but rather a more precious material: spirit stones.


    By spirit stone, it was meant a stone that, over time, had absorbed, in a natural way, spirit power from the surrounding environment. Thus, it became rich in spirit power and changed its initially null value.


    In the society of martial artists, especially those from the big sects, the value of gold didn''t have the same importance it had for ordinary people.


    This was because when advancing along the cultivation path, the materials used to raise one''s rank or stage became increasingly rare and precious. Something like gold, therefore, had little value in the eyes of martial artists. The only exception was those who had decided to stop their cultivation journey and had decided to live among the ordinary people, contenting themselves with the power they had obtained.


    So, it was decided that spirit stones would be used as currency among the martial artists due to their importance.


    In fact, spirit stones could be used for multiple purposes, like spirit cores. But, if the spirit cores'' energy was turbulent and needed to be appeased by external materials, the energy from the spirit stones was clean and calm. Thereby, they didn''t require any prior modification and could be used immediately.


    They were usually used to support the various types of formations. But for those who could afford it, it was also possible to use the energy of spirit stones to directly increase their cultivation and reducing the time to advance to the next stage.


    But, even this use represented its risks. A too rapid increase in spirit power in one''s body and prolonged use of spirit stones could cause problems in the flow of inner spirit power. The reason was in the inability to manage the spirit power flow correctly.


    However, the side effects were reversible. And, if one waited some time from the absorption of one spirit stone, before using another one, there was no risk of injury. That was because they would give the body enough time to digest the received energy from the spirit stone.


    But this trick wasn''t infinite due to the limited quantity of this resource. Indeed, like spirit cores, spirit stones also differed according to the amount of spirit power contained inside.


    Up to three levels of spirit stones existed on Rainbow Island and finding mines of third-level spirit stones was very rare today. Furthermore, the stronger one was, the less effect the spirit stones of lesser levels would have.


    Considering that a sect had various buildings and formations to maintain, it was unthinkable to provide a continuous supply of high-level spirit stones to individual disciples. It was wiser instead to save such stocks of spirit stones for future needs.


    However, it was possible, from time to time, to grant some spirit stones to the inner sect disciples as their income, based on their results. In that way, they would entice competition and self-improvement.


    Fortunately, although they weren''t as effective as spirit stones, there were other methods to increase one''s cultivation. These external methods didn''t have the risks involved in absorbing spirit power as with spirit stones or their scarce availability. And here the other two jobs of the outer sect came into play, namely growing plants and raising livestock.


    Through the digestion of foods containing spirit power, it was possible to increase one''s spirit power. Therefore, members of the outer sect cultivated mainly wheat along with other edible plants that absorbed spirit power from the spirit veins in the soil.


    On the other hand, animal breeders obtained milk from animals, which was then placed in special containers with formations engraved on them that allowed the liquid to absorb spirit power from the outside.


    It would have been easier to feed the cattle with spirit herbs, making them spirit beasts over time. However, the outer sect members wouldn''t have been able to manage them. And asking the inner sect members was impossible. Such a task was so humiliating that they had no intention to deal with it. So, in the end, the sect opted for this method.


    One difference between the miners and the farmer-breeders was that the former had to dig a certain set amount of spirit stones. For every excavated surplus, they were rewarded by the sect. But it wasn''t possible to keep spirit stones for them. The latter, on the other hand, had to give 30% of their own product. But they could keep the rest, and they could sell it directly to the sect or outside.


    Within the sect, the value of their products would be lower than the market price. Even so, selling their products to the sect could allow outer sect''s members to earn what was called contribution points.


    These points were essential because, with these, it was possible to buy or obtain materials and services ordinarily inaccessible to them.


    Of course, miners could also request contribution points as a form of payment, and since theirs was the most crucial task, the contribution points awarded to them were more. But they also had to buy food and other necessities, unlike the others who could eat what they produced. So, the number of their points was more or less equal to that earned by the other two occupations.


    As their ultimate goal was to become part of the inner sect, the outer sect''s families worked hard to accumulate as many contribution points as possible. They would use them as payment for the education of one of their descendants who proved to have potential.


    In order to pass to the inner sect, the outer sect disciples had to reach the third stage spirit apprentice within the age of 21 or the fifth stage spirit apprentice within the age of 27.


    But, even if the requirements were met, they had to attend a tournament against the other applicants. Only the first three would then be admitted to the inner sect, and they were also rewarded with prizes.


    Since the tournament was annual and there were few seats, it was essential to carefully evaluate how to make the most of one''s resources. They also had to study their opponents carefully, as participating in the tournament could also end up with suffering injuries that would hinder their future chances.


    But participating in the tournament also meant having a chance to be seen. If they aroused the interest of one of the factions, the elders could make exceptions by admitting other outer sect''s members in addition to the top three.


    Having finished explaining the system behind which the outer sect was operating, the examiner went on to explain in more detail what could be bought with these contribution points.


    First of all, there were manuals. They were divided into several categories.


    Cultivation methods to raise one''s cultivation. Techniques manuals, where were explained offensive and defensive moves. Weapons manuals, where it was illustrated how to use a specific weapon.


    It was also possible to request an inner sect member as a personal instructor to learn a specific move or learn how to master a weapon. But, since the cost was incredibly high even for the most weak inner sect''s member, manuals were mostly preferred despite the learning difficulties increased exponentially.


    Another thing that could be bought was medicines and pills of all kinds, depending on the need you had. It was also possible to purchase weapons and other types of martial artist equipment as well as different types of resources such as rare plants.


    The inner sect also dealt with production works, although more sophisticated. Its members dedicated themselves to alchemy, blacksmithing, and the creation of formations.


    Supporting the number of their needs only with the outer sect''s work was unthinkable. Therefore they had to have a method to earn spirit stones other than the spirit stones'' extraction. At the same time, they had to limit their expenses through their production.


    Thus, the secondary jobs assumed fundamental importance not only for the Flower sect but also for all the other sects, which had also adopted a similar system.


    The original members of the sect, because they were familiar with plants, became skilled in alchemy. The members of the first elder''s faction mainly dealt with blacksmithing. Lastly, the members of the second elder''s faction were devoted to the study of formations.


    When this explanation also ended, Hei had finally reached his new home.


    At that moment, the examiner gave a quick salute to him and went away. His task was over, and he accepted the opportunity to return to his home.


    Left alone, or rather, away from the presence of strangers, Hei felt at ease and started driving the buffalo towards the house.


    This was a simple wooden house like the ones he had seen along the way. However, the wood was consumed at various points, and it gave a gloomy feeling.


    Nodding to the buffaloes to stop, Hei went inside with his mother and his two sisters to examine the interior, which was devoid of any kind of furniture. The wood of the floor creaked with every his steps, and some planks ended up breaking when he put his foot on it.


    Seeing that the house almost fell apart, Hei came out devoid of interest and instead concentrated on examining the surrounding environment.


    The area around was strewn with uncultivated fields covered with weeds left to grow out of control. There were no sources of water nearby except a river that ran several kilometers away that he had seen as they arrived there. Behind him, in the distance, there was a small wood and one of the towers that limited the sect''s perimeter.


    Although the space available for growing plants was enormous, the effort required to do this was just as great.


    First, he would have to remove all the weeds and dig the soil. Then he would have to secure water sources to support their growth. Therefore it was necessary to create wells or redirect the course of the nearest river to move part of the water towards his house.


    After preparing the soil and obtaining water sources, he would have to decide what kind of plant to grow. Depending on his decision, he would have to adjust the ground with compost and dig the land again, possibly using a plow.


    However, Hei wanted to cultivate spirit plants, so it was also necessary to have a spirit vein flowing under the ground nearby. Consequently, finding it was an essential requirement.


    Besides, he had to prepare a place to sleep for his family and the buffaloes. The house supplied to him was so run down that at this point, it was better to destroy it and have more space.


    While Hei was reflecting on all this, his mother came down from his head. She then began to examine the surrounding environment. Shortly after, she made a little noise with her legs to call Hei''s attention and told him.


    ''One of your problems can easily be solved, my little one.''


    Hei, who heard those words, approached his mother to listen to what she had discovered.


    ''Below, there is a spirit vein that runs through the area. However, it has dried up, unfortunately.''


    "A dried-up spirit vein? But if it is dried up, how can we grow spirit plants?"


    ''Don''t worry. There is a method. When a spirit vein dries up, it means that it is almost or totally devoid of spirit power. However, over the years, it can regain its spirit power. But it takes so many years. Fortunately, there is a system to supply it with energy from outside.''


    "And you know this method mom?" Hei asked with a hopeful voice.


    If they solved this problem, the rest was straightforward to solve. After all, although it was a lot of work, it would be enough to get busy manually.


    ''Yes, I know it, but the price is high. I should use the rest of the spirit cores I have preserved. With these, you could buy so many resources immediately. But it is also true that without a spirit vein, you will never be able to practice and grow even more rare plants.''


    Listening to all this, Hei thought thoughtfully. On one hand, he wanted to learn how to grow plants and increase his skills. On the other hand, he didn''t want to waste all those resources that represented financial security for several years. Finally, he made his decision and communicated it to his mother.


    "Mother, I have decided, it''s okay for the spirit cores. I think it''s a price I can pay if it means improving in this field. Besides, I already have the pills for the first stage, and I can get contribution points and other things with the sale of my crops."


    ''If you''ve decided, then it''s fine. I won''t stop you, do as you think, my little one. But now I can''t do that, we should wait for the night, okay? Why don''t we think first about how to prepare a place to sleep?''


    Accepting his mother''s suggestion, Hei turned to the buffalo to ask for their help with the old house''s demolition.


    With the silk provided by Xing and Bao Bei, Hei created thick threads that he tied along some wooden boards that made up the house. The other end, he gave it to the buffaloes to bite it. He did the same with his sisters, who were happy to help. Then taking a thread himself, he gave the signal.


    All those with a thread pulled in the same direction. By combining their strength, the ruined house collapsed on itself.


    Once the house collapsed, Hei proceeded to remove the remains. Some boards were still good, and he decided to keep them aside for a bonfire later in the evening. The rest, on the other hand, was already rotten and didn''t have much use even as firewood. However, it represented a suitable material as a fertilizer. So he put it aside to be used later.


    Now that he had eliminated the old house, it was time to create a new one. Considering that he had already presented his identity as a beast tamer, it wouldn''t seem so strange to build a house like his previous one.


    The problem, however, was that Lian would live with them. Just in case, Hei tried to ask for her opinion but in vain. Even after several days of traveling, she hadn''t yet uttered a word.


    His mother, however, suggested to proceed with the creation of the spiderweb house. They could later modify it if Lian didn''t liked it or found it uncomfortable to sleep.


    Thus, Shui led the other buffaloes to pasture to eat and at the same time to start removing the weeds. Hei and Ye began to delimit the perimeter of a circle and remove the weeds inside it, while Xing and Bao Bei produced the web necessary for creating the house.


    Lian, on the other hand, sat on the ground, looking at them absently. But from time to time, she would show signs of reaction when Ye and Xing came to her to play a little before getting back to work.


    After several hours of hard work, they finally succeeded. Thus, Bao Bei began to maneuver the spider web forming the house''s shape. In a short time, a silver-white dome made of spider web was created in the middle of that vast green space.


    The dome had a hole in the roof that could be closed from the inside, serving as a window. To the side, there was instead another hole that served as a door. Next to the dome, a stable was made, again with spiderweb, to accommodate the buffaloes. As they fed on grass, they left the weeds by building the stable directly over them.


    With the house and stable''s construction finished, the sunset had come. So they decided to start preparing dinner while they were waiting for the night to begin the ritual to revive the spirit vein that flowed into the surrounding soil.

 Chapter 30 - Tale Under The Stars

    By the time they finished eating, the evening had come. The moon shone clearly in the sky, surrounded by the shining stars that bathed the surrounding grass in the moonlight.


    In the spiderweb house, Hei, Lian, Ye, Xing, and Bao Bei were relaxing lying on the ground while digesting the evening meal.


    Although it was ordinarily uncomfortable to sleep on the floor if you weren''t used to it, Lian had made no complaints and silently ate with the whole family together.


    When they had rested enough, all of them came out of the spiderweb house. It was time to start the ritual to revive the spirit vein.


    ''The ritual to revive the spirit vein is done through a special formation that does nothing but sending the energy contained in external objects towards the spirit vein itself.'' Bao Bei said as she began to draw the formation on the ground with absolute precision.


    Hei, fascinated by his mother''s mastery, couldn''t help but ask, "Mom, do you know formations?"


    ''Not really, I''m not such a great expert, but this is a particular formation known only to very few divine beasts. I was taught a long time ago by a friend. It was a lotus flower divine beast.''


    When she mentioned her old friend, Bao Bei''s eyes became sad, looking back at what had happened in the past before she met Hei.


    Seeing his mother becoming sad, Hei tried to change the subject.


    "Mother, there is one thing that isn''t clear to me. Some time ago, you said that spirit beasts also included plants and inanimate objects. If animal-type spirit beasts are nothing but animals that have awakened their spirit power, then the plants with spirit power that we cultivate are themselves spirit beasts?"


    Hearing her son''s question, Bao Bei came to her senses and replied quietly, ''No, they aren''t spirit beasts. Well, for plants, in addition to spirit power, a consciousness must also be formed within them. And this process takes many years. As for inanimate objects, they require spirit power, consciousness, and the creation of a blood-like substance that makes them alive. The times for this process are even longer than for the plants and cannot be artificially induced, thus making the inanimate type spirit beasts very rare.''


    Hei listened to this explanation with interest, wondering what kind of spirit beast his mother had seen in her life.


    Noticing the interest of her son, Bao Bei smiled and sighed inwardly at the same time. She had finished drawing the formation and arranging all the spirit cores in their possession. Now, all that remained was to activate the formation and wait for the result. So, in the waiting, she would finally tell them about her past.


    While the formation slowly lit up, recalling the spirit cores and external environment''s spirit power towards the underground spirit vein, Bao Bei had Hei, Ye, and Xing come near her. She also made Lian and Shui sit next to them while the other buffaloes slept peacefully after the long walk during the day.


    At that point, she connected her mind to that of Shui and Lian. In that way, she could transmit her voice to them too. Unlike Shui, with whom she had once communicated to the pond before departing from Kang''s group, this was the first time Bao Bei was speaking to Lian.


    The young girl with an expressionless gaze seemed somewhat amazed for a second but then returned to her usual inexpressive self. Xing and Ye were on her legs as they watched their mother with interest. They hadn''t forgotten the promise she had made to them: telling what she had always tried not to say.


    ''Now that we have arrived here, it is time to tell you what I couldn''t bear to say before. But to make you understand, you must remember the discussion about the spirit beasts and divine beasts that I told you long ago.''


    Even though her sons remembered it, Shui was only instinctively conscious without knowing the specific details while Lian was unaware of it. So Bao Bei again proceeded to explain that topic.


    Once that part was over, she moved on to the next one, ''the elemental laws are also learnable by all beings with spirit power. When you reach the meridian stage, Hei, you could communicate with the spirit power in the environment and start what is called the elemental conversion. As for the precise process, we will discuss it in detail in the future when the time comes.''


    At that point, Bao Bei paused and then resumed with a tone that hid a note of bitterness and anger.


    ''Learning the elemental laws allows you to change the very nature of your spirit power, thus being able to carry out attacks with ever stronger power and range. However, the problem lies in the difficulty; although external objects can be used to accelerate the elemental conversion, there are no shortcuts in the study of an elemental law except for one: a bloodline.''


    ''Bloodline?'' Hei thought to himself as he wondered what it was.


    Suddenly it occurred to him that his mother would always add some of her blood to the milk he received. Unsure if it could be the same thing, he tried to ask a question, but he was anticipated by Bao Bei, who continued her explanation.


    ''With a bloodline, it refers to the blood of us divine beasts. Us spirit beasts, when we reach the sixth level and become a divine beast, we receive a bloodline. After receiving a bloodline, we can awaken our bloodline''s element and another one that is our innate element. So, in the end, we possess two elements.


    Humans and demons, instead, can only control a single element law. Yet, somehow, they discovered that by absorbing the bloodline of a divine beast, they could acquire a second element, and the learning speed of that element was greatly accelerated. Thus, it began the mad hunt for us divine beasts.


    We divine beasts used to live alone or with a mate and our cubs, but we were reluctant to join in a pack, considering there were few specimens for every single species of divine beast. Therefore, humans and demons could hunt the first divine beasts by attacking them en masse. When we realized the danger, humans and demons had already acquired too many powers.


    Divine beasts are also mostly arrogant by nature. Without bottlenecks in their cultivation, they mocked the attacks made by humans and demons, merely believing that they had been successful only because the dead divine beasts were weak. For them, joining together in a single flag was unthinkable.


    Fortunately, your father decided to unite the divine beasts and set out to become stronger and challenge all the leaders in their territories and submit them to his command.


    Incidentally, it was during one of his trips that I met your father. At the time, I was still a weak little spider. I met him wounded after a brutal confrontation with another divine beast.


    When I saw him hurt, something inside me stirred. I didn''t know why, but inside me, I felt that I couldn''t let him die like this. So I helped him heal, and he decided to take me with him to thank me for my help. Thanks to him, I was able to reach the divine beast level, and during our travels, we fell in love.


    As time went by, he became stronger and stronger and succeeded in his goal. Finally, we divine beasts were reunited.


    The demons and humans at that point, gave your father the name of ''Serpent of Darkness,'' since his element was darkness, while the divine beasts gave him the title of Beast Emperor.


    As this happened, the tension between human and demon empires became more intense as multiple genes appeared in both factions. But it was when two particular individuals emerged, that situation between the two races degenerated. One was a human with the bloodline of the white dragon and took the lead of the humans obtaining the title of Hero; the other was a demon who had the bloodline of the black dragon and controlled the demons as the new Demon Emperor.


    When the two reached the sixth grade and were approaching the seventh, a big war finally broke out to decide who would dominate the whole world. In that great battle, there was a high possibility that the winner would reach the divine rank and become a God.


    Your father, therefore, organized an offensive with all the remaining fighters of our race. The goal was to get in the middle of the fight and kill the strongest humans and demons that possessed bloodlines. Your father personally engaged the Hero and the Demon Emperor in combat by himself.


    I don''t exactly remember what happened that day. Around me, there was nothing but destruction and death. But, at one point, there was a great roar, and the earth began to crack. Your father took me from the collapsed battlefield and told me that he had reached the divine rank; however, unfortunately, his body couldn''t hold all that power.


    Before everything went to pieces, he teleported me elsewhere, telling me to live, and that was the last time I saw him. Later I woke up in the Multicolored Leaf Forest, where I then met you, Hei.''


    Like that, the long speech of Bao Bei ended. Although it was only a summary of the many years she had lived in that atmosphere of war and tension, from the tone of his mother, Hei could perceive all the emotions she must have felt. Joy and love for a new partner; the fear and pain of her companions'' deaths and of always being in danger; anger to be treated only as an object without consideration for their lives.


    Ye and Xing were silent, with their eyes turned to the ground. Although spiders and snakes couldn''t physically cry, it was easy to understand that they were doing so inside them.


    Hei stood up and approached them. His own eyes were also filled with tears. Although he hadn''t known him, from their mother''s story, it was clear that he had been an extraordinary being who had struggled with all of himself to forge a future for Bao Bei and all the other divine beasts. To that being, he had nothing but respect; unlike instead, the sensation he felt for himself: in fact, Hei was cursing himself because he was human, the same race that had caused so much pain to his mother and that it could also endanger his two little sisters.


    Shui instead bellowed at the moon full of anger. Even though it was a very young spirit beast, considering their long life span, an innate emotion of belonging to those who had died was firmly rooted within it. In fact, in the struggle for survival, it wasn''t only the divine beasts that fought. Even the spirit beasts that hadn''t reached the sixth level struggled with everything they had to give a future to their descendants.


    Lian was silent as usual, but unlike her expressionless look, she was crying, and her gaze turned towards Ye and Xing. At that point, she stretched both her hands to caress the two little spirit beasts as she rested her forehead on the ground as if kowtow herself to apologize.


    Sensing their thoughts, Bao Bei came closer, and with some spider webs strings, she touched the cheek of all of them.


    ''What has happened cannot be changed. Although I lost your father and my companions, in the end, I got you. Hei, you don''t have to feel disgusted with your human origins. Not all humans are like that, and you know it. One hundred thousand years ago, together with us spirit beasts, several humans fought too. They were beast tamers who loved their adventure partners and died with us, even going so far as to deny their race.


    As for the protection of Ye and Xing, you don''t have to worry. The humans and demons of my past belong to an area called the Destiny Continent. According to my hypothesis, Rainbow Island is one of the various islands that surround this Continent. Although it is possible to reach it by boat, there is still a long way from here to there. So you don''t have to worry.


    You should instead concentrate on becoming strong, stronger than everything and everyone so as to protect those you love. That''s why I gave you my bloodline. Although it is a taboo for us divine beasts, I am convinced that you are the hope for all of us, but at the same time, I don''t want you to follow this tortuous path that brings suffering and pain. If possible, I would like you to stay here with your sisters far from any danger.


    To reach the divine rank, your father sacrificed the very essence of us divine beasts, precluding future spirit beasts from reaching the sixth level while sealing the cubs of divine beasts that were too small in a safe place. I''m not sure if there were other survivors, but I doubt it, and in any case, after all these years, they must already be dead.


    Therefore, in the eyes of the world, divine beasts should be extinct. Although it was a huge sacrifice, it was the only way to prevent the death of all of us and the whole world. So, unless they show too many big powers, Ye and Xing will be confused as simple spirit beasts.


    Honestly, when I picked you up that night, I didn''t know what I had in mind. Inside of me, I was angry, sad, and scared about being alone, but then I saw you, so small and helpless yet so tenacious in wanting to continue living. Your father once told me that the differences between the various races are dictated by the society in which they grow. So I decided to raise you as a spirit beast because I hoped you could one day secure our future: a bridge of understanding between us spirit and divine beasts and humans.


    Although this is what I wanted, over the years, I have learned to love you more and more, and in the end, I want you to decide the path you want to take. As a mother, I don''t want to put up with such a burden. I just want you to be happy with Ye and Xing.''


    After talking to Hei, Bao Bei turned to her two little daughters.


    ''I know you are sad and angry, but remember that the faults of the past shouldn''t be placed against the future descendants, not to mention that even we spirit and divine beasts are not without fault. For the sake of freedom and our future, we have committed so many crimes. I don''t want you to make the same mistakes. Stay by your brother''s side and protect each other, okay?''


    Ye and Xing nodded vigorously to communicate that they had understood. So she switched to Shui, who was still bellowing in anger.


    ''The same goes for you, Shui. A future with humans is possible, and the living proof is before you. Don''t let the pain of our species dull your judgment.''


    Shui bent hits legs and rested its head on the ground. Even though it was angry, it certainly couldn''t forget the kindness and compassion Hei had shown to it and the other buffaloes, not as something inferior but as a peer worthy of being treated with respect.


    Finally, Bao Bei turned to Lian, who still had her head resting on the ground and in tears.


    ''I have a vague idea of what you suffered in your prison. Unfortunately, you had to go through all this, but now you are safe. You are part of our family, so don''t be afraid. The only thing I ask is to help my children on their journey. Please, Lian.''


    Lian, therefore, looked up and in a hoarse, weak voice answered with a simple "Yes." By the tone used, one could see that it was some time that she didn''t use her voice. But it was a good thing that she wasn''t mute.


    At that point, Hei, who hadn''t said anything, stood up with a determined look and told his mother what he had decided.


    "I don''t need time to decide, mother. I promise you here, that I will protect my family from all dangers, even if it cost me my life, and I will create a safe house for us spirit beasts. A place where we can all live peacefully! "


    Upon hearing Hei''s statement, Bao Bei was suddenly stunned. His firm tone and his resoluteness reminded her so much of her late companion.


    ''You were right, Hei An, all our sacrifices weren''t in vain. Our dream will be handed down to the next generation, and I''m sure Hei will be the one who will accomplish it for us. But for them to be ready, in the meantime, I will train them and protect them until I am able to do it.''


    This was the thought that Bao Bei expressed in her heart. She prayed for the future of her children to be different from what she had to face in her past.

 Chapter 31 - Start of Training

    It was late at night, and the formation of the spirit vein''s restoration had now finished its task. All the weeds on the ground seemed to have been invigorated and were brighter than ever.


    After Bao Bei''s speech, all those present were silently admiring the stars waiting to finish the formation. Their mood was sad, but everyone had a resolute look after making a promise with themselves.


    When the process ended, Hei stood up. The words his mother had said still echoed in his head. Suddenly he noticed something and asked his mother,


    "Mother, you said you gave me your bloodline. So I have a spider''s bloodline?"


    His mother immediately replied affectionately, "Yes, and no. Every divine beast, even if of the same species, diversify themselves by the element they maneuver. In my case, the bloodline I possess allows you to control the Law of Poison.


    It must be said, however, that in my time, I was known as the Spider of the Nightmare. That was because of my ability with another elemental law: the Law of illusions.''


    Law of Illusions. Among the rarest for a living being, whether it be a divine beast, human or demon, to learn, it allows casting illusions to confuse the enemies'' minds. The more powerful the illusion, the more real it would appear to the target.


    That law caused the scene of bandits who committed suicide by scratching their necks in desperation.


    "Mother, if your bloodline allows me to control poison, then I still have another element, right?" Hei curiously asked as he turned his eyes to her.


    Inside himself, he felt a little better now because his bloodline belonged to the poison element. Even though he didn''t know what elements there were, he was grateful to have the chance to be able to maneuver poison in the future.


    ''Yes, in total, there are 18 types of elemental laws. Excluding the Law of Space, the Law of Time, and the Law of Energy, there are 15 elemental laws that can be learned. When you open your meridians, you will undergo a trial to understand your innate element.''


    "Innate element?"


    ''Yes, even if I told you that you could control a single element; in reality, it isn''t entirely true. It is possible to try to study various elemental laws. The problem, however, is that the person in question will end up exhausting all his talent without getting anything. There have been many genes that have ruined their futures for that reason. Therefore, in the end, it became a common rule that one could only control an element because the study of a single elemental law is already in itself so demanding. In order to overcome this, various methods were invented to understand which element was the most suitable for each being.''


    When Bao Bei finished saying this, Xing who had recovered from before, asked,


    ''Mother, and what about Ye and me? What element do we have?''


    Bao Bei turned therefore to her daughters,


    ''Because you are divine beasts, you can control two elements like Hei. You, Xing, have my same bloodline and so you can control poison; you instead, Ye, took from your father, so you can control darkness.''


    Initially feeling sad that only she didn''t have the same bloodline as her mother and her brothers, Ye felt distressed by this. But she was immediately relieved because she had her father''s bloodline instead. Xing, on the other hand, was happy that she had the same element as Hei and Bao Bei.


    ''Mother, if there are 18 elemental laws, why there are only 15 that can be learned?'' Ye asked immediately after, while she scratched her back with her tail.


    ''Actually, they are all learnable. It''s just the Law of Time, the Law of Space, and the Law of Energy are very particular. Theoretically, anybody can learn the Laws of Time and Space, but the difficulty in acquiring them is superior to those of other laws. Usually, it is something that one tries to do only after having reached a certain level of power, and it is often possible that you cannot succeed.


    The Law of Energy is particular instead. Initially, it should bound together with the other elemental laws, but the fact is that there was only one being that had such elemental law: a divine beast, Bai Ze. He was your father''s advisor.''


    Now that she had told her story, Bao Bei could refer to her old companions, although with difficulty. Even though many years had passed, it had only happened a decade ago to her. Then she resumed her speech.


    ''The other 15 laws are: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Blood, Poison, Wood, Metal, Gas, Ice, Ghost, Illusion, Darkness, and Light. Among these, the rarest are the Laws of Darkness, Light, and Illusion. In addition to the element of your bloodline, your second element belongs to one of these 15.''


    Although it was very intuitive to understand what they could do, Hei couldn''t understand two of the laws announced by his mother, and so he asked,


    "Mother, what is the Law of Gas and the Law of Ghost?"


    ''The Law of Gas should be divided into 2 in reality: Steam and Smoke. It simply consists in modifying one''s spirit power in one of these.''


    To facilitate their understanding, Bao Bei sent them mental images depicting some human martial artists who used this law.


    ''The Law of Ghost instead allows you to control and modify the corpses and to maneuver them to your liking. Furthermore, it is possible to enhance them, making them stronger than when they were alive. Users of this law can also change their bodies, making them non-corporeal for short moments or increase the density of their bones to use them as weapons.''


    Concluded this further explanation, Bao Bei looked at the sky and said,


    ''It''s late. It''s time you go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us. We need to start your training.''


    Hearing about training, the eyes of her three children lit up. Although it had been a while since their spirit power awakened, they hadn''t yet done any sort of training. Now they could finally start it.


    While they were caught up in the excitement over the news, Hei remembered one thing.


    "Mother, can we bury that woman before we go?"


    Remembering what he had told her in the merchant''s home in Green City, Bao Bei slowly pulled out the corpse of the woman they had taken in the same room as they found Lian.


    When the woman''s body came out of nowhere and was placed on the ground, Lian began to tremble and resumed her crouching position in which they had found her for the first time. Seeing her in that state, Hei approached her and knelt down. Then he put his hand over her head, stroking it lightly.


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to be afraid. I just want to bury her, that''s all. You are no longer in that place."


    Initially, Hei had agreed to take Lian with him only behind the insistence of his mother and his two sisters. During the trip, it was indeed problematic to help her with everyday actions, but fortunately, her mother knew what to do. However, after tonight, his initial feeling had changed.


    He had heard what his mother had asked her to do, and she had accepted it without hesitation. She had also always been considerate of Ye and Xing, albeit in her own way. For these reasons, he decided to treat her not as a stranger who traveled with them, but as a member of their family. If her mother had trusted her in revealing her past and his sister''s origins, he would do the same.


    Lian, on hearing those words, gradually calmed down and reached for Ye and Xing to squeeze them into her chest. The two of them allowed themselves to be taken and willingly accepted the embrace. Hei instead just smiled and got up to go to the woman''s body.


    He decided he would bury her at that precise spot where they were, to commemorate this day. So he started digging the ground with his hands. Shui also began digging to help him, followed by Xing and Ye, who had then freed themselves from Lian''s embrace. The latter, too, after a while, got up and started digging slightly with all of them. It was the first time she moved voluntarily in that way.


    While Bao Bei was watching happily, with their united effort, they finally managed to dig a hole large enough to contain the woman''s body.


    Hei then asked his mother to make a small incision at the dead woman''s heart. Then he placed some Rafflesia seeds inside that incision that would absorb the woman''s remains. Finally, he gently placed the woman inside the hole that they covered again with earth.


    After this process, they remained silent for a while before finally returning to the spiderweb house. Shui went instead to join with the other buffaloes who were sleeping peacefully.


    So many things had happened tonight. But despite all the sudden changes in emotions and surprises, Hei fell into a deep sleep with the others.


    *


    The next morning, when they woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Even if they had to start their training, Bao Bei didn''t feel like waking them up at dawn, and she let them sleep peacefully. When they awoke, Hei and the others found breakfast ready and hurried to eat it.


    Since they had recently eaten, Bao Bei decided to let them digest for the time being, while instead, she proceeded to explain what their training would consist of.


    ''Before we begin, I have to explain the differences in cultivation between human-demons and us spirit beasts. Humans and demons mainly use breathing and meditation to increase their spirit power. Assuming a position of meditation, typically that of the lotus with crossed legs, they absorb the environment''s spirit power by breathing in the air. Then, they make it circulate through their body, making it resonate with their original spirit power. Finally, they expel the impurities present inside them from the process of assimilation through expiration.''


    Bao Bei paused to confirm that everyone was following and then continued.


    ''We spirit beasts instead assimilate the spirit power from the whole body and through a continuous process of our spirit power''s exhaustion, we increase our cultivation. This process, although faster than standard cultivation methods, has a significant flaw: the load on the body. For this reason, you will need to increase the strength of your body to be able to withstand such training.


    For Hei and Lian, however, this method of cultivation isn''t feasible for the moment, because typically humans have their acupoints closed. Therefore it is necessary to open them, but the process itself is exhausting for your body too, especially for Lian. Thus, for now, we will do physical exercises to enhance your bodies, and then we proceed to open your acupoints.''


    Bao Bei then pointed to weeds on the surrounding land. On the ground, the perimeter of a large rectangle had been drawn that extended for meters and meters. Their job was to tear the weeds of that rectangle with their bare hands.


    The training for Ye and Xing instead was to fight against Shui, trying to resist as much as possible. For the spirit beasts, fighting was the fastest way to grow.


    Folding the sleeves of his tunic and that of Lian, Hei began to tear the weeds planted in the ground with Lian. This process was much tiring because the weeds had thick roots, and therefore they had to go digging the earth with their bare hands trying to extract them. But since they were on the ground, Lian and Hei had to take a crouched position, which brought a significant burden to their backs. With the sun high in the sky, soon, the two of them began to sweat profusely.


    Hei tried to take off his tunic but was stopped by his mother, who ordered him to keep it. In any case, she had prepared for them, warm water that she would supply to them only after a specific interval of time had passed.


    Lian, though she made no complaints, was breathing heavily. Her body had long been enclosed in a small space, so she wasn''t as athletic as Hei''s.


    Shortly after, she collapsed to the ground exhausted, getting completely dirty with earth. Hei wanted to go and help her, but Bao Bei beckoned him to continue with his training while she gave Lian some water. The spider let her rest for half an hour and then returned her to remove the weeds, although more slowly.


    When it was lunchtime, not even half of the designated perimeter had been cleared of the weeds. The two sad and tired went to eat with the rest of the family.


    Bao Bei left them a couple of hours of rest after the meal, and then she resumed their training. Ye and Xing would continue to spar with Shui while Hei and Lian had to finish clearing the weeds from the soil


    This time, since they had the experience of that morning, they worked with more confidence than before, and their rhythm was decidedly better than before. But even so, this didn''t change that this task was tiring.


    At one point, Bao Bei told them to activate their spirit power. Soon two light auras enveloped the bodies of Hei and Lian, and the burden on their body faded, increasing their working speed. However, after a while, their spirit power ended, and they felt considerably fatigued, much more than they had felt in the morning.


    When sunset fell, the rectangle assigned to them hadn''t yet been completed, but by now, their training day was over, and they returned to the spiderweb house to eat and rest.


    The following day, the perimeter assigned to them had increased even though their task remained the same. This time also Ye and Xing joined them, and the four succeeded in removing many more weeds from the day before when they were only Hei and Lian. During their training, Bao Bei would have them use their spirit power at precise intervals. But even so, they failed to complete their assigned perimeter, which became larger the following day.


    Furthermore, they weren''t allowed to work outside training hours. This was firmly imposed by Bao Bei, who taught them that resting, together with abundant and balanced nutrition, was indispensable to increase one''s strength.


    Meanwhile, from time to time, some sect''s members would come to take a look at Hei and Lian. Bao Bei, except when she told her past, had maintained the appearance of a minute spider. So, she went unnoticed by the strangers who came from time to time.


    The sect leader and the two elders had sent emissaries to confirm what kind of work Hei had chosen and to control him at the same time.


    When the emissaries returned, the three were surprised that Hei had chosen to grow plants. Usually, with his skill with animals, he should have chosen to look after the animals.


    They were even more surprised because he had decided to prepare crop fields near his home instead of joining other farmers. After all, the place they had assigned to him lacked an active spirit vein.


    Without it, it would have been impossible for him to grow plants with spirit power and earn contribution points. Even if they assumed that he should already have cultivation methods, it was unthinkable that he wasn''t curious about the sect''s techniques.


    Indeed, Hei was very curious about what he could buy from the sect, but he knew that he had to prepare the fields and follow the training his mother had imposed first. There would be time to see the various manuals; after all, they had no reason to leave that place, and they could quietly proceed with their program. Not to mention that the sect leader and other elders didn''t seem to want to disturb him too much, except for some sporadic visits.


    When a week passed, and there were slight improvements in Lian''s body, Bao Bei gave everyone a couple of days off. This time was used to prepare the Hei and Lian''s bodies for their acupoints'' opening.

 Chapter 32 - Acupoints Opening

    The days of rest were over, and the training fatigue of the previous week had subsided. Hei, as he was used to exercising since he was a child, was in full force while Lian was still a little sore due to the recent muscular awakening. But, even though she didn''t have a robust body, Bao Bei judged that she could be subjected to the acupoints'' opening.


    The acupoints, also called pressure points, were a series of points present in all living beings. In them, spirit power flowed following a path similar to the circulatory system. Depending on the pressure with which they were struck, various effects could occur. Normally, martial artists during the cultivation would open the internal connection between the acupoints. But, they would keep the connection between these and the outside closed due to the attached dangers.


    The acupoints were delicate body parts, and it was risky to modify them since it was easy to incur internal wounds and disturb the inner spirit power''s flow. There were even martial artists specialized in hitting acupoints, according to a fighting style called the touch of death because of the internal damage they quickly caused.


    However, spirit beasts differed from humans and demons, in addition to many other features, precisely because they had a connection between the acupoints and the external environment. They assimilated spirit power into the air with the whole body. Then, they circulated it in unison from all sides without a precise pattern, unlike the circuit used by humans and demons. Because of this, spirit beasts were used to have more amounts of spirit power and faster regeneration.


    Of course, noticing the difference between them and the spirit beasts, various martial artists tried to open the external connection of their acupoints with the result that they all died from the bursting of their internal organs when they attempted to cultivate using this method. Eventually, it was considered impossible to proceed with that method, and it was discarded from human and demon cultivation methods.


    But if humans and demons had failed to find a solution to apply this use of acupoints in a cultivation method, it didn''t mean that spirit beasts couldn''t do it.


    Hei An, Bao Bei''s companion, with the help of the divine beast Bai Ze, succeeded in inventing a cultivation method for humans and demons using the spirit beasts'' characteristics.


    It should be known that the Bai Ze was a very particular type of divine beast. It was similar to a bull and a lion, and it had nine eyes and six horns. They were arranged in sets of three and two on both its flanks and on its face.


    At the time of the great war that saw the three races that inhabited the world involved, there was a single existing Bai Ze. He, besides being the only known Law of Energy''s user, also possessed an incredible knowledge.


    It was he who invented the spirit vein restoration formation, then teaching it to a close circle of divine beasts. But he also developed a set of cultivation methods and techniques by exploiting the spirit beasts'' characteristics and adapted them to be used by the other two races.


    He did this under Hei An''s orders, the then Emperor Beast. After all, fighting alongside them divine beasts, there were also humans and demon beast tamers who had denied everything to stand by their fellow spirit beasts.


    The goal was to grow human children and demons within their colonies and train them following these methods. Unfortunately, the project didn''t see the light because there wasn''t enough time to find valid candidates, and the final battle had already arrived. But, after more than one hundred thousand years, this project would finally see the light thanks to Hei and Lian.


    Since she was the Beast Emperor''s partner and herself an influential member of the divine beasts'' community, the Spider of Nightmare, Bao Bei, was entrusted with the manuals and techniques invented according to the snake and spider style. Furthermore, the queen of plant-type divine beasts, the Lotus of Love, had entrusted to Bao Bei, who was her best friend, a copy of the techniques invented according to the lotus fighting style. She did that just in case Bao Bei found a candidate valid during her travels with Hei An.


    And in the end, Bao Bei had managed to find the perfect candidates to whom to entrust the secret project that they, divine beasts, had been unable to implement. Hei would inherit the spider and serpent style while Lian the lotus style. Even though she didn''t have a bloodline, she was a girl, and the lotus fighting style was better for her than Hei.


    The choice of candidates was made through two criteria: talent and the amount of trust.


    Talent was essential to be able to practice this type of cultivation, and only those who had awakened their spirit power before they were thirteen could have it. This was due to the low amount of formation seeds. These were special seeds on which particular formations had been engraved; by inserting them in the candidates'' body in specific points, it was possible to induce the acupoint''s external connection without lethal consequences.


    The amount of trust, however, was the most important; only those who had gained the trust of the divine beast, from which they wanted to learn, could receive such teachings. And this was also mandatory for the beast tamers'' children who already had the community trust.


    After all, this method was only feasible when one hadn''t yet started cultivating, and it wasn''t sure that the children would be as loyal as the parents. Therefore, for this series of reasons, the project couldn''t have been completed during the war.


    *


    When Hei and the others woke up and finished digesting breakfast, Bao Bei had Shui and the other buffalos watch over the spiderweb house''s perimeter from the outside while they stayed inside. This was because the process she was about to implement was very delicate, and required maximum concentration by Hei and Lian. As a result, she didn''t want any strangers to disturb them.


    As for this cultivation method''s secrecy, if the spirit power''s flow during cultivation wasn''t carefully examined, it was unthinkable that others would discover that the two of them were using cultivation methods according to spirit beasts'' characteristics. Furthermore, it was impossible to do this without being detected. By the time it happened, the people who were cultivating would immediately notice an interference and stop cultivating.


    Bao Bei, with Ye and Xing next to her legs, made Hei and Lian sit down and told them.


    ''This will hurt a lot, but, whatever happens, don''t resist and focus only on my directions, alright?"


    The two nodded and looked toward Bao Bei, who was ready to begin. At that point, with the tips of her legs, she stabbed the forearms and thighs of both. The pain was intense since it wasn''t a slight wound like a scratch but a deep lunge. However, Hei and Lian tried to do their best to resist pain.


    Bao Bei then proceeded to put in a formation seed inside each wound and made them swallow a fifth seed, which was larger than the previous ones. Suddenly, there was a massive tumult in their inner spirit power that went berserk. That tumult caused another peak of pain that made the two youths contort on the ground.


    Wasting no time, Bao Bei formed a series of thin pointed needles with her spider web and stuck them on all their acupoints. Hei and Lian were now convulsing as Ye and Xing were watching the scene in terror. They didn''t think the opening process was so scary, and they started to fear the worst.


    Naturally, Bao Bei wouldn''t allow the worst to come, so she communicated to the two as she used her spirit power to curb the frenetic flow that was occurring in their bodies.


    ''I''m using my spirit power to curb your flow of spirit power. In the meantime, you will have to try to feel where the formation seeds are in your bodies and generate big vortices at those points and induce your spirit power in them.''


    It was the secret behind this method. Use four fictitious vortexes in one''s limbs to collect the flow coming from the acupoints and direct them into multiple circuits that operated individually, but were joined to the center by the large vortex coming from ingested formation seed.


    More independent circuits formed, faster would be the cultivation and regeneration of spirit power. That happened because instead of operating on the whole body, the portion covered by each circuit was only a part, thus making the flow more fluid. However, these circuits had to remain connected in a single point that served as a central connection in the body.


    Four independent circuits were the maximum limit that could be created at the beginning together with the central vortex, as well as the number of formation seeds that Bao Bei possessed. It meant that in the future, they could no longer use this method on another person. But she didn''t care. Hei was the Spider of Nightmare and the Snake of Darkness''s son, the only successor to become the Beast Emperor. Lian, on the other hand, was a girl with talent equal to or even superior to that of her son, and Bao Bei had full confidence in her ability to judge the human''s character.


    When Hei and Lian heard Bao Bei''s instructions and received mental images about the form type, it should have the vortex. Therefore, they tried to create them with difficulty until, after many attempts, they succeeded in their intent. Suddenly, the chaotic flow stopped and started to condense on the vortexes. But that didn''t improve things for the two of them.


    As their spirit power was gathering in the vortexes, these were growing at a dizzying rate, and there was a risk that they would break out.


    ''Now create individual circuits, one for each limb and join them with a single connection to the central vortex. At that point, let them flow simultaneously without making them interact with each other, except through the central vortex where you will concentrate most of the energy.''


    To help them in the process, Bao Bei was sending them mental images about the shape the circuits should take, and how they were connected. Such images came from her memory when the Bai Ze gave the divine beast''s main members the cultivation method and the techniques he devised. Even though years had passed since then, Bao Bei reminded it as if she had them before her eyes.


    And it was thanks to her memory that Hei and Lian managed to create the circuits. Without those images, it would have been impossible for them to come up with a form, based only on descriptions.


    Slowly, the spasms that plagued their bodies had stopped as their breathing resumed their regular rhythm. Their bodies were illuminated by a dense aura that emitted a slight transparent smoke. The blood in their wounds had been stopped. Now, there were four burn marks at the points where they had been stabbed.


    Ye and Xing immediately went to check how they were, worried that something might have happened to them. When they realized that they were okay, the two little spirit beasts breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and tried to wake the two humans.


    Bao Bei stopped them reassuringly and told them,


    ''Let them sleep. The opening process of the acupoints is tiring. When they recover, you can play with them. In the meantime, you two go to train with Shui.''


    Ye and Xing, somewhat reluctantly, obeyed their mother and went out to communicate the result to Shui and train with it. Bao Bei instead placed one of her legs on Hei''s forehead to feel his temperature.


    ''Well done, my little boy. I''m sorry you suffered all this pain. But all this is necessary so that you grow big and strong. For now, rest because, unfortunately, you will have to suffer again. The techniques according to the style of us spirit beasts aren''t learnable without suffering.''

 Chapter 33 - First Cultivation

    The sun had just begun to set when Hei woke up. He looked around and saw Lian lying beside him, but only the two of them were inside the spiderweb house. However, he could hear some unmistakable sounds outside: it was his two little sisters. They were sparring with Shui.


    With difficulty, Hei sat up and examined his body. The process of opening his acupoints had been intense, much more than what he had imagined from his mother''s words. Fortunately, she stayed with them all the time; otherwise, they wouldn''t have a chance.


    He took a glance at Lian to see how she was - the girl had a slightly pale complexion due to the effort made, but she had no other problems. With a little more rest, she would recover.


    Hei then returned to examine himself. He noticed that there were burn marks on the points where his mother''s legs had pierced him. Even if they weren''t nice to look at, he didn''t care so much. The important thing was that the wounds had already closed and they weren''t a problem for his body.


    But, leaving aside the wounds on his body, the most important aspect he noticed was that his breathing had become lighter. If he had to make a comparison, it was as if he had been wearing weights all this time, and now he had finally taken them off, returning to breathe easily. His body also seemed lighter than before, and he felt more energy coming from his muscles.


    Excited by these new changes, Hei stood up and walked out of the spiderweb house. He wanted to talk to his mother and ask her about these changes and what he should do next.


    When he came out, he was greeted by the warmth of the orange sun that was slowly disappearing. Not far from here, Ye and Xing were sending flying by Shui. Although at first glance it might seem dangerous, Hei knew that Shui would limit its strength against them and, even though they fell from above, his two sisters had very tough skin. After all, it was inherent in spirit beasts to strengthen their bodies by damaging them in combat.


    When he took a few steps, he suddenly heard his mother''s voice that was still hidden in her small form.


    ''How are you, Hei? Are you feeling okay?''


    "I''m fine. I feel like I have more energy than before."


    ''I''m happy to hear that, and Lian? Is she still sleeping?''


    "Yes, mother. She is still resting. Ehm, mother, I was wondering if I could now finally cultivate."


    His mother, who knew her son too well, laughed to herself and gave him her permission. She, therefore, made Hei sit on the ground with his legs crossed. It was the lotus position that martial artists usually assumed in their cultivation.


    ''First, try to regulate your breathing by creating a rhythm. When you did, activate your spirit power and collect a small amount of external spirit power. At that point, make it rotate in the four individual circuits at the same time while synchronizing them with your breath. They must be in unison; otherwise, you risk disturbing your internal flow.''


    Listening to his mother''s words, Hei tried to do as she had said. He closed his eyes and concentrated only on his breathing, slowly excluding the sounds near him. It was one of the hunting techniques taught by his mother at the time of the Multicolored Leaf Forest. Focusing his attention on a single point and forgetting about what was around. It was a hazardous technique to perform due to the risk of being caught off guard, but in particular conditions, it was advantageous to use.


    Soon, he found a rhythm that seemed appropriate to him and activated his spirit power. Unlike the other times, his spirit power seemed less rigid, and he could feel a tingling through numerous points in his body, where the needles created by his mother had penetrated.


    Obviously, Bao Bei, after they had finished the opening process, had removed the needles from Hei and Lian''s bodies. Even if they were small, leaving them in the skin for too long could cause serious injuries.


    Then Hei tried to move his spirit power. It was more difficult than what he thought, and he couldn''t move any of the circuits. On the other hand, it had to be said that all martial artists would have difficulty moving their flow for the first time, even though they had only one path in which they had to let their spirit power flow. Hei, on the other hand, had four circuits to move, and it was incredibly difficult.


    Trying to concentrate more, Hei frowned as he absorbed more spirit power from the outside to stimulate an internal reaction. He remembered when he had filled the vortexes, and the flow had gone berserk.


    After a while, after several attempts, Hei succeeded in his intent: the spirit power within his body began to move slowly inside his body. The speed of the flow couldn''t be defined as fast; on the contrary, it was extremely slow. But it was still a start.


    Meanwhile, Bao Bei looked in astonishment at Hei, who was engaged in his cultivation. Even though she knew he could do it, she didn''t expect it would take such a short time for him to get his internal flow moving. Her son really deserved to be called a genius.


    When the sun had finished setting, Hei finished his first cultivation cycle. His whole body was full of sweat, and a blackish substance was covering his skin. It looked similar to mud but more sticky. Curious, he asked his mother what it was.


    ''They are the impurities present in your body. Every time you cultivate your body, the process will eliminate the various impurities present inside. The first time is always a disaster because plenty of impurities come out. However, over time this quantity decreases. But you must remember that the impurities that you expel are the impurities present in the most superficial layers of your skin. There are also impurities in your body''s inner parts, and you will have to use medicines or pills to get rid of them.''


    By the time Hei was listening to his mother''s explanation, Lian had left the tent. She had the same usual expression, but within her eyes, there was a brighter light. She approached Hei and pointed her finger at him and then at her.


    This gesture was a message for Bao Bei that she couldn''t see because the latter had such a small size. The content of this message was straightforward to understand - she also wanted to start cultivating as Hei had done.


    Slowly, Bao Bei re-explained what she had told earlier while Hei brought buckets of water they had filled in the past few days. With all that sticky stuff, it was essential to take a bath to clean himself up. Fortunately, the water had a warm temperature. Even though he had no trouble washing himself in cold water, Hei would naturally prefer a warmer temperature.


    But as he was about to start washing himself, he remembered the rectangle of land cleaned from the weeds. It was huge since Bao Bei would have increased its area from day to day. Looking at it carefully, Hei judged it to be the right size for their first harvest. Given that it was the first time he was using such a broad field, he thought that it was better to start with a not too excessive size.


    So, taking advantage of the fact that he was dirty, he went to get the pieces of rotten wood from the old house. Fortunately, Ye and Xing were tired of training, and seeing Hei awake, they ran to him. After stroking their stomachs and playing with them a little, Hei got help from the two spirit beast to collect the pieces of rotten wood. Shui and the other buffaloes also helped. In the past days, the buffaloes had been busy cleaning the nearby weeds by eating them, and they had a more powerful body than before.


    In a short time, they moved all the rotten wooden planks to the field on which they would plant the plants. But they hadn''t finished yet. Now it was time to move the feces that the buffalo had produced during these days. To avoid having a bad smell nearby and annoying Bao Bei, Hei, and the others, Shui had instructed the buffaloes to use a precise point in which to deposit feces and pee.


    Since it was difficult to carry them to the field with just his hands, Hei had Xing create various spiderwebs on which to lay the feces. Thanks to this method, they were able to transport the feces to the designated location. And then, it was the time for the weeds that Hei and the others had removed during their training and placed on one side of the stable where the buffaloes usually sleep. Since they knew that Hei had purposely kept them for future uses, the buffaloes hadn''t touched them.


    At that point, it was finally the turn to prepare the fertilizer for the soil. Without hesitation, Hei put the weeds on the pile of feces and then poured some buckets of water over it. Then he started to mix it all up.


    The smell was sickening, but Hei had already experienced this and didn''t mind too much. He continued his work, but without letting Ye and Xing help him because he didn''t want them to get too dirty.


    Eventually, he managed to get a mixture of manure and slurry, partly liquid and partly solid. His arms were entirely dirty, but since they were already so from the impurities that were taken out during cultivation, it didn''t matter much.


    When he finished getting the compound, Bao Bei had come near them with Lian, who was in the same condition as Hei, before he got dirty with buffaloes'' feces.


    Since she couldn''t stand her son getting even dirtier, she took charge of spreading the mixture on the ground while sending Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian to clean themselves at the river, under the supervision of Shui and the other buffaloes. The water they had collected wasn''t enough to clean all the dirt from Hei and Lian''s bodies.


    To avoid problems, Bao Bei first ascertained that there were no strangers nearby, before letting them leave, and when they left, she used her spiderweb and her spirit power to cover the soil with the organic compound.


    The distance between the house and the river wasn''t so far away, and running on the back of the buffaloes, the four of them arrived at the river not long after. To make things more exciting, Ye asked Shui to charge with the other buffaloes in the water, so that they could use their running momentum as a springboard to jump into the water.


    Shui accepted and did as requested. Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing were, therefore, sent flying, and they dived with different poses in the water.


    Fortunately, the water was warm because the sun''s rays had heated it, and the four floated on the surface while the buffaloes were on the bank drinking and looking after them from afar.


    Hei, Ye, and Xing had learned to swim when they were young because there was a lake near where they lived, and their mother thought it was vital that they learn how to do it. But in the situation''s euphoria, Hei had forgotten to ask Lian if she could swim. When he emerged from the dive, he immediately glanced towards her, but it seemed that Lian knew how to swim since she remained afloat without sinking.


    Ye and Xing, even though they were small, had learned how to balance their bodies. And now, they were swimming at high speeds in the water, without sinking. Hei instead decided to relax, remaining afloat while throwing glances from time to time at them to check that they were alright. Lian also stayed afloat near Hei, before being dragged by the two little spirit beasts to swim with them.


    When more than an hour passed, Hei gestured for them to return. By now, it had become evening, and he didn''t want to make their mother more than they should. Reluctantly, Ye and Xing took a last swim before going out with Lian.


    Because they had dived with their clothes still on, their clothes were soaked, although they were finally clean. Since they didn''t have a spare nearby, they kept them and climbed back up to the buffaloes'' backs to go home.


    Once getting home, Hei stopped a moment to take a look at the field. The organic compound made from the feces and the weeds joined to the water, had been spread evenly over the entire area designated for growing plants. As expected from his mother, it was an impeccable job.


    Glad that things were progressing in the right direction, Hei entered the spiderweb house with the others while Shui escorted the other buffaloes back to the stable to rest. In the spiderweb house, the dinner had already been prepared and consisted mainly of fire-cooked insects plus some fruits.


    Without being prayed, Hei and his two sisters quickly devoured their meals. Lian instead ate more slowly but made no complaints about it.


    After they finished eating, they all lay down to watch the stars from the hole in the top of the spiderweb house. However, at one point, Bao Bei suddenly moved and hissed. She had noticed the presence of someone approaching the house.


    Quickly, she went out to examine who it was. In the distance, a hooded figure was approaching at high speed in their direction. Intrigued by their mother''s behavior, Hei came out but kept Ye, Xing, and Lian inside. Shui also came out of the stable. Then, it stood in front of Hei, waiting for the hooded figure to come.


    Bao Bei remained close to her son while she was hidden in her petite form. Even if the person who was arriving had concealed its face, it had no evil intentions since it wasn''t deliberately trying to conceal its presence, but was running linearly.


    In a short time, the mysterious figure arrived at the house and was surprised that Hei was out with the albino buffalo at his side on alert. At this scene, the hidden figure couldn''t help being stunned. Even though it was running linearly towards that direction, it was incredible that Hei had noticed that it was coming.


    At that point, the hidden figure lowered the hood that hid its face and turned out to be none other than the sect leader. Her purple hair was waving in the evening wind after being released.


    Hei then made a short bow to her. Even if he didn''t feel fear or veneration like the other sect''s members, she was still the cult leader, and therefore, he had to maintain a semblance of respect.


    "Good evening sect leader, can I do something for you?"


    The sect leader once again gave a slight look at the albino buffalo that was still on the alert. From inside the strange spiderweb house, she could sense the presence of another person. Probably the girl named Lian.


    "Yes, actually, there is something you can do for me. I don''t want to go around it, but I want you to enter into my faction." The sect leader said in a determined tone.


    Initially, she had decided with the other elders to wait after Hei and Lian had entered the inner sect to recruit them into their factions. But since Hei had decided to plant plants instead of raising animals, this had aroused the sect''s leader interest.


    She had no doubts about her judgment. She knew that the young boy was brilliant; surely, he wouldn''t have made such a trivial mistake as trying to cultivate spirit plants in a place devoid of spirit veins. Intrigued, she decided to go personally and examine the situation.


    Initially, she just wanted to take a look, but when she came to that place, she noticed that the surrounding weeds looked more vigorous and shiny than usual. At that point, the sect leader examined the soil, and she found out the cause. To her surprise, she noticed that there was spirit power flowing underground - the spirit vein was active.


    That notion shattered her original plan, and she immediately took a decision - that evening, she would recruit both the youths in her faction, regardless of what cost she would have to pay.

 Chapter 34 - Agreement

    "Yes, actually, there is something you can do for me. I don''t want to beat around the bush: I want you to join my faction."


    It was what the sect leader said. This sentence completely surprised Hei, given that recently it had been decided that he would remain in the outer sect, and from there, he would have to take the selection test if he wanted to move to the inner sect.


    The sect leader, together with the first and second elders, had decided to proceed in this way. However, now the same sect leader denied the decision she had made earlier.


    "Joining your faction? Sect leader, didn''t you say that I should stay in the outer sect and then from there, go into the inner sect, like all the others?" Hei asked inquiringly.


    As he asked the sect leader, he was conversing with his mother to decide how to proceed before this unexpected situation.


    "Yes, it''s true. That''s what I decided with the first and second elders, but things have changed now. I didn''t expect you to be able to restore a spirit vein. Don''t try to deny it. The Flower Sect was known primarily for our expertise in growing rare plants. I perfectly know how to recognize the soil''s qualities. The surrounding terrain has spirit power, something it shouldn''t have, and this strangely happened after you arrived. "


    Hearing that the spiritual vein had been named, Hei immediately tried to deny his involvement.


    "I have no intention of denying that the spirit vein is active. However, this has nothing to do with me. I don''t know how it happened, but I''m certainly not capable of such an undertaking." With a resolute voice, Hei looked straight toward the sect leader''s eyes.


    From this interaction, the sect leader perceived that Hei was telling the truth. Indeed, it wasn''t Hei who restored the spirit vein but his mother. Saying that he had nothing to do with it, wasn''t entirely a lie; after all, the only thing he had done was just observing.


    The sect leader pondered to herself if this was indeed the case. The boy seemed not to be lying, yet it was a coincidence that this had happened when he had come, after years of inactivity from the spirit vein?


    Eventually, the sect leader sighed and decided to let it go. Inside herself, she felt it was better not to investigate this matter further. Somehow, after mentioning the spirit vein, her body was sending warning signs, but she couldn''t understand where this danger came from.


    "Alright, I believe you. However, this doesn''t change that I want to recruit you in my faction. But if I had to formalize it now, I would unleash an uproar with the other two factions in the sect. So I propose an agreement: promise to join my faction when you move on to the inner sect; in return, you will have an unlimited loan of contribution points."


    "An unlimited loan of contribution points?"


    Hearing this, Hei''s interest was immediately captured. Since he had just joined the sect, he had no contribution points at the time, and he would have to wait at least three months for him to make some profit from selling his crops.


    Noticing his interest, the sect leader continued,


    "When your plantations bear fruit, you can return these contribution points. As a sect leader, I cannot give contributions points without reason, but I can lend them to you. In this way, you will be able to borrow manuals right away. Of course, I can only offer you those destined for the outer sect. What do you think about it?"


    At those words, Hei remained silent to meditate on the proposal. Indeed, having contribution points now would accelerate its growth, but this meant that it would then have to keep his word.


    "In addition to the manuals, is it possible to request other items? Like medicinal herbs and agricultural tools?" Hei asked the sect leader.


    According to what his mother had said, outer sect techniques were simple basic combat techniques. Since Bao Bei already had a set of attack moves ready for him and Lian, it wasn''t advantageous to borrow contribution points for basic techniques. But medicinal herbs were different, especially those that facilitated wound regeneration.


    The program of Bao Bei included various cycles of wounds and healing, as befits a spirit beast. Therefore, it was necessary to procure materials to decrease healing time.


    "Yes, it is possible. But keep in mind that although I have said unlimited credit, it must be in the number of contribution points you can get from your harvest. It mustn''t exceed this amount for any reason. Even if I''m the sect leader, I have to show neutrality for everyone. What I''m proposing to you is already something that barely fits into the sect''s rules. "


    "There are no problems. For the moment, I want a bag of medicinal herbs every week, and if I request other medicines, they will have to be delivered as soon as possible. I also want a manual on the art of spear and an agricultural plow. To finish, all the information on the types of existing dances, with precise descriptions of their respective moves. This is the price I ask."


    Feeling that the asking price wasn''t something excessive, the sect leader was happy but was intrigued by a detail.


    "The price you ask is fine. But why are you interested in the types of dancing? Is it for that girl, Lian? "


    "I apologize if I offend you, but it isn''t of your interest. I know why you are compromising with me and why you are so keen on recruiting us. And I have no problem helping you in your purpose, but I want to leave one thing clear: no personal questions about what we do. My only purpose is to become stronger, that''s all. I have no bad intention towards you or the sect. As long as someone doesn''t dare threaten my life or that of my family, then I will behave like any sect''s members and help you achieve your goals."


    Hearing those words, the sect leader was stunned. She never imagined that a young man like Hei could have the courage to use that tone with her. She was used to the rude tone of the first elder and tolerated him because their strength was similar. Yet the words of this young man who had begun the cultivation path seemed more powerful and decisive than those of the first elder.


    Even she, who was the sect leader, couldn''t help but be taken aback and re-evaluate the boy with new eyes. Although she considered him to be intelligent, she thought that by showing kindness to him, she could make him one of her subordinates. In this way, she would have had a loyal beast tamer with exceptional abilities, and perhaps he could have persuaded his elusive father to join the sect.


    But now she realized that it was foolish to think this - if she had tried to make him her subordinate, she would probably be eaten alive. She was sure now - there was someone or something that was protecting the boy, and she was definitely not at its level. So, as long as she kept her distance, merely providing what Hei asked, she would accomplish her purpose of seeing the sect brought back to its former glory.


    "Okay. As you wish, tomorrow I will give you what you asked for. Remember to keep your part of the agreement."


    That said, the sect leader put her hood back on and turned away, disappearing into the night. As she ran, her body was trembling dramatically, and her breathing was heavy. Now that she was moving away from that area, she could better perceive the danger she had run.


    Usually, Hei would have had a calm and peaceful character. However, from the night he made his promise, he decided to be more resolute towards other people outside the family. He knew what the sect leader had in mind and didn''t like the idea of having to undergo to tricks and a fake kindness. So he decided to make things clear right away. Bao Bei, surprised by her son, supported him in any case by putting pressure on the sect leader thanks to her spirit power.


    Although they had revealed the presence of Bao Bei, in the end, they had achieved what they wanted. Also, as long as the sect leader behaved intelligently, she would do anything not to incur the wrath of that mysterious presence. Of course, they couldn''t merely threaten her, so they agreed to help her with her goals.


    Despite the unexpected turn of events, it couldn''t be said that it was a bad result. After the sect leader disappeared from their sight, Bao Bei re-entered the spiderweb house while Hei thanked Shui for support before following her.


    When they returned, Hei briefly told others what had happened. Ye was particularly excited and was waving her tail vigorously. She preferred to approach others directly without tricks, using her own body. Xing instead asked if it was wise to reveal their mother''s presence, but after being reassured by Hei, she accepted his decision.


    Even if they didn''t feel sleepy, Bao Bei sent them to sleep anyway because tomorrow was a training day.


    *


    The following morning, after having digested breakfast, Hei received a visit from an inner sect''s member, under the sect leader''s order with the things he had requested, except for the plow that would be delivered soon. Evidently, she had preferred to terminate her part of the agreement immediately.


    Hei put away the medicinal herbs on one side of their house while giving Bao Bei a notebook with writings and drawings concerning the types of dances.


    "Mother, here is the information you requested."


    ''Thank you, my little one. Leave it on the ground; I''ll give a look.''


    In fact, it was Bao Bei who had made this request and, as the sect leader had guessed, this was for Lian. That was because the lotus flower style was a style based on dancing.


    The Lotus of Love was a divine beast with a small body and humanoid appearance, but with a pink-green complexion and vines like hair. Her bloodline allowed her to control the wood law. By combining it with her passion for dancing, she had created a fighting style in which she would dance while creating plant vines from the ground to trap the enemy and kill them.


    The lotus style destined for Lian had this characteristic but through the use of a particular weapon - the ribbon. It was indeed possible to infuse one''s own spirit power into a weapon to increase its cutting power and endurance. For materials like silk, it was also possible to harden them and soften them to your liking. Thanks to this expedient, the Bai Ze had created a style that exploited how the Lotus of Love fought.


    However, the Lotus of Love''s dancing was very complicated. Therefore, Bao Bei planned to let Lian learn simpler dances and then move on to more complex ones.


    But if the style of the lotus flower was based on elegance and creating a rhythm through dance, the spider and snake style were different. The first was based on acceleration speed and on using this speed to give power to one''s shots; the second, instead, was based on the flexibility of the body combined with speed to hit vital parts in rapid succession.


    After she finished reading the notes carefully, Bao Bei brought Hei and Lian out of the spider house, while she sent Ye and Xing to train with Shui.


    So she made Lian running as a brief warm-up while explaining to Hei the peculiarities of the spider and snake style.


    ''Listen to me carefully, my little one. I''m going to explain the moves that make up the spider and snake style. First of all, these moves are divided into three sections - detection techniques, movement techniques, and attack and defense techniques. At the moment, the detection techniques are too advanced for you because they require precise control of your spirit power. So we will focus on the other two.


    Fortunately, you already know some techniques of these styles - the four-legged running that belongs to the spider style and the submission techniques belonging to the snake style.


    However, the spider''s movement technique is divided into two - four-legged mode and two-legged mode. The latter uses the toes to move in a rapid sequence. So from now on, you will have to fight barefoot.


    Then we have the snake running that uses the flexibility of the upper body to dodge attacks as you advance toward the enemy. There are several exercises that allow you to stretch your muscles without damaging them. But you will also have to learn how to dislocate the bones at your command and increase their flexibility through unique methods.''


    Bao Bei then stopped to show Hei the images of the moves he had to learn. Looking at the images that were transmitted inside his head, Hei couldn''t hide his surprise. Those techniques indeed resembled the movements of spiders and snakes. From an early age, he wanted to look like his mother and his sisters, and now he finally had the real chance to realize his dream.


    ''As for the attack techniques, excluding the submission moves that I have already taught you, we have for the snake style - snake fist, snake whip, snake fang; for the spider style we have instead - spider lance and spider bite. To these, we will also add two other moves - beast claws and chameleon tongue.


    For the defense techniques we have for the snake style - snake hair and snake coiling; of the spider style, we have only one - spider carapace.


    Although the moves of the spider style are less in quantity, the spider lance is the most powerful technique in your arsenal, especially when combined with animal claws. With that, you can quickly kill a person with a single hit.


    In order for you to use these techniques, you will need to undergo training that will change the inner structure of your body, mainly we will have to concentrate on improving the bones because they are the fundamental point of these techniques.


    Obviously, in addition to that, you will train yourself in the art of spear. Although these moves are based on hand to hand combat, it is essential that you master your weapon perfectly.''


    Hands, feet, tongue, teeth, nails, and other parts of his body. In his mind, Hei was visualizing how his body could be transformed with those techniques. He didn''t care about the price; the only thing he wanted was to start as soon as possible. He was looking forward to surprising his two little sisters when he would learn how to fight like them.


    Bao Bei seeing his son''s emotion decided not to waste time and sent him to train. The first moves she would teach him were the snake''s fist and the snake''s lance. To learn them, first, he had to bring his hands to an ideal level of hardness.


    So she ordered Hei to dig the soil - aligning the fingers of his hands, he would have to stab the ground. This even if his finger bones became broken. If he could no longer use his fingers, he would have to use his knuckles and the palms of his hands, and when even those would no longer be able to hold, only then would he rest.


    This training could be considered brutal and barbaric, but for spirit beasts, it was normal. Throughout their lives, the number of claws, teeth, and other broken bones was incalculable. If Hei wanted to become like them, he had to undergo inhuman training regimens.

 Chapter 35 - Hand Conditioning

    Hand conditioning, so it was called this particular training that Hei was undergoing. Striking ever harder materials, he would harden his hands to an incredible level.


    Since it was the first time, Bao Bei poured some water on the part of the soil that Hei had to dig so as to soften it. She also made for him two thin silk gloves that would protect his hands to a certain extent, to give him more chances to repeat the exercise.


    Leaving Hei to his training, she focused on Lian, who had finished her running laps. Before she could teach her dancing moves, she should have to increase the young girl''s flexibility. So she began to make her stretching her arms and legs, and she would raise her exercises'' intensity as she would feel less discomfort in performing them.


    Stopping for a moment to see how she was going, He resumed his exercise. The ground had become soft because of the water, and when he stabbed it with his fingers, he felt no pain. He soon got used to the shape his hands had to take, but as he was continuing to dig, the soil hardened more and more.


    After he had been continuing for several hours, his hands were starting to shake, especially his fingers.


    ''It''s getting hard to keep my fingers together, but I have to keep going. Mother said I have to continue even if my bones break.''


    Thus he continued again and again, and the pain of the fingers began to become unsustainable. With a slight moan, he stops for a moment to keep hitting the ground. His fingers were bent in a strange angle, and his whole hand was trembling visibly. Tightening his fingers to form a fist, he began using his knuckles to punch where he had to dig. However, after several hits that way, the pain became too intense again to continue with his fists.


    ''Damn, my hands hurt so bad. I can''t close my fist anymore.''


    Since he couldn''t close his fist, he began to use his palms to dig. Until his mother said he could rest, he would continue his training in any way possible.


    Fortunately, Bao Bei wasn''t so evil as to make him go on forever, and when it was lunchtime, she freed her son from this agony. After she helped him remove the silk gloves, he could see the bad state of his hands. But even if he was feeling pain, Hei made a wide smile full of happiness.


    "What do you think, mother, I was good?" Hei said aloud as he breathed heavily.


    ''You were excellent, my little one. Now come, it''s time to eat. We must also heal those hands.''


    So she brought Hei to the spiderweb house; inside, there were already Ye, Xing, and Lian. The two little spirit animals, seeing the terrible state of Hei''s hands, approached him worried and pestered him with questions to know how he was. Hei smiled at them and replied that he was fine. Even if it couldn''t be said that he was okay, he didn''t want to make them worry.


    When he finished calming the little spider and the little snake, he noticed a basin with hot water. Inside the water, some herbs were emitting a sweet fragrance. Smelling it, Hei immediately understood that those were the medicinal herbs that they had received this morning.


    ''Dip your hands in the water and leave them soaking. Don''t worry about how to eat. I''ll take care of it.'' Bao Bei said as she masterfully lifted, thanks to her spiderweb, the bowl containing Hei''s soup just above his mouth. By tilting the bowl slightly, she allowed Hei to drink the soup while his hands were soaking in the water.


    The heat of the soup soon moved through his whole body as his hands began to show relief. The bath of medicinal herbs was having a surprising effect.


    When they finished eating and also the herbs'' medicinal effect had run out, Bao Bei gave them two hours of rest for an afternoon nap. Hei checked his hands for a moment - the wounds he received were noticeably better, but the pain persisted, although attenuated. After examining his condition, Hei let himself go to a sweet afternoon nap with everyone else.


    When he woke up, he found Ye tangled around his neck like a scarf, while Xing had slipped into his clothes and was sleeping in the middle of his chest. Not far from him, Lian was sleeping in a crouched position.


    Hei laughed to himself as he watched that scene. He wanted to get up and talk to his mother to learn how to continue training. However, with his two sisters sleeping on him, this wasn''t feasible, and at the same time, he didn''t want to wake them up. Another half-hour had to pass before they woke up from their sleep and released him. But since they still wanted to sleep, they went to Lian to fall asleep next to her.


    "Sleepy and glutton, I hope your training is going well, or mother will get angry with you."


    Tickling their bellies for a few seconds, he let them sleep and left the spiderweb house. Their mother, due to the size she assumed, wasn''t so visible in an open environment. But he could feel her presence - after all, she was his mother and unconsciously, he had developed the ability to perceive where she was.


    ''Did you sleep well, my little one?''


    "Yes, mother. I slept well. Ye and Xing are still sleeping with Lian."


    ''Those sleepyheads ... alright, another half an hour, but that''s it. They have to keep training and Lian too. Anyway, I''ll explain what you''ll have to do for the afternoon.''


    At that point, she led him to the field on which it had been spread the manure-slurry compound. His job was to activate his spirit power and do push-ups with his legs to strengthen his leg muscles and, at the same time, increase the duration of his spirit power, trying to keep it as active as possible.


    Hei nodded his head, and as he began to take the required position and activate his spirit power, Bao Bei took out notes on dance styles for Lian''s training.


    After exactly half an hour, she sent a mental message to the three who were sleeping, urging them to wake up, and when they arrived, she assigned their respective tasks.


    Meanwhile, Hei was sweating again dramatically. The exercise, even if it was nothing complicated, was really tiring for the body. Fortunately, he had his spirit power, but that could only be maintained for a limited amount of time.


    Seeing that he was about to exhaust his spirit power, Bao Bei made him stop.


    ''Now you have to cultivate to recover your lost spirit power. Once you have recovered it, start training again. And when you are about to finish it again, cultivate yet another time. Repeat this cycle until I tell you enough. Now open your mouth and take this.''


    Bao Bei threw something tiny that ended precisely in Hei''s mouth that he had opened as his mother had requested. From contact with the tongue, it was something small and round, like a sphere. Thinking about what it might be, it occurred to him shortly after that.


    "This are the pills we bought, right?"


    ''Yes. Now, begin your cultivation quickly; don''t waste the pill''s content.''


    So Hei took the lotus meditation position and focused on cultivation.


    When he began to cultivate, he realized that this operation was much easier than the day before. It was the effect of the pill that was taking its course. Happy, he began to concentrate again.


    The pill''s effect continued for a couple of cycles of meditation, but then it ran out. Bao Bei gave him only one, but that''s it. She didn''t want him to rely too much on those pills because excessive use would do more harm than good.


    When it began to set, Bao Bei finally made him stop. Hei fell to the ground in pain - his legs, like his hands in the morning, were visibly trembling. Unable to stand up, Hei decided to lie on the ground while he breathed.


    As he was catching his breath, from the direction in which the spiderweb house and the stable were, Shui arrived with the other buffaloes. They were carrying what appeared to be a plow. When Shui came to them, it communicated how some members of the sect had arrived and left this plow. Since it knew that Hei was preparing a crop field, Shui immediately brought the plow to Hei along with the other buffaloes.


    Getting up with difficulty, he stroked the buffaloes one by one to thank them, and immediately began to connect the plow to two of the buffaloes and had them start plowing the land. To check that everything was going well, he got into Shui''s back, who stood behind the two buffaloes with the plow and walked with them.


    The field soil was easily being dug thanks to the plow pushed by the powerful force of the two buffaloes. Even though it was setting now, Hei decided he would finish the job that same day, so he could start plants as early as tomorrow morning. To make everybody participate and not to tire the buffaloes too much, he made turns for those who had to pull the plow. There were eight buffaloes, and with two buffaloes to pull the plow, they were, therefore, four pairs and hence a total of four shifts. Shui, on the other hand, didn''t pull the plow but merely followed the buffaloes in their path.


    With their collaboration, Hei succeeded in the intent that he set for himself, and finished plowing the field in the evening. When the work was completed, he detached the plow from the last couple of buffaloes and left it near the field for the time being. Living practically in solitude, there was no need to worry about possible thieves. Besides, his mother would feel any stranger trying to get close to their territory.


    Finally, it was time to go home. Since his legs were still sore, Hei gladly accepted Shui''s lift, who took him home with the buffaloes. Once he got off its back and greeted the buffaloes for the night, Hei entered his home. To welcome him, there was the inviting scent of meat that immediately made his mouth water. Usually, since he was dirty from the training, Bao Bei would force him to wash himself, but for that evening, she let him go.


    Without wasting time, he sat down with the others who were waiting for his return and told them how they had finished plowing the field. Ye and Xing were excited because they wanted to plant the plants immediately. They also asked Hei to let them choose some plants with the excuse that they had helped to remove the weeds. The reason was obvious - they wanted to grow their favorite fruits so they could eat them every day.


    Laughing, Hei tickled them until they confessed their real motive. But when he lowered his guard after being told the truth, Xing and Ye attacked him by surprise and began to sneak into his clothes, causing a burst of tingling all over his body.


    Bao Bei and Lian merely looked at the scene, amused. As the days passed, Lian''s expressions were gaining warmth, and Bao Bei thought it was only a matter of time before she confided in them.


    When the brothers finished playing, Bao Bei finally asked Hei,


    ''What are you going to plant, my son?''


    Hei, who was still recovering from the tickling, turned to his mother to answer her.


    "I imagine that spirit wheat is a must. But I would like to divide the field into three sections so as to implement a crop rotation. In one, we will put the wheat, and if there are no problems, we should be able to have it ready to be delivered by the end deadline. In the second one, I intend to put various vegetables that take little time to grow so that we can consume them as soon as possible. In the third, I want instead to leave it at rest. Once the first growing cycle is finished, I will change the sections'' order. What do you think, mother?"


    ''Do as you want, my little one. You know that whatever you do, you will have my full support. Continue as you think is right for you.'' Bao Bei replied as she looked lovingly at her son, who was growing more and more day by day.


    Hei, hearing those words, smiled, and ran to hug her. He felt really happy every time he listened to his mother''s compliments and how she trusted him. Then he went to his two sisters to tell them that they could choose which vegetables to plant. Unfortunately, fruit trees usually took years to grow, and he couldn''t plant them in the field because they took up so much space. But he promised them to go and visit the nearby woods in search of rare fruits to eat.


    The following day, Hei woke up before dawn broke. It was finally time to plant the seeds, and he was eager to do so. The others also got up with him, ready to help him.


    After a quick breakfast, they went first to fill the buckets they had with river water. The soil excavated in the hand conditioning training was certainly not at such a depth as to create a well. So they opted for this solution and, considering that they could tie buckets on the buffaloes, they could acquire all the water they needed in a single trip.


    Once the water was taken and they returned to the field, Hei proceeded, therefore, to vertically delimit the three sections of the piece of land, free from the weeds. He would leave the central one at rest so that we could walk on it, while on the right one, he would plant the wheat and on the left one, cos lettuce and cucumbers, separated by a dividing space so that they wouldn''t mix during their growth.


    After having finished planting the seeds in the respective sections and given them the necessary water, his task had finally ended for the moment. Thanks to the spirit vein that enriched the land, Hei didn''t have to worry so much about climate changes for this type of classic crop. Obviously, that would have been different if he had planted more rare plants and flowers, but this wasn''t the case.


    Although it seemed easy to plant seeds and pour water on them, Hei still had to make sure that the growth of the plants was going well and that there were no problems. Even with the help of the spirit vein, it was necessary to pay a lot of attention. Also, since he had no water source in the immediate vicinity, he would have to go to the river frequently, while at the same time finishing creating the well he was building.


    As for the training of the day, Bao Bei decided to indulge the glutton of her two daughters and sent them all to the forest in search of fruits to eat. When an hour had passed, she called them back to continue training. Lian would continue her dance lessons to increase her stamina and flexibility, while Hei, Ye, and Xing should have to hit the tree trunks.


    This time, Bao Bei ordered Hei to alternate the blows using his hands first, then moving to his elbows, knees, shins, and feet. Using these parts of his body, at the same time as his spirit power, she wanted him to strike repeatedly without a moment''s pause. To do this, he would have to adjust his breathing to his movements in order not to go short of breath.


    For martial artists who had just started cultivation, their spirit power was insufficient to fuel their bodies during the fight. Because they would feel exhausted after they ran out of it, they had to learn to quickly end their fights after activating their spirit power or learning how to limit their consumption.


    At the end of the day, Hei returned home in pain. Even though his hands weren''t in as precarious a condition as last time, this time, he had pain all over his body. Fortunately, Bao Bei had prepared a hot bath with medicinal herbs for the occasion. To do this, she had dug a large hole in the ground and covered the walls with thick layers of a hard spiderweb. Thus the water wouldn''t filter into the soil, nor would it be soiled by it.


    Because the healing effect would diminish over time, Bao Bei made everyone enter, making Hei and Lian undress first.


    When he saw the girl''s naked body, he had a moment of confusion for a moment. Although he knew about the reproductive process through sex, he wasn''t so interested. The biggest concerns at the time were becoming strong and protecting his family. But in front of that thin body and its smooth and white skin, somehow Hei became unconsciously attracted to it, and an innate desire to touch it arose within him. This impulse got accentuated thanks to the moon''s that went to illuminate the body of the beautiful blue-haired girl who was looking him straight in the eyes.


    Suddenly, however, came a splash of water from nothing that hit Hei to the face. Taking off the water from his eyes, he could see Ye and Xing start chasing each other. Their movement caused the medicinal herbs to move faster, and the water went green and thus hiding Lian''s body.


    Upon receiving the splash, Hei laughed, and, forgetting the scene of before, he began to play with the two little spirit beasts until Bao Bei called everyone to eat.

 Chapter 36 - Conflict

    Three months passed from the field''s sowing. During this period, Hei''s training routine consisted of getting hurt, healing, cultivating, and looking after the field. Despite the enormous burden on the body, the results were equally satisfying.


    The various parts injured in training had begun to harden due to the continuous process of wounding and healing. His hands, in particular, showed a considerable increase in hardness, so much so that Hei had finally been able to complete the well, digging at a depth that he considered suitable.


    But it wasn''t just his body that showed improvement; his spirit power had increased from the first stage, skin, to the second stage, muscles. His talent combined with the unique cultivation method he practiced and his constant training allowed him to breakthrough quickly without bottlenecks.


    In the Flower Sect and Rainbow Island, this speed bordered on the absurd. However, it wasn''t just him who showed signs of improvement. Lian had also grown a lot.


    Her muscles had assumed more tonicity, and her body had acquired a more curved appearance. Her movements had also begun to possess grace and lightness not present before, in particular, while she was dancing.


    Even if at first glance it might have seemed stupid to get her trained in dancing, since she was supposed to be a martial artist, Bao Bei knew what she was doing and how deadly the lotus flower style was.


    Countless martial artists had been killed by the graceful movements of the flower and plant type divine beasts'' queen. As for the elusiveness, she was among the first in absolute among the divine beasts.


    From the perspective of spirit power, she also advanced to the second stage as Hei. With a talent comparable to that of him and undergoing training regimes no less intense than his, this result was very reasonable.


    It should be known, however, that although the bloodlines had incredible effects on the comprehension''s speed of elemental laws, they had no impact on cultivation speed. That depended solely on the amount of personal talent and how much a person would train in cultivation.


    Ye and Xing, on the other hand, had grown to reach half a meter in size, although this wasn''t obvious to the outside since they could adjust their size. Even from the combat point of view, they had improved a lot. Frequently fighting, they had learned how to move correctly against bigger opponents and how to react.


    Bao Bei, Shui, and the other buffaloes remained the same. After all, it was difficult for normal animals to awaken their spirit power, while Shui was in its adulthood and had to accumulate slowly its power to be able to become stronger.


    But they weren''t the only ones to show the changes of the time. In these three months, the field had given harvest several times. The portion intended for vegetables was planted with seeds of rapid growth vegetables, so during this period, all of them could eat the vegetables produced. However, the spirit grain was the pride of this field.


    After three months and with the help of the spirit vein, the wheat was finally ready, just in time for the expiry of the sect''s donation quota. Even with the three-section division, given the initial size of the field, the wheat''s quantity produced was considerable.


    Therefore, on the last day of the period in which to make donations, Hei prepared to go to the designated collection point. As busy as he was in training, Hei had never left the territory assigned to him, not to mention that he had no particular interest in visiting the outer sect''s territories. Except for personal houses, there were, in fact, nothing but agricultural land, and with his status as outer disciple, he was allowed to wander only in those areas.


    For outer disciples to go to the inner sect''s area, it was necessary to pay an entry fee in the form of contribution points. Only on rare occasions, the inner territories were open for free to particular outer disciples, like the selection tournament''s participants.


    Therefore, after placing the wheat in large bags and having them tied to buffalo with his mother''s silk threads, Hei left with everyone in the collecting point''s direction.


    *


    Donation Collection Point


    It was nothing but a large warehouse that served as a temporary warehouse before transporting the donations to the warehouses present in the inner territories.


    Outside the warehouse, a long counter had been set up in which various inner sect''s members were busy evaluating the goods and assigning contribution points or other forms of currency.


    Around the warehouse''s perimeter and close to the collectors, numerous guards were positioned with the task of supervising the goods and resolving all kinds of problems that could arise.


    There was a fundamental difference between these guards and the donation collectors, even if they were all part of the inner sect - the former was part of the regulations division led by the sixth elder, while the latter was part of the supply division led by the seventh elder.


    It should be known that, regardless of the faction to which they belong, each member of the inner sect could be differentiated according to the task they were in charge of.


    There were a total of five divisions and seven elders in the Flower Sect and, excluding the first two elders, the others were in charge of supervising their respective divisions, making sure that there were no problems in the sect''s activities.


    Incidentally, the third, fourth, and fifth elders were respectively in charge of alchemy, blacksmithing, and formations and were chosen by the respective three factions. Only the sixth and seventh elders were neutral in inner power games due to their duties.


    As for the guards'' presence, that was necessary due to the presence of spies in the outer sect. They were usually unimportant members of other sects, placed in large sects to monitor the situation. It was mainly the mid-level sects who used this trick - after all, their most important goal was to be part of one of the Rainbow Island''s five big sects, and they awaiting the right moment to strike.


    Since it was the last of the five big sects, the Flower Sect was often subjected to those spies. And even if an accident had never happened during the collecting session, it became common practice to adopt guards during every public event that involved both inner and outer sect member.


    It was due to this reason that Hei had been forced to stay at the outer sect, despite the interest aroused in the sect elders. However, it had to be said that from their point of view, not even the craziest sect would risk the life of a talent like Hei using him as a spy. Without taking into account the albino buffalo and Lian, who had an equal level of talent.


    But, even with the danger of spies, those present at the collection point were somewhat relaxed, thinking that it would be another day as usual. Unfortunately for them, their hopes were shattered, and soon, there was confusion in the people waiting in line for their turn.


    Riding on the albino buffalo and leading the remaining buffaloes, Hei was approaching the place designated for the collection. The sight of all those mighty animals that walked neatly was amazing. How much skill did that boy have to maneuver a similar herd without constant orders?


    "Hey, do you know who that guy is? Is he new in the sect? I''ve never seen him before. "


    "I never saw him either, yet with that number of buffaloes, it shouldn''t have gone unnoticed."


    "Wait, now I remember something. Almost four months ago, there was a rumor among the new arrivals. They said that in the entrance test, a strange boy had arrived leading a herd of buffaloes. Is it possible that he is?"


    Similar conversations were taking place among those present. When Hei first appeared in the sect territories, he caused quite a stir. But since he had disappeared from everyone''s sight after that, the rumor had soon subsided. However, now that rumor began to circulate again, more powerful than ever.


    The regulation division guards became annoyed by all this turmoil and ordered those present to be silent.


    "I''ll take care of it, stay at your positions." At one point, a white-haired man who had left the warehouse said.


    Although he appeared old, the man showed a solid physical prowess, and his age didn''t affect his movements at all. His sturdy build was also noticeable from under his clothes.


    Seeing him approach, Hei raised his guard. The man in front of him was strong, perhaps at the same level as the sect leader and the other two elders he had met.


    "You don''t need to stiffen like that, Hei. I don''t have bad intentions."


    Hearing his name come up, Hei become more serious,


    "How do you know my name?"


    "Ahaha, a prudent type. It''s a pleasure to meet you, the same goes for the girl behind you." The man said, turning to Lian on Hei''s back before continuing.


    "I am the Flower Sect seventh elder, in charge of the supply division. I heard your name from the sect leader and the other two elders, that''s why I know your name."


    Hearing his words, Hei, together with the outer members in that place, couldn''t help but be surprised. It was not a common occurrence to be able to meet one of the seven sect elders.


    "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, seventh elder," Hei replied briefly, joining his fists in respect. Before all these people, he certainly couldn''t behave as he had done with the sect leader during their agreement.


    "I see you have bags tied to those buffaloes. I suppose you''re here to make your donation. Come with me. I will examine your harvest." So turning to the crowd, "Everyone calms down. The boy is a member of the outer sect as you. He has come to make his donation. There is no need to make a fuss."


    That being said, he led Hei to the outer spot of the long counter. The attendant sitting there stood up to make way for the seventh elder.


    "Give me one of those bags." The seventh elder asked.


    He obeyed and coming down from Shui, took one of the bags fixed on the buffaloes. Then he passed it to the seventh elder who weighed it in his hands.


    "It weighs about 50 pounds. Considering three bags for each buffalo and a total of 8 buffaloes, they are around 1200 pounds. It could certainly be said that you did a good job as your first harvest." The seventh elder commented as he examined the state of the wheat inside.


    "The wheat is of adequate quality. Normally I should check the individual bags one by one, but the sect leader seems to trust you, so I will trust her evaluation and will consider the others of the same quality and weight as this one. Are you okay with it?"


    "Yes, there are no problems for me," Hei replied briefly while inside he felt relieved that the wheat had been accepted without problems.


    But when the guards began to take the bags to transport them to the warehouse, suddenly, three figures arrived in the distance from three different directions that converged at that point.


    The sect leader, the first and second elder, had arrived at this point at high speed. They had been warned of Hei''s presence in that place, each by their own means, and their arrival shocked all those present, surprising even the seventh elder who wondered why they had come here. Regardless of their desire to recruit Hei, the boy had come for a simple donation, and this shouldn''t require the presence of the three main elders.


    "SILENCE!" The first elder loudly screamed, silencing those present and approaching the seventh elder.


    "Old Seven, what''s going on here." He asked the seventh elder in an authoritative tone.


    "Sect leader, first elder, second elder. I''m evaluating this guy''s harvest, that''s all. In total, he brought 1200 pounds of topo quality spirit wheat. Can I ask what is the reason for your visit here?"


    When they heard that number, both the first elder and the second elder couldn''t help being stunned. Without delay, the first elder took one of the bags in the guards'' hands and examined the contents ¡ª the grain inside contained spirit power.


    ''Spirit power? How is it possible? Unless... '' the first elder thought to himself, coming briefly to the answer.


    He knew that Hei had remained all the time in the territory assigned to him without contact with other outer members, so there was no way for that grain to come from different areas of the sect. Therefore, this meant that the spirit vein was active in that place even though it should be inactive.


    The second elder also arrived at the same conclusion as the first elder but decided to remain aloof at the moment to observe the situation.


    "Boy, I''ll just ask you once. Is that your doing? "


    Hei knew what he was referring to, but he feigned ignorance and replied, "I don''t know what you''re referring to. I simply grew wheat, that''s all."


    "I see. I don''t know if you are stupid or shameless. Do you have a vague idea of what this means? I honestly want to recruit you in my faction but this change-"


    All of a sudden, the tension in the air became intense. A light brown-pink aura was being emitted from the sect leader''s body.


    "I advise you to calm down, Chang. You should remember where you are right now."


    A simple warning from the sect leader but containing a series of hidden meanings.


    They were in the outer sect territories and therefore exposed to the presence of any spies. However, the most significant meaning was that she was already aware of the spirit vein''s situation.


    "Xieren, you knew? And you didn''t consider informing me?" The first elder asked as he emitted an aura of a slight shade of red from his body, with a grandeur no less than that of the sect leader.


    "Don''t make me repeat it a second time. Calm down, or I''ll have to help you do it."


    The two were glaring at each other. The tension in the air was palpable and could be cut with a knife. All those present were terrified at the idea of a conflict between the sect leader and the first elder, especially when they didn''t understand the reason, yet they were at the same time, reluctant to leave that place.


    The seventh elder, who was unaware of the state of the territory assigned to Hei but guessed there was something important hidden, intervened between the two.


    "Even after your years of training, you are behaving disgracefully. I advise you to stop this nonsense, or I''ll finish it. Obviously, Little Tai will give me a hand, will you?" The seventh elder asked the second elder while he was unleashing his spirit power.


    The latter smiled bitterly and also activated his spirit power. The seventh elder, despite leading with the less important and less influential division, was also the strongest martial artist of the sect. Therefore he had some authority even over other elders and the sect leader.


    Four martial artists representing the peak of the martial artists'' society on Rainbow Island had activated their spirit power ready for combat.


    At one point, the sect leader sighed and recalled her spirit power within her body, followed by the remaining elders.


    "I''d say the situation got out of hand. I apologize to Old Seven for this lady''s behavior."


    After making a quick bow to the seventh elder, she turned to Hei.


    "Hei, come back to your home for the moment. Don''t worry. The contribution points will be assigned to you without any problems. Later I will send someone to tell you the amount. I advise you to prepare yourself. In one month, there will be an extra opportunity for outer members to pass to the inner sect."


    "Sect leader?" The seventh elder asked inquiringly.


    "Given that the situation has degenerated in this way, I believe that some measures are necessary. Furthermore, it is within my powers to proclaim a possible extra chance for the outer sect."


    Hei, who until that moment hadn''t said a single word asked, "Sect leader, is this trial mandatory for me? As you know, I have recently reached the second stage."


    "Do you have complaints about this proposal? I thought you wanted to enter the inner sect as soon as possible."


    "I have no complaints, but I don''t like being forced. If I participate and win, can Lian pass to the inner sect with me without taking the trial? If this cannot be accepted, I won''t participate."


    "All right, you have my word, don''t worry."


    "Xieren, you-?" The first elder exclaimed angrily.


    "This is an order from the sect leader. When you become the sect leader, you can make your own rules. The discussion is over." The tone of the sect leader was authoritarian and full of strength.


    The first elder glared at her and left, while the seventh elder shook his head in disapproval and returned to the warehouse. The second elder gave a glance to Hei and Lian, and he also left that place followed soon after by the sect leader.


    Hei, who could no longer do anything else in that situation, climbed back on Shui and led the buffaloes towards the spiderweb house.


    That day, the rumor of a conflict between the four elders spread from person to person throughout all the sect, whether it was the outer one or the inner one. In particular, rumors about the strange boy responsible for that event.

 Chapter 37 - Selections Day

    Flower Sect Sect Leader''s Mansion


    A young and charming girl was sitting in meditation in a field of flowers of various colors. Her loose brown hair was undulating slightly behind her head due to the light wind. Strangely, the flowers next to her were following the path of her hair swaying in the same way.


    Suddenly, she heard someone approaching and stopped meditating, raising her eyes to welcome the incoming person.


    "Master, you''re back. Is everything alright? You suddenly came out, and now I see you come back with a troubled face." The young girl said with a worried look.


    "Yes, I''m fine. I was forced to reveal my plans earlier than expected, but if all goes well, we will increase our future chances. Now the rest will depend on him. "


    "Are you talking about that boy who came several months ago? Hei was his name if I''m not mistaken, right?"


    "Yes, he will soon become part of the inner sect and will join our faction."


    "Excuse my impertinence, is it indispensable to rely on that boy? I alone am strong enough to bring you to victory, Master."


    "Mei, in the world of us martial artists, there are a lot of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. You never know which geniuses the various seven have produced. Of course, I have absolute trust in you, my young disciple, and I know what you are capable of. However, to achieve my goal, I need all the possible cards I can get my hands on. Plus, the more allies you have, the more chances you''ll have. "


    "I don''t like having to depend on others, Master. But if that''s what you want, I''ll do as requested." the young woman said, bowing her head to the sect leader. She was the sect''s leader personal disciple, and although she was still in the fourth stage, her talent was undoubtedly first-class.


    *


    Inner Sect Training Dojo


    A young man with long black hair tied in a braid was sitting on the floor while reading a book and sipping tea. Standing there was another boy with messy orange hair who was sneering before him.


    "Have you heard? This morning an outer garbage made a mess at the collection point. My father came back pissed off like a beast because of the sect leader. She called for an extraordinary trial to the inner sect for the boy. Haha, what nonsense. Even if she were to accept all the stragglers of the kingdom, the situation doesn''t change. The only one I consider at my same level is you, Li, or should I say the second elder''s little brother?"


    Then the boy with the long black hair put the cup of tea at his side as he slowly closed the book.


    "As the son of the first elder, you should learn more restraint, Zan. My brother mentioned this to me. You''d better not underestimate what you call trash. I know my brother, and he certainly wouldn''t use certain words without reason. "


    "Ah, and let''s hear. What the precious and powerful second elder would have said. "


    "That boy''s potential is high, higher than ours, and that he will soon be a danger to us. Besides, there is another girl of equal talent at his side." Li said in a serious voice.


    He trusted his brother, who had reached the position of second elder from scratch. If he had used those words, it wasn''t to scare him or spur him into training; but it meant that he really thought it, and this was alarming as news but at the same time exciting.


    "I advise you not to try anything you have in mind. The boy and the girl have the protection of the sect leader. You would only make the situation worse today. Not even if you have the regulations elder''s son by your side, do you understand?"


    Zan, the first elder''s son, heard his rival''s warning and laughed and waved his hand, "Don''t worry, I have nothing in mind for now. I''m curious to see this genius in action. Furthermore, there is no need for me to do anything. Those scraps trying to come here will certainly try to get him out of the tournament right from the start."


    That said, the orange-haired boy left, leaving his rival alone.


    "I warned you. It''s up to you to decide. In any case, the only thing I have to focus on is to get stronger." said the second elder''s brother as he resumed his reading.


    The two boys were in the fourth stage, and together with Mei, they were considered the most important inner disciples, although there were disciples with a higher stage of cultivation. It was because all three had awakened their spirit power at the age of 15, a feat connected only to the most exceptional geniuses of the five big sects on the Rainbow Island.


    *


    In the spiderweb, the situation was very hectic. With the announcement of the trial to the inner sect, Hei''s plans were shattered. However, this wasn''t a bad thing since he could accelerate his promotion earlier than expected.


    Because of the selection tournament, Bao Bei had stopped his hardening workouts and went on to instruct him on the execution of the two moves he was training for - snake fist and spider lance. In addition to these, she had plans to improve Hei''s four-legged spider run and also try to teach him the two-legged mode. As for the other techniques, they each required their own training, and there was no time to instruct him on others other than these.


    Lian, fortunately, didn''t have to participate, so she could continue her usual training without problems. This indirectly helped Hei because, otherwise, Bao Bei would have to share her attention with both instead of focusing exclusively on Hei.


    Ye and Xing, on the other hand, found out regretfully that they couldn''t participate. After months of training, the desire to measure their skills with real opponents was enormous. In the end, the combat sessions with Shui couldn''t be considered real fights.


    Since Hei was considered a beast tamer, it wouldn''t be illogical to use the spirit beasts at his disposal. However, the sect leader''s emissary had informed him that he would have to fight alone to participate. The first elder, displeased by the actions taken by the sect leader, had imposed this ban to prevent him from defeating his opponents too easily. More than Ye and Xing, the attention of the first elder was focused on Shui, who was an adult.


    Hearing that they couldn''t participate, they made a fuss because they wanted to fight. Fortunately, Hei, who knew their gluttony, calmed them by promising to buy for them some alcohol. In the past, he had already used this excuse and had always worked. What he didn''t know, however, was that his two little sisters had written down all the various rewards he had promised them, and were slowly accumulating them to enjoy everything at once. Obviously, Hei wouldn''t refuse them anyway, considering he had promised them in the first place.


    However, this ban wasn''t a problem at all. Hei intended from the beginning to face the test alone to test his abilities after these months of training. Bao Bei also wanted him to withstand the trial alone. Of course, this wasn''t because she had doubts about her two daughters. Indeed, it was the exact opposite.


    For both Bao Bei and Hei, the two strongest weapons at Hei''s disposal were his two little sisters. With their combat formation and their coordination, Hei was at his strongest was when he was fighting alongside them.


    Therefore, unless he was forced, he wouldn''t reveal his trump card so quickly. Their use implied that Hei would try 100% to kill his enemy without hesitation. In a tournament between sect''s members, if he killed an enemy, such action could cause him a lot of problems.


    If there was indeed no valid reason, killing or seriously injuring one''s sect companion was a crime severely punished by the sect. It was precisely the regulations division that dealt with these offenders. It had to be said, however, that despite those rules, until someone was killed or crippled, it was possible to beat another person without suffering consequences. Bullying episodes weren''t rare among inner members who wanted to put a spoke in the wheel of the new arrivals, worried that they could steal their spot.


    Every year, there was an inner members'' evaluation in which rewards were given according to their results. And the prizes offered, especially for the first 10, were objects of a particular value that appealed to all inner disciples. However, only the first 50 could receive something, and therefore, the competition was frenetic.


    In this climate of tension and trepidation, the agreed month passed quickly - Hei was able to learn the two moves of attack correctly and to improve the spider running, coming to be able also to use the two-legged mode, even if not entirely.


    Lian, Xing, and Ye continued with their usual workouts but with less intensity. To allow Hei more time to train, they took charge of the field following the directions he left and started the second crop cycle by rotating the previously used field sections. They should have to wait for the end of this growing cycle to make an extension of the field.


    On the morning of the trial, Bao Bei woke everyone up at dawn, giving Hei a light breakfast to prevent him from having a too heavy stomach during the fight and, once they had finished having breakfast, all the residents of the spiderweb house prepared to go outside.


    Since the tournament was held in the inner sect''s territories and there would be so many spectators, Hei made Shui and the other buffaloes guard the house. Even if he wanted to take them, it was better not to draw too much attention by taking a herd of buffaloes with them. Not to mention that he didn''t know if there was adequate space for them inside the inner sect, and he didn''t want to put them in a situation of discomfort.


    Once he greeted Shui and the other buffaloes, Hei set off towards the inner sect with his family.


    The inner sect was divided from the outer sect by a row of walls that marked a circle. At the four cardinal points of this circle, there were the entrances to enter. For the occasion, the participants of the selection were allowed to enter for free; for the other outer members, it was obligatory to pay an entry fee with contribution points.


    Since he had become a kind of celebrity throughout the sect, wherever he went, there was a succession of whispers. He was ultimately the main star of this event and also the reason why this sudden selection was announced. The positive thing about all this was that they let him pass through the entrance without further checks. With four elders fighting over him, it was better not to provoke such an individual.


    Once through the entrance, Hei could finally see the inner sect that was so coveted by the outer members. Its territory was organized in a completely different way from the outer sect - unlike the large number of cultivated agricultural fields, the space inside the inner sect was occupied mainly by equal and neatly arranged buildings. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary city, but without the frantic feeling he felt when he first entered Green City.


    The streets were indeed spacious and clean, without that sea of people coming and going continuously without ever stopping. From a quick glance, he noticed that those identical buildings were only the inner members'' homes. From outside, you could see that the materials used for their construction were of the highest quality.


    Since he didn''t know how to orientate himself to reach the place designated for the trial, Hei decided to follow a large group of people facing the same direction. They seemed to belong to the outer sect, and if they were here, it meant that they came to follow the trial and that they probably knew how to get there. To avoid getting lost in that unknown place, Hei took Lian''s hand while Ye and Xing were hidden under his clothes and his mother above his head.


    Initially, he wasn''t unsure whether it was a good idea to bring Lian as well because he didn''t know if the girl would be at ease among so many strangers. However, his mother had convinced him that it was an excellent opportunity for her to grow emotionally. Just in case, her two little sisters would keep her company while her mother would guard them while he was fighting.


    The place designated for the trial was a vast oval stone stadium. At that place, the flow of people was more concentrated as more members of the sect were coming to take their place.


    Usually, selections to the inner sect were followed by a few people, mostly relatives of the participants or inner members who wanted to kill time. However, the stadium today was unusually full for a secondary event like that. This time there was something that could arouse their attention, and they wanted to see with their own eyes if that strange boy was worth the attention of the sect''s elders and if he represented a threat for them.


    While he stood still watching the crowd of people coming in, he was quickly approached by a woman who turned out to be nothing less than the sect leader. Because she had stealthily approached him using the surrounding noise, those present outside didn''t notice that the sect leader was nearby.


    "You have finally arrived. I was afraid that I would have to send someone to look for you." The sect leader said to Hei as she took a quick look around.


    "Excuse me, sect leader, if I kept you waiting. Can I know why you are here? "


    "I figured you''d bring Lian, so I came here to offer you to have her sit with me in the VIP seats."


    Hearing about VIP places, Hei thought about it for a moment. For the tournament, he had imagined he would be separated from the others to take part in the challenge. Initially, he planned to find a place for them so that they could watch it. But he didn''t imagine all these people. Even if there was his mother to protect Lian, if he accepted the sect''s proposal, he could save her from being surrounded by a large number of people. Therefore, since it wasn''t a bad idea, Hei decided to accept her proposal.


    "All right, then I''ll let Lian go with you," Hei said as he took off Ye and Xing and placed them on Lian''s body. Bao Bei said her last recommendations to Hei and jumped from his head to end up on Lian''s. At that point, he greeted all of them and the sect leader. Then, he went off alone towards the stadium following the route prepared for the participants while the sect leader took Lian with her to a special entrance assigned to the most important members of the sect.

 Chapter 38 - Preliminary Phase

    At the end of the route prepared for the participants, what awaited him was a large waiting room - inside, leaving out several guards from the regulation division, the number of people present was about fifteen at first glance. These were all participants in today''s selection. The age ranged from 20-21, but they had all reached the third stage of spirit apprentice, some recently or some for a long time.


    When he entered, the eyes of the participants rested on him briefly before settling on something else. Hei, being the youngest and being only in the second stage, was the most disadvantaged theoretically, but he was, at the same time, the one most kept in sight. It was because of the event that involved the four elders, something that had been unheard of before.


    After Hei, other people arrived, but none of them aroused the same reaction. When new people stopped coming, there were a total of 24 participants in the waiting room. In truth, there were more participants, but that waiting room was assigned only to those who were up to 21 years old.


    The inner sect gave two possibilities to enter - reaching the third stage within 21 years old and entering the top three in the tournament. Otherwise, reaching the fifth stage within 27 years old and win the tournament. For reasons of correctness, two tournaments were therefore held, appropriately separating the two categories.


    Although the second category, from 22 to 27 years, had more fiery and intense struggles, in the end, the participants were nothing but the losers of the first category who had failed to advance when they were younger. For them, even if they entered the inner sect, their path as a martial artist could be defined more or less concluded.


    However, there were also some people from time to time that could pleasantly surprise the public and the sect''s elders. But this didn''t take away the fact that the primary attention was mainly on the first category. Therefore, the people of the second category were made to fight before, to warm the public.


    When the guards of the regulation division concluded that there were no other participants, they went on to confirm their identity and their stages. After that, the participants were divided into four groups of 6 each. They would proceed initially with a preliminary phase that consisted of a battle royale. Then, the last one standing would pass to the next round.


    Afterward, the four winners would have to fight in turn between all of them, and the one with the least number of victories would be discarded while the other three would be admitted to the inner sect. In the event of a tie between the participants, a further battle would be held to decide the outcome.


    Since the participants were usually the children of families who lived for generations in the Flower Sect, it was possible to know which competitors were most likely to win. In this way, they organized the groups to leave the best for the final phase.


    To immediately set the audience on fire, the group organizers chose Hei as a participant of the first group, along with five other participants who weren''t among those with the highest chance of winning. Rather than trying to help him, this was done to excite the public. The audience had, in fact, specifically come to see his abilities. So it would be better if he could advance in the final phase. But that didn''t change the fact that he was in the second stage while his opponents were in the third one.


    The six were then accompanied along a dimly lit corridor of which only the exit could be seen. When the participants came out of the corridor, they were welcomed by a big stone ring. All around, there were the seats intended for the public. Witnessing that scene, the six participants couldn''t help but become nervous. Even for Hei''s five opponents who had already watched other past selections before, this was the first time they saw so many people sitting in the stadium.


    At Hei''s entrance, the attention of those present concentrated entirely on Hei, while murmurs began to arise among the spectators who recognized him. Even from afar, Hei was easily recognizable by the color of his skin, very rare in those places. But mainly, it was because his impact of a month ago had been so strong. Those present at that time had memorized his features and had referred them to their acquaintances.


    In one corner of the stadium, there was a section separated from the standard seats. It was the section reserved for the elders and their disciples. In the highest place sat the sect leader, and behind her, there were two beautiful young girls. Hei recognized one of them - it was none other than Lian who had been brought up there by the sect leader. Her blue hair also could be defined as rather easy to notice and rare to find there.


    When she went up there accompanied by the sect leader, there was a moment of tension. After all, that action could be understood as if the sect leader had also recruited her in her faction. It meant that she had grabbed the ingenious children of the elusive beast tamer, and this observation put pressure on the first and second elder who led the other two factions.


    Looking towards Lian, Hei''s gaze was focused on her head, where his mother was hidden. Sensing his mother looking at him, Hei took a deep breath and calmed down. It wasn''t the time to panic, and above all, he didn''t have the slightest intention of making a bad impression before his family.


    As the audience calmed down, the sect leader stood up and went on to talk to those present. In order to reach all the spectators, her voice was amplified with spirit power. So it was heard loud and clear by all.


    "After the exciting final of the second category, we now move on to the preliminary phase of the first category. We''ll start with a battle royale that includes four groups, and the winners of each group will move on to the final phase. From there, we will follow a series of individual battles, and depending on the number of victories, we will have our winners to whom the prizes will be awarded. I, therefore, ask you to give a warm applause to encourage these promising young martial artists." Without adding anything else, the sect leader sat in her place.


    Once she had finished her speech, the audience exploded in a roar of applause. Although the sect leader''s speech was nothing so particular, she still managed to excite the public. It highlighted the expectations that the incident with the four elders had created.


    While the audience indulged in a big applause of encouragement, Hei prepared himself by putting his spear together with his shoes outside the ring, then climbing into the ring barefoot.


    This action was noticed by all those present who stopped applauding, given that they were left stunned by this gesture. The spectators could understand if Hei didn''t want to reveal his mastery with the spear for the preliminary phase, but why did he take off his shoes? The elders became intrigued by his behavior while his group opponents began to mock him.


    "Ahahahah, look at him. He understood that he couldn''t beat us, and now he wants us to die with the stench of his feet."


    "Ahaha, if you like the stink of your feet so much, you want to smell mine? I''ll also let you lick them if you beg me."


    The participants of this extraordinary selection didn''t like the fact that favoritism was being made to this newcomer. Even though it was thanks to Hei that they could have this extra possibility, they were still born and raised in the outer sect and had been training for several years. They had always asked to increase the number of tests given to move to the inner sect or increase the places awarded, but the sect leader and other elders had always refused.


    Now, instead, that opportunity had been granted to an unknown boy who had never contributed to the sect. Rather than letting a brat like him steal their place, they would prefer to eat animal dung. In their eyes, a second stage brat like him shouldn''t have to be with them in the ring in the first place.


    Feeling those scorns, Hei turned a blind eye, completely ignoring them and looked at the sect leader who would give the start signal. Rather than resisting their provocations, it was more a matter of total disregard for what they said. Indeed, if the stench of feet could kill a person, he would have been more than happy to have smelly feet. He would even go so far as to increase their stink in case. Having been raised by a spirit beast, he was more concerned about improving his body''s efficiency than to concentrate on pleasing others. That was the reason why he didn''t mind changing his body to make it more beastly.


    While they were pissed off by his total disinterest, Hei went on all fours and gave with a glance to his opponents. From his eyes, he exuded the same concentration he used while hunting. After all, they weren''t so different - it was about hunting humans instead of animals. He only had more handicaps because he couldn''t kill them instantly.


    Noticing his serious look, the sect leader guessed there was nothing to worry about. Although she had been surprised by his strange actions, they had undoubtedly been made for a specific purpose. She, therefore, gave sign of playing the start gong and starting the first round of the preliminary phase.


    At the starting signal, Hei snapped at full speed for the closest of his opponents. These, as expected from the circumstances, had decided to get rid of Hei as soon as possible. So they had planned to attack in unison since the beginning so as not to give him the chance to fight back.


    ''As I imagined, I feel sorry for you, but I will go to the next phase.''


    With unusual movements never seen before in the Flower Sect, Hei was running alternating his limbs as if he were climbing a vertical wall. Despite the bizarre movements, his speed was incredible. Together with the rapid reaction at the stroke of the gong, he completely caught off guard his opponents who remained dazed without knowing how to react. They were used to clashing fists or blades at chest height, and never in their lives would they have dreamed of having to fight an opponent who was crawling on the ground. They didn''t even know how to position themselves to attack an opponent of this kind.


    Not letting escape this occasion, Hei approached the more isolated enemy, and when he was at the right distance, he stood up and punched him with his left hand straight to the face that made him faint on the spot.


    Since it was a priority to conserve one''s spirit power as much as possible for the final phase, it was customary not to use one''s spirit power unless one was forced to do otherwise. Considering then the reaction''s speed of Hei and the amazement that his actions generated in his opponents, it didn''t seem strange that they didn''t have the material time to activate their spirit power. And this played in Hei''s favor - with his hardening training, even without activating his spirit power, his fists were unusually hard, and receiving a direct hit would cause extensive damage.


    After watching him put K.O. one of them with one shot, the other participants panicked. Before they could calm down, Hei had knocked two more with the same method. Their bodies fell on the ground, and their unconscious, bloody faces created considerable pressure and terror in the other two remaining participants who immediately drew their swords, pointing them at Hei.


    With a quick nod, the two adversaries agreed to attack simultaneously. They began to activate their spirit power without hesitation - if fighting in their normal conditions would mean being put K.O. with one hit, it was better to consume it now rather than being eliminated immediately in the preliminary phase.


    And it was at this very moment that Hei rose to his feet and switched to the two-legged mode, using his toes to hurl himself at them, even faster than before. During the movement, the fingers of both his hands joined towards a single point. They formed the head of a snake while his spirit power was released in unison.


    ''Snake Fist!''


    Usually, stage advancements of the spirit apprentice rank had consequences on the body even in its normal stage. But it was when his spirit power was activated that these changes could show their maximum effect. Having reached the second stage, that of the muscles, the energy that Hei could unleash with his movements had increased dramatically, also leading to a consequent increase in speed.


    Bam!


    Quickly, the distance between him and his opponents was closed, and his fingers struck precisely the center of their throat, catching them by surprise and cutting off their breath at the same time. Their spirit power, not yet fully activated, was only able to diminish the damage barely, and the two of them were put on their knees on the ground while trying to regularize their breathing, breathing, and coughing loudly.


    Because of the situation they were in, they could no longer keep their spirit power active, and it was dispersed in a short time. Without wasting any more time, Hei punched them both, making them faint like the other participants. Although the blow to the throat had been tremendous, it hadn''t caused perforation of the trachea. Hei had indeed limited the strength in his snake fists to avoid such a scenario, and the two weren''t in a life-threatening condition.


    When the two remaining opponents ended up on the ground unconscious, the audience remained speechless. When they heard about Hei for the first time, many members of the sect thought that he was being given a grace treatment due to some particular circumstance and not for his actual abilities. Even though they knew that the preliminary phase was being maneuvered so as not to make the most exciting participants clash immediately, they expected Hei to struggle in the first round, having to face more opponents at the same time and with a disadvantage of one stage. Even if he were to win for some reason, they expected a significant consumption of spirit power from him.


    However, what had happened was far from being what they had expected - the five other participants of the same group had fallen to the ground in brief time, after having suffered a single blow. Not only had he put K.O. three without spirit power, but using the sheer force of his fists, he had simultaneously broken the spirit power''s defense of two people with a stage above his own.


    Facing those with a higher level of cultivation was something already seen in the sect. Yet only those who were called geniuses were able to win in such circumstances. Although this had happened in the outer sect, it didn''t change the fact that Hei had still beaten five theoretically stronger opponents than he.

 Chapter 39 - Finals Phase First Match

    In the midst of the quiet generated by this result''s astonishment, Hei, regardless of the audience''s reaction, calmly descended from the ring and sat down on the ground where he had left his belongings.


    His bare feet were dirty with dirt and dust, and he used his hands to clean his feet before finally putting on his shoes. Then he got up and resumed his spear behind his back, before silently returning to the corridor from where he had come.


    When he was no longer visible, the audience finally expressed their reactions. The outer members who were the easiest to impress were loudly applauding because of the surprise; although some were disappointed that Hei had eliminated their friends or family relatives, they couldn''t deny the boy''s abilities.


    However, it was the inner members who had the most complex reactions among those in the audience - some were merely surprised and applauded Hei''s talent; others, however, had on their faces twisted expressions with insecurity and fear.


    Even if they possessed superior cultivation, could they say they were capable of fighting one vs. five with a stage of difference? It didn''t matter that those were outer members. With the talent shown by that boy, what would have happened if he had reached their cultivation stage?


    These were the thoughts of many inner members, especially those who were competing for the top 50 rankings. Since only the first 50 inner members were given rewards, the last seats in the top 50 were always the most disputed until the end.


    It had to be said, however, that the ranking only concerned those belonging to the younger generation, i.e., those under the age of 25 years old. After all, it didn''t make sense to give valuable resources to those who didn''t have enough talent. Those over 25 could only use other methods to obtain contribution points and buy the necessary resources out of their own pockets.


    With Hei''s young age and fighting strength, there was no doubt that he would play an essential role within the sect. In the eyes of the people, the sect leader had a long foresight in acquiring such a talent.


    Regarding the elders'' reactions, even those were all different.


    The sect leader, the third, sixth, and seventh elders were all pleasantly impressed. Especially the sect leader who, despite having confidence in him, couldn''t but have a little fear given that she had never seen him fight.


    The second and fifth elders, belonging to the same faction, were mentally discussing with each other to plan their faction''s future moves - if possible, they will try to take him away from the sect leader''s faction or at least prevent them from getting too close.


    The first and fourth elders were also talking to each other, but their expressions were the most worried - there was no doubt that with this new talent, the sect leader would acquire power, but at the same time, the overall strength of the sect would also be increased. If they wanted to compete against the other big sects, they had to bite the bullet and leave free rein to sect leader; no matter how much they wanted to manage things, it didn''t mean they would put their personal desires to the good of the sect.


    After a while, the clamor subsided, and the sect leader gave the signal to let the next group enter. The remaining three rounds ended smoothly but without a sensational win like Hei''s. However, this didn''t mean that the winners weren''t strong, quite the contrary. The winners of the other three rounds showed a skill level that aroused the interest of the inner members, and they won their challenges without too much effort.


    Once the preliminary phase was over, it was time to move on to the final phase. The four winners would, therefore, fight in turns according to the rules already cited by the sect leader. In order to leave the last two winners some time to restore their strength, the first challenge would see the winner of the preliminary phase''s first two rounds.


    In the waiting room, the four finalists were informed of their respective opponents. Hei''s first-round opponent was a 21-year-old man with a sturdy build and a shaved head. He was the biggest between them, and he didn''t use bladed weapons, but a pair of iron gloves.


    When he heard that his opponent was Hei, he smiled and walked over to Hei.


    "I heard from the audience''s din that you did a good show out there, kid. Unfortunately for you, this time you won''t win. If I were you, it would be better to surrender immediately to have more chances against the other two. If you fight with me, you won''t come out unscathed."


    Hearing him speak, Hei, who was sitting at one corner of the room, raised his eyes for a moment, and then he lowered them again. He wondered why these people were wasting time provoking him.


    Seeing his reaction, the man laughed and turned to leave. However, immediately afterward, he whirled around again and threw a fist covered by his metallic glove against Hei''s face. The blow could easily break someone''s nose and make it bleed.


    But instead of the expected contact, the fist hit the wall shattering part of it. Hei had gotten up and moved sideways, just enough to dodge his fist. Then with a quick snap of the arm, he placed the index and middle fingers of the left hand, with a V pattern, towards his aggressor''s eyes.


    "If it had been a life and death situation, I would have already blinded you. You may have time to waste, but it''s not the same for me. If you want to die, just say it, and I''ll make it happen."


    Hei''s response was authoritarian and decisive; even if he didn''t care about these junk provocations, it didn''t mean he wouldn''t react if provoked physically.


    Hearing the noise produced by the clash with the fist and the wall, the regulation division guards approached to check the situation.


    "Participant Hei, participant ZhenKang. I remind you that fighting in here isn''t allowed. If you want to come to the hands so much, you can do it outside. Your turn has arrived anyway. "


    The guards'' tone was accompanied by a slight hint of intimidation as if they wanted to imply that they would use force on the next violation.


    ZhenKang laughed again and went to the corridor to enter the ring, followed by Hei shortly after. For safety, they were accompanied by one of the guards on the way. Although they had threatened to use force, they couldn''t injure the two as this time''s selection had many expectations.


    Upon seeing the prodigy boy who had defeated his enemies in the preliminary phase, the outer members began to cheer for him. The inner members also laid their eyes on him - this time, the fighting would be individual, and they hoped that with stronger opponents, Hei would reveal more of his strength so they could plan any countermeasures.


    Like how he did it during the preliminary phase, Hei took off his shoes and put the spear on the ground. Before, he had done it to get more mobility and movement''s speed, now instead because he wanted to use his snake fist to the fullest of his current abilities. Now that he had an opponent of a certain level, he could use his strength without holding back. The only thing he hoped was that the shaved man could hold out as long as possible to allow him to exercise for as long as possible.


    Unlike the preliminary phase, both activated their spirit power from the beginning. Hei decided that he would use the two-legged mode spider running for this fight and remained standing instead of lowering himself on the ground. When he heard the start of the battle, the shaved man threw his whole body at Hei. With the difference in size, he was sure he would send Hei flying.


    However, unlike what the public expected, Hei charged forward to meet the enemy''s charge. Even though he had an athletic body, he didn''t have a body that could be called massive, and with the difference of one stage, the explosive force resulting from a head-on collision was undoubtedly less than that of the enemy. But Hei paid no attention to this and still ran forward.


    ZhenKang thought Hei had lost his calm, giving in to the provocation from before, and threw both his fists forward to attack him in the chest. With his iron gloves and his muscular power, he would send K.O. that kid in one shot.


    And when he was close to hitting him, Hei went into the four-legged mode and let his body fall to the ground and then move forward under ZhenKang''s legs. Taken aback by this move, ZhenKang reacted quickly by turning his torso in Hei''s direction, but he was no longer on the ground where he thought.


    In fact, immediately after passing under his legs, Hei had sensed that ZhenKang would have turned abruptly to counterattack. Therefore he switched to the two-legged mode and followed his movement to remain behind his back.


    ''Snake Fist Storm''


    It was nothing more than a variant of the snake fist - it was merely a matter of striking a specific area of the body in rapid succession with the snake fist. The power was less than a normal snake fist but allowed Hei to deliver more in just a few seconds.


    ZhenKang suddenly felt a series of pangs behind his back. Although none of the shots were powerful enough to penetrate his defense, their number was impressive. In a matter of seconds, Hei had hit his back more than twenty times.


    Resisting the pain, ZhenKang turned again and tried to hit him using his arm. But Hei had lowered himself again, and from that squatting position, he kept bombarding him with blows, this time at his left side, though.


    Them shaved man tried again to punch him in the face, but Hei went once more to the two-legged mode and quickly moved to the side and blasted the other side with blows. Then he walked away to give the enemy some breath.


    Normally, he would have closed the fight since he was taught not to play with the prey. But since he didn''t have to kill the enemy, he decided to take advantage of this opportunity to train his snake fist against a human target.


    Seeing that Hei was no longer continuing his assault, ZhenKang couldn''t help but take a deep breath. Never had he thought that he would have been so cornered from the beginning by a brat like that. Usually, in front of his muscular strength, his opponents could only receive his attacks passively. Hei, instead of moving away, had decided to closely attack him by exploiting the weakness of his opponent''s bulk - his movements'' agility and flexibility.


    "Stupid kid, I admit you caught me off guard before. But you have fucked your chances of victory now. If you think I will fall back into your trick, you''re wrong." said with mockery ZhenKang as he placed his fists forward.


    Even though his tone contained scorn and self-confidence, he couldn''t help but curse the pangs of pain he was constantly receiving. Hei, in fact, hadn''t hit a casual part, but the points where his enemy''s acupoints were positioned.


    One of the snake fist''s most deadly features was that in its training, the user was expected to learn the human body''s structure. One of the reasons why Bao Bei had Hei exercised only two attack moves in this preparation''s month was precisely to make him memorize the areas of the human body. Considering that Hei already had a basic knowledge of it, thanks to Lei Lei, who was studying medicine, it wasn''t difficult for him to do it.


    Although Hei hadn''t caused such extensive damage as to incapacitate the enemy, his blows had gone on to disturb his opponent''s movements. Unfortunately, he hadn''t yet such a capacity that he could go on to affect the flow of spirit power directly through the snake fist.


    While ZhenKang was advancing slowly with his fists guarding any possible attack, Hei remained to observe him to understand his enemy''s condition. Then, he sprinted towards him, who remained in his place, ready to receive Hei''s charge.


    This time ZhenKang didn''t attack but concentrated on defense; as soon as Hei tried to move on his back, he would anticipate him with a quick jab to break his rhythm and his movement and then throw a hook to his face. Even if Hei tried again to pass under his legs, he had placed them in a way that it was impossible for Hei to pass without being hit.


    But, if everyone thought that Hei would try to move to the side, he once again surprised everyone by doing the exact opposite. This time he didn''t move sideways but went to meet his opponent''s body, wholly taken him back.


    As the enemy''s guard was raised, he focused on his legs. With his arms, he went to embrace ZhenKang''s right thigh. Using all his strength, he lifted it up, disrupting his enemy''s balance, who had to keep hopping with the other leg to avoid falling.


    At that point, Hei used his right arm to hold the thigh and bring closer to his chest while, with his left hand, he grabbed the part behind the shaved man''s left knee. Finally, making an effort with his back and concentrating his spirit power to the utmost, he lifted the mighty ZhenKang''s body and crashed it to the ground.


    Snake Bind, Overturn


    In snake bind''s moves, there weren''t only submissive moves. There were also particular moves that brought the enemy into an unfavorable situation. Overturn was one of them - it was mainly used to make the enemy fall to the ground and then follow with another attack. After all, the snakes'' forte was to attack by bringing the prey to the ground where it couldn''t get up.


    Hei''s series of movements was so fast that ZhenKang had no chance to react, and to his astonishment, he was lifted by that boy with a less robust body than his. When his body landed on the ground, there was only disbelief in him. But Hei hadn''t finished his attack.


    Since the impact on the ground had turned his arms away by breaking his guard, his enemy front was wholly uncovered. Hei took advantage of it, and hit the enemy''s trachea with a snake fist to cut off his breath, then blasted him in the face, avoiding his eyes.


    The face was among the body parts that weren''t trained and was usually protected using other parts like the arms. Although reinforced by spirit power, it was still more delicate than where the muscles had been trained. Thus, ZhenKang''s spirit power failed to resist. The aura around the face was penetrated by the multiple blows that were being poured on and on.


    ZhenKang, in the end, without energy, fell unconscious under the barrage of blows as the blood flowed copiously from his disfigured face. When he felt that his opponent had lost consciousness, Hei stopped. Even if it had been provoked, it didn''t mean that he had to rage against a defenseless enemy. So he rose from the ground, leaving his adversary on the ground completely unconscious.

 Chapter 40 - Finals Phase Second Match

    Once again, the public could only remain speechless at this performance. Unlike before, it wasn''t someone taken aback who hadn''t activated their spirit power. ZhenKang was a middle third stage spirit apprentice who had activated his spirit power since the beginning.


    Incidentally, each stage was further divided according to how far the martial artist was at the next stage. There were five inner subdivisions - beginning, early, middle, late, peak.


    Being a middle third stage, it meant that it was halfway to the fourth stage. It wasn''t someone who had just been promoted and hadn''t yet consolidated his foundation, but ZhenKang had long been in that stage and knew how to use his power.


    Yet such a martial artist had been unable to react in the slightest, despite an entire stage''s difference. During this month, Hei had passed from the beginning second stage to the middle second stage.


    From a physical point of view, there was also a disparity in strength. After all, in the spirit apprentice rank, differences such as height, weight, and other physical characteristics still had a certain degree of influence in the course of a battle. Martial artists of that level could, therefore, be considered simply as ordinary people with extraordinary strength. Only when they started learning the elemental laws and advanced to the second rank, could they be regarded as supernatural beings in the eyes of ordinary people.


    Therefore, it appeared incredible that a boy apparently 15 years old with an athletic physique but of average build, could raise a beast like that from the ground using only brute force. Even though it was done with spirit power, his opponent also had his active.


    Another bewildering thing was the state in which Hei had left the enemy - in fact, ZhenKang was unconscious with a face whose features couldn''t be seen due to his injuries. He had been struck by such ferocity, yet when ZhenKang fainted, Hei stopped attacking him as the fight was over. Rather than saying he was forgiving, he could be said to be pragmatic, not wanting to waste further energy on an already defeated enemy.


    As in the preliminary phase, Hei put his shoes back on and, picking up his spear, returned to the waiting room while some inner members climbed into the ring to examine ZhenKang''s state. Even though he wasn''t dead and the injuries weren''t as severe as they appeared on the outside, it was uncertain whether he could wake up and recover for the next matches.


    Meanwhile, the audience had recovered, and the outer members burst out again in cries of euphoria. It was strange as an observation, yet the sight of blood in such clashes always arouses the public''s elation. The inner members had even uglier faces. They knew inside of them that, if it hadn''t been for the advantage of their stages, if they had been fighting in the ring against Hei, they would surely have lost. How could they fight against someone who would change his attack patterns so suddenly, depending on their answers?


    When Hei returned to the waiting room, the other two participants couldn''t help but be surprised. As a matter of correctness, they were prevented from seeing other matches, but even if they didn''t know his abilities, they didn''t think he would return without wounds. Furthermore, his opponent hadn''t yet returned, and that meant only one thing - ZhenKang had been put K.O. and he was unconscious.


    As outer sect''s members for many years, they generally knew ZhenKang''s capabilities and how strong he was. Although they were sure they could beat him, he wasn''t at the level where they could do this without suffering injuries. And yet this younger and weaker boy had done this.


    The two had a lot of questions but had to wait because it was their turn. When the guard approached them to order them to hurry, they exchanged a glance, and one of them said to the guard.


    "I give up. I grant the victory."


    When Hei heard this, he looked up at the person who had spoken. He was a young man of 21 years old with short black hair and a metal spear at his side. It was very long, certainly longer than Hei''s, and was completely metal.


    "Participant Huo, did I hear correctly? Will you let participant Xue win? "


    "Yes, exactly. Since I won''t participate in this battle, you can proceed to the next one directly."


    At those words, the guard glanced towards Hei undecided about whether to proceed or not. The public was waiting, so it was advisable to pass to the next match, yet Hei, the winner of the first match, had consumed a bit of his energy while the other participant was still unconscious.


    Sensing their plan, Hei decided to play the game anyway. In the end, even if he opposed it, it was still true that he had to face them and, although Hei wouldn''t have time to cultivate and recover his spirit power, he considered it as a challenge with himself. In the wilderness, you could never know when an enemy would attack and under what conditions you would be during the attack.


    Learning to fight more opponents without stopping was necessary for a martial artist. Hei had also worked out to increase his spirit power''s duration. Although he had consumed part of it in the previous fight, Snake Fist wasn''t a move that consumed so much energy, even in the storm variant.


    "All right, it doesn''t matter. I will fight him and the other immediately afterward. That''s what you want, isn''t it?" Hei exclaimed in a calm voice. Although their behavior could be considered cowardly, in Hei''s eyes, it was a smart move.


    Hearing that their plan had been seen through, the two laughed and didn''t try to hide it.


    "Exactly, even if with ZhenKang unconscious, it is guaranteed that all three will pass, there is still the question of rewards given. Even if we don''t exactly know what it is, it''s certainly good stuff. Therefore, we decided to split the first and second place. I''m sorry for you, kid, but you won''t see the victory. On the contrary, there is to see if you will be able to face your father, Xue." said the second man.


    The man called Xue had shaved hair on the side while in the center, his hair had been combed like a red cockscomb. Rather than a natural red, it seemed to be the result of coloring with vegetable pigments.


    Hearing his proclamation, Hei gave him a quick look but didn''t answer. He took his spear and returned to the ring without another word. Behind him, the man with the long spear followed a little later pissed at being ignored.


    When the audience saw Hei climb the ring again, it created a slight confusion. They expected to see the other fight before they could witness Hei''s battle again. They were soon informed that one of the two second match''s participants had forfeited, and that person would face Hei in the third round.


    You didn''t have to be a genius to understand the plan behind that forfeit Undoubtedly, this move put Hei at a more considerable disadvantage than he already was.


    While Hei took off his shoes, this time, he surprised the audience by picking up his spear and positioned himself for the fight. Upon seeing his weapon taken, the public immediately became interested. Although the hand to hand fighting performance was first-class, a martial artist''s real power was brought out by using a weapon. They were curious to see if Hei could surprise them as he had done in the previous fight.


    As in the first match, the two contenders activated their spirit power from the beginning and began to fight.


    As stated earlier, participant Huo also was using a spear, which was twice as big as Hei''s that reached the height of his head instead. It meant a greater range and the possibility of attacking from a distance in total safety. Since it was made of metal, it was also inconceivable to think of breaking the shaft with bare hands with a single blow, unless there was a big difference in cultivation.


    The reason Hei chose to use the spear this time was to test himself. Considering that his opponent also used the spear, he was curious to see the other spear users'' techniques. Besides, all he knew was the basics of the spear learned from the manual. He didn''t know any particular moves, but he was helped by the fact that since he was a child, he had one with him and was therefore very familiar with this type of weapon.


    From the beginning, Huo tried to pierce Hei with powerful lunges. With his active spirit power, the power he gave to the spear was crazy for ordinary people''s eyes. Hei soon found himself in a passive situation in which he was forced to dodge and deflect the blows using his spear. However, he had to be careful because the shaft of his spear was made of wood. Therefore it was less resistant than one made of metal.


    But after this situation continued for a while, Hei, at some point, distanced himself out of the reach of his opponent''s weapon. His gaze became very serious. Actually, it contained a trace of wild rage in his eyes.


    With a dash, he rushed forward with his spear in his hand while the incredulous Huo prepared himself to impale Hei like a pig on a spit. But when the long spear was about to land on his body, Hei maneuvered his spear toward the head of the weapon coming up with all his might.


    The sudden blow sent the long spar up, and Huo immediately had to reposition himself. Unfortunately, when he lowered his spear, Hei was already a few steps away from him. Without other alternatives, Huo moved his spear horizontally, trying to hit Hei with the metal shaft. Even if he wouldn''t inflict cutting wounds, such a move could still cause contusive damage.


    However, Hei quickly dived to the ground shortly before the impact and dodged the blow. Then he filled the little distance left and bombarded his enemy with spear lunges.


    Spirit power offered a kind of protective layer, and standard weapons wouldn''t easily pierce that layer in a short time. However, a continuous succession of blows could break through this defense, especially for the first stages of spirit apprentice rank.


    With the succession of ferocious impacts, Huo found it difficult to reposition itself. Whenever he tried to do so, he would be struck in the hand in which he held the spear or his knees. Eventually, his defense was broken because the consumption of spirit power became too excessive, and Hei didn''t miss the opportunity.


    With a quick jolt, he quickly stabbed his opponent''s thigh, who groaned and lost the grip on his weapon. Seeing that his enemy had given up his grip on the weapon, Hei, instead of stopping, continued to lash out, using his spear''s flat end. Even if there weren''t sharp blows, blunt damage was still very painful.


    And once again, he brought his opponent into a state of unconsciousness. But if the feeling generated in the first match had been of coldness and ability, in the second fight, the only thing that people could perceive was ferocity and anger - like a crazed beast that was tearing at its enemy.


    Just as the public thought Hei was planning to kill the enemy and the guards from the regulation division were preparing to intervene, Hei stopped hitting and yelled at his unconscious opponent.


    "IF YOU INTEND TO USE A SPEAR, THEN LEARN HOW TO USE IT CORRECTLY!" Hei yelled at the top of his lungs.


    The reason for his anger was that his enemy, except for using lunges, wasn''t practical in the weapon''s attack patterns, and he certainly wasn''t able to use such a large spear. Hei himself had given up having a bigger lance to have more maneuverability, not to mention that he wasn''t sure if he could do it in the first place.


    For Hei, the spear was a noble weapon, much more than any other weapon. It was because this weapon recalled his mother''s legs. His mother had, in fact, told him to consider the spear as a spider''s leg while explaining how to use the first time.


    He had dedicated himself to master it, even going to review the basics with the manual received from the sect leader. He wanted to be able to use it to its full potential.


    Seeing another spear user, he was excited about the idea but was soon disappointed by his opponent''s inability. Not properly studying the properties of the weapon meant an insult to the spear''s splendor and, therefore, to the spiders'' splendor. Thus, he became angry and ended up letting off steam on his opponent.


    Faced with this demonstration of anger, the audience was again speechless. Was he really the same guy who had fought so cool head and calculating in the first match?


    Since Hei had no intention to continue to attack the enemy, the inner guards went on the ring and took Huo away while aiming their weapons at Hei. This demonstration of violence wasn''t suitable in a confrontation against members of the same sect.


    Seeing that the situation was about to degenerate, the sect leader signaled to the regulation division to stop while she was going to have the other participant''s body examined.


    Although unconscious, the only serious injury was the cut in the leg. Hei, even he was full of anger, had used the blunt part of the spear and hit various parts to avoid excessive damage in a single point. Thus, despite the numerous injuries, it couldn''t be said that he was aiming to take away his opponent''s life. The leg wound was something that happened while the opponent was still conscious, and during the fight. Therefore not something punishable.


    As the sect leader and the various elders were deciding how to react, Hei looked towards Lian''s head where his mother was. Even from this distance, he could see a note of reproach from her. Dejected, he lowered his head disconsolately as he waited for the sect leader and the elders to decide.


    He knew he had exaggerated, but he didn''t regret it. For him, spiders and snakes represented the maximum of beauty and nobility. And the same was valid about the things that were connected to them.


    Eventually, the elders stopped discussing, and the sect leader turned to Hei in a severe tone.


    "Since your behavior can certainly be judged as excessive, you will have to be punished. However, it is also true that you haven''t put your opponent''s life in danger, so the punishment won''t be serious. For three months, you will be prohibited from accessing the sect''s library."


    At hearing this punishment, the inner members shuddered - every month, it was possible to visit the library for half an hour and study for free the manuals contained inside. It wasn''t possible to copy them, but learning them by heart wasn''t forbidden. Obviously, it was difficult to memorize one in mind in just half an hour, and because of this, if they wanted to stay longer, they had to pay with their contribution points. For the top 50 inner members, it was also possible to borrow the manual, even though it would cost many contribution points.


    This free half an hour was, therefore, of vital importance. Having half an hour free meant being able to search for a suitable manual without paying contribution points to stay there. There were even those who used months of free entry to gradually memorize a manual before actually exercising on it. After all, the costs to learn manuals were exorbitant, and the contribution points given as rewards for their work could certainly not be called generous.


    So, being banned from entering meant having a significant delay in cultivation. Other than light, this was a hefty punishment. Even the other elders were displaced and judged the reaction of the sect leader who proposed this punishment to be excessive. However, in the outer members'' eyes, the sect leader had acquired a new level of respect.


    Since a special tournament was organized just for him, Hei could already be considered a member of the inner sect. Episodes of bullying by the inner disciples against those of the outer sect weren''t rare. Then, seeing the sect leader punish the same person she had recruited was comforting and worthy of respect.


    Obviously, that was a move calculated by the sect leader with cunning. During these months, she had learned to know a little about Hei, and therefore, she knew that he had no interest in the sect''s manuals, at least not for those of low stages. From the strange moves he had used, the sect leader knew that Hei had some manuals with him, probably left by his father.


    Punishing Hei in that way wouldn''t substantially damaged him, and at the same time, it would consolidate her position in the outer sect.

 Chapter 41 - Victory

    Once he heard what his punishment would be, Hei nodded his head that he had understood. Although he was curious about the sect''s manuals, his priority was first to learn the spider and snake style moves. Besides, three months would quickly pass as he would be busy in training.


    Noting that he had accepted the punishment, the regulation division guards lowered their weapons pointed at Hei and left the ring. Fortunately, everything worked out for the best, and they hadn''t had to intervene.


    Since they were part of the regulation division, the guards were usually unrelated to conflicts between inner disciples. So they didn''t see Hei as a threat to their future. But they was him instead as a potential asset for their sect.


    The situation was resolved, and the second opponent had been taken away to be medicated. So, all that remained was to continue with the next fight.


    Considering that Hei''s first two opponents had been brought into a state of unconsciousness, this match would also be the last one, unless one of them would recover in time. But, due to the previous matches, the audience wondered if Hei''s third opponent would be put K.O. and unable to continue.


    The guards, therefore, went to call the third participant, the man from the cockscomb who showed up shortly after leaving the corridor that bound the ring to the waiting room.


    When he appeared, his face was visibly twisted by nervousness and doubt. If Hei''s first victory without damage could be understood in some way, the scene in front of him was incomprehensible - Hei was, in fact, without wounds, and from his appearance, he didn''t seem to be short of spirit power.


    It was inconceivable for the man with the cockscomb - the second match should have been exhausting for Hei. Even if he had won, he would have done so by a narrow margin, consuming almost all his spirit power.


    However, despite giving the impression of being well and ready for combat, there was no doubt that Hei had consumed much of his spirit power. As a second stage, his ability to manage spirit power consumption was already above average.


    ''I have little spirit power left. If I had to fight like before, I would end up losing. I have to finish it here with one move.'' Hei thought as he worked out his battle plan.


    One of the reasons he had consumed a lot of spirit power was because, in the previous matches, he wanted to use his opponents as targets for his techniques to hone his skills. Now instead, rather than training using the enemy, he would end the fight as soon as possible.


    Once he made his decision, Hei went to the ground and placed the spear near his boots. Making sure the tip of the spear was resting on his boots, he climbed back into the ring. This detail had also been performed in previous matches but had gone unnoticed until now. The sect leader looked at that detail curiously but kept her thoughts to herself.


    When even his last opponent got into the ring, Hei positioned himself.


    ''Spider Lance''


    If he had to end it in one move, the only way was to use his most powerful technique. Even if Spider Lance was a move to kill the enemy, he believed that if he hit an enemy at full strength, avoiding a vital point, he could prevent killing him on impact.


    Hei then began to bend the left elbow back as far as possible, keeping the forearm parallel to the ground. To give more power, he also bent the left shoulder backward, accompanying the movement of the arm.


    Snake Fist and Spider Lance were both piercing attack moves, but the difference consisted in the method of execution and the damage produced.


    Snake Fist consisted of bending the forearm on itself and then stretching it forward. This contraction, combined with a further contraction with the wrists, would give speed and power to the Snake Fist. Instead, joining the fingers served to direct the attack to a precise point and make it difficult to predict where it would go to strike.


    Spider Lance, on the other hand, was a straightforward move to guess, since it took some time to load the momentum. But this didn''t mean that it was easy to block or dodge. Bringing his elbow and shoulder back and keeping his arm parallel to the ground, Hei would then snap his arm forward once near the enemy, while his fingers were aligned to resemble a spear''s head.


    The principle behind Snake Lance was similar to that of a spring - the higher the force used to contract the spring, the greater the energy released would be. And with the same principle, more spirit power was used to contract the muscles, the higher the penetration force of the blow would be.


    This move would become even stronger when he learned beast claws that would make Hei''s nails capable of tearing his opponent''s flesh.


    Seeing Hei getting ready, the man called Xue also did the same while shortly after that, the start signal was given. With a quick dash, Hei charged against his opponent, who tried to hit him with a sword cut to prevent him from approaching.


    Hei, who was using the two-legged mode, used his toes to stop and make a small jump backward and then head forward again, moving slightly to the side.


    Xue, noting that his blow was unsuccessful, stepped back as he placed his sword horizontally in front of his chest to block Hei''s attack.


    However, his speed wasn''t at the same level as Hei''s, and in spite of himself, he discovered that Hei was aiming to his chest but to lower point.


    His sword ended up defending the wrong area, and he was unable to parry the Spider Lance, which snapped towards his abdomen.


    Suddenly, a shocking pain pervaded his body from that point. It looked as if a huge spear had impaled him, and his innards were writhing inside him.


    Immediately after the impact, he began coughing blood from the mouth mixed with saliva and fell to his knees on the ground while breathing with difficulty until he lost consciousness.


    The impact was too strong to resist. His spirit power defense did no good and was cut like butter in front of a knife.


    Fortunately for him, Hei had aimed at the center of the abdomen just above the navel. If he had hit his heart or another delicate organ, he would have killed him without a doubt.


    And so, in the audience''s astonishment who expected a difficult battle for Hei, the third match of this final phase ended.


    The winner was Hei.


    Even though they came specifically for him, most people didn''t believe he could win. Even those who had speculated that he could actually do it, after his performance at the preliminary phase, were appalled.


    Knocking down three third stage opponents, one after another, so quickly was truly stunning for someone in the second stage, considering he came from the outer sect.


    From his strange fighting techniques and his talent, people realized that Hei''s background shouldn''t be insignificant, and they couldn''t help but wonder how such a person ended up in the outer sect.


    Meanwhile, Hei, who seemed to be okay, was breathing quietly to resume his breath. Although he hadn''t suffered any injuries, he had been almost completely drained of his strength. If his opponent had resisted the blow, he would have been the one on the ground now.


    With difficulty, Hei walked to where the elders were sitting. Then, he stopped at the edge of the ring to bow his head, with his fists clenched together.


    That was a gesture of respect used by inner disciples when they met the elders. Even the outer disciples used this gesture, but since it was almost impossible for them to see the elders, there were rare occasions when they had to use this greeting.


    But if in the eyes of both inner and outer members, Hei''s greeting seemed like an ordinary greeting, as he would be officially admitted into the inner sect, the elders and the sect leader read something else.


    Unlike the other sect members, there was no fear or reverence in his eyes but neutrality. He was paying tribute to them only out of respect for the customs. It wasn''t as if he wanted to please or stand out to appeal to them.


    Thinking to themselves, the elders understood with sufficient time and adequate resources, Hei could become stronger, more than anyone else, including them.


    The sect leader looked at Hei intensely for a few seconds before getting up. Since the other finalists were still unconscious and unable to continue, there was no reason to continue with the tournament. Besides, the public had seen a stunning performance considering they were matches between outer disciples and would certainly not have a complaint.


    "Since the other participants are not in a condition to fight, the tournament will end here. The winner is Hei, who will be given the right to reside in the inner sect and participate in its activities, taking advantage of all the benefits it entails."


    The sect leader paused for a moment to let the audience applaud Hei and then resumed.


    "Having won all of his matches, he will be given the first place and the related prizes. The first-place prize is a manual of choice and the possibility of being able to choose an elder or me as a personal master. "


    On hearing the rewards, the members of the inner sect couldn''t help but be amazed. The choice of any manual free of charge was already something incredible, but being able to become a personal disciple? It was unheard of as a reward for outer members.


    It should be known that each elder had one or two personal disciples, and these would receive all their attention and resources. Such individuals were people of exceptional talent and would always occupy an important position in the sect.


    Since they were raised personally by the elders, they were also those who ended up occupying the highest positions in the inner members ranking for the younger generation.


    At this moment, there were even five of those exceptional individuals in the younger generation, something very rare even in the long sect''s history. And Hei was being given a chance to become the sixth one.


    Even the outer members who had decided not to participate couldn''t help but get their hands in their hair. Even though they had seen Hei''s abilities firsthand, they couldn''t help but wish to go back and give it a try.


    As the noise generated by the awards'' announcement abated, the sect leader continued her speech.


    "Since you have been forbidden to enter the library, you will receive your prize three months later at the end of your punishment. Are you okay with this?"


    At that point, everyone''s eyes fell on Hei. All the disciples, whether they were of the outer or inner sect, thought within themselves that, in his place, they would have tried in some way to make the sect leader change her mind. Three months was a massive amount of time for a martial artist in the early stages.


    "All right, I have no problems in this regard. However, could I change one of the prizes?" Hei calmly asked as he looked into the sect leader''s eyes.


    "Changing one of the prizes? Let''s hear, what would you like to change? Don''t you want the manual?" Asked the sect leader.


    Indeed, if taking the manual meant waiting three months, you might as well choose something else useful and accumulate contribution points in the three months of punishment to buy it out of your own pocket. Unless it was one of the secret manuals given to the top 5, this was the most logical course of action.


    "No, the manual interests me. It is the matter about becoming a personal disciple. Can I change that prize with something else? "


    When they listened to those words, those present couldn''t help but doubt their ears. Had they heard correctly? To give up becoming a personal disciple of one of the seven elders or even of the sect leader? Becoming a personal disciple meant having the future insured, becoming a dragon among men.


    It was the ultimate goal of many inner members who repeatedly tried to attract the elders'' attention. Now instead, a newly arrived stranger was refused the thing they were training for years.


    But if the disbelief of inner and outer disciples was apparent, even the elders themselves couldn''t help but be amazed at his words.


    The second elder himself had imposed that prize to have one more chance to break the bond between the sect leader and Hei. He planned to propose an agreement to Hei by offering him the privileges that only personal disciples had and didn''t think he would refuse this offer.


    The first elder was also not reluctant to this proposal. Although he considered necessary to acquire the secret behind the spirit veins'' restoration, he momentarily decided to trust the sect leader and the boy''s abilities. If the boy had the potential, he didn''t mind taking him as a personal disciple.


    After today''s performance, the other elders who had initially shown no interest in Hei had also begun to think of ways to convince him to become their disciple. After all, looking for a worthy successor was one of the vital goals for sect elders.


    But despite their expectations, everyone''s plans were shattered by Hei''s disconcerting way of reasoning that could be defined as decidedly out of the ordinary.


    "Do you want to give up becoming a personal disciple? Do you realize what this means?" The sect leader asked. Among those present, she was the only one who expected such a thing. She had accepted the second elder''s request because she knew Hei would refuse it. However, she had to ask this question due to the circumstances of the situation.


    "Yes, I am perfectly aware of it. I have no intention of becoming a personal disciple, nor yours sect leader, nor of any of the elders. This is why I ask if it is possible to change the prize," Hei said firmly.


    In his eyes, becoming a personal disciple was nothing more than a hindrance to his path.


    His mother was the best teacher he could ask to have. But above all, he wanted to keep his independence. In that way, he could enjoy the tranquility of being with his family, away from outer eyes.


    "All right. However, the possibility of becoming a personal disciple is something extremely precious in the sect. It is the first time that someone refuses this invitation, but if that''s what you want, I will accept your decision. In any case, given that you deservedly earned the first place, it seems to me at least a duty to reward you with something else of equal value. So, I ask you. What do you want?"


    At that point, Hei looked at his mother hidden in Lian''s hair and smiled,


    "What I want are spirit beasts."

 Chapter 42 - Unusual Reward

    "What I want are spirit beasts."


    It was Hei''s answer to the sect leader''s question. He didn''t ask for other manuals or pills or other rare resources, he simply asked for spirit beasts.


    This request silenced those present who were wondering between themselves the reason behind his decision.


    Beast tamers were usually martial artists with little ability in melee or weapons combat, so they relied on their spirit beasts to fight.


    Even though they knew that Hei was a beast tamer as he could command a beast like the albino buffalo, after today''s matches, in their eyes, he was a martial artist talented in hand to hand combat and in using his weapon.


    If rejecting the proposal to become one of the sect elders'' personal disciples was in itself inconceivable, to ask for spirit beasts as compensation for it was even more absurd.


    With his talent, Hei should have to concentrate on himself. Why was he asking for spirit beasts when he could fight alone?


    But if it seemed for everyone a crazy choice to do, one that stretched the limits of believability, for Hei, it wasn''t so.


    Thanks to the inheritance of his parents, he had techniques not inferior to that belonging to the sect, and his unique method of cultivation allowed him to improve steadily.


    With the spirit vein restored, he could instead grow his spirit grain and other resources to support his cultivation. He also planned to create a unique facility for planting rare spirit flowers that would earn him additional points of contribution. With those, he would buy every kind of resource he needed that were pills, weapons, or other valuables.


    Therefore Hei really had no desire to ask those things. Hei knew he had the means to earn them for himself, and he wanted to see if he really could. However, spirit beasts were another story.


    Growing up in a forest accompanied by animals and spirit beasts, Hei felt more at ease in their company. Over the years, he had learned to know more about human beings and had made friends with some of them. He had also accepted Lian as a member of his family. Still, he couldn''t help but find it more comforting to stay out of people''s eyes.


    Being with animals and spirit beasts didn''t give him the same awkward feeling that he had while being with humans. He didn''t like spending time only with his two sisters and his mother, who were his family; he also loved spending a lot of time with the buffaloes by taking long walks with them on Shui''s back. From time to time, he helped them wash and dry themselves as he did with Ye and Xing.


    Therefore, he wanted to take other spirit beasts with him and make them live with him. But it wasn''t just a desire to look for new companions, but it was instead the first step towards realizing the promise he had made to his mother - creating a home for spirit beasts in which their family could live peacefully.


    Due to the matter with Shui and the other buffaloes, Hei had learned that not all people were friendly with such creatures. He also knew that many spirit beasts were captured and auctioned to the highest bidders.


    Of course, many ended up falling into good hands and placed in a quiet and pleasant environment, where they could put their skills into use. Yet, many still ended up being brutally abused and died alone, forgotten by everyone.


    Since he couldn''t change things with his current strength, he could at least buy as many spirit beasts as possible and make them live with him. With his mother watching over the whole situation, there was no danger of them arguing with each other.


    Lastly, having more spirit beasts and, therefore, more allies, was a preventive measure for the future. Many spirit beasts ended up victims of other spirit beasts or martial artists. If he gave them a place to grow quietly, he would have a considerable fighting force. Of course, he didn''t plan to force them to fight, but he wanted at least that they could protect themselves and their homes.


    "Spirit beasts? Can I ask the reason for your choice?" The sect leader asked on behalf of all the other elders.


    Although it would have been stupid before the tournament, it was now a more than legitimate question. Initially, the sect leader and the elders wanted to recruit him for his young age and his ability as a beast tamer, never had they ever imagined he was so gifted for combat.


    In their eyes, it was better if he completely forgot the path of beast tamer and concentrated only on improving his fighting skills. After all, it was inconceivable for them that someone would risk their future for some spirit beasts.


    "Yes, I am extremely sure. I have no other wishes but that. But I don''t want you to go and catch spirit beasts for me. I want the ones that have already been captured and are waiting to be sold at auction. I don''t know how many spirit beasts are equivalent to becoming a personal disciple, so I refer to the judgment of the sect leader." that said, Hei bowed again.


    With this, he indirectly implicated to the sect leader and the elders that they had to buy spirit beasts with the sect''s money, and it had to be a reasonable quantity, based on the present and future value that meant being a personal disciple.


    The other elders who understood his intentions couldn''t help but creased their eyebrows.


    All of them had surpassed the rank of spirit apprentice and reached the spirit soldier rank. They were at the top of the power reachable on Rainbow Island. Only their peers had the qualifications to speak to them in that way. Yet now Hei was talking to them as if by equal.


    His words still maintained a certain degree of respect but were more of a formality. Furthermore, his tone implied that it was in their interest not to play jokes on the matter, not to mention that it was a request made in the eyes of many witnesses.


    It was really surprising for a boy still in the second stage, and some of them wanted to ask him further questions about it. But they were stopped by the sect leader who sent them a mental message through spirit power.


    The content was straightforward - don''t ask questions about it at the moment and do as the boy said.


    The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth elders who weren''t present at the incident last month were surprised at these words, but they did as requested while the rest, already more or less aware of the situation, remained silent.


    Sighing between herself, the sect leader thought that she couldn''t hide the fact there was a terrifying presence at Hei''s side, and then she hastened to answer him.


    "Of course a fair calculation will be made, don''t worry. We will then convert your prize into a suitable amount of spirit stones, and with them, we will buy as many spirit beasts at an auction. Be assured. However, it isn''t possible to predict the exact value of these spirit beasts in an auction. So you should come in person and choose yourself. Is this okay with you?"


    To this, the faces of many inner members became ugly. Like any respectable sect, the Flower Sect had a remarkable heritage, and each year it would participate in the auction run by the kingdom in which they would sell the products generated during the year and buy what they needed. On those occasions, the sect leader took part, accompanied by the first and second elders, together with their personal disciples.


    Even after rejecting the offer to become a personal disciple, Hei had managed to secure one of the most coveted privileges. It was also possible that something would be bought for him on that occasion, depending on his inner member ranking result.


    The auctions were, in fact, a special occasion in which objects that were usually difficult to find would be put up for sale, and the only requirement to buy them was your own spirit stones'' capacity. No matter which your background or your social position was, only those with the largest wallet would win.


    "It''s fine for me, I also prefer to be able to choose them personally," Hei said briefly.


    If he went in person, he could assess more accurately than any other buyer. Although it seemed terrible to have to make a selection, Hei wasn''t so naive as to believe he could save all of them. Therefore, he could concentrate only on those who could present more usefulness in the realization of a habitat for spirit beasts.


    With his officially started proposal, Hei again greeted the elders and was given permission to leave. Picking up his stuff on the floor, he returned to the waiting room.


    The sect leader, before sending him away, sent him a mental message telling him to wait there after everyone had gone, and she would send Lian to the waiting room. When the audience left, he would be accompanied by a team of guards from the regulation division who would take him to his home.


    Hei accepted the proposal more than pleased as he had attracted a lot of attention during the tournament. It was likely that he would be surrounded by the number of people present. It was better to go quietly later.


    Initially, the sect leader intended to accompany them in person, but after today''s events, she had some things to discuss with other elders about the future of the sect.


    Now that Hei''s combat potential was established, they had to decide how best to use it but taking care not to overdo their impositions.


    Shortly after Hei had arrived in the waiting room, Lian went inside and stopped in front of Hei, not knowing what to do. Hei beckoned her to sit beside him as he asked the guards to leave them alone.


    Since they had been ordered only to accompany them home, they did as he had asked and left the two youths with some privacy.


    At that point, Ye and Xing came out of Lian''s clothes. For some strange reason, they had lurked on her bosom, and they hadn''t moved from there. His mother was still on Lian''s head, and she came out gracefully, returning to Hei''s head again.


    ''You fought well today, my son.''


    ''Yes, you were outstanding, big brother.'' (Xing)


    ''If I were you, I would have given further blows to those ugly guys.'' (Ye)


    Even Lian, without saying a word, expressed her compliments by moving her head slightly up and down. It was as if she wanted to agree with what had been already said.


    "Thanks to all of you, but I could have done better. Especially the second match, I let myself get carried away. I risked consuming all my energy and compromising the third match," Hei said disconsolately.


    It was true. In the second match of the final phase, Hei had lost his temper. If he hadn''t maintained a touch of clarity as he did, the consequences would have been severe. Not only about the tournament but its very permanence in the sect.


    They had come a long way to get here and have a quiet place to reside. And instead, he had risked ruining everything.


    Seeing her sad son, Bao Bei tried to cheer him up.


    ''It''s true. You exaggerated in the second match. But it''s not something you have to distress about. Everyone makes mistakes. It''s the natural course of events. However, the real question lies in whether you are aware of this mistake and how you intend to remedy in the future. Furthermore, you managed to contain yourself, and nothing serious happened.''


    Indeed, the worst hadn''t happened, and the punishment received from Hei wasn''t so bad for them.


    ''Lastly, I''m not angry at all for your mistake. I know why you did it, and I thank you, my little one.'' Bao Bei thanked affectionately while she gently scratched Hei''s head.


    Hei, cheered up by his mother''s words, took courage, and smiled. His mother was right. The important thing was to understand how not to make that mistake in the future.


    While he was talking to his mother, Ye and Xing had come entirely out of Lian''s clothes and went to explore the room. Unfortunately, nothing was exciting there. Because they had to wait for an indefinite period of time, they began to get bored quickly.


    "How about playing a bit while we are waiting?" He proposed Hei with a smiling face.


    It was actually a bit boring to wait for who knows how long inside that room where there was nothing to do.


    ''Yup! Let''s play!'' The two little spirit beasts exclaimed joyfully.


    Even after all these years, they still retained their usual love for games. From the point of view of divine beasts, they were still cubs after all.


    Thus, began the game of catch using all the room. Being the big brother, Hei would be the one chasing, while Ye and Xing would have to run away from him. Lian instead preferred to enjoy the scene on a quiet side of the room with Bao Bei.


    Soon there were noises of fast footsteps and things hitting the ground. Caught as they were in their game, they paid no attention to the objects in the room. The various chairs prepared for the participants were being dropped one by one without leaving one intact.


    The guards were alerted by the noise and entered, but seeing the sight of a boy chasing a small spider and a small snake, they decided not to intervene. From today''s performance, besides the fact that Hei was a talented individual, they were sure that he was also very strange. Obviously, Hei didn''t care at all; they could think anything for what he cared about.


    But when they had been playing for a while now, the three were interrupted by their mother. She had them gathered around her to make them rest a little.


    ''Hei, there''s another thing I didn''t tell you before. Even if I don''t want you to sacrifice yourself, I can''t help but be proud of your decision.'' Bao Bei proudly stated.


    "Rest assured, mother. This won''t slow me down in my training." Hei assured her with a broad smile on his face.


    ''In any case, I have to say that it happens right on time. It looks like we''ll have a new companion today.''


    At those words, Bao Bei resumed her 1-meter size and took a small egg out of her pocket dimension. It was the egg recovered by Hei while he attacked the merchant''s residence, who kept Lian imprisoned along with Shui and the other buffaloes.


    In the egg, it could be seen signs of rippling, a sign that it was now close to opening.

 Chapter 43 - New Companions

    The whole family, including Lian, were busy watching the egg showing signs of movement. With all that had happened after its discovery, they had forgotten to check it until now.


    Bao Bei, fortunately, had always given periodic checks to make sure that the creature inside was fine and there were no problems with its birth.


    But while they were all concentrated, there was a knock from outside. It was a sign that the people outside had left and it was time to go home.


    At that point, Hei quickly took the egg and placed it carefully in his hands. To avoid disturbing the little bee that was being born, he had his mother create a kind of small silk cloth with which to wrap the egg.


    Bao Bei then went back to her small size and jumped on Hei''s head while Ye and Xing climbed his body and looked curiously at the struggling little creature coming out. Lian was also interested but just watched from afar.


    Returning home was rather rapid and without inconvenience. Hei wasn''t a guy who liked to talk to strangers, and the guards in the regulation division were instructed to stay quiet during their duties.


    Obviously, this wasn''t a rule applicable to all its members since, from time to time, there would be some animated members who loved to make noise during their service.


    Once the guards left, Hei had finally reached his home. It was late afternoon, and since they had skipped breakfast, hunger was building up in his stomach as well as in the others present. However, he didn''t care about it for now. There was a much more urgent issue at the moment.


    Outside the spiderweb house, there was Shui, the albino buffalo, along with his other eight buffaloes companions. They had been on guard during the morning, taking time off from time to time.


    Hei thanked the buffaloes for their work and then approached Shui and placed the egg next to it so that they could see it. Shui instantly recognized what it was about and uttered an excited bellow. Even if it hadn''t yet been born on that occasion, Shui considered the creature inside a companion. A companion of the period in which they were in the merchant''s residence.


    Without delay, Hei put the silk cloth on the floor while the others placed themselves in a circle around it, waiting.


    Unlike the eggs that contained Ye and Xing, which were hard and resistant, the egg in question was much softer. It had a whitish color similar to a grain of rice but larger. It also had an amber tinge in some places.


    After a while, that soft egg was smashed, and from inside came out a 3cm-sized honey bee. It was bigger than a normal honey bee, and maybe that was the reason for its awkward movements as it went outside.


    Once it freed itself from the egg, it looked around - there were only creatures much bigger around, but it didn''t seem worried.


    Suddenly, it turned its gaze to Hei''s head and looked intently at that position. Bao Bei, therefore, descended from her son''s head and elegantly landed on the silk cloth on which the egg was held.


    The honey bee started making excited noises as it tried to get closer to Bao Bei, who raised one of her legs and told it to calm down.


    Hei intrigued, couldn''t help but ask his mother for explanations.


    "Mother, what''s going on? Why does the little bee behave like this? "


    ''It''s because she recognized me. Usually, honey bees destined to be queen bees are fed from the larval age with a substance called royal jelly produced by worker bees. Since that merchant was not an expert, she remained malnourished for a long time. Once taken with us, I gave her some of the milk I produce as a substitute for royal jelly. That, combined with the fact that I gave her a bit spirit power to help her grow, allowed her to recognize me.'' Bao Bei explained as she examined the little bee.


    This one was still producing a loud buzz, but it remained steady in its place, letting Bao Bei make her examination.


    During its stay in the merchant''s stable in Green City, it had experienced severe difficulties and was about to die. But with the help of Bao Bei, it could finally be born. So it was very grateful for that.


    At one point, the little bee noticed something and turned to Shui and produced an excited buzz again. It also had recognized Shui. It was normal since Shui lived in the same stable together with the other buffaloes.


    Once recognizing who it knew, the bee then turned to Hei, who had Ye and Xing on him and Lian behind him. Everyone was watching that little newborn that was full of vigor.


    The bee could somehow notice something belonging to Bao Bei inside Hei, Ye, and Xing while Lian was a stranger. Not knowing what it was, it cutely inclined its head slightly, not understanding what the bond was.


    While the bee was busy formulating her thoughts, Hei asked his mother what to do.


    "What are we going to do with her now?"


    Bao Bei thought for a while before answering,


    ''What do you say about giving her a name first? So you can call her more easily. We should also look for a hive to take care of her. Queen bees need a lot of attention and are protected by other bees. Also, since this one is a spirit queen bee, when she would be old enough to produce eggs, her future bees children will likely be spirit bees that will produce spirit honey.''


    "Spirit honey? What is that?"


    ''It''s like normal honey but containing spirit power. By comparison, it is like spirit wheat. However, its properties are more concentrated and have more effects depending on the level of the spirit bees that produce the honey.''


    Hearing the word honey, Ye and Xing started having their mouth water with their growling stomach. During their residence with Lei Lei and Lei Bai, they had tasted honey, and that sweet and sticky substance had much pleased them. Unfortunately, they hadn''t been able to eat it again after their departure. But now they could finally taste it again.


    Hei was also happy to try honey again but remained focused on the task given to him by his mother in finding a name for the little bee.


    "Mi." At one point, Hei came up with that word. Because they were talking about honey, he chose that name; moreover, it was a cute and short name suitable for a newborn queen bee.


    Mi?


    The bee tried to pronounce the word Hei said, but only a buzzing sound came out. However, it seemed that she didn''t mind at all, given the cheerful noises she was making.


    Happy that she liked her name, Hei then moved on to the other task left - to find a hive of bees for Mi. In the vicinity of the spiderweb house, he hadn''t seen any hive, but in the woods further on, he recalled to have met several bees that roamed in search of pollen.


    Taking Mi and wrapping her in the silk cloth, Hei climbed on Shui''s back with Lian as his mother climbed onto his head, and Ye and Xing put themselves under his clothes. Their destination was the nearby forest to find the hive that would take care of Mi.


    *


    Once in the woods, Hei, his two little sisters, and Lian started a treasure hunt around. Only, they weren''t looking for treasure but bees flying around. Given their small size, it was difficult to pinpoint them precisely.


    Fortunately, Xing found some of them and stealthily followed them when they finished collecting the honey and were returning to their hive. Once the hive''s position was discovered, the little spider returned quickly to the others to report her discovery.


    ''Hei, I found the beehive. This way, to here.''


    Excited, the little spider led the others to the place she had found. There was a large hive built on a tree. From the outside, it was possible to see the frenetic activity of worker bees that were carrying honey inside. It was difficult to define their number since the swarm of bees was so dense as to obscure the portion of space they were occupying.


    Caressing Xing as a reward for her discovery, Hei took a breath before stepping forward. In his years in the Multicolored Leaf Forest, he had noticed how insect colonies were very territorial and didn''t appreciate intruders by immediately attacking those who had come too close.


    Because the bites of so many bees could be lethal, he decided to activate his spirit power. Of course, it wouldn''t have been necessary if he had reached the organ stage where he would increase his ability to resist poison and other substances that would typically hurt ordinary people.


    When he activated it, the hive bees realized that something was wrong and started to come out one by one out of the hive. As soon as Hei began to advance towards their home, they swiftly snapped toward him, trying to prick him and send him away.


    Unfortunately for them, their stingers didn''t have enough strength to penetrate through his spirit power defense that was protecting Hei''s body. He continued to advance towards the hive with firm steps as the bees had now covered his body.


    Ye, Xing, Lian looked worried but remained in their places by Bao Bei''s order. Shui was also standing in its place, but from the position of its legs, it could be seen that it was ready to charge and take away Hei if something serious happened. Mi instead looked curiously at the situation, she couldn''t understand what was going on, but she was intrigued by the familiarity that came from those other bees.


    The reason why Bao Bei prevented others from intervening was to allow Hei to gain experience. She could have used her presence to put pressure on those bees and force them to cooperate. However, she wanted Hei to earn their respect and loyalty.


    She wanted Hei to surround himself with spirit beasts loyal to him and follow him on their own and not because he was her son. After all, having adopted him as her son, Hei was implicitly also the successor to the title of his father''s, the Beast Emperor.


    Meanwhile, Hei had come a step away from the hive. From there, he began to produce strange noises to the ears of ordinary people. It was the language of spiders learned from his mother.


    In the world of animals and spirit beasts, although the various species communicated with each other using different sounds, somehow, there was a kind of shared understanding that allowed communication even between different beings.


    His mother had told him that she didn''t know why it was like that, but it was something that had happened since the birth of the first life forms. Strangely, only with creatures that used a spoken language, meaning human beings and demons, this common understanding didn''t happen.


    Furthermore, although spiders were different from bees, they also had common features, making communication even more straightforward.


    "I want to talk to the queen. I have no bad intentions, please. I have a spirit queen bee here that needs a hive. We don''t want to usurp your current domain. We just want your help. If you accept our Mi, there is a possibility that you and your future generations will become spirit bees."


    It was what Hei said when addressing the queen bee enclosed under strict protection within the hive. It was she who dictated orders to worker bees outside. So if he wanted to succeed in his goal, he had to convince her.


    And indeed, he succeeded in piquing the queen bee''s attention that ordered her worker bees to stop their attack momentarily. Becoming spirit beasts was a dream longed for by all the animals that wanted to rise from their initial condition. It was comparable to the desire of people to become martial artists so that they could aim towards the Heavens and become a dragon among men.


    Usually, however, bees from one beehive followed a single queen bee, coming to reject and attack bees and queen bees from other hives. But, some hives contained more queen bees at the same time. If they didn''t intend to usurp her domain and help her become a spirit beast, the queen bee would consider the proposal of that human being in front of her hive.


    The queen bee inside the hive produced other noises to ask Hei to bring the queen bee he was talking about.


    Seeing that she was showing interest, Hei took Mi that was still looking at the scene with curiosity and let herself be transported without problems. Then he headed back toward the hive.


    The bees that buzzed in the air immediately emitted loud noises and began to get agitated. They could perceive that it was a queen bee, and their instinct was to attack their queen''s enemy immediately. But somehow they couldn''t convince themselves to attack - they could also sense that that queen bee was hiding something special.


    When he was close enough, the hive''s bee queen went outside, surrounded by a team of worker bees larger than those outside. They were probably designated as bodyguards of the queen.


    The queen bee made a sign that she wanted to advance alone and stopped in front of Mi, who was looking at her with interest. As far as size was concerned, Mi, although she was just born, was slightly larger, perhaps because she was a spirit beast; for the other physical characteristics, instead, they were more or less identical.


    The queen bee began a conversation with Mi. But Mi didn''t know how to answer the questions that were being addressed to her. The reason was simple - normally, the queen bees, since larval stage to the hatching, lived inside the hive; Instead, she hadn''t lived such a life as she had been locked up in a drawer and then freed and raised by Bao Bei. So she didn''t know what life was like inside the hive.


    Hei hastened to explain the situation to the queen bee, worried that she might get annoyed by Mi''s vague answers. He also added another bet on the plate.


    "I also grow spirit plants and flowers. If you accept to take care of Mi, I can leave you part of the pollen. I guess there''s no need to tell you the difference from normal pollen. "


    Hearing about spirit plants and flowers, the bees became more excited. From time to time, they happened to come across these plants, and indeed, the pollen those produced didn''t compare as a taste compared to the normal one. The annoyed queen bee signaled them to keep quiet and began to contemplate. She finally made her decision.


    She would have consented to Hei''s request, but he had to keep his word, meaning that they shouldn''t try to usurp her power, and they also had to help her hive to become spirit bees.


    Happy to finally come to an agreement, Hei set about introducing the other members of his family so that the queen bee would instruct her subordinates not to attack them.


    The queen bee had already noticed their presence, but when she was in front of Bao Bei, she couldn''t help but be stunned and start to tremble with fear. Bao Bei was legitimately an adult divine beast in all respects, so she placed enormous pressure on spirit beasts and normal animals when they became aware of her identity.


    Fortunately for the queen bee, Bao Bei told her a few words of comfort, but also warned her that she would interact mainly with Hei.


    Without wasting too much time on pleasantries, preparations began to move the hive near the cobweb house. Although at the time there were no flowers in the vicinity of spiderweb house and therefore the bees would be forced to make long journeys to the forest, for them it was a suitable price to pay if it meant becoming spirit beasts.


    So new comrades came to live in that part of the land that had become Hei''s home.

 Chapter 44 - Visiting the Inner Sect

    The following morning, an unexpected guest arrived in the spiderweb house but was already a familiar figure in the eyes of the strange family - it was the sect leader who was stunned at the sight of so many bees near Hei''s house.


    Meanwhile, Bao Bei had warned Hei, who, in turn, had warned the queen bee not to issue an attack order. This order served more for the worker bees outside than for the sect leader. After all, there was an abyss of strength between the two.


    The queen bee passed her order to her bees and then returned to instructing Mi about the life of the hive. Since she had decided to take care of this new newborn queen bee, she would teach her everything that one had to learn to command a hive.


    "Sect leader, good morning. Can I help you?" Hei greeted cheerfully.


    In the absence of other witnesses nearby, he could take on a less formal tone when speaking with the sect leader. It wasn''t only for a psychological effect to remind the woman that they were in a relationship of peers rather than between sect leader and a sect member. But it was also because the only adults he treated with reverence and respect were his adoptive parents, Bao Bei and her partner Hei An, along with Lei Bai, who had been his teacher for several years.


    "Yes, I came to get you and show you around the sect and your new home. Can I know what all these bees are doing here?" Asked the sect leader with curiosity.


    Whenever she interacted with Hei, he became stranger in her eyes; or perhaps it was better to say he became more interesting. Although she had a crazy fear of the being that was protecting the young boy and accepted being considered as an equal, she couldn''t help but be intrigued by Hei with all his quirks.


    "Ah, these are new companions who have recently joined. For the tour, give me a moment to get ready. But I wanted to ask you if I could give up the house in the inner sect. "


    "Can I ask you why?"


    "When I entered the inner sect yesterday, I noticed that it is a place containing houses and other buildings. However, there is no room for buffaloes or bees. I don''t want to leave them alone. Besides, I''m fine here, and thanks to the spirit vein, I can grow what I need."


    It was true, he had an interest in the inner sect''s activities, but it didn''t mean that he was going to live there. It was like when he had been going to the village from Lei Bai to learn how to cut and prepare meat. But at the end of the day, he would have returned to his home with his mother and his family.


    Seeing Hei''s determined gaze, the sect leader didn''t add anything else to that matter and agreed to his request. Then she waited for him to get ready before accompanying him while also taking Lian with them who was transporting Ye and Xing.


    Indeed, his refusal wasn''t such a bad thing, since it meant that he would be less exposed to the attempts of other elders to recruit him in some way.


    "Just so you know it, because of what you said yesterday, I had to reveal the presence of the being that protects you from the shadows. If I hadn''t, they would have asked you the reason for that tone. Furthermore, with this, I think the other elders will be a little more restrained in their actions."


    Hidden in her son''s hair, Bao Bei, who was mentioned by the sect leader, said nothing but left the task of replying to Hei.


    "Thank you, sect leader, for informing the other elders. As for the being you are talking about, you don''t have to worry. It will only act if I am in danger of life."


    The trip to the inner sect was silent and brief. In a short time, they reached the inner sect'' entrances and passed without further checks. After all, not even an idiot wouldn''t have recognized the sect leader and would have tried to inspect her.


    Once inside, the sect leader brought Hei to the center of the city that constituted the inner sect. There, were placed impressive buildings made of white marble that shone brightly under the rays of the sun. Around these buildings, there was another protective perimeter protected by guards.


    The members of the younger generation would come here to train and concentrate on their cultivation, and also learn new skills. However, at the end of the day, they would return to their homes. The only exceptions were the personal disciples who didn''t have such restrictions.


    Those no longer belonging to the younger generation and had finished their potential, had to work in one of the work structures designated by the sect that were in another supervised area. After all, if they couldn''t advance, it made no sense to give them resources. But they were given free time from time to time in case they wanted to continue improving on their own.


    "This is where the buildings dedicated to the younger generation are. There are various training grounds designed for training, although some of them are special. However, that will be explained to you in due course. The fields are open to all, but it is possible to reserve a whole one by paying contribution points. In this regard, it is also possible to borrow weapons for training and other similar items, but any damage to borrowed equipment is subtracted from your contribution points. In addition to the training grounds, there is the library. However, for now, it is forbidden for you to go there. When the time comes, I will explain the details of it."


    The sect leader continued to guide Hei, pointing out the various buildings one by one. Since early morning you could see inner members of the younger generation entering the buildings to start their daily training.


    When they passed close to the sect leader, they would greet her with respect while taking fleeting glances at Hei, who they quickly recognized after yesterday''s performance. By now, he had joined the list of those who had to be kept an eye on. So, all inner members were eager to see if he would continue to amaze.


    "In addition to combat training, there is also the possibility of taking lessons on secondary activity. You can choose between three courses - blacksmithing, alchemy, and formations.


    Each has its own particularities, and through their learning, it is possible to train at the same time, your control over your spirit power. Although it takes time away from cultivation and techniques'' practice, it is a profitable activity for those who want to be independent. However, I advise you to follow only one of them because they are complex subjects that require the utmost dedication to achieve a satisfactory result.


    There is also the exchange building where you can exchange your contribution points for various types of objects. You can find a bit of everything, and you can also request a specific type of item if it isn''t present. But, the cost will increase in that case."


    Upon hearing about the sect''s secondary activities, Hei became interested. Even Bao Bei moved slightly - she knew a little about formations, but she couldn''t be called an expert. That was why she wanted her children to learn such secondary activities - the spirit beasts, blessed by birth with a strong body, relied more on that rather than committing themselves to conceive methods of production like humans and demons did. And their arrogance eventually turned out to be expensive to pay.


    But in addition to these secondary activities, what caught his attention was the exchange building. Hei then remembered that he still had the contribution points from the previous month''s harvest. Engaged in training for the test, he had forgotten about them and hadn''t used them yet.


    "Finally, the last building is the mission building. There, are placed the various missions established by the sect, the kingdom, or other applicants. Inner members can accept any of the missions. Depending on the difficulty, they will be rewarded with an appropriate number of contribution points once the task is completed.


    But for the moment, it''s not something you need to worry about. I advise you to concentrate on becoming stronger instead. The missions are carried outside the sect''s jurisdiction. Even the easiest ones hide deadly dangers. Many inner members end up dying out there, away from their family and friends. The requests to find corpses of sect''s inner members aren''t rare. It isn''t something a second stage can hope to complete on its own."


    The sect leader''s warning was clear - at the level, he was in now, it was better not to even think about undertaking such assignments. Although the sect leader knew that Hei was far from being in danger, at the same time, she didn''t want him to end up becoming addicted to external aid, which would block his growth.


    Of course, Hei and Bao Bei had no plans to do something like this. If Hei had accepted one of those missions, it would have been only after reaching a proper level of strength so as to complete the mission without his mother''s aid.


    Only if the situation got complicated, Bao Bei would come out into the open to protect Hei. But before that happened, the enemy would have to defeat Hei along with his two little sisters. They also had Lian with them now.


    After the illustrative tour of the buildings, the sect leader handed over a sheet of paper where various times and other explanations were annotated.


    "Here are written the places and times for secondary activity courses I have explained to you before. They aren''t a compulsory task, but since you have renounced your privileges as a personal disciple, I strongly advise you to give them a thought." The sect leader said goodbye to Hei and Lian and returned to take care of her commitments.


    Hei thanked the sect leader and thought about where to start. Hei wasn''t so interested in training grounds as he could train at home; he also didn''t want others to see his techniques, and it made no sense to book a training ground when he already had a suitable space. He would still have a look to see what kind of tools were available before totally excluding the idea.


    As for the schedules of secondary activities, these started in the afternoon, and therefore, he still had the whole morning to do something else. He was interested in the library but was forbidden to go there. At that point, he decided to go to the exchange point first and see what his contribution points could buy.


    The exchange point was a large white marble building, and all around it had guards positioned. To enter, you had to go up a stairway, which was also quite tall. Once up and opened the main door, waiting for Hei and the others was a familiar sight - the structure was similar to the Green City shop where he had bought the pills and the seeds.


    There were indeed shelves with all kinds of objects useful for cultivation or combat. The objects were all enclosed in glass cases. Some of them were stored with a formation that would the object''s freshness and properties.


    At the end of the large room on the ground floor, some stairs led to the upper floor. The ground floor was used for ordinary inner members while the upper floor housed more rare objects. But that floor was accessible only to those who had reached at least the sixth stage of spirit apprentice and started the elemental conversion.


    Imagining that there were special rules for going upstairs, Hei decided instead to focus on the goods displayed on the ground floor divided into various sections depending on what they were.


    The section that he visited first was the pills'' one. There were pills of various kinds aimed at a specific stage of spirit apprentice or with supporting effects such as the restoration of spirit power or increasing the speed of self-healing. Of course, their effect was limited, but since it was immediate, they were useful to have in a fight. They could reverse the situation if used at the right time.


    Next, he visited the plants'' section that sold plants that were already mature and their seeds. These were mostly used for alchemy and, to a lesser extent, to create formations. There, he saw several things that interested him, especially the seeds of rare plants. Because they were seeds, they cost much less, but it wasn''t sure that he would be able to make them mature.


    After that, there was the section of artifacts and material for blacksmithing. Artifacts were nothing but objects in which formations had been carved and ranged from objects of a common type to weapons. By inserting spirit power inside, it was possible to generate a particular effect even without knowing formations.


    One could, for example, adjust the environment''s temperature in a specific range, create light sources, place traps, and other various effects. Since they didn''t have a direct related source, they were mainly single-use objects since the etched formation would fade after being used. Moreover, since these objects usually had to be light, they were generally built with materials that weren''t so resistant and therefore were destroyed simultaneously with the formation. But if one provided a spirit stone as a source, those artifacts would be able to operate without being damaged.


    The weapons, on the other hand, were more resistant, and therefore it would be enough simply to apply the formation again to use the desired effect. This process would wear down the metal, and after multiple uses, it would compromise the integrity of the weapon.


    In addition to ready-made objects, various types of wood and metals and other construction objects were also exhibited. Even though they were materials mainly addressed to the aspiring blacksmiths of the inner sect, there were also a good number of inner members who weren''t experts in blacksmithing, that bought them. It was because they would usually ask a blacksmith of their trust to create a personal weapon, purchasing the necessary materials themselves.


    After he had scoured the sections on the ground floor, Hei stopped to ponder what he needed most. Even if he had made a good harvest, in the end, it was merely spirit wheat. It wasn''t a rare resource that the sect was lacking, so the number of contribution points received was enough to buy a few things there. Moreover, it wasn''t only he who had to think about; but he also had to purchase resources for Lian.


    In the end, she was helping him a lot with the field and implementing his other projects, thus reducing his burden. Furthermore, having accepted her in his family, it was more than natural to buy something for her too.

 Chapter 45 - Meeting a Personal Disciple

    The choice was hard to make. The things inside were all useful, but Hei couldn''t buy them all. He had to choose what would be most beneficial for them in the near future. A wrong choice could also prove to be harmful as it would take another couple of months to earn further contribution points.


    Among the items, artifacts were undoubtedly the most interesting because of the various uses they had. However, they were mostly disposable or with a short durability. Among them, weapons were what interested Hei most.


    There were all kinds of weapons with different formations engraved on the metal. Etching a formation would give new value to the weapon that would acquire unique characteristics. Although one would have to consume spirit power, to activate such formations, their utility was undeniable. The price, however, would have risen steeply due to the cost of engraving the formation.


    As for plants and seeds, these were cheaper than artifacts, especially the seeds whose cost per unit was affordable. However, to have a chance of success, he had to buy large quantities of seeds, and the price at that point wouldn''t have been an insignificant amount. Moreover, in his mother''s dimensional pocket, he still had many seeds, including some rare plants'', which he had yet to sow. Therefore, they weren''t a priority.


    The pills remained at the end. Indeed, the most logical choice would have been to buy resources to increase their cultivation speed. The pills for the first stage they had bought were long over, and in any case, they wouldn''t have helped much in advancing through the second stage towards the third one. Therefore, he had to buy those specially prepared for the second stage of spirit apprentice.


    Since he hadn''t exaggerated with the use of pills, and had left the body enough time to dispose of the toxins, he could safely implement the use of pills again in his training.


    Fortunately, being still in the second stage, the price of the pills he needed wasn''t too high for him. He had just the necessary points to buy a couple of 10-unit packs for him and Lian.


    Typically, the quantities of pills bought by individual martial artists would have been higher, given that a package, even when leaving days of rest from one assumption to another, would last about a month, less also depending on the individual use. So two packs for two people was really little.


    But Hei did not tend to rely totally on these medicines and had, in any case, his cultivation method. He just needed a small number of pills to get the same results as other martial artists who ingested much more.


    Finally resolving himself about what to buy, Hei looked around to see how he should proceed. He certainly couldn''t break the glass containing the pills. It would have ended up looking like a desperate attempt to steal.


    As he was trying to figure out what to do, a girl with long black hair carefully combed approached him. She was dressed in a simple green tunic, which, instead of reducing her beauty, gave her a feeling of freshness and youth. Her steps, on the other hand, were as light and adage as if she had no weight, but at the same time very rapid.


    "Do you need something, you''re Hei, right?" The young woman asked as she looked at Hei curiously. Her brown eyes were carefully examining every part of the boy''s body in front of her.


    "Yes, my name is Hei. Can I ask you how you know my name?" He asked as he took up a guarded position. He didn''t like to be examined in such detail.


    On hearing his question, the girl laughed. Her laughter was bright and refreshing and contained no trace of scorn.


    "Simple, yesterday, I also attended the trial to select the new inner members. It''s normal to know your name. I also know the girl behind you, Lian."


    Hearing even Lian''s name, Hei could not help but frown his eyebrows. Not many people knew her name since she had always kept herself apart during various occasions with strangers.


    If she knew both of their names, it meant that the girl in front had something to do with one of the elders, since he couldn''t think of anyone else who could have known that information. And in fact, his deductions turned out to be right at the end.


    "My name is Ying Yue, but you can call me Yue if you want. I am the granddaughter of the seventh elder and his personal disciple. Nice to meet you, Hei."


    Grandaughter of the seventh elder? Personal disciple?


    Hearing these words, Hei was amazed. Examining her more carefully, he could see how the girl''s body, apparently so fragile and delicate, hid an incredible force. It gave the same feeling as when he first saw the seventh elder as he walked. They weren''t a granddaughter and grandfather for nothing.


    But what was she doing here in a place like this? Even though the supply division managed the exchange point, was it just a case that she was here?


    His mother and sisters meanwhile confirmed the identity of the girl. Even though they didn''t know she had a family relationship with one of the elders, they knew she was a personal disciple of the old man. She was sitting behind him in the VIP seats reserved for the most important members of the sect while Hei was fighting.


    As if she had felt his doubts, Ying Yue laughed again and prepared to explain.


    "No, it isn''t a simple coincidence that I am here today. My grandfather told me that you hadn''t yet used your contribution points and, having heard today you would be taken to the inner sect, I stopped here waiting for you I knew you would come first."


    "How? I could have gone to train or go home. How could you be so sure I''d come to the exchange point? Also, why were you waiting for me?"


    Hei''s tone had grown from a curious to wary. What did a girl that he had never seen or interacted with before, want from him. Was it because of his performance yesterday?


    "As Grandpa said, you are the wary type."


    Ying Yue laughed again and continued to explain,


    "Feminine intuition, you can call it. Don''t worry, anyway. I was just curious to take a look at you. There are many expectations for your potential. I hope for the sake of the sect that you will be able to meet them.


    But don''t think that you are the only one to whom the sect has entrusted its future. Besides me, there are others you need to pay attention to. Even if you have been accepted as an inner member, don''t think that it will be easy to become the strongest. Each of us carries a heavy burden and must meet the expectations of those who support us."


    That said, she reached for the glass containing the packs of pills that Hei was interested in. After taking them, she handed them to Hei with a smile.


    "But unlike some of them, I don''t mind the competition. I''m curious to see how you do in the future. Of course, it also applies to Lian, as a female martial artist, I am more interested in her than in you."


    Ying Yue then turned her gaze to Lian, who turned her away with a dull look as if she hadn''t been touched in the slightest by the girl''s statement. Seeing this, the seventh elder''s grandaughter laughed again and waved to say goodbye to Hei and Lian.


    "Until next time, don''t worry about the contribution points. I''ll take care of communicating your purchase and scaling the right amount. If you want, you can also come with me to check."


    Since her grandfather always told her to check things personally before making a judgment, she had orchestrated this meeting so she could examine the two newcomers. And as her grandfather had said, things would become eventful in the future. Therefore, it was necessary that she learned to know these two new members and prepared for every future possibility.


    "No, it''s okay. I will trust you then. I thank you for your help. "


    Although it was common practice to verify the correct deduction of contribution points, the amount Hei had was about the same price as those two packs of pills. Even if more points had been taken away, it wouldn''t have been a problem as they would have been very few. He would then leave Ying Yue the task of getting through with those formalities and take the opportunity to do something else.


    When he came out of the exchange point with Lian and the others, it was still morning. Considering that he had been seen by some inner members, it was likely that the others knew about his arrival. Therefore, it was probable that he wouldn''t be left in peace if he went to the training grounds.


    So he decided to go home for the moment. Even if he would waste time between going home and going back to the inner sect in the afternoon, it was still better than staying there without doing anything at all. He would take advantage of this time to start building a greenhouse for his rare flowers.


    The construction material was nothing but Bao Bei''s silk. Based on Hei''s experience, there wasn''t a material that was equally resistant but, at the same time, easy to implement. Once back home, it didn''t take them long to build the greenhouse.


    Once the walls and ceiling were created, Hei then proceeded to divide the space inside. With everyone''s help, he began to dig the soil by hand; since the greenhouse was decidedly smaller than the field, it wasn''t necessary to take the plow and fix it to the buffaloes.


    For lunchtime, they were able to complete the work without encountering problems, even placing a layer of fertilizer on top. Now all Hei had to do was plant the seeds, but he would leave it for later. It was time to eat, and then he would have to prepare to return to the inner sect.


    ''Son, have you decided then what to follow as a secondary activity?'' Bao Bei asked at one point during their meal.


    "I honestly don''t know, what do you advise me about?" Hei asked in turn.


    Indeed, all three activities appeared to be profitable. But, as he wasn''t knowledgeable about them, he didn''t know how to distinguish their advantages and disadvantages. So he was a little at a loss about what to choose.


    ''Why don''t you choose alchemy? It is mainly about treating plants and other materials. Given your knowledge about plants, it is the one that suits you best. Furthermore, you could learn to create the materials for your cultivation yourself, reducing the costs of contribution points.''


    Hearing this, it didn''t seem like a bad idea at all. With his knowledge of growing plants, if Hei had learned how to make pills and other medicines, he could reduce his expenses considerably. But then another question arose.


    "And what about Lian? Will she also learn alchemy?"


    He asked this question not because he didn''t trust in Lian''s learning skills, but because he wanted her to choose something really suitable for her.


    But his mother had already thought about everything,


    ''Don''t worry. I plan to have her study formations. Sending both to study alchemy would be a waste. By splitting you instead, you could complement each other. Furthermore, studying formations is perfectly suited to the lotus style that she is learning. However, it won''t be just you two who will be separated.''


    At that point, Bao Bei turned to her two daughters committed to devouring the flesh of some bird that the bees had killed during their pollen harvest and given to the family in the spiderweb house.


    ''You two, my little ones, you will have to be divided. Ye will go with Hei while Xing with Lian.''


    Feeling that they had to be separated, the little spider and the little snake began to throw tantrums because they didn''t understand the need. Their mother, however, patiently waited for them to calm down before explaining the reasons to them.


    ''Xing, you have a calmer and more reflective character, suitable for controlling multiple external formations. Ye, on the other hand, you have a more fiery character, but at the same time, more sensitive to the changes of things close to you, so you are more apt to study alchemy. Then, will you be good and follow your lessons with commitment? Will you do it for your mother?''


    Knowing the character of her two daughters, Bao Bei had played an infallible card - their love for her. With the possibility of making their mother happy, the two little spirit beasts nodded vigorously and accepted.


    In the end, it wasn''t a definitive separation but only a few hours. They would meet again at the end of the classes and return home together where their dinner would be.

 Chapter 46 - Request

    With the two little spirit beasts convinced, the discussion inside the spiderweb house subsided - Hei would bring Ye with him while Lian would take Xing.


    On hearing that he would be away from Xing, Hei also felt a bit awkward given that he usually did things alone or with both his little sisters. But it was his mother''s decisions, so he stopped thinking about it and accepted it, as he had absolute faith in their mother and knew that she was indeed doing it for their own good.


    Instead, he decided to talk about something else that had tugged his mind for some time and made him uneasy.


    "Mother, can I ask you to stay at home this afternoon as well as in others when we go to class in the inner sect?"


    Hei''s request was a bolt from the blue. Never Bao Bei nor his daughters would have expected such a request from him. Among the three, Hei was undoubtedly the most attached and devoted to Bao Bei. It was hard to imagine that he had spoken these words even though they had listened to them just a moment ago.


    Feeling that there was a good reason for his request, Bao Bei raised one of her legs to calm the little spider and the little snake and turned to Hei. Her eight eyes were concentrated on Hei''s face, and he didn''t look away. With such a gesture, he was indicating how serious he was about what he had asked.


    ''Why do you want me to stay home, my little one? Speak freely; tell me what you are thinking.''


    The tone of Bao Bei was calm without a trace of anger, inducing him to relax the tension that he had begun to feel after saying those words. After all, it wasn''t something he would usually have asked for.


    "When we were in the Multicolor Leaf Forest, you started feeling more and more tired and falling asleep more and more. But from the day we had to leave, you always stayed awake to watch over us. I know that mother is tired and needs rest, that''s why I want you to stay here to rest. The inner sect is controlled; there are the guards and the sect''s elders. Nothing will happen to us, so I want you to rest as long as possible. Do it for me, please, mom."


    When he finished saying what he had kept hidden in his heart for some time, Hei kowtowed to the ground to beg his mother to listen to him. Just because he cared about his mother''s health, he was doing all this.


    Seeing her son beg her, Bao Bei felt a strange emotion. She didn''t like that Hei was doing something like that, especially because she was the cause of the problem.


    Indeed, with her vital force dropping, she needed as much rest as possible to contain the continued decrease in her strength. In the Multicolor Leaf Forest, when her children went to the village, she took long naps to recuperate her strength in case of need.


    However, the incident with the bandits and the risk of having almost lost her children had caused her such anxiety that she could no longer cut loose and sleep again as she did before. Only at night could she calm down a little, but she would still wake up several times in the middle of the night to see if her treasures were there with her.


    With the Green City incident and the training to plan for Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing as well as the other activities that her son had put in place, she had further suppressed her tiredness to keep watch over them and not fall back again in the same error.


    But that ended up having an unwanted effect - Hei had become more and more worried about her.


    Initially, he hadn''t taken much notice of it because he had many things to do, but as time went on, it had become increasingly evident to him, and in the end, he was no longer able to stop himself from talking.


    He knew his mother was doing it for them, and it was just that reason he couldn''t stand - he couldn''t stand his weakness that was forcing his mother to tire so much for them.


    Pleading with her mother was his way of declaring that there was no need for her to try so hard but also, that he would show her that he was capable of defending the family with his own strength and that Bao Bei could give herself a little bit of deserved rest without worry.


    Sensing all the emotions inside her son, Bao Bei eventually decided to consent. They were growing, and she couldn''t impose herself forever in their lives. Fortunately, the Flower Sect was well protected, and there would be no problems in giving them more freedom. Even if accidents had already occurred due to her absence, she nevertheless decided to trust her son''s words and consent to his request.


    ''All right, that''s fine. I will do as you asked, my little one.'' Bao Bei said in a calm voice but, at the same time, a little melancholy. Although she wasn''t entirely convinced within herself, she decided to suppress her concerns.


    Listening to his mother''s surrender, at last, Hei slowly raised his eyes to meet his mother''s. In his expression, one could read gratitude and remorse as well as resoluteness for the promise he had made.


    ''This time it will be different, I have become stronger, and I will become even more so. I won''t let mother each time consume her energy to help me. I''ll take care of solving whatever situation comes up.'' Hei thought to himself as he stood up.


    Ye and Xing meanwhile approached their mother and squeezed one of her legs for a long time.


    With all that had happened before, they had forgotten that fact. Yet as soon as Hei mentioned it, the worries they had buried in the corner of their minds came back more powerful than ever. They regretted not having noticed it before as well as cursing their weakness.


    If it hadn''t been for Hei, they would have continued not to notice who knows for how long. With a new determination within them, the two broke away from the embrace with their mother. They decided to put more effort into what they were already doing. They didn''t want to be a burden to their mother or their big brother.


    Noticing that it was getting late, Bao Bei ordered them all to hurry up and start going. She certainly didn''t want them to be late since the first day, considering that everything was new to them.


    With bitterness in their hearts, the three of them, together with Lian, left the spiderweb house to go to the inner sect. Even if they were feeling dejected, at the same time, they couldn''t help but be excited about the new things that were waiting for them and accelerated their pace.


    Bao Bei accompanied them out of the spiderweb house and stood in her place until she was no longer able to see them with her eyes. In the end, she sighed inwardly and returned to their home. Since she had decided to fulfill her son''s request, she couldn''t take back her word; all Bao Bei could do now was to recover as much strength as she could in order to stay with them for as long as possible.


    Shui ordered the buffalos to protect the spider''s house as well as the queen bee, who ordered a group of her exploring bees to monitor the surrounding area. With Bao Bei resting, even if it was a completely useless measure, they couldn''t help but put themselves in defensive mode and watch her during her sleep.


    Meanwhile, Hei and the others had reached their destination. Except for Lian, the others were still shaken by the matter before, but it wasn''t the time to let the emotions take over. Even though it was a bit strange not to have their mother with them, they had to concentrate on their homework.


    Hei took Lian and his two sisters to one of the large buildings for the younger generation''s training. Asking for directions to various passing inner members, he asked where the two classrooms designed for the study of alchemy and the study of formations were.


    Fortunately, they were both in the same building, and Hei took Lian and Xing to their first. There, Lian was registered as a student. She was also provided with a notebook and a book about the symbols used for creating formations as well as other writing materials.


    Since it wasn''t something secret, the sect provided this information free of charge to those who enrolled in the course. The difficulty in creating formations didn''t consist of learning the various symbols used but in knowing which ones to use and how to weave them together to get the desired result.


    Once assured that they had everything they needed, Hei left them to follow their lesson and quickly ran to his classroom, arriving fortunately in time before the lesson began. There, he underwent the same procedure as Lian and was given a notebook and a book containing an encyclopedia on the ingredients commonly used for alchemy and their properties as well as writing materials.


    Like how in formations'' creation, knowing the ingredients used by heart didn''t lead to the certainty of being able to create the desired pill or potion. The same, in turn, also applied to blacksmithing. The theory, therefore, only carried up to a certain point, and from there, it would go to the crafter''s personal ability in knowing how to manage the various elements of the creation''s process.


    After completing the formalities, Hei came in with Ye, who was excitedly waving her tail, curious at what they would do. Even if she honestly would have preferred something more eventful, she trusted her mother''s judgment and was looking forward to creating something.


    The classroom used for the lesson was a large rather simple room - there were a series of wooden counters arranged horizontally, and in front of these, there was a large table, also of wood, in which there were several closed boxes. From the smell that came from these, Hei deduced there were plants inside. At a corner near the large table was placed a kind of brazier with dry wood placed over it.


    The few present inner members began to whisper among themselves as he entered with a snake in his arms. They recognized him instantly and were surprised to see him there.


    They had known that he had shown up during the morning alongside the sect leader but had subsequently disappeared suddenly. No one had seen him for the rest of the day, even though they had looked for him in every place available to the younger generation. Now instead, he was there with them to take the alchemy course for inner members.


    This fact seemed curious to them because they had thought Hei would have preferred to focus exclusively on fighting rather than following a secondary activity simultaneously with cultivation. Although alchemy, formations, and blacksmithing were useful to improve control over one''s spirit power, it wasn''t something that everyone did immediately after entering the inner sect.


    Their most urgent concern would be to increase their strength as much as possible, and only once they realized they couldn''t be among the best, they would concentrate on secondary activities.


    Obviously, it wasn''t a rule applied to all inner members - the personal disciples of the sect''s elders with their exceptional talent and the resources at their disposal could efficiently study secondary activities in addition to cultivating their spirit power.


    In their eyes, Hei''s action was as if he were saying that alone he was on the same level as the personal disciples supported by the elders and the factions behind them. Therefore he could very well study alchemy without having delays on his own cultivation.


    It was something unheard of for someone who came from nowhere, and it appeared arrogant as an action. However, the demonstration of the previous day was still vivid in their eyes, and they couldn''t do anything but be thrilled to see if he really had such a level of talent.


    The commotion present in the classroom was soon appeased by the arrival of the teacher assigned for the lesson of the day. Since it was a general course on alchemy, each lesson was conducted by a different teacher among the various inner members who worked as alchemists for the sect, given their commitments and the little free time available. Of course, for their service, the various teachers would be rewarded with contribution points. It also applied to the other two classes.


    Regarding alchemy lessons, these consisted of explaining the creation of a specific pill or potion for each lesson. It would start first with an introductory explanation of the ingredients and then proceed to a practical demonstration of how the procedure was carried out with a lot of explanations attached.


    Of course, the pills and potions explained were the most common; if you wanted to learn the rarer ones, you had to meet specific requirements as well as pay an appropriate amount of contribution points.


    However, the recently settled fuss reappeared again at the sight of the person who came as the lesson of the day''s teacher. It was none other than the third elder of the sect. He was also the alchemy division''s head, who was in charge of producing pills and potions on behalf of the sect.


    According to rumors circulating in the inner sect, his skill in alchemy was even higher than the sect leader. He was said to be among the best even in the entire Rainbow Island, perhaps even number one.


    But since it was difficult to formalize a competition to show who was the best alchemist of the entire island, this rumor couldn''t be verified. Nevertheless, he was a talented individual in that field, not counting his cultivation that placed him at the peak of the level of strength reachable on Rainbow Island.


    Those present couldn''t help but get excited - even for inner members, it was difficult to meet one of the elders in person, and within them, a fire of trepidation and hope lit up. Although it was an absurd idea, they couldn''t help wishing to show off and receive the third elder''s attention.


    They had already renounced to be among the best in terms of combat between those of the younger generation. So, the future that awaited them was just that of simple alchemists who had to create potions and pills on behalf of the sect as simple gears of a more complex system.


    However, before them, the opportunity to rise from their position as mere gears had unexpectedly appeared. Perhaps, they could become one of the engines on which the sect was based.


    The personal disciples of the third, fourth, and fifth elders were, in fact, chosen based on their ability in their secondary field rather than on their cultivation and fighting strength. For the sect leader and the remaining elders'' disciples, on the contrary, strength was the decisive factor.


    Therefore, becoming a personal disciple of the third elder would give them a certain status within the sect. And, even if they didn''t reach his level of talent, able to place him among the best alchemists of the island, they would still have the opportunity to study rare recipes and improve their skills. That would bring them to a level that would be unreachable if they remained as mere gears.

 Chapter 47 - Alchemic Demonstration

    "Silence."


    A simple command. But the third elder needed just that single word to calm the people in the room who were excited about the incredible opportunity that appeared before them.


    In addition to the other inner members, Hei appeared influenced by the third elder''s arrival as well. He had recognized who the newly arrived was, but rather than trepidation in meeting one of the sect''s highest authorities, he was confused about why a big shot like him had come to that place today.


    ''Can they send one of the elders for a simple lesson? Is it just a coincidence, or is there a particular reason? Did he come because I''m here?''


    Hei thought quickly in his head. He didn''t know the third elder, but it seemed nonsensical that he had come here unless he had an ulterior motive. After all, being one of the seven elders and leading the sect''s alchemy division, it was difficult to think he was so free to be able to conduct a simple alchemy lesson for inner members. The only plausible reason he could think behind this action was himself.


    If that was the case, it was likely that on Lian''s side, there was the fifth elder in charge of the formation division. The only thing that remained to be understood now was whether it was a sect leader''s order or a personal action of those elders. But in both cases, the current situation wouldn''t change, so he decided not to worry about it too much.


    With the silence restored, the third elder looked briefly at the various inner members who would follow the lesson. His gaze focused particularly on Hei, who sat on the sidelines and was watching his surroundings. From his expression, one could read a particular curiosity towards Hei, but the man immediately turned away his gaze in order not to reveal that interest openly.


    "Good afternoon, everyone, as I think you all know, I am the third elder. Today I will exceptionally take the job as a teacher for this lesson. I ask you to keep silence and follow without fuss. If there are questions, you can raise a hand, and I will explain the topic in question again."


    The third elder gave a brief pause to look at the various inner members again and continued as soon as he noticed that everyone was paying attention to him.


    "All right, I see you understand quickly. Today''s topic will be the creation of cultivation pills. We will start first with the one designed for the first stage, and if we have enough time, we will also see the creation of the pill for the second stage."


    The inner student members who heard those words became amazed. They were part of the younger generation and had already attended the course for some time. The previous lessons had always been on pills and potions with minor effects, which if they had been sold, they would have made a small gain compared to the cost of materials and of the time spent. Now, instead, the lesson was on the pills designed to increase cultivation.


    It should be known that for the pills with the effect of speeding up the cultivation, one had to pay a sum of contribution points to acquire the recipe. It was also forbidden to sell them for one''s profit, but they had to be sold exclusively to the sect.


    It was done due to the importance of such pills. Even when it came to the pills of the first two stages, this imposition was valid. After all, the sale of cultivation pills was one of the major sources of revenue for the sect. Having an inner member who was selling his pills as a private individual would influence the sect''s earnings.


    The Flower Sect was one of the largest suppliers of alchemical products in the kingdom, so much so that it had an exclusive sales agreement in some cities. Therefore, demanded items such as cultivation pills were subject to so many restrictions that it wasn''t possible for a solitary alchemist not affiliated with a particular sect or organization to sell his products freely.


    Of course, to avoid discontent, this imposition was placed only on cultivation pills while the other products were free from this rule. In any case, the inner members would hardly sell outside, not only because of the annoyance of having to worry about the sale but also because they wouldn''t acquire contribution points.


    They also had to deal with the security issue. Especially for the pills and potions of a particular rarity, it was dangerous to try to sell them as private. Relying on the sect was, therefore, the only sure way to be able to make a profit without endangering one''s life.


    It was also possible to sell products to external people through the mediation of the sect. The sect would then deal with every detail in exchange for a part of the earnings. It was done because the needs of the sect changed regularly, and the products for which it didn''t have a real need were paid less than a person who needed a particular specific object.


    For all these reasons, the words of the third elder appeared unexpected. He implicitly meant that they wouldn''t have to pay contribution points for the recipes of the two pills that would be explained that day. They could start producing them during their free time and then sold those to the sect and made some contribution points or acquired other materials to focus on more rare recipes.


    Seeing that everyone''s attention was focused on him again, the third elder began to open the boxes on the table one by one; in the meantime, a couple of inner members entered the classroom carrying a large cauldron which they placed on the brazier near the third elder. Once they laid it down, the two bowed to the third elder and went out silently.


    At that point, the third elder began the lesson by illustrating, one by one, the various ingredients and properties they had individually. Such notions immediately caught Hei''s interest while Ye looked a little bored. To help her focus on the lesson, Hei assigned her to write down everything the third elder was saying. Therefore, he gave her the quill they received along with the books, after plunging the tip into the ink bottle.


    Since she had already seen similar tools during their time at Leaf Village, Ye was familiar with the quill pen, and taking it with her tail, she began to write quickly on the pages of the notebook.


    "Take note of everything, ok? Good little sister." Hei whispered as he lightly stroked Ye''s head, which made her tongue flicker outside for the pleasant sensation.


    Once the third elder finished explaining the individual materials, he paused to see how the students were proceeding, and if they were understanding.


    "Well, since there are no problems with this part, I will go on to show you the actual procedure instead. As you well know, alchemy is based on mixing materials, balancing their balance toward the desired effect. In order to do this, you use a cauldron. Inside, you place the various ingredients that will be dissolved uniformly. At the same time, with one''s spirit power, one has to regulate the reaction speed and the other phenomena that occur. For this reason, precise and lasting control of one''s spirit power is necessary.


    Usually, the most used method for the materials'' dissolution is the hot flame one, which is also the most common one. There are others, but it isn''t a topic that will be discussed today. However, remember that the method used significantly influences the type of result that will be produced."


    At that point, the third elder began to put the ingredients one by one, explaining which were to go as they were and which were to be treated by cutting them, ground to become powder, mixed or diluted with other substances. When he finished, he pulled out a shiny green jade box with some incisions written on it.


    As soon as he opened the box, a small red ball shot out at full speed around and then paused on the third elder''s hand. The ball was spinning rapidly around his palm.


    Seeing that little ball, the inner members present could do nothing but open their mouths in amazement. He who didn''t know what it was, instinctively understood that it was something rare, not so much because of the reaction provoked but because of this flame''s peculiarity.


    The third elder didn''t waste further time and began to explain what that flame ball was.


    "As some of you will know, this is an elemental essence. In short, an elemental essence is like a spirit stone; in fact, they share the same birth process. However, they are distinguished from normal spirit stones because they aren''t of neutral energy, but contain in them the energy of a specific element; in this case, the element is fire. They also differ further from spirit stones because they have a certain amount of awareness that varies depending on the amount of elemental force they contain."


    Upon hearing of awareness, Hei briefly flinched but recovered immediately after.


    ''Mother said that inanimate spirit beasts need to awaken their spirit power, to form their own awareness, and to create something organic like blood. Although I don''t know the specifications for such a transformation, these elemental essences can be considered as pseudo spirit beasts in the end.''


    Pseudo spirit beasts. If he succeeded in acquiring a few, perhaps he could understand how to transform the elemental essences into inanimate spirit beasts.


    As he brooded over it, the third elder continued.


    "The elemental essences are very rare to find and are therefore a cause of fights as soon as we have news of them. However, even if you can defeat the other contenders, one shouldn''t think that they are easy to tame. The elemental essences, especially those with more elemental power, are difficult to tame, and they can arrive to kill the user at the slightest chance in case you don''t have perfect control over them.


    Usually, the elemental essences, especially those containing the fire element, are used in alchemy and blacksmithing due to the ability to more easily control the flame during the creation process. But these are also used to increase one''s fighting power in addition to a productive purpose, but it isn''t something that interests you at the moment. Well, then get close so you can look carefully. "


    Having said this, he signaled those present to approach the cauldron while he placed the elemental essence flame on the brazier with wood and closed the lid of the cauldron.


    He then took Ye in his arms and the notebook on which she was writing and approached with the others.


    "Write down everything you hear and feel, okay? But don''t use your spirit power, just use your normal senses." Hei said in such a quiet tone that he could only be heard by Ye, who was in his arms. She nodded vigorously with her head to indicate that she had understood.


    Although it was a well-known fact for the elders that she was a spirit beast, he still didn''t want for her to receive too much attention from others. A secret card was such when more people didn''t know of its existence or its true identity. He wanted his sisters to pass as two little spirit beasts pet, that''s all.


    Only in extreme cases would he use them for combat, meaning when he had to kill his opponent without any hesitation.


    Hei and the others activated their spirit power as they grabbed some strings attached to the cauldron on which other symbols were engraved.


    "These are alchemical manipulation strings. Since you aren''t able to shift your spirit power to external objects, these strings act as a means of passage for your spirit power to reach the cauldron. The engravings serve precisely for this purpose and can also help you with the quantity and speed of the flow you imbue. But at the moment, just concentrate on perceiving the changes inside, okay?" Asked the third elder with a stern look.


    Hei, together with the others, nodded his head in response before returning with his gaze fixed on the cauldron.


    ''Incredible, with this string, I can perceive the inside of the cauldron. It''s like how I can feel the inside of my body during cultivation. Here are the ingredients; even if I don''t see them, I am able to feel them.'' Hei thought to himself.


    His astonishment was normal. It was the first time he felt such a sensation. It was one thing to be able to perceive the inside of one''s body, but now it was something inanimate with which he had never had anything to do before.


    The third elder looked at him quickly before continuing,


    "The first thing to do is light the fire."


    With a wave of his hand, he signaled to his elemental essence to start burning the wood that caught fire immediately after. It was amazing how a process that would have required a lot of time had been completed in a few moments.


    "Usually, you have to wait for the flame to reach sufficient intensity before laying the cauldron. But with a fire elemental essence, this passage is avoidable. The next step is to stir the ingredients inside with your spirit power. At the beginning of alchemy, various objects were used to move the mixture inside, but it turned out that in this way, the final product would contain more impurities due to contact with the outside. So now, spirt power is used to do such work while the mixture is within a closed system."


    The ingredients inside began to whirl fiercely inside the cauldron. And yet, despite the impetus of their movements, they were all aligned precisely rather than following a chaotic path. Thus, they avoided colliding with each other. They were also being dissolved at different times, starting first with those most sensitive to temperature increases. From here, it was possible to see the degree of control that the third elder possessed.


    "After this phase, we move on to amalgamate the whole thing while we take away everything we don''t need."


    Then he connected a metal tube connected to a metal container that was carried from one of the boxes on the table. Raising the lid a little, he put the metal tube through which it could soon be heard the sound of something passing inside towards the attached container.


    "Thanks to the high temperature, it is possible to bring everything we don''t want into the form of gas and take it away. Remember that you need to adjust the temperature inside, creating different temperature zones inside the cauldron. This process also serves to eliminate any impurities while what we need is blended together until we create a pill."


    After a while, the flame on the brazier subsided, and the third elder lifted the lid. From the outside, it could be seen that on the cauldron''s bottom, there was a single pill that stood there alone. From its aspect, Hei could see that it was slightly larger than the first-stage pills he had previously bought, which means that this was purer than the ones he had used.


    After the demonstration, the third elder passed to answer the various questions that were asked to him. The inner members were all excited and wanted to demonstrate their skills by asking interesting questions about the demonstration or their other experiments that had a similar process. Hei, on the other hand, asked for nothing but remain silent while listening carefully.

 Chapter 48 - Family Dinner

    ''Did this demonstration bore you by chance?''


    While the third elder was answering the inner member''s questions, suddenly, a mental message came to Hei''s mind.


    It was the first time that someone else besides his mother or his sisters spoke to him in that way, and so he was slightly surprised that someone else''s voice was ringing in his head, but he quickly recomposed himself.


    The voice in question wasn''t entirely unfamiliar; it was the third elder''s voice who was continuing to provide answers as if nothing strange was happening. From this, Hei understood that the man in front of him had a remarkable ability to divide his attention into several things. He wasn''t missing anything of what was happening in his surroundings.


    Without further delaying thinking about why the third elder was contacting him, Hei replied calmly.


    ''It doesn''t bore me at all. Instead, I was amazed, and I am curious to see the next pill''s procedure. It''s just that I have no pertinent questions to ask at the moment. It is the first time I come into contact with the alchemical creation process. Having no experience, I don''t know what questions to ask. However, I was able to follow everything described in your explanation, and in any case, I noted every single step and words.''


    To this answer, the third elder''s eyes moved briefly to Hei and noticed that indeed the small snake in his arms was filling page after page of the notebook. It was a very curious scene, but at the time, he had no time to examine that curious creature, nor did he intend to. He had already been warned by the sect leader not to investigate the boy''s identity and oddities.


    ''All right. The sect leader herself asked me to come and teach a lesson for you today, the same goes for the fifth elder for the formation class. If you had chosen blacksmithing, you would have found the fourth elder. It is a privilege that is granted to you only this time because of your potential. Whether you or your partner can take advantage of this opportunity depends only on you.'' The third elder explained calmly.


    ''Can I ask the reason for this action? I am grateful to the sect leader and the elders for this opportunity, but I am interested in the reason.''


    ''The reason is simple - we need you to get stronger as quickly as possible, that''s all. More details will be given to you later. There is no reason why you should worry about it now. As you know, the sect leader has no bad intentions. She just wants you to be able to help with her business as soon as possible. For this reason, if you have decided to pursue secondary activities, we have decided to give you and Lian a taste of what a master is so that you can improve your skills more quickly. ''


    Ending the conversation here, the third elder clapped his hands to indicate that the questions time was over and that the present inner members had to return to their seats for the continuation of the lesson. It caused a little discontent in them because they wanted to continue impressing the third elder, but they quickly recovered to the fact that the lesson wouldn''t be ended there.


    Hei followed his other companions and decided not to continue to question beyond the man; after all, nothing would have changed if he had known the sect leader''s plans in detail right from the start. His goal wouldn''t have changed at all - he simply had to become stronger and overcome every challenge thrown at him.


    The third elder then went on to explain the second-stage pill following the same explanation procedure he had used before for the first-stage pill. When he had finished explaining it and answering the following questions, it was time to end the lesson while the sunset was approaching outside.


    The inner members in the classroom greeted the third elder by bowing their heads in respect and waited for him to leave before starting to talk to each other about the incredible occasion of that day.


    Hei took advantage of this to sneak out of the classroom unseen. Fortunately, the general attention had settled on the third elder, and he was quickly forgotten by his fellow students, which was, on the contrary, a very welcomed thing to him since he didn''t like to have other people''s eyes on him.


    With quick steps, he went to the classroom where Xing and Lian were, and after making sure they were alright, he took Lian by hand as Xing returned to his body and brought everyone out of the inner sect to the spiderweb house.


    They arrived at their destination when the sunset was in the middle of its path. Outside the spiderweb house, waiting for them, was Bao Bei. She had been waiting outside for their arrival for some time by now.


    In reality, Bao Bei, while trying to make an effort to fulfill her son''s request, had woken up several times tormented during her afternoon nap. She had been wondering if she should have gone to sneak into the inner sect and ascertain her cubs'' safety. But she managed to hold back her impulses and was able to resist until the end of the day.


    When she saw Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian returning unharmed and happy, the anxiety that was gripping her heart melted like snow in the sun, and an irrepressible joy enveloped her. Quickly, after increasing her size, she reached them and hugged them one by one, including Lian.


    The four let her do it; they also were very happy about this show of affection. Although she wasn''t her daughter, Lian also didn''t mind that affectionate gesture. It had been a long time since she had been so warmly squeezed. She let herself enjoy the feeling that she was living, regardless of whether a big spider was hugging her instead of a human being.


    After freeing them from her embrace, Bao Bei took them all to eat. Hei thanked Shui, the buffaloes, and the bees for guarding his mother. For the occasion, Hei proposed, therefore, to have dinner outdoors, and everyone went to work for the preparations.


    In a short time, they took the wood necessary for a bonfire as well as fruits and flowers from the nearby forest that was once the beehive''s home. Ye and Xing also managed to capture one rabbit each, and Hei showed off his skills as a butcher by removing the skin from the meat evenly, and with his mother, they began to prepare soup by dipping the rabbit meat together.


    When it was finally ready, it was already evening, and under the stars'' radiance, humans, animals, and spirit beasts sat together to eat together as equals.


    From the outside, it would undoubtedly have been considered as an absurd scene. After all, it was difficult for people to imagine eating surrounded by a herd of buffaloes and an entire hive while there were also snakes and spiders.


    No one would want such disturbing and dangerous animals near them during such a vulnerable time as during meals. But for Hei, it wasn''t strange at all. It was such an ordinary scene that it couldn''t be more ordinary. Even Lian, who wasn''t born in the same circumstances as Hei, showed no aversion to being surrounded by all those living beings. She simply ate her soup calmly without showing any reaction.


    "Thank you for agreeing to my request, mother, and sorry again."


    At a certain point, Hei came out with those words as he shifted his attention to the nocturnal sky. Even though he had received his mother''s consent, he couldn''t help feeling guilty, since he knew that this choice would make her worry. But it was a more bearable consequence than to make her tire and damage her health.


    Bao Bei, who sensed that he must still be a bit down for what he had said before, answered to calm him down.


    ''Don''t worry, I''ve already told you it''s okay. It''s true that I didn''t have a peaceful sleep this afternoon, but I trust you. Today, everything went well, and you all came back safe and sound; you just have to keep doing this. That''s all, okay? So don''t worry about that anymore.''


    Once she succeeded in calming her son, Bao Bei later made her cubs tell the details of the day since they were separated. Xing and Lian had received the fifth elder''s lesson. They had examined two formations - one for temperature control and one for regulating the intensity of the sun''s rays, creating a kind of productive screen from excessive heat.


    When Hei heard this, he was impressed. He didn''t know what formations there were or what types were usually the first to be taught, but it was certainly no coincidence that the fifth elder had explained such formations - those were indeed coveted formations for a plant grower.


    Although he had a spirit vein, with rare flowers and plants, he had to pay more attention and care to the smallest details. If Xing and Lian learned these formations, he would have fewer worries in the future while planting flowers inside the greenhouse.


    After Xing''s story ended, Ye went on to talk about her day with Hei. Even though she had found it a bit boring at first, she wasn''t so disappointed in the end. The only thing was that she didn''t like to have to memorize the name of each plant and other materials and their properties; fortunately, however, she could always ask her big brother.


    When a few hours had passed, Bao Bei sent everyone to sleep as to rest in order to resume their activities the next day. For the occasion, however, she decided that they would all sleep outdoors as the temperature was pleasant enough. Just in case, she quickly created a large silk blanket with which she covered her children and Lian, and lay on the ground next to them with the buffaloes and bees that positioned themselves around them.


    Since their alchemy and formation lessons didn''t happen every day, Hei didn''t return to the inner sect the next day. Having all his territory available, he could train there without having to go to the inner sect''s training grounds designed for the younger generation. Moreover, at the moment, his priority was to move to the third stage as soon as possible. Only then, he would be able to learn new techniques.


    Not having to learn new techniques, he concentrated on improving what he already knew and on cultivating assiduously even with the help of the pills he had bought from the exchange center that increased his and Lian''s cultivation speed.


    In about a month, he was able to move from the middle second stage to the beginning third stage. Thus, he passed from the stage of muscles to that of the organs. His speed could only be described as monstrous for the Rainbow Island''s martial artists. But Hei was a reserved type and didn''t go to show off his new reached stage. The same went for Lian, who reached the third stage immediately like him.


    In fact, besides going for alchemy and formations classes, they avoided going to the inner sect, preferring to stay at their home. In the eyes of the whole sect, especially the outer sect that desired that opportunity, their behavior was unbelievable. Still, by now, they had begun to cope with those couple''s weirdness.


    During this month, in addition to increasing his strength, Hei also focused on his greenhouse project. At his mother''s suggestion, Hei divided the greenhouse into two parts - in one, he would put rare but harmless flowers while in the other, he would plant poisonous flower seeds.


    This decision was made because Bao Bei was laying the foundations for when Hei would reach the sixth stage. With the opening of the meridians and the discovery of their element, one had to convert their neutral spirit power into their innate element until it created in the martial artist''s body what was called an elemental seed.


    Usually, it would have been almost impossible to know for sure one''s future element. However, Hei had a bloodline, and therefore, he could maneuver two elements of which one was certainly poison that was the element of his bloodline.


    During the elemental conversion process, the martial artist would gradually increase the percentage of the process''s completion. Once he reached eighty percent, he could try to break through to the next rank, the spirit soldier one.


    Of course, the higher the amount of conversion percentage, the greater the chances of breaking into the next rank, and it would be less difficult learning one''s element law. Unfortunately, the closer one got to the one hundred percent elemental conversion, the more difficult the conversion process would become.


    In order to overcome this problem, various experiments were done throughout history, and it was discovered that by taking pills containing elemental properties of the specific element that one possessed, it was possible to accelerate and facilitate this process. Later, they also discovered other more effective methods, but since they represented more significant risks, taking pills remained the most common and safe one.


    Thus, by crossing generations of poisonous flowers to increase their toxicity, Hei would later have to create a pill containing strong poisonous power. But if he wanted to absorb such a quantity of poison without deadly consequences, he had to improve his poison resistance. It was the reason why he had focused on reaching the third stage as soon as possible.


    The organ stage strengthened the internal organs of a martial artist, endowing it with resistance to poisons and other common toxic substances. However, the poison of organisms containing spirit power couldn''t be neutralized by simply reaching the third stage, and one had to be subjected to a special and barbaric training to increase their resistance.


    And it was precisely this brutal training that Hei would have to do after reaching the third stage - increasing his resistance to poison by taking on larger and larger quantities of poison.


    ''You have reached the third stage, but you will need to train yourself to increase your poison resistance capacity. It isn''t only indispensable for when you reach the meridian stage, but also to learn the two detection techniques - spider hair and snake tongue.'' Bao Bei explained seriously.


    As her son''s reached higher stages, the training he had to undergo would increase in intensity and brutality. Constantly absorbing poison was a painful process for a being not endowed with poison like humans. She hated having to hurt her son, but it was the only way to make him stronger as quickly as possible.


    Hei had no resentment towards his mother, and even if the following training sessions were harder than the previous ones, he certainly wouldn''t blame his mother for it. It was his decision to accept doing such training, and if he was to blame anyone, they were none other than himself.

 Chapter 49 - Lian’s Resolve

    ''You have reached the third stage, but you will need to train yourself to increase your poison resistance capacity. It isn''t only indispensable for when you reach the meridian stage, but also to learn the two detection techniques at your disposal - spider hair and snake tongue.''


    It was what his mother said as she introduced the two new techniques Hei was supposed to learn. This time was one technique per style, for a total of two.


    ''Although these are neither attack nor defense techniques, these two are essential techniques for your growth. Martial artists, having reached a certain level of mastery of their spirit power, can use that to perform a technique called spirit search. It merely consists of spreading one''s spirit power in the surroundings to detect any traces of spirit power, thus avoiding being caught unawares by the enemy.


    However, its weak point is that it detects only active spirit power sources. That is to say; if one momentarily deactivate one''s spirit power, they cannot be perceived. Furthermore, using spirit search implies revealing your position to anyone within the search range. For this reason, it can be considered a double-edged technique to be used with due precautions.''


    Bao Bei paused to let Hei understand every word and didn''t lose the flow of the conversation. Only after she was assured that Hei was following what she was saying, she went on.


    ''Therefore, you must learn to use alternative techniques that don''t require using spirit power and can perceive nearby enemies. And regarding that aspect, here come into play spider hair and snake tongue. These two derive from how spiders and snakes perceive the surrounding world.


    You must know, typically, spiders don''t have such good eyesight, except for some spider species. In order to detect prey, they use the hair on their bodies to pick up vibrations from a moving object or body. Snakes also don''t have good eyesight, although some species have adapted to see in low light conditions. But, in any case, they cannot see detailed images. However, they have another way to detect prey or predators, which is their tongue. Snakes'' tongues are, in fact, capable of detecting scents.


    Thus, spider hair technique consists of using your body hair to detect vibrations while snake tongue uses your tongue to identify scents. As a human being, you, Hei, you have good eyesight. However, your sense of hearing and smell are inferior to those of animals. With these techniques, you can improve your flaws. But you must always remember not to trust too much in a single sense. Only by utilizing multiple sense you can contrast enemies who are good at hiding themselves.''


    Hearing this, Hei was struck. Over the years, he had actually noticed that fact. He had been surprised by how he was easily discovered at the beginning of his hunting training. Therefore, he was happy to be able to fill his flaws in those aspects. Yet something was tugging his mind.


    "Mother, you said that spiders and snakes don''t usually have good eyesight; yet you, Xing and Ye don''t seem to have ever had any vision problems of any kind, or am I wrong?"


    Even after all these years together, he had never heard his mother or his two little sisters complain about their sights. Indeed, if his mother hadn''t pointed it out to him, he would never have known that fact.


    Bao Bei chuckled at her son''s question before answering. Of course, more than a human-like laugh, it would have seemed like a series of squeaks in succession to another''s ear. But for Hei, it was a beautiful sound. Like a forest fairy who was playing with him.


    ''As we are divine beasts, we don''t have that kind of problem. Therefore, we can see as good as humans or other creatures. Before being a divine beast, mother had, in fact, various vision problems. So I had to rely on sounds to understand where I was. Looking back, it was pretty scary because predators are skilled. They stand still all the time before slinging against you, and they make little noise when they move. But fortunately, for Ye and Xing, it wasn''t the case; after all, we couldn''t have seen your face well if we hadn''t been divine beasts, and that would have been very unfortunate.''


    While explaining that anecdote, Bao Bei stretched one of her legs to caress her son''s head gently. It was true. When she was just a small spider, she had spent countless days filled with the fear of being devoured at any time. For that reason, she was grateful to her companion, who had helped her escape from that nightmare and allowed her to become a divine beast. She was also grateful that her daughters didn''t have to live that terrific experience. They could perceive the world with their own eyes and use, at the same, their other sense.


    After cuddling Hei a bit, Bao Bei went on to explain.


    ''As I was saying, these two techniques are based on these detection principles. But unfortunately, it isn''t possible for humans to autonomously use their own body like that without a catalyst that allows hair and tongue to pick up sounds and smells like spiders and snakes do. And here the poison comes into play - using your sisters'' poison as a catalyst, you can use these two techniques. For your training, you will need to be subjected to continuous poison injections over your body''s entire surface while you will also need to swallow lots of poison and let it permeate in your tongue. Did you understand everything, my little one?''


    "Yes, I correctly understood, mother. So this time, I just have to hold on until I can stand the poison, and then I can use those two techniques, right? "


    ''Yes, but don''t think that you just need to learn how to endure poison. You will also need to figure out how to perceive sounds and smells in that way until you feel them naturally as your other senses. If not, anyone who has done a similar training to increase their poison resistance capacity could have discovered those moves.''


    "Got it. And your poison, mother? Will we only use Ye and Xing''s? "


    ''My poison is too powerful for you. To use it, we should dilute a small amount with other substances, but it would still be more harmful and difficult than using that of your two little sisters. But in the future, we will use my poison when you reach the fifth stage, that of the bones. Furthermore, using Ye and Xing''s poison, the two of them will be able to train themselves by controlling their poison while injecting it into a body and increasing its quantity.''


    That said, she called the two little spirit beasts engaged with their exercises. The little spider and the little snake cheerfully ran to their mother''s call and listened as good daughters to what Bao Bei wanted them to do.


    At first, they were a little appalled to have to hurt their big brother and even injecting their poison, but since their mother said it was for Hei''s good, they decided to do it. Moreover, it was also an excuse to train with him; lately, in fact, they hadn''t trained together much since Hei was busy with his exercises and in cultivating. So they gladly accepted that opportunity.


    After a moment''s reflection, Bao Bei also called Lian in the meantime. Although she didn''t need to undergo all this, it was undeniable that it was a good thing if she increased her resistance to poison. But it was especially for another reason she decided to do so.


    Bao Bei sensed that during her imprisonment period, Lian had received various physical and psychological ill-treatment. When they welcomed her into their family, the spider had carefully examined the young girl''s body, noticing multiple wounds and bruises here and there. The only positive thing in all this was that she hadn''t suffered sexual violence. Whether it was because they had considered her too young or for some other reason, she had been spared that nightmare.


    But despite this, she was still deeply scarred. Even if she didn''t show it because of her inexpressive reactions, Bao Bei''s careful eyes and her long years of life had allowed her to see through that fake mask of impassivity - Lian was still afraid inside herself. That fear wouldn''t leave as long as she didn''t fight against the inner demons that tormented her.


    The inner demons term wasn''t related to the demon race. It was, instead, an abstract description of all the negative emotions and mental barriers that a person carried within themselves. If for ordinary people that affected daily behavior, for martial artists such inner demons were an even more severe problem, because it could also influence their cultivation training.


    Often, martial artists with inner demons couldn''t breakthrough to the next stage or rank. In the end, after various failures, they ended up resorting to drastic measures to forcibly increase their spirit power, resulting in severe consequences and ending up crippling themselves.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that high-ranking martial artists were all perfect and free of negative emotions. However, through their type of personality and willpower, it was possible to live with your inner demons without delaying cultivation. There were also people who were so arrogant and self-centered that they weren''t even able to see their flaws and were, therefore, immune to negative emotions until they experienced something that brought them back down to earth.


    Bao Bei wanted, therefore, through the physical pain to revive those emotions so that she could face her inner demons slowly until she reached a state in which she accepted what had happened to her without, however, preventing her from looking towards the future.


    When Lian knew that she would experience physical pain, she trembled visibly and curled up on the ground. It was one thing to train until you finished your strength; another was to be tortured continuously.


    When she had learned the cultivation method devised for humans by divine beasts, she had felt pain, but it was a pain lasting a few hours at most, the time to finish that process. Since she had become used to pain to some extent, it hadn''t been a problem to hold on for that length of time. But now, it was a matter of feeling pain for who knows how long. That not knowing was what terrified her. She hoped not to have to find herself again in a situation of having to feel pain for days and days.


    "C-can I... don''t... please?"


    In a soft voice, so weak as to be almost inaudible, Lian pleaded with Bao Bei not to be subjected to that training. Usually, she would have done without retort about what she was supposed to do. Lian was aware of her situation and how that strange family had helped her; consequently, her obedience was a way to show them gratitude. But this time, she just couldn''t harden her heart and reset her emotions to such a request.


    Ye and Xing immediately went to her, worried because they didn''t understand what was happening. They had seen Lian endure pain before so they couldn''t understand why she was behaving like that now.


    Hei, on the other hand, who sensed something about her behavior, approached Lian and lowered himself until they were at the same height. Then he took Lian''s face with his hands and pulled it up so she could look into his eyes.


    "I don''t know exactly why you are afraid, and I know it will seem stupid to say it, but don''t be afraid. Mother knows what she is doing. Even if they look like hard and difficult things to deal with, all she tells us to do is for our own good. I, therefore, ask you to give mother a chance. Everything will be fine. I''m there with you during this training. The ones injecting poison would be Ye and Xing, and you know that they aren''t going to hurt us viciously, right? Mother also will be with us during these sessions and will monitor us in case something happens."


    Hei''s words were straightforward but sincere at the same time. Looking into his eyes, Lian could see absolute confidence in what he had said. With her emotions in turmoil, she shifted her gaze to Bao Bei, who had approached them.


    ''If you don''t want to do it, it''s okay. I won''t force you. But you should also know that you can''t go on like that forever. Sooner or later, you will have to face what you have in your heart, but in any case, we will always be with you.''


    Bao Bei, therefore, raised one of her legs to caress Lian''s head as she did with her son. Ye and Xing also expressed their affection for Lian, who was moved by their sincerity.


    Thinking back to the night when Bao Bei revealed her origins, she realized how that family had always trusted and cared for her. Lian had sworn that time that she would repay them for saving her. In order to repay her debt and to keep her promise, she had to face her inner demons.


    Resolving herself again after a careful meditation, Lian nodded her head and gave her consent to be subjected to training. Having convinced her, Bao Bei started their actual practice.


    The two little spirit beasts, although a bit sad from having to hurt Hei and Lian, took courage and bitten their brother first on his hands by injecting venom deep into his skin. Then they went to Lian and repeated the same action.


    In order to make it all the more extreme, there was a ban by Bao Bei on using their spirit power during those sessions, forcing the two youths to resist the poison by using only their willpower. As soon as she saw that the two of them were about to get used to the poison in circulation, she had Ye and Xing bite other parts of their body again so that the pain caused by the poison didn''t go away.


    Initially, the two youths managed to resist pain well enough and calmed their breath to concentrate on calming their body''s spasms. But with the increase of the circulating poison, it soon became impossible for them to stay calm until they began to squirm on the ground, coming to have convulsions.


    They had already experienced a similar pain, but this time there wasn''t Bao Bei to alleviate their pain through her spirit power. Now they had to do it themselves without outside help. When they were no longer in a position to continue, Bao Bei stopped the training and transported them to the spiderweb to rest.


    However, this experience became a daily routine that Hei and Lian had to undergo every morning so that they had no strength to do anything else but to cultivate. Fortunately, they weren''t alone and could, therefore, concentrate solely on resisting pain from the poison.

 Chapter 50 - Unexpected News

    As the training''s intensity increased, Hei and Lian found themselves in an infernal situation - the poison they were injected with, was being given in ever higher quantities. At the same time, it was increasing in intensity. It was because Ye and Xing were unconsciously enhancing their poison as they continued to exhaust it, arriving at an apparently endless cycle.


    The first week was the most intense and brutal of all - Hei and Lian came to have convulsions and drool in their mouth until they fainted regularly. If it hadn''t been for Bao Bei to intervene in those moments of crisis, they would surely have died if left alone.


    But even when they weren''t training, the two of them were in a pitiful state. The pain and the poison that was still present in their bodies made it difficult even to walk or eat. Frequently, during the evening, they were victims of nausea coming to vomit or to have intense stomach attacks.


    Fortunately, Bao Bei didn''t request for them to continue their usual muscle strengthening exercises, leaving them some time to rest. However, she was uncompromising on one aspect - even in that state, they had to cultivate.


    Cultivation required a clear mind to move one''s inner spirit power but, exhausted by their training as they were, it was an arduous task to accomplish. Regularly, it happened that they would spend hours managing to complete only a couple of cultivation cycles.


    In addition to cultivating, the two of them also had to participate in their alchemy and formation classes. Still, they weren''t absolutely in an adequate mental state to concentrate and follow the arguments explained. Luckily for them, there were Ye and Xing with them who took care of taking detailed notes as they had done before.


    During that time, the two little spirit beasts were feeling more and more uncomfortable because they could see the conditions in which Hei and Lian were and how, even during their moments of rest, they weren''t free from the torment of the poison. They hated themselves because they were hurting two loved ones intentionally.


    However, Hei, who noticed what they were feeling, began to console them every day with Lian, who started to caress the two little spirit beasts of her own accord. One positive thing about the training was the fact that she was showing a bit of her feelings, and at night, the four took the habit of sleeping all close together to encourage each other through that infernal period.


    Bao Bei also felt terrible for the pain she was causing to her son, but she had already decided and had no intention of going back, she could only hope that the two of them would be able to overcome this training as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, Shui, the buffaloes, and the bees looked after the fields and the greenhouse with theYe and Xing''s help. Every day, they would go to the river to get water and take care of the plants following the instructions left by Hei. Especially for the greenhouse, the presence of bees proved to be fundamental given that they were small and were experts on flowers. However, just in case, they didn''t deal with the poisonous flowers that were left to the little spider and the little snake.


    Mi, too, the little bee spiritual beast, helped in that work. By now, she had learned a queen bee''s duties, how a beehive was structured, and what were its activities. So she could finally go out with everyone else to help, even if it was an unusual behavior for a queen bee. She was then entrusted with the team of bees that was working on the greenhouse. In that way, she could improve her skills as a leader. In the evening, on the other hand, she entered the spiderweb house and ended up sleeping together with all the others.


    But if the new training had put a strain on the spiderweb house''s residents and their neighbors, it also affected the sect leader who became increasingly more concerned as the days went by.


    She had left special orders to monitor Hei and Lian during their visits to the inner sect. However, not only did the two of them come only to attend lessons, when they attended the classes, their state was easily visible from their ashen and sickly faces. She didn''t know what was happening to them and she didn''t know if they would answer her questions. The only thing she could do was hope that the one who was training them knew what they were doing.


    Fortunately, as the weeks went by, the situation gradually improved as the endurance level of the two youths reached a level where they were allowed to be able finally to perform some of their daily activities.


    Since they were still small, Ye and Xing''s poison, after being increased by a little, didn''t undergo further improvements and wouldn''t have done so until they had increased their spirit power with the cultivation used by spirit beasts.


    At that point, Bao Bei stopped their training, believing they had reached a sufficient level of poison resistance and left Hei and Lian a couple of days of rest. So the two youths collapsed into a peaceful sleep for the first time in several weeks.


    Whether it was a case or a sign of fate, that happened just in time because, during their days of rest, the dates for the inner member annual trials that would decide the ranking for the younger generation were declared.


    Such trials were fundamental for the future of each younger generation''s inner members because it would see the first 50 seats awarded with special rewards. It wasn''t a euphemism to say that the younger generation''s inner members trained themselves for all the year only for this event.


    "Evaluation trials?" Hei asked the sect leader who had gone in person to inform him of the news.


    In the end, the sect leader hadn''t managed to contain her concern and had gone in person hoping to stop whatever Hei and Lian were doing so that they would be ready for the trials that would come soon.


    "Yes, they are trials we do every year to evaluate the younger generation''s inner members'' progress. Those who don''t show improvements or do not reach the minimum standards according to their individual age are deprived of the privileges for the younger generation and must apply to one of the sect''s divisions and start working for the sect.


    Those who fall within the minimum standards may remain to focus on their cultivation. Moreover, the first 50 are rewarded according to the results obtained. In particular, this year''s top seven rewards are unique because they come from the private collections of each sect elders. There is no need to tell you the importance of these rewards and how they can help you with your cultivation."


    The sect leader looked carefully at Hei and Lian outside the spiderweb house. After several discussions, she was indeed able to convince the seven elders to accept that proposal with the excuse that it was to promote the growth of the younger generation in view of the future events that the Flower Sect would participate in. Obviously, she too had to concede something.


    "The first place also has the possibility to request a second prize among the objects present on the ground floor of the exchange point. It can be anything from manuals to rare pills and other things. This proposal was put forward by the first elder as a price to increase the rewards for the first seven places."


    Hei, listening to those words, immediately understood what the sect leader was implying and answered quickly.


    "Basically, you sect leader has increased the rewards for the first seven places. It is no coincidence that you chose this number - excluding the personal disciples of the third, fourth and fifth elders, who are engaged in secondary activities, in the younger generation, there are your personal disciple plus those of the remaining elders, for a total of 5 people. With Lian and me, we get exactly seven."


    "Exactly, I see that despite the little time spent in the inner sect, you have learned many things, I am pleased. However, this was also noticed by the elders who didn''t show reluctance to my proposal. Except for the first elder who added this clause. "


    "Yes, I heard various conservation here and there, and I was able to discover some things," Hei commented to the sect leader''s statement.


    Despite these weeks, he and Lian had been in a very battered state, luckily Ye and Xing during their lessons had written everything they had heard in their notebook, and with everything, they also included flashes of conversation between other inner members. Since they had been told to write everything, they had done it to the letter. Unexpectedly this turned out to be useful to Hei, who was struck by his little sisters'' ability to hear other people''s conversations.


    Hei continued to talk,


    "Since there are seven places, it is possible for all five personal disciples to be rewarded. For that reason, they accepted your proposal peacefully, the first elder should be the same, but if he imposed this rule, it is because he has absolute trust in his disciple, right?"


    The sect leader sighed and nodded her head,


    "Yes, it''s like you said. His personal disciple is his son. Of course, the sect''s rules forbid to excessively favor your own children and other close relatives. Since we have limited resources, we need to focus only on those who are really talented. Personal emotions shouldn''t guide us. Therefore, the only way the younger generation has to get prizes is to show off their skills on various trials prepared by the sect. His son is indeed among the most talented geniuses we have ever had, and you would have no hope against him right now. But fortunately, the evaluation trials were designed to make a fair competition among the inner members of the younger generation. "


    Then the sect leader raised two of her fingers,


    "There are two evaluation trials - Combat Trial and Mind Trial. They are tests carried out through particular formations that will send images to your mind; you can think of it as a kind of illusion. The combat trial consists of fighting against imaginary opponents for a total of five waves. With each wave, the number and strength of the fighters will change. Obviously, their strength will be based on your age, the more years you have, the stronger they will be."


    "Based on age?" Hei asked doubtfully.


    Although he was a bit older on the outside, he was only thirteen. He had indeed asked the sect leader not to investigate that aspect, and she had done it so far, just like the other elders.


    "I know what worries you, but don''t worry. The training has an automatic feature that allows it to read your body information and assess your age. Furthermore, it isn''t something that we can openly tamper with, nor can we read, since it was given to us by the empire on the continent."


    "Empire? Continent?"


    "I guess you heard about the war between humans, demons, and divine beasts about a hundred thousand years ago, right? According to the records of that time, during the final battle, there was a spirit power''s reaction that affected the entire continent. It was violent that some portions of land were broken. Those more fortunate ended up just be separated from the main Continent while others disappeared entirely. The Rainbow Island is one of those lucky ones in which we humans could continue to live.


    After tens of thousands of years, we have been contacted by the newly formed Sun Empire on the Continent. They provided us with various things to increase our society''s pace of development. Still, there was a problem - the amount of spirit power in the environment was significantly lower than that on the continent.


    For this reason, the maximum rank that can be reached on Rainbow Island is the spirit soldier. Furthermore, considering that the minimum age at which one awakens one''s spirit power in the islands doesn''t go under the age of 15, the empire has therefore deemed us unfit for cultivation and had left us alone as long as we stay on the islands. Although we are formally empire''s territory, it is as if we weren''t part of it."


    At that point, the sect leader sighed for a long time before continuing. Hei could read the sense of disappointment and helplessness within her. Probably, as a young woman, she had the desire to go to the Continent to show her talent and prove the islands'' inhabitants could be as good as those of the main continent. But from her face, Hei could guess that she had slammed against the wall of reality and failed in her intent.


    "It is possible to go to the continent, though, and it is through the combat test. If you break through the five waves, you will be given another test in which you will face an opponent according to the standards of the continent. If you pass it, you will get permission to go there; but since the day we have received these formations, there has never been anyone who was able to do that, whether it is our sect, the Rainbow Island''s setcs or any other sects on the other islands." While she was saying that, the sect leader was looking at Hei with a bizarre look.


    Even if she didn''t know the exact reason and it was a crazy idea to think, her heart told her that maybe these two mysterious youths would be able to succeed where she and all the others had failed ¡ª showing the empire that islands'' martial artists weren''t insignificant trash but real cultivators like them. To show that they were also struggling to improve themselves and reach the peak of cultivation - the god rank.


    "Anyway, I am digressing. If you can overcome the five waves, it can already be considered an exceptional result. As for the dream trial, you will be subjected to a series of illusions that will show you everything that can become an inner demon in a martial artist. Since that was also given to us by the empire, we aren''t exactly able to predict what it will look like, so the only thing I can advise you is to prepare yourself mentally for anything. The result will be determined based on how quickly you can get rid of illusions and regain consciousness."


    "Alright, I understand. Lian and I will keep it in mind and get ready for it. We thank the sect leader for having warned us."


    Hei and Lian bowed their heads in respect and saw off the sect leader who left the two youths to return to her residence. The news of the trials had taken Hei by surprise. And although they were an excellent opportunity, Hei and Lian had to consider how to deal with them, especially the test to access the main continent.

 Chapter 51 - Trials Day

    When the sect leader left, Hei made sure that she came entirely out of his sight before returning hastily with Lian inside the spiderweb house. Waiting for him were his mother and his two little sisters who had listened to everything that had been said between him and the sect leader.


    "Mother, I guess you heard it all, right?"


    "Yes, my little one. I heard everything. Tell me, what are you going to do?"


    "I do not know. Overcoming the five waves is the goal that I think I''m aiming for, but the test to enter the continent worries me. Even with passing only the five waves, I would get more attention than I already have; but if I pass the next wave, I don''t know what could happen. Honestly, I''m curious to see what that continent''s trial consists of, but I''m hesitant because no one has ever managed to overcome it."


    ''Because you are my son, I am sure you will be able to overcome it as well as Lian. However, if you pass that test, you would create an enormous commotion not only in the Flower Sect but throughout all the Rainbow Island. The news could also spread to other islands. Even if the sect leader blocked the information leak, it doesn''t mean that one of the elders could not try to do something or that there isn''t another sect''s spy in the inner sect.''


    "Yes, as I imagined. So I have to give up once I get over the five waves?"


    ''It could be an idea, but there is something that worries me. From the sect leader''s words, it seems that those imaginary opponents are generated based on the age of the challenger. The problem is that the assignment should be calibrated on the results achieved by the Rainbow Island''s martial artists. Therefore, an opponent of your age, and with the same strength doesn''t exist here.''


    "Mother are you saying-?"


    ''Yes, if the formation measures the five waves based on the island''s strength criteria, it could immediately create an opponent on the continent''s level.''


    "But then how can I pass the test? If it doesn''t make me fight against the five waves and sends me directly to the test to enter the continent."


    Hei''s tone of voice became slightly alarmed. He wasn''t afraid of his imaginary opponent''s strength, but he didn''t like the implications behind his eventual victory.


    If he won, he would surely get fame and attention from everyone, but he didn''t care about those things. They were just useless baggage. If it weren''t for the rewards, he would have been satisfied with a mediocre score. But even if he were to receive more resources for passing the continent test, the negative aspects were higher than the positive ones. He didn''t want to have to end up in a situation that required the intervention of his mother. Not now that she was resting and recovering her strength.


    ''There is a method, and you could easily do the test without being discovered.'' Bao Bei thoughtfully said as she looked at her son before continuing.


    ''I can cast an illusion on all those present and show them what I want. The level at which the sect''s martial artists are is low, so there would be no problems that they discover something during the test. They will only think that you have passed the five waves but failed the continent test. The only thing is that I should first see what happens when the five waves are completed so as to generate all the details and not to make them suspicious.''


    At Bao Bei''s words, the spiderweb house''s residents were impressed. Although they knew that she was able to generate illusions and had seen her doing that during the bandits'' attack on the Leaf Village, they were still affected when they heard this. Creating an illusion on multiple people without them realizing that they didn''t see the reality but an illusion, it was something incredible.


    With this method, they could cover every trace, and if they wanted, they could abuse it in any situation. But never Hei would do it. First, he wasn''t the type that would cheat just to get rewards, second, and that was the most important reason, that method implied that his mother would have to consume her strength.


    "No, mother. We can''t use it. You''re finally starting to regain your strength. I can''t let you consume your energy." Hei said firmly.


    He wouldn''t allow it to happen even if it meant giving up the combat trial and, therefore, the rewards offered by the sect. However, Bao Bei would certainly not let him give up such a good opportunity for his future.


    ''I know what worries you, but you don''t have to. I have recovered enough energy, and creating such an illusion isn''t a problem. Furthermore, as I told you, the targets are extremely weak from my point of view so I won''t be spending too much energy. Listen to me well Hei, I like how you care about my health, but I''m your mother. My job is to help you on your path to the future. It is normal that if you are having a hard time, I come to help you, and even if it means consuming my energies, I will do it anyway because that is what it means to be a mother.''


    The tone of Bao Bei was firm and contained a strong pride. With her eight eyes looking straight at Hei''s, she announced that she wouldn''t accept further protests on the issue and that he could only resign himself to her decision.


    After a while, Hei sighed and couldn''t help but accept the situation.


    "All right, we''ll do as you want, mother. But I won''t let you consume too much energy. I will beat my opponent as soon as possible. I swear."


    Hearing this, Bao Bei chuckled.


    "I am pleased to see you pumped about the test, but remember that it would be better something more relatable. Maybe just a bit faster than the second-fastest, alright?"


    Hei nodded reluctantly and could only pray that the elder and sect leader''s personal disciples were really talented as they were called and would pass the test as soon as possible.


    Bao Bei actually wanted to use this method to train Hei and Lian for the dream trial as well. By generating illusions against them, she wanted to prepare them mentally; with adequate training it was indeed possible to obtain some self-control inside an illusion. Moreover, because it was a test designed for the island''s young martial artists, it shouldn''t be such an advanced and frightening illusion.


    However, she knew that if she proposed it, her son would surely refuse. He would never let her do it even if it meant disobeying her. And indeed, even though creating such trivial illusions didn''t cost much energy for Bao Bei, the very fact of activating her spirit power accelerated the process of decay she was undergoing.


    In the end, she decided to leave it alone. Although it was risky, she would trust Hei and Lian. She would be content to help them only in covering their tracks for the combat trial. And even if in the end they didn''t get the first positions, it was fine, provided they were safe.


    Once the discussion on the upcoming trials was over, it was time to focus on training. Bao Bei decided to leave the spider hair technique for the end of the tests and ordered Hei to concentrate on his cultivation as well as training on what he already knew, particularly in his spear art.


    This time he would have his sisters and Shui as his sparring partner. Intrigued by the hustle and bustle, Mi also ended up attending their sparring sessions, and even though she was the youngest among them, she worked hard to try and do her best during training.


    As for Lian, she received Bao Bei''s personal attention instead. So far, the spider had devoted more attention to her son, but since Hei had achieved a certain degree of autonomy as a martial artist, she then switched to focusing on the young girl.


    For the occasion, she made for Lian a special 1-meter long ribbon with her silk. Even if Lian couldn''t yet control the ribbon with her spirit power, by stretching it, she could still block a weapon attack. But what Bao Bei made Lian concentrate on most was teaching her to come closer behind her opponent and strangle him with the ribbon while dodging the various blows that were thrown at her.


    It was a risky method of fighting, but since Lian had learned various styles of dance, she had developed a curved and agile body that allowed her to avoid blows easily. The only problem was that once she found herself in the strangling position if her opponent got free, she would most likely lose. Unfortunately, the lotus style power would be visible entirely only later, and therefore, now they had to settle for it.


    Therefore they started training day and night. The time available was short, but the fundamentally had already been laid, so it wasn''t something impossible to train Lian to the point of defeating her enemy.


    *


    On the trials'' day, the younger generation''s inner members were in turmoil. Some were upset because they didn''t want to lose the younger generation''s privileges. Some were anxious to see the fruits of their training and show the results to others. And some didn''t have so many worries because they knew they would be classified in the middle. They were instead more curious about who would earn one of the 50 places that would be rewarded.


    Regarding the rewards, the prizes given to the first seven were revealed as well as the choice of a second prize for the first place. That revelation did nothing but increase the climate of tension within the younger generation. Excluding the first five places for the five personal disciples, there was indeed a definite possibility of earning one of the other two spots.


    Among the inner members, there were even those who dreamed of reaching the first place. But the chances of that happening were almost non-existent, given the participation of personal disciples. But they couldn''t help but hope for a stroke of luck.


    The trials would be carried out in one of the sect''s training grounds. Usually, this training ground was closed throughout the year and opened only during this classification period. It was because the cost to activate the formations wasn''t insignificant for the Flower Sect, and therefore, it remained unused for most of the time.


    Of course, it wasn''t as if they hadn''t tried to look for alternatives. However, it was difficult to create a system that could impartially evaluate the younger generation''s inner members based on their talent and future prospects rather than on their current strength.


    After all, the younger generation''s inner members weren''t all the same age, and the older ones were usually stronger than the younger ones. However, that difference in age was beneficial. It encouraged those who had talent in overcoming their limits by rivaling and confronting those who were stronger and older than them.


    In the end, therefore, they remained with the system imposed by the empire, considering that within each of the big sects hoped to produce a talent suited to the continent''s level.


    When Hei and Lian arrived at the training ground, they found themselves a bit disoriented when they saw all the younger generation inner members gathered there. Although participation wasn''t mandatory, an absence meant an absolute exclusion from the younger generation and the need to start working in one of the sect divisions.


    At the center of the training ground, there were two buildings made of a strange shiny material. The first had a rectangular structure with a single floor and a large entrance while the second was built in the shape of a pagoda with five stories, although the overall height didn''t exceed 15 meters.


    Around the training camp, there were some inner members, no longer belonging to the younger generation, who had in their hands a list of names and were running around calling a different name each. Once confirmed the presence, they would make a sign on their list and went on to call the next name. After a while, Hei and Lian''s names were called, and he answered for both.


    For that occasion, Hei and Lian were alone. Bao Bei, Ye, and Xing were hidden at the edge of the training ground watching the situation from a large tree. Although Bao Bei had faith in her illusory abilities, she decided that it was better not to implement their plan from there. After all, it would have seemed strange to bring spirit beasts there, considering that they couldn''t be brought into the structures containing the formations.


    When the participation of all the younger generation inner members was confirmed, one of those who had made attendance came forward and, increasing the volume of his voice with his spirit power, to make himself heard by everyone, he began to speak.


    "Welcome to all the participants of this year''s younger generation ranking. I know that most of you already know the rules, but by formality, I will briefly explain what the two tests consist of." Here the man paused briefly before continuing.


    "The building with only one floor is where the dream trial will take place. Fifty people will enter at a time; once inside, you will find bedrolls, where you have to lie down, and potions. Drink the potion and lie down. In a short time, you will feel sleepy, and the test will begin. You will have to face illusions and free yourself from them. The illusions are random, and each of you will experience something different, so it is useless to ask around. The less time you spend, the higher your score. If within 15 minutes, you haven''t been able to free yourself from the illusion, you will be woken up by us and assigned a zero score."


    When he had finished explaining the first trial, he then went on to explain the second one,


    "Once the test the dream trial is completed, you will have 15 minutes of rest before moving on to the pagoda-shaped building containing the combat trial. The combat trial consists of facing five waves of increasingly stronger illusory opponents. Inside, you will always find a bedroll and a potion to take. You will have 5 minutes for the wave to defeat your enemies. If you can''t finish by then, the enemies of the next wave will join those already present. If you finish early, you can use that time to catch your breath and get ready for the next wave.


    Five people can enter at the same time, and as you go through the various waves, the pagoda floor assigned to you will change color, and it will be visible for everyone outside. There are five colors that change, depending on the number of waves passed - green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. Once you pass the fifth wave, you will have the chance to start another wave, but it isn''t something most of you need to worry about. Well then, let''s begin. We''ve lost enough time."


    He signaled to start preparing the first 50 participants for the first trial using the list of names they possessed.

 Chapter 52 - Dream Trial

    After being called one by one, the first group inner members went to the building assigned for the dream trial. From their expressions, one could see traces of nervousness, and they were clenching their fists and their teeth to prepare themselves mentally.


    The dream trial, although less important than the combat trial regarding the total score, was considered, however, the most feared of the two. The reason was obvious.


    In the combat trial, they simply had to fight as they always did. In the dream trial, on the other hand, it was impossible to know in advance what would you see. And it was very challenging to get out of the illusion even when knowing that it wasn''t real. Furthermore, the potion the participants had to take had the task of lowering their mental resistance so that, even though they were mentally ready, the illusion would appear more real.


    In order to escape, therefore, one had to face the illusions from the sentimental point of view. It was because those illusions were nothing more than depictions of the inner demons present in a martial artist. By accepting their flaws and nightmares of the past, they would obtain victory.


    However, it was also possible to forcefully get out of the illusion by generating enough spirit power to break it. And this was also the method most used by all sect''s martial. After all, it was easier struggling and spending one''s spirit power than accepting one''s inner demons.


    While the first group went inside to face the trial, Hei pulled the sleeve of Lian''s robe to attract her attention. When the girl turned to look at him questioningly, Hei smiled and pulled out something he had hidden in his clothes.


    It was a necklace made of spider silk and had as a pendant depicting a red flower with five petals.


    "It was done a little roughly and therefore didn''t come well; anyway, it is a rafflesia flower. Do you remember when I buried that woman and planted rafflesia seeds? Inside the pendant, you can find the seeds of that flower as well as a piece of Ye and Xing''s molts. They wanted to give it to you before, but I thought it would be better to give it to you before the trial." Hei said as he looked at Lian in the eyes.


    Indeed, taking advantage of the fact that Lian was busy in her training, Hei and her two little sisters had practiced together to make that necklace to surprise her.


    "I don''t know what torments you, but I want you to understand that your past isn''t your future. In the same way that that dead woman was reborn in a beautiful rafflesia flower, you too were reborn in Lian. So, whatever happens inside, don''t lose hope for the future and remember that now you have a family."


    Saying this, Hei gently placed his hand on Lian''s head as she watched him without a word. After some time, she reached out her hand to take the necklace and put it around her neck. In her eyes, two drops of tears slowly descended on her face.


    Without saying anything else, Hei remained in that position, not caring about the looks that were being addressed to them by the surrounding people who giggled among themselves.


    "Hey, if you want to flirt, you can go somewhere else, you know? My word, trying to impress a girl in the middle of an important trial like this."


    "Ahahaha, why don''t let them do it, no? Come on, why don''t you kiss her? "


    Hei continued to pretend nothing happened, as if he and Lian were in a space separate from the others. Since they weren''t getting any reaction from the two, soon, the crowd that had gathered around them dispersed, losing their interest.


    Hei and Lian remained in that position until their turn came. As they had been called together during the appeal, they had also ended up in the same group for the dream trial.


    Hei took Lian by the hand and led her to the one-story structure along with the other younger generation inner members of their group. Inside there were bedrolls as described by the man who had explained the trials. Beside each bedroll, there was a glass bottle containing a kind of violet liquid.


    Inside there were women of the inner sect who were monitoring the situation and had the task to verify that everyone drank the potion as well as mark the time taken and awaken those who couldn''t get rid of the illusion.


    Hei, always holding Lian by the hand, accompanied her to the bedrolls at the back of the room. They lay down next to each other. Then, after receiving the signal, the trial participants drank the strange concoction, and soon, an intense drowsiness suddenly fell on them, making them fall asleep in a few moments.


    When Hei opened his eyes, he was no longer in the one-story building where the dream trial was held but was in a grassy space. Around him, there was nothing but desolation as darkness was covering everything. Trying to figure out where he was, he looked around, forcing his eyes to the maximum, but he couldn''t see anything.


    At that point, he decided to move a little from his position to better understand where he was when he was suddenly grabbed by the hand. The moment he turned around to see who had managed to get close to him so stealthily without noticing, he noticed a beautiful raven-haired woman.


    It was she who grabbed him. Her light brown eyes were shining in that darkness as her body was barely covered by a thin layer of robe showing its sensuality in the allure of the darkness. Her hand felt delicate and soft to the touch.


    "Who are you?" Hei asked, confused by the woman who had just appeared before him.


    She didn''t answer and instead smiled. Then she started driving Hei away from the darkness he was aiming for. In a short time, they arrived in a place illuminated by the warm rays of the sun. There was a huge table filled with delicacies of all kinds. Around the table, there were a group of other girls of the same beauty as the one who had led him there, and, as soon as they saw Hei, they approached him with blazing smiles. They were all gorgeous.


    With sinuous gestures, they began to fill various dishes with the food on the table as they made Hei sit down together with them and poured him a drink. It was a reassuring and attractive scene in that world surrounded by darkness. No one would undoubtedly blame Hei if he stopped there to eat and drink delicacies of all kinds surrounded by beautiful women who showed kindness and availability towards him.


    However, Hei didn''t drink or eat anything. He simply stood up after being seated and turned back to the darkness. Although the sight of all those women and dishes attracted him, there was something else that bothered him about being there. And in the end, he understood what it was.


    "The sun and the day isn''t the place where I belong, but it is the night with the moon and the light of the stars. The darkness is the one that cradles and envelops me during my journey. My family, my treasure."


    Having said this, he went into the darkness without looking further towards him, although the women were repeatedly calling his name. When he walked for quite a while, he found himself in a river with a low river bed.


    There, dragged by the current, there was the body of a young girl. She had the hair of a familiar blue color. As he approached and lifted her, he realized that it was Lian. By now, the girl was no longer breathing and was utterly cyanotic, a sign that the blood inside her body had now fallen to a mortally low level. Her skin was as cold as the cold of the night and wrinkled due to prolonged contact with water.


    Hei was stunned by seeing her. The Lian in front of him looked real and, at the same time, not. He couldn''t understand the reason for that feeling and tried to clear his doubts by smelling her. But the smell he perceived was the same as what he remembered.


    Not exactly knowing what to do, he continued to move, taking the girl''s body with him. A little further on, however, he encountered a vision that disturbed him even more than the sight of Lian''s body.


    On the trunk of a tree, the body of a snake and a spider had been embedded with spikes. The snake had black scales with golden patterns, while the spider had a purple color with silver patterns. In a moment, Hei recognized who they were - they were none other than his two little sisters, Xing and Ye. Only they had that kind of particular pattern.


    Next to them was the carcass of a one-meter large spider. It was being torn to pieces by some men with axes in their hands. The spider was none other than his mother. Still alive, she was making excruciating noises while being subjected to that torture.


    Seeing all this, Hei was immediately seized by an intense and murderous rage. Gently placing Lian''s body on the ground, he later ran to the men who were attacking his mother while activating his spirit power.


    In a moment, the distance with them was filled, and Hei slung himself on one of the men. Hei bit the man around the neck while his fingers stuck in the eyes of his enemy. Soon a metallic taste exploded in his mouth, staining his lips and his teeth of red, but he didn''t stop.


    Like a predator biting his prey at the jugular and not letting it go for any reason, Hei did the same while stretching his fingers in the exploded eye cavities of the man.


    Then he stood up, and with the blood that was dripping from his mouth and fingers, he turned to the other men who had stopped hitting his mother. So he rushed over them with a wild charge.


    Every time he hit them, blood and meat would be splashed in the air. Soon the land and the nearby river were dyed red too, and various parts of the body such as eyes, ears, noses, hair, and pieces of flesh and muscles began to flow along the river.


    With every stroke, Hei wasn''t just aiming to kill the enemy. But he intended to destroy everything, coming to rip his enemies'' bodies with his own teeth, and even when they died, he wouldn''t stop hitting them until they were reduced to a pulp.


    Although the scene itself was intense and brutal, that hell only lasted a brief moment. In a short time, Hei had destroyed his enemies, and only the remnants of what could barely be defined as corpses remained.


    As he was panting, he tried to stabilize his breath as his lucidity gradually returned after that rush of destructive fury. But this hell wasn''t yet finished, and he could soon hear a familiar voice.


    "You said you would protect us, and yet you let them kill us and desecrate our bodies like this."


    From the tree, Ye''s body was starting to melt as pieces of her flesh fell to the ground with a thud. That shapeless mass that had the appearance of his sister began to crawl towards him. Shortly after that, Xing also began to undergo the same process as she railed against Hei words of resentment.


    "We were your little sisters, why didn''t you protect us? Why didn''t you protect Lian and Mom as well? "


    Suddenly Hei heard a noise behind him. Turning around, he could see Lian''s corpse crawling on the ground with her eyes wide open and full of resentment.


    "You said it would be all right. That I would have a new family. Why did you delude me like that? Why didn''t you let me die before having to experience all this again? "


    And when it didn''t look like it could get any worse, the voice that he didn''t want to hear in that situation spoke.


    "You failed to protect your sisters. You are just a useless, weak person. It was a mistake to save you and raise you. I should have let you die when you were still a newborn, drowned in the puddle of blood inside the belly of that filthy human. It''s all your fault, why don''t you just die?"


    His mother''s voice was the same as the one he remembered, but she had a rage and hatred never heard before. That completely upset Hei, who saw her as his point of reference, until suddenly...


    Hei approached Lian slowly and caressed her face before using Spider Lance to penetrate her head and killing her instantly. That left astonished ''Bao Bei'' who looked incredulously as Hei repeated the same action against his two little sisters.


    "What the hell are you doing ?! We are your family, why are you hurting them?!"


    Hei turned to look at his ''mother'' body and said with a smile,


    "No, you aren''t my family. Or to be more precise, you aren''t my ''real family''. It is just an illusion. It all seems so real, and in fact, you have reproduced the same smell and touch of my family. But you were wrong about one thing - regardless of what might happen, my mother, my little sisters, and even Lian, none of them would ever blame me. That would happen even if it was really my fault. Indeed, knowing them, they would probably tell me not to worry and to go on, that it''s not my fault. "


    Hei continued to walk towards ''Bao Bei,'' and assuming the posture for Spider Lance, he positioned himself before her eyes.


    "Even if it pains me to do this to my fake family bodies, in the end, you are nothing but an illusion. However, even if an illusion, it is also true that this scenario isn''t something unlikely in the future. It is why I am training to become stronger, to prevent this. But in case I fail and survive while my family is dead, then I would kill all those responsible for it, whether it was a single person, a whole sect, an empire, or even the whole world. But after obtaining my revenge, if I am still alive, I will personally take my life as an expiation for failing to protect my family."


    That being said, Hei broke the head of his fake mother as her blood dripped onto his arm.


    "I''m coming, my family."


    So he committed suicide by using the spider lance to pierce his own heart and died. However, he didn''t really die because soon after, he opened his eyes and found himself again in the building of the dream trial.


    Turning his head, he could see Lian twist her face in pain. He wanted to help her, but he was stopped by one of the women of the inner sect who sent him away with a strange expression on her face.


    As soon as he came out, murmurs all around started to break out.


    "Hey, how long has it been? H, how did he get out so quickly?"


    "I think it barely passed, five minutes!?"


    "How is it possible? The average time is 12-13 minutes, while the record for the dream trial is 8 minutes and 30. Even personal disciples failed to go below that limit."


    But to Hei, all that didn''t matter. He simply stood in front of the door, waiting for Lian to come out because he knew she would make it.

 Chapter 53 - Lian

    My name is ... what is my name?


    I remember a time of having lived a quiet life in a small country village with my parents. We didn''t have much, but we were happy.


    My days consisted mainly of helping my dad to the field and my mom with the housework. In the afternoon I could play with the various children while we used to run in the village''s streets and invent new games.


    But all this changed just before I was twelve.


    Several days before my birthday, I awakened something called spirit power. I didn''t know what it was, but this event amazed my parents, who jumped for joy at the news. Apparently, from what they knew, awakening your spirit power means being able to get rid of one''s condition as a mere human and become something greater, a martial artist.


    Martial artists were the most coveted profession in the Rainbow Island. Not only because you could surpass your natural limits, but especially for the authority and the power arising from that status.


    The strongest martial artists are respected and revered more than kings or other nobles. It wasn''t surprising that so many people wanted to become one. But unfortunately, only a few could awaken their spirit power and, between those lucky ones, only a few could reach a decent level and gain enough power to become famous.


    However, I awakened it before being twelve years old, something that had never been heard on the Rainbow Island, since even the most exceptional ones awakened it much later than I did. So my parents were sure that I had the talent to reach the top and change my future.


    In truth, I didn''t care much about this. I just wanted to be with my parents and spend the rest of the days in the village. But seeing them happy and proud of me, made me feel good and so I decided to follow their initiatives.


    Being isolated from the main cities, we needed to undertake a long journey to be able to apply to one of the various existing sects, so that they could evaluate me and accept me as one of their disciples. The problem, however, was the money for the costs of this journey.


    Being simple people, we didn''t have much money, but my parents worked hard and tried to convince the rest of the village to help me realize this dream. So, soon the village discovered that I had awakened my spirit power. They were all surprised, so much that they wished to organize a celebration in my honor - the genius and the hope that would have brought glory to our village and made it prosper, so they called me.


    They hoped that by helping me, I would then help them once I established myself as a martial artist. It might have seemed selfish, but I knew the difficulties of a life like ours. So I decided that I would become a famous martial artist to help them as well as make my parents proud.


    During those days, it happened that there were some strangers in the village that were seeking a place to sleep for a few nights before continuing their journey. It was the convoy of a famous merchant from a big city - Green City.


    When the inhabitants learned of his status, they proposed to let him help us. After all, he was a very important merchant and could quickly put us in touch with the various sects, not to mention that in that way, we could reduce the travel time as he had multiple carriages and horses at his disposal.


    My parents thought about it and, finally, convinced by the other villagers, they decided to ask the merchant for help. Dong Zhen was his name.


    When he learned of my situation, he was very impressed and made great compliments to my family and me, proposing to accompany us for free and contact all his contacts so that I could be admitted to one of the most important sects.


    His manner was kind and cordial. Since we were in difficulty on how to deal with the journey, this encounter appeared a sign of destiny.


    I remember that he too joined the celebrations and even offered some of his food and liquor to enliven the evening further. In the eyes of the whole village, he was a great merchant, very different from the parasites that city merchants were said to be.


    But this couldn''t be further from the truth.


    When everyone went to bed excitedly for the big evening and happy for my imminent departure, that merchant ordered his men to kill every villager.


    My parents, my friends, every person I knew in the village, were mercilessly killed before my eyes without me being able to do anything. My village was burned along with the pile of corpses accumulated until there was nothing left but ashes.


    All that remained of my family, of my house, of my village, was nothing but ashes that vanished in the wind.


    All of a sudden, I found myself alone. I was left abandoned in an unknown destiny without proof of my past, if not my memories.


    I was tied up and gagged and placed in one of the wagons as an ordinary commodity until we reached the Green City. Then I was locked in a cell in a dark room and left there for who knows how long.


    As time went on, I discovered that all this had happened because of my awakening - awakening one''s spirit power just before twelve was something too absurd even to conceive. The big sects, the royal families of the three kingdoms on the island as well as other various organizations, would have paid handsomely for having me.


    But Dong Zhen had bigger plans on me - he thought about a "special training" to be able to control me like a puppet, his puppet. In that way, he could have increased his power and made more money than let me go right away.


    Thus they began the torture sessions to annihilate my personality. Because I was a precious commodity, they couldn''t hurt me too much, so they did it to others ¡ª innocent people who were destined to suffer because of me.


    I wanted to kill myself and finally finish this nightmare, but I didn''t have the courage. Soon my mind and my feelings began to blur until they almost died out. A bit more, and I would have lost myself, becoming just the shell of what was called a living human being.


    But when all seemed about to come to an end, he arrived - a strange boy, carrying a spider and a snake that had a curious and playful behavior. There was also another spider on his head, but it was different from the other two animals, it was more majestic and solemn, but at the same time so welcoming.


    That strange boy brought me out of that cell and killed all those who had ruined my life. I was free, and all those who threatened me were already dead, but by now, I had forgotten what it meant to live, and I didn''t know where to go. Nevertheless, he took me with him, taking me on his travels.


    Thus began the days with that strange family. The only human being besides me was that peculiar boy, Hei, just him. But regardless, the relationship he had with the animals by his side was so beautiful and warm to look at, that I couldn''t take my eyes off, as if there were no differences between them, although they belonged to different species.


    They gave me clothes, gave me food, and put me back in strength. They gave me a name and started training me as a martial artist and in controlling my spirit power.


    Yes, the very spirit power that I so hated and cursed. I would have preferred to throw it away, but it wasn''t possible. Instead, I was increasing it as time passed.


    But one day, something unexpected happened - the spider called Bao Bei shared with me the secrets and the dangers that this family brought with themselves. I was moved, I didn''t imagine that they would have such trust in me, who I was nothing more than an outsider picked along the road.


    So I swore to myself that if I was destined to bring this curse known as spirit power, then I might as well use it to protect the happiness of this beautiful family. I had failed to protect my family, but I wouldn''t let that the same thing happened to them.


    Nevertheless, the ghosts of the past continued to torment me anyway. In fact, they came back more alive than before, because now I had something to lose again. I was afraid, and I was about to grope around again in the abyss. But they held their hand and led me to the bright but sweet light of the moon.


    They promised to become my new family.


    I couldn''t prevent the tragedy that happened to my family, and this sin will remain with me until the end of my days. Nevertheless, I will never let that happen to my new family, ever again, even if it cost me my life. I will protect the sweet and warm smile I see every time Hei looks at his family and how they reciprocate his love.


    For this reason... father, mother, excuse me. I will continue to live on the new road and with the new name that this family has given me. I will become a great martial artist and, when it is my time, I will be able to meet you head-on and tell you about the great adventures I have experienced.


    *


    Lian suddenly opened her eyes.


    The nightmare of her past that was being shown in the illusion had disappeared. There was only the ceiling in front of her now. Disoriented, she turned her head to the side and saw an empty bedroll that seemed to have hosted a person until recently.


    She soon remembered where she was and what she was doing. With difficulty, she got up and slowly walked towards the exit under the astonished eyes of the people around her. But she paid no attention to that particular and kept walking.


    Instinctively, Lian knew that that person was waiting for her outside. She wanted to meet him as soon as possible. She wanted to show him and the other members of their family that were watching from afar, that she had made it.


    She had defeated the ghosts of her past, and from now on, she would continue her journey as Lian, the girl rescued by Hei, the martial artist trained by Beo Bei, the playmate of Ye and Xing.


    *


    When a couple of minutes had passed, all of a sudden, the doors leading to the dream trial''s building were opened. From there came out a beautiful young girl with blue eyes and blue hair who was advancing with her head held high in a straight line. On her face, there was a slight, bright smile. Her way of walking brought with her a feeling of lightness and elegance.


    The looks all those present, whether they were the participants for the trials or the inner members assigned to control the situation, focused their attention on her. They were fascinated by her beauty, but above all, by the sensations that she was transmitting.


    However, she didn''t deign to look any of the. For her, there was only one person in her eyes. He was in front of her in the front row, in front of everyone else, to reciprocate her smile.


    The girl slowly approached the boy she was looking for, pausing a little before him as she looked him straight in the eye.


    "Welcome back Lian, did you manage to close the accounts with the past?" Hei asked as he stroked her hair slowly and laid his hand on her head.


    "Not really, I will never forget what happened. But it isn''t a reason not to continue living, not now that I have a family again. We do our best from now on for our family. "


    "Of course, for our family."


    Hei smiled even more brightly and gently took Lian''s hand and carried her away from the crowd that had gathered around them. Lian, without showing signs of resistance, let herself be guided, enjoying the hard but warm touch of Hei''s hand.


    From afar, Ye and Xing were dancing in circles, making excited noises in celebration as both Hei and Lian had passed the trial without problems. Bao Bei, on the other hand, was observing the scene in silence and in a composed way, but inside she was experiencing great joy and pride.


    Not only for Hei, who was her son but also for Lian.


    From the girl''s smile, Bao Bei sensed that she had managed to overcome the traumas of her past and was finally ready for the future.


    Lian wasn''t just a girl they had saved along the way, but she was a member of their family, like her cubs.


    Meanwhile, some of those present had come to their senses and soon realized a small but fundamental detail. Soon another great emotion was created.


    The time taken by Lian was seven minutes and fifteen seconds.


    Although it was worse than Hei''s time, it remained far better than that reached by the elders'' personal disciples.


    A person had already been able to break the record unbeatable for who knows how long. That alone was impressive to believe. But now that another had been able to overcome it, it seemed absurd.


    Unconsciously, due to Hei''s previous performance, inner sect members thought he might be able to do this. It was an incredible idea nearing the absurd, but considering the unknown origins of the boy and his potential, there was a minimal probability that this could happen. Therefore, when this actually became a reality, even if it generated great astonishment, it was something that could come to be accepted in a sense.


    But Lian was different - she had never participated in any exhibition organized by the sect. Indeed, according to the rules of the inner sect, she didn''t even have to be there, since she had only passed through Hei. It made the others think that she was none other than Hei''s girlfriend or someone he brought with him to have some company. Someone who didn''t deserve to be there, and didn''t have the qualifications to be called their opponent.


    Yet, they never imagined that not only was she more than qualified to stay in the inner sect, but she had an enormous talent comparable to Hei''s.


    Looking only at the result of the dream trial, theoretically, she had all the necessary qualities to leave anyone in the dust, including the elders'' personal disciples. The only one who was spared by that was obviously Hei. He possessed a talent that appeared superior to that shown by the girl.

 Chapter 54 - Entering the Pagoda

    Under the astonished expressions of the present people, Heu brought Lian to sit away from the crowd that had surrounded them. They needed some time to prepare themselves for the start of the second trial as they had to adjust their spirit and their mind.


    Although the dream trial was only an illusion, it was very exhausting for the mind, especially when one had no experience in being subjected to illusions. Furthermore, the illusion generated in the dream trial would shake the person''s inner demons, eventually leaving them in a very agitated emotional state. That was why some time was given between one trial and another.


    In contrast, the combat trial, although it was also an illusion, simply went to recreate some imaginary opponents. So the participants ended up running out of strength but without the collateral emotional effects that the first trial had.


    The younger generation inner members of the first group who first started the dream trial, had already begun to undertake the combat trial. At the same time, the others of the next groups were sitting waiting for their turn.


    They, although they were focused on getting ready for their turn, couldn''t help but take a look at Hei and Lian, who had caused such a stir on the other side.


    In a particular point in the training ground, among those waiting for their turn, there were five youths, three boys and two women, who sat apart from all the others. From the fearful expression with which the younger generation inner members were looking at those five, it seemed they even feared to disturb them if they got too close to them.


    These five youths were none other than the elders'' personal disciples and the favorites to occupy the top 5 seats in the ranking and win the most coveted prizes. All of their scores in the dream trial had been unbelievable. Each of them used a time very close to the maximum recorded record. However, that was before Hei and Lian managed to break that record.


    The five personal disciples were looking with curiosity at the strange couple who had succeeded in such an unbelievable feat - breaking down the record that had existed for who knows how long. But unlike the others, they knew Hei''s origins well, or at least they thought they did because their information was none other than that provided by their respective elders.


    "Sister Mei, did you see that performance? Isn''t it incredible?" Exclaimed a black haired girl with an excited voice.


    She was Ying Yue, the personal disciple of the seventh elder who had met Hei some time ago at the point of exchange.


    "Yes, I have seen." Replied calmly, the girl called Mei, that was none other than the sect leader''s personal disciple. Although she didn''t show it as her tone appeared uninterested, her eyes were focusing at Hei and Lian, especially the latter.


    "And, so what? He has broken the dream trial record, but in the end, it is his fighting ability that counts as well as his cultivation speed. Besides, the dream trial is random. He may simply have been lucky that an illusion of little importance has happened to him." A tall boy with dark hair and a lean build had arrogantly said.


    Although he was skinny and didn''t give the impression of being a formidable opponent, his strength wasn''t to be underestimated. He was, in fact, the son of the sixth elder, as well as the probable future successor of the regulation division.


    Within the sect, he was feared due to his connections with the regulation division. The younger generation''s inner members were always careful about how to behave in front of him as to avoid being penalized.


    "Cao Su, you know what you said is nonsense, right? There is no easy or difficult in the dream trial. Everyone would face their weaknesses according to their inner demons. The only reason they took so little time is that unlike us and everyone else, they didn''t directly fight the illusion, but they accepted it within themselves. I guess you don''t need me to explain to you what that means, do you, Cao Su? " said Li, the personal disciple of the second elder and his younger brother.


    "What?! What are insinuating, Li? Do you want to fight? Do you think I''m not smart enough not to understand your sarcastic comments?"


    "Enough." Instead, an authoritative and decisive voice replied. The owner of this voice was none other than Mei, who, being the personal sect of the sect leader, also had the authority to impose orders on other personal disciples in situations like these.


    At her command, a red-haired boy answered with a laugh.


    "Do you find this funny, Zan?" Mei asked in a serious tone.


    Zan, the son of the first elder and his personal disciple, answered.


    "Who cares about the method or whether it was easy or not. As Su said, all that matters is your fighting skills. Even though he put on a good show during the promotion trials for the outer members, his opponents were just trash in the end. So, for me, he is still just trash at the moment. If he shows some skills in the combat trial, then it will mean he isn''t that bad and that he is worth being crushed by me."


    His words revealed absolute confidence in his abilities. It just didn''t consider Hei as his opponent only because he managed to break the dream trial record. But even if Hei proved to be strong, Zan was sure that in the end, he would be the winner against all other inner members of his generation.


    "Uhmm, big sister Mei. It is our turn. They say that we have to enter the five of us together."


    Thus the lively discussion between the five personal disciples ended, and they got up in unison to head towards the building prepared for the combat trial.


    As they stood up, everyone''s eyes focused on them, quickly forgetting Hei and Lian''s feats.


    It was right. The dream trial was worth less than the combat trial, and Hei''s opponents during his previous fights had been nothing but mere outer members that certainly couldn''t be called powerful. So, as much as they did well in both trials, especially the combat one, others also could grab the sixth and seventh seats.


    But it wasn''t the time to make calculations about their chances of winning. In the heart of every younger generation inner member, there was only one question at the time - who was the strongest personal disciple of the sect? Who would lead the younger generation for the year to come?


    Although the most favored were the personal disciples of the first and second elders, none of them knew precisely the power of the sect leader''s personal disciple as she was a very reserved person. The regulation division elder''s son, despite his arrogant and touchy manner, was very gifted. It was also known that his father tended to favor him more than what he should, following him more assiduously than what the other elders did with their personal disciples. The granddaughter of the seventh elder, on the other hand, despite her cordial manner, was certainly not to be underestimated, considering she was the personal disciple of the strongest elder of the sect.


    With all these unknowns variables about their actual strength, it was difficult to predict the outcome.


    The five entered under everyone''s eyes and were swallowed up by the darkness that reigned inside.


    Meanwhile, Hei and Lian had been meditating all this time, ignoring the conversation between the elders'' personal disciples. It didn''t matter how those five thought about their performance, Hei and Lian weren''t there to get their approval or recognition.


    In any case, when the five entered, Hei opened his eyes, and so did Lian. Together they turned their gaze to the building for the combat trial. Then, they began to observe the lights that were being lit on the five floors of the pagoda that testified to which wave they were.


    Bao Bei also carefully began to observe the changes in the pagoda. Because her illusion had to be the most credible possible, she had to memorize every smallest change while the participants were facing the various waves. She had already analyzed the other participants, but this time it was the elders'' personal disciples turn, who were the most likely to get the best scores.


    In less than three minutes, all five floors went from green to dull blue. A sign that they had passed the first wave, but it wasn''t yet the time for the second one. The time was set at five minutes for each wave.


    Since the combat trial was based on the management of your forces while facing multiple fights, it was essential to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible. But at the same time, you had to minimize the expenditure of energy. Beating the first wave using three precise minutes was synonymous with their strength and their fighting skills, as they used the first minutes to warm up, leaving at the same time some minute to recover.


    After two minutes, the blue light lit up, and the second wave began. The second one, as well as the third one, were finished around three minutes, with several seconds of difference between the five. But the fourth wave turned out to be more difficult as they finished it shortly before the end of time that marked the beginning of the fifth wave.


    Finally, they had reached the fifth wave, and now there were no more time limits since there were no subsequent waves, except the continent''s trial. So far, they had all had more or less the same pace, so it was difficult to say who was ahead. But surely, the first to defeat their enemy and pass the trial would almost certainly secure the first place.


    At 17 minutes and 32 seconds, one of the pagoda''s floors lost its red color and became golden in color. A sign that the person to whom this plan corresponded had finally passed the fifth wave, thus becoming the number one for the moment.


    Shortly after, the doors of the pagoda opened, and an orange-haired boy came out. He was the first elder''s son, Zan. His face was full of sweat as he walked with difficulty. Nevertheless, there was a proud smile on his face as he rejoiced at his victory.


    Shortly afterward, the other floors also turned golden, and the other participants went out in turn.


    The provisional ranking saw - in the first place, Zan, the son of the first elder; in the second Mei, the personal disciple of the sect leader; in the third Li, the younger brother of the second elder; in the fourth Cao Su, the son of the sixth elder; in the fifth, Ying Yue, the granddaughter of the seventh elder.


    Although the difference of time between the five was only a handful of seconds, those seconds made a fundamental difference in deciding their ranks. But, only with this, it wasn''t possible to evaluate with certainty that the son of the first elder was the strongest of the five personal disciples. Still, certainly in the combat trial, he had provided the best performance.


    Whether it was luck or he was actually the strongest, the first place was his.


    Looking at these results, the other younger generation inner members couldn''t help but make wry smiles. Only a few of them were able to get to the fifth wave, and even fewer could overcome it. However, their times were far worse than those shown by the personal disciples.


    With this, they again confirmed the harsh reality and the difference of talent that separated them from the elders'' personal disciples.


    Despite the clamor generated by the performance of the five geniuses of the Flower Sect, the combat trial had to continue, and the next participants were immediately called. It had to pass a very long time before Hei and Lian''s turn came.


    Even if they had given them a rest time of 15 minutes, considering the number of participants and only five spots inside the pagoda, it was reasonable to wait a lot more than just a quarter of an hour.


    When Hei and Lian got up and went to the pagoda, everyone''s eyes returned to focus on the couple again. Although the talent shown by the five personal disciples had cemented their position in the eyes of the younger generation inner disciples, Hei had shown one surprise after another.


    Although it was almost impossible for them for him to get the first position, if he did well enough, he could still get one of the seven coveted places.


    But Hei wasn''t the only one kept under observation. Lian was also an object of interest from the crowd. The beautiful girl they thought was just an accompaniment, had proved to be very talented, and they were curious to know if she was good even in combat.


    Thus the two of them, together with other three inner younger generation disciples who became agitated because of all that indirect attention they were receiving, entered the pagoda.


    Inside, there were five bedrolls arranged to symbolize the tips of a pentagon. Next to where they were supposed to lie, there was another potion, different from the first one. That second potion always served to increase the intensity of the illusion.


    There was only one person of the sect assigned to evaluate them instead. After all, compared to the dream trial, this time, only 5 participants were undergoing the combat trial at the same time.


    Taking a seat in one of the bedrolls, Hei gave a final nod in Lian''s direction to encourage her and then drank his potion, falling into a heavy sleep.


    Suddenly, his surroundings began to change, and he found himself in an empty circular room. There were no doors or windows, and there was no sign of interior decoration. Except for his steps, there was no other noise whatsoever.


    Shortly after that, a metallic voice sounded in the room.


    "Combat Trial - Weapon choice. Think about the type of weapon you use, and it will be reproduced."


    Confused, Hei did what the voice said anyway and thought of the spear he was using lately. It appeared without warning in his hand. It was exactly like his spear. Every detail had been perfectly reproduced. Then the metallic voice spoke again.


    "Evaluation of the participant - the third stage of spirit apprentice. Age evaluation - 13 years. Playback error. The subject is higher than the level reached on the Rainbow Island. Calibration of the trial... rated high-level talent on the Continent. Creating an opponent for the continent trial."


    The metallic voice uttered a series of words all in a row. Hearing what it said, Hei realized that his mother''s speculations were right. The system had assessed him off scale and had him go directly to the Continent Trial.


    Meanwhile, the exact same thing was happening to Lian as her opponent was also being materialized.

 Chapter 55 - Facing the Continent Trial

    "Creating an opponent for the continent trial."


    As it said these words, a faint smoke began to materialize to take on the appearance of a human body. From its outer appearance, you could see that it was a male human body but with undefined features.


    It was hard to take it seriously, looking at that undefined body, but the pressure it was giving off was far from cheerful. Its barely accentuated eyes exuded incredible combative intent as if it had a mortal enemy in front of it.


    "Taking into account the talent level of the participant, the difficulty of the continent trial was raised. The participant is no longer required to win. But the passage of the trial will be decided by the Artifact Spirit''s evaluation, in charge of managing the formations on the islands. Attempted communication with the Artifact Spirit performed."


    All of a sudden, the metallic voice spat out other words that left Hei astonished. But before he could ask questions about it, a male voice with a hoarse tone resonated in the room.


    "It has been a long time since someone decided to face the continent''s trial on Rainbow Island. But that there are two people, in the same place, who possess a high-level talent according to the standards of the Continent... it is quite surprising." the male voice uttered in a surprised tone.


    "Who are you? What is happening? What does it mean that the difficulty of the trial has been raised?" Hei asked as he frowned.


    Even if together with his mother, they had assumed he and Lian would have to face the continent trial directly, they didn''t imagine that such a situation would happen. Before starting the fight, he wanted to understand all the details and the reasons for such a change.


    When he replied in this way, two smoke-like eyes materialized over the opponent generated for Hei by the trial combat formation.


    "Greetings, young boy. I am the Artifact Spirit in charge of managing all the formations on the islands. Ah, but I guess you don''t know what an Artifact Spirit is. The Artifact Spirits are nothing but the consciousness that are born within an object. There are various ways of creation, but it isn''t the time to talk about it. Anyway, I was given the management of all the formations provided by the Sun Empire to the islands. Normally, I would remain at rest, letting the automatic formation function do its work. Still, in particular cases, I can move into one of the pieces of consciousness inside the trial formations. Although this is the first time, I am actually called because there is a worthy candidate."


    ''The man,'' in spite of his hoarse tone, was friendly and lively, perhaps because it was the first time he was talking to someone after a long time.


    ''Artifact Spirit? Consciousness inside an object?''


    As he pondered this, Hei asked.


    "Then, are you a kind of elemental essence?"


    Right, didn''t the elemental essences also stones that had developed a certain degree of consciousness along with absorbing part of a specific element?


    The Artifact Spirit laughed, and without delay, he answered the question that had been asked.


    "We are similar, but we aren''t the same. The elemental essences are ''creatures'' born naturally without the aid of being human or demons. We Artifact Spirits are instead artificially created, and we do not possess our original power. The Artifact Spirits are basically divided into two, Weapon Artifact Spirits and Formation Artifact Spirit. I am a Formation Artifact Spirit, and as you can guess from the term, I am in charge of managing a specific formation. Further details can be discovered once you reach the Continent."


    Then he paused as the ''pair of eyes'' of the Artifact Spirit looked down at Hei''s opponent.


    "Normally the continent trial consists in defeating the adversary designated by the formation. But since the talent level of both you and the girl with you is high, even by the standards of the continent, you have been given another opponent. You will only have to fight as much as you can, and based on your performance, you will be assigned not only the right to enter the Continent but also to join one of the war academies. The prestige of the war academies in which you can register will depend on your performance."


    "War academies? What''s this?"


    "Ah yes, I forgot that the sects'' system is still in force on the islands. Nowadays, on the continent, sects no longer exist or at least do not constitute the main power. There are some sects, but they have little power and are concentrated in smaller cities. Instead, this system has been replaced with war academies that are nothing more than places where to train martial artists based on their performances, canceling the concept of belonging to a specific sect but promoting the idea of belonging to the human race.


    It was a necessary measure to have enough war potential to fight the demons. The system of sects almost caused the collapse of human society on the continent, so it was necessary to reach this solution. However, you can find out more about the continent''s history in the future. Now that I have explained everything to you, if you don''t have any other questions, you should start."


    Seeing that the Artifact Spirit would not answer further questions and had answered those concerning the changes in the continent trial, Hei nodded his head and positioned himself with his spear, ready to start fighting.


    In a similar room, Lian was also preparing for her fight while taking a big mouthful of air. She didn''t care so much about the continent''s history, and if Hei had no other questions, she wouldn''t make them in turn.


    Seeing the two that were ready, the Artifact Spirit gave the signal to their opponents to start moving.


    Seeing it moving, Hei immediately filled the distance with his enemy and tried with an initial lunge with the tip of his spear. Since it was the first blow to break the ice, he didn''t use so much power and didn''t lengthen forward too much.


    By learning the basic spear techniques, he had acquired the knowledge about how to dose his strength and adjust the thrust forward based on the positions his hands took on the spear shaft. He had also learned that with good reflexes and understanding of the combat flow, he could use the flat end of the spear to parry incoming attacks, and then quickly rotate the spear to direct the sharp head and vice versa. In this way, he would have more variability in his attacks, thus being able to surprise his opponent more often since he wasn''t giving a monotonous attack pattern.


    The enemy parried the lunge using the weapon that suddenly materialized in its hands - it was a large two-handed battle-ax whose head had two ends with blades.


    With a lateral movement, it tried to move Hei''s spear to the side so as to leave him exposed. However, since Hei hadn''t leaned too far forward, he managed to avoid the ax blow by moving backward.


    ''A two-pitted battle-ax. Because it is using two hands due to the weapon''s size, the enemy''s speed of movement is limited, as is that of the weapon. But one blow is capable of doing enormous damage.''


    Analyzing his opponent, Hei then prepared his combat plan. He decided to try first with lunges from afar as before. Only, he would do them in quick succession, one after the other.


    If the formation accurately reproduced the features of a real enemy, then it also had to simulate the fatigue generated by agitating such a large weapon. He would continue like this for a while, and if he hadn''t seen changes in the opposing rhythm, he would move on to something else.


    Because his opponent was nothing more than a smoke that had condensed into a humanoid shape with few details, it was difficult to evaluate its reactions from its expressions. So the only way to do it was to observe changes in its body and how he moved.


    Hei''s lunges were all parried without fatigue by the enemy, who, from time to time, threw big blows from the top down with its huge ax. During one of those hits, noticing that the smoke reproduction had shown signs of slowing down, Hei, instead of dodging backward, dodged to the side.


    Immediately afterward, he leaped forward towards the enemy with the tip of the spear directed towards the smoke body''s stomach. However, his opponent didn''t let itself be surprised. As if it was expecting that, it used the head of its ax on the ground as a support point. Then he raised both its legs up, avoiding Hei''s lance while at the same time throwing a kick to his face.


    Bam!


    There was a loud bang. The blow hid more power than expected and made Hei back off a few steps. Fortunately, he had his spirit power as a defense, but he had felt the damage.


    ''He pretended to attack me head-on and get tired so that it could hit me as soon I tried to use its "fatigue." Without my spirit power being active, I would probably have been put to sleep with that kick in the head.''


    With his heart pounding with excitement, Hei prepared to resume the battle. Even though he was calm and thoughtful, that didn''t mean he wasn''t excited at the sight of a strong enemy. His desire to overcome his limitations and challenge ever stronger beings was worthy of the son of a spirit beast.


    In fact, after the dream trial, this feeling had become even more intense because if he managed to become the number one, then he would no longer have to fear that something would happen to his family. And to become the number one, he had to win against everything and everyone in this world. So the more his opponents were strong, the more he would try to challenge himself to acquire the necessary strength to protect his family.


    The trial resumed more intensely than before. Hei and his adversary exchanged repeated blows exploiting every minimum opening. Both had an advantage over the other - Hei had the advantage of speed and stamina, while his opponent had raw power advantage.


    The enemy could exert a strong power in its blows thanks to the weight of the ax that would surely have broken Hei''s spear in half if they had come in direct contact. However, this meant having a slow reaction speed and a considerable energy consumption. Nevertheless, the smoke figure seemed apparently without fatigue. It also had a rather agile body that allowed it to dodge the blows by lifting its body with agility and attacking immediately after those movements.


    Hei was repeatedly forced to retreat. Although there were various openings on his opponents, not all of them were real. And when he landed a hit, it would only be light damage given the dense spiritual power of the enemy.


    ''It''s not good, as the fighting continues, I am finding myself more and more in a passive position. I could try Spider Lance, but it would consume so much energy, and I can use it only once without the enemy realizing its real power. It is rather agile, so it may even end up avoiding the blow. With my spear, I have the advantage of distance, but if I don''t get close, I can''t use my techniques.''


    While thinking of this, Hei decided to try a change of fighting style.


    He continued for a while to try to hit the enemy with his spear. When his attack was parried for the umpteenth time, and his opponent went on the attack, Hei moved to its right. Then, he threw his spear against the smoke body.


    The weapon, taking strength from the launch, cut through the air as it hissed while approaching the smoke body. Taken by surprise, it raised its ax to parry the incoming spear. However, it left its sides and back uncovered.


    Taking advantage of this, Hei pointed to the side as it was more appropriate as an area to hit for a piercing technique like Snake Lance. A shattering blow would have been more appropriate for a back injury instead.


    The smoke body became aware of his arrival. So, it condensed as much spirit power over the part of the body that was about to be hit. It wanted to decrease as much as possible the damage it would receive while engaged in parrying the thrown spear.


    But the power behind the Spider Lance was stronger than expected and broke its spirit power''s protection, coming to cut the ''flesh.'' Since it was a body made of smoke, despite having been condensed so as to have the same consistency as a human being, it was different to the touch.


    The smoky being spit gray blood from its mouth and without dwelling in pain, it let go of its huge battle-ax since it had already blocked Hei''s spear. With its right arm, it blocked Hei''s, whose hand was still inside its body. Then, concentrating all its spirit power to increase the attack of its fist, it used its other arm directed to Hei''s restrained arm in order to break his bones.


    His reasoning was simple - since it was a dangerous move, the best solution would have been to prevent him completely from reusing it again.


    Seeing this, Hei smiled, and instead of using more spirit power for defense, he concentrated it on the free right arm, even reducing his spirit power on the trapped arm.


    Snap!


    Hei''s left arm bent in half, a sign that the bone itself had broken. He groaned in pain, but this amount of pain wasn''t enough to cloud his mind. By now, he had begun to get used to receiving pain, and certainly, he wouldn''t allow it to stop him.


    With a high jump, twisting his legs on the smoke body''s waist so that it couldn''t escape backward, Hei used his right arm for another Spider Lance straight to its face this time.


    Bam!


    There was more rumble, and the protection of spirit power on the head of the smoke body broke as Hei''s blow caused a deep wound on his enemy''s forehead.


    Not stopping there, Hei started hitting the wound in the center of its forehead using his Snake Fist with his right hand in succession.


    Snake Fist Storm.


    In a short time, more than a dozen hits were inflicted in rapid succession.


    Without the protection of spirit power, the skull of the smoke being was broken, and Hei''s Snake Fists ended up smashing the brain directly, making the smoke body vanish into nothingness.


    On the side, the Artifact Spirit''s eyes looked with surprise at the boy before him, who had used such a fierce method to win. He didn''t expect a scene like that by that young boy.

 Chapter 56 - Getting the First Place

    While Hei was catching his breath from the fight that just ended, another intense battle was in its climax in the ''next'' room, going toward a ruthless direction.


    The young beautiful and silent girl, who unexpectedly turned out to be even at a slightly higher level of talent than Hei, was mercilessly suffocating her opponent from behind, using her unusual weapon - a ribbon.


    Her opponent, also a smoke body with female features, was desperately trying to free itself from the suffocation it was in. However, this was in vain, and in the end, it had to succumb because of the inability to breathe.


    Although it wasn''t as grotesque as when Hei broke his enemy''s head, there was no doubt that the scene was just as brutal. The young girl with blue hair and blue eyes had smothered the enemy all the time with an impassive expression on her face, regardless of the wounds on her body. Even when this smoke body stopped moving, she didn''t let go but tightened even harder until she heard the sharp sound of something breaking.


    Both candidates for the continent''s trial had not only succeeded in resisting the enemy but had even won by killing them.


    In the world of martial artists, defeating the enemy was an undertaking to be praised, but it wasn''t comparable to killing one''s opponent. Unless it was a fight to the death in which both challengers wouldn''t surrender to the end, each martial artist had techniques or objects to help them to escape from a too strong enemy or a dangerous situation.


    After all, no matter how far they could transcend the limits of an ordinary person, in the end, they remained mortal. Once dead, they would lose everything. So sometimes it happened that they had to swallow their pride and run away using everything they had available, as to hope they could get their revenge in the future.


    Of course, it wasn''t a behavior adopted by everyone, but it could be said that the majority of martial artists behaved like this.


    However, these two youths had succeeded in killing their enemy, but the most curious thing in the Artifact Spirit''s eyes was that they hadn''t had the slightest hesitation in doing so. It wasn''t just because the enemies were terrible human being copies of smoke, and therefore not real living beings. Having lived for tens of thousands of years, despite having spent much of that time sleeping, he could assess the spirit of the participant in front of him.


    Hei and Lian would have done the same, regardless of whether they had two human enemies in the flesh before them. It caused the Artifact Spirit to reflect. After all, it was difficult to find such ruthlessness in such young youths.


    "Why did you kill your opponent?" The Artifact Spirit asked Hei.


    Since he understood from her behavior that Lian wouldn''t utter a word, he decided to ask the boy directly. Since they had come together and had a similar talent and resolution to kill, they had to be related.


    "You didn''t tell me I had to win without killing him. You just said to fight. From his eyes, I felt an intense pressure, and therefore I only responded accordingly. My mother taught me not to underestimate any enemy, not even the weakest. And the one before me wasn''t weak at all. Because he was my enemy and there was no reason to leave him alive, I killed him. That''s all."


    Hei''s tone was calm and composed. By listening to him, it didn''t seem that it was the same guy who had broken his opponent''s brain with his hands. Moreover, despite this was only an illusion, the pain received was still perceived by the mind. It was amazing how he could keep his cool despite his broken left arm.


    "Indeed, I didn''t tell you to leave him alive. You mention your mother just now. I assume she also taught your partner how to fight, right?"


    "Partner? Do you mean Lian? How did she go?" Hei asked instead of answering.


    Hearing the name of Lian, he lost some of his calm. Since he had accepted Lian as his family, Hei''s flaw of losing his calm and composed self when it came to his family, was now applied also to Lian. Fortunately, he knew that it wasn''t possible to die in this illusion, so his concern wasn''t as big as it would be in a real-life situation.


    "She won. Even her, like you, killed her enemy, it''s just that she strangled it instead of blowing its skull."


    Even without answering, the Artifact Spirit got his answer from the boy''s change of attitude in front of him.


    ''The talent and fighting style of these two young people is by no means something that is the product of one of the islands'' big sects. He mentioned a certain mother... could she be a high ranked martial artist? Their potential is even comparable to the geniuses of the eight big families and the imperial family. It is absurd that after thousands of years without producing any youth at all, this Rainbow Island can produce two examples of such talent level. The answer is certainly in that mother.''


    The thoughts of the Artifact Spirit stopped there, though. Despite being curious about the background behind the two youths, in the end, it was nothing but an Artifact Spirit within a formation. It wasn''t his responsibility to investigate the participants. His only task was to verify if the person was really up to being able to be educated according to the Continent''s requirements.


    "Listen well, you two, Hei and Lian. Since you have passed the trial, and I have personally verified your potential, I will give you a token each as a sign of today''s events. This token, in addition to letting you enter the continent, will allow you to enroll in any War Academy in the territories of the empire. However, I want to give you a warning."


    At that point, the Artifact Spirit paused briefly to emphasize the latter part of his speech.


    "The opponents faced today are reproductions of opponents with a talent inferior to yours, but with age similar to yours. Despite this, you have suffered various injuries in combat. For now, you are in the high end, according to the standards of the continent. Even there, you would be considered geniuses. However, the longer you stay on Rainbow Island, or one of the other islands, the more your potential will be lost. Fortunately, you have this mother of yours at your side, so I could say that you can safely stay here for the spirit apprentice stages and the first stages of spirit soldier. But you absolutely have to come to the continent before you move on to the third rank. Otherwise, your potential will really be wasted, and it will be difficult for you to catch up with the genius of the big families or the imperial family."


    The words of the Artifact Spirit had a genuine concern for the future of Hei and Lian. After countless years of inactivity, he had finally found two suitable candidates to be taken to the continent. It would have been a terrible shame if the two youths had burned their potential.


    Feeling sincerity in his words, Hei bowed his head slightly and received the token that materialized in his hand. Lian also did the same, perceiving sincerity in the Artifact Spirit''s word as well.


    "The time has come to go. I bet that the people out there will be as excited by this result. Unfortunately, having to divide my conscience in all the formations on the various islands, when I materialize, I end up always consuming too much energy. We will probably never see each other again, but I hope you don''t forget my words, and that your success is only the beginning of more emerging talents from the islands." That said, the eyes of the Artifact Spirit disappeared, returning to its silent rest in the place from which he had come.


    Hei greeted him without saying anything but with a slight smile. Since he was grateful for the sincerity of his words, he didn''t feel like telling him that there would be no surprise at having passed the continent trial. As his mother said that she would take care of the rest, Hei didn''t doubt that she had succeeded in deceiving all those present.


    Only, if it had gone as planned in the plans, it would have been created a certain clamor anyway, since the first positions would belong to him and Lian.


    *


    Outside the five-story pagoda, the atmosphere was hyper. The couple that had succeeded in the incredible feat of beating the dream trial record was now achieving astonishing results even in the combat trial.


    In front of everyone''s eyes, two of the five floors were changing color at speed comparable to that of the five genes, and this was exciting all those present because the result initially considered unlikely was becoming a reality.


    Even the five elders'' personal disciples were looking at the pagoda in amazement. Although their respective masters had already warned them, it was one thing hearing about it, and another seeing it with their own eyes. Moreover, since they had been held in high esteem since they had awakened their spirit power, being called among the greatest geniuses in the history of the Flower Sect, it was difficult for them to accept being inferior as a talent to two newcomers.


    Among the five, Zan, the son of the first elder, was the most agitated. It wasn''t only a question of pride as the strongest between the personal disciples, but it was above all for the double reward given to the first place.


    As he was grabbing onto the last thread of hope, his fears were confirmed when the light of both floors glowed with gold in succession. With trembling bodies but with a firm step, Hei and Lian walked hand in hand afterward, supporting each other so as not to fall to the ground.


    Time used by Lian - 17 minutes and 31 seconds


    Time used by Hei - 17 minutes and 30 seconds


    When the results came from the person in charge of taking the time inside, a general astonishment was generated among those present.


    He really did it!


    That sentence was thought by all the younger generation inner members as well as, the older ones. With the time acquired in the dream trial, and with the time of his combat trial, the first place belonged to no one else besides Hei. Furthermore, since she also had the second-best score in both trials, second place went to Lian.


    It was amazing. The first place, as well as the title of the most important inner member of the sect, had gone to a boy at the only third stage of spirit apprentice. Furthermore, their results were so incredible that one wondered what positions they would occupy compared to the other big sects of the island.


    "Shit, how the f*ck is it possible?" Zan yelled with anger.


    Not only had he been deprived of first place, but now he had even dropped to third place, also passed by Lian.


    His body trembled with rage, but apart from his scream, he made no other gesture. He simply turned and left quickly the training ground followed immediately by Cao Su, the son of the sixth elder.


    Shortly afterward, Mei also stood up elegantly, and with the excuse that there was too much noise, she returned to the residence of the sect leader.


    Li, the younger brother of the second elder, seeing her go away like that, laughed.


    "Even if she makes an effort to be impassive, she cannot completely hide her true nature."


    "Well, that''s also why the big sister Mei is so cute, isn''t she?" Ying Yue replied with a smile.


    Among the elders'' personal disciples, she was the only one who wasn''t much disturbed by this event. Indeed she was even happy about it.


    Li didn''t answer her question and tried to change the subject,


    "What are you going to do, Yue? Now that I''ve seen the results with my own eyes, I just want to go home and start training. I bet the same is true for the others. "


    "I would like to congratulate; however, there are too many people. I would also say that it is better to follow your suggestion. After their results, I ended up in the last place of those awarded by the sect elders. Grandpa could get angry with me."


    "That''s because you waste too much time having fun. I bet if you wanted to, you could have beaten Zan''s time and the other two. It''s not true?"


    Without answering, Ying Yue stuck her tongue out in Li''s direction and left jumping happily. At that, Li laughed again and calmly returned to his home.


    A ripple was created today in the Flower Sect. Although they were the elders'' personal disciples, they had lost. There was no other truth in those results. But it wasn''t the end - until they actually clashed, it was still too early to assess whether Hei and Lian were stronger than them.


    But from now on, they would be considered just two lucky rookies but treated as rivals by the most talented geniuses of the sect.

 Chapter 57 - Rewards

    The upheaval, generated by Hei and Lian''s results, was soon calmed, and the trials returned to their regular activity. In order to avoid further fueling the confusion, the two youths left the training ground.


    Although it was almost sure that the first two places belonged to them, by formalities, they had to wait until everyone''s trials had finished, before the ranking could be drawn up. Of course, this was something that would have taken time, and they preferred to go home to rest and receive their awards quietly later.


    Hei, therefore, brought Lian to reunite with his mother and his little sisters, who were excited about knowing what they had faced.


    ''Then? How did it go? What was in it?'' (Xing)


    ''I bet there was a super strong enemy, didn''t it? Did you beat him?'' (Ye)


    The two little spirit beasts bombarded them with questions as soon as they were reunited. In order to calm them, Hei tickled them while looking at his mother''s condition. She looked fine, and Hei was able to relax because he had been worried about her health.


    "I''m glad you''re okay, mother. I hope you didn''t tire yourself too much."


    ''Don''t worry, I''m fine. As I told you, it wasn''t a particularly difficult illusion given the level of those present. Let''s go home, so you can tell us what happened before a nice meal.''


    Hearing about food, Xing and Ye forgot about the questions they were trying to ask and started climbing Hei''s body to make him hurry. Since they had accompanied them early in the morning, even the two little spirit beasts had not eaten anything until now and were starting to feel hungry.


    With a laugh, Hei started running with Lian despite their fatigue, and soon they arrived home. Then, in front of a nice warm meal and the warmth of his family, Hei told what he and Lian had faced.


    Out of respect for them, despite being curious, Bao Bei didn''t ask Hei and Lian about the dream trial. She didn''t precisely know what they had seen, but she could guess.


    By analyzing the formation from outside, during its execution, she realized that the effect used on their group was the generation of nightmares based on their past. It was an intimate moment, and as their mother and teacher, she had to respect their personal space. Fortunately, even Ye and Xing, who despite their cheerful behavior, were very sharp, didn''t ask questions about it.


    Both youths were, in fact, still a little shaken within themselves by what had happened. Hei, in particular, didn''t want to say anything about it - if he had spoken of his promise to himself, his mother, his little sisters, and even Lian, they would have been all angry with him for having sworn to take his own life if he couldn''t protect them.


    Therefore, the combat trial became the main topic. Hei and Lian narrated, in turn, what had happened to the smallest detail, including the words that the Artifact Spirit had addressed to them.


    Sighing, Bao Bei answered.


    ''I imagined there was an Artifact Spirit. I was ready to block all communication with the continent and destroy the Artifact Spirit itself if it were necessary, but fortunately, it wasn''t needed. Listen to me well. Even his words are true, it is still too early to enter the Continent. At least, not before reaching the rank of spirit soldier. For now, let''s focus on what you have ahead, meaning reaching the sixth stage of spirit apprentice so that you can awaken your innate element.''


    Hei and Lian both nodded to Bao Bei''s words. They trusted her blindly, and if she said it wasn''t the moment, then it was the absolute truth. So, they left the Artifact Spirit''s words in the corner of their mind and began to rest together with Ye and Xing, all sleeping together embraced.


    Bao Bei looked tenderly at the four sleeping without worries, side by side.


    ''Imperial family ... the only ones who can have united humans are the relatives of the Hero, as well as the holders of the dragon bloodlines. The eight great families are probably families with bloodlines of other divine beasts. However, even though they have lost most of their exponents in the final battle, there is no way that there are only eight bloodlines left on the human side. If that were the case, something must have happened after the final battle, so severe that they had to abolish the sect system and create these war academies. I imagine that without going in person, it''s difficult to do research here.''


    Meditating to herself, Bao Bei soon fell into a heavy sleep and laid down close to her treasures. From the outside, Shui ordered the buffaloes in defense formation, and so did Mi with the group of bees she commanded. They wouldn''t allow anyone to disturb the sleep of the family who was sleeping peacefully in the spiderweb house.


    *


    The following morning, after a busy day yesterday, Hei and Lian returned to the inner sect, taking Ye and Xing with them. When they arrived at their destination, they could see various people pointing towards them and exchanging murmurs.


    Their performance in yesterday''s trials had spread throughout the inner sect and probably also in the outer one. Given the importance that the ranking of the younger generation inner members had, it was a self-evident result.


    Although their score was practically insurmountable, as the five best candidates had done worse than them, they hadn''t yet received an official confirmation. Having left yesterday without waiting for the results, now they had to ask someone if they managed to take the first two places.


    While he was thinking about who to ask, Hei noticed familiar faces coming at him from afar. In a short time, he discovered who it was.


    "Hello there, congratulations on your victory Hei. You too, Lian, for your second place. "


    She greeted them kindly and warmly. It was none other than Ying Yue, who came seventh in the ranking yesterday. Next to her was the seventh elder who was looking at them with a gentle glance. Apparently, he wasn''t bothered that the two of them had taken the first two places while his personal disciple was finished in the seventh place.


    "Thank you, Ying Yue. Seventh elder, good morning. "


    Hei thanked Ying Yue and bowed slightly to the seventh elder. So did Lian. Even if they didn''t feel admiration for him, it didn''t cost anything to show education and conform to the label.


    "Hei, Lian. As my niece said, I am pleased to inform you that you have won the first two places. In addition to your personal glory, this position allows you other privileges. From now on, between the younger generation, you have the greatest degree of seniority; that is, even the disciples who are older than you in age must show respect to you as if they were before an older inner member. You are also allowed to reserve a training ground for free, and you can use it for as long as you want. Concerning the trial prizes, the prize for the second place comes from the first elder, whereas the first place, leaving aside the reward chosen at the exchange point, comes from the sect leader. But I''d say it''s better to move to a quieter place."


    With this, the seventh elder signaled to Hei and Lian to follow him as Ying Yue walked with them, questioning Hei and Lian about how quickly they had defeated the waves.


    Since they had expected such questions, last night Hei and his family had worked to give a version that was enough to calm the curiosity of others without going into details. Fortunately, since Lian would only talk to Hei when they were out, it wasn''t necessary to do the same for her.


    In a short time, they arrived at the exchange point. The people inside were impressed to see the seventh elder. But what struck them most was the presence of the first two inner members who came from nothing and the personal disciple of the seventh elder.


    Commonly, people thought that the five geniuses didn''t willingly accept these two newcomers, but it didn''t seem the case for Ying Yue.


    The seventh elder briefly replied to the greetings received and, without delay, took those were following him to climb the stairs to the second floor.


    Hei had only seen the first floor, which could be visited without restrictions. From what he knew, the upper floor couldn''t be accessed unless at least the meridian stage had been reached. But obviously, they didn''t have to respect that rule if they were brought directly by the seventh elder, who was in charge of the supply division and, therefore, the one who managed this exchange point.


    The upper floor was the same as the one below but contained far fewer items. However, just by taking a quick look, you could see how rarer and more precious they were compared to the one exposed down.


    But the seventh elder hadn''t brought them here for an exploratory tour but led them to an adjacent room. It was his office where he used to conduct various negotiations when visitors came to the sect.


    After making Hei and Lian sit down, the seventh elder sat down in front of them. Dividing them, there was a long polished wooden desk. Ying Yue, on the other hand, unlike her talkative self, remained silent and started making tea.


    At this point, after tea was served, the seventh elder raised his right hand. On the fingers of his raised hand, there was a purple ring that flickered faintly. Suddenly, two boxes emerged from the inside of the ring, resting slowly on the desk.


    "These are the rewards you earned with your performance yesterday," noticing Hei''s look on his ring he hastened to explain, "this? It''s a space ring. They are objects with particular formations that allow you to compress the space so that you can insert objects inside. Although they may seem incredible, they actually have many limitations. The space inside is small and can only contain inanimate things. But despite this, its usefulness is indisputable. Unfortunately, they are difficult to create and need lots of resources. Only formation masters like the second elder can create such objects, and it isn''t certain that they will succeed on the first attempt. "


    Finishing his explanation on the spatial ring, the seventh elder hurried to open one of the boxes. Inside there were seven metal ingots, each of a different color.


    "These are the specialty of our Rainbow Island, as well as the reason for its name - the Seven Color Rainbow Metals. It is the rarest and most precious metal you can find here on the island. When used together as an alloy to make a weapon, the weapon produced will have a higher resistance than any other metal. Furthermore, because they weigh little, they are also quite flexible and easy to maneuver. But the most important characteristic is that they facilitate the transmission of the user''s spirit power."


    The seven metals had the seven colors of the rainbow - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. They had a bright hue that shone when exposed to sunlight.


    "This is the prize for second place. The second elder will create the weapon according to the characteristics that Lian will indicate. You can indicate a color between these seven so that it becomes the primary one, and the created weapon will take on that color."


    That said, he took the box and held it towards Lian''s hands. She looked at the metals inside with a slightly indecisive look. The reason was simple - the lotus style did not require a metal weapon, and she already had the ribbon provided by Bao Bei.


    Seeing her reaction, the seventh elder hastened to add.


    "Of course, because you''ve earned them, you can also decide to use these metals to make another person''s weapon. You don''t have to make the second elder create a weapon for yourself. "


    Hearing this, Lian smiled and nodded her head. Her indecision was due to whether she could give the metals to Hei so as to create a spear for him. Understanding what she was thinking, Hei tried to reply.


    "Lian, no. I can''t accept it. It''s your prize. You have to use it for you. "


    "As you said, my prize is mine. So I can choose what to do with it. Furthermore, you know that my fighting style doesn''t require a metal weapon. Lastly, we are a family. Creating a weapon for you is like creating a weapon for me, don''t you think?" Replied Lian.


    Her voice was calm but, at the same time, resolute and didn''t allow further replies. She had already decided and wouldn''t have turned back. Seeing no other solution, Hei gave a wry smile and patted her head.


    "Thanks, Lian."


    As the two youths concluded that small debate on who the weapon would go, the seventh elder resumed.


    "Now let''s get the first prize," and after opening the second box that contained three different pills, "these inside are pills produced directly by the sect leader. Originally, the prize for the first place was only one, but the sect leader allowed herself to add these two other pills since you have a second prize available. You can decide to take only the original pill and choose yourself something else downstairs."


    Hearing this, Hei was taken aback for a moment. He didn''t expect such a gesture from the sect leader, but from how she had behaved so far, he had no reason to doubt her actions. But it was still too early to decide whether to accept the other two pills or choose something himself. Having kept his mother at home, it was up to him to pick on his own.


    Noticing his hesitancy, the seventh elder smiled and proceeded to explain the three pills.


    "Before choosing, I will briefly explain how the pills'' effect. The pill for the first-place prize is called Fortifying Metal Pill; it contains some amounts of metal inside and is used to strengthen bones. It is ideal for martial artists that are in the fifth stage and are trying to move to the sixth because it provides a large amount of energy as well. It is possible to split it in half, but the effects are halved.


    The other two are instead Explosive Blood Pills. They serve to make the blood of those who ingest them circulate faster but have a powerful effect, as the name suggests. They are generally used by those who are at the peak fourth stage, approaching the bottleneck to the fifth stage. It is possible to use them before, during the fourth stage, but the explosive effect will be devastating, and there is the risk of internal injuries. But with the risks come the advantages too - if you manage their energy, you can have a big jump in cultivation and the adjustment period will be short in turn.


    Now that I have shown you their characteristics, what have you decided? Will you accept the prize prepared by the sect leader, or do you want to choose something else yourself? "


    The seventh elder concluded his explanation, waiting for Hei''s answer.

 Chapter 58 - Request

    "Now that I have shown you their characteristics, what have you decided? Will you accept the prize prepared by the sect leader, or do you want to choose something else yourself? "


    When Hei heard the question that came to him, he thought for a moment and then decided.


    "I accept the reward prepared by the sect leader."


    Explosive Blood Pills were ideal for him and Lian. He was confident that they would manage to resist the effects without problems. The sect leader herself had also prepared them, so they were better quality than the pills on the first floor. From the expression that Ying Yue made when she heard those pills mentioned, he realized that they were also rather rare pills to find.


    The seventh elder smiled and handed the second box to Hei.


    "Well, if you want, you could leave the Rainbow Metals along with the characteristics of the weapon you want. I will make sure that you deliver them to the second elder as soon as possible and get the weapon to you as soon as it is ready. "


    At his proposal, Hei nodded and, taking the box containing the metals from Lian''s hand, passed the box again to the seventh elder. Then he wrote down the various details on how he would like his weapon would be made, which would be a spear.


    After the awards ceremony, Hei and Lian were led out by Ying Yue, who sent them off when they came out of the exchange point.


    "I would like to spend more time with you, but I guess you want to start your training right away. Not to mention that I have to cultivate too. Just a warning - even if you are the first between the younger generation''s inner disciples, I advise you not to slack off. You haven''t yet faced us, personal disciples, in a one vs. one match. The same goes for you, Lian. If you don''t hurry to reach our cultivation stage quickly, you won''t have any hope."


    Saying this, the young girl sent them off with her hand and returned to the exchange point.


    At that, Hei was a little surprised. From her words, he could understand that Ying Yue believed that with their talent, they could bridge the gap of cultivation and reach their same cultivation stage.


    Although Hei and Lian that they could do it thanks to Bao Bei''s teachings, it was surprising that one of the five personal disciples recognized their superior talent so openly and wasn''t upset or angry.


    Smiling, Hei brought Lian and his little sisters back to his mother to tell her what he had received and to continue his training.


    *


    Once they returned and told their experience, Bao Bei had them resume training. Even if they had superior talent, as Ying Yue had said, they had to hurry to fill that gap.


    Hei then went on to practice learning Spider Hair. It was a move that used his body hair to sense vibrations in the air. Understanding the concept was very difficult, but with the teachings of Bao Bei and the poison provided by his sisters, who acted as a catalyst, he succeeded in a short time.


    Later, he also learned Snake Tongue, which consists in perceiving smells with his tongue in a broader spectrum than what he could sense with his nose. As it was necessary the poison as a catalyst, Hei was subjected to another session of poison resistance.


    For this technique, he had to ingest the poison from his mouth. Therefore, by extracting poison from his sisters and mixing it with other plants to reduce the toxicity, he created a poisonous liquid with contained effects to drink during training sessions.


    With the help of his family, He was eventually able to understand Snake Tongue after countless efforts and pain.


    At that point, he had finished learning the techniques designed for the third stage of spirit apprentice. If he wanted to learn more, he would have to increase his cultivation.


    While he was learning the two techniques, Hei had continued to cultivate without days off and was near to approach the fourth stage. The same was true for Lian, who was conducting her training separately from Hei.


    It was due not only to their cultivation method but also to the continuous consumption of spirit wheat and other spirit vegetables. Furthermore, Mi had matured enough to be able to modify the honey produced by the other bees who were starting to show some signs of awakening spirit power.


    Spirit honey was a food complicated to find usually, but contained a considerable energy content, stimulating the recovery of spirit power. It was ideal to consume after a cultivation session.


    But in addition to his training and cultivation, Hei and Lian resumed their alchemy and training classes. As they became more familiar with the subject, they could see improvements in their ability. By now, there was little left to create their first products.


    It was when a month has passed since they became known as the ingenious couple, they received a notice of gathering at the sect leader residence. It was the first time it happened since usually, the sect leader would come to them. Curious about that call, Hei and Lian decided to go immediately to the inner sect.


    Because they didn''t know the reason for such gathering, Bao Bei insisted on accompanying them. They also decided to bring Shui and Mi, who wanted to defend them if something happened. So Lian and Hei, who was carrying his little sisters, his mother, and Mi, went on top of Shui and rushed to the sect leader residence.


    The sight of a large albino buffalo running through the streets frightened the guards at the entrance. But, recognizing who was sitting on its back, they decided to let the animal pass, considering that they couldn''t block the advance of the buffalo even if they wanted to.


    In a short time, they arrived at the sect leader residence who was, in turn, guarded by guards. This time, Hei was stopped, and he was forced to leave Shui out while he and Lian came in after showing the received convocation letters.


    One of the guards took the task of accompanying Hei and Lian inside and took them to a room where they could sit meanwhile. Shortly afterward, the sect leader arrived and sent the guard away and gave the two young youths a severe look.


    "Hei, Lian. Sorry if I summoned you so suddenly, but I have some things to tell you that they couldn''t wait."


    "Good morning, sect leader, don''t worry. You can tell us." Hei replied as he offered a short bow. Lian just bowed without saying anything else.


    After the rapid exchange of pleasantries, the sect leader passed to the reason why she had summoned the two youths.


    "Hei, Lian. First of all, I want to congratulate you. You are at the peak of the third stage, and it shouldn''t be long until the fourth stage. In this regard, I have these to deliver to you."


    The sect leader pulled out two stones from her space ring. They weren''t mere stones as they contained spirit power.


    "As you can guess, these are spirit stones. However, they are third-level spirit stones or the highest you can find on the island. Normally, the maximum that is given to a younger generation inner member are second-level stones; this also applies to the elders'' personal disciples. Although this is a favorable treatment, at the same time, it isn''t. As inner members, you are entitled to receive a certain amount of resources based on your score in the ranking. Since you occupy the first two places, you are entitled to the highest number of spirit stones. Instead of giving you various second-level spirit stones, I am giving you the opportunity to take a third level one. The greater the level, the purer is the amount of spirit power within. Rather than using several spirit stones of lower purity, it is better to use only a purer one, especially considering that you are close to the bottleneck to the fourth stage. With these, you can easily get over it."


    The sect leader held out both hands, containing the two third-level spirit stones, towards Hei and Lian.


    Hei, after getting his mother''s confirmation, accepted the offer received and took the spirit stone. Lian did the same.


    "I thank you, sect leader, we will make good use of the spirit stones you have given us. But I can''t help but wonder why." Hei commented as he looked the sect leader in her eyes.


    The woman immediately felt a chill pervading her body as she met Hei''s gaze.


    ''It''s here. The thing that protects these two children.'' The sect leader thought to herself as she regained control of her emotions.


    She knew their guardian would come if they were summoned so suddenly. Although she hoped that playing at home would help her, the pressure she felt was not less than when she went directly to Hei''s spiderweb house.


    "The fact is that in a month there will be the birthday of the forest kingdom king. A great celebration will be held at the capital in the royal palace. The most important sects of the kingdom have been invited. As one of the five big sects of the Rainbow Island, we Flower Sect cannot miss this event. It is a great occasion where the elderly can talk to each other, and young martial artists can exchange points. Moreover, given the gathering of influential people, a large auction will be set up where all kinds of goods will be exchanged. If I''m not mistaken, you requested to buy spirit beasts, right? Well, there is the right place to choose spirit beasts of all kinds."


    Upon hearing her words, Hei was seized with excitement. All this time, he hadn''t forgotten his reward and was anxiously awaiting when the sect leader would have mentioned a possible auction in which the sect would have participated. The fact that it happened during an important event like the birthday of the sovereign of the kingdom made it even more exciting given that there would be so many spirit beasts.


    "I understand, thank you very much, sect leader, for warning me. I guess Lian and I will come with you, right? "


    "Exact. As younger generation inner members, first in the rankings, you have to participate in the official sect events. However, although you have immense potential, we Flower Sect cannot participate with our two most important disciples still in the third stage. The other personal disciples of the sect have already reached the fifth stage, so you must be at least at the fourth. For this reason, I decided to give you the third level spirit stone. "


    Hearing those words, Hei couldn''t help but ponder to himself.


    ''Fifth stage? Now I understand why Ying Yue said so. I guess they were all at the peak of the fourth stage and had to face the bottleneck. If we train non-stop, Lian and I should reach the sixth stage alongside them. At that point, we will be at the same stage of cultivation, and there will be no more excuses to avoid a direct confrontation.''


    As he was thinking, the sect leader continued her speech.


    "Another reason I called you is to give you your weapon and to ask you a favor."


    That said, she pulled a metallic violet spear out of her space ring that had small dots on the tip with the other six colors of the rainbow. The lance was 2 meters long, and its light weight could be noticed by shaking it. It was a little longer than the one he had before, but since he was still growing, it would be fine.


    Hei took the weapon from the hands of the sect leader and touched it gently. From the touch he could see its lightness and trying to bend her, he noticed its flexibility.


    "I hope you like how the weapon was made. The first elder has committed himself to the best of his abilities, and the second elder has etched a formation that facilitates the transmission of spirit power in the weapon."


    "Did the second elder etch a formation?"


    "Yes, even if you have to wait for the meridian stage to transmit your spirit power within a weapon, this process can be avoided by understanding the intent of the weapon you want to use."


    "Intent of the weapon?" Hei asked with curiosity.


    "Yes. By achieving sufficient mastery with one''s weapon, it is possible to manifest one''s spirit power in the form of aura attacks. A rather drastic training is needed to understand the intent of a weapon, but it is something I think you can do. But it is necessary before you reach at least the fourth stage, given that with the fourth stage, it is possible to change somewhat the form assumed by one''s spirit power. Therefore it becomes easier to understand the intent of the weapon. You can also visit the sect library and choose the skills you want to learn. When you go there, you will be given details on the books'' differences.


    Remember that despite our conflict, I, the first elder and the second elder, all share the same goal - to bring the flower sect to its ancient glories. And although they put their resources and commitment into training their personal disciples, it doesn''t mean that they are blinded by jealousy and do not recognize talent when they see it, even if it isn''t part of their faction."


    "I understand sect leader, thank the first and second elder for me. And what about the favor you need? "


    "Right. When entering the capital and the royal palace, each sect will have the opportunity to perform by showing their wealth or ability. They are basically like parades you can see during city festivals. Although they may appear unnecessary, over the years, they have taken on great value to show the importance of a sect, in addition to the exchange of points between the younger generation. So, I want to ask you to use your buffaloes, including your albino buffalo, to pull carts during the parade. Is it possible?"


    "Using buffaloes to haul carts for the parade?"


    If he had asked personally, they would have said yes without delay. But Hei didn''t like to have them try so hard for the glory of others. He didn''t want to force them to do something because of their sense of gratitude to him. But if he had asked for a reward for them, then it would have been different.


    "I agree, but I won''t do it for free," Hei said in a serious tone.


    "I imagined you would say that. I will try to satisfy your request as much as possible. "


    The sect leader had never expected that he would do the job for free. After all, even if he was affiliated with them, he wasn''t a member of the sect in body and spirit. So his reaction was normal.


    "It''s not for me. It is the buffalo who do the work, so they are the ones rewarded for their work. Considering that they are all males, I would like them to procure female water buffaloes. Is it possible?"


    At Hei''s request, the sect leader was left speechless.


    "Yes, sure. There are no problems, but are you sure this is enough for you? "


    Although she had to be happy that the request was nothing special, she couldn''t help but ask when hearing his words.


    "Of course, just this. As I have said, it''s for them, not for me. I think one dozen buffaloes would be enough."

 Chapter 59 - Fourth Stage Training

    "Of course, just this. As I have said, it''s for them, not for me. I think one dozen buffaloes would be enough."


    So Hei let go of the possibility of an unexpected gain. He instead asked for compensation for the buffaloes that lived with him.


    Although in the eyes of any martial artist, it was absurd and crazy to do such a thing, Hei didn''t care. They had been his companions for some time now, and since they would do the work, it was obvious that the reward was also theirs.


    "Sect leader, if you want, I can also employ bees for the parade. Of course this under some compensation. "


    Upon hearing his words, the sect leader smiled slightly and answered.


    "All right, let''s hear then. What do you want to use bees for the parade, other bees?"


    "Well, the bees have their own system and are well organized. Introducing other bees can be counterproductive, especially if there is a queen bee with them. Let''s do this, could you give me some rare flowers already in bloom. If we transfer them and transport them, there should be no problems with the flowers, right?"


    Hei had thought to ask for the seeds, but considering that it was a reward for the bees, it was better to have something that they could use immediately.


    "Rare flowers? There are no problems. I will pick up some more from my personal collection. Honestly, considering the size of the event, you might very well ask for more. Although I appreciate your not wanting to be shameless and asking for huge rewards, it doesn''t even seem right to me not to reward you directly. Let''s see, I''ve decided. You and Lian will have the option of taking a book from the library for a month without contribution point costs. You can choose at any time when to use it, is it ok for you? "


    "Yes, sect leader. We thank you for your generosity. "


    "Alright, I think that I said everything I needed to tell you. You have a month or so before we leave. I hope by then you have reached the fourth stage."


    "Don''t worry. We won''t disappoint you at all."


    With this, Hei and Lian bowed again to the sect leader and came out of her residence. Once outside, Hei could see an intense look dwell on them. Turning around, he saw the personal disciple of the sect leader looking at them emotionless.


    Hei, therefore, made a small nod with his head as a greeting and went up with Lian on the back of Shui, they quickly ran home to continue training.


    Initially, they planned to cultivate and gather little by little the necessary amount of spirit power needed to overcome the bottleneck, but now it was no longer required. With the third level spirit stone supplied by the sect leader, they no longer had that need. Besides, they also had the Explosive Blood Pills that they would take once they consolidated their foundations after reaching the fourth stage.


    But the thing that excited him most about reaching the fourth stage was learning new techniques. Aside from learning the spear intent, the fourth stage contained the most considerable number of techniques provided by Bao Bei for Hei - Snake Fang, Spider Bite, Chameleon Tongue, Beast Claw, Spider Carapace, Snake Hair.


    He was curious to begin his training as soon as possible, also because this time, except for Spider Carapace and Snake Hair, which were defensive moves, the other four were all attack moves.


    *


    Once they arrived, Hei and Lian immediately went to meditation. They sat cross-legged and held the third-level spirit stone in their hands. Then they immediately began to circulate their spirit power while slowly absorbing that of the stone.


    The effects were immediately evident as the spirit stone was like fuel to keep them meditating without getting tired and raising their maximum quantity. In a couple of hours, the gap that needed to be filled to move to the fourth stage was filled with the energy of the spirit stone, and the two youths officially moved to the fourth stage of spirit apprentice.


    But even when they broke the bottleneck, the two of them didn''t stop their cultivation. Advancing one stage using external objects always required an adjustment time depending on how much pills or other objects the user had utilized. It was possible to disregard this and continue as if nothing had happened, but it would have created problems in the future.


    It took another couple of hours before Hei and Lian stopped meditating. Both were tired and covered in sweat, but there was a bright smile on their faces. They had finally moved to the fourth stage!


    ''Yes, hurray. Nice job, big brother, Lian.'' The two little spirit beasts, Ye and Xing, ran towards them with excitement. Even though they were tired, Hei and Lian went along with their enthusiasm and started playing with them a little, while slowly seeing their improvements.


    Bao Bei let them play a little before calling them. In front of her was a pile of wooden bottles.


    "Mother, what are these bottles?" Hei asked in a questioning tone.


    ''They''re for the next phase of your training. The bottles contain different special liquids created by us divine beasts to accelerate and harden parts of the body. Unfortunately, the main ingredient is a very rare plant that grows only in a place that is far from here. I don''t even know if it still exists.'' Bao Bei said in a regretful tone.


    The place she spoke of was nothing but the vast forest in which the highest number of divine beasts had lived. It was also the dominion that her companion once had ruled.


    Seeing her become a bit depressed, Hei tried to change the subject.


    "And what should I do now? What techniques will we start first?"


    Listening to the words of her son, Bao Bei recovered from her thoughts and returned to focus on the topic in question.


    "We''ll start with Beast Claw, Snake Fang, and Snake Hair, but your body is not suitable right now to learn these moves. We need some change. Take off your shoes, my little one."


    With those words, Bao Bei waved 20 small spider web strings that went to stick on Hei''s fingers and toes.


    "Listen to me, my child. It will hurt. So, clench your teeth and try to endure, okay? I will do everything in one fell swoop, you only think of resisting pain and standing still."


    Hei nodded his head while for safety, he sat on the ground. Next to him were Lian and his little sisters worried about what was about to happen.


    Seeing her son ready, with a strong tug, Bao Bei pulled the 20 spider web strings. They flew towards her at full strength. At the end of these wires, something was hanging in the air.


    Hei immediately groaned in pain that he tried to suppress as his hands and feet began to bleed.


    Right, the thing that was swaying on the ends of the spider web strings were nothing but Hei''s fingernails and toenails that didn''t resist being dragged and broke away from the skin.


    "Claws Beast requires a cycle of destruction and restoration of the nails. Thanks to the special liquid, they will heal again briefly and then be extracted again. You must repeat this cycle until you reach a degree of resistance such that your nails don''t come off with a single tug of mine." Bao Bei explained as she trembled slightly with her eight legs.


    She did not like all this, but there was no time for second thoughts. They only had a month, and if she wanted Hei to be ready, he still had to undergo intense training regimes.


    Hei, whose pain was fading, nodded his head.


    "Don''t worry, mother, do everything you need to do. Lian, Ye, Xing, go. Continue your workouts. Don''t worry about me, as there is mother with me. "


    Although they were reluctant to leave, they still did as they asked. Seeing suffers like this to become stronger, the least they could do was concentrate on their training.


    "Mother, so now I have to dip my hands and feet in that liquid?" Hei asked once he was alone with his mother.


    "The amount of liquid is little to proceed that way. I have to put a few drops directly on the nails one by one."


    Then she proceeded to do as she had said. When the liquid fell on Hei''s fingernails, they created a foaming spice while green bubbles rose on the surface.


    ''I forgot to tell you, the side effect of this liquid is that it turns the body part that heals to green.'' Bao Bei explained.


    "Green? It isn''t bad as a color, but I would have preferred black or purple like you." Hei commented with disappointment, apparently not disturbed by the change in color of his nails.


    Hearing this, Bao Bei chuckled and continue to complete the medication on all the other fingers and toes.


    ''Well, now that we''ve done this. We have to switch to Snake Fang. It will hurt less, but it is still a bit annoying. Well, now open your mouth.''


    Listening to his mother''s command, Hei opened his mouth and held it open. Bao Bei then floated a knife with his spiritual power as she had no hands to hold it directly. With accurate and precise movement, she began to sharpen Hei canine teeth to make them more like animal fangs. Once finished, she gave Hei a liquid to keep in his mouth. Inside, he could hear a gurgling sound similar to what happened on his fingers.


    ''Stay like this for half an hour before swallowing it down. The liquid will also change your teeth color and make them blue. If you wonder why I only sharpen your canines, it''s because it''s not advisable to sharpen all your teeth. Since human canines are already poised by nature, it is advisable to sharpen just them.'' Bao Bei added, sensing what her son was thinking in his head.


    Not being able to answer because of the liquid, Hei nodded yes before remembering that they could still communicate telepathically.


    ''Mother, what about snake hair? What should I do.''


    ''Snake Hair has the longest process, but it is pain-free, fortunately. Stay seated and relax.''


    So Bao Bei proceeded to take another wooden bottle and slowly pour it on Hei''s hair while her legs were rubbing his hair. Although usually, the males had short hair, Hei had a rather long cut that reached the height of the shoulders. He was undecided about whether to cut them or not, but Bao Bei had told him to leave them in anticipation for this moment.


    ''This liquid will strengthen and make your hair grow more. In order to have a good use, your hair must reach at least the height of your lower back. As for the coloring, the liquid gives a black color, but since you already have black hair, you won''t change much on that point of view.''


    So Bao Bei sat with him for half an hour while gently rubbing his hair to allow the liquid to enter the layer of scalp evenly and up to the tips of existing hair.


    When they ended, it was already sunset, and they concluded the special body modification session to go and eat. During dinner, Hei was amazed by how his fingers were already showing signs of nail formation. Moreover, it had become easier to tear the meat.


    The only negative thing was that the hair was still wet from the liquid and gave him discomfort during sleep, but in the end, he managed to fall asleep anyway.


    *


    The following morning there was confusion in the spiderweb house due to various visitors. Some members of the inner sect were conducting a herd of water buffaloes while others were carrying some pots containing flowers. It was the reward the sect leader had talked about.


    Usually, the rewards were given after the work was done, but because more than a reward this was a commission price, she decided to pay Hei immediately.


    The arrival of the visitors immediately alerted Shui and the buffaloes, as did the bees that set themselves in a defensive formation. Hei, however, made them stop and went to greet the people who had arrived, alongside Shui.


    Then, after having received the plants and water buffaloes, he sent away the inner members of the sect and spoke to Shui.


    "Shui, actually, I didn''t tell you anything because I wanted to surprise you. The sect leader asked if you guys could help her with something. I took the trouble to answer for you and ask for a reward. I hope you are okay with this; I tried to think of something that could please you and the other." Hei said as he stroked Shui''s head.


    In truth, he had acted a little selfishly deciding all on his own, but he thought that Shui and the other buffaloes wouldn''t have objected to how he handled the request. In fact, they were more than happy.


    Although they were rather calm, they were still male specimens. Therefore, they wanted to have a companion, not only for the fulfillment of a physical need but mostly for procreating and creating a family. During their stay with the merchant, they had forgotten this dream, but now they had unexpectedly fulfilled it.


    The buffaloes broke out in a series of mooings that resonated throughout the surrounding area. On seeing this, Hei smiled and waited for them to calm down.


    It took a while for them to calm down, but fortunately, Shui had a firm grip on them. So they went to welcome the new arrivals all together.


    Hei left the buffaloes alone and went instead to the bees. Inside the hive, Mi was busy modifying the honey produced by the bees, but when she saw Hei, she came out quickly while flapping her wings fast.


    "Mi, hello. Excellent work as always with the honey. I have a surprise for you, come. But first, call the queen bee."


    Mi made me a sign of joy and went to call the queen bee. Afterward, a team of bees came out with the queen bee of the hive in the middle.


    "Queen bee, please come with me. I want to show you something. "


    That said, he brought the group of bees where the vases with rare flowers were. At seeing the flowers, the bees emitted a more intense buzz; they had been excited by the quality of the pollen contained in those flowers.


    Hei then went on to explain the situation behind the flowers. The queen bee listened in silence and gave her permission. She decided to send Mi along with the team assigned to the little queen bee due to her familiarity with Hei and the others.


    Happy to be able to travel with Hei and the others, Mi started buzzing around him before settling on his head. Laughing, Hei sent her back to work in the hive again. There was still about a month left before they left, and he still had to start training other techniques, understand the spear intent, and go to the library to see if there was something useful.

 Chapter 60 - Weapon Intent Training

    Hei continued his training of Snake Fang, Beast Claw, and Snake Hair, but since these consisted mainly, for now, of enhancing those individual body parts with his mother''s unique blends, Hei had time to train in other techniques.


    Therefore, there was still left Chameleon Tongue, Spider Bite, and Spider Carapace to be learned. Of these, Chameleon Tongue was the easiest to learn.


    The training consisted mainly of exercises in lengthening the tongue and learning to move it with force. Chameleon Tongue was an attack move with which you could only strike by bringing your mouth closer to the part to hit. The execution was similar to Snake Fist, but it had less power. It was more like a move used to create a nuisance or put pressure on the opponent since it was possible to attack without using hands or legs. Under the use of spirit power, it was possible to increase its power to make it even deadly if used well.


    But Bao Bei only allowed a slight lengthening of a couple of centimeters. Hei was ultimately a human and, although she was training him to make him more and more like a spirit beast, it wasn''t advisable to overdo the changes. The tongue of human beings was rather short compared to other species, and their mouth wasn''t made to contain a too long tongue, without considering it wasn''t possible to extend it much since the original length was limited.


    However, there was the solution - over time, Hei would have more mastery in his spirit power, and he would be able to use it to create a kind of extension of spirit power of his tongue. That way, he wouldn''t have any problems with his tongue length and would be able to attack from any distance. The shorter the distance, the better it was.


    Besides, the secondary use of Chameleon Tongue was to increase the spit force of the mouth through the tongue. By using this technique, it was possible to throw small objects or one''s own saliva at rapid speed. Regarding the latter, although the saliva had no power of attack, in the future, once Hei learned the law of poison, he would be able to make his saliva poisonous and spit it out at high speeds as an attack.


    Spider Bite and Spider Carapace were instead the most difficult moves he had to learn so far.


    The function of Spider Bite consisted in reproducing in unison in the human body two parts of the body of a spider - the pedipalps and chelicerae. The pedipalps were an appendage similar to their legs placed in front of the mouth laterally; they had the utility of taking food and bringing it to the mouth. The chelicerae were the equivalent in the spiders of what was the jaw in humans.


    In essence, Spider Bite consisted of modifying one''s spirit power in taking the form of a pair of crescent-shaped appendages that protruded laterally from the throat. The choice of that particular position was so that it could be used at the same time as the other moves usable with the mouth as Chameleon Tongue and Snake Fang.


    Spider Carapace, on the other hand, was more straightforward as a type of operation. It consisted only of thickening one''s own spirit power to form multiple layers in the desired part. It imitated spiders'' carapace, which was nothing but an exoskeleton used to protect their most delicate inner parts. But although the operation behind it was easy to understand, its execution wasn''t equally simple.


    But when two weeks of the four given by the sect leader had passed, Hei decided to take a break, believing that he had begun to understand how the techniques worked. It was time to go and see in more detail how to acquire the weapon intent. Since it was about his weapon, it was necessary to begin learning it before leaving.


    Under indications of the sect leader, Hei and Lian arrived at the indicated place. It was one of the training camps provided for the younger generation, but unlike the others, it was supervised by some members of the regulation division. At the center, there was a large formation. It was managed by some members of the formation division of the sect.


    As the first and second in the ranking of younger generation inner members, Hei and Lian were made let in without problems. One of the members of the formation division took them over and started explaining to them how it worked.


    "This formation is particular from normal ones. It has the shape of a circle, and it is activated thanks to four flags formations in the four cardinal points. The flags formations are nothing but flags with formations engraved on them. By positioning them in precise locations, it is possible to create the formation and keeping its energy consumption low but maintaining efficiency. "


    At that point, the member of the formation division indicated four different locations in the training ground. There, four large flags were stabbed on the ground and were fluttering due to the wind. On these, there were multiple symbols inscribed on them.


    "The formation flags, compared to other artifacts, are more combat-related. Therefore they don''t have an automatic function through the consumption of spirit stones but require the direct injection of spirit power of the user. In this case, the formation requires at least four people to be activated. Although we are one of the big five sects, creating formations with automatic functions of medium or large dimensions is expensive. Therefore, in order to remedy the costs, it is advisable to use flag formations instead."


    Hearing all that information, Hei and Lian nodded their heads closely following. Lian, in particular, was very interested as she was studying formations herself with Xing.


    Noting that the two young youths before him weren''t as arrogant as one would expect from the first two in the younger generation''s ranking, the member of the formation division continued to explain.


    "Normally, a price of contribution points or materials of similar value is required. However, the sect leader informed us of the situation, and therefore you are granted free use of the formation. Due to the limitations of our spirit power, even though the flags reduces consumption, we can keep the formation active just for an hour. Then you will have to wait for us to recover our spirit power or others to replace us. "


    "There are no problems. One hour is fine, we have other training sessions planned, and today we have only come to take a first look at the method of learning the weapon intent." Hei replied, reassuring the inner member in front of him.


    "All right, but remember that in an hour, you won''t be able to learn the intent of your weapon. Most people fail even after hours and hours of training and end up giving it up. Furthermore, since it is a general training rather than a focused one-armed weapon, you will first have to find the intent of your weapon in the sea of intents poured into the formations. Although it increases the difficulty, at the same time, it accelerates the learning if you can find it. Well, now, I''d say it''s time to start."


    Without delaying any further, the four members of the formation division took their places where the four flags were located. At the center were Hei and Lian. They were waiting for the four to finish their preparations and activated the formation.


    Quickly, a dome of blue light began to be created by the four flags placed in the ground, engulfing Hei and Lian, who were inside. All around them, there was nothing but a sea of blue light that didn''t leak anything from the outside.


    "Spirit power... how is it possible that it is so condensed?" Hei exclaimed, perplexed.


    Although from his mother''s stories, he knew it was possible to do such a thing, it wasn''t something achievable with the level of Rainbow Island martial artists. Not even the elders would be able to do it, let alone simple inner members.


    Lian shook her head at Hei''s exclamation and stretched out her hand toward the blue light, but there was no contact of any kind.


    "It isn''t so? So is it an illusion?" Hei asked Lian, who knew more about formations.


    "Yes and no, it is both an illusion, but at the same time, it is more a distortion of light itself. It''s a mixture of both. It was probably set up like this to hide something." Lian explained as she looked around carefully.


    Hei, who understood this concept, decided to move forward cautiously. Being a formation created by the sect for the younger generation, it certainly couldn''t be deadly. However, it wouldn''t have been without danger, and therefore, he activated his spirit power for safety.


    When he took a couple of steps, from an indecipherable direction of the dome came a blade of blue aura towards him that struck the protective layer of his spirit power. The attack wasn''t potent, but its speed was very high.


    "A blade of spirit power? Although I can''t see well in this blue sea, from the sensation, it seems to be a sword-cut or something similar."


    To prove his theory, Hei kept moving. With each step, a new blue aura attack rushed towards him at high speed.


    ''I understood.''


    "Lian, did you understand, too, right?"


    "Yes, these attacks are probably those contained within the flags. The blue sea serves to hide its origins."


    "From the formation division member''s words and the feeling of the attacks, each attack comes from a different type of weapon. Consequently, our goal is to find the intent of our weapon and understand it amid all other intents. But we must receive all the attacks without the possibility of dodging them."


    Having said that, Hei stopped before continuing.


    "Activate your spirit power and start walking around. But try not to stray too far from the center. Given that it is the only enlightened place, it seems logical to think that it is a safe area. It is the first day, so there is no need to exaggerate in understanding it in a single session. We use this time to understand and prepare for the next sessions."


    Lian nodded her head at Hei''s words and left the safe area. Soon, after a couple of steps, a blue blade came towards her and hit her. Having activated her spirit power, she didn''t suffer much damage.


    The two continued like this for about half an hour, although the passage of time was a little challenging to notice inside. Having received repeated attacks all the time, the consumption of their spirit power was great, and they decided to return to the safe zone to rest and cultivate a little, and at the same time, metabolize what they had understood.


    Each weapon had its characteristics and strengths and weaknesses. Not even the greatest of the geniuses among the geniuses could have been capable of correctly learning any type of weapon. It was better to concentrate on only one type.


    But the strength of a weapon didn''t depend so much on its characteristics. It was instead based on the user''s compatibility, the competence in wielding it, and the ability to perceive the flow of battle. Even weapons that seemed useless, used by the right martial artist could turn into deadly weapons and kill anyone in their path.


    Although they couldn''t learn every weapon and their intent, it was possible to learn how to defend oneself with your type of weapon and how to deflect the various attacks. What they were trying to do now was just that. Understanding not so much as the secrets of any weapon, but what made their weapons different from others.


    The hour passed, and eventually, the formation was dispelled. Even though Hei and Lian weren''t injured, they had consumed vast amounts of spirit power and mental energy in an attempt to understand the peculiarity of their weapon.


    The member of the formation division who had spoken with them previously headed towards them.


    "So how did it go? Do you want to continue, or you decide to stop for today? "


    "No, that''s enough for today. It is rather difficult, and instead of continuing stubbornly, we prefer to concentrate on digesting what we have learned." Hei replied with a tired face.


    "It seems like a wise choice. Most of those who come, insist on continuing and end up forgetting the little they have learned. With these types of techniques, you don''t have to hurry, and you have to follow your own pace. Very well, then I send you off. I hope to see you again tomorrow."


    Hei and Lian politely greeted the members of the formation division who had assisted them and left the training ground. Because they had spent only an hour in that place, they had time to jump to the library.


    The library was similar to the exchange point, also carefully monitored. It was just that inside, instead of there being goods, there were books.


    The books inside were divided by type based on what the technique was used for - cultivation methods, fighting techniques, weapon techniques, and movement techniques. These, in turn, were subdivided into ranks according to the power and utility generated by learning the technique - base, low, medium, high.


    High-rank techniques were learnable only by those who had reached the sixth stage since they were mostly techniques that used elemental laws. Therefore, the maximum that Hei and Lian could take was medium rank techniques.


    Having already been informed of their particular situation, the person in charge welcomed Hei and Lian with reverence, as they had become by now two important figures in the sect, and had the full support of the sect leader. They weren''t only allowed to take away a book each without paying contribution points, but they could calmly decide without time limits.


    Taking advantage of this, Hei and Lian began looking for medium-rank combat techniques. They didn''t need cultivation manuals nor movement techniques as they already possessed them. As for the weapon techniques, they felt that it was better to learn them after having comprehended the intent of their weapons so as to refine their use simultaneously with new techniques.


    Their choice ultimately fell to two - Vibrating Fist and Demon Concealment.


    The first had a similar procedure to Spider Lance. Still, besides being less powerful, it differed because instead of a piercing blow, the technique consisted of a punch which would focus on vibrating one''s spirit power against the opponent. They had chosen that technique so they could have something to attack their opponents without revealing their best cards. Hei was also confident of being able to increase its power by applying the force concentration method used in Spider Lance.


    The Demon Concealment, however, while belonging to combat techniques, was neither an attack nor a defense move. But it was a technique of concealment that served to reduce one''s presence.


    Although Hei was good at hiding himself, this move went so far as to explain even how to slow down his breathing and heart rate to the minimum. Combined with his knowledge of hunting, it would be an unexpectedly deadly weapon.

 Chapter 61 - Departure Day

    Having chosen the two techniques to be learned from the library, Hei and Lian returned to the spider web house to continue their training.


    In the last two weeks left to them, the two youths went back and forth from the spiderweb house and the inner sect daily.


    First, they would spend the morning in the training ground for understanding the weapon intent, increasing more and more the time they spent there. After that, Hei and Lian would use a training ground reserved just for their two to exercise themselves with the Vibrating Fist and Demon Concealment techniques and hone their melee combat skills by sparring between each other. By lunchtime, instead, we would return to the spiderweb house to have lunch together, and in the afternoon, they would train on their individual style.


    At the end of the training period, Hei was still far from mastering all the new techniques - of the six moves, the only ones that could be used in battle were Chameleon Tongue and Beast Claw. With Snake Fang, he still had some problems in understanding the right timing to strike without risking to expose himself. In contrast, with the remaining three, Snake Hair, Spider Carapace, and Spider Bite, he had started to understand the basics, but it wasn''t yet to the point of being able to be used correctly in training, not to mention during a real fight.


    At the same time, however, he had learned Vibrating Fist given the technique had some similarities with Spider Lance, and Demon Concealment thanks to his previous hunting training. But what was more important, was that he and Lian started to finally perceive something from the special training for the weapon intent. He hadn''t yet managed to catch it entirely, but the mere fact that they had begun to perceive it weakly was a sign that, with an assiduous practice, they would manage to make it.


    Unfortunately, the time at their disposal was over, and now it''s time to leave. But first, Hei and Lian had one last thing to do.


    The day before the designated departure, their two prepared themselves to use the Explosive Blood Pills received as a reward from the sect leader. They had powerful effects, but with Bao Bei regulating their flow of spirit power, they would be able to make it. But it was because of their intensity, that they had waited until the last moment so as to consolidate their foundations as much as possible.


    When they ate the pills, Hei and Lian immediately felt their blood boil inside their bodies as they activated their spirit power to regulate the effects of the pills. Despite their efforts, however, as expected from the name of the pill, their blood was circulating wildly in all their blood vessels as the heart was rapidly beating, pumping more blood and creating more chaos. Even their flow of spirit power was affected and risked going berserk.


    Fortunately, Bao Bei was there with them, and placing one of her eight legs on each of the two youths, slowly made her spirit power flow towards them, trying to contain the violent effects of the pills.


    This process went on for hours and lasted until the afternoon. When they finished absorbing the pills completely, Hei and Lian were clearly exhausted, much more than they did in their workouts. Their breathing was out of breath, and they had to breathe large mouthfuls of air to slowly resume their normal breathing as well as lie down on the ground without strength.


    Bao Bei let them rest in peace while preparing an outdoor bath with the latest supplies of medicinal herbs delivered by the sect leader. Since they had to leave, they might as well use the latest stocks to get them back to full strength as quickly as possible.


    Thus, the residents of the spider''s house spent the last evening before the trip, finally enjoying a well-deserved rest waiting for the departure of the next day.


    *


    The next day at dawn, Hei woke up. Although he was still a little sore and fatigued, the long sleep and bath of medicinal herbs had their effect. As he was awake, he began to revise the preparations for the departure.


    "The sect leader said that we aren''t so far from the capital. With the pace of buffaloes, even without rushing, in a week, we should arrive without problems. As for supplies, there are no problems for Lian and me, as well as Xing, Ye, and mom. The problem is the buffaloes and the bees. Even if there is food to eat in the surroundings, it is worthwhile to load some provisions for them."


    Hei, therefore, began to cut the surrounding grass, placing it in large silk bags. He also did the same with the vegetables grown in the field. Not knowing when they would return, he would simply feed them to the buffaloes.


    Then he went into the greenhouse and examined the various flowers inside. There was still some time left for most flowers to blossom, especially the poisonous flowers. But among those non-poisonous, some had already flourished. So he gave them water using already filled buckets and left the greenhouse.


    Although they were absent, there would still be the queen bee with her hive. He had already given them instructions on how to manage the flowers in the greenhouse, and for the poisonous ones, as long as they limit themselves to giving them some water from time to time, it would be all right. To facilitate their task, he left multiple small water containers, transportable by a group of bees, so that they could perform this task.


    Finally, he collected all the spirit honey containers he had in a bag. Since the bees could eat the honey produced by them, it would bring that instead of having to transplant flowers into various vases and take them with them. If he found some fruit, he could feed that to the bees, since they liked sweet things.


    With the preparations completed, Hei finally went on to wake up the buffaloes that were still sleeping. Since new companions had arrived, he had given them this entire month as a rest by making them accustomed to one another. It didn''t take long for the new arrivals to join the pack, considering that Shui was in charge. However, out of respect for Bao Bei, they still didn''t dare to perform any reproductive behavior.


    Shui welcomed Hei with a quiet bellow and then went on to guide the buffaloes for the morning meal and fulfill their needs before lunch. Hei, so he took the opportunity to go and wake up Mi.


    The little spirit bee, as he approached, flung herself towards him to then rest on his head. Evidently, she was already awake for a long time and couldn''t wait to leave. It was quite normal, though, considering that the young bees had shorter sleep rhythms than the older bees.


    When Mi flung herself out of the hive, she created a big commotion inside, so much to wake up the queen bee that turned out to be quite annoyed. But she pretended not to notice and abruptly greeted Mi and the squadron of bees assigned to her.


    Meanwhile, in the spiderweb house, Lian, Ye, and Xing had woken up while Bao Bei had started making breakfast for everyone. After a hearty meal, they could then march towards the inner sect.


    *


    The place of the appointment was none other than the sect leader residence. Enormous, beautiful carriages had been placed there. All the carriages were decorated with floral motives of different flowers ranging from light to dark colors. On both sides, all of them had the sect crest.


    All the elders and their personal disciples had already gathered at the sect leader residence. Obviously, among the elders, only the sect leader, the first and the second elder would come. Although it was the celebration of the King of the Forest Kingdom, it didn''t mean that they could leave the sect unattended. And since, despite their strength, the third, fourth, and fifth elders were more specialized in productive skills, the sixth and seventh elders were also left as protection.


    Of the personal disciples, only those belonging to the younger generation would come, meaning the five geniuses of the younger generation that had been beaten by Hei and Lian. As for the other younger generation inner members, as it was a celebratory gathering of close guests, it made no sense to bring them as they had no qualifications to participate.


    If they hadn''t won their seats within the top 7 of the younger generation, Hei and Lian couldn''t have attended the ceremony. At most, the sect leader would have taken them to keep her words about the auction, but without then letting them enter the royal palace.


    After all, although it was the king''s birthday celebration, the prestige of the kingdom sects was also at stake. And as one of the five big sects on the Rainbow Island, the Flower Sect couldn''t disfigure, considering there was another one of the five big sects - the Tree Sect.


    Unlike the Flower Sect, which occupied the last place among the five big sects, the Tree Sect occupied the third position instead. Therefore, they had greater power than the Flower Sect, and during the celebration, they would certainly take advantage of the opportunity to show their superiority.


    It was for this reason that the sect leader had ordered Hei to reach the fourth stage as soon as possible. They couldn''t lose face in front of their longtime rivals.


    After a while of waiting, various figures were seen approaching on the horizon. A herd of 19 buffaloes was coming neatly in a row in pairs towards the residence of the sect leader. In the front, a large albino buffalo was carrying two youths.


    In a short time, they arrived at their destination, and Hei and Lian came down from Shui''s back.


    When the sect leader saw Hei, she couldn''t help but be surprised. The boy''s outward appearance had changed a lot - his hair had grown so much, reaching about half of his back and taking on an even more intense and shiny black color. But it was his fingernails that attracted the attention as they were green, and when he opened his teeth, the sect leader could see that even those had changed color to blue.


    "Good morning, sect leader, sect elders, fellow inner members. Sorry if we made you wait." Hei said, bowing his head and apologizing for the short delay.


    Looking at the boy who had changed so much in such a short time, the sect leader had a moment of perplexity before answering.


    "Don''t worry. We were still defining the final details of the trip. So you''re not late at all. "


    The other elders were also surprised at this change and prepared to examine his body. To their astonishment, they discovered that Hei had already advanced to the fourth stage. But it wasn''t a simple beginner fourth-stage, but was already a low fourth-stage, tending to the middle fourth stage.


    Except for the sect leader, the other elders weren''t at all aware that he was already at the peak of the third stage last month. They also didn''t know that he had received a third level spirit stone from the sect leader. They knew about the Explosive Blood Pills, though, but they didn''t think it was possible that he could be absorbed it when he wasn''t yet in the fourth stage.


    Surprised, they immediately shifted their gaze to Lian, who was behind Hei absently and was playing with Ye and Xing. Incredibly, even the young girl, always near Hei''s side, had reached the same stage of cultivation.


    The elders'' personal disciples, except Ying Yue, all had ugly faces. Obviously, they didn''t expect Hei and Lian to be able to close the gap between them again, not after they had moved on to the fifth stage. If things had continued like this, they would reach the sixth stage at the same time, and there would be no more cultivation gaps.


    Sensing the tense mood in the air due to the unexpected surprise, the sect leader went on to explain the journey.


    "The people that would go to the capital will be myself, the first and second elder, and the first seven inner members of the younger generation. I will share the carriage in the front row with Mei, so will the first and second elder with their respective disciples in the two carriages behind mine. In the other three, there will be Cao Su, Ying Yue, Lian, and Hei. You can choose yourselves how to settle down. Hei, even if it''s your spirit beast, I''d ask you to assign the albino buffalo to my carriage. As the main carriage, it is appropriate to have it assigned to mine."


    "There are no problems, sect leader. I will do as you requested." Hei replied as he began to fix the harnesses on the buffaloes. He assigned Shui and three other buffaloes to the carriage of the sect leader; to the other carriages, he instead appointed three buffaloes each. He and Lian settled on the last one, while Ying Yue and Cao Si, respectively were in front of them.


    Then, some inner members of the supply division moved on to load the gifts to be brought to the king, as well as the various items to be auctioned and supplies for the journey. Of course, the most precious things were contained in the elders'' space rings, but since they could only contain a few things, they had to load the rest into the carriages.


    However, with the strength of three elders of one of the five big sects, it would only be a suicide to attempt to assault such a convoy, no matter how intriguing the objects inside were.


    Once that process was over, it was finally time to leave. Giving the last orders to the buffaloes on how to behave in case of contingencies, Hei gave the signal to Shui to start moving. As leader of the buffaloes, it would pave the way for its companions who would follow from behind.


    Meanwhile, Mi and her bee squadron had entered Hei''s carriage, settling into a corner, entertaining Ye and Xing, who had become tired of waiting. Sitting next to them was Lian, who seemed calm even though it was the first time they had left the sect since they first arrived.


    Hei also sat next to her and put a hand through his hair to take his mother.


    ''What''s wrong? Are you okay?'' Bao Bei asked with concern.


    "No, I''m fine. It''s just that I''m fond of our spiderweb house. It makes me a little sad to leave it."


    Bao Bei, understanding his mood, hastened to console him.


    ''We''re not leaving forever. Once this celebration is over, we can go back to our home. So don''t worry and rest.''


    Hei still had the bitter memories of when they had to leave their home in the Multicolour Leaf Forest. From that day, they traveled continuously without a permanent home. But after settling in the Flower Sect, he had unconsciously developed a bit of fear in losing his home again.


    Although they could always reconstruct it, the memories of a place couldn''t be remade. However, as his mother said, this was a temporary farewell. Besides, there were still bees to guard it. Therefore, Hei recovered from his depressed mood and closed his eyes to rest a little while traveling.

 Chapter 62 - Arriving at the Capital

    The trip lasted a week as had been planned previously. Although most of the time, they were always on the move, it wasn''t an unpleasant journey. The carriages turned out to be somewhat comfortable and spacious, and the pace of the buffaloes was constant, without sudden changes in speed due to unforeseen factors.


    Hei and Lian, most of the time, focused on cultivating to consolidate their foundation after using the Explosive Blood Pills. Therefore, they didn''t suffer much from the monotony of the journey. Ye and Xing were bored instead because there wasn''t much to do or to eat. Fortunately, there was Me who was equally bored, and they spent days playing together while also involving the squadron of bees that had been assigned to Mi.


    As for the other passengers on the convoy, the elders'' personal disciples also concentrated on cultivation while the elders silently examined their progress.


    But while the day was therefore dedicated to travel, at night, they would have stopped to sleep.


    The sect leader had specially brought various food items to eat during the journey and had divided them into each of the carriages so that they each had their own supply. However, since it was a bit strange to eat together, she allowed everyone to dine when and with whomever they wanted.


    It was suitable for Hei, who preferred to stay quiet with his family and eat in peace. So, as soon as they stopped for the night, he would go hunting with Ye and Xing, leaving Lian and Bao Bei inside the carriage to rest.


    After all, the food provided by the sect leader was planned for Hei and Lian, and although there was a little more for only two people, Ye and Xing were very gluttonous and would eat a lot. Furthermore, there was also his mother, who had to eat. Since they were traveling with non-family members, Hei asked his mother if he could be in charge of meals while she would remain inside the carriage to rest.


    Once the prey was captured and the meat prepared, Hei would leave the task of cooking to Lian while he went to feed the food brought specially for the buffaloes and poured some honey for the bees in a bowl.


    His actions, despite not doing it on purpose, ended up attracting the attention of the other people. The sect leader and the other two elders silently watched Hei''s actions but didn''t say anything, leaving him in peace. Besides, it was free time now, and as long as he didn''t stray too far, Hei was able to do what he wanted. The elders'' personal disciples, on the other hand, weren''t interested at all in what he was doing but concentrated on cultivation.


    Hei''s recent breakthrough had left them upset because they didn''t want to be reached by someone younger than them. Also, at the king''s birthday celebration, they would meet the geniuses of the other sects. They weren''t afraid of those coming from the sects lower than theirs. However, there would be those coming from the other big sect present in the kingdom, the Tree Sect. Even though they had always been considered geniuses since they started cultivating, they couldn''t help but be nervous about meeting someone with a background equal to or even more significant than theirs.


    The only exception to this nervousness was Ying Yue. The young girl got bored since the first night of staying in the carriage, as she had been there all day cultivating. Since she couldn''t disturb the elders and the others were meditating, she pointed to the only people who could be ''disturbed.''


    So during dinner, with a slight disappointment from Hei, she joined for dinner with the strange family. Although it was her first time, she didn''t find it odd to eat with a spider and a snake. Even Ye and Xing looked at Ying Yue with curiosity, but under Hei''s orders, they did nothing unusual, merely enjoying the meal while Bao Bei would later eat her dinner in the carriage. Even if she was showing no discomfort towards Ye and Xing, Hei wouldn''t trust anyone so quickly, especially not when there were several people present.


    Thus, the seven days passed, and finally, they arrived at the capital of the forest kingdom - Forest City. As could be expected from the capital of the kingdom, Forest City was a large and imposing city. Just from the walls and from the quantity of guards placed as surveillance, he could one imagine its power.


    However, the convoy didn''t enter immediately but stopped not too far from the entrance of the city as ordered by the sect leader who gathered the two elders and the other younger generation inner members.


    "Listen well, we have now reached the capital and will soon be entering inside. As soon as we cross the threshold of the city entrance, the parade of our sect will begin. It means that as soon as we enter, it is strictly forbidden for our sect to lose face. Every action you take will be associated with the sect, and if you cause problems, there will be consequences depending on the gravity of your actions, am I clear?" The sect leader warned sternly.


    "Yes, sect leader!" The younger generation''s inner members, including Hei and Lian, answered together in unison.


    As much as they might be affiliated with different factions or have different masters, she remained the sect leader, the one who commanded the Flower Sect. So, to have order, it was necessary that in a group, the hierarchy was always respected; at least in appearance. That was even truer during public events like this one.


    "Good, then we will proceed as instructed during the journey. The parade will continue until the arrival at the royal palace, where we will stop to pay our respects to the king. After that, since we should be one of the last sects to arrive, I presume that the auction will begin today during the afternoon and then finish the evening and leave room for the banquet at the palace. You will likely be provoked by the younger generation disciples of the other sects. Don''t fall easily to their provocations, but if they insist, don''t restrain yourself from teaching them a lesson. All right, let''s go then."


    When the sect leader''s speech was over, Hei ordered the buffaloes to start moving again. This time their pace wasn''t as fast as before, but it was slower. And yet this slow pace caused a more imposing feeling to those who observed from the outside.


    "Mother, we are about to enter the city," Hei reported as he returned to the carriage. Thanks to telepathy through his mother''s spirit power, he could easily send to buffaloes his commands from inside the carriage.


    ''Yes, I''ve heard. Don''t worry about me and enjoy the view of the city. It''s the first time you enter the capital of a human kingdom, enjoy the show. Ye and Xing also want to watch it.''


    "All right, mother, then rest quietly for the time being," Hei fondly said as he placed a silk blanket around his mother''s tiny body.


    So Hei and Lian, holding Xing and Ye, turned their gaze to the ever-closer view of the city.


    When they arrived at the gates of the city, the guards recognized the emblem of the sect and promptly removed the various present people to make room for the carriages as they bowed their heads to pay respect to one of the five big sects.


    While the carriages were passing the city walls, suddenly from the carriage of Cao Su, the loud sound of a horn was heard, while drum hits echoed the instant afterward from the carriages of the first and second elder.


    The sudden loud sound immediately caught the attention of the inhabitants of the capital who recognized the emblems affixed to the carriages.


    "Hey, look! It''s the symbol of the Flower Sect, another of the five big sects has arrived at the capital!" Shouted several people at various points in the city as the inhabitants flocked to see what was happening.


    The horn and the drums continued to resound while the intense trampling of the buffalo''s hooves provided even more power to the general picture. Under Hei''s orders, the buffalo bellowed once together in precise moments when the rhythm of the sound reached its peak. Meanwhile, Mi and her squadron of bees had come out of the carriage. Then, they formed in the sky the same emblem as the one affixed to the carriages.


    At the sight of buffaloes and bees that moved with precision according to specific commands, the various spectators couldn''t help but be surprised. It was rare to see such precise control, but what surprised them was above all the sight of the albino buffalo in the front row.


    Shui had indeed released its spirit power, and the various martial artists could do nothing but be amazed by its power. Shui had a strength comparable to martial artists of the sixth stage spirit apprentice, and it was approaching the second level, meaning a power similar to a spirit soldier martial artist. The second rank, a spirit soldier, was the limit that could be reached in the islands and therefore represented the peak of power on the Rainbow Island. Having a spirit beast of such power under their control was incredible, even for one of the five big sects.


    Halfway through the parade, the horn and the drums stopped resonating as the sweet sound of a zither began to spread, warming the souls of those still present, shaken by the previous performance of power. A beautiful woman climbed to the top of the carriage in the front row, before all spectators'' eyes. It was none other than Mei, the personal disciple of the sect leader.


    Taking a deep breath, Mei began to sing. Unlike her cold and detached attitude, her tone of voice was as harmonious and warm as a woman''s passionate song towards the person she loved.


    Petals with light tones began to pour into the air from the carriages while a light wind blew them upwards, making them descend like a rain of petals in the streets of the city. Then, suddenly two strips of fire rose from the carriage of the first elder arose toward the sky burning the petals, creating like little tongue flames in the air that extinguished shortly after.


    When they were close to the royal palace, the sect leader climbed above her carriage and activating her spiritual power, emitted cherry-colored petals from her hands in the sky. In the same way, the first elder climbed over his carriage and, activating his spirit power, emanated from his mouth a wire of fire that went to rest next to the petals of the sect leader. Together they formed the emblem of the sect. Power and elegance, two virtues apparently in contrast with each other but which reflected the essence of the Flower Sect


    The second elder, at that moment, also climbed his carriage and, activating his spirit power, with his hands, he generated a gust of wind that dispersed the flames of the first elder and the petals of the sect leader. Once again, the buffaloes bellowed in unison as Mi, and the other bees formed the characters for the words Powers and Elegance, thus concluding the parade since they had arrived at the royal palace.


    Flower petals, wires of fire, gusts of wind. These represented the respective elemental laws that the sect leader and the first and second elder possessed - Wood, Fire, Wind.


    Initially, most of the Flower Sect members had the Wood element. But with the merger with other clans and families, people with elements of various kinds had appeared, thus creating more diversity among the elements known to the sect.


    Outside the royal palace, there was a squadron of soldiers in formations. In the center, there was another group of people, including the king accompanied by the queen.


    The king, despite his white hair and long beard, still showed a certain prowess and gave the sensation of being much younger. The queen had long black hair and large green eyes. Although a few wrinkles could be seen here and there, that didn''t diminish her beauty, giving her instead an air of experience and wisdom.


    Next to them were the various ministers. They helped the king in dealing with the kingdom''s state and with the relationship with the other two kingdoms. They were all dressed elegantly and were waiting in silence for the convoy to arrive with their king.


    The sect leader and the other two elders descended from the carriages without effort, while Mei, Li, Zan, Cao Su, Ying Yue, Hei, and Lian also descended.


    Standing in a horizontal row, they followed the sect leader and the two elders. When they were in front of the king, they bowed on one knee respectfully and waited there on the spot. A little further on, the first and second elders stopped and bowed their heads. Given their position, they weren''t required to fell to their knees. The sect leader took a few steps away from the two elders and then stopped as well, bowing her head and saying.


    "We, Flower Sect, pay homage to King Gengxin for the celebration of his birthday. We have brought various gifts for the occasion," the sect leader proclaimed respectfully.


    So she made Hei, Lian, and the other personal disciples get up and take the gifts they had prepared for the occasion. In a short time, various chests were brought before the king, each containing gifts that would have caused the envy and greed of ordinary people. Of course, for a martial artist, they were gifts of a particular importance, but they couldn''t be defined as absolute treasures.


    Despite being part of the kingdom, the sects were entities of power in their own right, with their personal autonomy of government. Even if they respect the king authority, they weren''t at all bound by it. Therefore, they weren''t also obliged to hand over their greatest treasures to him as presents. But they couldn''t even gift him with simple things of scarce importance. So something in the middle was needed.


    The king willingly accepted the gift of the sect leader. After exchanging brief words of greeting with her and the other two elders, he invited the convoy to enter the palace where the representatives of the different sects had already gathered.


    Knowing the character of Hei, the sect leader sent him and Lian to arrange the carriages and buffaloes inside the outer ground of the royal palace. Usually, the guards would be in charge of such a task, but being a spirit beast as powerful as Shui, they felt they weren''t able to do it this time.


    It was excellent for Hei. In that way, he could make sure of where the buffaloes would be placed and take his mother and his little sisters who had remained in the carriage.

 Chapter 63 - Gathering at the Royal Palace

    Under the guards'' guidance, Hei walked away with Lian and led the buffaloes who were carrying the carriages to the stables assigned to the mounts used by the arriving guests for the king''s celebration.


    It was an immense stable, worthy of being part of the royal palace, and inside, it already contained many animals that were resting quietly. However, the calm inside the stable was suddenly disturbed by the arrival of the imposing buffalo herd.


    The momentary occupants of the stable awoke all of a sudden and watched the approach of this herd. Even powerful animals such as lions and tigers became nervous when the buffaloes arrived. They could easily perceive the strength of the albino buffalo leading the approaching herd. Regardless of their numbers, they couldn''t win against such a being and realized that it had to be a strong spirit beast.


    Some beast tamers, who were in charge of guarding the animals on behalf of their respective sects, looked at each other nervously. They were lesser beast tamers and could at best control simple animals or spirit beasts with very little spirit power. But from the presence of the albino buffalo comparable to a sixth stage spirit apprentice, nearing the second level, they sensed that there was a formidable beast tamer at the helm - a real and talented one, not false imitations like them.


    But to their astonishment, instead of a great character, they saw only two youths next to the buffaloes. Seeing them, they were immediately filled with disappointment because they wanted to meet an expert beast tamer and not some children. However, they managed to refrain from asking questions of the two youths since it went without saying that the two youths were from an important sect, perhaps one of the five big sects.


    Hei led the buffaloes to first park the carriages in the place designated for the Flower Sect, before placing them in a stable wing. Given their number and the presence of other animals, they had to be a little tight, but it was nothing they couldn''t stand for a while.


    "Shui, I''m sorry, but you guys have to stay here for now. Get your strength back in the meantime. I guess you will be tired from the journey," Hei said as he adjusted the herbs he had cut close to each buffalo so they could eat when they wanted.


    Shui shook its head as if to say it was fine. But since its companions weren''t as sturdy as it was and they needed some rest, it didn''t insist.


    "I''m sorry, Mi, but you and the bees have to stay here too. Being small, you could come with us, but the queen bee has left you a part of the hive bees. A good leader must stay close to her subordinates, right?"


    Upon hearing those words, Mi let out various buzzing sounds as if she wasn''t totally in agreement, but she knew she couldn''t walk away, leaving the other bees alone.


    "I will see if I can bring you something good, okay?" Hei promised as he greeted Shui, Mi, the buffaloes, and the bees.


    So with his mother and his little sisters hidden on his body, Hei walked with Lian towards the royal palace.


    The guards, who had witnessed the arrival scene of the Flower Sect, recognized them and had them pass inside under the escort of a guard who led them inside the building to the banquet hall used to welcome the guests.


    When they entered the banquet hall, the word that immediately came to Hei and Lian''s mind was luxury.


    A massive room with a gilded ceiling from which large golden chandeliers hung. The walls were filled with frescoes depicting vivid images of the history of the royal family and the kingdom. The floor, in turn, was composed of a detailed mosaic depicting other historical scenes. The furniture, however, except for the long tables on the sides of the room, was non-existent. They had removed the various pieces of furniture to make room for the audience who had come for the celebration of the king.


    Hei and Lian, therefore, had to extricate themselves from that sea of people and found that they were all martial artists. Fortunately, being one of the five big sects, the Flower Sect group was easily identified due to the crowd that had formed around them to greet the sect leader and the other two elders.


    Making their way through the crowd, they finally managed to reach the group. The sect leader gave them a quick look before quickly returning to converse with the sect leaders and elders of the other sects. The same was valid for the other two elders, who were greeting the various acquaintances.


    This scene continued for quite a while. Given the number of representatives, even if it had been limited as much as possible, it was still high. Furthermore, although the Flower Sect was one of the five big sects, it wasn''t appropriate to offend the other sects by showing an attitude of superiority. Often, it was more suited to maintain the facade of respect and friendship. After all, even if they had less power, joining together, they would form a considerable strength.


    Hei, Lian, and the other personal disciples remained close to the sect leader and the elders in silence. As they were considered members of the younger generation, they had no right to participate in the conversation. Except for a few glances, the representatives of the other sects would have flown over them. Although they were curious about those geniuses, it would have been rude to try to speak directly with them since it would have been seen as an attempt at external recruitment.


    But this didn''t apply to the members of the younger generation of the other sects. These, like the Flower Sect geniuses, were next to their sect leaders and elders. They were looking defiantly at anyone who could be a rival, in particular, those from the five big sects.


    There would be room for a sparring competition during the actual celebration banquet. For those from minors sects, it was an opportunity to show off their skills and show that they are stronger than those with a higher background. For those who came from a powerful sect, it was an opportunity to challenge old rivals and impose their superiority on others.


    As members of the Flower Sect younger generation, Hei and the others were receiving the most looks. The only ones who boasted such a quantity were the geniuses of the Tree Sect younger generation.


    But despite the tension in the air among the young martial artists, it wasn''t yet time to fight. At one point, one of the king''s ministers entered the reception room and announced the beginning of the auction.


    "Good morning, all our esteemed guests from all over the kingdom. On behalf of the king and the entire kingdom, we thank you for your presence today on this day of celebrations. As you know, the banquet will take place in the evening. During the day, there will be an auction with the objects prepared by the king for the occasion and those brought by your esteemed guests. Our experts have finished the assessments, and now we can start. Since you are many, please follow the order in which we will call you and place yourself in the positions assigned to you."


    The minister then had a parchment delivered to him by his assistant. Above were written the names of the sects and families participating in today''s event. So it started with the most illustrious guests.


    "Tree Sect." Proclaimed the minister.


    A group of six people came out of the crowd and headed for the minister. There were three adults, the sect leader and two elders, and three young martial artists, the geniuses of the Tree Sect.


    The group immediately attracted the eyes of the crowd as it advanced. In particular, the number of members of the younger generation was astonished as it would usually have been more. As one of the five big sects of Rainbow Island, the Tree Sect had the opportunity to bring more disciples of the younger generation with them, but they did not. That made the various powers present intrigued, and they were looking forward to seeing them in action.


    Once the Tree Sect group was escorted by one of the guards to the auction hall, it was the turn of the Flower Sect.


    As before, even their group attracted everyone''s eyes, and a guard also led them.


    The place they were led to was better be described as a theater ¡ª a myriad of seats placed in the center with various intersections that divided the seats into sectors. In front of the seats, there was a big stage where the different objects put up for auction would be exhibited. On the sides, on the other hand, there were elevated seats on several levels, which allowed one to look at everything underneath.


    Usually, those VIP seats in the auction houses would have been equipped with mirrors that prevented observing the interior of the room. But since it was a ''public'' event organized by the king, it wasn''t necessary. After all, who would dare to create personal disputes during the king''s birthday?


    If they weren''t able to buy the desired item, it would be just for their financial limit, that''s all. At most, they could take revenge in the sparring competition between the younger generation. But in no way could they come to arms, at least not within the confines of the capital. Once outside, they would be free to do as they wanted. But that would be detrimental for their reputation as a sect if something went wrong.


    Slowly, the various sects and families began to position themselves in the designated positions. One of the most elevated areas were offered at the Flower Sect. To avoid any problems, however, they were placed on the opposite side assigned to the Tree Sect.


    However, not only were the guests of the various sects and influential families of the kingdom participating in the auction. Many members of the military army of the kingdom were present as well as other corporations and individuals of a particular influence, including members of criminal groups. After all, without power, it wasn''t possible to have authority, and therefore they needed more and more resources to increase their power.


    The king and the various ministers turned a blind eye to the presence of certain infamous people. As long as they didn''t commit serious crimes against the crown and paid a certain entrance fee, they were allowed to enter the auction. Of course, they would be supervised throughout their stay at the royal palace and would not attend the evening banquet. But it was okay for them; besides, only suicide would try to play tricks with all these martial artists from outside, including two of the five big sects.


    When everyone took their seats, and even the king, queen, and various princes had settled down, the auction finally began. For the occasion, a renowned auctioneer was hired, responsible for the most important auctions that took place during the year.


    Usually, the auction houses assigned a young woman with tight-fitting clothes as an auctioneer, and various helpers also dressed in short dresses to liven up the mood of the public. But this wasn''t just any auction but one organized by the king. A certain elegance and seriousness were, therefore, necessary in all details, even the smallest ones.


    The auctioneer, therefore, took the floor,


    "Welcome to all our esteemed guests. I want to first thank the king for organizing this auction and allowing this one here to participate as an auctioneer. To the best of my ability, I promise to conduct a fair and entertaining auction. I remind you that the best offer wins the exhibited object. There are no limits to the number of items you can buy, as long as you have the right amount of money with you to buy them. But with you distinguished gentlemen and ladies, I imagine there are no problems in this regard.


    As always, as soon as I finish the various offers, I will call a count of three, and if at the end of the count there are no further offers, the object will be assigned to the person with the last offer made. Even if you make a bigger offer, if you do it after I have finished counting, it will no longer be valid. At the end of the auction, you can go to the back of the stage and receive the items you bought waiting for your turn. For the illustrious guests in the VIP areas, near your seats, there is a transmission artifact with which you will be able to communicate with the back of the stage and have the item bought delivered directly to your room.


    Well, as I finished explaining the operation of today''s auction, I would say to start with the first item."


    The auctioneer finished his explanation and with a hand sign beckoned to two young helpers to bring the first item. They were two pretty young girls dressed in long elegant dresses. They were carrying a cart containing a short sword held in an elegantly crafted sheath.


    The auctioneer, therefore, had the two assistants sent away and went on to illustrate the qualities of the weapon before giving way to the dispute between the various contenders.


    Since the first objects were usually objects of no interest for an existence like the Flower Sect, the people inside the VIP room looked at the beginning of the auction with little enthusiasm. The sect leader and the two elders sat in front together with Hei and Lian, who were the first two in the ranking among the inner members. The other personal disciples were watching, seating behind them.


    Waiting for them to begin with the spirit beasts at the auction, Hei brought out Ye and Xing and took some fruit from the room and began to cut it into small pieces to feed his two little sisters.


    At a certain point, however, he decided to ask a question that hadn''t yet asked.


    "Sect leader, you told me that I would receive an appropriate compensation equal to the value of becoming a personal disciple. But you haven''t yet told me the total amount of that compensation," Hei pointed out, making all the presents knit their eyebrows.


    Although it was a legitimate question, the tone of voice wasn''t at all appropriate for a disciple of the sect to the sect leader. Typically Hei would have maintained a threshold of respect in public, but right now, he couldn''t care less. This time it was a question reading spirit beasts, so he went straight to the point.


    The sect leader pretended as if nothing had happened and answered,


    "Becoming a personal disciple has many advantages such as learning the techniques of that elder for free and having a guide in cultivation. It is reasonable that its value is high, but at the same time, I cannot exaggerate with the amount of money I can give you since we have to buy resources for the sect ourselves. I would say that ten third-level spirit stones are appropriate, do they seem okay to you?"


    On hearing this sum, the faces of the personal disciples were surprised while the two elders wrinkled their foreheads even more.


    Usually, small-caliber objects were paid for with first-level spirit stones, those that already aroused the interest of the important sect were paid with second-level spirit stones and those that could be considered real treasures with third-level spirit stones.


    Although it wasn''t possible to buy one of those treasures with only ten third-level spirit stones, it was still a sum of certain importance to a single person, considering that the person in question was still a member of the younger generation.

 Chapter 64 - Start of the Auction

    "10 third-level spirit stones? Sorry, but not having experience in auctions I don''t know if it''s a high or a low amount," Hei asked puzzled.


    Although he knew first-hand the effectiveness and usefulness of third-level spirit stones, it was also true that he didn''t know how much that amount was worth within an auction. He needed to get an idea at least approximate to understand how to manage his finances during the auction.


    Hearing his question, the faces of the other disciples became even uglier, only Ying Yue remained calm, even laughing at the reaction of her companions. It didn''t matter to her if the sect leader gave him ten third-level spirit stones. After all, Hei had given up on becoming a personal disciple of one of the elders or even the sect leader, thus giving up a probable future promotion as an elder. Taking this into consideration, ten third-level spirit stones weren''t such a great reward,


    "10 third-level spirit stones are equivalent to 100 second-level spirit stones or 1000 first-level spirit stones. Ordinarily, spirit beasts with little spirit power or low lineage are bought with first-level spirit stones. Those with a strength comparable to a fourth-fifth stage spirit apprentice are bought with second-level spirit stones. Those similar to a sixth stage or with a higher lineage can come to cost several third-level spirit stones.


    The problem is that there are rarely people capable of controlling spirit beasts of that power, so their value isn''t comparable to objects or weapons designed for martial artists. In the end, it is still an external force and doesn''t directly increase the power of the martial artist. Therefore, considering that you are only interested in buying spirit beasts, the sum I am giving you is more than enough." The sect leader calmly explained.


    Hei hearing her words, thought for a moment. If what she said was right, he could buy many spirit beasts even if it depended on the quantity and quality of the exposed spirit beasts and if he didn''t meet any contenders in the auction, which was quite easy to happen considering the number of participants.


    "Do you want to waste ten third-level spirit stones just for some stupid beasts? Are you stupid or what?" Cao Su suddenly emerged with contempt in his voice. Hearing the speech between Hei and the sect leader, he could no longer contain his frustration and anger.


    Although his father, the sixth elder, spoiled him very much, he wasn''t yet to the point to hand over such a sum to his son. So the amount available to Cao Su was much less than ten third-level spirit stones. Of course, if necessary, the sect leader would use the sect''s money to buy resources for Cao Su and the others.


    But an instant after Cao Su said this, surprising those present in the VIP room, Hei jumped up from his seat and moved to Cao Su, stopping his left hand a few inches from the boy''s face. Dark, intense green nails, sharp as blades, were pointed at the height of Cao Su''s eyes while at the same time Hei discovered his blue teeth, revealing two pointed canines that gave the sensation that they could bite a person''s flesh.


    "I''m warning you. May this be the last time you spit similar words in my presence if you don''t want me to give you a lesson. Do you understand, Cao Su?" Hei threatened fiercely as his eyes hooked onto the still youth in his place.


    From Hei''s head, Bao Bei moved slightly and shifted her eight eyes, staring the sect leader and the other two elders. They were suddenly paralyzed by a cold shiver down their backs and instantly realized with their amazement and terror that they weren''t alone in there.


    Cao Su, who hadn''t foreseen such an outbreak of anger but was provoked by Hei''s words, said, "Give me a lesson? Who? You? Brat, if you care about dying, we can do it now if you dare."


    Did a boy younger than him dare to disrespect him like that? He, the son of the sixth elder of one of the five big sects? He had already endured enough for having been overtaken in the ranking of the younger generation inner members of the young generation. Still, he wouldn''t allow a lack of respect like that. Not in front of the other personal disciples, the elders, and the sect leader.


    It must be said that Cao Su, besides being an arrogant youth, was one who gave a lot of importance to appearances. As a son of the elder in charge of the regulation division, he had learned that honor and respect were fundamental for a martial artist. It ended up creating a sense of arrogance and superiority in the youth, even if the intent of the sixth elder was instead to make him respectful of the rules, feeling a sense of pride in being faithful to his code of honor.


    However, before the situation got out of hand, the sect leader intervened nervously, hoping that the situation wouldn''t further degenerate


    "Hei, Cao Su. That''s enough. We are in a public event and the presence of all the other sects. If you feel like coming to the hands, do it once you get back to the sect. And if you can''t hold out until we get back, use that desire to fight in tonight''s sparring contest. But under no circumstances are you allowed to fight among sect companions throughout our stay here and on the return journey. I do not accept objections. This time I will pass on your behavior, but it will never happen again. As a son of the regulation division elder, you should be more aware of your Cao Su position."


    Hearing the warning of the sect leader, Hei let go of Cao Su, who only snorted but didn''t resume arguing. Hei also returned to his place and continued feeding Ye and Xing, reassuring them and Lian that he was fine. The three of them had been frightened of his sudden outburst of anger and were ready to go into combat at any moment whenever it had been necessary.


    As for why he reacted this way, it wasn''t because he was called stupid, but it was because Cao Su used that term to define spirit beasts. Accepting the use of this term to refer to spirit beasts meant also accepting that his little sisters and his mother were called that. In no way would he allow someone to disrespect them. He could take any insult directed at him, but not even a single one towards them. Of course, the same was true for Lian as she had become part of his family.


    Once calm was restored, the people in the VIP room returned to concentrating on the auction. Fortunately, no one downstairs or in the other VIP rooms had noticed anything, taken as they were in the auction. After all, the conflict hadn''t degenerated into a real fight, and there had been no fluctuations in spirit power.


    The auction continued to proceed with articles of various kinds until it was the turn of the first spirit beast.


    "Well, the next article will surely interest the tamers of spirit beast. For today''s auction, we have a dozen spirit beasts to sell at the auction, including a big surprise. But I don''t want to spoil the surprise. In any case, here is the first spirit beast."


    This time, instead of the usual cart, a metal cage with a young black-colored colt was transported. When the public''s eyes rested on it, it waved its head vigorously as it circled the cage.


    "This young colt is a specialty of our kingdom, the Friesian Horse. Its strength and speed make it perfect as a warhorse. This specimen, in particular, comes from parents with both spirit power. Although he hasn''t yet developed spirit power, there is a high chance that he will. The initial price is five first-level spirit stones."


    Upon hearing the words on the colt''s background, some people in the audience commented in a low voice with the neighbors. There were various beast tamers present, and most were part of a sect. They were, therefore, interested in acquiring new spirit beasts to increase their power and that of their sect.


    The Friesian Horse was a first-order breed of horses, and the fact that both parents had developed spirit power was promising. But with the spirit beasts, it sometimes happened to have normal specimens, meaning simple animals. Awaking the spirit power of these animals would, therefore, be left to the ability of the beast tamer as to awaken the dormant potential. Still, not everyone was willing to work so hard when they could directly buy one that had already awakened its spirit power.


    After a few moments of reflection, the first offer appeared in the lower places. Given the cost of 5 first-level spirit stones, even if the colt turned out to be a simple animal, it wouldn''t be a significant loss.


    After the first offer, other successive offers appeared, and the price went to fix at 17 spirit stones of the first level. At that point, while everyone thought it would be sold at that price, Hei made his offer.


    "20 first-level spirit stones!" Hei exclaimed from his seat.


    His voice resonated throughout the room, immediately attracting the attention of the public as it came from one of the most elevated VIP seats. With a glance, they quickly realized that it was the post assigned to the Flower Sect. But the strangest thing was that instead of the sect leader or one of the elders, it was a youth who pronounced the price.


    The auctioneer looked for a moment at the sect leader. It was asking if that youth was authorized to bid on behalf of the sect. The sect leader nodded with her head, and the auctioneer proceeded to formalize the offer.


    "20 first-level spirit stones from the Flower Sect. There are other offers? None? 1, 2,3, last call. Assigned the colt to the Flower Sect. Congratulations on your purchase." The auctioneer gave brief applause as he had the colt taken away on stage.


    Meanwhile, many whispers among the various participants began to fill the room.


    "Hey, since when the Flower Sect raise spirit beasts?"


    "I don''t know, from what I recall, they never made bids for such items."


    "Didn''t you know? Apparently, they now have a powerful beast trainer. It seems they even have a spirit beast near the second level."


    "What? Seriously, right? If it passes to the second level, wouldn''t it mean that they would have a spirit beast comparable to a spirit soldier?"


    While the various voices could be heard here and there, they didn''t last too long. After all, there wasn''t much time to discuss with each other. The next article had already arrived and diverted their attention from the matter about the Flower Sect.


    The time allowed for the auction was several hours until late afternoon. As most of the participants had brought things to sell, there were hundreds of items auctioned for the event.


    In addition to the Frisian Horse, Hei ended up buying blue swallowtail butterflies, monarch butterflies, and silver silkworms. Since they were eggs, it was difficult to understand their potential, but considering their number, it was more likely that a spirit beast specimen would come out. As a result, their price remained in the dozens of first-rate spirit stones.


    Other spirit beasts were auctioned among the items that could be purchased with first-rate spirit stones, but Hei didn''t buy them. Having limited funds, he had already decided that he would buy only those with more potential or talent. The Friesian Colt had a good background while Hei was familiar with the insects, which is why they had been chosen.


    After the first wave of items, there was a brief pause in which the participants of the auction exchanged a chat or went to collect their purchased items. After the break, they began the second wave of items, and here the situation became more intense as the competition would see the medium and large sect as participants as well.


    Mei, Zan, Li, Cao Su, and Ying Yue were just waiting for this moment of the auction. Most of the items bought in this second wave of items would go to them.


    Unlike the smaller sects, the Flower Sect was self-sufficient as regards less important resources. Therefore it wasn''t necessary to purchase supplies for the disciples of the outer sect and not even for those of the inner sect with less potential. They also had enough stocks for those in the top 50 that showed a worthy potential. Unfortunately, their future prospect wasn''t comparable to the first seven in the rankings, and therefore only they would benefit more about the objects purchased at today''s auction.


    "Although it is a pity for the young promises of the sect, this time we cannot do otherwise. The stakes are too high. There isn''t much time left. I just hope we can prepare them as soon as possible." The sect leader thought to herself with a worried expression.


    The first and second elders also had a tense expression. Usually, only the king''s birthday would have been celebrated without any additional events. The organization of an auction of this magnitude was due to a secret reason that only the most significant influences within the kingdom knew. A reason that would involve the various powers on the Rainbow Island. It was likely that it would create havoc between the balance of power between the three kingdoms and the different existing sects.

 Chapter 65 - Mysterious Token

    The auction continued with the items of the second wave. Here there were many varied disputes with continuous price increases. The medium and large sects were interested in the objects and had the capital to contend it. However, even the small sects didn''t give up since each object was fundamental for the growth of their pupils. After all, they could only rely on the younger generation if they wanted to increase their status.


    The sect leader and the elders continually talked to each other. They needed to select carefully which resources to buy and which to leave to others. Even if they had a high capital, they had to keep it as much as possible for the next wave''s items. With the elders'' personal disciples who were approaching the sixth stage, it was better to start preparing for their elemental conversion.


    However, the sect leader and the elders didn''t know what kind of element their disciples would learn once they reached the sixth stage. Nevertheless, they could make more or less precise forecasts by examining the elements of their closest relatives. Those from the same family all tended to have the same element, although there were exceptions from time to time. But the statistics were favorable enough to take a gamble with such predictions.


    As a result, it was predicted that Zan would have the fire element as his father, the first elder. Li the wind element as his brother, the second elder. Mei, the wood element as the sect leader. Cao Su the earth element as his father, the sixth elder. Ying Yue the water element as her grandfather, the seventh elder.


    There was also a rumor that elemental essences would be put up for auction. Those would produce a significant increase in the elemental conversion of the martial artist, even increasing their combative power.


    Among the items of the second wave, there were also few spirit beasts. Since they were already mature spirit beasts ready to fight, the quarrel between the beast tamers was intense.


    Hei ended up buying a Javan Rhinoceros, a Pygmy Hippopotamus, and a pair of birds known as Hoatzin. Among the exposed animals, these had the highest potential, and the couple of Hoatzin, in particular, was sold at a high price since it was male and female, therefore with the possibility of creating a progeny of spirit beasts.


    The second wave ended, it was the turn of the third wave, and once again, the atmosphere became heavy. It was time for the highlights of the auction. Each of these objects was considered a treasure for the martial artists of the kingdom. And in fact, the third wave started immediately with a bang, bringing an elemental essence of lightning.


    As soon as the auctioneer started the bids, there were waves of increasing offers from the public. Even those who didn''t have that particular type of element were interested. After all, elemental essence would still be usable in production jobs or, simply, as exchange objects for an elemental essence of their element.


    Hei carefully observed the various objects on display; even if he wouldn''t buy any of this, they were still valuable to get his attention. And in the succession of this frenzy, finally came the highlight of the auction as regards the spirit beasts.


    "Here is the surprise I mentioned earlier. It is a young spirit beast, but it has already demonstrated that it has awakened its spirit power. But its heritage is the most interesting aspect. Its parents are no less than two second-level adult spirit beasts." The auctioneer exclaimed in an excited voice.


    Upon hearing this, the audience was left speechless. How had the hunters stolen a young elephant from two second-level spirit beasts? It was like kidnapping a personal disciple before two spirit soldiers elders. But the way didn''t matter much, what mattered was that it was still young, and with such potential, it would be a great setup that could be easily controlled.


    Even the sect leader and the elders of the Flower Sect looked astonished at the appearance of the spirit beast in question. It was a Giant Forest Elephant, a species that was already difficult to tame without spirit power, let alone a specimen of spirit beast. But its power was undeniable. Just a single giant forest elephant spirit beast was enough to cause an uproar in the battlefields.


    "This giant forest elephant baby, in addition to having a high potential, comes with an object attached. That is the place where it was captured. The hunter team managed to kidnap the young elephant after enormous efforts, but they failed to kill any of the parents. Although it is impossible to tame such spirit beasts, if you manage to kill the two parents, you will gain a great fortune. I hope you will take this into account during the offers."


    The auctioneer launched another bombshell. Were the parents still alive? If they thought about it with a cool head, it was reasonable that they were alive, given that they were second-level spirit beasts. But all the buyers couldn''t help but wonder even more about how the hell the hunter team had kidnapped the baby.


    But in any case, the existence of two second-level spirit beasts meant the presence of second-level spirit cores. Every spirit beast possessed within itself a spirit core that represented the very essence that made the animal a spirit beast. And as the level of the spirit beast increases, the spirit core would have more exceptional properties if used in alchemy or the creation of weapons or artifacts, even creating an incredible object in the eyes of anyone.


    "Hei, tell me something. Would you be able to tame the parents of that spirit beast?" At a certain point, the sect leader asked with difficulty. Her throat had dried up at the thought of what had come into her head.


    Upon hearing the question of the sect leader, the first and second elders couldn''t help but blink their eyes and turn to Hei, who didn''t appear at all surprised by the question of the sect leader. After a quick consultation with his mother, Hei replied.


    "Yes, it is possible. If I were to return their baby and warn them of the dangers they risk and offering them to come with me, I''m sure they would follow me. Although I don''t like the word tame, I could get a degree of obedience similar to Shui''s, my albino buffalo," Hei calmly explained, not at all upset that they were talking about second-level spirit beasts.


    Hearing his answer, the sect leader and the two elders frowned. Dealing with two second-level spirit beasts would have been difficult even if they had joined forces. Yet Hei was talking as if it wasn''t a problem. Even though he had in mind to return their baby, it was still risky. If they didn''t have adequate strength, they would risk death. Therefore, he was implicitly saying that the thing that protected him was able to guarantee his safety.


    The elders and the sect leader shuddered at the thought, but at the same time became excited. If Hei managed to tame the parents as he said, they would have power comparable to the addition of two elders, and if even his albino buffalo passed to the second level, that number would increase more. It meant that they would acquire a military strength superior to that of the other big sects, equaling the first place sect - the sect of the Mountain Kingdom, the Tremor Sect, which had as ten elders plus the sect leader.


    "All right. Then we must buy that spirit beast. Your remaining third level stones will surely not suffice, but the sect will take the remaining sum. Let it be clear, however, that once the parents of the spirit beast are tamed, they will remain in the sect as guardian beasts. It''s possible?"


    "Yes, it is possible. If explained in the right way and you promise not to hurt them, then I can convince them."


    What he said was enough for the sect leader in preparing herself for the offerings'' battle that was about to begin. The price immediately jumped to the stars - all the most influential sects of the kingdom, including the most important military exponents, were interested in the young giant forest elephant. Even those who weren''t beast tamers were launching offers; just the information about its parents was a gold mine.


    In such chaos, suddenly, a clear but decisive voice resounded in the hall.


    "100 third-level spirit stones."


    Those present immediately looked up to see who had spoken and saw that it was the sect leader of the Flower Sect. What made their faces contracted was the Flower Sect was among those that had the most capital. But regardless of their status or power, the other buyers didn''t back down and raised the stakes.


    The amount eventually came to 500 third-level spirit stones, offered by the Flower Sect. The sect leader was, in fact, relentless and firm in her offers, not bothering about the other competitors bidding. Not even the participation of Tree Sect was able to upset her, thus ending up winning the coveted prize.


    The sect leader and the elders were happy, but they couldn''t help but swear at their rivals. Five hundred third-level spirit stones were a very high capital, even for one of the big five sects. And, even though they had bought enough resources for the five personal disciples and something for Hei and Lian, they were practically out of the game to contend for the last item in the auction.


    The last item of an auction would always be the highlight of the entire auction, surpassing any previously sold valuable item, including the newly sold baby elephant.


    After the heated contest for the baby elephant, it was finally time for the final item. Although the Flower Sect was outside the games, the Tree Sect and the other great influences of the kingdom remained.


    "The final item of today''s auction is a unique item prepared by the king. A big shot of the army committed the crime of treason. Therefore his belongings were confiscated, including today''s object. Here is the big piece of the day. "


    The auctioneer emphatically proclaimed as he stretched out his hand toward the object to be auctioned. On the usual cart, there was a refinedly elaborated jade box. Inside there was a rectangular golden token with symbols engraved on it.


    Seeing this token, the sect leader and the elders jumped to their feet with confused and upset faces. It wasn''t only them, the sect leader and the elders of the Tree Sect also had the same reaction as did the other major influences present.


    "How is it possible?! Do they really intend to make it public now? What the king had in his head when he put an object like that in the auction?" The first elder angrily exclaimed as he clenched his fists.


    "Well, all the entities that can compete in the third wave are aware of this. Those who don''t know will think that it is some object of the past of which they have no knowledge. They won''t understand its true use and importance," the second elder analyzed with a calm mind. But he too was clenching his fists in anger.


    "Alas, unfortunately, I hadn''t foreseen such an eventuality. The purchase of the elephant, unfortunately, removed us from the games." The sect leader said in a dejected tone.


    Listening to the major exponents of the sect and pronouncing themselves in that way, the Flower Sect members of the younger generation couldn''t help but be surprised and wonder what their words meant. Finally, Mei took courage and asked.


    "Master, is that token really that important?"


    The sect leader, listening to the question of her disciple, recovered from her thoughts in her mind, and answered.


    "Yes, but it''s still too early to reveal it. It would do nothing but put unnecessary pressure on you. The important thing you need to remember is that you have to do your best to get stronger."


    The sect leader avoided answering the question posed by Mei and sat down again with the two elders to watch the progress of the sale for the last piece of the auction.


    As expected by the second elder, the small sects and minor characters didn''t know what that token was. They simply listed it as an important ancient object. However, those who knew the truth literally clashed against each other with the offers. They came to ask for loans from their acquaintances at the auction. Eventually, the card was sold for 1000 third-level spirit stones by the Tree Sect, which became excited once the purchase was validated.


    1000 third-level spirit stones. It was an exorbitant sum, and it was also the highest amount ever reached in an auction within the Forest Kingdom and even within the entire Rainbow Island. But the Tree Sect was willing to pay as if it was a small sum.


    Just from this, it was possible to see the importance of that object. The minor sects were wondering why such a price. Was that object indeed worthy of being sold at that amount? But, unless someone revealed them the truth, all they could do was speculate on the token''s origins.


    With this, the auction prepared by the king ended in a climate of frenzy and excitement. Those who hadn''t withdrawn their possessions went to the back of the stage to get them. The others, instead, left the room to return to the lodgings prepared by the king. It was late afternoon, but there were still a few hours before the celebration, so they could give themselves some rest after this great auction.


    Hei and Lian, accompanied by the sect leader, went to collect the spirit beasts that had been purchased while the first and second elders accompanied the five personal disciples to their lodgings. As regards the other items bought by the Flower Sect, they had already been delivered from time to time to every purchase made by the sect.

 Chapter 66 - Incredible Taming Ability

    Once arrived at the back of the stage, Hei saw in a corner the cages containing the spirit beasts purchased by the Flower Sect. The Frisian Horse, the Java Rhinoceros, the Pygmy Hippopotamus, the couple of Hoatzin birds, the eggs of blue swallowtail butterflies, of monarch butterflies and silkworms and finally the Giant Forest Elephant. These were all the spirit beasts purchased by the Flower Sect at the auction.


    Leaving aside the total price of each spirit beast, just for the total number of bought spirit beasts, the Flower Sect was the biggest purchaser. It surpassed even the sects, and martial artists specialized in spirit beasts taming, making these last as laughing stock. After all, a combat-oriented sect had surpassed them regarding the number and quality of spirit beasts the sects possessed.


    So, that behavior didn''t go unnoticed, and in the back of the stage, there were many more people than usual. The various beast tamers had gathered behind the stage as soon as the auction was over. They wanted to take a look at the famous beast tamer brought by the Flower Sect. As beasts tamers, they thought that this mysterious person would go personally to check his/her purchases, considering the price spent on them.


    And while they expected to see who knows what great character, all they could see was the sect leader of the Flower Sect and two youths behind her.


    On seeing this, everyone was puzzled. Is it possible that the mysterious beast tamer, able to tame a spirit beast comparable to a sixth stage, could be one of those two youths?


    "Hey, don''t they look familiar? Aren''t they the ones who brought the buffalo herd to the stables of the royal palace? "


    "Now that you point it out, yes. They are. So is it possible that the famous beast tamer is really one of the two or both?"


    Some of them had been present in the royal palace''s stable while Hei was leading the buffaloes and carriages. Given Shui''s presence, they still remembered the disappointment of seeing only two kids with the buffaloes.


    Despite noticing the murmurs of the people around, Hei pretended not to notice it. He went on to where the cages were. And once he got there, he stopped in front of them.


    "It is all right. Now that you are with me, you won''t be hurt. I promise you." Hei said using not human language but the spider one. Despite the species diversity, the language of various animals and spirit beasts were universally understandable to each specimen. Only humans and demons were excluded from this connection.


    The spirit beasts inside the cages couldn''t help but be surprised because it was the first time that a human spoke in a language they could comprehend. Although it was possible to understand human language for them, it was something that required time and dedication. How would they have wanted to learn the language of those who had tied and locked them in a cage for no reason other than to be sold as a commodity?


    Noticing their amazement, Hei repeated what he had said without blinking and finally got a reaction. The spirit beasts understood that it wasn''t a hallucination, but the human boy in front of them really knew how to speak their language. With excitement, they all gave a different answer - who asked to be released, who was doubtful because he too was a human, who asked to be reunited with its family.


    To the side, the sect leader was looking with wide eyes. She knew that Hei was a good tamer and could communicate with spirit beasts. However, she didn''t think he could do it with different types simultaneously. But if she was astonished, the beast tamers around were even more so. Their eyes almost came out of their sockets, and they had difficulty closing their mouths. A boy from the younger generation had succeeded in something that no tamer known to them in the past and present had ever been able to do.


    After a series of discussions, Hei convinced the spirit beasts to follow him for the moment toward the stables where he could arrange them. Since Shui was there, an exemplary spirit beast, they would feel more at ease than here before the eyes of many humans.


    "Sect leader, can you ask for the cages to be opened? And could you give me the eggs of butterflies and silkworms? Thank you," Hei asked calmly.


    "Do you want to open the cages? Are you sure?"


    Although she saw his ability to communicate with animals and spirit beasts, she was not sure if they really understood him or obeyed him.


    "Don''t worry. There are no problems. You have my word." Hei replied, aware of the concerns of the sect leader.


    The sect leader, having received Hei''s reply, sighed and asked the staff of the auction to open the cages. These, at the sect leader request, couldn''t help but worry, not wanting to execute the request. After all, who could assure them that they wouldn''t be attacked once the cages were opened? Yet the demand was from the sect leader of one of the big five sects, if they disrespected such a person, their future could be considered practically over.


    Annoyed by the staff''s hesitation, the sect leader unsheathed her sword, causing panic among the people present, who thought she was offended by the reaction of the auction staff. But the sect leader waved her sword at the cages, breaking all the bars with a single sword stroke.


    While the various martial artists had yet to recover from this action, the spirit beasts in the cages slowly came out and settled in line with their eyes turned towards Hei.


    "Thank you very much, sect leader." thanked Hei with a slight bow. So he went to one of the auction attendants and took from his hands the containers with the butterflies'' and silkworms'' eggs. Then, with a strange snap of his tongue, he motioned for the spirit beasts to follow him while Lian placed herself next to him, and the sect leader led the way in front of them.


    "What the hell? Have they listened to him so obediently? So is he the famous beast tamer?"


    "If he isn''t, who is? Have you not seen the reaction of the sect leader? The sect leader of the Flower Sect is known as a beautiful woman but with a cold attitude, uncaring about the things that happen to us miserable martial artists. Yet as soon as the staff was hesitating to carry out her orders, she drew her sword. It is clear that she considers that boy very highly."


    Once Hei and his group left, the various people broke into a heated argument. Soon this episode spread to all the others present at the auction, generating not a little havoc, especially towards the great powers that knew the Flower Sect sect leader.


    Meanwhile, Hei had guided the spirit beasts into the wing of the stable reserved for his sect. There, he arranged the new arrivals, leaving them under the protection of Shui, who reassured them of Hei''s goodwill.


    "Well, I''m going then. Don''t worry, once we are done here I will arrange you in a quiet place where you won''t be hurt. Also, little one, don''t worry. I''ll definitely take you to your parents. Don''t be afraid and rest for now." Hei reassured them, especially the giant forest elephant, who eagerly wanted to return to its parents.


    Once settled in the stable, Hei returned with Lian and the sect leader to the royal palace. The sect leader led them into accommodation reserved for the two youths and left, recommending them to rest and settle down to be ready for the evening event.


    When they entered the room, Hei arranged the butterflies'' and silkworms'' eggs, wrapping them with a blanket in the room''s bed, and placed them on a bedside table. Meanwhile, Ye and Xing had gone out from his body and were exploring the room while Lian sat on the bed, watching the two little spirit beasts playing.


    ''What is it that worries you, my son?'' Bao Bei asked at one point from above his head.


    Hei took his mother and put her on the bed while he also sat on the bed.


    "The last auction item, that token. It seemed similar to what Lian and I received, but at the same time, it isn''t. I wonder what it is to aroused such a reaction in the sect leader."


    "They seem similar to you because they have the same origin, they were given by the Artifact Spirit. But as far as actual functions are concerned, it doesn''t seem to have great effects except having a trace of the Artifact Spirit spirit power. It is also present in your token, but information about your age and your rating are engraved on yours. In the one present at auction, this information isn''t present. With regard to its true nature, the only thing you can do is ask the sect leader or one of the elders. Only they will be able to answer you." Bao Bei explained to her son.


    During the auction, she examined each of the sold items. She wanted to see if there was something interesting to buy. However, there was nothing that could catch her interest. Therefore, she had also analyzed the auction''s final I, and she had understood the token''s origin in a single glance.


    "Uhmm ... from the words of the sect leader, it doesn''t seem to be a secret to keep forever. At the right moment, she will tell us, but I don''t know when that will happen. All right, let''s leave it for now. They said we have a couple of hours or so. We should rest a little then. Ye, Xing, stop playing. Come to bed to rest a little."


    Called up his two little sisters, Hei closed his eyes and fell asleep with Lian at his side and Ye and Xing in the middle. Bao Bei settled comfortably next to her daughters as she fell into a state of semi-sleep so that she could react to any eventuality.


    *


    After the assigned rest hours, it was time to go to the king''s birthday celebration. For the occasion, Bao Bei had gotten busy to weave two elegantly elaborated silk tunics. With the help of Hei and Lian, she then refined her tunics and dyed them with the color they wanted.


    Hei''s tunic was a black long-sleeved tunic with golden edges on the left and silver on the right. Behind the back, there were like species of violet veins that formed the shape of a spider. Lian''s tunic was a purple long-sleeved tunic. Hers had no large decorations, except for a pink lotus behind her back. Ye and Xing instead wore a small ribbon half golden half silver tied on their body.


    Bao Bei chose instead to wear nothing. As a divine beast that had always lived in the wild, she didn''t have the habit of wearing something like a garment or other types of fabrics. But at the same time, she wouldn''t prevent her daughters from experiencing human customs if they wanted to do so.


    When they were ready, they heard a knock at the door. It was the sect leader who had come to get them. Assured that they were ready, she led the two youths toward the rest of the group that was waiting just ahead. Then they arranged themselves in a row, according to their position in the sect. Then, they went towards the reception hall where they had been during the morning.


    At the entrance, an emissary of the king was proclaiming the various guests who had arrived for the event. As one of the big five sects, the Flower Sect group was instantly made passed, and the man loudly proclaimed their arrival.


    Compared to the morning, there were no significant differences. Everything was like before or almost. The large tables arranged along the walls had been set with large white tablecloths refined with tree and plant patterns. Above the tables had been arranged dishes and drinks of all kinds, prepared by the kingdom''s best chefs.


    In a short time, the remaining guests arrived at the reception hall, and the king could finally start the evening.


    "Hi everyone, thank you again for coming here. I don''t want to say too much, so you can eat without concerns. As far as the usual sparring competition between the younger generation is concerned, you will have the chance to test yourself later in the evening." The king made a brief announcement and started the banquet but immediately left the room while the others concentrated on eating.


    At that point, the sect leader turned to Hei and the other members of the younger generation.


    "All right, you can go and eat too. Remember what I told you in the morning about the actions to take during this event. In no way do you have to bring disgrace to the sect. Do not cause accidents, but if they insist, you must answer at full power. Well, I leave you with the first and second elders. I have things to do now."


    After that brief warning, the sect leader quickly turned away towards the direction in which the king had disappeared. It wasn''t just her. The sect leaders of other sects, as well as other influential people, were silently dismissing themselves to where the king had gone.


    The people in the room were curious but didn''t dare go check. From the outside, it seemed to be a meeting of the major influences of the kingdom. However, the subject in question was unknown; after all, the sects had no power to influence the administration of the kingdom. So it had to be about something that concerned the society of martial artists.


    The first and second elders brought Hei and the others to the tables. They usually would have gone too, but they could certainly not leave their young promises so unattended. Even though they were in the royal palace, and a safe place with various presents, no place was ever safe for a martial artist except for their sect where they had full control.


    Hei didn''t pay much attention to that secret meeting and instead focused on eating. Together with Lian, he took various empty plates and filled them with food of all kinds. So they settled in an isolated corner of the reception room to eat. After all, he strongly doubted that he would be frowned upon for feeding two spirit beasts with the banquet food.


    Therefore he had set himself aside so as not to generate too many complaints. Fortunately, he was a member of the Flower Sect, as well as the first of the inner disciples. So there weren''t many people willing to criticize him openly about why he was feeding some spirit beasts or why he had brought them with him.

 Chapter 67 - Provocation

    Nom nom nom


    The two little spirit beasts, Ye and Xing, were actively busy to eat every kind of dish present at the banquet. Hei and Lian took turns filling their plates or getting drinks.


    Usually, martial artists weren''t people to linger on trivial things like enjoying the taste of food, therefore eating only the bare essentials often. Worried as they were in acquiring more power, they had abandoned some of the desires of ordinary people, but going to intensify others.


    It wasn''t strange, therefore that many martial artists ended up developing an arrogant and presumptuous character or acquired an infinite thirst for personal power and glory. Obviously, not everyone was like that, but such martial artists would still have personal goals to achieve.


    The people around occasionally glared at them, but Hei and Lian pretended as if nothing was happening. Although it might seem like a scene not precisely suitable for the banquet in the royal palace, it wasn''t even so indecent as to have to request someone''s intervention. In the end, despite the amount of food devoured by the two small spirit beasts was enormous, it was only a fraction of that present in the tables.


    An hour passed, and all those present ate and drank until they were satisfied. But even after all that time, Ye and Xing kept eating without a break. Usually, they would have settled for what they hunted, but since the food was free and it would have been a pity to waste it, they decided to give vent to their gluttony.


    And as Hei got up to refill their plates, the sect leaders of the sects began to appear one by one as well the other influential personalities, including the king. Their meeting was over, and they joined the rest of the guests. What they had discussed between each other and the reason for a meeting so abrupt in times of celebration were details shrouded in mystery.


    Noticing the gaze of the people in the reception room, the king cleared his throat and proclaimed.


    "Sorry for the absence, there were some details to discuss, but they are just minor things. I notice that you have happily eaten the dishes prepared by my chefs. I''m glad you liked the cuisine."


    Among the guests, some commented briefly on the excellent taste of food, praising how lucky the king was to eat such meals every day. Of course, they didn''t mention at all that it was thanks to two spirit beasts that the food on the tables appeared much less than when it was at the beginning.


    The king then continued to speak,


    "Since everyone has eaten their fill, I would say to kick off the event of the evening we were waiting for - the sparring competition of the younger generation. As usual, in similar events, small sects and other peer influences will be the first to take the field. The matches will take place one at a time, and each party can only send one member of the younger generation. The winner of the battle can continue to challenge another person at will or decide to retire. In that case, those who want can come forward freely. I remind you that this is a sparring contest, so refrain from causing serious injuries or hitting an enemy that has already surrendered. Well, if there are no questions, I will declare to start."


    When the king''s speech was over, he sat on his throne while he was brought food and drink so he could enjoy it during the battle. Instead, the various guests lined up along the walls, gathering with their sect''s members to observe the matches.


    As the king had said, the first to fight were martial artists of the younger generation of small sects. They wanted to demonstrate their skills in front of a relevant audience and put all their strength into fighting. It was an excellent opportunity to challenge worthy adversaries of similar age, yet at the same time, they knew that they couldn''t bite off more than they could chew and challenge those who were superior to them.


    While the fighting was taking place, Hei was more focused on examining his little sisters sitting on the ground with him and Lian. He was examining their body because soon they would have to make a new molt, and he wanted to be sure that it would proceed smoothly for them.


    "Ye, Xing, how much is missing for your next molting?" Hei whispered.


    ''Uhmm ... I don''t know, a week or two at most? Ah, will you hand me that piece of steak? Thanks,'' Xing answered, given that Ye had a full mouth and was swallowing the bite.


    "One or two weeks? If we do it quickly, you can do the molting at home. Otherwise, you will have to do it during the journey. Also, eat some vegetables, you are eating too much meat. "


    Lian to the side had brought two small saucers and placed them on the ground. From time to time, she poured wine on these so that Ye and Xing could drink. After all, it was easier for them to drink than by drinking from glasses.


    And while they enjoyed that moment of tranquility, the matches had continued one after the other until they reached the turn of the big sects - the Flower Sect and the Tree Sect.


    Cao Su, who had defeated some younger generation members of medium sects, was about to clash with the number three of the Tree Sect, Duan Long.


    Duan Long was a very tall youth, about two meters tall, with a sturdy build. In his hand, he held a large shiny iron hammer. Only from the fact that he was able to hold such a weapon with one hand, it was a sign of his strength.


    Cao Su wasn''t at all intimidated by the size of his opponent and took a serious look and pointed his saber forward and snapped at full speed. Since he had already fought several matches, his amount of spirit power had already been consumed quite a bit. However, as a member of the Flower Sect, one of the five big sects, how could he withdraw from a challenge just because he had consumed part of his energy?


    With rapid movements, Cao Su tried to break through the defense of the opponent. After all, with the difference in size, the weapon''s weight, and the spirit power available, a strength confrontation wasn''t recommended. He could only exploit his speed by trying to hit him in various areas and thus consume the enemy energy as he attacked.


    But Duan Long wasn''t the type to be caught so easily. As a Tree Sect disciple, his style adapted to the name of the sect - sturdy and resistant as a tree. Because Duan Long''s fighting style was very static, more focused on power, he had learned to compensate for the lack of speed by integrating a total defensive style.


    One after the other, Cao Su''s blows were parried without difficulty. At the right moment, when Cao Su leaned over more than necessary, Duan Long snapped forward with surprising speed and struck the Flower Sect disciple in the stomach with his hammer, making him fly.


    Although he wasn''t as fast and agile as other martial artists, the mass of his muscles allowed him to have a tremendous accelerating force at a short distance. This, combined with his total defense style, was enough to displace the opponent who wouldn''t have expected such rapidity from him.


    Cao Su managed to land on his feet, but the pain in his stomach hurt as he lost a great deal of spirit power in the impact.


    "That''s enough, Cao Su retired."


    The voice of the first elder resounded and commanded Cao Su to return. Like their children, the first and sixth elders had a close relationship. Consequently, he was asked to take a look at Cao Su during the journey.


    The young man with a reluctant expression clenched his fist on the hilt of the saber but still carried out the first elder command. His father had expressly told him to obey orders, and as a future successor to the regulation division, he couldn''t show public disobedience.


    While Cao Su was returning from the others, Duan Long burst out laughing and pointed his hammer at the Flower Sect group.


    "Is this all that the geniuses of the Flower Sect can do? I am very disappointed. Well, it doesn''t surprise me that much, though. After all, your number one is only in the fourth stage. I really don''t understand how you could have been beaten by someone weaker than you, ha ha ha."


    The voice of Duan Long resounded powerfully in the room, causing the eyes to shift from him towards Hei, who was still sitting on the ground to feed his two little sisters.


    "Hey, you brat. What''s up? You believe that just because you defeated some trash, you can ignore me like that. Well, then as the next challenger, I choose you. Come on."


    The words of Duan Long contained a mockery directed towards the Flower Sect. Since their foundations, the two sects had been rivals. So, as the Tree Sect was occupying a position superior to that of the Flower Sect, they didn''t waste any opportunity to reaffirm that concept.


    Although these words provoked anger in the elders and the sect leader, it was a matter of the younger generation. As an unwritten rule in the martial artists'' society, the issues between the younger generation had to be solved between them without the intervention of others.


    But even at that point, Hei continued to ignore the Tree Sect member, not interested in fighting. Although he was curious about the strength of the other sects, at the moment, he wanted to enjoy some moments of relaxation with his two little sisters. Not to mention that he was behaving like that to make room for his other comrades so they could come forward. He knew they were angry about the inner members'' ranking, so this was their occasion to regain the spotlight.


    However, when Duan Long, unnerved by his attitude, began to approach him, unexpectedly to come forward was Lian, who rose elegantly from the ground and placed herself in front of Hei.


    "If you want to challenge the number one, at least you have to prove that you are capable of beating the number 2."


    Lian''s statement surprised Hei that he looked up and looked surprised at the girl. Even Ye and Xing lifted their heads from food for the first time since they arrived and watched Lian.


    "You. Move. I''m not going to fight with a woman. Or is your fianc¨¦ so weak, and he is so afraid that he has to hide behind a woman?" Duan Long jeered imitating the actions of a chicken to emphasize the concept.


    But this didn''t cause the effect he thought he would have. Suddenly, from their place, Ye, Xing, and Lian sprinted forward at lightning speed.


    "Stop!"


    Hei''s voice sounded powerful as Ye and Xing stopped a few millimeters from the neck of Duan Long. Only a second later, and they would have hit him in the neck, causing a severe injury. Likewise, Lian stopped her fist in front of the Tree Sect member''s face a few inches away.


    Duan Long, which was taken by surprise, couldn''t help but have cold sweat. He had foreseen the attack of Lian and, although he was prepared to receive it, he was utterly taken aback by the actions of the two spirit beasts. His eyes hadn''t even been able to follow their movements.


    It wasn''t just him though, many martial artists of the younger generation shivered at this sight. If they had been in that situation, they would have died or suffered severe injuries if the Flower Sect number hadn''t intervened.


    The others present also looked surprised at the speed of the small spider and the small snake. They didn''t expect such seemingly harmless beings to hide such a ferocious and dangerous side. With a glance, they realized that they weren''t just simple spirit beasts, but they probably possessed a special lineage like that small auction elephant.


    With rapid steps, Hei approached Duan Long, who recovered from his astonishment and tried to back away. But to his surprise, he was reached by Hei, who reached out and took Ye and Xing and then turned around, going back on his seat on the floor.


    "Lian, if you want to fight, it''s okay. Just one thing - win. "


    "Yes."


    A quick interaction between the two. Despite the few words, the connected meanings were many, but it wasn''t necessary to say it verbally. Meanwhile, Hei put his little sisters on the ground next to their mother. Bao Bei had been watching motionless that scene.


    "I told you not to act in public. You two are my trump card. You absolutely must not show your true strength unless it is necessary." Hei warned.


    "But big brother, how could we not react after he offended you?" Ye and Xing answered in unison.


    Like how Hei would immediately become enraged if they offended his mother, his little sisters, or Lian, they too would have a similar reaction.


    While scratching his head, not knowing how to respond, his mother intervened.


    ''All right, they understood the lesson. Let''s look at Lian''s fight and cheer on her. ''


    Even though she knew Hei''s words were right, as a mother, she was proud of his daughters'' reaction. How could they allow their big brother to be ridiculed that way in front of everyone?


    Thus, Hei, with his mother and his little sisters, ended up discussing this issue, and they prepared to see Lian fight.

 Chapter 68 - Lians Victory

    Duan Long and Lian stood face to face in the center of the vast banquet hall. Everyone''s eyes were glued to the two young youths. On one side, there was a big martial artist who exuded strength and power from every pore of his body. On the other side, there was a beautiful girl with blue hair whose figure was thin enough to seem as if she would be dragged away by the wind and emanated elegance and elusiveness.


    The people around weren''t attracted only by the enormous contrast between the two - it was a clash between the disciples of the two big sects of the kingdom. Although before Cao Su had fought with Duan Long, it was true that he had spent a considerable part of his energies, and it was no surprise the victory of the Tree Sect representative.


    However, this time, it was the number 2 in the inner members ranking of the Flower Sect. Moreover, she had always been present in the various episodes that involved the strange boy who could easily tame spirit beasts. So everyone was curious about what the young girl could do.


    The sect leader was also eagerly awaiting the start of the battle. During the time spent by the two youths in her sect, she had interacted mainly with Hei, and each time he had pulled a surprise after the other. Since Lian had always been by his side all the time, the sect leader thought there was no way that Lian didn''t have excellent skills, like Hei. The same also applies to the two elders and personal disciples who wanted to see the abilities of the girl who had overcome them.


    Duan Long took his hammer with both hands and positioned himself. Lian, however, remained standing without taking the guard. Her eyes were staring blankly at the opponent in front of her. In her hands, she was holding the silk ribbon given to her by Bao Bei.


    Seeing no change from Lian after some time, Duan Long, still irritated due to the previous episode, couldn''t wait any longer and charge toward the girl at full speed with the hammer raised high in the air and hit down on her head.


    Lian didn''t panic and waited for the last second, when the hammer was already downhill, to make a small jump backward and thus avoid the blow. However, the attack didn''t end there. Duan Long did indeed continue his offensive by changing the trajectory of his hammer and directed it forward, hurling powerful blows in succession.


    But despite the speed with which the hammer was moving, none of his blows were hitting Lian. She always managed to dodge every move by the skin of her teeth using the slightest movement. From her actions lightness, it seemed as if she were dancing on her toes, uncaring of the danger she was facing.


    The Tree Sect disciple began to lose more and more calm with every evasion of the girl - how could he let himself look an idiot by allowing a younger girl with a lower cultivation stage to dodge all his blows effortlessly?


    Duan Long, therefore, increased the intensity of his hammer attacks, which became even faster and more powerful. Of course, this was detrimental to his energies as it was unthinkable he was able to swing such a large hammer forever at such a rate.


    Lian, in turn, accelerated the speed of her movement. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she had already made another shift in another direction. Strangely, as she moved, she was slowly approaching the enemy.


    When she found herself in front of her enemy, Lian kicked his face, but Duan Long easily dodged by moving his head. However, Lian''s attack hadn''t ended there - suddenly bending her leg, she made it turn back to wrap it along the neck of the Tree sect disciple.


    Although he felt the softness of Lian''s leg wrapping around his neck, Duan Long had no time at all to enjoy that feeling. Soon after, the young girl martial artist had jumped up and was about to wrap her other leg on his neck. Her goal was to strangle him until he loses consciousness.


    Duan Long, who immediately realized the danger, let go of the hammer and try grabbing on Lian''s leg wrapped around his neck with the intent to break it, using their difference in strength and stage of cultivation. Moreover, if he caught her, the fight could be defined as concluded.


    Nevertheless, Lian had also calculated that move. Leaving her grip, she descended from the body of the enormous Tree Sect disciple while her hands were holding her white silk ribbon. That was wrapped around the neck of Duan Long, replacing her leg.


    Duan Long, realizing the increasingly suffocating sensation, tried to destroy that silk ribbon that was strangling him, but, in spite of himself, he discovered that it was more resistant than he thought. His full power could not even tear a piece of that ribbon.


    Having no other solution, he tried to hit Lian, whirling around and throwing blows at full power. But each time the girl dodged easily, using his massive body as a point of support and each time she made a knot that would increase the pressure on his throat.


    The spectators present were speechless - a slender girl was fighting with a giant two or three times her size as if she were playing. He was also not just any martial artist, but one of the Tree Sect geniuses. Furthermore, her strange ribbon was so resistant that even without spirit power imbued, it was able to resist the power of a fifth stage spirit apprentice.


    "Mother, that move ...?" Hei muttered.


    ''Yes, it looks like the submission techniques I taught you. In a sense, the lotus style incorporates some aspects of the spider and snake styles. However, if in those two styles, the martial artist uses his body to attack, external objects are used in the lotus style. You can think of the ribbon as the roots that support the flower exposed to the outside. Regardless of how much wind and other weather factors can shake the flower, as long as the roots are firmly anchored to the ground, the flower will remain in place. Therefore, as long as the root that supports Lian is firm, she will never fall to the ground. Remember it well, because you are that root. As long as you are firm, she can continue to dance even amid this cruel world.''


    "I understand, mother. I will do everything possible to support Lian. "


    Meanwhile, the clash could now be declared concluded. Duan Long, no matter how hard he tried, couldn''t hit Lian or free himself from the ribbon that enveloped his throat. Every second that passed, his amount of spirit power diminished while Lian''s consumption was almost zero since she was merely dodging.


    At one point, the voice of one of the Tree Sect elders resounded.


    "The Tree Sect declares defeat."


    Hearing this, Lian didn''t immediately stop her grip but turned to Hei as if to ask him how to act. Hei nodded yes with his head, and she instantly let go, taking her ribbon back and returning to her seat.


    Duan Long, once freed from the grip of the ribbon, fell to his knees on the floor gasping. In his eyes, there was a murderous fury towards that young girl who had made him lose face in front of everyone.


    Without warning, he picked up his hammer from the ground and prepared to spring for Lian, who had her back to him. However, even before moving, another voice rang out from the Tree Sect group.


    "You lost, come back. Or do you want us to lose even more face? "


    To speak was another member of the Tree Sect younger generation. He had an average height with short green hair. At his side was a beautiful girl with purple hair and fair skin, who was affectionately embracing the green-haired young man.


    "Ren, I ..."


    "Enough, do as I said. Or do I have to stop you myself? If you had stayed calm and fought as always, you wouldn''t have been so severely defeated. So close your mouth and come back here. "


    The voice of the young man called Ren was flat as if he was talking about something trivial. However, in the ears of Duan Long, those words assumed a completely different meaning, and without retorting, he returned to the Tree Sect group.


    At that point, there was a strange silence in the banquet room. Both of the two big sects of the kingdom had withdrawn their representatives and seemed to have no intention of sending another one. At the same time, the disciples of the other sects didn''t want to fight, at least not after the performance of the disciples of the two big sects.


    So the king could do nothing but close the sparring contest there and declare the banquet concluded. With the last greetings to the guests, he let them return to their rooms to rest so that they could leave the next day at dawn.


    However, it had to be said that the competition had ended there not because the members of the two big sects younger generation didn''t want to fight. Actually, after Lian''s match, the Tree Sect disciples were even more curious about the strength of the number 1, Hei. Those belonging to the Flower Sect, instead, wanted to prove that they were superior to the girl and boy couple despite them occupying a higher position in their sect ranking.


    But both sect leaders had forbidden to continue fighting. The reason: to preserve their cards available in view of future events. With the order from the sect leaders, the members of the younger generation could only accept and retreat silently.


    *


    In the room assigned to Hei and Lian, the two youths were lying side by side on the large double bed. In the center, Ye and Xing were already sleeping peacefully while Bao Bei was slowly nibbling at the leftovers from the dinner they had secretly taken. Bao Bei didn''t like to eat in front of strangers, and therefore she would always eat later if her children had dined with other human beings.


    "Nice job before Lian, you have become strong," Hei said as he turned his head on the pillow to look at the girl.


    Lian, listening to his words, turned her head as well, to reciprocate his gaze. Although she said nothing, Hei could see gratitude in her eyes. Therefore, Hei raised his right hand and gently stroked her head for a while before turning to his mother.


    "Mother, now what do we do? Are we going back to the sect, or do we go directly to the parents of the little elephant?"


    Bao Bei, at her son''s question, raised her head from the pear that she was nibbling and paused for a moment to think before answering.


    ''If you go back to the sect, you will at least have to wait a week. The information about those elephant parents is confidential, but there is no guarantee that someone won''t find their position during this period. But if you go directly there, you will have to leave Shui, Mi, and the others with the sect leader. You choose my child. I told you. Whatever you decide, it''s fine for me. I will always be there to support you.''


    Hei smiled at his mother''s words but then kept thinking about the matter.


    ''Leaving Shui and the others with the sect leader and directly accompany the little elephant from his parents? What mother said is true: the sooner, the better. If something happened to his parents because we didn''t go right away, I wouldn''t know what to say to the little elephant.''


    Before deciding, he asked his mother again.


    "Mother, would it be stressful for your body to go to the place where the adult elephant pair is?"


    During his reasoning, Hei had thought that he could take advantage of his mother''s speed to reach the place quickly. But, although he didn''t like the idea of having to tire his mother, it was the best solution he was able to come up with.


    Bao Bei simultaneously blinked all her eight eyes and replied chuckling,


    ''Of course not. Don''t underestimate your mother so much. If it''s just running, I can take you there and then take you back to the sect.''


    Hei smiled again at his mother''s words and answered.


    "I am not underestimating you, Mother. For me, you are the strongest being in this world. I don''t want you to get too tired, that''s all. All right, you will take us on the outward journey; but on the way back, we can go more slowly. Now I have to warn Shui, Mi, and the others. They probably won''t be pleased, but I know they will understand. "


    ''They will surely understand, don''t worry. But now go to sleep, Hei, Lian. It''s late. We will leave tomorrow morning at dawn, but first, you must notify the sect leader about this.''


    "Isn''t it a problem to leave in daylight? The other times we have always traveled at night. "


    ''Don''t worry; I recovered enough energy to travel by day. Since there are more beings active during the day, we must always proceed with caution, so I preferred to travel at night. But now there is no need. Let''s go to sleep now, my little ones.''


    "Good night, mother."


    "Good night, Bao Bei."


    So also, Hei and Lian closed their eyes and let themselves be lulled by the dream world waiting for tomorrow''s journey.

 Chapter 69 - Revealed Secret

    The next day at dawn, Hei and the rest of his family were already awake and ready to go. They had gone to bed early last night and were full of energy. So they joined the rest of the Flower Sect group that was waiting outside the royal palace.


    Around, various groups were moving away from the palace to return to their respective sects. Since the sect leaders themselves had come for the king''s celebration, they wanted to return as soon as possible. Even if they didn''t leave their sects unattended, they couldn''t help but worry. The same was true for the sect leader of the Flower Sect, which, however, had a bit of serenity since he had left four elders to protect the sect.


    "Sect leader, I have something to ask you," Hei said as he rejoined his group.


    At Hei''s words, the sect leader turned to look at him in surprise. It was unusual for him to request anything from her first.


    "Tell me well, Hey. What do you need?"


    Hey, before answering, looked around quickly to make sure there were no people outside the sect.


    "I''m going to get away with Lian and the baby elephant while you return to the sect. If I don''t hurry, someone could reach the adult elephant pair before me. I can''t risk it, so I ask you to take care of Shui and my other spirit beasts in the meantime. Can I trust you with this task?"


    The sect leader frowned when she heard what Hei had to say.


    "Do you want to go, just you and Lian? Even if you go there to bring their baby back, it''s dangerous anyway. We are talking about two second-level spirit beasts. Furthermore, even if you are a disciple of the Flower Sect, there are always hidden dangers if you travel alone as you are only in the fourth stage. Are you sure about your decision?"


    "There are no problems. I carefully evaluated everything. I run no danger, be serene."


    "If so, then I guess I can''t force you to change your mind. All right, go ahead. Indeed, if you leave now, you would get an advantage over any interested parties. After all, by investigating the groups of spirit beast hunters, it is possible to arrive at the position of the two adult elephants. Even if the kingdom has vetoed about it, with the right price, it is possible to make a person speak. Furthermore, if the other two elders and I return to the sect, they will never think that in the meantime, you have gone alone there. "


    "Thank you, sect leader." Hei bowed slightly.


    Then he went to the stables to communicate the news to Shui and the others. As expected, Shui and Mi were eager to go with them, but Hei categorically forbade them that. They had to stay with the new arrivals and take care of their respective groups as they were leaders. Fortunately, the two of them understood their position and followed Hei''s command.


    Once the buffaloes were tied to the carriages, Hei proceeded to instruct the other spirit beasts about how they should behave during the journey. In his absence, Shui would have the supreme command, and they should do everything it asked without retorting. He promised them that once they arrived at the sect, they could relax and enjoy their new home.


    In order not to arouse suspicion, Hei and Lian left with the Flower Sect group. After leaving the capital behind, the two youths went down with the baby elephant. They soon disappeared into the surrounding vegetation while the sect leader, the two elders, and the remaining personal disciples watched them leave.


    They, especially the personal disciples, weren''t sure that Hei and Lian could succeed on their own. But there were no other alternatives, and the sect leader understood this well. After all, although she had the authority, he couldn''t make Hei obey her order as with the others.


    *


    In a vast forest dominated by vegetation, two youths were walking at a fast pace while in their midst, there was an elephant baby who was joyously bellowing every step it took. It recognized its home and was gradually accelerating, eager to meet its parents.


    The various animals and spirit beasts of the area recognized the baby and moved away from them. They could still remember the fury of the two forest rulers when a group of humans managed to steal their baby.


    But if the others were moving away, the herd of elephants ruled by the baby''s two parents were approaching at high speed to where Hei and Lian and the baby elephant were.


    Suddenly, about fifteen elephants appeared on the horizon. However, after approaching a little, only two of the elephants continued on their way while the others arranged themselves in a circle protecting the few little elephants inside.


    The two elephants were much more giant than the others, approaching four meters of height with ease, and their tusks were more than three meters long. From their body, a furious murderous aura was raging as they bellowed at their baby who, in turn, responded to their calls.


    Hei, however, stopped the baby elephant from rejoining its parents. If he let it go right away, its parents wouldn''t listen to him at all. But his action was seen as an attempt to hurt their child in the two adult elephants'' eyes. So, they increased their speed even more and prepared themselves to attack.


    At that point, Bao Bei intervened. An intense aura spread through the forest, and all the animals and spirit beasts within that range could do nothing but shiver with fear as they huddled on the ground. Even the two second-level elephants suddenly stopped their run as they watched the young human in front of them in shock.


    How was it possible that he could emit such an aura? And above all, it wasn''t the aura of a human but that of a powerful spirit beast.


    "It''s okay. I didn''t come here to hurt you or your baby. I just came to bring it back and offer you a proposal," Hei said, taking advantage of the two adult elephants calming down.


    At his words, the two elephants were surprised because, although they didn''t understand human language, they managed to understand the words of the human before them. Therefore, they began to issue various trumpetings asking to release their puppy first, and then they could talk.


    At their request, Hei finally let the baby elephant go and waited several minutes to let the parents and child be able to hug again. When the two adult elephants found that their child wasn''t injured, only then did they turn to Hei again.


    "As I told you, I am here to bring you your baby back, but at the same time, to offer you a proposal. Humans know that there are two second-level spirit beasts. In a not too distant future, they will surely come here to kill you and take your spirit cores. At that moment, they will surely kill every other specimen that will try to resist."


    Listening to his words, the two adult elephants bellowed furiously and trampled their muscular legs against the ground, making the surrounding ground tremble.


    "That''s why I offer you an agreement. Not all humans are like that. The group of humans I belong to proposes an agreement. If you are willing to fight for them if necessary, they promise you a safe place in their domains where you won''t have to worry about being attacked. Of course, you can bring your whole family with you."


    The two adult elephants looked at each other momentarily and what was the male among them, bellowed again. It was asking how they could trust humans.


    "If you don''t trust humans, trust me then. I have no intention of hurting you, so I brought your child back to you. Moreover¡­"


    Then he let Ye and Xing out of his clothes and then ran a hand through his hair and took his mother and showed her to the two second-level spirit beasts.


    Instinctively, the two elephants dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. From the slight aura that emerged from Bao Bei, they could clearly understand that she was a spirit beast far superior to them.


    "This is my mother, while the two of them are my sisters. As I said, I''m not going to hurt you. If you don''t want to, you can always refuse. However, what I have told you will happen; it is up to you to decide whether to let it happen or not."


    Hei ended his speech and sat down with Lian. He put his mother back on his head as he gently stroked his two little sisters.


    The two elephants continued to talk to each other as they glanced from time to time at Hei. From the way he was holding and caressing that little spider and that little snake, they could see how affection the human before them felt for those two spirit beasts.


    In the end, after several discussions and having their every detail told by their baby, they came up with their answer. They would accept, but if something harmful happened to their herd, they would leave, regardless of which humans they had to kill.


    Satisfied with their words, Hei smiled and prepared to arrange preparations for their return.


    *


    The return journey was very chaotic. Instead of climbing on the back of Bao Bei, Hei and Lian climbed on the back of one of two second-level elephants. Next to the parents and their baby, there were also the other elephants of the pack.


    Given their size and numbers, their group was quickly spotted, and news soon spread that a herd of elephants was traveling the kingdom. Fortunately, the Flower Sect immediately announced that there was nothing to worry about, and it was they who were leading the herd. To be sure, the sect leader sent the seventh elder to protect the group nearing the sect.


    But in the end, nothing happened, and the herd of elephants finally arrived at the Flower Sect, where they settled nearby in the territories bordering the spiderweb house. The other spirit beasts had also settled down nearby and welcomed the new arrivals.


    Hei also wanted to join the festivities and officially welcome the new arrivals but was immediately summoned by the sect leader on his return. Therefore, he went with Lian to the residence of the sect leader, eager to hurry and return home.


    When he found himself in front of the sect leader, Hei noticed that the woman had lost her usual serious and detached temperament. Indeed, it contained an excitement never seen before.


    "Excellent job, Hei. You managed to bring the elephants to the sect. The news that we have tamed the two second-level spirit beasts has already been around the kingdom and has spread to the remaining two kingdoms, too," the sect leader commented as she looked intensely at Hei.


    "I guess you didn''t call me here just to congratulate me, did you?" Hei asked.


    From the attitude of the sect leader, he could notice that something had happened and decided to go straight to the point.


    "Yup. All right. I''ll be direct then. Hei, the king, asked if we could use elephants and your other spirit beasts if there were a danger to the kingdom. Of course, you will have your reward. "


    At the words of the sect leader, Hei frowned as he answered.


    "No, as I said, they aren''t tools. I agreed to bring them here because you promised me that you would give them a safe home. So if there is a danger to the sect, they will protect it because their house is in the sect. But I won''t allow them to be used as tools at the service of the king''s power craving."


    "I figured you''d say that, but listen to me before you decide. What I''m about to tell you is a secret known only to the major powers of the Rainbow Island. That is the reason behind the actions I have taken so far and behind the king''s request. It''s about the token you saw at auction."


    When he heard the token being named, Hei''s anger subsided momentarily, and he became silent to listen to the sect leader. At his side, Lian also laid her eyes on the woman.


    "The token you saw at the auction comes from the formation used by the sect for the inner members'' evaluation. The dream trial and the combat trial are governed by an entity known as the Artifact Spirit. It dwells in every islands'' formation, though it has to divide its conscience to operate so many formations in different places. But this token was given only to us martial artists of the Rainbow Island. Do you know why? "


    Obviously, Hei didn''t know why. It was just a rhetorical question to emphasize her speech. The sect leader, therefore, spoke again.


    "Secret Dimension. In ancient texts, it is said that the Serpent of Darkness reached the divine degree, killing the Hero of the human race and the Demon Emperor. During the final battle, a large portion of land detached from the continent and disappeared forever. However, these portions of land haven''t disappeared but exist at different points in space. And these points took the name of Secret Dimensions.


    The main reason why the Sun Empire came to the islands was to look for such dimensions. But they weren''t able to find one and left, leaving us alone. And the reason why they seek these Secret Dimensions is that those guard the corpses of divine beasts as well as the treasures of human and demons martial artists of one hundred thousand years ago.


    Several years ago, we found a rift in space. Asking for help from the Artifact Spirit, we discovered that a passage was being formed towards an unknown Secret Dimension. You must know that on the Continent, the number of Secret Dimensions is very few, but each is invaluable.


    Bloodlines, rare weapons, medicines and pills that go beyond the second rank, reaching up to the sixth. This Secret Dimension represents the opportunity of a lifetime for us Rainbow Island martial artists. All the big and medium sects, together with other influences, have united their resources. With the help of the Artifact Spirit, we have succeeded in creating a formation that could stabilize the connection towards the Secret Dimension.


    The problem is that the passage is still unstable and would collapse if someone of the second rank or higher entered inside. For this reason, we had to focus on the younger generation. At the same time, the Artifact Spirit has given us these tokens containing its aura so that participants can safely cross the passage without being swallowed up by the space. So a big fight broke out to get as many tokens as possible. We Flower Sect have managed to get four.


    With only four seats, we must necessarily send the best of the younger generation for more possibilities. That''s why I''m insisting that you and Lian get stronger as soon as possible."

 Chapter 70 - Revealed Secret (2)

    With only four seats, we must necessarily send the best of the younger generation for more possibilities. That''s why I''m insisting that you and Lian get stronger as soon as possible."


    At this point, the sect leader interrupted her speech. There were still other things she wanted to say, but she decided it was better to stop for now to let Hei digest what she had said so far.


    Hei had been stunned at every word the sect leader had said. But it wasn''t just him. Bao Bei was shaking with every inch of her body.


    ''Secret Dimensions ... if the battlefield of that time didn''t disappear, then it is possible... Hei An. I know there is no chance that you are still alive, but at least your body and your bloodline. I have to take them back. I won''t let anyone have them. They have to go back to the family.''


    The heart of Bao Bei was in chaos. The discovery of the secret dimensions'' existence had turned the tables on her plans for her children. If there were even a small chance of recovering the remains of her companion, she would do everything possible to succeed.


    "Sect leader, you said that in the Secret Dimension you could find various kinds of treasure but, since all sects'' sect leaders and elders can''t go, you have decided to send the younger generation. So does it mean that the treasures found must be returned to the sect? What if we find an incredible treasure that we need and don''t want to get rid of? Will you leave it, or will you try to take it by force?"


    Hei''s words led Bao Bei to reality. When she resumed her clarity, she realized that what her son had said was true. The various powers would inevitably ask what those disciples of the younger generation found in the Secret Dimension. However, if any of them found a treasure beyond all imagination, would they leave it to the disciple of the younger generation who had found it?


    It was even more true for Hei and Lian. Although belonging to the Flower Sect, the sect leader and the elders knew that the two of them didn''t have much attachment to the sect like the rest of the personal disciples, and they had no blood connection that could bind them to the sect.


    If they found Hei An''s bloodline, would they try to take it away from Hei''s hands?


    At that point, the aura of Bao Bei suddenly burst and enveloped the entire room. Her eight eyes were glaring at the sect leader who had fallen to the ground due to the pressure. The woman was currently having difficulty breathing.


    This outbreak of aura hadn''t been felt only by the sect leader; all the elders perceived this fluctuation of spirit power and immediately ran to the residence of the sect leader. However, they froze in their place when they looked at the scene inside the room - Hei and Lian stood up while on the ground, the sect leader was struggling gasping for breath.


    "Damn you, what the fuck are you trying to do?" The sixth elder, the one in charge of the regulation division, immediately took action and tried to hit Hei to stop him. But he couldn''t even take one step that he too fell to the ground while he was breathing hard. The other elders looked at the scene with terror and stood in their place, trying to figure out what had happened.


    From what they could see, Hei had no intention of killing the sect leader, but something had happened that had infuriated him. Or rather, not him but the thing that protected him.


    "Lian and I are not the puppets of the sect. You can perhaps freely command the other younger generation inner members but not us. I''m not an ungrateful person. The Flower Sect helped us a lot. It is why I am willing to give most of the things we will find. However, if I find something that for Lian and me is necessary, I won''t let anyone take it away from me. I''ve been clear?"


    At that point, Bao Bei dispersed the spirit power she had circulated in the room while Hei sat down again.


    When the pressure of Bao Bei''s spirit power disappeared, the sect leader and the sixth elder finally managed to breathe as before even though it took several moments before they could get up.


    "Cough, as I imagined... the creature that protects you ... is far superior to the second rank, isn''t it?"


    At her words, the faces of the elders became ugly because they had seen the different level of strength between them and that creature. It was crazy that there was such a thing on Rainbow Island.


    "Yes, even if I certainly won''t tell you how far its strength comes."


    "To what extent does its strength come? Cough... I understand. Don''t worry, even without the presence of such a creature we didn''t intend to remove from you what you would find there. The same applies to our disciples. Even if we find treasures that allow us to advance, we aren''t stupid. Our potential is over by now, but the group we are raising is promising. Our future lies in them. We would have only demanded a part of the loot, that''s all.


    Believe me, it isn''t our intention to make you our enemy. Not just for that creature, but your value as a beast tamer. If we were able to grab the most precious treasures, depending on the content, we could suffer the attack of the other sects. It is why the king requested the use of your spirit beasts. In exchange for a part of the treasures, the kingdom will fight with us against any invaders. The same goes for us if they find something precious. So we need all the possible war potential." The sect leader paused a moment to rub her throat, which still hurt.


    "My spirit beasts aren''t objects, as I have already told you. I won''t send them to fight for the power games of others. "


    "But if they don''t take sides with us and we lose, they will still be involved. If the Flowers Sect perishes, do you think they will leave your spirit beasts alone?"


    The words of the sect leader were a nasty shock to Hei. When he thought about it, he knew it was true. There was no way that they wouldn''t leave the spirit beasts alone. After all, they were still creatures affiliated with the Flower Sect. They would kill them to take their spirit cores.


    Seeing that he was hesitant, the sect leader continued.


    "The reason I called you is to ask you to leave us the right to ask the king for the reward. If all goes well, I''m sure I can have another one of those tokens, and so we Flower Sect would have five tokens and, therefore, more chances to win."


    "Those tokens, you said they have a trace of the Artifact Spirit''s spirit power. How do they actually work?" Hei asked as he frowned.


    "The formation allows us to create a passage towards the Secret Dimension, but the passage is unstable. Therefore the Artifact Spirit needs something that it can perceive to send and return the martial artists of the younger generation from here to the Secret Dimension and vice versa."


    "So, do you just need something that has a trace of its spirit power?"


    At that point, Hei passed his hand near his head and took from his mother''s dimensional pocket, the tokens he and Lian had received at the end of the continent trial.


    By looking at those tokens, the sect leader and the other elders were left speechless. Their mouth was dry, and they couldn''t utter a word. In the end, with enormous difficulty, the sect leader spoke.


    "Hei, where did you get those?"


    There was no way she could be wrong. It was a different token than the one they had received, but it still contained the trace of the Artifact Spirit''s spirit power.


    "Lian and I received them when we passed the continent trial," Hei answered briefly.


    To this, the sect leader and the elders paled even more.


    Had Hei and Lian received them at the end of the continent trial? Had they succeeded in overcoming it? How was it possible? Yet they had clearly seen that they had stopped shortly after the fifth wave...


    "The reason you didn''t notice this is because you were under the influence of an illusion."


    "An illusion? What the hell are you saying? And none of us would have noticed this?" Listening to his words, the first elder could no longer remain silent and said the words that everyone was thinking at that moment.


    The sect leader raised her hand to tell them to remain silent and let her discuss with Hei.


    "Is the truth what you are saying?"


    "If not, how could we have these two tokens? Furthermore, if you notice, even if they have a trace of the Artifact Spirit, these tokens are different from the ones you have."


    Recovering from the astonishment of this discovery, the sect leader and other elders could do nothing but accept the reality. They had been deceived since the beginning, and without today''s episode, they would never have known for who knows how long.


    "Regarding the use of my spirit beasts, all right. As you said, if the fate of the kingdom and the sect are linked, then they will fight to protect their home. However, I want guarantees. Considering the point at which things arrived, your word, or that of the other elders, or even that of the king have no value. I will grant you the right to claim the token as a reward, and Lian and I will fight for the Flower Sect, giving you most of the treasures we will find. If, as you said, only a trace of the Spirit Artifact''s spirit power is enough, then our tokens should be able to do the same task. That is to say; the Flower Sect will have seven tokens, so all your personal disciples will be able to enter the Secret Dimension."


    At Hei''s words, all those present fell silent. What he was saying was true, if just the trace of the Spirit Artifact''s spirit power was enough, didn''t it mean that Hei and Lian could use their tokens? And with the extra that they would require from the king, they would raise to seven tokens. Not even the sect number one among the big five sects was able to send so many disciples.


    "However, as I said, I need guarantees. So if you want all this, you have to sign a blood pact with me."


    Again, listening to Hei''s words, the sect leader and the elders became silent. If before it was due to the amazement and excitement for the possibility of having an advantage over the other sects, this time, it was due to nervousness and fear.


    Blood pact. It was no more than a kind of particular formations similar to a contract. By imposing clauses, if one of the two parties failed to comply with their part of the agreement, they would suffer severe consequences. Usually, you would pay with your own death.


    And it was precisely due to the risks involved that it was almost never used. Besides, no one would willingly agree to sign a contract with the risk of dying if they failed to maintain what they had promised.


    "Not just you sect leader, but the rest of the elders too. This is my price." Hei reiterated the concept. Either they all got on the same boat, or they could forget the incredible opportunity to grab the treasures of the Secret Dimension.


    "And what are the conditions you want to impose?" The sect leader asked with difficulty.


    There was no way she and the other elders were willing to agree to sign a blood pact. But it was also true that their future and that of their sect was at stake. If they had missed this opportunity, they could regret it forever. They had no way to force Hei, so listening to him was the only thing they could do. At least it was better first to understand what kind of conditions he required.


    "The only thing I ask of you is to treat the spirit beasts who reside in the sect as members of the sect themselves, and not as mere instruments. You have to protect them if they are in danger and not send them to die like cannon fodder in case a war breaks out. That''s all. It is the price I ask you."


    When they heard the price that Hei demanded, the sect leader and the elders breathed a sigh of relief. Considering the stakes, it could be said that it wasn''t at a high price to pay.


    The reason he asked for this was that in the future, he would leave the Rainbow Island. But not everyone could follow him, so it was necessary to create a safe territory for them on the island. The Flower Sect was the ideal place, and with the blood pact, he would have a certainty about their future.


    And it was for the same reason that he didn''t require the protection of himself and his family. After all, it was unreasonable to ask them to be responsible for their lives even when they left Rainbow Island. Therefore, he merely asked for one thing.


    After a few moments of consultation, the sect leader replied.


    "Okay. If that''s just what you ask, it''s fine. Usually, we will request that the other party also have clauses, but I imagine that this isn''t possible in this case. Therefore, we will trust your word."


    Indeed, even though Bao Bei herself had suggested to her son about the Blood Pact, she wouldn''t allow Hei to be imposed with clauses.


    "Don''t worry; I''m not a person who takes back what he says. Lian and I will give you most of what we find, but according to our discretion."


    Having finished planning the details, the fifth and second elders went on to design the blood pact contract. Taking the blood of everyone present, they ended the formation shortly. Soon, the sect leader and the seven elders'' bodies, a kind of symbol was engraved in their chest at the height of the heart. A sign that testified to the presence of a blood pact.


    Bao Bai, always hidden in Hei''s hair, observed their every move, in case they tried to screw her over. But in the end, nothing happened, and they engraved authentic blood pacts in their bodies. As long as the other party, Hei, wasn''t dead, they would have to respect their part of the deal.


    At that point, Hei asked another question that had been tormenting him for a while.


    "First you said that even on the Continent the Secret Dimensions are few and very precious. So why didn''t the Artifact Spirit warn the Continent? Why did it decide to agree with you, even helping you build the formation?"


    "There are various reasons. What the Artifact Spirit said to us is because it wants to accomplish its task, which means sending talented martial artists to the Continent. However, although this may be true, it isn''t the only reason. From what little we know, the greatest danger is to encounter divine beasts still alive. Furthermore, it isn''t sure that there are treasures inside the dimension. Perhaps for us, they might seem like precious objects, but in the eyes of the Continent, they might appear as trash.


    Therefore, the Artifact Spirit wants to make sure that there are no dangers and that in case there isn''t something precious, not to make a fool of itself with the Sun Empire. In other words, we are nothing but explorers similar to cannon fodder in case things go wrong. But it is a price that we are all willing to pay. "


    Hearing the words of the sect leader, Hei thought that there was something wrong.


    "Sect leader. If, by any chance, did we find something that is considered a priceless treasure even for the continent? Wouldn''t the Artifact Spirit warn those on the continent? "


    The sect leader remained silent for a few moments before sighing and answering.


    "As always, you are very witty. Yes, we also thought about that eventuality. It is why the formation masters of the various powers involved have joined together to create a formation to seal the Artifact Spirit. We cannot kill him, but if we seal him, we will still prevent him from communicating with the Continent."


    "I see. All right."


    At that point, the lengthy discussion on the Secret Dimension came to an end. The sect leader sent Hei and Lian home while began to discuss with the other elders about how to change their plans given what had happened today.


    Meanwhile, in the spider house, Hei sat in meditation and thought back to everything he had been told.


    "Mother, if we find the remains of Father, do you believe that the Artifact Spirit can warn the Continent?"


    ''Yes, it''s a certainty. Your father was the lord of us divine beasts. There is no way they don''t want his bloodline. But I won''t let them take it. Don''t worry, if the Artifact Spirit tries to communicate with the outside, I will kill him personally. I won''t let my family be endangered.''


    Reassured by his mother''s words, Hei smiled. It was true. There was no being stronger than her, so he had nothing to fear. With his worry finally gone, Hei could then concentrate on officially welcoming the new arrivals and enjoying the rest of the day in peace with his family.

 Chapter 71 - External Mission

    Six months passed from that particular day when the secrets of the sect were revealed. There was still some time before the date of the Secret Dimension opening. Yet, at the same time, there wasn''t much left. As a result, there was little time left for future participants to improve as much as possible.


    Hei, who had turned 14, and Lian, who would also be 14 shortly, had moved from the fourth stage to the fifth stage, approaching the fifth-stage bottleneck. Thanks to the Explosive Blood Pills, they had managed to speed up their cultivation times significantly. And since they still had the Metal Fortification Pill set aside, they were confident in reaching the sixth stage once they had accumulated enough spirit power.


    Hei had finally mastered every move in the snake and spider styles. The last three techniques for the fifth stage were - Snake Whip, Snake Run, Snake Coiling.


    Snake Whip was a medium / short-range technique. It consisted of displacing the bones of the shoulders and arms to increase the range of one''s blows, waving their arms as if they were whips.


    Snake Run was a movement technique. It consisted mainly of a vertical zig-zag movement. The continuous swaying of the legs together with the rest of the body would make it difficult for the enemy to pinpoint precisely how the user would attack. Unlike Spider Run, Snake Run was more about attacking than avoiding attacks.


    Finally, Snake Coiling was a defense technique that consisted of dislocating the bones and joints of one''s body with one''s spirit power to increase the flexibility of the body. In case of need, the user could roll up to reduce the damage. At the same time, it could be used as an attack move, making it easier to wrap one''s limbs around the enemy, leading to the facilitation of strangulation moves.


    Training to master these techniques was very extreme. This time, Hei had to get his mother''s poison injected into his body. Although it had been significantly diluted, his bones melted easily and then quickly regenerated thanks to special mixtures.


    It was a harrowing cycle that forced Hei to bed for weeks, unable to move. Fortunately, he was somehow able to cultivate while lying down even though the performance wasn''t as good as when performing the meditation lotus position.


    Eventually, he reached an adequate level of flexibility to be able to use these techniques in training. With practice, he also came to know how to use them in combat, although he hadn''t tried them against an opponent.


    In addition to the spider and snake style techniques, he and Lian also managed to master their weapons intent. Even though they still had to reach the sixth stage, they were now able to infuse their spirit power into their weapons. They had also learned techniques to send aura attacks with their weapons.


    Moreover, the sect leader had removed all kinds of prohibitions in the library for the seven younger generation members. With such high stakes, she and the elders decided to bet every available resource on the seven young martial artists who would go to the Secret Dimension.


    Hei and Lian, therefore, spent much time at the library, learning various techniques. However, the totality of these wasn''t comparable in effectiveness with their styles taught by Bao Bei. But they still learned them to vary their repertoire of moves. In particular, Hei even made some changes to his techniques, creating variants of the moves taught by his mother.


    But it wasn''t just their fighting skills that were improved. Their expertise as an alchemist and formation maker also made great strides. Hei was able to produce his pills, and with each new batch, his ability increased dramatically. The same was valid with Lian, who learned to create increasingly complex formations and helped Hei in his work of creating pills. The two, therefore, earned many contribution points that they invested each time in buying rare materials to create even more precious pills.


    Yet, despite things going well, the two weren''t completely satisfied. Given the importance of the Secret Dimension, they had to become stronger. But how would they become stronger without opponents to fight with? If they wanted to improve, they had to fight against martial artists who aimed at their lives. However, it wasn''t possible to find that kind of opponent within the sect. Even if they had fought against the elders'' personal disciples, it would have been just a sparring session and not a mortal fight.


    Therefore, not seeing any other solution within the sect territories, Hei decided to try with the external missions. Some time ago, during the inner sect structures presentation, the functioning of the external missions had been briefly explained to him. But considering he was still in the second stage at that time, he had left that notion in the corner of his mind. The sect leader herself had told him to wait at least to get to the fourth stage.


    So, now that he had reached the fifth stage and was approaching the sixth, he was more than ready to undertake an external mission on behalf of the sect.


    *


    In the building containing the bulletin board where the various missions were posted, two youths were browsing every single task on display. They were Hei and Lian. They were reading the contents of each sheet so that they could choose the most suited to them, and that could help them solve their problem.


    And while they were reading, one of the sheets ended up attracting Hei''s attention. It was a mission to investigate a series of incidents that had even seen the death of various inner disciples of the sect, including a fifth stage. But it wasn''t the death of a fifth stage spirit apprentice or that there were members of the sect between the victim to attract Hei''s attention. It was instead the part where the culprit was said to be very powerful spirit beasts.


    The mission was, therefore, concerned with ascertaining whether the rumors were true and stopping the culprit, whether it was a person or spirit beast.


    Hei didn''t find any disgust in reading that some spirit beasts could be responsible for a series of killings of martial artists and civilians. Considering that humans hunted animals and spirit beasts without giving themselves too much trouble, it wasn''t strange if they responded equally wildly.


    However, even if he understood it, he couldn''t allow that some spirit beasts were killing innocent human beings. As long as they were provoked, it was okay, but attacking unarmed civilian settlements wasn''t right. It wasn''t a moral matter, but only because it would have given a bad image of the spirit beasts. Instead of intelligent beings at the same level as humans or demons, they would be depicted as bloodthirsty beasts.


    He then decided to accept the mission. If possible, he would make them change their minds, but if they didn''t want to listen, then he would have no choice but to kill them. Even though he considered spirit beasts with respect and tried to protect them, he didn''t mean that he wouldn''t punish those who went down the wrong path. As he has no problem in killing humans, there would be no problem in killing the spirit beasts that tried to oppose his goal.


    Hei wasn''t a saint or a savior of spirit beasts. He wanted to create a safe place for them, but that was it. The world of spirit beasts was violent, and it was normal for them to kill each other to survive. He and his family had also killed many living beings to eat them.


    But, if he could accept the killing because of an inevitable need such as hunger, he couldn''t accept those who were driven by futile reasons. For example, those moved by the thirst for blood or the taste to make others suffer. So if he found that the culprits had done so because they had been provoked, he wouldn''t punish them. The fact that humans had died was no different from the death of animals or spirit beasts. Why were humans more important?


    "Lian, what do you say? Is this mission good for you?" Hei asked, handing the paper to Lian.


    Lian looked briefly at the contents of the mission and answered,


    "As long as it''s right for you. I will always be behind you, anyway. "


    At the girl''s words, Hei put a hand on her head and rubbed her hair. Then he took the sheet in his hands and approached the attendant to record the names of those who accepted the missions on display.


    "Good morning, we would like to take this mission," Hei said.


    "Give me the paper and tell me your names so that I can register you and the mission." The attendant replied without caring too much about those in front of him.


    But when he read the contents of the mission, his forehead frowned. This mission had indeed become a hot topic of conversation in the sect among the younger generation. Several fourth stages and even a fifth stage had died, and all they had was only rumors that some spirit beasts were the culprits. Only from this, one could perceive the danger of the mission.


    "Number one in the inner members ranking, Hei. Number two in the inner members ranking, Lian."


    Hei''s voice brought the attendant back from his thoughts. The man was stunned to hear the names of the most promising pair from the younger generation. However, precisely because it was the number one and number two that he hesitated.


    "This is a mission that requires at least a fifth stage. It is also advisable to take it as a group rather than just the two of you." The attendant tried to find excuses to dissuade the two youths while he signaled to a nearby colleague to call the sect leader.


    "There are no problems, both Lian and I are in the fifth stage. Besides, I guess you know I''m a beast tamer. Therefore, I don''t need to form a group of martial artists. Bringing my spirit beast will be more than enough."


    It was true. Hei''s two little sisters were comparable to two fifth stage spirit apprentice. He also had in mind to bring Shui, who had long stayed in the bottleneck to the second level. Hei thought that in this mission, maybe Shui could finally advance. In the same way, he thought to bring Mi. Although she was young and unfit for combat, her small size and the fact that she wasn''t powerful made her ideal to use as a scout without arousing suspicion.


    As for the other spirit animals that dwelt near his spiderweb house, he didn''t want to have them fight for the moment. They had had a difficult time in the past, and he wanted them to relax as much as possible.


    Meanwhile, the colleague of the attendant had sent the message to the sect leader, who responded briefly to let them take the mission.


    The sect leader knew in fact that there was no way that Hei and Lian would have risked dying. Furthermore, it was a perfect opportunity to complete the mission successfully and train the two youths for the opening of the Secret Dimension.


    After receiving confirmation from the sect leader, the employee could only nod and fill out the request with the data of the two young martial artists. He then gave them two tokens engraved with the sect symbol.


    "These tokens are given to our members out for external missions. In case of problems, you can show these to confirm your membership in the sect. Remember not to lose them and be careful anyway, even if you are shown a similar token. It isn''t uncommon to find someone who claims to be a sect member using these. Therefore, if possible, recover the tokens of our fallen comrades."


    "Got it. If we find the tokens, we will take and bring them back to the sect."


    With the officiality from the sect, Hei and Lian came out of there and returned to the spiderweb house. They had to prepare for the mission and communicate that they would be away for a while and that they would also bring Shui and Mi with them. Fortunately, with the two second-level elephants protecting them, the other spirit beasts didn''t have to fear for their safety during Hei and his family''s absence.

 Chapter 72 - Chestnut City

    Border of the Forest Kingdom with the Lake Kingdom, Chestnut City.


    Chestnut City owed its name to the forest full of chestnut trees located not too far from the city. As with other cities, the name often derived from the name of the nearest forest.


    Being a frontier city, Chestnut City was much visited as it was a link between the Forest Kingdom and the Lake Kingdom. Therefore, it was also very guarded for a city. But, despite the amount of guards, the significant presence of people coming and going made it easy for martial artists with hidden intent to infiltrate.


    So, it often happened that the kingdom had to set up missions for the sects to deal with various issues that occurred in the city and neighboring territories to maintain peace and general security.


    But, lately, the atmosphere inside the city was agitated. It was rumored that something had attacked the martial artists of various sects, even killing some coming from one of the five big sects - the Flower Sect.


    The deaths of multiple martial artists had forced the guards to tighten controls and patrol more often, creating many inconveniences for visitors and inhabitants. But nothing could be done about it; even if in the external missions there was the risk of dying, the city authorities felt responsible for the death of so many martial artists.


    They were afraid of suffering the consequences of any accusations of negligence in their city management. The fact that it had come to involve one of the five big sects wasn''t a good sign as well. They, therefore, hoped to capture the culprit as soon as possible.


    And in this climate of tension that Hei arrived at Chestnut City.


    To avoid being recognized, he asked his mother to put Shui in her dimensional pocket. After all, an adult albino buffalo would surely attract a lot of attention, not to mention a powerful specimen like Shui.


    So, with Shui in his mother''s dimensional pocket and his little sisters, his mother, and Mi hiding on his body, they arrived at the city gates.


    "Stop! Tell me your names and the reason for your visit. If you have documents that testify your background, it is best to take them out immediately. Unless you want to spend a period of strict surveillance during your stay."


    The guards at the entrance were dividing those who wished to enter the city in various rows, all saying the same sentence.


    When their turn came, Hei briefly replied as he took out the tokens with the emblem of the Flower Sect.


    "We are disciples of the Flower Sect. Our name and the reason for our visit don''t concern you."


    At his words, the faces of the guards twitched in anger. In this climate of tension, they were easily susceptible. But it wasn''t as if Hei was deliberately trying to provoke them. He simply didn''t consider it necessary to report their names or why they had come here. After all, there might be someone nearby listening.


    Indeed, by studying the little material available about the mission, Hei had guessed that if the culprit had really been a spirit beast, then it had to be a spirit beast led by a beast tamer.


    The attacked groups hadn''t crept deeply into the Chestnut Forest, so it was unlikely that they had disturbed strong spirit beasts. Not to mention that such spiritual beasts always dwelt at the center of their territory, well protected on all sides.


    Yet the various victims had been attacked by a powerful spirit beast. At least, according to the testimonies of those who had found the bodies. So, the hypothesis of the beast tamer had crept into Hei''s head, although it couldn''t be excluded that it was a spirit beast with irregular behavior.


    While the guards were about to lose their patience, one of the senior officers, stationed there for this time of emergency, intervened.


    "Let them pass."


    "But boss, how can we..." a guard tried to reply.


    "Stupid! Didn''t you see their tokens? They are part of the Flower Sect. If you believe you have the authority to get your hands on them, go ahead."


    "Yes, I know. But..."


    The guard interrupted his words after the glare of his superior and reluctantly allowed the two youths to enter.


    As they passed, Hei could see the officer''s eyes sticking on him and Lian.


    ''What the guard was going to say was that there was no way of knowing if we were really from the Flower Sect only through our tokens. After all, several disciples of the sect died. It isn''t unlikely that someone could pass themselves off as one of them. The only reason they left me is to watch us, unaware of their presence. Even if we aren''t responsible, the person or persons behind the attacks may likely want to attack us secretly. Basically, we are no other than bait for their glory. I imagine they would obtain a good promotion if they saved two members of the Flower Sect and simultaneously solved the case.''


    After analyzing the guards'' behavior, Hei first led Lian to a tavern. Usually, these places also had the custom of renting rooms to travelers. They would, therefore, rent a room and rest a little before starting to act.


    *


    After several tours, they finally found a tavern with a free room. Hei booked it for a couple of nights using the money provided by the sect for travel expenses. After all, it was unthinkable to use spirit stones as payment with ordinary people. Therefore, the Flower Sect had a large reserve of copper, silver, and gold coins for any eventuality. Usually, however, they were given to members of the sect outside for the missions.


    The room wasn''t bad and was spacious enough for two people. Hei asked to be brought something to eat in his room and waited until all the dishes arrived. Then, giving a generous tip to the waitress who had brought the dishes, he closed the door and for safety put one of the two beds in front of it to prevent someone from snapping it open.


    "Well, you can go outside."


    At this sentence, Ye, Xing, and Mi, who had been hiding in his clothes all the time, came out, stretching their bodies. Bao Bei also came down with elegance from his head and landed on the ground.


    "Mother, bring Shui out. Even if we are a little tight, it doesn''t matter."


    Following her son''s request, Bao Bei slowly brought Shui out of her dimensional pocket. The albino buffalo looked around and rested on the ground, lying down. It wanted to move a little, but it wasn''t the case to do it inside a tavern room.


    "Don''t worry Shui, later you will have a way to stretch your legs. All right, here is food and drink for you."


    Hei put down bowls containing herbs and water he had brought for the journey. Then with Lian, his little sisters, Mi, and his mother sat down to eat with Shui.


    "Ye, Xing. Since it is almost probable that we are going to face a beast tamer, I will let you fight against the spirit beasts of that person. It''s okay for you?" Hei asked at one point as he looked at his little sisters.


    After the molt that happened about six months ago, their size had significantly increased, and now it reached about 1 meter in length. However, thanks to their mother''s technique, they were able to maintain their size when they were small.


    ''Sure, big brother. I can''t wait to fight. We''ve been inactive for too long. I''ll show you the results of our training.'' Ye cheerfully replied as she shook her tail.


    She was, in fact, the most direct and warlike of the two. Not having fought for so long, it was normal for her to be excited. After all, spirit beasts were a species that respected strength above anything else, and fighting was normal for them.


    Even Xing, who was the most reflective and calm, couldn''t hide her excitement.


    ''I''m ready big brother. Don''t worry; everything will be fine, and we will defeat the enemy.''


    Noticing their confidence, Hei smiled and turned to Mi.


    "Mi, you just focused on revealing the enemies. There is no need for you to fight directly, okay?"


    The little spirit bee issued a series of buzzing sounds to communicate that she had understood and returned to eating her honey that she had brought from home.


    Once the meal was over, they all started to rest to be ready for the night. They decided to do so instead of going to investigate because investigations had already been carried out without being able to get something concrete. It was, therefore, useless to go and ask around. The only quicker way was to get ''caught off guard'' by whoever was the culprit. And to do this, he had to go out at night, when the number of passers-by would decrease.


    *


    The sun had already set, and it was now evening. On the ground floor of the tavern, Hei and Lian were drinking beer sitting at a table while occasionally listening to the various conversations going on among the other customers. Unlike the other shops, taverns were a place that would be more active during the evening than during the day.


    At one point, Hei tried to ask the waitress who was serving at the tables.


    "Excuse me, can I stop you for a moment?"


    "Yup? Do you need anything?"


    "We wanted to ask you some information. Our sect sent us to investigate the series of martial artist murders. We just arrived, and I wanted to ask you if you had heard something. Working here at the tavern, I imagine you will know many things."


    Hei''s voice wasn''t high, but at the same time, it wasn''t so low. So, he could be heard by the various nearby customers who suspended their conversations and looked towards their direction. The incident concerning the death of those martial artists had become a hot topic of discussion. Still, with the worsening of the guards'' surveillance, it became better not to talk about it at all, in order not to give the impression of having something to do with it.


    The waitress who was aware of the situation was surprised that someone had asked her about it. But, since Hei said they had just arrived, she didn''t find it so strange. Furthermore, they were disciples of a sect. Being so young yet able to undertake external missions on behalf of their sect, it must surely have been a sect with a first-class background.


    "Well, I don''t know so much. It is rumored to be the work of some spirit beast as the bodies were found torn apart near the forest, but I don''t know anything else. I''m sorry."


    "Don''t worry; you were helpful. Thank you." Hei consoled her by giving her a silver coin as a tip.


    At the sight of the silver coin, the woman opened her eyes wide. It had never happened for her to receive a silver coin just for answering a simple question. As was to be expected, sects'' martial artists lived in a world apart from ordinary mortals.


    Hei and Lian finished their beer mugs and left the tavern. The streets were mostly empty, but you could see some buildings full of life like taverns or brothels.


    "Come on, let''s go for a stroll."


    Hei took Lian by the hand and began to wander around the city. They didn''t have a precise destination; their goal was nothing but to flush out any pursuers. And indeed some people were chasing them in secret.


    Arriving on the city outskirts where there was less security, Hei and Lian entered a remote alley.


    "Ye, Xing, I need your help."


    ''Yes, big brother. We understood.''


    The two little spirit beasts moved quickly. Ye bit Hei down his neck while Xing on his wrist. Immediately, the poison of the two little spirit beasts, although it had been diluted, ran into Hei''s body.


    "Good. Spider Hair, Snake Tongue. Activate."


    At his command, Hei''s body hair began to sway as he pulled his tongue out and dripped down his saliva on the ground.


    "Ye, Xing. You also can sense them, right?"


    ''Yes, there is a group of three people behind us, and then another person has hidden in a building ahead.'' (Ye)


    ''It''s not just them. Above us, there is a flying spirit beast. It is flying above us, trying not to be discovered. But from the vibrations of its wings, I can perceive that it isn''t moving away but is flying in a circle.'' (Xing)


    "Okay. The people behind us should be the city guards. But just in case, Lian and I will go to them. Ye, I entrust the other person to you. Don''t kill him; we need him alive. Xing, you instead take care of that flying spirit beast. There is no need to hold you back, take it down directly."


    ''Yes, big brother.'' Ye and Xing answered in a chorus before disappearing into the darkness of the night towards their respective targets.


    "Mi, go around and check if someone is hiding outside our range of perception. If you notice anyone suspiciously moving, follow him, and then report to me. Be careful, though. All right?"


    Mi turned around Hei a couple of times before she disappeared as well.


    "Good. Lian, let''s go."


    At Hei''s command, Lian snapped with him at full speed toward the group of three behind them.


    Those people who were watching the two youths from afar were surprised by the strange behavior of their targets. And when they saw that they had been spotted, they tried to escape.


    But how could simple guards, despite possessing spirit power, escape two fifth stage like Hei and Lian?


    Running on all fours on the roofs of the buildings, Hei suddenly appeared in front of them. While immediately after, Lian appeared behind, blocking the group of three in a vise.


    "You''d better not fool around and identify yourself. Otherwise, I''ll have to force you to do it. "


    Hei released his spirit power as well as Lian. The pressure of two fifth stage spirit apprentice stage could be perceived by the trapped group who hastened to respond.


    "We apologize for our behavior. We were instructed to monitor you because we thought we could pick up clues about the culprit in this series of killings. Since you were sent here to investigate, we believed that someone could follow you."


    ''As I imagined.'' Hei thought to himself.


    "Okay. Let us believe you. Did you find someone who was following us apart from you?"


    "No. Since you arrived, we are following you, but we haven''t found anyone who was chasing you."


    "Okay. Well, then, you can go and tell your supervisor to avoid these types of initiatives. We don''t need your help. The sect has entrusted us with this task because we are more than qualified. If you keep watching us, don''t blame us if we mistake you for enemies and use our strength."


    At his words, the three guards shivered and nodded their heads. They had enlisted as city guards and not as military infantry to avoid risking their lives. This task was also reluctantly accepted. Now that they had been discovered and warned, there was no way that they would continue to watch the two youths, even if they were commanded.


    The three quickly left with their tails between their legs to report to their superior. Hei then went to rejoin immediately with his two little sisters.

 Chapter 73 - Interrogatory

    In an abandoned building, a man laid powerless as he was being squeezed by the grip of a black snake with golden patterns. His arms were blocked, and blood was coming out of his neck. A sign that he had been bitten and had begun to feel the effect of the poison.


    During these months, Ye had once accidentally eaten a paralyzing plant. However, she had discovered to her surprise that she could produce a new type of poison with a paralyzing effect. Upon her discovery, Hei made his little sisters eat all kinds of poisonous plants and observe the changes.


    Ye was able to digest any poisonous substance to create a new type of poison in her body. It was like some alchemical reaction, only, instead of using a cauldron, she used her stomach. Xing was unable to do such a thing, but with each new ingredient, the toxicity of her poison increased, far exceeding that of Ye.


    So, if it was about killing the enemy, Xing''s poison was the ideal. If it was about paralyzing or getting other kinds of effects, Ye''s was more appropriate.


    Shortly after that, Xing arrived too. Behind her, tied inside a spiderweb, was the carcass of a crow that was being dragged to the ground.


    At the sight of the crow, the man''s eyes sank, and he gritted his teeth.


    "You bastards, you killed him."


    Hei, to the man''s words, answered coldly.


    "It is you who have followed us. Tell me why."


    The man, at Hei''s question, answered him by spitting in his face. Ye and Xing made a series of angry sounds as Lian prepared to strike. However, Hei raised his hand and motioned them to stop.


    "You don''t want to speak? All right. I usually prefer not doing this kind of thing, but I have no other choice. Ye, use the platypus venom, please. "


    ''Are you sure? The poison is so strong that there is the possibility that he faints as the poison takes its course.''


    "It will be fine if you adjust the injection dosage. Xing, first tie him up with your web."


    ''Okay, big brother. As you wish.'' Ye said as she untied her grip on the man and let Xing tie him up with her web.


    Then, Ye proceeded to bite her victim''s neck by injecting the platypus poison. This type of poison wasn''t lethal, yet it produced a pain so excruciating to render the victim helpless. Furthermore, this pain led to the development of a phenomenon called hyperalgesia. In this state of hyperalgesia, the victim developed an abnormal increase in pain sensitivity that would last for months after the injection.


    To prevent his screams from being heard or that he tried to bite his tongue, Hei tore off a piece of his tunic to gag him, and then he let him squirm in pain.


    Lian looked at the scene without expression. Even if a living person was being tortured in front of her, she didn''t flinch. This vision should have aroused in her old nightmares of when she was locked in the cell. However, she had already overcome her fears in the dream trial. So, now, she could look at it without being disturbed. In any case, she would certainly not condemned Hei. Whatever he decided to do, she would always support him.


    Meanwhile, Mi had returned from her reconnaissance lap. She hovered in the air for a few moments, before settling on Hei''s shoulder.


    "Welcome back, what did you find out?"


    Mi emitted a series of sounds. She told Hei that there was another flying-type spirit beast that had fled as soon as the man was captured. Chasing it, she saw that the creature had headed for the Chestnut Forest. But she decided to make a report rather than go inside to avoid possible ambushes.


    "Well done, You did well to stop. Surely that bird is another spirit beast of this man. If it disappeared into the forest instead of going to save him, it means that his other companions are in the forest. The problem now is to know how many there are and if they also have their spirit beasts."


    He then waited several more minutes before turning to Ye.


    "Inject him the opium to make it calm."


    Opium. It was a substance derived from a flower known as Opium Poppy. By cutting the immature capsule of the flower, which was nothing but a type of dried fruit, the latex could be extracted after having been dried.


    Opium, although it had various effects, including reducing the sensation of pain, was treated with caution by the sects. It was part of a group of substances called drugs called. Such drugs, although they could be used in various ways, were addictive through constant use. Consequently, they were entrusted only to alchemists who knew the danger in dealing with these types of substances.


    Hei, although he was young, had shown tremendous talent in alchemy, and was therefore allowed to deal with this type of substance as well. Knowing the dangers, he wouldn''t have used them so lightly but only if strictly necessary.


    Fortunately, Ye, in addition to being able to digest various plants, was able to regulate the effects to produce a poison that reproduced one specific effect. In this way, she was also able to isolate the harmful effects of such drugs and concentrate on only one type of effect.


    However, this didn''t mean that Hei could abuse this feature. Even with Ye''s ability, prolonged use over time would create addictive effects. He would certainly not allow himself to be reduced as a slave with a continuous need for drugs. He considered them as objects, that''s all.


    With the injection by Ye, the body of the captured man relaxed, and his tremors ended. Hei took off his gag but stuck his palm into the man''s mouth to prevent that he bit his tongue.


    "Now, do you want me to talk?" Hei asked coldly. His eyes focused on those of the prisoner who shivered with fear. How could such a young boy make such an impassive look?


    "Here... I ..." the man tried to speak with difficulty. With Hei''s hand in his mouth, his words were indeed difficult to understand.


    "Don''t worry, talk like that. I understand you anyway," Hei assured him.


    By concentrating sufficiently, it was possible to distinguish a sense in the subdued sound series. The man therefore surrendered and revealed to him that they were a group of mercenaries. Five people in total; each of them was a beast tamer.


    They had come to the Forest Kingdom to raise their spirit beasts. From what he knew, his boss had been offered the chance to participate in a great event on behalf of the Bubble Sect, one of the two big sects in the Lake Kingdom, and the number four among the five big sects. However, this was only in case he had proved himself being up to par.


    As a result, his boss had announced that they would go to the Forest Kingdom to gain experience. In fact, in addition to eating spirit cores, the fastest way to grow their spirit beasts was to let them eat the corpses of martial artists. The stronger they were, the better.


    Moreover, by killing them, they could also acquire their belongings, thus taking two birds with one stone. Lastly, he was told that, if they had gone to the Forest Kingdom, they would have to kill a beast tamer belonging to the Flower Sect, if possible, by the name of Hei.


    Upon hearing his name, Hei was taken by surprise.


    ''Why did they ask him to kill me? I didn''t fight at the king''s celebration. I could understand if they had named Lian, but me?''


    As he was thinking, Xing pulled on his robe to call him. Between her legs, there were several objects, including the token engraved with the emblem of the Flower Sect and a strange bag. She had taken advantage of the interrogatory to rummage inside the man''s clothes and take his items.


    "Good sister, let me see what you''ve found." He briefly tickled Xing before focusing on the objects on the ground.


    "So it was you who killed the Flower Sect members. As for this bag. It''s empty, but I don''t think you would carry it around without it containing anything."


    The man seemed reluctant to respond, but a hiss from Ye was enough to make him speak. Thus, Hei discovered that the bag was a type of unique bag called a spirit beasts bag. They were used by beast tamers and could contain spirit beasts. It was a kind of space ring but focused on transporting spirit beasts.


    However, these bags were a rare thing to encounter on Rainbow Island or other islands. It was said to be a product from the Continent that only very few had. But, it happened that the boss of the imprisoned man came from an ancient family of beast tamers and had received two of those spirit beast bags as a family treasure.


    To facilitate his work as an explorer and not arouse suspicion, he had been given one of the two bags to hide one of his spirit beasts while the other acted as bait. Therefore, when he found that he had been discovered, he used the bag to call his other spirit beast. He possessed two bird type spirit beasts - an Imperial Raven and a Royal Eagle.


    Although they weren''t big enough to be used as flying mounts, they were useful for scouting from above. Moreover, their speed and their sharp claws made them difficult to face when they fell from above or to chase them in case they escaped.


    ''Now, I understand. The event the man mentioned is certainly the Secret Dimension opening. The Bubble Sect must have made such an offer because of these spirit beasts bags. I hadn''t thought of it. I thought it would be enough to carry Ye and Xing on my body as usual, but I didn''t calculate the possibility that they also needed a token. But with these bags, I can solve the problem. However, this also means that other participants can resort to such expedients and fill their shortage of participants with spirit beasts.''


    It was true. If the Bubble Sect had come up with this, there was no way that the other sects and other powers hadn''t thought of this solution. But these spirit beasts bags were very rare and weren''t things to be given so easily. Even if one person were a beast tamer, he wouldn''t receive such a treasure only because of the Secret Dimension opening. He had to be a beast tamer with powerful spirit beasts.


    "Okay, one last question. Tell me what stage your companions are and what their spirit beasts are."


    The imprisoned man answered the question again. By now, he had already spilled the beans, and it made no sense not to answer. Knowing his boss, if he were to be rescued, he would have been welcomed only with death. Not because he had spilled their secrets, but because he had lost one of his two spirit beast bags.


    When he had given it to him, the boss had specifically warned him not to screw up, and if he had lost it, he would have paid with his life as it was a priceless treasure.


    "All right, thank you very much for the information. Ye put him to sleep." Hei said as he sat on the ground to digest the information received and think about how he should act to complete the mission.


    Ye, using another function derived from opium, created a sedative poison that rendered the man bound in Xing''s webs unconscious. Then, she rested on the ground next to her sister, waiting for their big brother to establish the battle plan.


    After half an hour of reflection, Hei finally got up from the ground.


    "Okay. I formulated our action plan. Our goal is inside the Chestnut Forest, and I don''t think it will move from there. After all, they cannot create chaos in the city, and the only one with spirit beasts that didn''t draw too much attention was captured. It is also unlikely that they will flee because I have one of their leader''s spirit beast bags. They also know that we won''t ask the city authorities for help, because, in case of victory, there is no way that the city won''t demand a percentage of the spoils and we need the other spirit beasts bag and the spirit beasts'' spirit cores.


    Therefore, considering this, our battle plan will be to go to the Chestnut Forest ourselves. Instead of being prey, we will turn into predators and hunt them in the forest. In such an environment, it isn''t possible that we can lose, right? Ye, Xing?"


    ''Sure, we''ll show them what it means hunting like a pro.'' The two little spirit beasts answered in a chorus.


    "Lian, do what I do and act according to my orders. As long as you do this, it doesn''t matter if you have no experience in fighting into the wilderness. "


    Lian answered with a simple nod. In any case, she had already decided to follow Hei''s orders, regardless of whether he was familiar with that type of terrain or hunting.


    "At this moment, it is still night, but they will surely have been alerted by the Royal Eagle. However, they would never think of being attacked this very night. It is, therefore, essential to act now and reduce their numbers as much as possible. We will aim at the henchmen, leaving the leader for later. Even if we take them by surprise, we don''t have so much spirit power to be able to face both the leader and the other members of his group, without counting their spirit beasts."


    ''Big brother, what about this one? What do we do?'' Ye asked as she waved her tail like a rattle.


    "It''s a hunt, isn''t it? Then we will use him as bait. His eagle will surely come to check, so we will take advantage of that to kill it along with the others who will come alongside."


    ''And if the boss appears with the others? Will we face them or leave them alone, allowing them to save their companion?'' Xing asked as she weaved some spiderweb to create a small cape to tie to her back as to cover herself from the cold.


    "No, as I said, we can''t risk if their boss is there too. But we won''t even let them take their partner so quickly. We will inject a strong poison into him. In that way, we would kill him even if they managed to save him. But we have to kill the Royale Eagle to take away their aerial advantage."


    Hei signaled them to prepare themselves. Carrying the man on his back and storing the Imperial Raven corpse in his mother''s pocket dimension, he was ready to leave. The destination - Chestnut Forest.


    The night was still long, and the hunt was yet to begin.

 Chapter 74 - Ambush

    In one corner of the Chestnut Forest, four men sat in a circle next to a bonfire. Around them, there were various shapes hidden in the darkness.


    Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings and the cry of a bird rang in the air. The humans stood on their feet as the shapes around them put themselves in a circle, ready to attack the intruder and defend the humans in the center. However, when they saw what had emitted the cry, they all relaxed.


    "Isn''t that the Royal Eagle of the fifth brother? Why is it here? Did something happen in the city?" One of the men asked as he pointed to the approaching eagle that looked familiar.


    "Yes, it''s his. Come."


    An authoritative voice replied, and the royal eagle went down while it emitted various cries. It was communicating the events that happened to his companions. However, the term ''companions'' didn''t refer to the humans there, but the silhouettes hidden in the shadows.


    These silhouettes were, in fact, nothing but the spirit beasts of these men. When the clouds above them shifted, the moon''s rays could finally illuminate those spirit beasts.


    There were six spirit beasts with a powerful and fierce appearance. Each of these was a predator of its species, and you needed to take great care when facing them. Indeed, fighting them was highly discouraged if possible, whether it was a spirit beast or a martial artist.


    The spirit beasts present were - a three meters long Arctic Wolf with white fur; a six meters long Saltwater Crocodile; a one and a half meter Red-head Centipede; a one meter and a half long Yellow Scorpion; a two and a half meters tall Mountain Gorilla and lastly a four meters long Barbarian Lion.


    Among those spirit beasts, the Mountain Gorilla and the Barbarian Lion were those who exerted the stronger pressure and commanded the others. These two beasts were, in fact, comparable to a sixth stage spirit apprentice while the others were comparable to a fifth stage. Moreover, they were also the two spirit beasts of the man with the authoritative voice that was none other than that group''s head.


    Once the royal eagle ended its speech, the Barbarian Lion quickly told its master what the bird had said.


    Although humans couldn''t ''normally'' speak the spirit beasts'' language and not all spirit beasts possessed vocal cords capable of formulating articulated sounds like words, communication was still possible.


    If the spirit beast in question had learned the human language, through the mental connection between it and its master, it was possible to exchange a telepathic conversation, understandable for both. With a bit of wit, one could even make one''s spirit beast like a kind of translator with other spirit beasts, thus overcoming the wall that separated humans from other species.


    However, that skill wasn''t something that everyone could do. Almost all the spirit beasts disdained human language and were reluctant to learn it, including spirit beasts linked to a human being.


    Consequently, whether a spirit beast could learn the human language or not, depended exclusively on the skill of the tamer in convincing their spirit beast to devote its time and efforts in learning a new language.


    Not everyone was able to do it, but those who could manage it could define themselves at a higher level than the rest of the other beast tamers and would be much more sought after by the upper echelons of the martial artist society.


    "What did the fifth brother''s royal eagle say?" one of the group members asked, who was also the owner of the Arctic Wolf with white fur.


    "The fifth brother was captured. He is still alive, but his Imperial Raven was taken out." The chief''s voice was cold. Inside he was full of anger at the news he had just received.


    This reaction wasn''t due to his companion''s capture but to the loss of one of his spirit beast bags. Those were his family''s treasure for generations, and he couldn''t allow it to remain in the hands of others. Especially with the opening of the Secret Dimension that was getting closer and closer. If it hadn''t been for the high stakes, he would never have lent one of his two bags, not even to one of his lifetime companions.


    "And now what? Should we leave or...? "


    "Nothing. We do nothing and stay here. If the enemy didn''t kill the fifth brother, it means that they intend to question him. It is almost certain that the fifth brother will speak, not immediately, but he will speak. Therefore, the enemy will know about us and what we came to do. At the same time, they will learn about the treasure I carry, and therefore, they won''t warn the city guards. Instead, they will decide to attack alone. After all, martial artists are the most greedy beings when it comes to precious objects. And it will be at that very moment that we will attack. We will take them by surprise and kill them."


    "But boss, we have no way of knowing which way the enemy will come. The forest is large. Also, if they know about us, won''t they suspect an ambush?"


    "Yes, it is sure they will expect an ambush, and they''ll try to take advantage of the size of the forest. But did you forget it or what? We are beast tamers, and we command each a spirit beast. If necessary, you can divide yourselves and explore the perimeter of the forest to flush them out using the nose and other abilities of your spirit beasts. The only thing to worry about is when they will come. But in any case, they will certainly come, in the end. After all, they were sent by a sect to investigate the matter."


    "Boss, you didn''t tell us what this enemy looks like."


    "The eagle didn''t see them in the face. It just said they are two youths, that''s all. But that''s good for us, isn''t it? Or will you allow some kids to defeat you?"


    "Never. We''ve killed so many opponents so far. We won''t let some stupid sect disciples beat us," the other men in the group replied.


    As mercenaries not affiliated with a sect, they possessed an innate contempt for sect disciple martial artists, especially those belonging to famous sects'' younger generation. But it wasn''t just them; almost all martial artists not belonging to sects or prominent families shared this thought.


    How could children, who had always been cradled safely in their sect, be their opponents? They, who had gone through countless challenges and risked their skin to get to where they were now? If it had been a sparring contest, they might have lost. But here, it was a real fight to the death. Youths who didn''t know the world and were virgins in smearing themselves with enemy blood were destined to die under their fangs.


    The discussion ended at that point. As it was night, they decided to lie down to prepare for the next day''s hunt. Even if their fifth brother spilled the beans, the two youths would surely have waited for the next day to attack, in order not to risk being slowed down by the poor visibility. In a night fight, thanks to the senses of their spirit beasts, they had the advantage.


    *


    On the outskirts of the Chestnut Forest, Hei was standing next to Lian. Before him, there was the body of a man without conscience.


    "Good, let the plan begin."


    Hei had Xing bind the man to a tree and gagged him. Then, he asked Ye to inject a poison of euphoria into him to wake him from his unconscious state.


    The man soon awoke with a start as he quickly turned his eyes to the right and left. He was trying to figure out where he was and quickly realized that they were in the Chestnut Forest.


    "You woke up. I need your help to call your comrades." Hei announced in a flat voice as if he were doing the most natural thing in the world.


    Therefore, using his sharp nails, he caused a series of wounds on the man''s body. The injuries weren''t too deep but were sufficient to cause blood to leak out. The smell of blood would then attract nearby creatures.


    The imprisoned man who noticed the danger tried to break free and make no with his head, pleading with the young man before him to let him go. But Hei didn''t take pity of him and turned to Lian, his little sisters, and Mi.


    "In position now. Ye, inject the poison and hide. Xing, remember what I told you, you must succeed. Mi, you control the situation from above and let us know if you notice any movements. Mother, when I tell you, let Shui go out, okay?"


    Hei''s plan was simple - using man to attract the royal eagle and possibly some of his companions. The primary objective was the royale eagle, and Xing would deal with this. Hei, Lian, Ye, and Shui instead would keep the other enemies occupied. However, since Shui''s body was difficult to hide, Hei decided to make it appear only at the last moment when they had engaged the enemy in combat.


    As for his mother, Hei had asked her to stay hidden. If they had always relied on her for every situation, they would never have grown up. However, to make things safe, he asked his mother to keep all of them in telepathic contact since he wasn''t yet able to send his thoughts through his spirit power.


    Meanwhile, as predicted by Hei, the blood smell spread through the air, attracting the attention of various predators in the forest. When they notice the strange movements of the forest inhabitants, the group of beast tamers was alarmed and woke up from their sleep.


    "What is happening? Why is there all this activity? "


    "I don''t know. What do we do? Let''s check?"


    "What if it''s a trap?"


    While the others panicked, the leader of the group ordered in an authoritative tone.


    "That''s enough. Fourth brother, third brother. Check the situation. Take your fifth brother''s eagle with you, and if there are problems, send it back. The second brother and I will arrive immediately."


    The two appointed persons made an unhappy face. They didn''t want to go and see for themselves. But they had the support of the royal eagle that was able to patrol the area from above. If necessary, the eagle could alert their eldest brother. So, in the end, they still executed the order.


    With them, the arctic wolf with white fur and the saltwater crocodile moved as well. Soon, their silhouettes were swallowed by darkness as they made their way to the forest outskirts where the noise came from.


    *


    When the two men moved with their spirit beasts, the other spirit beasts in the area that had been ensnared by the smell of blood recoiled in fear. They had learned at their own expense the power of the group of humans and spirit beasts at their command.


    Even the previous forest rulers, the colony of paraponera ants, had been decimated by the human group''s attack. After that carnage, the spirit beasts in the forest had learned to avoid this group.


    Thus, without being hindered by anyone, the two men arrived at their destination. They followed the royal eagle, which had identified its master from above, despite the fact that the vegetation was hiding him.


    "Fifth brother!" The two men said in chorus.


    Although it was dark, thanks to their torches, they were able to recognize the man tied to the tree, who was in horrible conditions. His skin had taken on a pale white color, and his eyes were struggling to stay open while he was breathing heavily, gasping because of the gag.


    Without wasting time, those, called fourth brother and third brother, immediately went to their fifth brother and removed his gag. But when they did, they could hear their brother say in a low voice, "It''s a trap, run away."


    It was too late, though. Despite the warning, the beast tamers had fallen into a trap the moment they approached that place. In a flash, from different points of the forest around the three men, several shadows came out at full speed.


    Hei, Lian, Xing, Ye, and Shui aimed their respective targets - Xing would eliminate the royal eagle; Ye would deal against the saltwater crocodile; Shui would face the arctic wolf instead; Hei and Lian would keep busy the two humans.


    In an instant, Hei''s group spirit power, as well as those of his enemies, exploded outside their bodies. That action indicated the beginning of the battle to the death that was about to take place.

 Chapter 75 - Full Combat Mode

    The surprise attack was successful, and they managed to separate the enemies as they had planned. However, even if they caught them by surprise, the two men with their spirit beasts were still able to unleash their spirit power.


    Having experienced a significant number of battles, their bodies were able to react automatically to the slightest sign of danger.


    Without wasting time, Hei rushed against the owner of the Arctic Wolf. He was a man of average height and build, but athletic enough to dodge Hei''s lance with a leap backward.


    Meanwhile, Lian had managed to wrap her ribbon around the ankle of the Saltwater Crocodile''s owner, who had a bigger size than his companion. However, despite his size, he was being dragged to the ground by Lian. In the end, he got separated from his spirit beast.


    The Saltwater Crocodile, noticing the difficulty its master was experiencing, tried to rescue him. But Ye, who had assumed her real size, had wrapped herself around its body, gripping him in a vice. The two, therefore, began a furious fight on the ground as they rolled wildly, trying to tear the flesh of the other.


    The other spirit beast, the Arctic Wolf, was instead under difficult conditions. Shui''s power wasn''t something it could handle alone and was, therefore, trying to get closer to its master for help. However, Shui did nothing but attack him, finally ramming it against a tree.


    The Arctic Wolf almost fainted on the spot, but still tried to react. Its sharp blade-like claws clawed like a raging storm on Shui''s face. But the albino buffalo didn''t flinch but responded with a series of hoof attacks, trampling the wolf until it sank deep into the ground. But even so, Shui didn''t stop and continued to act cruelly at the enemy until it died.


    On the other hand, the battle of Xing was less brutal but just as intense. The Royal Eagle, noticing the critical situation, was undecided whether to help fighting or warn the other two men left at the camp. And this indecision allowed Xing to approach it.


    Although the young spider failed to bind the eagle with her spider web, one of her spider webs was tied to the foot of the flying spirit beast. Suspended in the air, Xing was using her own body as a counterweight to prevent the eagle from flying, pulling the spider web down that was keeping her tied to the eagle, and throwing more webs up high. As long as she was connected to her enemy through her spider webs, the winner would eventually be her.


    The owner of the Arctic Wolf meanwhile had a grim expression on his face. No one of them had imagined that a couple of kids would attack the same night they had captured their fifth brother. It was impossible unless the fifth brother had spilled the beans in no time.


    When one of his brothers'' eyes fell on him angrily, the tied man shook his head as he tried to explain his version of the facts. But the poison inside him made it difficult to talk, and he could only mumble indiscernible words amid all that confusion.


    At this juncture of distraction, however, Hei''s spear arrived silent, taking advantage of the small opening to hit the left shoulder of his enemy. Had it not been for the protection of spirit power that covered the body, the spear would have dug a deep hole in the body of the Arctic Wolf owner.


    Hei''s purple spear, covered with his spirit power, was like a snake that swayed silently in the air. His attacks were instead as heavy as the legs of a spider that stuck in the prey.


    The man brought back to reality by Hei''s attack, responded with his sword. Despite the ambush that caught them off guard, he was able to react quickly enough to every strike. The only time he was injured was when he lost his concentration a moment ago. Furthermore, during the exchange of blows, he noticed that his opponent was a fifth stage spirit apprentice.


    Although it was surprising that such a young boy had already reached the fifth stage, victory wasn''t impossible. He too was a fifth stage and, although as a beast tamer, he was less proficient in one vs. one fights than other martial artists, his opponent was a beast tamer as well. So they were equal. No, having more experience in fighting and killing, it was he who was ahead.


    ''Yet why am I so defensive? Who is this brat? Usually, the sects'' brats are presumptuous people. Any other of them would have commented that one should not look away in combat before attacking. Instead, he remained silent all the time, attacking relentlessly, focusing only on me. How can such a young boy have such a fighting sense?''


    The man''s thoughts were flowing at high speed in his head. He couldn''t understand how it was possible that he was losing to one of those hated younger generation disciples belonging to a sect. But the total whirl of thoughts was only making his situation worse.


    At one point, however, Hei stopped his attacks and stepped back, leaving his opponent completely stunned.


    ''As I thought, this won''t do. I am not able to do it. In this case, then... ''


    Hei stuck the spear on the ground and, with the left leg, took off the boot of the right foot. Afterward, with his right foot, he removed his left boot. All this without using your hands.


    During these months, Hei had practiced improving the mobility of his toes. Although not at the same level of his hands, his feet had become prehensile enough to grab objects that weren''t too heavy even without using his hands.


    The owner of the Arctic Wolf was looking at the scene before him with wide eyes. Usually, he would have attacked without overthinking. It wasn''t his problem if the opponent wanted to commit suicide, and he wasn''t dumb enough to give him time to do whatever he wanted. But for some reason, he couldn''t move.


    He wanted to understand. To understand why the brat, who was getting an increasingly crushing advantage over him, had stopped his attack and was taking off his boots.


    And his question got the answer he was looking for.


    He stood before him, barefoot on the ground and with his arms outstretched. The spear stuck to the ground was now hanging in the air, grabbed by his hair.


    ''Snake Hair. Full Combat Mode.''


    The reason Hei had done all this was that during these months, he had noticed something important. Although he understood the intent of the spear, he was unable to exhibit the full power of his weapon. It wasn''t a matter of skill, but rather a mental limitation within him.


    From an early age, he had lived with the desire to have a body comparable to spirit beasts. The spear in his eyes was like a spider''s leg. But since he had learned moves that imitated spiders and snakes using his own body, he had somehow entered an inner conflict - using the techniques learned from his mother or the spear?


    In the continent trial, in particular, this problem had manifested itself conspicuously. Therefore, he had to decide which path to take - relying on his body or concentrating his efforts on the spear? But he wasn''t willing to give up either of them.


    So, in the end, he came up with this solution.


    Using Snake Hair, he would fill the flaw in attacking with this technique, using his hair instead of his arms to grab his spear. Thus, he could now move his hair like a defensive shield and attack with his spear at the same time. However, it also meant having his arms and legs free to attack with the spider and snake styles'' moves.


    When he finished his preparations, Hei again lashed out at his opponent.


    With Snake Run, he approached in a zigzag pattern, the owner of the Arctic Wolf, who couldn''t distinguish Hei''s movements. It wasn''t just because of that strange movement technique; his attention was entirely focused on the spear that was being held in the air by the boy''s hair in front of him.


    Even though he had a great experience, he had never faced such an enemy. His eyes that had become used to lock on the enemy weapon had now become his Achilles'' heel.


    When he was inside a sufficient range, Hei threw his spear forward through his hair. The man''s sword blocked his weapon, but it wasn''t a problem that he managed to block it.


    ''Snake Whip.''


    Dislocating his shoulder, Hei attacked with his left arm.


    Bam!


    In an instant, the opposing beast tamer was sent to fly several meters. Although he hadn''t suffered any severe injuries, the very fact of having been slammed that way was a big blow for him.


    But Hei hadn''t finished his offensive. With Spider Run, it was again, in no time, in a sufficient range to attack. This time he tilted his spear in a straight line to attack from the top while with Snake Fist, he would hit the opponent from the front.


    ''What, what is this? What f*cking fighting attack pattern is this?''


    The owner of the Arctic Wolf was no longer able to reason with his head. His past experiences from one battlefield to another had become trash in front of the strange moves against which he was defending himself. None of his techniques could keep up with Hei''s. It wasn''t so much a matter of speed or power, but the very fact that he didn''t know at all what was the right method to defend himself.


    After some time, with the terror and the chaos that spread more and more in the Arctic Wolf owner''s heart, Hei finally succeeded in breaking the defense of the enemy and penetrated the man''s trachea with his purple spear. To be sure, he then hit him twice more on the forehead, shattering the man''s brain. Only then, he stopped attacking, leaving the carcass of the killed man on the ground to observe how the others were proceeding.


    Shui had been the first to finish his fight and remained in his place to let others finish alone their battles, but ready to act if any of his comrades were in danger. Beside his legs was an indistinct pulp of what had once been the body of the Arctic Wolf.


    Lian was the second to finish. Her opponent had been captured since the beginning and had no way to fight according to his fighting style. When it came to close combat, maybe she was even more dangerous than Hei. Once the ribbon was wrapped around the body of her enemy, the fight could practically be considered concluded. Even Hei would have a hard time if he were to face Lian.


    Ye and Xing instead ended almost at the same time.


    The Saltwater Crocodile, despite its considerably larger size, was unable to shake off Ye. With her fangs continuously digging through the crocodile''s sturdy scales, Ye had finally managed to inject him with a dose of paralyzing poison. Then she had finished it by crushing its head with her tail.


    Xing''s opponent, the Royal Eagle, had tried in every way to shake off that stubborn spider by knocking it into the trees. But Xing didn''t let go and began to climb the spider web that held the two together. As she approached, other spider webs had enveloped the Royal Eagle, which eventually fell to the ground, unable to take flight. At that point, Xing used her fangs to clear the eagle''s head, thus ending the fight.


    Total Victory!


    They had won on all fronts without suffering severe injuries, killing two human beings and three spirit beasts. Of the five beast tamers guilty of the sect martial artists'' deaths, only two of them remained now, and they had only four spirit beasts in their possession. It could be said that the culprits had lost half of their fighting power.


    Ye and Xing, having finished their fights, rushed to Hei and threw themselves at him. They wanted to be complimented on their work by their big brother. Hei, regardless of the blood and the remains of organs attached to their bodies, embraced his little sisters who returned to their small size. Then, he went to caress Lian''s head and finally Shui, who had been the fastest among them.


    "Good work, everyone. It was a complete victory, well done. "


    While Hei was complementing the others, at one point, Mi appeared from nowhere. On Hei''s behalf, she had stayed up high to monitor if someone was approaching their location, but at some point in the fight, she had disappeared from their sight. Since his mother''s telepathy bound them, Hei knew she was still alive, and so he decided to let her do it what she wanted and waited for the end of the fights to ask where she had gone.


    When Mi finished her story, Hei sincerely congratulated her. The reason she disappeared was to search the area toward the direction in which the Royal Eagle was trying to go. Thus, she discovered the camp of the beast tamers'' group and the two remaining humans with their spirit beasts. Even now, they were standing there, waiting for their comrades to return.


    "It''s been a while since we started fighting. Surely, the other enemies will soon be alarmed by the lack of communication. We have little time left, therefore. We cannot face them at the moment; we have consumed a lot of energy. So we''ll retry for now. Mother, can you put the bodies of the three men and spirit beasts killed in your dimensional pocket?"


    After saying this, Hei killed the tied man who was still suffering due to the poison. As he had already finished his task as bait, he was useless now.


    ''Of course, my little boy.'' Bao Bei accomplished her son''s request without asking questions. She already knew what he was planning to do.


    "Mi, did you see by chance if there are caverns in the forest? Even if I would rather not, if they decide to escape, we should fight under these conditions. We can''t allow them to survive. Therefore we must remain somehow nearby. "


    Mi replied in the affirmative and proposed to lead the group.


    "Okay, fine. But wait, first we have to make some changes. "


    Hei took out all the water at their disposal and poured it on the ground. Then, he started kneading the wet earth to create mud.


    "Come here, all of you. We must get rid of the smell of blood. "


    Then he started spreading all of them with mud. None of them, not even Lian, who was a girl, objected and let Hei sprinkle them with earth, mud, and foliage.


    "All right, then lead the way, Mi."


    Following Mi, they rushed to the cave she had seen during her reconnaissance lap. They had to use every second to recover their energy for the final battle against the two most difficult opponents and their spirit beasts.

 Chapter 76 - Beginning Of The Fight

    In the camp, the remaining two men of the beast tamers'' group were getting nervous with every minute that passed.


    "What the hell is going on? Why haven''t they returned yet?" said one of the two with agitation. Among the five, he was the second in command and commanded the Yellow Scorpion and the Redhead Centipede.


    "Let''s go and see." Without waiting for a second, the group''s leader ordered to go and investigate what happened to their companions.


    Following the nose of the barbarian lion, they arrived at the place, and all they could found was nothing but signs of combat all around. The soil had been soaked with blood at various points, and there were traces of organs scattered here and there. However, there was no trace of the bodies.


    "So, can you feel anything?" Asked the man to his Barbarian Lion.


    The mighty beast shook its head. Although they had followed the smell up here, there were no scents traceable elsewhere. It was as if suddenly the bodies had disappeared into thin air.


    "Eldest brother, what do we do now? Our assumptions were wrong. Those two brats asked for reinforcement and got rid of the others."


    "No, calm down, second brother. If you think about it with a cool mind, that''s not the case. Look at the ground. There are signs of hooves and other non-human footprints."


    "Are you saying that the enemy is a beast tamer like us?"


    "Exactly, and I also think I know who he is."


    "And who would it be? Tell me. I will make him pay dear for what he did to our brothers."


    "It is the goal of elimination entrusted to us by the Bubble Sect. In the Forest Kingdom, the number of beast tamers with spirit beasts as strong as ours are few, and they are all beyond the age to be categorized as belonging to the younger generation. All but one. The young genius beast tamer of the Flower Sect. If you think about it, it is logical. We have killed several of their disciples. Therefore, it is normal that they have sent a big piece of the younger generation. It is also said that a girl of the same age always accompanies him."


    ''But their presence here also means that the Flowers Sect has no intention of relying on them for the opening of the Secret Dimension. Otherwise, they would have entrusted them with such a dangerous mission. However, the thing that worries me is another. They have taken so much care to eliminate any trace of their smell or where they were headed. Yet, they have left footprints on the ground attributable to their identity. Is it to prevent us from running away? Indeed, if they had asked for reinforcements, it would have been problematic for me. However, if they are the only ones, even with that albino buffalo on their side, I have nothing to fear.''


    After he finished thinking, the owner of the Barbarian Lion and the Mountain Gorilla said. "We return."


    "Return? At the camp? "


    "Yes, those brats believe they can defeat us like they did our other brothers. They won''t call the city reinforcements. At the moment, they are hiding to regain their strength, but there is also the risk of an ambush. Therefore, the most practical choice is not play their game. If they want to come to us, let them do so. We will wholeheartedly welcome them, and at that moment, we will give them a lesson."


    Without another word, the man turned his spirit beasts around to return to the camp. Behind him, his companion could do nothing but follow him by commanding his scorpion and his centipede. He could only hope that his eldest brother was right.


    As they returned, in a tree nearby, a small silhouette emerged from the leaves and headed in another direction.


    *


    Buzz buzz buzz


    In the cave, Mi was quickly making a report on the last two enemy beast tamers. Upon hearing this, Hei was surprised by their reaction. He didn''t expect them to repress their anger and choose to return to their camp. But if they weren''t going to fight, it was okay for him. He would have used this time to recover their energy.


    "All right, since it seems there will be no attacks in the near future, I say we could eat to regain our strength."


    ''Yup! Yay!'' Ye and Xing exclaimed together. Even though they had eaten at the tavern, they were still hungry because of the energy spent in the fight.


    "But first we must collect the necessary. Gather dry firewood and drinkable water. If you find fruits, bring those too. Be careful, though. In any case, Mi will fly up to warn of possible dangers."


    Lian, Ye, Xing, Shui, and Mi came out of the cave. Fortunately, the moon shone bright enough to illuminate the surrounding area.


    Meanwhile, Hei asked his mother to release the bodies of the killed spirit beasts. Then, he began to skin them one by one, dividing the skin from the meat. Although a long time had passed, in his mind, Hei still perfectly remembered Lei Bai''s teachings on how to cut carcasses.


    ''My little one, what are you going to do with the corpses of those two men?''


    At one point, his mother asked him while he had momentarily hung the carcasses out of the cave to remove the blood inside them.


    "Well, if they were enemies fighting for an understandable purpose, I would have planted them like I did with that woman. But their purpose was solely to feed their thirst for power at the expense of the lives of others. So, I decided to fulfill their wish partially. Therefore, we will feed them to the spirit beasts of the forest as compensation."


    Hearing his son''s words, Bao Bei smiled to herself and pulled out the bodies of the three men. Hei, therefore, proceeded to remove the blood present in their bodies. He would treat them the same way as their spirit beasts.


    When the others returned from the gathering session, they didn''t ask questions at the sight of Hei, who was dissecting the bodies of the beast tamers and their spirit beasts. On the contrary, they helped him in their work.


    Ye, Xing, Shui, and Mi were spirit beasts. They had no moral restrictions like human beings, and for them, what Hei was doing wasn''t right or wrong. Lian, on the other hand, had long ago decided to abandon her ''humanity.'' If that was the price to pay for her to stay near Hei and the others, she was more than happy to pay it.


    In the end, after great efforts, Hei cooked the meat of his prey. As promised long ago to his mother, they would have eaten only the bodies of the spirit beasts. The cut and cooked flesh of the three humans were scattered around the forest for its inhabitants.


    "Ye, Xing, wait. Eat this with the meat."


    Hei handed his two little sisters the spirit cores of the Arctic Wolf and the Saltwater Crocodile. As spirit beasts, they were able to become stronger by eating the spirit cores of other spirit beasts.


    "Mi, you come too. For you, there is the spirit core of the Imperial Crow and the Royale Eagle. However, given that you are still small, I will keep that of the Royal Eagle. It isn''t good for you to eat too strong spirit cores in succession."


    Mi made a few complaints to Hei''s words, but in the end, she settled for the spirit core of the crow.


    "I''m sorry, Shui. Your part will still have to wait. But I promise you that the Mountain Gorilla and the Barbarian Lion''s spirit cores will go to you so that you can advance to the next level."


    Shui nodded his head, saying that it was okay. But his eyes couldn''t hide a hint of excitement at the feeling that he could advance. Then, he went back to eating the grass they had gathered nearby. Being a buffalo, even though he had awakened his spirit power, he didn''t eat meat, preferring the flavor of the herb or other plants instead.


    Thus, the happy family spent a very lively dinner before going to sleep. Usually, they would have set up surveillance shifts, but with Bao Bei on their side, they could rest without worries.


    *


    The following morning, the temporary residents of the cave woke up at dawn. Thanks to the generous meal and the peaceful sleep, they had gotten their fill of strength, recovering what they had lost with yesterday''s battle.


    Making sure that everyone was in perfect condition, Hei started walking in the direction of the camp where the remaining two members of the beast tamers'' group were.


    His plan had so far proceeded smoothly; if anything, it had gone even better than expected. They had succeeded in eliminating three human beings and a total of four spirit beasts. However, it was time for the most challenging part to come.


    The two remaining people were the most difficult to deal with, not only for personal ability but above all, for the strength of their spirit beasts. Moreover, unlike before, a surprise attack wouldn''t work. As a result, they had no choice but to attack frontally.


    And as he imagined, the two enemies were already standing waiting for their adversaries. In front of them, their spirit beasts were already ready-to-combat.


    "Very well. I thought it would have been impossible to complete that assignment, but if you give yourself to me, I will more than willingly accept your corpse."


    The man who commanded the Barbarian Lion and the Mountain Gorilla was the first to speak as soon as he saw approaching two young martial artists and the albino buffalo. Immediately after, his companion spoke.


    "We will make you repent of what you have done to our brothers. We will give your body and your spirit beasts'' spirit cores to ours."


    Hearing these words, Hei smiled and answered.


    "If you have strength, then do it. But in any case, you will be dead before you can even think about trying."


    Usually, he would have ignored this provocation, but on this occasion, he was obliged to respond to keep the morale of his companions and their momentum high. Words, although useless in one vs. one combat, apart from annoying your enemy, had a powerful effect when it came to group fights.


    ''Shui, I entrust you with the Barbarian Lion and the Mountain Gorilla. They are both two beasts comparable to a sixth stage spirit apprentice, so be careful.''


    Shui loudly bellowed as he locked on the two powerful enemy spirit beasts.


    ''Ye, you take care of the Redhead Centipede. Xing, instead, will deal with the Yellow Scorpion. Be careful because both are species that have poison.''


    ''Yes, big brother. We will finish them without a doubt.''


    ''Lian, take care of the one commanding the centipede and the scorpion. I will fight their leader. Mi, you monitor from above and coordinate our movements. All right?''


    Lian responded with a quick nod as Mi produced a buzz before going up and stopped in mid-air.


    "Begin."


    One word. Only one word was enough to begin the fight. Hei climbed up on Shui''s back and headed for the enemy leader and his two spirit beasts. Ye and Xing took their full size and began their fierce struggle with their opponents. Lian had also started her battle alongside the young spider and the young snake.


    "Shui, I leave them to you."


    He then jumped upwards, using the head of the albino buffalo as a trampoline, and landed in front of his opponent. The Barbarian Lion and the Mountain Gorilla wanted to take advantage of it to attack him from behind, but Shui prevented them by charging them both and making them fly away from Hei.


    "As the reports said. Your albino buffalo is at the peak of the first level. But if you think it''s enough to beat my spirit beasts, you''re wrong. My Barbarian Lion, although not at the peak of the first level, is not far from it. Moreover, my Mountain Gorilla, despite it being recently advanced, has already consolidated its foundation. It is all thanks to the meat of your sects'' martial artists. So, don''t think you can stall for time waiting for your albino buffalo to save your ass. "


    Hei stared at the man without saying a word. Instead of talking, he took his shoes off with his feet and assumed his fighting position.


    ''Not even a word? The boy has strong nerves. Now I understand how he managed to win against others.''


    Seeing that his provocations didn''t take hold on the target, the chief beast tamer prepared himself for combat. He drew a two-handed longsword of fantastic craft. It was apparent that it wasn''t an average weapon.


    ''Spider Run, four-legged mode.''


    To begin with, Hei decided to use the four-legged mode of the Spider Run. Among his techniques, that was the one that allowed him to run fastest. In a few breaths, he came into the range of the enemy sword.


    The enemy immediately tried with a quick lunge that Hei dodged easily by switching to two-legged mode. Then, the whirlwind of sword and spear exchanges began. Whenever the metal of the two weapons collided, it generated sparks that illuminated the space around them.


    "Wow, as a sect brat, you aren''t bad at all. But you''re too young and stupid if you think you can beat me."


    The owner of the lion and the gorilla tried to provoke Hei again without success. However, his words weren''t just words this time.


    "Lion Wrath."


    Suddenly, from the longsword in his hands, a wave of spirit power was thrown toward Hei. It had the shape of a lion with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow everything in its path.


    "Intent of the Spear, Half Moon Blade."


    Performing a horizontal movement, from the tip of the spear, came out a purplish purple crescent blade powered by Hei''s spirit power.


    The lion and the crescent blade met in midair, generating a bang, sending dust everywhere.


    "What? A brat like you has already understood the intent of his weapon to such a degree?"


    "Spider Thrust."


    Suddenly, the spirit power on Hei''s spear stretched forward, taking the form of a spider''s leg directed towards the heart of his enemy.


    "Lion Wrath."


    Again, there was another bang. But this time, the enemy beast tamer suffered a portion of the damage, although it was nothing severe.


    ''Has he surpassed me in power? It is not possible?! I, Jin the Beast? Known as one of the best beast tamers on Rainbow Island?''


    While his enemy was being surprised by his attacks, Hei stopped to think for a moment.


    ''I still can''t fully accept it. If it weren''t strictly necessary, I would avoid announcing the name of my moves aloud.''


    It was true. The reason why both were announcing their moves aloud wasn''t for a matter of glory or fanaticism or imposing their presence. When it came to sending one''s spirit power outside one''s body, the operation was so elaborate that it required maximum concentration. Yet, how could you keep your full attention in such a process during combat?


    This question remained unresolved for years and years. It remained that way until the martial artists of the past discovered the solution. By shouting the name of the moves, their body and mind could more easily elaborate this process.


    Human beings, or rather every living being, was able to associate a particular sound or smell with a specific memory. And this wasn''t something done voluntarily, but it was instinctive. Therefore, shouting the name of the move you wanted to use facilitated the execution of the technique itself. The downside was the loss of any kind of surprise attack.


    However, it wasn''t as if you couldn''t use such techniques at all without shouting them out loud. It was just that the power of one''s attack would be diminished, not to mention the increase of execution time. Therefore, this would have led to being more easily blocked before being able to complete your attack. As a result, future generations of martial artists had learned to live with such a lack of stealth.


    After all, as long as you were stronger than your opponent, it didn''t matter that you couldn''t take him by surprise. So, saying aloud their moves had become a common custom associated with being strong martial artists.

 Chapter 77 - Beast Tattoo

    ''Spider Carapace, Attack Mode''


    While his opponent was still disoriented by the previous exchange of blows, Hei took the opportunity to use Spider Carapace.


    Spider Carapace was a defensive technique that condensed one''s spirit power to form a sort of armor similar to an exoskeleton. However, what Hei was using now was a variation he had devised.


    Instead of using it to protect delicate parts such as the heart or the head, he would condense his spirit power on his limbs so that he could freely attack if they came into contact with weapons.


    Unfortunately, Hei was only able to cover his arms from the hand to the elbow. With more practice, he would be able to increase the affected area, even going to wrap his whole body and creating a combat armor to attack without worrying about the damage.


    Immediately after covering his arms, Hei approached the enemy again.


    Jin, who recovered from the initial confusion, tried again with a rapid lunge towards the boy''s chest in front of him. Even if Hei dodged, he was ready to change the direction of his weapon at any time. But Hei didn''t avoid contact using Snake Run this time.


    Instead, he used his right arm to deflect the blade of the longsword laterally, and with his left fist, he hit the enemy in the face.


    "Vibrating Fist"


    Bam!


    Jin made a few steps back while a trail of blood came out of his mouth. The impact hadn''t been so violent as to render him unconscious, but he could still feel the enemy''s spirit power flowing over his body.


    "Bastard! I never imagined using it against a brat like you. But you asked for it, and now you really pissed me off. Beast Tattoo - Gorilla Mode."


    Suddenly, Jin''s body began to glow with a yellowish light as various black symbols emerged all over the body like a kind of tattoo. Then, slowly, his whole body began to swell as his upper clothes were torn to pieces by the increase in size.


    Hei, incredulous at the scene before his eyes, was undecided whether to act or proceed with caution. But he wasn''t the only one who was surprised. Bao Bei also was shocked.


    ''What is this? I feel the blood of a spirit beast on his body, and yet it isn''t a bloodline... What have humans invented in these one hundred thousand years? Or did the demons invent it?''


    At the end of the transformation, Jin had doubled its size. In particular, it was the muscles of his arms that had swollen disproportionately. His hands gave the sensation of being able to crush anything under their grip.


    "What''s wrong, brat? Have you finished playing the big man? Admire the true power of a beast tamer. This is another small family gift. You must know that one of my ancestors was a beast tamer from the continent. My spirit beast bag and this formation tattoo are his. However, you should consider yourself lucky. You''re the first person I show this move, although you wouldn''t be able to do it for much longer."


    When his speech ended, Jin snapped vigorously towards Hei. His speed was faster than before. The swelling of his muscles had given him an explosive increase in his muscles'' power, thereby increasing his speed and acceleration. But, those improvements weren''t comparable to the rise of his arms'' strength.


    With a horizontal blow, he waved his longsword. The weapon took on an incredible speed, and Hei couldn''t avoid it in any way. So he decided to receive it, reducing the damage by countering the longsword his spear and wrapping himself with Snake Hair.


    Despite the measures taken, the blow sent him flying several meters until he landed abruptly on the ground. Soon after, he coughed up a handful of blood.


    But if this blow had a strong impact on him, it was even more so for his companions. Lian, Shui, Xing, and Ye were taken by the terror that Hei could be seriously injured. However, this did nothing but favor their enemies who took advantage of the moment to attack with ferocity, reducing Hei''s companions in a passive situation.


    Noticing their mood, Hei stood up quickly. Then, without wiping the blood from his mouth, he made a series of sounds using the language of spiders.


    "We are spirit beasts! If you want to worry about me, then defeat your opponent first! Show them what we are capable of."


    Toward the battle cry of Hei, Jin could only tilt his head. He couldn''t understand what Hei was saying. But the spirit beasts around, and Lian, thanks to the translation of Bao Bei, understood it. In particular, the spirit beasts of the two enemy beast tamers were impressed by that event, so much so that they lost the newly acquired advantage.


    Xing, Ye, Lian, and Shui recovered thanks to Hei''s words and fought with even more vigor than before, emerging from their passive situation.


    "You said it''s the first time you show someone your skill, right? Then I will also show you something I have never used against my enemies. Unfortunately, you won''t be able to live long enough to tell it." Hei said aloud with a smile.


    "Brat, are you out of your mind? There is no way you can defeat me, not now that I have activated this ability. It isn''t one of those trashy sects'' techniques. This technique comes from the Continent. It isn''t something that someone like you can defeat."


    "So? The techniques I learned are even more incredible than those taught on the Continent."


    Right. His techniques were the legacy that the divine beasts had left to him. There was no way he could lose against someone else technique, regardless of whether it came from the Continent.


    Hearing Hei''s words, Jin laughed mockingly and then assumed an expression of anger. He was already looking forward to the fear in the brat''s eyes who grew up in cotton wool. Yet Hei hadn''t at all diminished his fighting spirit; instead, it had even increased. Therefore, Jin decided to end it immediately. He would show him that you shouldn''t be joking with him.


    Loading the force on his legs, he jerked forward with his longsword in his hands and then slashed with all his might.


    Seeing him arrive, Hei prepared to receive him.


    ''If I can''t react in time to the speed of his blows, then I won''t dodge at all. I''ll block his shot.''


    Grabbing his spear with both hands, he used his weapon to ward off the slash that came from above.


    The impact was crazy. Every bone in Hei''s arms trembled from the force of the impact between the two weapons. But Hei didn''t give up. Despite being sunk deeper and deeper into the ground and his arms hurting, he didn''t let go of his weapon. If he did, nothing would stop the longsword from hitting him.


    And in the end, Hei stopped sinking into the ground. He had made it. He had successfully blocked the shot.


    Jin dazedly looked at the scene before his eyes. Even though he could accept that his blows had been blocked earlier, he absolutely couldn''t believe that Hei could parry a slash of his with his maximum power.


    Screaming, he tried to kick Hei in the stomach, but it was too late.


    Hei had taken advantage of Jin''s surprise moment to move the blade of his longsword over his head to the ground. Then he jumped up.


    "Spider Thrust."


    The spirit power on his spear concentrated on the tip and struck Jin''s throat. Despite being unable to penetrate his defense, it still managed to reduce the thickness of spirit power in that area.


    ''Finally. Spider Lance + Beast Claw + Snake Coiling. Super Penetrating Kick.''


    Super Penetrating Kick. A technique that was nothing more than the combination of Spider Lance, Beast Claw, and Snake Coiling techniques. It was designed by Hei in case he wasn''t able to use his arms for Spider Lance or if he needed even more power. It was indeed known that the power generated by the legs was higher than the one emitted by the arms, although not everyone was able to kick in the right way.


    But, there wasn''t only the greater strength of his leg muscles. Using Snake Coiling to twist the bones and muscles of the leg and then release them, it would generate more power. Furthermore, with his sharp toenails from Beast Claw, his penetrating power would increase even more.


    Slash!


    With part of his opponent''s spirit power already reduced by the previous attack, Hei''s kick broke the remaining layer of spirit power that separated his kick from the enemy''s throat. Then, his sharp nails stuck into the flesh, causing bright red blood to flow outward.


    Without a moment''s hesitation or pity, Hei contracted his toes in the enemy''s throat and then released them. He was trying to do more damage. After that, he let his foot out, and with a leap backward, he walked away from his enemy, who was standing motionless as he tried to plug the wound on his throat.


    However, it was useless. Hei''s kick was thrown to cut off his enemy''s carotid artery. It hadn''t been a random shot.


    The martial artists were beings that surpassed the conception of a normal human being. Therefore it was possible to live even with more severe wounds than that. But this happened in the upper ranks; in the spirit apprentice rank, it was virtually impossible to survive such an injury without immediate medical support.


    Jin tried to stutter some words but failed. Finally, he fell to the ground with a thud as the inflated muscles returned to their normal size.


    Hei also fell to the ground. The clash had drained many of his energies. Spider Lance was already an expensive technique according to his spirit power reserve, yet he had added to it a combination of two other techniques. Not to mention the moves previously used before Jin''s transformation.


    ''It''s over. How are the others going?''


    As soon as Hei finished his fight, his attention turned to his companions.


    Lian was crawling on the ground as she was dragging the corpse of her enemy. On her left thigh were the remains of a blade, and the wound was bleeding profusely. However, she didn''t seem to mind much. Her attention was focused on reuniting with Hei.


    Seeing her in that state, Hei rose despite his fatigue and joined her.


    "Stop, Lian. Rest, you have been excellent."


    While petting her head, Hei sat next to her as he removed the piece of sword and bandaged the wound using his mother''s spider web. Meanwhile, Ye and Xing rushed over to him.


    Ye had most of her scales destroyed; only a few remained attached to the skin. Xing instead had the right half of her legs cut off and moved awkwardly using only those of her left side.


    Despite the conditions they were in, they didn''t seem very worried. On the contrary, they were as excited as ever. They had beaten their adversary and were holding the spirit cores of the Redhead Centipede and Yellow Scorpion in their mouths.


    Hei embraced them and took the spirit cores from them to give them to their mother. Now, only Shui was missing from the appeal.


    Right. Shui was the one who had the most challenging fight. Although Jin was a beast tamer of the fifth stage, he possessed two spirit beasts comparable to a sixth stage. Although Shui was at the peak of the first level, it wasn''t an easy challenge.


    While searching for Shui, he heard a mighty bellow resound. Turning his head, he could see Shui bellowing toward the sky as he slammed his hooves to the ground. He was bleeding from many places, and he lacked large pieces of flesh here and there. But despite his injuries, he had won. Not far from him, laid the bodies of the Barbarian Lion and the Mountain Gorilla, now devoid of life.


    However, it wasn''t for his victory that Shui was bellowing like that. No, it was for another reason.


    The spirit power on his body was in an uproar and was soaring as Shui kept bellowing.


    "Mother, by chance...?"


    ''Yes, it''s going up a level. He is passing to the second level, comparable to the second rank of martial artists, spirit soldier.''


    By correctly recognizing the signs of level advancement, Bao Bei replied to her son with certainty. There was no way she could be wrong.


    While they waited for Shui to finish his advancement, Hei turned to his two little sisters.


    "Good work, Ye, Xing. But for now, you will have to rest until your next molt. Only then, you can regrow the parts that have been cut off."


    ''Don''t worry, big brother. I don''t think it''ll be long.'' (Xing)


    ''True. With the spirit core of yesterday, I felt the approach of the molt. Therefore, eating these two others, we should immediately molt.'' (Ye)


    As the two of them returned to their small size, Mi flew down to rejoin them. Although she hadn''t fought, her contribution had been fundamental. Several times during the battle, the Yellow Scorpion and the Redhead Centipede had tried to rejoin. But she had always warned Ye and Xing if they had been too close so that they could direct their respective battles elsewhere. She had also been the second pair of eyes for Shui since the Barbarian Lion, and the Mountain Gorilla had tried to attack him at the same time by exploiting the numerical advantage.


    "Good work, Mi. When we get home, I will tell the queen bee to give you a prize and vacation days, what do you say?"


    He gave me a series of joyful sounds. Although she was a spirit beast and the queen bee was a normal bee, Mi respected the queen bee, and despite her strict teachings, she accepted her lessons without question.


    Meanwhile, Shui had finally finished his advancement. With powerful steps, he approached Hei and bowed his head as if to thank him for bringing him with him.


    "Shui, raise your head. It is I who should thank you. Without you, we won''t have made it." Hei hastened to say immediately.


    It was true. Without Shui, it would have been another thing. Probably they would never have succeeded in winning except with the help of Bao Bei.


    "Okay. I think we can return to Chestnut City. Shui, do you mind if I tie to you the spirit beasts and the two men'' bodies?"


    Shui nodded his head. He didn''t mind at all, and he would help Hei even in things like this.


    As for the reason behind Hei''s request, it was simple. To complete the mission, he needed proof. Since it was too complicated to bring so many corpses to the sect, he would show evidence to the city authorities, and they would then notify the Flower Sect about their success.


    Of course, he would only deliver the bodies of the two men after stripping them of their belongings. As for those of the four spirit beasts, he wouldn''t give them up but kept them to himself. After all, those were his hunting booty, and it was enough for the authorities to show the bodies of the spirit beasts without needing to hand them over.

 Chapter 78 - Date Revealed

    When they returned to Chestnuts City, the guards at the entrance remained stunned at the sight of the majestic albino buffalo carrying behind them a series of spirit beast carcasses and humans bodies.


    At such a sight, the guards immediately called their superiors, who alerted the city authorities and asked how they should act. They were then ordered to keep the strange group that had just arrived out of the city, awaiting further instructions.


    While the big shots were deciding how to proceed, Hei requested them to bring food, drinks, and medicines to him. With the strength of a second-level spirit beast, none of the guards had the slightest thought of contradicting his request. Besides, they only had to stop him from entering, and Hei himself didn''t seem to want to alarm them by making his way by force. Therefore, it was also in their interest to fulfill his requests.


    With water, food, and medicine delivered, Hei went to treat Lian''s wounds carefully. And when he finished wrapping her wounds again, the city authorities finally arrived along with various garrison officers.


    "What the hell is going on here?" Said a grumpy old man.


    He was the city lord who administered it on behalf of the king. It was he who dictated the decisions conforming to the policies established by the capital.


    "Hi everyone, my name is Hei. I am an inner disciple of the Flower Sect. This is my partner, Lian, also a sect inner disciple."


    Upon hearing the name of one of the five big sects, the Flower Sect, everyone present was amazed. However, not wishing to waste time on pleasantries, Hei continued his speech.


    "We accepted, on behalf of the sect, the mission concerning the series of murders. This incident had also involved some of our disciples. The ones you see are the bodies of the culprits. In reality, it was a group of five people. But we could only bring two of them; anyway, they are all dead. All of them were beast tamers, and their goal was to increase the power of their spirit beasts by making them eat the flesh of martial artists."


    Listening to the gruesome background behind this matter, the faces of the guards paled. Even though they were dead, one could still feel the strength behind those spirit beasts. And the fact that two kids managed to complete the mission was incredible.


    "I remember you. Number one and number two of the Flower Sect younger generation. You were present at the king''s banquet."


    "Exactly, city lord."


    At that point, the city lord reviewed the bodies placed on the ground.


    "So, are you saying the culprits are these here?"


    "Precisely, city lord. I brought the bodies of the two main members as proof of my work. I trust in your work to communicate the situation to the Flower Sect. After all, it would be inappropriate to travel with two human corpses, wouldn''t be?"


    The city lord nodded slightly and ordered to take away the bodies of the two men. However, while the guards were preparing to execute the order, one of the officers asked, "And what about the spirit beast bodies?"


    Hei answered this question in a calm but cold voice.


    "The spirit beast bodies are the spoils that my companions and I have earned. Furthermore, the bodies of the two main perpetrators are more than sufficient as proof. But if they aren''t enough, here you are."


    Hei pulled out a bag containing the various tokens engraved with the symbols of the sects to which the victims killed by the group of beast tamers belonged. Obviously, he had already separated those belonging to the Flower Sect from the rest.


    Given that they were authentic tokens, the officer couldn''t help but remain silent and let the guards take away only the two men. Although it was dishonest, the various officials present wanted the carcasses of the four spirit beasts.


    Such carcasses were precious material from head to toe, not to mention their spirit cores. But in front of the Flower Sect background, they could only suffer passively.


    "I guess you will be tired, why don''t you come to my residence to rest?" The city lord proposed to flatten any disagreement derived from the cheekiness of his officers.


    "No, thank you. Instead, we will prefer to return immediately to the sect. We have come here only to communicate the completion of the mission."


    Without other words, Hei turned around and led Lian and Shui towards the Chestnut Forest. Instead of resting at a stranger''s residence, he much preferred the security of last night''s cave.


    Looking at the backs of the two youths, the city lord sighed. Then, urging everyone to return to their activities, he went to send a message to the sects involved to communicate that the situation had been resolved.


    *


    In the cave, Hei was preparing the carcasses of the killed spirit beasts. As before, he separated the skin from the actual meat and set aside any parts suitable for blacksmithing, alchemy, or formations.


    Usually, he would ask his mother to store the parts they would sell to the sect or use for them, but among the spoils obtained, there were two goodies - two space rings.


    Although they weren''t as big as his mother''s dimensional pocket, having extra space was still a good thing. Furthermore, inside the rings, he found the second spirit beast bag as well as the manuals of techniques used by the leader of the beast tamers'' group.


    In particular, what caught Hei''s attention was the part about the strange technique that the man used in the final stages of the battle. It was a technique that had been developed after the disappearance of the divine beasts.


    Without being able to acquire new bloodlines, human and demon martial artists had conducted various researches. They wanted to verify if it was possible to obtain a bloodline by using spirit beasts that hadn''t reached the rank of divine beasts.


    Thus they created a kind of tattoo-like formation from the blood of a spirit beast. By activating the formation, they would have acquired the physical qualities of the spirit beast used, significantly increasing their power.


    Nevertheless, however, it wasn''t possible to recreate the acceleration effect in learning an Elemental Law like the bloodlines were able to do. And this tattoo formation didn''t even increase the power of their elemental attacks like elemental essences.


    Therefore, this result could be considered a failure from the starting point with which the search had started. But, it had nevertheless produced an additional combat weapon. With the loss of bloodlines and the scarcity of elemental essences, more and more martial artists on the Continent began using formations tattoos.


    However, there was a problem with the formation tattoos: the same that affected the elemental essences and the bloodlines - the percentage rate.


    "Rejection Rate?" Hei asked, perplexed, not understanding what this term meant.


    Bao Bei looked up for a moment before answering.


    ''Any martial artist, be it a human or a demon, can absorb a bloodline or an elemental essence, right? Then, according to this reasoning, nothing would prohibit someone from absorbing more than one bloodline or fusing more elemental essences in their bodies. But it has never happened that a martial artist possessed more than one bloodline. As far as the elemental essences are concerned, the maximum is two.''


    "And this because of the rejection rate?"


    ''Indeed. Inject the blood of another organism or insert a foreign object into your body. Do you think it''s without consequences? When one wants to absorb a bloodline or an elemental essence, one has first to pass the rejection rate test. If the rate is too high, even if the martial artist were to acquire the bloodline or the elemental essence, his body will eventually reject the foreign substance causing their death. As a result, these tattoo formations must work the same way.''


    "So, I also did this test as a child? And can''t I absorb any other bloodlines?"


    When asked by her son, Bao Bei smiled.


    ''No, for you, there was no need. When a divine beast decides to donate its blood on its own, there will be no rejection. Only, until you were born, there has never been such a case. Moreover, the reason why martial artists have only one bloodline is because of the difficulty in finding a suitable bloodline with a minimum rejection rate. If we find another that suits you, it is possible that you can absorb it.''


    "I see. Then there is a chance," Hei murmured.


    Although he wasn''t sure, there was the possibility that his father''s bloodline was hidden there. If possible, he would like to absorb it. Otherwise, he would give it to Lian. And even if she weren''t suitable, they would keep it until they find the right person.


    After the explanation, Hei returned to focus on preparing the food. They would rest here for another day before actually marching back to the Flower Sect.


    *


    Upon their arrival at the Flower Sect, Hei and Lian were greeted by an incredible number of people. Thanks to the Chestnuts City city lord, the rumor of their success made had spread throughout the kingdom. Moreover, it was also known that the albino buffalo that had caused a great deal of marvel in the king''s celebration had passed to the second level. Thus, the Flower Sect had acquired another power comparable to an elder.


    "Welcome back, Hei, Lian. I received confirmation of your work from the Chestnut City city lord. Good job, you two."


    The sect leader herself came forward to welcome Hei and Lian. Then she nodded them to follow her. She wanted to hear every detail of the situation, including what hadn''t been revealed to the Chestnut City city lord.


    Hei and Lian found themselves in the sect leader residence with all the other sect''s elders who had come to listen to their report. At that point, he began to tell how things had happened. He said everything that had happened, including the discovery of the spirit beast bags and the participation of the Bubble Sect behind such events. However, he left out the part concerning the formation tattoo.


    Having finished listening to his story, the sect leader sighed.


    "As we thought. There was no way they wouldn''t get more active after knowing that we had managed to get another token. But, I never imagined such aggressive behavior. This time was a close call, but thanks to you, Hei, Lian, we managed to inflict a severe blow to the Bubble Sect even before the Secret Dimension opening. Furthermore, we now possess the weapons they intended to use against us."


    The sect leader pointed to the two spirit beast bags placed on her desk. The second and fifth elders were bent over these as they tried to examine the formation that operated the mechanism.


    "There is no need to thank us. It was our mission. Moreover, we also got various useful things on this journey."


    "Although I am happy with the progress of your albino buffalo, I would have preferred it to have evolved after your return from the Secret Dimension. But apparently, there is no need for me to worry. Your spider and your snake are surprisingly stronger than they look."


    "Yes, with Ye and Xing, I am unbeatable. We will sweep away all our adversaries." Hei confidently said as he placed his hands on his clothes and stroked his two little sisters.


    "I''m glad to hear it. That''s exactly what I wanted to talk about. We want you to kill the participants of the other sects during your stay in the Secret Dimension."


    "Kill the participants of the other sects? Why such a request? "


    "When they find out that the disciples we send there are seven instead of five, do you think they will stand still and watch? They will take advantage of the first opportunity to reduce our numbers or even destroy us. Before that happens, you have to kill them. Mei and the others are good children and have talent. They will also not let their conscience stop them if it is necessary to kill the enemy. However, having grown up in the sect, they aren''t skilled in fighting in an unknown environment. But if this is valid for them, it is also valid for the others. This is why I want you and Lian to take advantage of this to reduce the number of participants."


    Listening to the sect leader words, Hei answered quickly.


    "Sect leader, my hands have been stained with blood since he was a child. I don''t deny it, but I''m not a hitman. I don''t kill for fun or money. Furthermore, this isn''t war, so I don''t see the need to kill. However, it is also true that if my life or Lian''s or my spirit beasts were threatened, I would have no hesitation in killing. Even if I had to kill all the participants there."


    While he was saying this, Hei''s eyes were emitting a cold murderous intent. By looking at this, the sect leader was surprised how a kid like him could make such a murderous intent.


    The murderous intent was something that grew more a person got their hands dirty with the blood of their enemies. If you had killed enough people, you could make it be perceived on the outside. Hei''s murderous intent wasn''t comparable to someone who had killed one or two people. It was equal to the one possessed by martial artists who had seen countless battlefields and taken an enormous number of lives.


    However, this wasn''t abnormal. For Hei, killing a spirit beast or an animal was like killing a human being. It was logical that after years of hunting, he had developed a murderous intent equal to that of a battlefield executioner.


    "All right, do as you see fit. However, keep my words in mind and be careful. There are still three months before the Secret Dimension opens. The date has recently been formalized, and all the preparations are now complete. Can you make it to the sixth stage before then?"


    "Yes, there are no problems. Lian and I are already close to the bottleneck of the fifth stage. With the Fortifying Metal Pill you gave us, we can move forward without problems."


    "Right, if I''m not mistaken, I''ve only given you one pill, am I? Here''s another one. Consider it as an extra reward for avenging your fellow sect members and bringing back their lost tokens."


    "Thank you, sect leader."


    "Do not thank me; you have earned it. Now go, you have only three months. If you need resources, communicate your needs to the exchange center. I have already left the arrangements in this regard. The other elders and I will personally take care of your other companions to prepare them in the best possible way. In any case, you don''t need our guide, do you?"


    "Yes, sect leader. I thank you for your understanding. "


    At that point, the discussion ended. Finally, the long-awaited opening date of the Secret Dimension had been decided.

 Chapter 79 - Elemental Laws

    Three months. Only three months to advance to the sixth stage and increase their strength as much as possible.


    As soon as they returned home, Hei and Lian concentrated on cultivating all the time. Apart from sleeping and eating, they wouldn''t stop cultivating, pausing even their usual physical workouts.


    But it wasn''t just them, Ye and Xing were also cultivating like them. Or rather, it would have been more correct to say that they were digesting the energy deriving from the spirit cores they had eaten. Indeed, even if the very act of eating spirit cores was something that took a few seconds, the energy contained inside would take longer to be fully assimilated.


    That was why they waited until they reached the sect to eat the remaining two spirit cores at their disposal.


    Shui, Mi, and other nearby residents placed the area under close surveillance. No foreign living organism could approach, not that there was any need, given the number of spirit beasts present there. But, it was also a preventive move towards humans who lived there with them as they only trusted Hei e Lian but still kept their distrust against humans.


    Thus, under this intense cultivation cycle, Hei and Lian reached the peak of the fifth stage. All that was missing was to overcome the bottleneck that separated them from the sixth stage. At that moment, they would finally reach the much-coveted sixth stage and open their meridians.


    It wasn''t just a matter of raising their strength by one stage. The sixth stage was the door that led to the Elementals Laws'' realm. If up until now, they could be considered humans with greater strength to ordinary people, by learning the Elemental Laws, they would become beings that transcended the very concept of humanity in a certain sense.


    "Alright, I think the time has come. Lian, are you ready?"


    "Yes, Hei. I''m ready."


    The two youths, therefore, swallowed the Fortifying Metal Pills. Initially, they planned to divide it between the two of them, but thanks to the sect leader, that was no longer necessary since they had received another one.


    The energy inside the Fortifying Metal Pill was genuinely extraordinary. Their whole body was vibrating with excitement, and spirit power was penetrating their bones. They could feel their body getting stronger.


    But they didn''t have the luxury to stay still and admire that reaction. In order not to miss a drop of the pill''s energy, Hei and Lian closed their eyes and continued to cultivate.


    They remained in that cultivation state for a couple of days. During all that time, they didn''t even stop to eat or sleep. They couldn''t stop anyway, or otherwise, they would have thwarted the process, nullifying all their work up till now.


    In the end, however, their efforts were rewarded. When the last grain of energy contained in the pills was absorbed, Hei and Lian opened their eyes and looked at each other. On their faces, there was a bright smile, a sign that they had succeeded in their intent of advancing.


    Sixth stage!


    Finally, they had reached the sixth stage!


    Although there was still the seventh stage, the marrow stage, for martial artists, the most crucial stage in the spirit apprentice rank was undoubtedly the sixth.


    ''Well done, my little ones. You succeeded.''


    Bao Bei complimented his son and Lian. She was thrilled with the result. Meanwhile, Ye and Xing had also finished digesting the energy of the spirit cores.


    Although there were no apparent changes, Hei knew it wasn''t. They had become even stronger than before. If before they were comparable to a fifth stage, now their strength was equal to a sixth stage just advanced. Meaning, they had the same power as Hei and Lian had.


    ''You too, my treasures. Well done.'' Bao Bei said as she gently stroked her daughters.


    Then, she prepared a nice big meal before sending everyone to sleep.


    They were still tired from the advancement process, and although they had a deadline, it wasn''t so imminent as not to give them a day off. Moreover, it was better they were at full strength to understand the explanations concerning the Elemental Laws.


    *


    The following morning, after a long sleep, Hei woke up with a start.


    Due to the excitement and fatigue resulting from having reached the sixth stage, he totally forgot about it. But finally, he could know his second element as well as that of Lian and his two little sisters.


    Sensing his restlessness, Bao Bei smiled inwardly and calmed him down.


    ''Be serene; there is plenty of time. Wake up, Lian and your sisters. After eating, we will proceed with verifying your elements.''


    Hei nodded his head as he carried out his mother''s command. His two little sisters were still a little sleepy, but after smelling breakfast, they woke up completely. Lian was as usual; the only change was a slight excitement in her eyes.


    Immediately after eating, Bao Bei took them out of the spiderweb house and placed them in line, side by side.


    ''Okay, now that you have opened your meridians, we can know your elements, Hei, Lian. As for you two, my little ones. Those who are divine beasts by birth don''t have something like the opening of the meridians, as they are already open inside your bodies. Consequently, you could have already begun to understand the Elemental Laws. However, this process is best to be performed after reaching a certain rate of maturation of your bodies. That''s why I''ve made you wait until now.''


    Bao Bei''s gaze swept over each four of them. Two humans and two spirit beasts. Together they would take the first step towards the realm of Elemental Laws.


    ''Before starting, I need to explain a few things. As I mentioned to you before, there are 18 elements - Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, Darkness, Ice, Metal, Wood, Poison, Blood, Gas, Illusion, Ghost, Energy, Space, Time.


    Excluding Space and Time, living beings can awaken one of these. In truth, the Energy Law is combined with Space and Time simply because, throughout history, there has only been one being able to learn it. No, in truth, it isn''t even totally correct.


    If you think about it, the neutral spirit power you possess now is nothing but the Energy Law. However, you use it unconsciously and aren''t able to perceive it as a Law and comprehend its secrets. For years, martial artists have tried to understand this law without success. After all, the Energy Law can be considered as the origin of all other laws.


    But since it is too difficult, we have abandoned that road to focus instead on the remaining laws. And here comes what is called Elemental Conversion. By absorbing objects containing the energy of one''s element, a martial artist can convert the neutral energy of their spirit power into their element of belonging. When the conversion is over, a Spirit Seed will be formed. This is nothing other than the condensation of the Elemental Law itself in your body, allowing you to use the techniques of that element.


    Theoretically, one can form in his own body a spirit seed for every Elemental Law. However, it isn''t something beneficial to do. In the past, there have been some who formed more than one spirit seed without the help of a bloodline. But, by the time they finished creating their second spirit seed, their potential was exhausted due to having spent too much time converting their spirit power. For that reason, all martial artists focus only on one element, or at most two if they have a bloodline. The same goes for us, divine beasts.


    The process of increasing your understanding of your Elemental Law is simple but complicated at the same time. When you learn a move, to increase its power or range or add other effects, you will only have to practice that.


    As you practice, the spirit seed within you will grow, giving you more power. From its seed stage, it will become a spirit root, and from its root stage to spirit tree. And the more the tree grows, the stronger your attacks'' power will be.


    However, there is a problem. You will have to balance the time spent studying your Elemental Laws with the time spent on cultivation. If you spend too much time on your laws, there is a risk that you will waste your potential, and you won''t be able to move up to the next stage or rank. But if you advance too fast, your techniques will be too inferior to the ones used by other martial artists of the same rank, not to mention that it will be more challenging to understand the laws as your spirit power is lacking.


    It is precisely because of this problem that bloodlines are of such priceless value. They make it possible to speed up the law comprehension, leaving more time to cultivate or do other things.''


    Then Bao Bei paused. The notions inside her speech were numerous. It wasn''t so easy to understand all of them at the beginning. For that reason, she let Hei and the others completely digest what she had said before continuing.


    "Okay. After so many explanations, I think it''s time to pass to determinate your elements. Arrange yourselves in a circle and grab this object simultaneously. Then close your eyes and let your spirit power flow. After that, wait until you see something."


    Having said this, Bao Bei gave them a crystal ball with 15 small fragments of different colors inside. These fragments weren''t simple stone or mineral fragments but were pieces of elemental essences. Although they weren''t big enough to be absorbed, by inserting them inside an object, martial artists had developed a system to perceive the innate elemental law hidden in their body.


    This sphere belonged to the personal collection of sect leader. It must be known that last night, Bao Bei was sneaked into the sect leader residence and "borrowed" that sphere. Although they were allies, it wasn''t wise to ultimately reveal their cards. The sect leader had said that they had to get to the sixth stage by the end of the three months, so it wasn''t necessary to let her know when the two youths managed to achieve it. In any case, as soon as they ended here, the sphere would be returned to its place.


    Hei, Lian, Xing, Ye touched the crystal ball together and poured their spirit power into it. The fragments inside received their spirit power and began to light up.


    After some time passed, the first to speak was Xing.


    ''Mother, I saw some things... I saw our spiderweb house, but it was purple and contained poison. But it wasn''t just that. Although it was visible to me, at the same time, it wasn''t because the leaves, dust, and other substances passed through it as it didn''t exist.''


    ''Uhmm... I see. The poison comes from your bloodline, and we already knew that. As for the invisible effect of the web, it is due to your innate element. Like me, you are apt to study the Law of Illusions.''


    ''Woah, like mother. How beautiful.''


    Meanwhile, Ye had also ended up seeing something, but she asked a question before revealing what she had seen.


    ''Mother, father, instead, what elemental laws he had?''


    ''Your father possessed the Poison and Darkness Laws. Why? Is there something wrong?''


    Ye lowered her face as she answered,


    ''I saw a black metal that glistened but no poison.''


    ''Metal?! I understand. The darkness is your father''s bloodline. But your innate element is none other than the Metal Law.''


    Upon hearing her mother''s confirmation, Ye appeared even more downcast. Usually, she would have been cheerful, but now she was down in the dumps. After all, Xing had the same configuration as their mother, while she managed only to gain one of her father elements.


    Understanding her daughter''s thoughts, Bao Bei hastened to reassure.


    ''It''s not a bad thing to be different. Diversity is what makes us special. The Metal Law fits you perfectly, and it''s very powerful. Don''t be sad; it doesn''t matter if you don''t have the Law of Poison. You have something that none of us has. Whether you follow the footsteps of those who preceded you or take a totally different path, it doesn''t matter. The important thing is that you give your best to make your dreams come true. Besides, you still have your father''s bloodline. Don''t forget it.''


    At her mother''s words, Ye appeared to cheer herself up a little as she raised her head. Even though she was still a bit sad, it wasn''t so bad after all to have something unique from the rest of the family. Moreover, as her mother had said, she still had something in common with her father.


    At that point, Lian also spoke. She waited until Bao Bei had finished talking so as not to disturb that critical moment between mother and daughter.


    "I saw something too. I saw water streams coming together and then forming big waves."


    ''Waves... then you have the water element. Interesting. The ideal would have been to awaken the Wood Law, but the Law of Water is the second-best option for the Lotus Style.''


    Finally, Bao Bei''s eyes turned to her son, Hei. For some reason, she was more agitated now than when she had been before with the others.


    Hei opened his eyes and communicated what he had seen.


    "I saw our spiderweb house. As in Xing''s vision, it was sprinkled with poison, but it wasn''t invisible or had other particular effects. Instead, we were all present there and the darkness¡­"


    ''The darkness was wrapping us gently as it stretched its arms as if to hug us.''


    "Yes, mother. How did you know? "


    Bao Bei didn''t answer Hei but looked up. She clearly remembered what she had heard many years ago.


    ''Hei An, what did you see when you reached the stage of divine beast?''


    ''I felt the Darkness. I thought about my birthplace and my family. The darkness was wrapping us gently in an embrace with its long arms.''


    ''Hei An, your son looks more and more like you. If only you could know him, I bet he would make you proud. But the fact that he looks like you is what worries me. Because you are both loved by darkness, I don''t want Hei to be swallowed up by it as it happened to you. For this reason...'' Bao Bei looked at Lian and her two daughters, ''he must not remain alone. He will take his own path, and eventually, he will accomplish what we wanted.''


    "Mother?" Hei asked worriedly. His mother became suddenly silent as she was thinking about something in her mind.


    ''I''m fine, don''t worry. As for your elements, you have Poison and Darkness. Exactly like your father.''


    On hearing that, Hei smiled. He was happy that his innate element was darkness. Although he had never known ''his father'' and knew that he wasn''t his biological father, it didn''t matter. For his mother, his father was an unforgettable existence. And just because he gave her a chance to survive and letting her meet him, Hei was immensely grateful to this father he would never know in his life, but whose legacy he was carrying.

 Chapter 80 - Concepts

    After rethinking a bit about the past, Bao Bei resumed her speech.


    ''Okay, I explained to you how Elemental Laws work, but there is one thing I didn''t tell you. Regarding the influence of what is called Concepts have on the Laws. The Concepts can be defined to be similar to the laws, but at the same time, they are different. Elemental Laws allow you to control one element; they practically add another type of weapon to your arsenal. Concepts, on the other hand, change the very nature of your attacks.


    There is a multitude of Concepts, and they vary according to the character of the user. They can be awakened at any time. There are no precise conditions. Normally, I would have waited to talk to you about it. But I thought it necessary to tell you now because two of you have already awakened their Concepts.''


    "Two of us?" All of them asked simultaneously.


    Although they didn''t know what a Concept was, they would have felt it if something had changed in them.


    ''Yes, I''m talking about you, Ye, Xing.


    Initially, I thought it was the Concept of Devouring, but then I realized that it was the Digestion one. It is because of it that you, Ye, can eat poisonous substances and then reproduce their effects. If you can learn how to use it properly, you could get to eat your enemy attacks and digest their energy. Thus, it could guarantee you an infinite source of spirit power. But remember that it doesn''t heal your wounds, so you will still need to be careful.


    Xing instead has awakened the Concept of Toxicity. It has no supportive effects like the Concept of Digestion, having instead a simple but extremely dangerous effect. With the increase of toxicity, your poison will always be more and more lethal, arriving to make any possible antidote vain. You''ll even exceed your father and me regarding venomousness. You could consider as a higher version of the Poison Law.''


    Hearing their mother''s revelation, Hei hastened to ask.


    "And what about Lian and me?"


    ''For you two, there is still no trace. No, in Lian, I started to see something. But I will refrain from saying it to avoid that she won''t manage awakening it. Concepts are difficult to grasp and understand. Even among the strongest martial artists or divine beasts, many haven''t awakened their Concept. Your father also awakened it up very late, after he had become a divine beast.''


    "Did Father also take so long to discover his Concept? What was his concept? And yours, mother?" Hei asked quickly.


    He was happy to have inherited the same Elemental Laws as his parents and to possess his mother''s bloodline. But now he had discovered that there was another way to be more like them. So how could he not be excited?


    ''Calm down, my little one. Yes, your father has awakened his Concept late. Perhaps, it was because he had been lost for so long before finding his right path in the end. Your Father''s Concept was that of Hope. It doesn''t provide any offensive or defensive help, nor does it produce supportive effects such as Ye''s. All it does is give to the user confidence in himself and the future, even when it appears to be no way out. Although it seems useless, in that dark period, it was probably the strongest concept among all those possessed by us divine beasts.


    As for me, I have the Concept of Reality. I don''t remember precisely when I awaken it. I only know that every moment with your father seemed like a dream. And before going to sleep, I always prayed that all I was experiencing was the reality and not just a dream. That''s probably, why I''ve awakened that kind of concept. As for its use, it does nothing but materializes what doesn''t exist ¡ª converting the illusion into reality. Albeit, the effect remains as long as I have enough spirit power to sustain its consumption.


    In any case, you and Lian won''t have to hurry. When the time comes, you will find out what your Concept is.''


    At his mother''s words, Hei closed his eyes for a moment before nodding. She was right; he didn''t have to hurry. If she said he would awaken it at the right time, then it was the truth. So he would leave the issue of the concepts aside for now and would focus on his training as usual.


    After the lengthy explanation and determined what elements they had, Hei and the others now had to begin the elemental conversion process. But to be able to do so, they had first to consolidate their foundation as they recently used pills and spirit cores.


    So, while waiting for their body to be able to absorb external substances again, Hei, with the help of Lian and his two little sisters, decided to create pills. That was in order to speed up their elemental conversion rate.


    As far as the poison element was concerned, there were no problems. He had been growing poisonous plants for some time, making them mate with each other by artificial pollination. In this way, he obtained flowers containing more and more poison, making them also the most suitable material for the pills he had to create.


    Regarding the element of darkness instead, he had long ago obtained the seeds of several Black Flowers, a variant of flowers that grew by absorbing darkness instead of sunlight. Even here, through artificial pollination, he had created generations of flowers containing more and more darkness.


    The problem was instead the Law of Water of Lian and the Metal one of Ye. Since they couldn''t predict what their element would be, they had no way of preserving in advance the material needed to create suitable pills.


    Fortunately, as the name suggested, the Flower Sect was a sect specializing in growing flowers and plants of all kinds. The sect, therefore, had all the necessary material available.


    As they had permission from the sect leader herself, there were also no budget problems. He obviously wouldn''t behave like a greedy person and exaggerated with the resources he would take away. But, at the same time, he would make no compliments on taking what he needed and in the quantities he needed.


    As a result, Hei decided to go shopping in the exchange point, taking Shui and the other buffaloes with him to transport all the needed material. Because he would work a lot on the pills, he didn''t want to come and go from the inner sect and his house. So he took advantage of his visit to the exchange point to get various cauldrons and other alchemical tools.


    Lian instead began to draw a large formation on the ground. With the silk of Bao Bei, they would create an alchemical laboratory for Hei. But to increase its efficiency, she planned to enhance the structure itself by giving it various effects.


    Regulation of humidity and temperature, isolation from the external environment... These were some of the effects she had in mind to add. Although they were simple effects, in a process as delicate as alchemy, they would have a significant impact. She also planned to include these effects in each of Hei''s alchemical tools.


    Considering the significant price increase that these instruments would gain, it wasn''t so bad for the sect to let them borrow the alchemical sets from the exchange point for a while.


    Ye and Xing also worked hard to help Hei and Lian. Even though it didn''t appear so for outsiders, the two little spirit beasts had a vast knowledge of their respective subjects. In all the lessons they had attended, they always paid attention and took notes diligently. If Hei and Lian had managed to improve so much in alchemy and formation, it was also thanks to them.


    But it wasn''t just the residents of the spiderweb that were busy. All the Flower Sect disciples: from the various divisions'' inner members to the younger generation, and even those from the outer sect, were overwhelmed by work.


    The sect leader had issued an intense work order for the next three months. All sect members, regardless of their status, had to get busy and increase the production of cultivation resources and other materials. Furthermore, the sect leader used large capitals to purchase new spirit beasts and other rare materials, leading to a negative balance in the sect''s accounting records. Therefore they had to rely on the money left aside for emergency occasions.


    The reason for this wasn''t just to increase the strength of the seven disciples of her sect who would enter the Secret Dimension. They were also preventive measures for what would happen next, thus preparing solutions for every possible future scenario.


    But it wasn''t just about the Flower Sect, the other big sects, as well as the middle sects and other similar powers, were showing similar actions. None of them wanted to regret not having invested enough in this opportunity and were squandering their money as if they had unlimited funds.


    The minor sects also perceived the strange situation and wandering martial artists as well as ordinary citizens. Even if they knew something was boiling in the pot, they had no way of finding out. Therefore, they decided not to ask too many questions and use this opportunity. They decided to sell all their treasures due to the intense competition of the buyers or try out risky explorations in the most isolated regions of the Rainbow Island.


    The situation degenerated to the point that it also involved the other neighboring islands that heard rumors of this. Those islands'' sects tried, therefore, to send emissaries and spies to understand what was happening, without discovering anything.


    All the people involved were big shots of the Rainbow Island; they weren''t mere martial artists that an emissary or a spy could touch or threaten. Not to mention that never would they have spilled something to foreigners.


    After all the preparations and sacrifices they had made, how could they have allowed the latest arrival to enter the Secret Dimension with them and steal their share of the loot?


    To keep up appearances, they kindly welcomed the various emissaries and bought additional resources from them. At the same time, they eliminated one by one all the spies who had infiltrated secretly.


    After losing many men, the various sects of the other islands could only give up investigating and were content to trade with the Rainbow Island. Not knowing what it was, how could they move their forces to invade another island and leave their homes unguarded at the mercy of their enemies?


    Thus, in the end, the situation normalized, in a certain sense, and the crazy spending of the Rainbow Island sects persisted in all three months of waiting for the official start of the long-awaited event.


    Meanwhile, Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye had finished their elemental conversion and formed their spirit seeds within them. Between the four of them, Lian, the only one without a bloodline, formed a single spirit seed, while Hei, Xing, and Ye formed two.


    With the spirit seed finally formed, Hei and Lian went to the library and began to read all the manuals techniques that used Elemental Laws.


    Since the Flower Sect was specialized in the Wood Law, there weren''t many manuals for their elements. However, they tried to do everything possible with what they had available. They had already benefited greatly from the resources of the sect. Asking for more would have been greedy.


    Fortunately, Bao Bei was there to guide them. In her life, she had fought against many martial artists and had experienced an infinite number of different techniques on her body. Therefore, although she couldn''t give precise indications, she could still provide a general direction, correcting any errors.


    In that way, the three-month period ended in the end. The sect leader had given them instructions to gather the next day at dawn; this time, they wouldn''t use carriages pulled by buffaloes. They would go on foot.


    Moreover, since the sect leader had mobilized all the elders, she asked Hei to leave all his spirit beasts here, in case something happened to the sect. The only exceptions were Xing and Ye.


    Unable to fail in his part of the agreement to protect the sect, Hei agreed. In any case, he couldn''t bring Shui, and for the other spirit beasts, he didn''t feel like taking them to such a dangerous place. Not to mention it wasn''t possible as he had only two spirit beast bags


    Thus, the evening before departure, Hei and his family organized a big party with all the spirit beasts that had settled there with them.


    "I would like to thank you all for being here with my family and me." Hei proclaimed before all the spirit beasts. "Some have recently arrived, others have been with me since we built the spiderweb house. In any case, I want to thank all of you for your support. As I promised you, the Flower Sect is and will be your home where you can live in peace. However, since you have been given a home, you must also protect it. I don''t know how much we will be away or what will happen in the future. But remember that you are companions, and together you must protect your home."


    The various spirit beasts present emitted a noisy sound. They agreed with Hei''s speech, and everyone was speaking with different sentences, promising to protect the house they had received thanks to him.


    With those words, Hei gave the start to the great banquet he had prepared for everyone. Although it wasn''t comparable to the banquet of the king''s celebration, it was better from Hei''s point of view.


    Here, he could be himself and not worry about the looks of others. Moreover, the company was much better, and he could play with his little sisters as much as he wanted. Even Bao Bei, who usually would have eaten aloof on occasions like these, was celebrating with everyone. Eating with humans was one thing; eating with her family and her race was another.


    Shui and Mi, in particular, had become very fond of Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye and could consider themselves family. And in fact, they were the two most disconsolate in not being able to follow Hei. Shui because he was too strong, Mi, because she was too weak.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll be back soon, and then we''ll have another adventure together. In the meantime, keep an eye on the sect and our house." Hei consoled them as he fed them.


    As he was saying, there was no reason to despair. It wasn''t a definitive farewell. Even though he was about to enter a dangerous place, he had prepared himself enough for it. He also wouldn''t go alone; Lian, Xing, and Ye would go with him.


    His mother would also accompany them on the journey. However, she wouldn''t enter inside the Secret Dimension with them but would stop, waiting outside with the big shots of the sects and families involved.


    Reassured by the words of Hei, Shui and Mi uttered verses of happiness as they dived back into their food. And in that carefree atmosphere, the banquet came to an end.


    Since they had to leave early at dawn, they couldn''t spend the whole night at the party. Saying goodbye to the other spirit beasts, Hei entered the spiderweb with his family for the last sleep before departure. Who knows, how long would he have to wait to sleep there again?

 Chapter 81 - Crossroad Lake

    Crossroad Lake, it was a vast lake that was located in the center of the Rainbow Island, between the borders of the three kingdoms that ruled the island.


    Being in the exact center and neutral territory, it was chosen as the ideal place to open the passage to the Secret Dimension. The sects involved thus began to head towards that lake.


    During these months, they had completed the formation and built various facilities to house all those who would come. They would, in fact, house not only the chosen younger generation members but also the elders and the sect leaders who would accompany them. They didn''t know how much time it would take to explore the Secret Dimension, so they thought it necessary to build these structures.


    To prevent nosy people from sneaking in, each of the kingdoms had also placed several checkpoints along a circular perimeter, starting from several kilometers away. The sects involved also sent many of their members to monitor every possible access route.


    In the unawares'' eyes, all this appeared as the prelude to a great battle, and they feared that event''s repercussions. The minor sects tried to investigate again but were told to be still, assuring them that there was no war planned at the time.


    Meanwhile, the Flower Sect group had finally arrived after several days of walking. Although they had left early, almost all the other participants had already arrived. From that, one could see how excited everyone was by the opening of the Secret Dimension.


    When Hei arrived with the others, numerous wooden buildings immediately appeared to him. It was as if an entire village had been built on the shores of the lake. And in contact with the water, there was a metal tower engraved with an enormous amount of formations. From the aura it emitted, Hei recognized that the Artifact Spirit resided there.


    "Finally, we have arrived. The last participants are still missing, and after their arrival, we can all proceed. I suggest you spend this time to reach your peak conditions. The seventh elder will accompany you to your lodgings. We others must define the last things with others." The sect leader announced as she separated from the group with the rest of the elders.


    The only one who remained was the seventh elder who smiled and said.


    "Well, then follow me. I remind you that now more than ever, you don''t have to create messes. I''ve been clear?"


    The usually cheerful and calm seventh elder pronounced the last words in a cold tone that made the disciples of the Flower Sect jump, including his niece Ying Yue.


    "Grandpa, you are scaring us," she said jokingly.


    "It''s better that you get scared now than inside the Secret Dimension. This isn''t a game, my niece. There isn''t only the reputation and future of the sect at stake, but also your own lives. If you aren''t careful, you will die."


    The seventh elder continued to make his way until they arrived in a large building engraved with the symbol of the Flower Sect. As one of the five big sects, the structure assigned to the Flower Sect was one of those closest to where the metal tower was located.


    "Well, while waiting for the official opening, you will all stay here together to cultivate and prepare yourselves. You can also take advantage of this time to formulate an action plan. In this regard, I have information for you about your opponents and the rules to follow."


    The seventh elder coughed to clear his throat before continuing.


    "There are no specific rules within the Secret Dimension. Whoever has the strength will come out victorious and take the most significant amount of the booty. The various sects don''t have the right to take revenge for any deaths of their disciples, obviously including ours. Therefore you need not fear the consequences of your actions.


    However, at the same time, your actions have consequences. It is because, although they have promised not to retaliate, there is no way of knowing whether they will keep their promise. Or if they will use it as an excuse to attack us, aiming at what you have found there.


    Therefore, kill only if strictly necessary and possibly without being seen by anyone."


    At that point, Hei recalled the assassination request that the sect leader had made to him. Even if he had refused immediately, that time, he had wondered if it wasn''t too reckless. But it just so happened that they were theoretically excused if they killed other participants.


    Meanwhile, the seventh elder had started talking again.


    "As for those who will participate, you have to pay attention mainly to two things: avoid the big groups and watch your back from the members of the other big sects.


    The medium sect and other similar powers will undoubtedly unite in the early stages. As soon as they discover that we will send 7 participants, they will try to focus on you. I don''t think they will kill you unless they are forced. But they will seriously injure you or keep you as prisoners until the end of this event. Individually, each of them isn''t your opponent. But if they are numerous enough, they can do this without problems.


    But the most difficult opponents always remain the participants of the other big sects. We don''t know much about their abilities, but we can still do some speculation.


    The Bubble Sect, in fourth place, should have almost all martial artists of the water element. A girl named Sun Xiulan commands the group. In total, there are 3 participants.


    The Tree Sect, in third place, has mainly martial artists of the earth and wood element. Leading the group is the boy named Ren. Besides him, there is Duan Long, whom you have already met and a girl named Tian Yaling. In total, there are 3 participants.


    The Frozen Sect, in second place, commands the ice element. They are a group of four women commanded by a girl named Zheng Yawen.


    Lastly, the Tremor Sect, in the first place, is known mainly for its martial artists of the earth and fire element. They are a group of four people under the command of a certain Chang Huan nicknamed the Genius. However, you must also pay special attention to another individual, Wen Guiying. It is known as the Pyromaniac. From how they don''t care to hide their battle nicknames, it''s clear they have absolute certainty in winning this competition.


    If possible, avoid a direct confrontation with them, especially against the Tremor Sect. At least not in the early stages. Focus on exploring and gathering resources. Finally, I remind you that as number one on the ranking, Hei in charge for as long as you stay in there. So you will obey him without saying a word. It is an order of the sect leader and all of us elders of the sect. There is too much at stake to mess things up because your pride has been hurt."


    That said, the seventh elder left them a long stack of documents regarding the information on other minor participants. Having therefore given them all the necessary information in their possession, it was now up to them to decide how to move.


    When the seventh elder came out, Hei spoke. Since he had the command, he immediately wanted to make the cards on the table clear.


    "I know that several of you aren''t willing to accept orders from me. Which is understandable, but I want to assure you that you won''t have to."


    "What do you mean?" Asked Li, tilting his head in confusion.


    "Simple. I will leave the command to one of you. And the person I chose is you, Zan."


    Zan, hearing his name mentioned, was completely surprised. He didn''t expect Hei to give up his right to command, let alone give him the command.


    "Why?" Zan asked in an irritated voice. He couldn''t believe that there was no second purpose to it.


    "Because it''s the logical choice. Unlike you and the other participants, I lived almost all my life in the wilderness. As for fighting in an unknown place, I think I have an advantage over any other participant. But to maintain this advantage, I have to move without being seen. So I can only take at most one other person, Lian. I am also a beast tamer, and I think you learned that I have come into possession of two spirit beast bags. Therefore, I won''t have problems with numerical inferiority in case I have to meet the groups of other sects.


    By removing Lian and me, you will also return to being a united group since you have known each other for a long time. In this type of situation, group cohesion is fundamental. Initially, I decided to entrust the command to Mei, but as a third classified, it is right that I pass it to you. Also, I doubt you would have accepted the fact that Mei bypassed you when you were in a higher position than her in the inner members'' hierarchy."


    It was true. Zan would never have accepted such a thing. And the fact that he wasn''t replying despite Hei''s claims was synonymous that his words were right.


    "Alright. I will then take the lead, while I leave you the autonomy of moving on your own." In the end, Zan accepted what Hei said without making too much fuss.


    At his words, Li burst out laughing.


    "And I thought you would give up the command to keep your pride. I see you have finally learned something useful from your old man."


    "Li, you bastard! Dare to repeat it, and I... "


    "All right, all right. Forget it. Rather, it is better to start telling us what you have in mind. Knowing you, you had already thought of various ways to get the command even without the Hei''s resignation. And therefore, you have also developed several plans."


    At Li''s words, Zan frowned. Since they had known each other for a lifetime, he knew how to make him nervous.


    In any case, Zan began to illustrate the various tactics he had developed. It happened he had already obtained a copy of that stack of documents. So, he had memorized the data of all the participants. Therefore, he illustrated every possible course of action according to the adversary they could meet.


    When he listened about how he had studied the information in the sect''s possession, Hei couldn''t help but be surprised. He was more and more convinced that it had been a good idea to leave the command to him.


    So they spent the day elaborating every possible tactic for every kind of scenario imaginable. Hei also gave his contribution and gave them information on how to move in the wild. He also taught them tricks on how to hide their smell against potential beast tamers, and how to deal with them.


    Eventually, it was evening, and they all ended up eating together. Strangely, despite the various tensions between them since the arrival of Hei and Lian to the sect, they ended up creating a strange bond. They couldn''t be called friends or comrades in arms, but the initial hostility that existed between them had disappeared.


    After all, they were all risking their lives there. United by the common goal of surviving, they had signed a ceasefire and combined their forces to fight the enemies around them.


    On the morning of the third day of their stay at the lake, the opening was finally declared. The various sects gathered around the metal tower. The various sect leaders and elders of the sects stepped aside, letting their younger generation disciples come forward.


    At that point, the metal tower lit up, and a voice that seemed to be coming from far away spoke.


    "The time has finally come. I will now proceed to memorize the spirit power of each participant. I remind you that only those who have the token with a trace of my spirit power can access it. I''ll start then with the big sects and so on, going down."


    The Artifact Spirit then passed to announce the number of participants of each respective sect. He had to confirm the participants who had been selected, verifying that they didn''t surpass the rank of spirit apprentice.


    At that point, Bao Bei jumped off Hei''s head and positioned herself near the sect leader of the Flower Sect, watching her children from afar. She was worried about them, but she knew they were smart and had trained a lot for today.


    After verifying the participants of the Bubble Sect, it was the turn of the Flower. When it pronounced the sect''s name and looked at the participants, the Artifact Spirit paused for a moment as it smiled to itself.


    "Flower Sect, no participant exceeds the spirit apprentice rank. The number of participants - Seven."


    Upon hearing the number of participants proclaimed by the Artifact Spirit, all those present, except those of the Flower Sect, couldn''t help but doubt their ears. Had they heard correctly? Was the Flower Sect''s number really seven?


    Initially, they believed that they had brought seven disciples of the younger generation to throw them off and to hide until the last moment who were the real participants. After all, several other sects had thought of a similar tactic. So, they didn''t care too much about that.


    But who would have imagined that what they considered to be a diversion was instead the real number of participants?


    The various sects were dying to know how the hell the Flower Sect had managed to grab so many tokens. From their information, they knew that the total number available to them was five. And that was even greater than the number of participants of the most import sect, the Tremor Sect, which occupied the first place among the five big sects.


    However, the Artifact Spirit had no time to waste to let them feed their thirst for curiosity. Thus the participants of the other sects continued to be confirmed.


    But, although it was continuing in its work, all the present martial artists'' eyes were still glued to the Flower Sect. They were trying to telepathically contact the sect leader and other elders through a spirit message. However, they were all refusing any communication.


    There was no way that they would reveal their secrets to strangers, nor were they obliged to do so.


    Understanding they couldn''t get an answer from them, the other sects immediately started making last-minute changes to their battle plan and agreeing with the other sects.


    Their goal? Reduce the combat strength of the Flower Sect as soon as possible.


    Initially, they had planned to dedicate the first stages to exploration and collection of materials. But now they had to distort all of their plans since the Flower Sect represented a danger too big.


    In a short time, the Artifact Spirit ended its task of verification. In total, there were 100 participants, all belonging to the younger generation. Each of them could be called a martial artist with excellent prospects, with some of them being called geniuses. But now 100 of these ''geniuses'' were gathered here, and each of them risked being killed.


    Emitting its spirit power from the metal tower, and with the help of the formative masters present there, the Artifact Spirit opened the passage to the Secret Dimension.


    A white light enveloped the participants possessing the token with the trace of the Artifact Spirit until they were completely swallowed by it. Then, these disappeared from the eyes of the other people who were watching from afar.


    The long-awaited Secret Dimension had finally been opened, and 100 martial artists of the younger generation were now in there, unaware of what was awaiting them.

 Chapter 82 - Secret Dimension

    When the white light enveloped them, all Hei and the others could see was a blinding white horizon. The light was so intense that they had to close their eyes, and the only thing they could feel was their body moving forward.


    That feeling lasted for a while until the movement ended. At that point, Hei opened his eyes, and what appeared to him was something completely crazy.


    They were in a forest, but it was different from any other forest he had visited. The trees were 100 meters high with a trunk that exceeded a diameter of 7-8 meters. Their grandeur was suffocating. Moreover, there wasn''t a single type of tree, but they were all different trees. Usually, a forest had a prevalence of a particular species, or in any case of few species, they didn''t present such a diversification. The vegetation on the ground, in turn, was also very thick, and some flowers even reached 10 meters in height.


    But it wasn''t the flower or tree dimensions that amazed him. No, what struck him was the fact that each of the specimens featured here was a rare specimen on the Rainbow Island. Many of those species had become extinct on the Rainbow Island or didn''t exist in any alchemical catalogs. Furthermore, even without spirit power, one could notice the purity of energy contained in these flowers and the fruits of the gigantic trees.


    Beside him, Lian, Zan, Mei, Li, Cao Su, and Ying Yue were having the same reaction. They didn''t expect such a sight at all. Their eyes were slowly getting used to that scenario, darting everywhere. They were utterly amazed by the plants'' rarity.


    "The density of spirit power here is greater than in the Rainbow Island," Mei said at one point as she breathed deeply.


    It was true. The density of spirit power was higher here, so if they cultivated here, they could advance much faster than they could do to the sect. The density problem was also one of the reasons why the islands were unable to produce martial artists worthy of the standards of the Continent.


    "Well, how do we want to proceed then?" Cao Su asked dubiously. He was torn between exploring or starting to collect some of those amazing flowers.


    To his question, Zan answered after a careful evaluation.


    "If we start collecting without even making sure how this place is structured, we''ll have a bad end. First, we need to understand the conformation of the terrain and make sure we aren''t close to our opponents. Did you notice all those looks they threw at us?"


    "Yes, as my grandfather said, they will certainly aim at us. It is good that the Artifact Spirit has scattered us in separate groups, or otherwise, we would have been in a difficult situation. Furthermore, because the vegetation is so thick, we can use it to our advantage to take time," analyzed Yang Yue.


    While they were talking, Hei walked over to one of the tallest trees and took off his boots. Then after stretching his arms and legs a little, he stuck his nails into the trunk. Given the thickness of the trunk, it wouldn''t leave too deep marks, not to mention that he couldn''t do otherwise. The tree was too big to climb following the usual methods.


    In a short time, he arrived at the top of the tree, and the view he saw there was breathtaking. The forest stretched infinitely for miles and miles until it disappeared along the horizon line. Even from up there, it was impossible to see the boundaries that delimited the perimeter of the forest. That alone meant that the forest was enormous and would have taken who knows how much to explore it.


    The strange thing, however, was that there were only plants, there was no trace of spirit beasts. Even if it was difficult to see spirit beasts on the ground, due to the dense vegetation, from up there, he should still have been able to see some birds in the sky. Yet there was no trace. Even when he was moving around examining the various trees and flowers, he hadn''t noticed the presence of insects.


    ''Is it possible? If so, then how did plant species survive here? How does this forest manage to be so lush?''


    Unable to find an answer, Hei looked up into the sky. There were no quirks in it, and the coloring was the usual celestial shade. The sun also shone high up, illuminating the entire forest. Yet there was something wrong.


    He hadn''t noticed it before, but from the sun, he didn''t feel the classic warmth that one felt in contact with the sun''s rays. Not even now that he was on the top of that giant tree. What did this mean?


    ''Secret Dimension, a place separated from space... since it was initially part of the Continent I don''t think it could be able to generate a sky and a sun on its own. Instead, it must be more a reflection in the distance of the sky from the other side. After all, even if separated, this Secret Dimension remains linked to its place of origin.''


    Putting his observations aside, Hei came down from the tree to rejoin his companions.


    "Then? Did you discover anything?" Asked Zan, a little annoyed. Even though he had the command, he knew it was only thanks to Hei. As a result, he didn''t feel like giving orders to him as to others.


    "The forest is too big. Even from up there, I couldn''t see the contours. These giant trees continue for miles. There is no way to construct a precise conformation. If the enemies are close enough, my spirit beasts can perceive them, but there is no way of knowing it until they are within our detection range. Besides, we are, apparently, the only living things here besides plants. There are no traces of spirit beasts."


    "No sign? All right, I understand." Zan said.


    Although it was a disadvantage not to know the conformation of the terrain, their limitations were also valid for their enemies. The only thing they could hope that others took as much time as possible to regroup and begin their retaliation on the Flower Sect.


    "Zan, Mei, Li, Cao Su, Yang Yue. Lian and I will go. As I told you before, we prefer to move on our own. In this way, I should also divert some of our opponents from you. If necessary, I will find you myself."


    "All right, go ahead." Zan gave his consent.


    Mei, Li, Cao Su, and Yang Yue nodded at Hei and Lian. They weren''t so intimate as to greet them with hugs or words of encouragement. But despite this, there was a message hidden in that nod - don''t die.


    Hei and Lian responded with a nod and then disappeared into the thick vegetation. Regardless of who got in their way, they would defeat all their opponents.


    *


    After separating from the others, Hei decided that the first day in the Secret Dimension would be spent exploring the surrounding areas. Although the scenario always appeared identical, there were some changes in reality. As they walked, the species of flowers and trees around them changed.


    "Ye, Xing, stay alert and warn us of any dangers," Hei said as he released his little sisters from the spirit beast bags attached to his belt.


    The little spider and the little snake moved their bodies a little as they were a bit stiff from being left inside the bags and nodded their heads to the command of their big brother.


    Thus, the group of two humans and two spirit beasts continued to make their way through the vegetation.


    On their way, they didn''t meet a living soul and thus spent the first day without conflict, which was a little disconcerting. He had expected an arduous battle from the beginning, but who knew that this place was so big? Even with 100 participants, until now, they had found no trace of other people.


    But it wasn''t bad since Hei and Lian could concentrate on getting what they wanted. They couldn''t obviously take everything but had to choose wisely since the space available to them was limited.


    The sect leader had made sure that each seven of them was provided with a total of three space rings. She even went so far as to give them her the elders'' rings ¡ª all for reaching that number.


    Even if three space rings were a luxury that very few on Rainbow Island could afford, their storage space wasn''t so ample. Not to mention, their supplies were occupying part of their available space.


    As a result, most flowers were excluded beforehand due to their abnormal size. Instead, they focused on the fruits hanging from the trees that were rich in spirit power, and some even contained traces of elemental spirit power.


    They mainly took fruits containing traces of the Poison, Darkness, Water, Metal, and Wood elements. The first four because they were the laws they were proficient in, the Wood one instead, because it was the original element of the Flower Sect.


    In addition to the fruits, they found many third-level spirit stones as if they were an object of no value left on the ground. If the sects on the other side knew about this, they would have blood in their eyes from anger. After all, their supply of spirit stones wasn''t infinite and had to be thrifty with them.


    Hei and Lian took all they could find and deposited them in their rings, leaving some of them to be used for themselves. Given the high intensity of spirit power, it would have been a pity not to take advantage of the possibility of cultivating here. Furthermore, they had Ye and Xing. Therefore they could leave them the task of keeping watch while they were cultivating.


    Thus the first day within the Secret Dimension came to an end without significant incidents. Or so they thought it would go.


    During the night, in fact, Ye and Xing perceived movements and went to report it to Hei and Lian.


    ''Big brother, people are approaching.'' (Ye)


    "How many?"


    ''They are only two people. Before long they will be visible, what do you want to do?'' (Xing)


    "Only two? Are you sure there are no others around, don''t you?"


    ''Yes!'' The two little spirit beasts answered together.


    "Well, then. Ye, Xing, go around and attack them from behind. Immobilize them only; there is no need to kill them. Lian and I will act as bait. Remember that there isn''t mother with us, so we cannot communicate telepathically for long distances. At the moment, I can only send you spirit messages within a maximum of two meters."


    Ye and Xing nodded and disappeared into the thick vegetation, carrying out the order of their big brother. Hei instead rose from the ground with Lian and prepared to receive the two new arrivals.


    As Xing had said, after a short time, they became visible and were able to see Hei and Lian, stopping a few meters away.


    "I know you. You are part of the Flower Sect." One of the two said, trying to run away.


    However, they hadn''t reckoned with Ye and Xing. The two little spirit beasts were formidable hunters, and no prey would escape from them. Xing used his spiderwebs to immediately immobilize the two strangers while Ye bit them quickly, injecting them with a paralyzing poison.


    The two foe martial artists tried to break free but without success. Meanwhile, Hei and Lian had arrived, and when they realized that there was no way out, they stopped fighting. If the two of the Flower Sect had wanted to kill them, they would have used more violent methods than paralyzing them.


    "What do you want?" Said the man who had tried to escape first.


    When he was close to them, Hei could see that they were two men with age similar to that of Zan and the others and were in the sixth stage. They probably had to belong to one of the upper-middle sects.


    "Who are you? Which seven do you belong to?" Hei asked calmly.


    "Rock Sect, Mountain Kingdom." Replied the second of the two who had remained silent before.


    "I see. I have nothing against you, but you must understand that we are adversaries, and there are no restrictions if I want to kill you." Hei threatened


    "Obviously. But don''t think that just because you have immobilized us, you have the victory in your hand. The only reason we stopped struggling is to avoid a fight where we will probably come out defeated. Without considering that you aren''t going to kill us or otherwise, you would have imposed more restrictions on us."


    It was true. Although Ye had injected them with poison, it wasn''t so powerful as to cause instant paralysis. Furthermore, they were using their spirit power to isolate the toxin in their body so that it wouldn''t spread.


    "Yes, you are right. I''m not going to kill you, at least for now. I want to offer you a proposal. Your freedom in exchange for information. Of course, we won''t even take any of what you''ve found so far."


    Despite being curious about what they had found, if he had insisted on stealing their possessions, he could have generated an adverse reaction in them. Despite not being afraid of confrontation and knowing that they would win, he did not want to consume precious energy fighting these two.


    "Information? What kind of information?"


    "Information on the Tremor Sect. You must know them well since you come from the same kingdom, no?"


    When they heard the name of the Tremor Sect, they frowned. As the only big sect existing in their kingdom and as the sect in the first place, the Tremor Sect was hugely revered by the people. However, for the other middle sects, it was nothing more than an insurmountable obstacle that prevented them from moving to a higher status. So they didn''t mind getting themselves in the Tremor Sect''s way. It was just, as the number one sect, the Tremor Sect, had repaid every offense with violent actions that made all the sects of the Mountain Kingdom exhaust the desire to hinder them.


    Noticing their doubt, Hei urged them more.


    "I imagine that the Tremor Sect has suggested working together to remove the Flower Sect from the games. Yet why do you have to do the dirty work and consume your energy while they keep their battle potential? This Secret Dimension is larger than expected. So there are resources for everyone. In any case, the most precious resources will be disputed by the big sects. Instead of wasting energy in the early stages, why don''t you middle sects keep your strength to get a chance to get the most coveted loot?"


    When he finished his speech, Hei''s words entered the ears of the two men like rocks thrown into a well. They generated ripples in their mind as various thoughts began to form.


    Although the interruption of the hunt for the Flower Sect martial artists was a favorable situation for Hei and his companions, it was also true that what had been said wasn''t a lie. If they now consumed their energies, they would obtain nothing but offer most of the booty to the big sect on a silver platter. The Secret Dimension was an opportunity to bridge and even overcome the gap that separated them from the big sects.


    "All right. We accept." They finally said.


    To show goodwill, Hei made Xing cut her spiderwebs and then sat on the ground to listen to all they had to say.

 Chapter 83 - Facing the Tremor Sect

    As the seventh elder said, the Tremort Sect focused mainly on Earth and Fire Laws, and secondarily on the Metal. Of the four participants, only two had to be treated with extreme caution. Chang Huan the Genius and Wen Guiying the Pyromaniac; the other two, although they were in the sixth stage, had no unique characteristics except that they were users of the Earth Law.


    Wen Guiying was called the Pyromaniac because he possessed a fire elemental essence, besides it being his innate element, and he had a mania in burning the corpse of his enemies. But the real trump card of the Tremor Sect was Chang Huan. After all, he had been given the nickname Genius for nothing.


    Chang Huan ended up having the Ghost Law as an innate element. That feat had indeed amazed the elders of the Tremor Sect because it was the first time in countless years that one of their disciples had awakened that Law.


    The last user of the Ghost Law had been the brother of the Tremor Sect sect leader of hundreds of years ago. He was said to have sown terror with his puppets, derived from his enemies'' corpses. And in this aspect, Chang Huan had developed an absolute talent, making him earn the nickname of Genius and the total support of the sect.


    It wasn''t a euphemism to say that, of all the participants, Chang Huan was the most dangerous one. He was, in fact, able to fight against several martial artists simultaneously without problems. Furthermore, it wasn''t known how many puppets he had and what their skills were.


    After gathering information from the pair of Rock Sect martial artists, Hei performed his part of the deal and let them go. There was no reason to take back the word given to them, not to mention that it was a preventive measure against the other big sects.


    Hei was, in fact, sure that the two from the Rock Sect would think over and over again about his words, and they would involve other sects at his proposal. Although it meant having more enemies for the final stages, it was still better than being taken out now at the beginning.


    Left alone again, Hei and Lian went back to cultivate while Ye and Xing took turns guarding them. Fortunately, there were no other unexpected encounters like this.


    The second day was busier. They met several groups that were fighting with each other to grab a particular object. Only, the fights weren''t very intense and ended up immediately after a few exchanges. None of them wanted to engage in an intense struggle. With the amount of treasure here, it was stupid to peg away at a particular object, always provided that it wasn''t a treasure that was worth fighting seriously.


    And that was what happened on the morning of the third day.


    In a corner of the forest, a quarry full of spirit stones had been found. However, these spirit stones were much purer than spirit stones on Rainbow Island. They contained a markedly higher amount of spirit power than third-level spirit stones. And there was an entire quarry of these.


    It also happened that a single sect hadn''t discovered it; multiple sects had ended up finding it at the same time. Consequently, these sects had summoned possible companions and allies to them, increasing the scale of the conflict.


    Now, there were about fifty martial artists, half of the participants. They had divided up according to the kingdom to which they belonged. Leading each faction was one of the five big sects.


    For the Forest Kingdom was the Tree Sect; for the Lake Kingdom the Bubble Sect; for the Mountain Kingdom the Tremort Sect.


    However, both the Genius and the Pyromaniac were missing from the Tremor Sect representatives. As a result, their strength was halved. But even without the two of them, there were still two other participants, and they would fight for the possession of the quarry.


    With a tension that could be cut with a knife blade, the various martial artists moved and unsheathed their weapons as they activated their spirit power. This time there was no way that they would spare their energy and got ready to put their lives on the line to take a part of those spirit stones.


    And looking at that chaos unfolding, there were Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye.


    ''Big brother, what do we do?'' Xing asked worriedly.


    It was the first time they saw such large-scale combat. Both Xing and Ye were nervous and excited to dive into that chaos.


    At Xing''s question, Hei thought carefully. The situation that was taking place was dangerous, and participating in the fight could be risky. And yet it was a golden opportunity at the same time.


    It wasn''t so much for the quarry of spirit stones, but for the possibility of reducing the fighting strength of three of the five big sects. In particular, he wanted to throw the two members of the Tremor Sect out of the games. With the overwhelming presence of Chang Huan, it was better to reduce their battle potential as much as possible.


    "Alright. Even if enemies, the Tree Sect can be considered an ally up to a certain point since we belong to the same kingdom. As a result, they can block the Bubble Sect while we get rid of the two from the Tremor Sect.


    Lian, Ye, Xing. Maximum concentration. Remember that it isn''t necessary to do everything to kill the opponent, just put him K.O. But if you are forced, then do it without hesitation. We will fight in pairs. Lian and I will take care of one while you two take care of the other, did you understand?"


    "Yes!" Lian, Ye, and Xing answered together.


    At that point, all of them came out of their hiding place and joined that chaos.


    "Ren! Take care of the Bubble Sect." Shouted Hei loudly.


    Ren, the leader of the Tree Sect members, recognized the owner of the voice and was surprised. He didn''t expect to meet members of the Flower Sect here. But they happened to be just in time. With them here, he and his companions could concentrate entirely on the Bubble Sect while leaving the Tremor Sect to Hei and Lian.


    The loud voice shook the various martial artists on the battlefield. In particular, those who came from the Forest Kingdom. Upon seeing the Flower Sect joining the fight, they became excited and began to attack more vehemently, confident that with two big sects by their side, they would win.


    "Spider Thrust."


    Hei immediately approached his opponent and, without hesitation, attacked aiming at his heart. His enemy, a young man of about 19 years old, raised his left arm, and screamed. "Rock Gauntlet!"


    Soon the spirit power on his hand condensed, forming a gauntlet of rock that completely parried the tip of Hei''s spear.


    "You have a lot of guts, you from the Flower Sect, to show yourselves. I thought you were so terrorized that you holed up yourselves in some remote corner of this f*cking forest."


    The man named Zi Fu commented boldly, unconcerned by the newcomer. Even if he wasn''t comparable to Chang Huan and Wen Guiying, as a member of the Tremor Sect, how could he not be sure of himself even against a member of another of the five big sects?


    But Zi Fu had made a miscalculation. Since the opponents were two, he thought they would split up to face him and his companion. Zi Fu hadn''t imagined that two spirit beasts would deal with his companion. So it was reasonable that he didn''t notice it.


    "Overwhelming Wave."


    Lian threw her ribbon against the man. The ribbon had absorbed Lian''s spirit power, becoming as hard as metal.


    In contact with the man''s skin, the ribbon produced a roar as Zi Fu was sent flying several meters into the air. It wasn''t only because of the intrinsic force of the blow. Lian had applied the Water Law to her attack, generating a current of water as soon as her weapon hit the enemy to send him into the air.


    Theoretically, martial artists were able to fly, but this was a feasible feat only after being advanced to the second rank, meaning, being promoted to spirit soldier rank. Therefore, for a spirit apprentice, whether he was at the first stage or the sixth one, this was a dangerous situation.


    Hei didn''t miss it and linked the attack.


    "Poison Law, Poisonous Spider Thrust."


    Combining the intent of the spear with the Law of Poison, he could generate a more powerful attack. Unfortunately, however, Hei, despite having formed the spirit seeds of the Poison Law and Darkness Law, was still unable to activate his bloodline. Or rather, to enable the active effect of his bloodline on command.


    The bloodlines had two effects, one passive and one active.


    The passive one consisted of accelerating the time of understanding the Laws, and it was something intrinsic in the martial artist who exploited it unconsciously. The active effect instead served to strengthen the techniques of one''s element in battle, thus becoming a fundamental card for a martial artist.


    However, consciously activating one''s bloodline was difficult and time-consuming. Even after three months, Hei had still failed to activate his.


    Meanwhile, Zi Fu, conscious of not being able to dodge, prepared to receive the blow.


    "Stupid kids. Don''t think you can win just because you are two vs. one. Rock Gauntlet."


    Applying his technique on his other hand, he joined his palms, one on top of the other, and received the full impact of Hei''s spear. Then he went down to the ground as if nothing had happened.


    "You! Tremble with fear because you will understand the true power of the Tremor Sect. Flow of Rocks!"


    Folding his arms back and then directing them forward, Zi Fu caused the layer of rocks to come off his hands and hurled them against Hei and Lian at high speed.


    "Snake Hair."


    "Cascade Wall."


    The two activated their defensive techniques. Hei covered himself with his layer of hair infused with spirit power as Lian spun her ribbon while a circular wall of water was created around her.


    Seeing his attack fail, Zi Fu clicked his tongue in disappointment. As expected from the Flower Sect, its members shouldn''t have to be underestimated. But in any case, he would win.


    "Lian, let''s accelerate things. Are you ready?"


    "Yes, Hei."


    At that point, Hei personally lashed out against the Tremor Sect member. He would use Full Combat Mode to attack the enemy while Lian gave him support.


    "Snake Fist - Continuous Assault."


    With the spear held by his hair attacking from above, Hei began a series of blows using Snake Fist. However, as he had managed to imitate Spider Lance with his legs, he had managed to do the same thing with Snake Fist. So at the time, he was attacking without stopping, alternating between punches and kicks.


    Snake Fist, was a technique that didn''t focus on power but speed. So, every Hei attack was being thrown at incredible speeds, completely suppressing his opponent, who was continually adding layers of rock to his hands to block the blows.


    "Snotty bastard! Flow of Rocks. "


    Zi Fu again used the technique of before, but by now, Hei had memorized the execution times. When Zi Fu folded his arms back, Hei used Spider Run to go forward and used the claws of his hands to grab his opponent''s bent elbows. Then he brought his face closer to the other''s.


    "Chameleon Tongue."


    When he opened his mouth, Hei''s tongue came out like a dart and began to tap the enemy''s face toward his eyes.


    Although there was a protective layer of spirit power separating them, Hei''s tongue was gradually approaching the prey.


    "Fuck! Get out!"


    Zi Fu tried to shake off Hei but hadn''t reckoned with Lian. The young girl had always remained close to them, and as soon as he raised his leg, she wrapped it with her ribbon and pulled it towards her, making Zi Fu lose his balance.


    "Snake Coiling."


    As Zi Fu fell down, Hei took the opportunity to tighten his legs on the hips of the Tremor Sect member. He also softened his muscles and bones to increase the grinding power of his grip.


    Zi Fu began to perceive ever higher pressure on the sides, but he was unable to move. His arms were still locked bent backward due to the grip Hei had on his elbows; his legs, on the other hand, had been bound by Lian''s ribbon, unable even to make even the slightest movements.


    "Lian," Hei called the girl who appeared before him, just above Zi Fu''s head.


    Then she leaned toward the man on the ground, unable to move and directed her fists at him.


    "Vibrant Fist."


    Lian began to throw a series of punches on the face of the enemy who had no way to avoid or respond in any way. In a short time, the protection of his spirit power disappeared, and he had to receive Lian''s fists directly.


    Fortunately, at that point, Lian stopped, surprising Zi Fu.


    "Please, have mercy. Do not kill me. I will no longer attack you."


    Lian looked at him blankly. Then she turned sideways as if that didn''t concern her and concentrated on the confrontation of Ye and Xing. It was Hei instead who responded to Zi Fu.


    "Quiet. We won''t kill you, but I do not trust your words. Therefore, we must first make sure that you are effectively unable to fight."


    So he called Lian and asked her.


    "Lian hold his arms firmly. Don''t make him move. "


    Then he let go of the enemy''s elbows as Lian took his place. Then he closed his palms, leaving his thumb out.


    "Spider Lance - Finger Mode."


    At that point, his thumbs went into the man''s hips, precisely breaking two of his ribs. The pain was so terrible that he began to struggle desperately without success.


    Hei didn''t feel pity and started attacking again.


    Crack!


    Two more ribs had gone. Tears of pain and despair had appeared on Zi Fu''s eyes.


    "Please! That''s enough! Forgive me! I won''t do it again. Whatever you want, but forgive me!"


    Hei replied by shattering two more of his ribs and forcing the man to scream his lungs again. But he wasn''t the only one who cried.


    His companion was experiencing a similar experience. Xing had immobilized him from head to toe with her spiderwebs while Ye had injected the platypus poison without measuring the dosage. As a result, the man was writhing in place as he was loudly screaming.


    At the sight of two disciples of the Rainbow Island number one sect reduced in that state, all the martial artists couldn''t help but stop and shudder with terror.


    What the hell those two was experiencing to scream so loud in pain?


    This bewilderment even surpassed the surprise in discovering that the two youths of the Flower Sect had defeated the disciples of the Tremor Sect.

 Chapter 84 - Mysterious Giant Flower

    "Ye, Xing. Break some of his bones; the poison isn''t enough." Hei said when he finished his work and turned to look at his two little sisters. His enemy laid on the ground, unconscious. He was still alive, but the wounds on his body wouldn''t heal quickly enough, making him mathematically out of the game.


    If their permanence in the Secret Dimension lasted a very long time, he could heal in time with the help of medicines, but it wasn''t a valid reason to antagonize the Tremor Sect and the other sects of the Mountain Kingdom up to that point.


    If he had killed the two martial artists even after they had been neutralized, he would have been badly seen, even by the sect of the Lake Kingdom, since he had no mercy for his enemies. And they would have given him the highest priority as a dangerous target, more than Chang Huan. On the contrary, by showing compassion, he wouldn''t generate feelings of hatred except for the victims, not to mention that the demonstration of now must have placed enough fear to make others desist from attacking him and Lian.


    After all, this wasn''t a war. It was true that all the younger generation martial artists competed with each other, but there was no need to give the final blow. To recklessly kill a living being, whether it was a human, a demon, or a spirit beast, it would always generate consequences. As a follower of his mother''s teachings, he would take their lives only if necessary.


    "Take these two away. They are still alive, but I advise you to treat them immediately." Hei told the martial artists from the Mountain Kingdom sects, but not before having removed the space rings from the two men who had fainted on the ground.


    To the words of Hei, those people, though they were rivals of the Tremor Sect, still carried out his command. It wasn''t a bad idea to curry favor with the number one sect of the island by saving two of its disciples. Besides, there were still around Chang Huan and Wen Guiying. With them still in the running, there was no way that they wouldn''t help the Tremort Sect, or they could become targets for those two.


    With the Tremor Sect outside from the struggle for the quarry''s possession, the sects of the Mountain Kingdom withdrew. They had suffered a colossal defeat and even lost some martial artists. Without Chang Huan and Wn Guiying, there was no way to compete with the other two groups now.


    But the victory of Hei and Lian didn''t only impact the Mountain Kingdom faction. Even the Lake Kingdom sects all frowned. With three members of two big sects each, and an equal number of martial artists from other sects, both groups were comparable. Now, however, with the Flower Sect''s victory on the Tremor Sect, the needle hung on the Forest Kingdom''s side.


    "Withdrawn!" A woman with light-blue hair shouted, holding a metal fan.


    She was Sun Xiulan, the one in charge of the Bubble Sect group. Until recently, she was confronting Ren, the leader of the Tree Sect group, on equal terms. But looking closely at the situation, she noticed the danger in continuing this fight. There would be other fights like these, and it didn''t make sense to consume their battle potential when the odds of victory gave them to be disadvantaged.


    As a temporary leader of the Forest Kingdom sects'' faction, Ren ordered a cease-fire. Getting the quarry without further losses was more than welcome.


    "Secure the area. Each sect will take turns with the Tree Sect as first and the Flower Sect as the second. When you feel satisfied with the number of spirit stones, you will come out to let the other sects come in." Ren immediately gave instructions on how to handle the loot of this battle.


    The martial artists of the other sects nodded and accepted that order. As long as they had their share, it was okay for them. In any case, had it not been for the presence of the Tree Sect and the Flower Sect, they would have had no way to win against the other two groups.


    At that point, Ren and his companions began to explore the quarry full of spirit stones. It took a while before they came out, but from their smiling faces, it was sure they had accumulated a sweet loot.


    So it was Hei and Lian''s turn. Ye and Xing meanwhile returned to their small size and hid in the clothes of their big brother.


    Inside the quarry, although it would typically get dark, the interior was instead lit. All these thanks to the glow of the spirit stones attached to the quarry walls.


    "Let''s do an exploratory tour first and see what''s at the bottom," Hei said to Lian, who nodded and followed Hei down the quarry.


    The quarry stretched for tens of meters, and as they approached the bottom, they found pieces of increasingly larger spirit stones. When they reached the bottom, they noticed darkened areas on the walls, a sign that the Tree Sect group had extracted spirit stones from there.


    "Let''s start collecting then."


    He and Lian initially had a total of three rings per person. Their enemies also had three, and after having seized their possessions, the total available to them was six. However, they had donated two rings to the Tree Sect group immediately after the fight.


    The reason was simple: not to generate too much envy in others.


    Even if they had won with their own strength, it was also true that without the help of the Tree Sect, they could never have entirely focused on their adversaries. But in the same way, without the help of the Flower Sect, the Forest Kingdom faction couldn''t have won so easily. Furthermore, by splitting the rings, he would avoid that the remaining two from Tremo Sect would focus exclusively on them.


    So, in the end, only two rings went to the Tree Sect. In any case, he and Lian had five rings each, and the space now available to them was already more than they had planned in the beginning.


    Filling three rings, each with larger spirit stones, Hei and Lian left the quarry, giving way to the next sect. Then they sat down on the ground to stand guard. Once everyone got their share, they would go away from there.


    It took about an hour to complete that operation. Within the quarry, many spirit stones still remained, but the martial artists there had exhausted the space available to them. However, they couldn''t stay there too long. They didn''t know exactly whether or when the two defeated groups would return with reinforcements. So, they all left that place, satisfied with their share of the loot.


    After the battle for the quarry, there were no other battles on that scale, but only small skirmishes of little relevance. But on the fifth day of stay there, something unexpected happened.


    A sizeable dome-shaped structure emerged from a point in the vast forest. Indeed, looking more carefully was nothing more than a large flower of about 30 meters size, whose petals were closed towards the center. From that flower, one could perceive an incredible amount of spirit power.


    The first to find it immediately rushed to the flower. However, they found out they couldn''t enter. The closed petals of the flower formed an impenetrable barrier that blocked anyone who wanted to come inside. And those petals were solid enough not to be destroyed by their attacks.


    As time passed, more and more people came. They didn''t know what that flower was or why it had appeared, but one thing was sure: there was something extremely precious inside. They were confident about that; they could perceive it.


    Of course, among those who had been attracted by the flower, there were Hei and Lian. When the two of them approached on the spot, Ye warned them she could perceive familiar smells, and following her directions, they discovered the Flower Sect group from which they had separated at the beginning.


    All five were present: Zan, Li, Mei, Cao Su, and Ying Yue. By combining their abilities and strengths, they had avoided major battles, concentrating on recovering the various treasures they found, and even being lucky on certain occasions. As a result, the Flower Sect had managed to preserve the totality of its forces.


    "Hei! Lian!" Ying Yue greeted them cheerfully with her usual carefree doing. The others also greeted them and gathered around them to explain what the situation was like.


    "Good. Fortunately, you''re here. We have heard rumors that you have beaten two of the Tremor Sect, nice work." Li sincerely complimented them.


    "Thanks. Instead, what''s going on here? We felt a big ripple of spirit power, but apparently, we aren''t the only ones."


    "The flower. It is a lotus flower, and something extremely precious is hidden inside the petals. At the moment it is closed, but it shouldn''t be long before it opens."


    As a personal disciple of the sect leader, the knowledge of Mei about plants and flowers was incredible. Although it was the first time she saw a flower of such dimensions, she was able to understand the species of the flower and recognize the signs of the imminent opening.


    "But we aren''t the only ones who have guessed it. Even the other pieces of shit down there are getting ready." Cao Su swore as he nodded toward a point in the distance from where they were hidden.


    Looking in the direction he had indicated, Hei could see various groups of people sitting on the ground meditating. With the mysterious treasure inside the giant flower, none of the participants wanted to give up. Despite all the risks, they would do anything to get their hands on what was inside.


    Among all the participants, it was precisely the five big sects that were the most favored. But since they had lost some of their power during these days, even the less favored had a chance. After all, if something went wrong, they could be satisfied with a small part of what was inside the flower.


    "Out of all the big sects, only the Tree Sect and we were able to preserve our entire battle force. The Tremor Sect has lost two members thanks to you, while the Bubble Sect and the Frozen Sect have lost two members each. To take out those were Chang Huan and Wen Guiying, which are also among those present here. The reason why we are hiding and watching from afar is to avoid repercussions on us before the flower opens. Because we have seven members, we will likely have to face all the other big sects in unison," Zan explained bitterly.


    So far, they had managed to do everything correctly, saving their strength. But now came the delicate part.


    "Hei, if I leave you and Lian the Tree Sect, you think you can win against them?" Zan asked, staring intently into Hei''s eyes.


    "Yes, without any doubt. Lian and I can take care of one enemy each, and the same goes for my two spirit beasts. So I can also keep another person busy," Hei said confidently.


    At this point, it made no sense to hide the strength of his two little sisters. Of course, he wouldn''t revealed that they knew how to use the Elemental Laws. But fortunately, in the chaos of the battle, there was no way that others could notice that two spirit beasts were able to use the Laws.


    "Excellent, all right. Then I entrust you with the second member of the Frozen Sect while Mei will face their leader, Zheng Yawen. Ying Yue will face Sun Xiulan, the only one left of the Bubble Sect. To you, Li, I leave Wen Guiying, the Pyromaniac. Lastly, Cao Su and I will deal with Chang Huan, the Genius. The rest aren''t adversaries to worry about much: they will be busy fighting each other, and they will certainly prefer to do that instead of meddling the clash between us big sects. After all, if the big sects weaken their strength between them, there is more possibility for them, but at the same time, this situation is advantageous for us. Remember, you must incapacitate your enemy. The more of us remain standing, the more likely we are to win the treasure inside."


    Zan''s words motivated the hearts of all his companions. It wasn''t just for the treasure; if they won every fight against the strongest of the other big sects, they would automatically demonstrate the superiority of the Flower Sect.

 Chapter 85 - The Fight Begins! Flower Sect vs. Big Sects Alliance

    It happened two days after the discovery of the gigantic flower, or an exact week of their stay in the Secret Dimension - the enormous lotus flower finally began to open its petals.


    In these two days, the remaining participants, who hadn''t died or been severely injured, had all gathered there. The great battle was about to take place.


    Suddenly, a cold voice came out of the flower.


    "Only one of you can enter and receive what is inside."


    Only one of them? At these words, everyone swallowed their saliva. Even though they were ready to fight each other, they still hoped they could form groups with which to share the loot. But if only one of them could enter, there was no room for alliances. On the contrary, even among fellow sect members, there would be disagreement to decide who would get what was inside.


    At that point, Zan said to the others.


    "Regardless of who enters, we will support that person, all right?"


    His face had a twisted expression. You could clearly see that he craved for what was kept inside. But he still said those words. During these months, he had matured a lot, as well as Cao Su. Even though they still had traces of their arrogant behavior, it was still true that they were the sons of two sect elders. Therefore, they would have set aside their pride and their disagreements with others for the common good of their sect.


    Hei and the others nodded silently. Each of them felt the same thing. If Zan himself was acting like a mature person, they too would do the same.


    Meanwhile, a young blond-haired man with brown shades approached the flower and proclaimed loudly.


    "What the fuck are you waiting for? We are martial artists, what are you afraid of? If you want the treasure, then take it by force; if instead, you are afraid of leaving behind your skin, fuck off from my way."


    His voice awakened all those present who were afraid about the fact there would be only one winner.


    "Who is this fool? Are you looking for trouble?"


    "Idiot! That''s Chang Huan! "


    "Chang Huan? The number one of the younger generation of the whole Rainbow Island?"


    "Ahahaha, well said Chang Huan. To start, I would say it''s better to start burning the small fries that are present here." Another voice resounded. It belonged to a young red-haired man dressed in the same garment as Chang Huan.


    "It is Wen Guiying, the Pyromaniac." Someone said among those present.


    "Sects and families of the Mountain Kingdom. The treasure inside is worthy only of us martial artists belonging to the five big sects. Even if you should incapacitate us, do you think you have a chance of being able to grab the treasure for yourselves? However, if you block the other middle sects and families, the Tremor Sect will adequately reward each of you if Wen Guiying or I was to enter. I swear by the honor of the Tremor Sect." Chang Huan proclaimed loudly.


    At those words, the artists of the Mountain Kingdom began having second thoughts. Had it not been for the condition that only one person could enter, they would have refused. But with such a low percentage of them being the chosen ones, they didn''t dare to come forward.


    Therefore, Chang Huan''s proposal happened to be just in time. The two of the Tremor Sect were among the most favored of them all, and if they had helped them, they could earn something without having to rely on an uncertain probability.


    "The same is true for the Frozen Sect and the Bubble Sect. As long as the Lake Kingdom martial artists keep the others at bay, both our sects will guarantee rewards for all of you in case of victory."


    It was a woman with long, shiny white hair who spoke. It was Zheng Yawen, the leader of the Frozen Sect. Next to her was Sun Xiulan, the leader of the Bubble Sect. Her light-blue hair sinuously waved while she remained impassive to the statement made by the Tremort Sect.


    "We too, Tree Sect, promise the same to all the martial artists of the Forest Kingdom. And I guess the same goes for the Flower Sect, doesn''t it?" Ren said as he turned his head where Hei and the others were hidden.


    Having been discovered, they couldn''t help but come out into the open, creating a stir on the battlefield.


    "It is the Flower Sect! How is it possible?! They are all seven. They haven''t lost any members."


    "So, are they the favorites?"


    "What are you saying, precisely because they are still all seven they are the least favorites."


    It was true. If the middle sects and the other families took off themselves from the contest for the final treasure, the only contenders would be the martial artists of the five big sects. In this moment, the Tremor Sect had two people, the Frozen Sect also two, the Tree Sect had three, and finally the Bubble Sect only one. In total, there were eight martial artists, one more than the Flower Sect group.


    It was assumed that the final battle would be a showdown between the Flower Sect against the other big sects.


    "Yes, we Flower Sect also promise to offer rewards in case of victory. This battle is a stage that belongs only to us of the five big sects. Today we will finally stop being considered in the last place and take back the top that belonged to us."


    Zan''s words were like a declaration of war. The middle sects and the other powers divided according to their realm of belonging, leaving the area in front of the gigantic flower free. That would become the battlefield of the five big sects.


    "Ehehe, nice words. I have to admit it. But you need strength if you want to say crap like that. The Tremor Sect is and will remain the number one sect. I would normally take out all you trash, but I suppose that first, we have to take care of these stupid people who want to bite off more than you can chew."


    "As usual, you are always full of yourself, Chang Huan. But I agree with you. Even if we are part of the same kingdom, that doesn''t matter now. I guess the same is true for you too? Sun Xiulan, Zheng Yawen." (Ren)


    "There are no problems for us of the Frozen Sect." (Zheng Yawen)


    "Even if I have unfinished businesses with you from the Tree Sect and the Tremort Sect, I will let it run for now." (Sun Xiulan)


    "All right. Then, we will show you the true power of the Flower Sect." Shouted Zan loudly, starting the battle.


    At his cry, all seven members of the Flower Sect went to their respective targets.


    Sun Xiulan, Bubble Sect vs. Ying Yue, Flower Sect


    Zheng Yawen, Frozen Sect vs. Mei, Flower Sect


    Wen Guiying, Tremor Sect vs. Li, Flower Sect


    Chang Huan, Tremor Sect vs. Cao Su and Zan, Flower Sect


    Li Na, Frozen Sect, vs. Ye, snake-type divine beast


    Tian Yaling, Tree Sect vs. Xing, spider-type divine beast


    Duan Long, Tree Sect vs. Lian, Flower Sect


    Ren, Tree Sect vs. Hei, Flower Sect


    These were the battle pairings.


    The coalition of the other big sects was surprised by this. They expected to have the advantage, but unexpectedly they were outnumbered. Even Ren and Sun Xiulan were surprised. They had seen the ability of the spirit beasts led by Hei, but they believed that they were capable of beating a sixth stage spirit apprentice only if they fought together. They didn''t think that spider and snake pair could fight one vs. one and win. Yet, from the look that the Flower Sect members had, it didn''t seem to be the case.


    But in any case, it wasn''t a problem, Chan Huan''s strength was unmatched. Although it was hard to accept, it wasn''t by chance he was the number one of the younger generation of the entire Rainbow Island. Therefore, they still had the knife on the side of the handle.


    "Finally, we can fight. I admit that since the king''s celebration, I was curious to see what you can do. Now I can finally see your strength." Ren proclaimed as he drew his sword.


    On his face, he had a beaming smile. Despite his calm and calculating exterior, he liked fighting and exchanging blows with those who intrigued him.


    "Okay. I''ll show you my strength, but don''t blame me if you die." Hei replied as he grabbed his spear with his hair.


    "Ye, Xing, Lian. Do not be scrupulous this time. We must go inside."


    Right. They had to get in there at all costs. Hei didn''t know what was inside, but he could feel in his heart that he would find something related to the divine beasts and his father.


    Meanwhile, the martial artists of the other sects and families were also battling furiously with each other. The treasure inside the flower was impossible for them to grasp, but the rewards promised by the five big sects were within their reach. There was no way they wouldn''t try to earn it.


    "Bark Shield."


    Suddenly on Ren''s left arm, which was the free one as he held his sword with his right hand, he came to create a wooden shield with veins that resembled the bark of a tree.


    "If you ask yourself why I don''t directly use a shield made by a blacksmith, there is a reason, and you will find out soon."


    Hei recorded what Ren said but didn''t reply. Regardless of whether it was a trick or not to divert his attention, he would fight as usual.


    "Spider Run, two-legged mode."


    With Spider Run, Hei lashed out forward with a straight lunge that Ren parried using his wooden shield. Not a single notch appeared on the shield.


    After that, Ren moved purple lance to the side as he tried a thrust from the top that Hei dodged with a quick backward movement.


    Usually, spear users had an advantage over those who used short weapons like a one-handed sword, not to mention that a sword was a weapon more focused on attacking quickly than parrying. So theoretically, Hei should have been ahead in a clash of weapons.


    Yet it wasn''t so. The mere presence of such a shield nullified the range advantage of the spear and brought out the qualities of the sword. With the security of the shield to protect him, Ren could freely launch attacks unconcerned of any counterattacks.


    But it also had to be said that Hei was attacking just with his spear using his hair. At the moment, he wasn''t yet using his arms and legs to fight. It was because he wanted to better understand the attack patterns of the opponent before him.


    "Are you trying to stall to understand my attack patterns? Not bad, but if you''re going to do that, then you leave me no choice."


    After several exchanges of blows, Ren came up with these words. Then, after the umpteenth parade using the shield, he exclaimed loudly.


    "Tree Grip."


    Suddenly, from the shield similar to the bark of a tree, tree branches came out, binding the tip of Hei''s spear and the ends of his hair. With his hair trapped, Hei couldn''t dodge unless he cut them.


    "Piercing Roots."


    Subsequently, four sharp roots appeared on Ren''s sword, two on each side, half a meter long. Those together with the sharp point of the sword then directed towards Hei.


    "Spider Carapace."


    By condensing his spirit power on his left arm, Hei parried the blow with it. However, the penetrating force of Ren''s move was too strong and ended up hurting his hand.


    "Spider Lance, leg mode."


    Hei promptly used Spider Lance with his right foot, and instead of aiming at Ren, he hit the roots that were trapping his spear and his hair. Then he stepped back a few steps and examined his hand.


    ''There doesn''t seem to be any problems with the bones; it just hit the skin. Those roots¡­ despite not appearing so strong, they managed to make a hole in my defense. It is probably their characteristic. The damage doesn''t seem to be that big. But from now on, I have to fight like I''m vulnerable to any attack.''


    "What''s up? You don''t want to continue fighting? Don''t disappoint me. I expect better from the number one of the Flower Sect."


    With his fighting spirit so inflamed, there was no way that Ren would let Hei escape. But of course, Hei had no intention of running away.


    "Not at all, the real fight is about to start now."

 Chapter 86 - A Difficult Situation

    Meanwhile, in the other battlefields ...


    "This time it will be different bitch, get ready. I will make you regret making me lose face at that time. Meteor Hammer."


    A big hammer came down at high speed from the top and went crashing to the ground where there was a girl with beautiful blue eyes and blue hair. This girl was Lian, who dodged the blow with her incredible speed and agility. However, the enemy''s offensive wasn''t over.


    Duan Long had predicted her dodging and moved ahead to hit Lian. In his hands, he was grabbing a second hammer, equal to the first one.


    "Intent of the Hammer, Bone Crusher Strike."


    "Ribbon Intent, Metal Hardening."


    Lian''s silvery-white silk ribbon collided violently against Duan Long''s hammer. The blow was so strong that it generated a loud bang. But even with that, in the end, the apparently fragile ribbon was able to withstand the hammer''s attack. That allowed Lian to emerge unscathed from the dangerous situation in which she was.


    "B*tch, do you think it''s over here? Even if I hate to admit it, thanks to you, I could understand my flaws, and now that I''ve filled them, I''m unbeatable. Attack her, Hammer Number 1!"


    The first hammer that had crashed to the ground levitated in mid-air and with high speed, headed towards Lian, catching her by surprise. The young girl was sent to fly several meters, and when she landed, she spat out a handful of blood that had come up from her mouth, staining the grass of crimson.


    "Ahahah, through an imprint made with my blood within the formation engraved on my hammer, I can command it from a distance in this way. Now I can attack without even having to move, even if the only flaw is that this method quickly consumes my spirit power. But it isn''t a problem. You will be crushed meat before this happens."


    *


    Xing was facing the only female member of the Tree Sect group, Tian Yaling. The young woman was using a sword and a shield, imitating Ren''s type of fencing. Only, the shield wasn''t a wooden shield created by her spirit power, but a standard metal shield.


    Her sword was the most unusual part, though; in fact, it was shining with a strange purple glow as droplets of a peculiar liquid descended from the blade. As soon as these droplets came into contact with the ground, a small curtain of smoke was formed. Below that smoke, the grass was melting on the ground.


    Tian Yaling, unlike Ren or Duan Long, had the Law of Poison as an innate element. By imbuing her sword with her spirit power, she was capable of generating a potent acid poison. That poison not only increased the damage inflicted but left part of the liquid to corrode the flesh of her enemies.


    Unfortunately for her, her opponent wasn''t a human but a spider of one meter and a half long.


    With her eight strong legs, Xing was rushing throughout the battlefield. Her legs had been covered by her spiderweb, thus negating the acid poison of Tian Yaling.


    Even if the young female martial artist''s sword came into contact with her legs, all that that poison could do was corroding the spiderwebs that covered them. Xing then had only to remove the spiderweb that was eroding and weave another to cover the exposed parts.


    "Shit! Damn spider, I''ll melt you alive in my acid and take your spirit core."


    ''I''m sorry, but my big brother would never forgive me if I had my spirit core taken away.''


    Obviously, all that Tian Yaling heard was a series of incomprehensible noises. But even if she understood what Xing had said, she wouldn''t have given it much importance given the difficult situation she was in.


    *


    Not far away, even the second member of the Frozen Sect, Li Na, was having a hard time. Like almost all members of the Frozen Sect, she possessed the Law of Ice. She was, therefore, able to create small stalactites and throw them like daggers and freeze the flesh of the enemy if she came into contact with their body. Yet her every move was thwarted by her adversary - a black snake with golden patterns measuring one meter and a half in length.


    Ye was charging unconcerned by the icicles coming toward her. None of those little icicles were sharp enough to leave a crack in her scales. Not to mention that she couldn''t feel the frost al all when in contact with Li Na''s hands.


    It must be known that the users of the Metal Law were the least versatile martial artists of all because they didn''t possess flashy moves of various types like the other laws users. All they had to do was pour out their spirit power into their bodies and temper them day by day so that it became stronger. Not surprisingly, users of the Metal Law were often direct and straightforward people who didn''t like to waste time on machinations or things like that.


    However, it wasn''t enough to pour one''s spirit power into one''s bodies; otherwise, anyone could do it. When one wanted to carry out this process, it was necessary to ingest small quantities of a particular substance.


    Users of the Metal Law, therefore, had to undergo a further test called the Possible Assimilation Test. It was because increasing the understanding of the Metal Law meant increasingly changing one''s body into the chosen substance. It was, therefore, essential to choose something that didn''t cause an allergic reaction or rejection.


    Furthermore, although it was called the Law of Metal, it wasn''t only metallic substances that could be assimilated, but it covered a broader category. The difference in the type of assimilable material was also synonymous with the future potential of the Metal Law user.


    Although the hardness of one''s body was determined by the amount of training spent in enhancing it, assimilating certain materials instead of others would generate an advantage over the rest of the Metal Law users. Consequently, a unique market was created where to buy or sell metals and other hard substances for users of the Metal Law.


    Fortunately, Ye had understood the Concept of Digestion, thus being able to assimilate any type of substance. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much choice on Rainbow Island, and in these recent months, she had mainly digested Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Her body had, thus, become even harder than before.


    But since the spirit beasts were known for the power of their bodies, Li Na didn''t notice that the Law of Metal gave this hardness. She just thought instead that it was an innate characteristic of that particular species of snake.


    *


    Regarding the other personal disciples of the Flower Sect.


    Ying Yue was fighting against Sun Xiulan. Both had the Law of Water, and their ability to use it was similar. However, they had different approaches to the battle.


    Ying Yue brandished a long stick of refined wood with which she threw close shots, trying to get close to her opponent. Sun Xiulan, on the other hand, was better suited to medium-to-long-range combat, throwing attacks with her fan. Consequently, she was doing her best to keep her distance from the young woman of the Flower Sect.


    Instead, Mei was holding a one-handed sword, and floral petals were continually floating around her, originating from her spirit power. Her petals were being consumed by the shards of ice produced by her enemy, Zheng Yawen, who also wielded a one-handed sword.


    But if these two fights could be defined as elegant and beautiful to look at, on the opposite side, two completely different matches were taking place, full of ferocity and brutality.


    Li, brandishing two twin swords, was hurling slashes after slashes in the air, generating blades of wind. All to prevent the flames from overpowering him. His opponent, Wen Guiying, held no weapons. But by exploiting his elemental fire-type essence, he was continually producing flames from his hands as he laughed like a madman.


    Cao Su and Zan instead were having great difficulty with Chang Huan. He had evoked four bodies with a humanoid appearance. Initially, they were human, but Chang Huan had modified their bodies after their death, adding parts of spirit beasts. So he created horrible-looking humanoid creatures.


    But regardless of their appearance, what mattered was their strength. These, since they were simply corpses, felt no pain, and had no brakes like ordinary martial artists. Chang Huan, using a unique formation produced with his own blood, was remotely maneuvering the four corpses with perfect synchrony, providing them with his spirit power.


    Only by the fact that he could command and supply four bodies at the same time with spirit power, it was a convincing demonstration of his nickname, Genius. Moreover, unlike the other martial artists of the five big sects, he wasn''t on the sixth stage but the seventh stage.


    *


    "Not at all, the real fight is about to start now."


    Hei''s words sounded sincere and full of fighting spirit. They weren''t a bluff, which caused Ren to be alerted. He didn''t understand how Hei could remain so calm in this situation.


    ''If I lunge too hard with the spear, it will be caught by the branches that come out of the shield. At the same time, I cannot count on the defense of Spider Carapace because those sharp roots can easily penetrate my spirit power. So if strength and defense don''t work, then I just need to go faster.''


    Analyzing his current situation and moves at his disposal, Hei formulated the battle plan.


    ''Spider Run + Snake Run. Phantom Snake Spider.''


    Combining the quick sprints of Spider Run and the elusiveness of Snake Run, Hei began to move in a circle around Ren. His goal was to find the right timing to hit where the shield couldn''t get.


    "Ahahaha, if you''re looking for my blind spot, you''re off the road. With my shield, I can easily parry even if you attack me from behind."


    It was true. Even if Hei took him by surprise from behind, it was enough to extend the branches of the shield as temporary protection. Instead, he could trap him again in that way. So it was to his advantage that Hei tried to attack him from behind.


    Hei didn''t respond with words but with actions.


    ''Snake Whip + Snake Fist.''


    Using his spirit power, Hei displaced the bones of the shoulders up to those of the wrist. He left intact only the bones of the hands. Snake Whip was a technique that allowed him to increase his range with extreme speed attacks. Snake First, in turn, was an attack that used speed as a base to hit the enemy precisely at specific points.


    Using them at the same time, Hei could, therefore, launch even faster attacks and remain at a greater distance than before.


    Peng, peng, peng


    Shots in succession were pounding Ren on all sides. Hei''s footwork technique had proved more insidious than expected. Even if he could follow his movements with his eyes, he couldn''t clearly distinguish his arm movements. Therefore, he was always late in parrying with the shield. As soon as the roots arrived, Hei had by now withdrawn his arms and moved elsewhere.


    Slowly, but inevitably, the aura covering Ren''s body was thinning. Neither of them knew how much spirit power was left to the other, and it was this unknown factor that scared Ren.


    ''I can''t risk turning it into a fight of endurance. I have to attack, even at the cost of draining my spirit power.'' Ren thought to himself, not confident at all that he had enough chances to continue like this.


    If it had been a 60% chance, maybe he would have risked it. But the odds were 50%, or even less. Penetrating Roots consumed much spirit power, given their effect that ignored the defense of the enemy.


    "Splinter Storm."


    Directing his shield towards where Hei was about to move, suddenly, a myriad of very thin splinters came out of it, which were thrown at high speed in a straight line.


    Seeing the wood splinters flying to where he intended to go, Hei stopped his movement by sticking the toes of the ground to get an immediate braking. Then he changed direction.


    But unfortunately, Ren''s technique wasn''t so simple. It was enough for him to move his shield to direct the storm of splinters that came out from there.


    ''Even if they don''t hit me at the moment, at the same time I can''t attack. And I can''t go on in circles endlessly.''


    When Hei was thinking about how to react to his opponent''s new move, Ren directed the sword at him and said, smiling, "Splinter Storm."


    As before, splinters of wood came out from the weapon. Only, this time, they were coming out of the roots glued to the blade of the sword.


    With two wooden splinter storms that simultaneously attacked from different directions, Hei resorted to Snake Hair, placing them in front of him like a shield. Now his whole vision was blocked by his hair. He couldn''t even leave a gap in his defense because the splinters were tiny, and they would surely get into that gap.


    ''But it''s not a problem. Snake Tongue.''


    By sticking his tongue out while a strange liquid covered it, Hei was able to feel Ren''s presence again through his smell. With the release of the meridians and the use of the Poison Law, he was no longer bound to his sisters to activate Snake Tongue or Spider Hair. However, from time to time, he allowed them to bite him and inject him with poison as a sign of affection from them.


    Remaining in his place while defending himself from splinter storms, through Snake Tongue, Hei smelled Ren approaching as the power of the splinters increased. He probably wanted to take advantage of the fact that he couldn''t move to get closer. Then he would attack again with his sword, by using his penetrating root technique while binding him with the branches produced by the shield.


    ''However, unfortunately for you, this is just what I want. Spider Hair.''


    By activating Spider Hair, Hei began to feel his hair vibrating from the noise produced by the crash of wood splinters against his hard metal hair.


    ''Ignore all that noise, focus only on the noise produced by Ren''s movements.''


    Slowly, Hei excluded all the useless background noise and focused only on what interested him. Now he could perceive Ren''s movements as if he was seeing him with his own eyes.


    ''I''m sorry for you, Hei, but it''s the end. This time I will attack with the more powerful version of Piercing Roots. The only thing you can do is pray that you survive the blow because regardless of your defense, this is a move you can''t block.''


    Thus, when only a few steps to reach the number one of the Flower Sect were missing, Ren canceled both Splinter Storms and prepared to make his final move.

 Chapter 87 - Fang Bite

    Ren canceled both of Splinter Storms and prepared to make his final move. Or at least that''s what the young martial artist of the Tree Sect had thought. However, in a fight, not everything was destined to go according to one''s plans.


    As soon as the myriad of wood splinters stopped storming Hei''s hair, he immediately divided his hair into three separate sections. Two went to tie Ren''s wrists, preventing him from directing his sword and shield towards Hei. The third, on the other hand, binds Hei and Ren together, leaving not even a space as distance between them.


    "Bastard, how did you see me if your hair covered your vision?" Ren exclaimed as he gritted his teeth at the sudden situation he was in. He couldn''t believe he was caught in that way when he was so near to end this fight.


    "Your Wood Element techniques must be used with a catalyst that helps you manage the direction, right? So now you aren''t able to hit me at all." Instead of answering, Hei responded with an acute remark about his opponent''s techniques.


    From the way Ren gritted his teeth, even more, he was sure he had hit the mark. So he didn''t have to worry about his root attack nor his binding attack of tree branches.


    "Do you think you won just because you blocked me like this? You forgot it or what? But you can''t attack me if we''re stuck like this."


    "Really?"


    With that question, Hei''s arms that should have been motionless because his hair tied them started to slowly move as they wrapped themselves around Ren''s hips, further increasing the pressure at that point.


    Ow!


    Ren began to feel an increasingly intense pain on his hips. Hei''s arms were increasing the grip more and more, and if he continued like this, they would inevitably end up breaking his ribs like the two martial artists of the Tremor Sect. Having no other choice, he prepared to use his last card.


    "You''re wrong if you think you can win like that. Splinter Bomb!"


    All of a sudden, all the wood on the sword and the shield began to shine. Then, it exploded, hurling the wood splinters in 360¡ã, thus involving both of them.


    Although it was a suicidal move to use this technique at such a close distance, it was also true that most of Ren''s body was protected by Hei''s. Therefore, the damage resulting from the contact with the explosion of splinters would be reduced while Hei would have to absorb almost all the impact of the attack, resulting in multiple injuries all over his body


    And indeed, the wood splinters struck every part of Hei''s body and left an infinity of small wounds on him that started to bleed.


    Even though the strength of a single splinter was insignificant, together, they would assume a destructive power that couldn''t be ignored. Anyone affected by this technique would be injured, and Hei was no exception. It was just that Ren hadn''t calculated that his suicide attack wouldn''t affect his opponent''s toughness.


    Hei, who had momentarily closed his eyes to protect them, opened them again and revealed a frightening smile as the blood began to trickle down from his mouth. His tongue was exposed outside the mouth and was longer than a regular tongue, while his saliva dripped copiously to the ground. But it wasn''t the length of his tongue that worried Ren, in Hei''s mouth, his blue teeth were silently shining, and in particular, his canines were more like those of a beast than human canines.


    "Monster! What the hell are you? "Ren began to scream as fear took over his body.


    "Monster? I''m not a monster. I''m a spirit beast. Snake Fang + Spider Bite, Fang Bite."


    At his cry, a pair of crescent-shaped blades composed of spirit power was formed at Hei''s throat. Then together with his ''fangs,'' they went to bite Ren.


    Soon the defense of the leader of the Tree Sect group was destroyed.


    "Please, don''t-"


    Crunch!


    Hei''s half-moon blades and fangs sank into the flesh as much as breaking the bones while blood began to flood into his mouth. Without decreasing his grip, Hei bit harder to rejoin his teeth. Inside his mouth, he could feel the flesh and bones that had once been Ren''s throat.


    Spitting this residue on the ground, Hei looked at the corpse of the young man without any trace of resentment or taste for victory. He had simply defeated his enemy, that''s all. There was no reason to feel upset or excited because of this.


    The reason why he hadn''t spared it, unlike the two of the Tremor Sect, was because the situation was different. This time they weren''t fighting for a mere quarry of spirit stones, but for the treasure contained within the gigantic flower.


    This treasure was a possible clue to his father, so it was apparent that the stakes between the two episodes were on a completely different scale.


    Moreover, Ren was about to use one of his final techniques a moment before being blocked. That attack would have left Hei seriously injured or even killed in the blow.


    In his attack, Hei had indeed read a tenuous murderous intent, a sign that his opponent hadn''t the slightest intention of sparing himself.


    So why would he leave him alive? And what if he had saved him and Ren would have used that moment to attack him? It wasn''t just his life at stake; he also had to take into consideration the safety of Lian and his two little sisters.


    Having finished his enemy, Hei shifted his gaze to see how others were going and to see who he needed his help.


    *


    Lian was currently running against Duan Long. Behind her, there was a hammer that was following her from behind. The second hammer was instead in her enemy''s hand, waiting for her to come closer.


    "You are stupid. Do you think I didn''t understand what you have in mind? You want to get close to me and then dodge at the last minute, hoping that I hit myself with my own hammer. You are delusional! With my imprint, I can control my hammer with extreme precision and therefore change its direction at the last minute. "


    Duan Long mocked loudly, foreshadowing the moment when he would finally win. Surprisingly, the young girl in front of him had lasted beyond his expectations; in fact, he expected to have finished the fight long ago so as to help his companions.


    Lian didn''t respond to his mockery but remained silent, utterly focused on the fight. Regardless of whether what he said was true or not, she was inevitably approaching his position.


    "Are you really going to do this even if I have understood your plan, bitch? All right, come forward!" Duan Long positioned himself and began to strike with the hammer.


    When Lian reached him, she jumped into the air. Duan Long smiled, thinking that the first blow had damaged her brain due to her absurd action. In midair, she had no way to dodge the hammer coming from behind or the one he was holding, let alone both.


    "Lotus Style, Aquatic Version, Elegant Walk."


    Suddenly, a tiny drop of water formed under her delicate feet. As her feet leaned on that drop, Lian''s body was propelled forward at high speed.


    Bang!


    The two hammers, instead of crushing the tender skin of the beautiful blue-haired girl, collided violently, transmitting the resulting impact on Duan Long''s arms that he couldn''t understand what had happened.


    Until an instant ago, Lian was in front of him in mid-air with no chance of escape. A moment later, she disappeared, and his hammers ended up hitting themselves. But when his mind started recording all this, it was too late.


    With the thrust generated by the drop of water, Lian had catapulted herself forward, coming behind Duan Long''s back. Her silk ribbon had already wrapped around her opponent''s neck vehemently.


    Screech!


    The silk ribbon began to rub with the protection of spirit power that protected Duan Long, who only then realized he had been trapped.


    "Bastard! Don''t think it will end like the other time."


    By shifting his spirit power, Duan Long tried to move the hammer that had his imprint as he could maneuver it from a distance with just his mind. However, he noticed a detail. Strange water vines had sprung up from the ground and had tied both his hammers as well as his wrists.


    "Lotus Style, Aquatic Version, Binding."


    Bound by those strange vines, Duan Long was unable to react. In a short time, his vision darkened until he lost consciousness. But this time, there was no Hei to stop Lian, so the young girl continued to take the life of the mighty member of the Tree Sect.


    With Duan Long and Ren dead, there was now only one member of the Tree Sect.


    But unfortunately for them, Xing had already finish Tian Yaling. The head of the young woman laid separated several meters away from her body. On it, one could see the expression of terror of the young woman.


    And if Xing had finished her enemy, there was no way that Ye was outdone. Li Na, the second remaining member of the Frozen Sect, was lying on the ground lifeless. Her arms and legs, and her head also, were bent in a completely different direction. It was as if she were a doll that had been a victim of a child''s play session.


    As for the battlefields of the other Sect Flower members, Mei and Ying Yue had won against their respective adversaries. However, both women suffered severe injuries and weren''t be able to continue fighting.


    Li, on the other hand, had succeeded in the incredible feat of putting K.O. Wen Guiying, but the burns on his body were too severe and had made him faint. But even so, it was already a great achievement.


    However, despite the victories on the other fronts, the most crucial battle that would lead to the triumph of the Flower Sect wasn''t going as planned.


    The combination Cao Su and Zan had been able to destroy the four bodies operated by Chang Huan, generating an incredible surprise for the puppeteer. But to do so, not only had they consumed all their spirit power, but they had wounded all over their body, making them unable to continue.


    Chang Huan, who should have been tired by the battle, except for his expenditure of spirit power, appeared completely fine as if he hadn''t fought at all.


    "I have to congratulate you of the Flower Sect. I would never have expected such a result. You have defeated all others, even Wen Guiying. You two haven''t been outdone too. You should know that those four were bodies that I personally modified after hours and hours of experiments. They can be defined as the elite of the corpses at my disposal. But unfortunately for you, they aren''t the strongest corpses in my possession, not to mention that I''m still in a condition to fight."


    Chang Huan began to approach slowly towards Cao Su and Zan. His goal was straightforward.


    "Since you destroyed my elite guards, I have to replace them with other bodies. The best of the younger generation of the big sects. Thanks to you guys of the Flower Sect, I can calmly collect all these bodies."


    "Shit, fuck!" Cao Su swore on the ground.


    Zan instead was looking around. All his companions, despite having won their battles, weren''t in a condition to fight. It would already have been difficult for them to face Chang Huan, the Genius, in their peak conditions, let alone when they were seriously injured. His and Cao Su''s defeat was a clear example of their enemy''s strength.


    But when he looked better, he noticed something.


    Right! They weren''t all incapable of fighting. The young blue-haired girl, Lian, was still standing. Despite being injured, she wasn''t unable to move. Moreover, the two spirit beasts that had fought alongside them were in perfect shape, apparently without having reported any kind of damage.


    However, the hope in Zan lit up when he saw a brown-skinned boy approaching. Although he was covered in blood from head to toe, particularly on his mouth, the shine of his pitch-black hair, the glow of his blue teeth, and the sharpness of his green nails made him look more like a wounded beast ready to bite those who had dared to attack him.


    His arrival was perceived not only by Zan but by all the members of the Flowers Sect still conscious who watched him arriving. The same went for Chang Huan, who was struck by the strangeness of that young boy.


    "What my eyes see. I sensed that you had defeated Ren, but I didn''t think you were still standing. Amazing. Despite your age, you defeated the greatest genius of the Tree Sect. It is no coincidence that you earned the number 1 position in the Flower Sect," Chang Huan complimented.


    Although it was a sincere compliment, it wasn''t due to a sense of admiration. Chang Huan said that just because he was happy to find a candidate so much promising as his next personal corpse.


    Hei shifted his gaze momentarily to all those present. In a moment, he analyzed the situation and understood the danger in which they were now.


    "Zan, Cao Su, can you move?" Hei asked.


    "Yes, even if with difficulty," Zan replied for both.


    "Then, get out of here and take the others with you."


    "Leave? What the fuck are you saying? And do you think this necrophile would leave us in peace?" Cao Su swore, coughing.


    "Necrophile? Although I am a lover of corpses, my interest isn''t sexual. It''s more like the excitement of an alchemist when he finds a rare substance or a blacksmith who has discovered a new method of metal processing. In the same way, I find pleasure in collecting corpses of talented martial artists and modifying them to make them stronger."


    "Zan, Cao Su, don''t make a fuss. Do as I told you. I''ll take care of him. "


    Hei''s tone admitted no replies. His eyes were already hooked on the corpse manipulator, who was bursting into laughter.


    "Good, yes. This is how it should be; it''s not fun to end it right away. However, those are my prey. I can''t let them escape."


    With one hand movement, two other bodies appeared before him and ran at high speed against Cao Su and Zan. But before they could reach the two youths, Ye and Xing appeared out of nowhere and with powerful movements tore the corpses to pieces. At the same time, Hei appeared among them.


    "As I said, your opponent is me. No, it isn''t correct. Your opponent is the three of us."


    As he said this, Hei smiled even more as he bared his teeth. Beside him, Ye and Xing were also doing the same hissing loudly against Chang Huan.

 Chapter 88 - Trust

    "As I said, your opponent is me. No, it isn''t correct. Your opponent is the three of us."


    As he said this, Hei smiled even more as he bared his teeth. Beside him, Ye and Xing were also doing the same hissing loudly against Chang Huan.


    On hearing his words, Chang Huan smiled even more.


    "Good. A beast tamer, eh? It''s been a long time since I''ve faced one. Who will be stronger? My corpses or your spirit beasts?"


    Meanwhile, Lian had also arrived near Hei, but he immediately sent her a spirit message.


    ''Lian, listen to me well. Help the others moving from here and when they are at a minimum distance, go directly into the flower, do you understand?''


    ''Hei?''


    ''Do as I told you. Even if you join us, I don''t know if we can beat him. We both bring back wounds from our previous fights and consumed a lot of our spirit power.


    I also don''t completely trust the promise of the other sects and families. As soon as this fight ends, probably some of them will take advantage of it to take their words back and take possession of the treasure. Before that happens, you must enter while everyone is still fighting.


    I don''t know if we can win, but we can hold it long enough to give you a chance to take the treasure. Don''t argue now, go. We will be okay, I promise you.''


    Lian nodded her head and grabbed Cao Su and Zan, who were on the ground. Despite his slender figure, carrying them was no problem. In no time, they had left the battlefield.


    "They''re running away, but it doesn''t matter. Now I have found something better to play with. In any case, there is plenty of time to take them back. Do you know, kid? The minimum time to wait to reopen the Secret Dimension passage is one week. Before then, it isn''t possible because opening the passage means creating a hole in space, and it needs time to regenerate the fracture. If they were to open it earlier, there is a big risk that everything will collapse. However, do you think that all the sects and other families will be satisfied with only a week? No, in all probability, they will wait until at least two weeks have passed. So, after settling this fight, I have a whole week to take back my bodies that are running away."


    The words Chang Huan said seemed sincere. With all the advantages he possessed, it made no sense to invent such a lie. Moreover, his explanation seemed plausible. The sects and other families would never have settled for just one week of exploration after all the sacrifices they had made.


    "I believe you. But there is one thing that is bothering me. That is, you are assuming that you will win without a doubt. In that case, don''t blame me if you find yourself dead. "


    "Ahahaha, you are hilarious. Well, then, I''ll show you my secret card."


    At that point, Chang Huan waved his hand, and a two-meter humanoid corpse appeared from his space ring. The face belonged to a middle-refined aged man, but the rest of the body had been modified.


    The arms and legs had been replaced with limbs of different spirit beasts, while, to the back, other limbs had been sewn on, for a total of six humanoid arms. On the chest, instead, there were multiple scars, and the skin was sewn back.


    "I present to you the strongest corpse available to me. It is a spirit soldier killed by the Tremor Sect. Because of the Secret Dimension opening, I was given his body. Unfortunately, I couldn''t restore his entire battle potential, but it''s still comparable to a seventh stage, near the bottleneck to the second rank. Are you still sure you can win with those spirit beast of you after seeing this?"


    Hearing the words spirit soldier, Hei''s eyebrows furrowed. An enemy of that level was infeasible for them to face. Fortunately, its original strength hadn''t been completely restored, but it was still an insidious enemy to face.


    With that corpse present, the enemies in the seventh stage had risen to two: Chang Huan and his corpse. Although Chang Huan was confining himself to maneuvering it at a distance, Hei believed that there was no way he couldn''t fight close-up. His mother had explained to him that the Ghost Law wasn''t only limited to manipulating bodies, but it allowed its users to have a strong body comparable to those of the Law of Metal to a certain extent.


    Without responding to Chang Huan, Hei prepared to fight. His spear swayed suspended in the air, held by his hair. At his side, Ye and Xing were ready.


    "Let''s begin."


    Hei and his two sisters left their positions with a sprint towards their enemy. The corpse of that spirit soldier appeared immediately before them. Its arms fell on them with a lightning-fast storm of punches.


    Peng, peng, peng


    His fists made Hei, Xing, and Ye back off at the same time, and they looked astonished that they had all been pushed back together. The physical strength of that corpse was more significant than what they had thought.


    ''Ye, Xing, if I leave this to you, you think you can block it?''


    ''Sure big brother. But what are you planning to do?'' (Ye)


    ''If we think exclusively about his corpses, we will never finish this fight. We must also aim at him. In that way, his concentration will be divided, and he won''t be able to maneuver this body properly. However, be careful. I do not think he is so unprepared to the point of not having countermeasures for this type of situation.''


    ''Yes, I agree. Be careful big brother.'' (Xing)


    After communicating with each other, Hei and his two little sisters tried again with another attack. As before, the corpse in front of them swung its large and powerful arms as it hurled a burst of swift punches.


    This time, however, Ye and Xing didn''t retreat. Taking the full impact and ignoring the pain that was flowing in their bodies, the two of them went to block three arms each, dragging the corpse to the ground vehemently.


    Taking advantage of that situation, Hei continued his running toward Chang Huan, who had his forehead slightly contracted due to the unexpected action of those two spirit beasts.


    "Ghost Law, Corpse Fury. Ghost Law, Multiple Manipulation."


    Suddenly, the corpse held down by Xing, and Ye gave a heartbreaking squeal as it rose to the ground, lifting the two spirit beasts with just its physical strength and threw them into the air. Meanwhile, ten corpses had appeared around Chang Huan.


    None of them was in the sixth stage, but they were all between the fifth and fourth stage. But since there were ten of those bodies, it didn''t change the fact that they were a threat to Hei. Although he was a sixth stage, he was still just one person, and at the same time, he was injured, not to mention the fatigue that was making itself be felt.


    "As I imagined. You had a card for situations like these. All right, if it is so, then, I just have to destroy these corpses one by one."


    That said, the ten bodies all rushed together against Hei. He responded by swinging his spear with his hair in all directions. At the same time, his fists and kicks were incessantly moving, while his claws and fangs were tearing the flesh of those lifeless bodies. He was fighting regardless of the damage he was taking, but entirely concentrating on attacking.


    Being surrounded on all sides and numerically at a disadvantage, without counting his spirit power that wasn''t in its peak condition, it was suicidal to try to move the fight towards an endurance contest. The best thing he could do was attacking to destroy the highest amount of corpses so as to leave Ye and Xing more freedom to maneuver.


    Hei had no doubts about his two little sisters. Sooner or later, they would tear apart the corpse of that spirit soldier, comparable to a seventh stage, and therefore they would rush to him, ending Chang Huan definitively.


    *


    Meanwhile, Lian had carried out Hei''s order and had taken the Flower Sect members who had come with her and Hei to a safe place. Although injured, none of them was life-threatening.


    "Lian, go now. There is no need for you to stay with us. Go and help Hei," Mei said with a trembling voice.


    Despite having defeated her enemy, who was none other than the number one genius in the Frozen Sect, she was feeling so frustrated that she had to be reduced to that state to win.


    In a certain sense, she envied Hei. Not only he defeated Ren, an adversary comparable to the one she had fought, but he still had the energy to fight against the number one genius of the whole Rainbow Island younger generation.


    With such an undertaking, there was no way they could deny the evidence. The boy who had always been behind them, regarding cultivation and power, had finally reached and surpassed them. And it wasn''t just him, even the girl in front of her, Lian, had reached a similar level of strength.


    With two martial artists younger than her and with such an exceptional talent, how could Mei not feel frustrated? The same was true of all her other companions. But now wasn''t the time to get frustrated, they had to defeat their enemies first.


    Lian nodded her head at Mei''s request and instantly turned back to the battlefield where Hei, Xing, and Ye were fighting. But although she seemed about to be reunited with them, Lian still had the words Hei had told her in her mind - taking possession of the treasure inside the flower at all costs.


    She knew how important the thing inside the giant flower was to him, Ye, and Xing. Yet he still had remained back to give her a chance to recover it. This action was the irrefutable proof of the trust Hei and his entire family felt towards Lian.


    At that thought, Lian''s heart started pounding as she clutched her chest. She wouldn''t disappoint them. She would surely conquer the treasure inside the flower and verified if there were any signs referring to Hei''s father. Like that, she could partly repay the infinite debt she had towards that family.


    Once she reached the flower, Lian quickly looked around. The middle sects and other families were fighting away from that place. The only ones present near the flower were the unconscious martial artists who had lost against the Flower Sect, as well as Hei and his little sisters who were fighting against the corpses of Chang Huan.


    No one else had noticed that the Flower Sect young girl had arrived near the flower and was being swallowed inside. Suddenly, as soon as she entered, the petals of the flower began to close, causing a stir among the martial artists who were fighting with ferocity.


    "What happens? Is the flower closing again?"


    "How it is possible? Did someone come in?"


    "But how? Chang Huan is still standing... how did they get in or it was some hidden participant?"


    Chang Huan, who was fighting Hei, glared at the closing of the flower.


    "Bastard... and I thought you sent her away to treat your friends and then get her back to give you a hand. Okay, I understand. But it doesn''t matter. Even if she gets that treasure, I have a whole week to get it back. Do you think she could escape this one, Chang Huan the Genius, for an entire week? Until that bitch comes out, I''ll kill you to expose your body in front of her."


    Hearing his words, Hei smiled.


    "I''m sorry, but I doubt that even with a whole year, you will be able to reach her."


    Then he began again to hit without mercy the corpses that were still surrounding him. The wounds on his body were increasing every minute he was continuing this fight, and the loss of blood was starting to be felt as his complexion grew paler, and his breathing became more intense. But it didn''t matter. He had succeeded. Lian was inside the flower, now what was hidden there belonged to them, to his family. And nothing and nobody could take it from their hands.

 Chapter 89 - Love

    Inside the gigantic-sized flower, it was pitch dark. When she entered, Lian wasn''t able to see anything around her. Still, her feet were uninterruptedly walking as a strange vine was guiding her. That vine had rolled up her arm and was leading her into that darkness.


    Usually, she would have objected so that she could observe and analyze the situation, but she had no time to waste. Outside, Hei, Ye, and Xing were fighting hard, coming to put their lives at risk to make her have this opportunity. There was no way she would waste it or let herself be stopped by fear or uncertainty.


    Following the light tug of the vine on her arm, Lian continued to walk forward until she sensed that that tug was over. At that point, a strange light appeared in that darkness, and Lian could finally look around.


    She was inside the flower, but she couldn''t see any object that could be traced back to the treasure they had perceived from outside. Then, looking closely, she realized that the thing that was producing the light was a smaller reproduction of the gigantic flower where she was now.


    ''This...?''


    Lian reached out her hand, and as soon as she touched the closed petals of the luminescent miniature flower, it opened its petals and from there, sprang out the body of a beautiful woman.


    The woman had long sinuous hair that swayed like small waves dragged by the wind. These ''waves'' had an emerald green color in which there were occasionally some rosy locks of different shades.


    Her skin appeared smooth and soft just by looking, capable of bewitching every person who had the chance to look at her. Instead of the typical color of human beings, the skin had a jade green color. And indeed, had it not been for her small and delicate movements, she would have appeared as a finely crafted jade sculpture. But this perfect skin was scarred by pink veins that resembled the bark of a tree. However, instead of appearing chaotic, they assumed uniform traits, creating floral patterns on the skin.


    The woman was almost completely naked; only her intimate parts and her breasts were covered by thin layers of clothing formed by the union of flower petals. But despite the presence of such ''clothes,'' one could see the fascinating graces of the woman who, more than a human being, she resembled a flower that had taken a human form.


    When the flower woman came out of the miniature flower that contained her, she opened her big eyes. Then she looked around until she dwelt on Lian, who was the only living being present in that place with her.


    "So you are the one who earned the right to enter. Welcome to my home, can I know your name?" Asked the flower woman. Her voice, although it was the same they heard before the beginning of the battle, it lacked the metal tone used previously. But instead, it had a soft and pleasant feeling that would have fascinated even the most stoic of martial artists.


    "Lian." Replied the young blue-haired girl. The grace of her voice was no less than that of the flower woman. Her beautiful blue sapphire-like eyes met the pink-flower eyes of the flower woman. Both had a depth of gaze that seemed that only by looking at them, you would be able to immerse yourself in them and sink to the bottom.


    "Lian ... it''s a beautiful name. Did your parents give it to you? "


    "No, it was Hei who gave it to me."


    "Hei? Would he be an acquaintance of yours?"


    "Yes, Hei is the one who saved me. Now I am living with his family. "


    Listening to the few words of the young martial artist in front of her, the flower woman understood that the young human woman had through many difficulties in her short but intense life. If it had been before, she would have felt compassion and would have listened to her story told more than willingly. However, right now, she had no such luxury. There were things to be first discussed between them.


    "Listen to me, young woman, named Lian, I have a proposal for you. I am an extinct organism, lived a long time ago. I don''t know precisely how much time has passed and if they changed the name, but at the time, human beings like you called my species divine beasts. As for my name, there is no need for you to know it. But if you want a name to address me to, you can call me the Lotus of Love." The beautiful flower woman introduced herself.


    As she said this, she floated in the air and then descended to the ground. Just before her bare and delicate feet touched the ground, the grass trembled at that point. Then, it grew at a crazy pace and went to wrap the feet of the flower woman gently, turning into elegant and light footwear with floral embroidery.


    Meanwhile, Lian, hearing the name that this flower woman had uttered, couldn''t help but be amazed. The Lotus of Love. There was no way she didn''t know that name. It was the divine beast that Bao Bei had spoken of, as well as the one who had created her Lotus Style.


    "Young human Lian, do you know the story of us... something is wrong?" The flower woman was going to start her speech by explaining the story about her species. However, she stopped shortly after because she had noticed the strange way in which Lian was looking at her.


    The flower woman had foreseen the possibility the person coming into that place could have received teachings about the past. And therefore, they possessed a conception about the spirit beasts from the humans'' point of view. As a result, she was prepared to receive looks of fear and even disgust. So, she created a short but detailed speech ready to illustrate her version of those events; no, to be precise, the version of her entire species.


    And from the reaction of the young blue-haired woman, the flower woman understood that the human before her knew what the words divine beasts meant. And yet, instead of the looks of fear, disgust, hatred, or any other negative feeling she was prepared to receive, inside Lian''s eyes, she could only read astonishment, curiosity, and even admiration.


    The flower woman couldn''t understand at all? Why did a girl she saw for the first time feel admiration toward her?


    Unable to appease her curiosity, she asked Lian again.


    "Do you know me by chance? Did you hear my name somewhere? "


    Lian nodded her head slowly and prepared to answer.


    "Yes, my teacher told me about it. She is the mother of the boy I mentioned to you before. Besides him, there are her two daughters. She is called Bao Bei."


    Drip


    As soon as the name of Bao Bei was pronounced, the flower woman instantly froze as her heart started beating wildly. It was as if suddenly, a single drop had fallen inside a completely flat water surface. This drop then generated ripples on the surface of water, creating chaos in the calm that once dwelt in that place.


    Right. Her calm and refined demeanor had been destroyed to make room for a feeling of excitement and euphoria.


    "Human! Tell me immediately, what does she look like the one you call Bao Bei."


    The words of the flower woman no longer counted the same grace as before. They were flickering and agitated, even stumbling upon saying the name of Bao Bei.


    Surprised by that reaction, Lian still did her best to respond quickly.


    "It''s a spider, a divine beast like you. Hei is a human, like me. He was adopted by Bao Bei when he was still a baby. Ye and Xing are the daughters of Bao Bei and her partner Hei An. They are two divine beasts too. Ye is a snake with black scales with golden patterns; Xing instead has a purple color with silver patterns." Lian immediately gave a brief account of the characteristics not only of Bao Bei but also of her children.


    Upon hearing the words of Lian, the body of the Lotus of Love began to tremble dramatically as large dew-like tears fell from her eyes, moistening her long, thick, and curved eyelashes.


    "So.. she''s still alive... she''s still alive..."


    The Lotus of Love kneeled on the ground and burst into tears that weren''t compatible with the atmosphere of majesty and elegance she had before. But she didn''t care about her demeanor or appearance. The only thing she wanted to do was vent the pain and fear she had been carrying for years and the relief of knowing that Bao Bei was still alive.


    As she cried and sobbed loudly, she noticed the perfectly embroidered silver-white silk ribbon in Lian''s hands, and her eyes widened again.


    "This... the silk web of Bao Bei... there is no doubt. There is no way that I don''t recognize her silk. Tell me, human. No, Lian. Tell me. How is she? Is she fine? Is she happy? You said she''s your teacher, what do you mean? Indeed before that, did you say she adopted a human child? And has two daughters divine beasts? "


    The Lotus of Love began to formulate one question after another without respite. Whenever something occurred to her mind, she hastened to voice it in a desperate attempt not to forget it later.


    Looking at that reaction, Lian smiled to herself. In a way, she reminded her when Hei got excited about a new topic and bombarded Bao Bei with questions.


    "Bao Bei is fine, she''s happy. She is my teacher because she is teaching me the Lotus Style. That''s why I know about you. Yes, she adopted a human child, and after a few years, Ye and Xing, her and Hei An''s daughters hatched. She also told us about what happened one hundred thousand years ago."


    At Lian''s reply, the Flower Lotus slowly regained her calm as she began to be able to formulate rational thoughts. Immediately, memories of the past began to flood her mind as she recalled the tragic history of her species. She also recalled the plan to raise human and demon martial artists who didn''t feel hostility towards them and how she had participated in such a project that was never implemented.


    No, it wasn''t correct. It was no longer a plan never implemented. Before her, there was the living proof of that plan''s success. And if Bao Bei had adopted a human child as her son, then...


    "Tell me, Lian. Did this Hei also inherit a style from Bao Bei? "


    "Yes. Bao Bei is teaching him the Spider Style and the Snake Style. Hei also carries his mother''s bloodline. Initially, we came to this Secret Dimension to find clues about Bao Bei''s companion, Hei An, and to find his bloodline if possible. But I never expected to meet you instead, the Lotus of Love."


    At Lian''s words, the Lotus of Love finally got the confirmation she was looking for. Now she understood more or less what had happened and what her old friend intended to do. If so, then she too should give her contribution.


    "I guess Bao Bei is on the other side of the passage you came through, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, unfortunately, only those below the spirit soldier rank can enter."


    "I see. Too bad, but it doesn''t matter. The important thing is that Bao Bei is okay. Before continuing, there is something I would like to ask you, Lian, and it is essential that you answer me sincerely." At that point, the Lotus of Love paused, and after receiving Lian''s nod, she continued. "If something were to happen to that boy, Hei, what would you do? What would you do if he was in such a danger to threaten his life?"


    Lian closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. Inside her, one could read only determination and sincerity.


    "I will protect him at all costs, even at the cost of my life. In the first place, my life belongs to him. And therefore, it will also be for him if I should die one day."


    Listening to Lian''s words, the Lotus of Love smiled.


    "Do you know why they call me the Lotus of Love? It''s because I developed the Concept of Love. Everyone believes that it is because of my generosity and benevolence towards plant type divine beasts as if I was the mother of nature. But in reality, it isn''t so. My Love isn''t a maternal love, but rather, it is a passionate love, like that of a lover. I awoke it for the first time when I realized I love a divine beast, a friend of mine - Bao Bei. I never revealed my love to her, just looking at her and supporting her from afar to the end.


    Maybe it''s early, and you haven''t noticed yet. Or yes, you noticed it, but you still don''t want to accept it, or you have some other reason in mind. But regardless, remember to support that boy named Hei. At any cost. And to do this, I want to give you the prize that was initially yours - my bloodline. The bloodline of the Lotus of Love. "


    With these words, the flowered woman placed her delicate hand on her chest and from there, pulled out a blood-colored sphere that seemed to beat as if it was a heart.


    "Initially, I was going to have you sign a blood pact, and if you refused, I would have killed you instantly. But now this is no longer necessary. Don''t worry about the rejection reaction. Bao Bei told you about it, right? Since I''m offering it to myself, there will be no rejection, neither now nor ever. While you absorb my bloodline, I will go and get the children of my beloved Bao Bei."


    At those words, Lian rejoiced. Hei, Xing, and Ye were fighting hard to buy time for her. But if the Lotus of Love intended to bring them into the flower, they would all be safe. After all, she had seen with her own eyes the hardness of the petals of this gigantic flower. There was no way that the martial artists out there could break through inside. Moreover, even if that happened, there was still the Lotus of Love. An existence comparable to Bao Bei that, according to what they knew, was also the strongest being.


    Lian, therefore, shifted her gaze to the sphere of green blood that was floating in front of her. Reaching out, she hugged the sphere until it reached her chest, where it began to blend into her body.


    "I will protect you. At any cost."


    With those words, the sphere disappeared inside Lian''s body while the blood of a divine beast was released inside, flooding every single part of Lian. It was like being on a cold and windy night and suddenly being wrapped in a tender and loving hug. Yes, it was that kind of feeling. And inside her, something else, besides the bloodline, was waking up as the feeling of love became more intense.


    "I love you."

 Chapter 90 - Heart of the World Tree

    "Pant ... pant ..."


    Hei was standing covered in wounds. His breath was labored as his heart was beating rapidly. He was trying to recover his normal breathing rhythm, but his enemy would never let him do this.


    Chang Huan looked at the ten corpses he had summoned lying on the ground with his brow furrowed. Their limbs had been torn apart one by one, and large pieces of flesh were missing, scattered here and there on the battlefield. He didn''t expect such a result. The young Flower Sect martial artist was already injured and had consumed much of his spirit power against Ren, the number one of the Tree Sect younger generation. And yet he had given such a performance, arriving to make Chang Huan wonder what would have happened if he had fought at his peak condition.


    But regardless of whether he could have had a chance or not, it didn''t matter anymore. The reality was this - Hei had consumed his strength and was no longer able to fight. Nothing now would have prevented him from claiming his body.


    "I have to admit it. I''m even more impressed than before, but now it''s over. Get ready." Chang Huan said as he slowly approached Hei.


    Seeing him approaching, Hei looked up and smiled.


    "You still don''t understand. I told you. I''m not your only opponent. It''s the three of us."


    At those words, Ye and Xing arrived near Hei as they covered him with their bloodied bodies. Both had faces that expressed ferocity as they bared their teeth. The remains of the spirit soldier corpse laid several meters from them.


    Usually, the corpses of Ghost Law corpse manipulators reflected the sense of battle and the talent of the one who commanded them. So the quicker and more precise a corpse was in its movements, the stronger its puppeteer was.


    However, there were cases in which the corpse couldn''t be controlled all the time with extreme concentration. As a result, techniques that allowed the corpses to have individual autonomy regardless of the martial artist''s control were necessary. And Corpse Fury was one of them.


    It allowed the corpse to assume an automatic combat function thanks to the formation engraved inside itself. That function, therefore, forced the corpse to attack every living being within a certain radius, giving priority to those who possessed the highest amount of spirit power. The movements'' precision and the ability to react correctly to the enemy''s moves would have been discarded to leave room for more strength and ferocity.


    But although this move was excellent against human martial artists who would be nervous about facing an enemy who felt no pain and didn''t worry about losing an arm or a leg, this didn''t work as well against spirit beasts.


    When spirit beasts fought seriously, their fighting would always take on a violent connotation, literally destroying the enemy and sometimes their own body. Even in the battle against the beast tamers'' group, several months ago, Ye and Xing had shown this feature and had slaughtered their enemies to the point of tearing their flesh and organs apart.


    So, against two spirit beasts who were also divine beasts by birth, and therefore possessed Elemental Laws, even though it was comparable to a seventh stage, that corpse now devoid of the rationality of its master, was nothing but a puppet a little hard to destroy. That''s all.


    And as Hei had foreseen, they had finally torn it to pieces and returned to their big brother.


    Chang Huan now had an even uglier face than before. That spirit soldier was his strongest and rarest piece; after all, it didn''t happen every day to run into a dead spirit soldier. But now it had become unusable. And even if he were to repair it, it would never be as good as before. That was because Chang Huan had a minimal understanding of the Ghost Law and was limited by his abilities.


    Furthermore, his guards, as well as the other corpses he had, had been destroyed. At this time, he was entirely unguarded, but there were still some enemies to deal with.


    "Shit, shit. F*ck! If only I had also learned spectral or bone techniques. If only I had been on the Continent, and not limited by this f*cking shitty island. If so, there was no way I wouldn''t be able to use those techniques."


    It should be known that the users of Ghost Law were generally divided into three branches - corpse manipulators, spectral fighters, bone users.


    The corpse manipulators, as the name suggested, modified and commanded corpses from a distance. The spectral fighters, on the other hand, were able to make a part of their body incorporeal, as if they were ghosts, even going as far as to make their whole body incorporeal. Lastly, bone users could use the bones of their body to fight, increasing their density and becoming combat machines with resistance and body hardness comparable to Metal Law users.


    It should also be said, however, that all three branches being part of the Ghost Law, it was also possible to learn all three of them. And that was why Chang Huan was cursing.


    Despite his talent, he was born on one of the various islands and not on the Continent. The islands weren''t only limited only by the low amount of spirit power but also by the legacy of techniques and resources. As a result, it was already quite surprising that he had managed to achieve such a control degree with the Ghost Law, coming to manipulate more bodies together. But such chains had finally ended up constricting him to accept the harsh reality of the facts - he would never have become the sovereign he had always wanted to be.


    Ye and Xing didn''t take pity on him and attacked. Chang Huan did his best to react. He didn''t want to accept his situation. How could he? But it was a useless and desperate attempt.


    Ye and Xing ended up sinking their fangs over him, breaking his spirit power protective layer. Then they began to pull both from two different sides as if they were playing tug of war with Chang Huan, who had the same function as the rope.


    But Chang Huan wasn''t a rope that could be pulled without thought. At one point, his body collapsed, and two large horizontal tunnels were dug out of his body. To divide these flesh tunnels was a small strip of skin in the center of the chest.


    In that so gruesome way, the number one genius of the Tremor Sect younger generation and even of the entire Rainbow Island was dead. In the end, he had become like one of the many corpses that he loved so much.


    Watching the victory of his little sisters, Hei smiled. Indeed, he wouldn''t have felt disgusted or terrorized from how they achieved victory. After all, his fights sometimes ended up making such grotesque conclusions that they could make people feel sick.


    "Good, well done, little sisters. But even if we beat all five big sects, our work is not finished," Hei announced as he watched the rest of the participants who had stopped to observe the conclusion of the clash between the five big sects.


    The Flower Sect had won on all fronts and could undoubtedly be considered the first as far as the younger generation was concerned. But in any case, with the defeat of the big sects representatives from the Lake Kingdom and Mountain Kingdom, the middle sects and the other families from those kingdoms were automatically out of the reward promised by the dead or unconscious martial artists on the ground.


    The only ones who had benefited were those from the Forest Kingdom. But now that the balance was broken, if they wanted to keep their word, they had to hold back the coalition of martial artists from the other two kingdoms.


    With Hei, who barely stood up and all the other representatives of the big sects out of the picture, nothing could prevent those sects and families from having their spotlight. But before they could make a move or suggest something, suddenly the flower opened slightly, and from there, three large vines sprang up at extreme speed.


    These lianas bound themselves around the body of Hei, Ye, and Xing. And they began to be dragged towards the inside of the flower.


    "Do not resist. Let yourself be carried away." Hei commanded his two little sisters.


    The flower until now had given no signs, except for that voice at the beginning. Now instead, it brought out vines to take the three of them from all the living beings present here. There was no doubt that it had to be somehow related to Lian. After all, she had been inside for a while.


    Obeying the command of their big brother without question, Ye and Xing let the vines dragged them. In a short time, together with Hei, they entered into flower. There, they were blinded by the darkness until they met the light at the center produced by a small flower.


    At that point, Lian was sitting on the floor while meditating. Her body looked slightly different as a faint pink-green aura surrounded her body. Beside her, there was a beautiful woman who was watching them arrive. From her hands hung the three vines that had dragged them in there. She was, therefore, responsible for this.


    "Welcome to my home, Hei, Ye, Xing. I talked to Lian, and she told me about you. My name is Gaiya, but I am also known with another name: Lotus of Love. "


    As she introduced herself, Gaiya''s eyes flew over the new arrivals one by one. In particular, they focused on Xing, which was the spitting image of Bao Bei. If it weren''t for the silver patterns on her body, she would have been identical to her.


    When Hei, Ye, and Xing heard the name Lotus of Love, they couldn''t help but be stunned. They couldn''t believe it. In front of them, there was one of the divine beasts of which their mother had narrated in her stories.


    "How? One hundred thousand years have passed. Mother said that divine beasts couldn''t live so long." Hei asked with wide eyes.


    How was this possible? It seemed like a dream, but it was a reality before his eyes. And if the Lotus of Love was still alive, then their father ...?


    "Bao Bei is right. I''m not alive but can''t even be called dead. What you see is nothing but the residue of my soul. Normally, the soul disappears after the death of the body. But the strong beings possess strong souls, and if nearby any particular container, it is possible to keep one''s soul alive. The problem is that, even so, at a certain point, the soul dies permanently, and even if they were to steal a body and resist the reaction of rejection of the body towards the new soul, one can''t avoid his death. In any case, the souls of those who have died are unable to hold out for so many years."


    Gaiya closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Lian meanwhile had finished meditating and stood up, silently standing behind Hei. Her gaze was fixed on the boy in front of her. Her eyes contained conflicting emotions while she kept looking at Hei.


    Noticing this, Gaiya could only make another sigh. Unfortunately, it was solely up to Lian to resolve her inner conflicts. She had already done more than what she should have had to do. And it wasn''t like Lian''s mixed emotions were without foundation. As a being who had lived an unrequited love for countless years, she could correctly understand the girl''s feelings and what went through her mind.


    Leaving aside Lain''s dilemmas, Gaiya went on talking.


    "This is why my soul is still alive." She pointed to an object inside the flower from which she came out. Inside was a pale gray sphere. "The Heart of the World Tree."


    "Heart of the World Tree?"


    "The World Tree is a secret guarded by us divine beasts. In our Main Forest, a small tree of a few centimeters is hidden. In reality, that is only the tip of the tree. The rest of the surface is hidden in the subsoil. Its roots reach so deep that not even underground divine beasts have managed to reach them. The World Tree is also the source from which all the spirit power of this world comes.


    I don''t know how Hei An managed to get it, but somehow he got its Heart and its Blood Essence. I don''t know why, but I always thought there was something that he and Bao Bei had never told us. Perhaps only Zhi, the Baize divine beast, knew something. But it goes without saying that through these two things, your father managed to achieve the means to perform the ritual - to sacrifice our essence as divine beasts and thus obtain the god rank to lead us to victory."


    World Tree, Main Forest... these were all terms unknown to Hei. Although Bao Bei had told them the story of divine beasts, she never went into details. One reason was that it was painful to talk about it. But another was because she wanted to wait for the right moment. She also didn''t think that the Heart of the World Tree that should have been with Hei An was with Gaiya instead or that she was alive.


    As for the Blood Essence, Bao Bei had once mentioned it to her children. The Blood Essence of a martial artist or any other being was the condensation of one''s vitality. Through special techniques, one could burn one''s blood essence to gain more power. But the price to pay was high: the loss of years of life and their potential. It was possible to restore this blood essence, but the means to do so were almost non-existent. For this reason, Bao Bei had only mentioned it without ever revealing how to perform that technique. She didn''t want Hei or Ye or Xing to conceive the idea of using it.


    "You must know that when your father killed the Hero of the Humans and the Demon Emperor, his power was such as to bring about the collapse of space itself. This world isn''t capable of withstanding the pressure of a divine rank. During this collapse, I was dragged along with a part of the territory towards a tear in the space. But before being dragged, Hei An threw me this Heart saying to guard it until the right person to deliver it came.


    Ironically, after my physical body perished, the Heart of the World Tree also became my lifeline from eternal death. So far, I hadn''t understood the reason for his actions, but now I know. The person he was waiting for. No, that we all divine beasts were waiting for. That person is you, Hei. A human in the body, but a spirit beast in the mind and the soul.


    For this reason, I give you the Heart of the World Tree. During countless years, I managed to link it to this dimension. Therefore, by taking the Heart of the World Tree, you will also automatically get this dimension. But even if I am giving it to you, the Heart of the World Tree is not yours to keep. You must take it to its place of origin. However, first, you must reunite it with its Blood Essence and the essence of us divine beasts that are still in Hei An''s possession."


    "Still in father''s possession?" Hei almost screamed because he couldn''t believe it. His whole body was shaking from the possibility that had sprung into his mind. The same was true for Ye and Xing.


    "Yes, if I am still alive in a certain sense, there is no way that his soul isn''t alive. You must find it and reunite the Heart with its Blood Essence and the Essence of us Divine Beasts. Then bring the Heart back to its place of origin. Only in this way can you heal the wounds of the world and restore the lack of density of spirit power in the air. But at the same time, you will also restore the ability of us spirit beasts to turn into divine beasts. "


    At those words, all of them, Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian, were speechless. Restore the density of spirit power; restore the ability to reach the sixth level, divine beast; meet Hei An, the Emperor Beast and Bao Bei''s companion and the biological father of Ye and Xing.


    Looking at their astonishment, Gaiya smiled and said.


    "But before you take this Heart, you have to know something. My soul is linked to the Heart of the World Tree. As soon as you take possession of it, the bond that keeps me anchored here will disappear, and I will die forever. This will certainly also be true for Hei An. But you don''t have to be sad for me, because for the first time in countless years, I''m happy like I never been before. Just promise me one thing. I want you to say something to Bao Bei for me. Something I''ve never been able to tell her. "


    However, while Gaiya was preparing to communicate her last message to the one she had loved more than anyone else, a cold and detached voice resounded throughout the Secret Dimension.


    "And so, this is where he hid it. Well, it''s time to close this business."

 Chapter 91 - The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains

    Crossroad Lake.


    At that moment, all the martial artists present there had their mouths and eyes wide open, unable to conceive the scene that was unfolding before their eyes.


    High in the sky, suspended in mid-air, there was a man of fascinating appearance who seemed to be about thirty years old. He had long black hair, tied back by an elegant and refined hair clip that ended in a ponytail. His eyes had a dark green color, and he was wearing a tunic made of a fabric that, at first sight, could be defined as precious.


    But, despite his attractive and well-groomed appearance, his face had a cold expression. His body also gave off a feeling of coldness and disinterest. It was as if everyone else in his surroundings was trash that didn''t even deserve to be looked at by him.


    The reason the other martial artists had stupefied expressions was that this man had suddenly appeared above them. They didn''t know how he could have gotten over the surveillance block around the lake or how he could have flown all the way here without them even noticing.


    However, that didn''t matter now. What mattered was to understand how to react to the appearance of this unknown individual.


    "Who are you! How did you manage to get here!" A voice said.


    One of the various sect leaders from the middle sects recovered from his astonishment and immediately began to question the individual. At the time, they were busy with the Secret Dimension on which they had spent all their resources, so they couldn''t afford to have unknown factors in their plans.


    The man pretended not to listen to him, or maybe he didn''t listen as he focused on something else. His eyes were glued to the tower where the Artifact Spirit resided. No, rather than the Artifact Spirit, his eyes were looking beyond that point.


    The passage to the Secret Dimension.


    The precise point where he was looking at was where the passage to the Secret Dimension had been created. How a stranger who hadn''t witnessed the opening process knew that fact was a total mystery.


    Seeing that he was ignored, that sect leader lost his temper and began to hover in the air. He wanted to reach the man with high-quality clothes and teach him a lesson. However, as soon as he made a couple of meters upwards, that sect leader fell to the ground with a thud, quickly generating a dense pool of blood.


    Gulp!


    At that sight, all the martial artists present there swallowed. They had seen how that unknown man had just shifted his gaze to the sect leader who was flying up. The next instant, that sect leader died without even being able to utter a groan.


    One look!


    One look was enough to kill a spirit soldier! Was this at least conceivably possible?


    "Spear Intent, Annihilation Spear."


    Suddenly an immense pressure arose in the vicinity of that unknown man. Those closest to him fell to the ground while from their body came out blood from all the orifices. Those with more luck were more distant, and, although they suffered a similar pressure, they had time to get away in time to avoid fainting on the spot, even if with difficulty.


    Despite the distance and the fact the man''s aura was directed elsewhere and not directly to them, despite all this, just his spirit power fluctuation was sufficient to kill a dozen spirit soldiers instantly.


    Screech!


    Without even the time to conceive what was happening in front of them, a screeching noise exploded around. It was so loud that all the martial artists had their eardrums broken. While the blood was leaking from their ears, the survivors looked with horror at the origin of that screech.


    In front of them, a sort of gash had been created in the space. And as if a veil had been torn apart, now something could be seen on the other side.


    In a poorly lit place, a brown-skinned boy and a blue-haired girl stood before a flower. The various martial artists there immediately recognized the two youths because they had seen them with the Flower Sect group and were among those who had entered. However, if they could now see these two youths, did it mean that what they were observing was the inside of the Secret Dimension?


    "And so, this is where he hid it. Well, it''s time to close this business."


    The man''s cold voice rang out. Strangely, at the expense of his coldness, his words also contained a mixture of excitement and urgency.


    Next to the two youths, there was another person. A beautiful woman who made you think of a beautiful flower. But they had no way to admire her beauty because they saw the woman shaking a strange sphere, and suddenly, another shriek sounded together with the appearance of the dazzling white light that appeared at the opening of the passage to the Secret Dimension.


    "Hei, Lian, Ye, Xing. I don''t know what''s going on. Something has attacked the very space in which the Secret Dimension itself is still. If this continues, the whole Dimension will collapse. I am going to proceed to evacuate all the beings present inside while detaching the Secret Dimension and inserting it inside the Heart," Gaiya urgently communicated with a worried voice.


    It was the first time since she had woken up there that something like this was happening. But whatever it was, it wasn''t something she could fix from there. Not with a soul without its body. The only thing she could do now was to secure Lian and Bao Bei''s children. Because she knew she was out there. There was no way her love wouldn''t protect her family.


    "No, if you do that, you will die!" Hei tried to stop her.


    "It is the only way. Besides, I am already destined to die. But don''t worry, I won''t disappear right away. I can still hold out for a while. At least I can see your mother like that."


    Gaiya didn''t accept further replies and proceeded to bring all the youths of the younger generation out of the Secret Dimension.


    Suddenly about seventy people appeared without warning on the shores of Crossroad Lake. Except for two of them, all the others were confused as to why they were there. They then recalled that it had to be because their time in the Secret Dimension was over. Only when they thought about at that, they looked up and finally noticed the elders and sect leaders standing away from the lakeshore.


    But that sight displaced them again. The younger generation martial artists couldn''t understand. If their sect leaders and elders were the ones who called them back, why were they so far from the lake? Yet before being swallowed up by the white light and entering the Secret Dimension, every big shot of their sects was excited to the core by the treasures that could be found, even becoming annoying in the recommendations they had given on how to behave in various situations.


    And while the younger generation martial artists were trying to understand that reason, they finally noticed something. Yes, they finally saw a series of corpses. And they weren''t the bodies of random people, many recognized sect leaders or elders of known sects or even of their own.


    "What the hell is going on!?"


    "Sect leader! Master! What!?"


    "Nooo! Grandpa!"


    Various screams sprang from those poor martial artists of the younger generation who had found themselves in that gruesome spectacle. They couldn''t conceive how so many spirit soldiers, the peak of strength on Rainbow Island, could have died that way.


    But unfortunately, they didn''t have the luxury of being able to mourn their lost loved ones or think coolly about the situation. The man standing in mid-air was going down, and his aura moved to the point where the younger generation of the participant sects was. No, to be precise, he was focusing on one point: where the Heart of the World Tree was, meaning near Hei.


    Boom! Screech!


    Another great aura appeared from the sphere while the beautiful woman seen before appeared again. Her spirit power, therefore, enveloped all the martial artists of the younger generation, materializing a transparent pinkish petal that blocked the pressure coming from the man in mid-air.


    "I figured he hadn''t left it without a guardian. But do you believe that a soul on borrowed time can resist me?" The unknown man expressed himself in a laugh of scorn and disgust at the sight of Gaiya, immediately recognizing the state in which the divine beast was.


    "In that case, why don''t you deal with me? Or are you afraid of losing again? You, The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains."


    At that moment, another voice sounded throughout the lake. On hearing that voice, Hei felt a sense of familiarity and strangeness. He was used to hearing that voice inside his head, while now it was audible to anyone.


    When the words of the mysterious voice died down, the unknown man assumed an incredulous expression as he opened his eyes wide as if he couldn''t believe what his ears had heard. Then his brow furrowed up to deform his whole face in anger, and he clenched his fists with all the strength he had.


    "Who!? Who did it!? How do you know that expression of words? Who taught you that?!"


    The unknown man had lost all his calm and confidence just now. Inside him, there was only a blinding rage that was clouding his judgment and his heart.


    "Even though it''s been a hundred thousand years, as I imagined, you haven''t forgotten how he called you. And as usual, you haven''t lost the habit of taking possession of bodies that aren''t yours. Or are you terrified to come here yourself?"


    While the eyes of the unknown man flew across the surface of the lake at high speeds, they finally managed to find the origin of the voice that was communicating with him.


    It was where the sect leaders and the surviving elders were located a short time ago, before stepping back for fear. A small spider, a few millimeters in length, stood there. And yet, despite the tiny dimension of that being that seemed to be easy to crush, he could feel immense pressure coming from the spider ¡ª a force not at all inferior to his.


    And under the astonished eyes of all those present, the tiny spider began to get bigger and bigger.


    10 centimeters, 1 meter, 10 meters, 100 meters.


    Tremble!


    When the spider reached 100 meters in length, it was the moment in which its transformation also ended. Its sturdy eight legs came to rest on the ground generating a slight earthquake in the land. But this earthquake wasn''t due to its body''s weight but to the very pressure of its spirit power. Even if it was difficult to believe that, given its size, the actual weight of the spider was significantly lower than what a spirit beast of its size should have had.


    "Bao Bei," Gaiya muttered in a tender voice as large pearl-like tears rolled down her cheeks again and bathed her face. Even after one hundred thousand years, she could recognize the being she had loved the most in her life. And the mere fact of being able to see her again was more precious than all the treasures she had ever earned in her life.


    "Bao Bei?" The mysterious man was able to hear the slight murmur of Gaiya, and immediately, his mind began to flow through his thoughts until he found the origin of the name he had caught up.


    "You! Now I remember, you''re the spider bitch who was always with him. How can you still be alive?! No, it doesn''t matter. It is good that you are alive. The punishment for destroying my plans at that time. I couldn''t inflict it to him as he had died, but it will be a pleasure to make you pay for it instead." The mysterious man spoke in a speech full of hatred and resentment as the contours of his eyes became distorted by the madness of anger.


    "The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains. What you just said, I should be the one saying it. For many years I thought I couldn''t take revenge. Yet now, ironically, I got my long-awaited chance for revenge. As the Companion of the Beast Emperor, Hei An, I will now pronounce the sentence for the sins committed by you against our race. The sentence is DEATH!"


    The calm and gentle tone of Bao Bei had been replaced by such authority and strength. It was hard to imagine that that voice belonged to their mother. Yet they had seen with their own eyes the transformation of Bao Bei. And although it had increased considerably in size, in the end, she kept her features.


    The giant spider of 100 meters was undoubtedly their beloved mother. There was no way they could be wrong.


    "Gaiya, it''s a huge relief to see you again. But I have to ask you to protect them while I fix this."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Gaiya replied reverently.


    As the companion of the Beast Emperor, Bao Bei had automatically assumed the title of Empress of the Divine Beasts. But rather than using her title of Empress, she preferred to be called by the title of Companion of the Beast Emperor. The only one who called her by the name of her highness had always been Gaiya, the Queen of plant and flower type Divine Beasts.


    The large body of Bao Bei at that point slowly began to rise in the air until it stopped at the same height as the unknown man. No, now he was no longer anonymous. Although his real name hadn''t been revealed, Bao Bei had called him ''The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains.''


    Looking from the shore of the lake, under the protection of the spirit power of the divine beast Lotus of Love, Gaiya, Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian were watching with deep concern in the direction of Bao Bei. In particular, of all of them, Hei was the one with a heart full of anxiety and fear. He knew his mother''s condition well and what it would happen now and its consequences.


    Immediately, tears of sadness began to fall down his eyes as he again cursed his impotence.


    As it was typical of his mother, Bao Bei noticed the look of her cubs and Hei''s tears. So she turned to them momentarily as she sent a spirit message straight into their minds, audible only to them and Lian.


    ''Don''t cry, my little ones. Rather than being sad for mom, why don''t you root for me? I need all your support, my loved ones. And as my children, yes you too, Lian. As my children, you must engrave this battle in your minds and hearts because this is the fight that you will carry out in the future. The battle against the real enemy hidden behind the curtains. The reason from which all this despair and ''destruction'' originated.''


    The words of Bao Bei to her loved ones were dark and enigmatic. Hei, his little sisters, and Lian couldn''t understand at all what she meant precisely. After all, they were still completely shocked by all that had happened so far. Yet, one thing was sure.


    Yes, they were sure that Bao Bei was going to show them her real strength. The real power of a sixth-level divine beast. The power of a being at the height of the force obtainable on this planet, excluding the divine rank.


    Bao Bei then moved her eight eyes back to The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains and prepared for the fight. Meanwhile, The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains had managed to regain his composure, placing himself in a position to attack.


    The fight that would forever leave a scar in Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian was about to begin.

 Chapter 92 - The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains vs. Bao Bei

    An enormous purple spider of a hundred meters in size and a human being about six and a half feet high. The two were facing each other in the air at tens of meters from the ground. They were above the lake shore, where Gaiya had created a protective petal-shaped veil to shield those present from the spirit power undulations generated by the two.


    Yes, because despite the enormous difference in size, the pressure of spirit power emitted by both was equally intense. Therefore, even just standing still at that point made it impossible to witness the clash closely without that protective veil that served as a shield.


    The eight purple eyes of Bao Bei were fixed on the human being in front of her. The hairs on her spider''s body swayed in unison at the slightest movement, picking up every sound within her range of perception.


    At the time, she was taking large gulps of air to regulate her breathing and her heartbeat. The battle she was about to undertake now was the most important battle of her life.


    Yes. Because, even though Bao Bei said she wanted to punish him for what he had done, this wasn''t just a battle to get her revenge. No, not anymore. With the presence of her cubs, especially Hei, this had become a battle to protect their future and give them a chance. Fighting to give to the future generations a chance, just as her beloved had done a hundred thousand years ago.


    ''Hei An, look at me. I will protect our treasures with the power you granted me.''


    At that point, amid the dead silence that dwelt in the Crossroad Lake, the body of Bao Bei suddenly snapped forward.


    Snap! Boom! Screech!


    The next instant, after her body moved, Bao Bei appeared before the human in front of her. One of her eight legs snapped powerfully aiming to stab him, but the man simply parried with his spear.


    The contact between the leg and the lance generated a crazy roar that immediately gave way to an earsplitting screech. Bao Bei''s leg was pushing the human martial artist away from the lake shore in the direction of the center. Even with Gaiya to protect them, Bao Bei couldn''t help but worry about the safety of her family. So, she decided to move the fight away from them, but close enough so they could look at it safely.


    Meanwhile, the various sect leaders and elders who had distanced themselves for fear of becoming a lifeless body without being able to react, approached the lake again, rejoining their disciples. Among these, the Flower Sect group was also present.


    Fortunately, they were among the most distant from the lake when that mysterious man appeared. As a result, they had saved themselves from that terrible unprecedented slaughter. And now they were going to their disciples to see the conditions they were in.


    Zan, Cao Su, Li, Mei, and Ying Yue were all on the floor looking baffled at the scene above them unfolding. They were a few yards from Hei and Lian, so they too were able to look at everything that had happened since their arrival here.


    The sect leader and the other elders reached them immediately and were preparing to treat them instantly. Even though they weren''t dying, they still reported significant injuries, which needed immediate treatment to avoid more severe consequences.


    "Master, you''re here. Hei, he..." Mei tried to talk, but the sect leader, her teacher, replied to her disciple with a smile.


    "Don''t talk; you''re hurt. Just lie down for now. As for Hei, leave him alone for now."


    Right. Although the sect leader and the other elders had a myriad of questions to ask Hei, she knew that he wouldn''t respond now. All his concentration was directed at observing the battle that was taking place in the middle of the lake. There was no way he would pay attention to them. It was as if a big wall separated him and Lian from the rest of the people there. A wall that for them from outside wasn''t possible to climb over. Perhaps this was the difference between those destined for great things and those who occupied only a marginal role in the limitless history of the world?


    Bao Bei''s attack had managed to fulfill her intent, and the two were in the middle of the lake. The man strangely hadn''t opposed much resistance to that displacement, simply blocking Bao Bei''s leg to avoid being skewered.


    "Don''t get any weird ideas. You know I don''t give a damn about those beings there. The only reason why I let you make me move away from there is that otherwise, you wouldn''t have fought at full strength. And that''s not what I want. I want you to fight to the maximum of your strength and to understand that even putting your whole self into it, for you, there isn''t any possibility of victory. That yours is nothing but a senseless suicidal attempt like the one that made that idiot one hundred thousand years ago."


    "I know, I know you are abominable. It would never pass me through my mind that you could have merciful intentions towards another being. But you''re wrong about one thing. This confrontation isn''t useless. During our life, we are all destined to die, but it doesn''t mean that we must not fight against the adversities that fall on us. Even if it isn''t possible to achieve victory for oneself, the mere act of opposing beings can become a possibility for the future. A HOPE for those who will carry on our struggle. But that is something that someone like you who only knows how to destroy all types of life near you cannot understand."


    "Hope? Even that idiot had mumbled something about it. No, I''m not stupid enough to believe nonsense like that. Hope? Love? Compassion? What will they ever be useful for? They are only useless baggage that weighs you down and, after getting rid of them, I gained an unstoppable power. From being a mere mortal being, bound by the laws of the world, I have transcended into a higher being. I have become a GOD."


    "You say you are a god, but you are forced to steal other people''s bodies like a thief. Moreover, one hundred thousand years ago, those you call useless baggage stopped you at the end. Or am I wrong? Hei An''s HOPE managed to stop you and gave me a chance for the future. And now the time has come to give HOPE to someone else and give a chance to the future."


    "Hahaha, do you really think you can stop me? True, that idiot snake managed to stop me at that time. But at what price? Despite having sacrificed all his companions, he only succeeded in delaying my plans a little. Do you really believe that you, with your meager strength, may be able to do the same?"


    "Yes, remember. Never underestimate a woman, and above all, never underestimate a mother. When it comes to protecting those we love, there is nobody we can''t defeat."


    Bao Bei then proceeded to attack. The chattering time was over. All that was missing was to break down the enemy in front of her.


    Her eight legs snapped at crazy speeds against the human martial artist. In an instant, more than a dozen shots had been thrown by the divine beast spider. And yet, the man had accurately parred every hit. Unlike before, he wasn''t being pushed back with each parry.


    The two then began a kind of deadly dance, where at each strike, they produced dazzling sparks that illuminated their position. Instead of standing still at one point to exchange shots, the two fighters were moving at high speed along the entire surface of the lake. It was crazy how the two could throw such quick and precise hits as they were flying at high speed in the air.


    This dance lasted for several minutes. Neither seemed to prevail over the other or slow down the pace. Perhaps, if it hadn''t been for their desire to kill the other being before them, they could have gone on like this forever.


    Understanding that they couldn''t win that way, the spider and the human being separated after that intense exchange of blows.


    "Spear Intent. Annihilation Spear!"


    The two-meter spear in his hands was filled with his spirit power. Then a sharp light emerged from the tip of the spear in the direction of Bao Bei, which was about ten meters away.


    "Spider Lance."


    Bao Bei responded by bending backward one of her legs and then bringing it forward and destroying the attack of condensed spirit power that approached her.


    Boom!


    Another sound of an explosion resounded violently. Bao Bei''s leg had managed to block that attack, and she didn''t appear to have suffered any injury. Seeing this, the man smiled to himself: as expected from a divine beast, they had a really tough body. But despite this, he didn''t seem very worried.


    "Poison Law. Poisonous Annihilation Spear!"


    This time, a purple gleam covered the lance that prepared itself to strike again. As before, the tip emitted a sharp spirit power wave light. The difference, however, was that the Law of Poison had been added to that attack.


    Bao Bei didn''t worry at all about the new attack. Raising one of her legs again, she prepared to block again.


    "Law of Poison, Poison Coating. Poisonous Spider Lance."


    Boom!


    This time, purple sparks flew everywhere as the poison contained in the attacks dispersed like gas into the external environment. At that point, Bao Bei, who only had blocked during these two attacks, went on the offensive.


    "Law of Illusion. Senses Disruption!"


    Suddenly the spirit power of Bao Bei increased, but no flashy technique came out, like the energy attacks that man had used before. From the outside, it looked like she had failed, failing to activate her technique. Yet, was it really like that? A sixth-level divine beast, a powerhouse of this world had made such an amateur mistake?


    No, it wasn''t possible. There was no way it was true. Unless it was intentional, Bao Bei would never have failed to activate one of her techniques. Not to mention when it came to her innate Law, the Law of Illusions.


    It should be known that the Law of Illusions was divided into two categories: external illusions and internal illusions.


    The first, as the name implies, focused on creating illusions, generating things that didn''t exist. The illusion used on bandits during the attack on the Leaf Village was a kind of external illusion. Those people had indeed been placed inside a nightmare, imagining themselves to be submerged by an infinity of small spiders. They were so desperate to the point of committing suicide as they scratched themselves in the attempt to shake off the spiders.


    The latter instead consisted of disorienting the senses of the opponent: the direction of the sounds they heard, the type of color they visualized, the temperature they perceived, and so on. Although they weren''t able to generate things from nothing like the external ones, internal illusions were considered more subtle and dangerous because they were more tricky to perceive and block.


    An Illusion Law expert, in addition to making real what wasn''t, was able to make their opponent fall into their illusion without realizing it. Instead of making strange images appear to him, they would have altered the enemy''s perception by a tiny fraction, making it almost impossible, without a lot of experience, to understand that he/she was being manipulated. And this tiny change in perception would then become the space used by the user of the Law of Illusions to hit and take home the victory.


    Bao Bei arrived in front of the human martial artist and launched her blow. Her leg again encountered the enemy''s spear. Or so it was what the human thought when he threw his spear forward.


    Slash!


    Suddenly, a tremendous force appeared behind his back, causing him to fly tens of meters in the air before stabilizing himself. From his astonished face, it was clear that he hadn''t realized how he had been hit. He thought he had blocked, and yet the blow had come over him anyway.


    "Law of Illusion!" He said, grinding his teeth after finding the reason behind that attack.


    However, he barely had time to say those words that Bao Bei had already arrived behind him.


    Slash!


    Once again, despite having countered his spear in the direction in which he had seen Bao Bei arrive, he had been struck by her long leg. And so, the man was sent again to fly another ten meters.


    Nevertheless, regardless of the two heavy blows suffered, the protection of spirit power around his body remained stable and steady as before. It was as if the two shots he had just received were never even landed on his body in the first place.

 Chapter 93 - Bloodline vs. Bloodline! Domain vs. Domain!

    "I see. You''re interfering with my sense of sight perception. When I see your attack coming, you aren''t attacking me from the front, but from the opposite side. And the same is true when you attack from behind. But it''s not just the front and back who are affected. Even above and below and every possible direction as well. I admit, as I haven''t fight for a long time, I''m a little rusty. But your illusion is nothing so exceptional."


    The man smiled after he finished analyzing the situation he was in. He wasn''t in the least worried about being hit twice as he hadn''t suffered any injuries.


    In truth, leaving aside the first blow that had taken him by surprise, the second shot could have been blocked. However, he had decided not to implement any wide-range techniques to understand better the illusion in which he was. After all, even if it was a gamble, the quickest way to cancel and break an illusion was to dive into it and experience it on your body.


    Hei and Lian had done something similar in the Dream Trial. Instead of trying to isolate their mind and activate their spirit power to wake up, they had penetrated deep into the Nightmare. They accepted every image produced, eventually winning their demons.


    Only, although the action was similar, there was a massive difference between the two situations. Hei and Lian weren''t fighting that time, and even if they weren''t able to break the illusion, the penalty was just not getting a good score. Here instead, it was a fight to the death where only the one who would remain standing until the end would be the winner. Therefore, doing such an action in such a situation was concrete proof of one''s confidence in one''s abilities.


    Bao Bei didn''t worry and continued her attack.


    She appeared again behind her enemy and hit with her legs. This time, however, the human martial artist was ready to respond. He had broken the illusion, and there was no way he would confuse the directions again.


    Without fail, he avoided the Bao Bei''s attack and moved at lightning speed behind the gigantic divine beast spider, positioning himself a few meters above her. At that point, he prepared once again to strike with his spear.


    Bao Bei, however, didn''t let herself be impressed by this, and instead of moving away, she made a move that left everyone even more dumbfounded. Her body began to lean back as if she were somersaulting, bringing her back to face the surface of the lake and leaving her belly exposed.


    But, although it might seem strange that she left a delicate part like the belly so exposed, a moment later, all those present understood the reason for that choice.


    When Bao Bei pulled her body back, her eight legs were also brought back. From that position, she contracted them and snapped them against the martial artist who was about to attack.


    Boom!


    Another roar and the human with the spear was thrown even further than during the previous attacks. This time, there was a very thin strip of blood coming out of his mouth.


    As if he could not believe it, he ran a hand over his mouth and then began to stare at the blood-soaked fingers. The wound was no big deal and closed itself the next second. But just the fact that he had been wounded, even if it was small as a wound, was enough to put him on guard.


    "All right. I underestimated you. Or maybe it''s because this body is weaker than what I used last time... in any case, enough playing around. I hope you''re ready. Resist my attacks until the very end and desperate before your impotence. Weapon Materialization - N¨¡gar¨¡ja!"


    Suddenly, from the tip of the spear held by the man, an explosion of purple light appeared around the human martial artist. As that light dispersed, a 15-meter figure consisting only of condensed spirit power appeared.


    It was the figure of a human man. No, to be precise, it was human only in the upper half of its body. The lower part instead consisted of a long gigantic serpent tail that made up most of its body. The human upper part was only about three meters long, leaving a total length of twelve meters to the tail.


    That figure positioned itself behind the human martial artist while it looked with lifeless eyes at the gigantic spider that was facing its master.


    "You like it? Ironically, the best candidate I could find had a strong affinity for snakes. Don''t you find it curious? "


    The man irritably scoffed as he tried to make Bao Bei upset. And indeed, he succeeded in part because the eight big eyes of the purple spider were contracting from anger.


    Hei An was a snake. And it wasn''t strange that humans used moves that could be linked to spirit beasts. But she couldn''t accept that the person who had ''in front of her'' used techniques related to snakes and mocked her companion.


    "You don''t like it? Then let me show you something even more incredible. But before that, I still haven''t told you where I got this body, right? Let me tell you. He is the family head of one of the Eight Big Families on the Continent, the Sh¨¦ Family. "


    At that point, he stopped for a moment to momentarily enjoy Bao Bei''s reaction to the name he had just spoken. The divine beast spider had its eyes even more contorted by anger than before.


    "Yes, Sh¨¦, meaning Snake! Ba Serpent Bloodline, Activate!"


    At those words, the pupils of the Sh¨¦ Family man were reduced to two vertical slits, resembling the pupils of a snake while the skin took on a slightly greenish color. In addition to that physical change, the power of his attacks with the Law of Poison increased. That was the active ability of a bloodline. And in this case, it was a bloodline of the Poison Law.


    "Then, Secret Technique of the Sh¨¦ Family, Hydra Mode!


    Behind him, nine ten-meter long snake heads quickly appeared. They had the same color that his skin had taken. These were attached to the man''s back by his spirit power. No, rather than attached, they were like appendages generated by his very spirit power.


    "And finally, the final blow! Poison Domain - Snake Storm!"


    As with the two previous techniques, an incredible change occurred. The human martial artist''s spirit power expanded from his body, starting to create a fifty-meter radius sphere, with him considered as the center. Inside that sphere, his spirit power was literally being materialized into endless tiny green snakes that danced in the air generating a feeling of malice.


    When the Sh¨¦ Family head finished activating his techniques, the hairs of Bao Bei''s body had all risen. The divine beast spider could no longer contain her anger.


    Ba Serpent. One of the snake type species divine beasts. They had been among the first to accept Hei An as their emperor. At the same time, they had also been among the first to fall into the great war that ensued. The fact that that ''person'' was using a bloodline related to her partner was pissing off Bao Bei.


    With that anger in her body, Bao Bei activated her offensive.


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate! Law Poison Domain, Poisonous Spiderweb Dome!


    In one instant, the spirit power of Bao Bei was concentrated on the back end of her body, to be precise, on her spinneret.


    The spinneret was nothing but appendages of a spider body that was used to produce the web. Usually, Bao Bei slowly made her spiderweb go out, wrapping it carefully. This time instead, she charged her spirit power at that point, and from there came out a crazy amount of spiderweb.


    It was as if water had been poured into a container, and once closed, the liquid had boiled inside. Since the pressure inside would increase, and it couldn''t find a way out, in the end, the container itself would no longer be able to contain the water inside, generating an explosion.


    In a sense, it was a similar process. Except that instead of water, it was the silk of Bao Bei.


    The enormous amount of silk produced by the Bao Bei spinneret went to flow into the surrounding environment, extending for meters and meters. In the blink of an eye, a closed dome made of spiderweb with a radius of a hundred meters materialized in a few seconds, painting the sky itself and the lake below of silver-white. Inside that dome, there were now a giant spider and a human, which was surrounded by countless snakes.


    But the spiderweb that formed that dome wasn''t the classic spiderweb that Bao Bei used to produce for her children. No, it was a very different kind. The spiderweb had a purple color in addition to the classic silver white one. Every filament of the spiderweb, even the smallest one, was full of poison derived from the Poison Law.


    Domain. It was a technique at the top of all the techniques that could be used. It consisted of the materialization in the external world of one''s Elemental Law. That materialization would, therefore, influence the space itself, modifying it to create one''s personal area. In that area, the moves of the Domain''s Elemental Law would increase even more in power.


    And like Concepts, Domains varied from person to person. To be more precise, from a living being to a living being. In addition to the Elemental Law, one''s Bloodline, one''s physical body, one''s emotions, and personal history were also calculated to create a Domain.


    In the case of the Sh¨¦ Family head, his Domain was originated from the Poison Law and generated a myriad of small snakes. This was due to his Ba Serpent Bloodline and a particular fixation of the user for snakes. That fixation was also reflected in the form assumed by the Weapon Materialization. After all, coming from a family with a bloodline from a serpent divine beast, it was reasonable that he had grown up with a preference for those creatures.


    As for the Weapon Materialization, it was a process similar to the domain. Only, rather than materializing an Elemental Law, the technique would materialize the Artifact Spirit dwelling in the martial artist''s weapon. That materialization would increase even more the combat power of the user.


    As far as Bao Bai''s Domain was concerned, it was a combination of her characteristics as a spider and her mastery of the Poison Law. This dome was thus generated, and it would prevent the enemy from escaping. But just as the dome prevented the Sh¨¦ Family head from escaping, likewise, it couldn''t wrap itself around the enemy because of that Dominion formed by snakes. Once in contact, two Domains would always generate repulsion.


    It was also necessary to point out that the Domains weren''t necessarily linked to a Bloodline. A Bloodline made it easier to create a Domain, but it wasn''t an absolute requirement. And therefore, Bao Bei still had another Domain.


    "Illusion Law Domain, Rondo of Illusions!"


    The powerful voice of Bao Bei resounded in the air as the figure of its immense gigantic body flickered. Then, her giant body was reduced to 5 meters while at the same time, a series of light shapes appeared around her.


    When the light shapes materialized, they turned out to be identical copies of Bao Bei. It was impossible to distinguish who the original was once they started moving. And it wasn''t like there were three or four of those copies. No, the number of copies amounted to 50. All fifty were identical to the smallest hair on the body, and the pressure and sensation of Bao Bei''s spirit power were the same in each of those 50 bodies. The same was true for the smell, the sensation during contact, the noise produced by the movements, or the taste of Bao Bei''s skin.


    There was no way to distinguish them or maybe not? Because the human martial artist still had a smile on his face as if he weren''t at all nervous by what he was seeing. He just smiled even more.


    Looking at his reaction, all the Bao Beis looked him in the eye and said in unison.


    "Get ready for the last act. The curtain is about to fall, you, The One Who Hides Behind The Curtain."

 Chapter 94 - The Beast Emperor Return

    "Get ready for the last act. The curtain is about to fall, you, The One Who Hides Behind The Curtain."


    That was what Bao Bei said. Both had taken their Domains out, which were their strongest cards at their disposal and activated their bloodlines. It wouldn''t be the same as before.


    "Spider Run, Aerial Mode."


    Suddenly, all fifty Bao Beis began to move at an insane speed. Instead of using the normal flight that was linear but continuous, they were using Spider Run in the air to traverse several meters at high speed in a straight line.


    The procedure consisted of forming a cushion of spirit power on her legs'' tips to use it as a support point to project herself in the desired direction. Although Bao Bei wasn''t able to continue to move forward in the chosen direction after completing several meters, unlike the usual flying, this way was faster and allowed to surprise the enemy.


    Along with the displacement of the fifty Bao Beis, the Sh¨¦ Family head also moved. The snakes generated by his Domain hissed viciously and bared their teeth. Then, like an enormous cloud of green color, producing a metallic sound similar to a rattle, they fell forward against the advance of that spiders'' army.


    Spider vs. Snake. Who was going to win?


    But as soon as the snakes'' army moved, the gigantic spiderweb dome''s filaments, in which the two fighters were, began to thin out into space inside. Like thin needles, an unknown number of threads slipped into that green cloud and pierced the snakes, binding them with their bodies.


    However, when these filaments created a hole in the snakes'' body, the reptiles snapped and divided their bodies in half. They used the hole that had been built into their bodies as a separating line. Then, the front part became smaller as it formed a tail, and the back one became smaller in turn to create a head.


    And like that, for each snake killed by the silk filaments, two other serpents would be created, increasing the density of that green cloud.


    "Nagaraja, Poisonous Knife Rain."


    Taking advantage of the space not occupied by his snakes, the Sh¨¦ Family head ordered his Artifact Spirit to attack him. Therefore, in the portion of space where the man and the strange figure were, sharp daggers created with spirit power appeared. Each of them contained a crazy amount of Poison Law.


    At that point, an incredible number of these daggers flew against the Bao Beis army that was continuing to advance.


    "Chaos Spiderweb."


    Bao Bei noticed that the snakes weren''t being blocked at sufficient speed and that a shower of daggers was also coming. So, she activated another of her techniques.


    The filaments of her spiderweb dome that had so far stretched out in an orderly manner began to lose control and scatter in bulk throughout the area inside. With such chaos, they couldn''t miss the snakes and the daggers.


    However, some of the snakes and daggers, commanded at a distance by the human martial artist, dodged the protective layer of the spiderweb, creeping into the empty spaces, and advanced towards the Bao Beis'' army.


    The figures of Bao Bei, therefore, began to be pierced one by one, disappearing after contact and finally leaving the original Bao Bei that was still undamaged.


    "Poisonous Cloud Explosion."


    The remains of snakes and daggers pierced by the spiderweb''s filaments, and those that had destroyed the false copies of Bao Bei began to tremble and produce a disturbing sound before they burst completely. From that outbreak, an immense poisonous cloud spread like an enormous wave in the sea, swallowing everything it encountered.


    "Cocoon Spiderweb."


    As the cloud approached, Bao Bei secreted more silk from her spinneret to create a circular sphere similar to a cocoon around herself. That cocoon then underwent the full impact of that poisonous cloud, slowly starting to melt as it came into contact with that toxic gas.


    "Nagaraja, go! Embrace of Death."


    The half-human and half-snake figure derived from the Artifact Spirit residing in the weapon of the Sh¨¦ Family head leaned forward at high speed, taking advantage of Bao Bei''s momentary ''blindness'' in her cocoon.


    His poisonous cloud had not only an attack function but also created a disturbance in the enemy''s ability to detect spirit power through their spirit sense. This was because the poisonous cloud allowed his spirit power to spread everywhere in the space occupied by the cloud.


    As far as the spirit sense was concerned, it was an ability of beings endowed with spirit power to detect the spirit power around them. It was like a kind of detector, but it recognized only spirit power. Consequently, if a martial artist should momentarily cancel their spirit power and advance without activating it, they wouldn''t be detected by the enemy''s spirit sense.


    This technique was also used by every being able to perform it. Because the function of detection could also be used during fights, making it perfect when you lose sight of the enemy.


    But as it always happened when techniques were invented, techniques that could influence or cancel that detection function were later created. But for Bao Bei, it wasn''t a problem at all. She didn''t only use her Spirit Sense to fight.


    "Spider Hair."


    The hairs on her body began to rhythmically sway as they caught the slightest movement out of the spiderweb cocoon where she was. The amount of sound perceived was monstrous. An ordinary being would go crazy just to hear such a high quantity of noise inside their heads. Nevertheless, Bao Bei didn''t flinch and continued to detect the sounds, quickly isolating the useless ones, one by one.


    And so, with Spider Hair, she felt the approach of the half-human figure and half a serpent created by her enemy.


    That being made of spirit power began to wrap its tail around the cocoon, which was now beginning to show signs of collapse as the upper human part prepared to attack as soon as the cocoon would be destroyed.


    And after a short time, that happened. Under the action of the poisonous cloud and the tail''s crushing of that being, the barrier-like cocoon of Bao Bei was eventually torn to pieces, sowing filaments of melted silk everywhere.


    And yet, as soon as the cocoon broke, a silver-white figure emerged from inside. It was wrapped in the grip of the half-human and half-snake figure''s hands.


    "Spider Bite."


    Slash!


    The head of that hybrid figure was cut in half while the rest of the body precipitously fell to the ground.


    Thud!


    The head and the body crashed against the surface of the lake, generating an imposing spray. Then they disappeared like grains of colored dust in the air.


    Above where the crash had occurred, there was a five-meter spider covered entirely by silvery-white silk as if it was armor.


    "Spider Carapace, Spiderweb Mode. Silk Armor!"


    The supreme defensive technique possessed by Bao Bei.


    Combining her already hard body with Spider Carapace and her spiderweb, Bao Bei was able to create this kind of armor. In this way, her defensive power would skyrocket, making her an unstoppable machine.


    "You should know that the weapons Artifact Spirits are created with fragments of the user''s soul. Even if you take over the body, it will still be able to perceive the presence of a stranger and won''t generate all of its power."


    The words of Bao Bei were like a veiled arrow that pointed straight to the enemy''s pride. However, he answered with a laugh.


    "So? What does it change? It''s just a weapon that didn''t accomplish its task. I have plenty of other techniques to use in its place."


    Then, he leaped forward into the region devoid of snakes and spiderwebs'' filaments. The dome of Bao Bei also had extensive damage and could barely stand up, let alone attack as before.


    "Law of Space, Instant Displacement."


    The body of the Sh¨¦ Family head disappeared before the eyes of all those who were watching the battle. The next instant, he appeared next to Bao Bei. His nine snake heads behind his back were still there, and they prepared to strike.


    "Law of Time, Arrest."


    It was as if the flow of time itself had stopped. The hairs on Bao Bei''s body, as well as her movements, were still as if they were frozen in time. Taking advantage of that arrest, the nine snake heads behind the back of the Sh¨¦ Family head gathered forward with their mouths wide open.


    "Concept of Destruction, Law of Poison, Hydra Destruction Cannon!"


    From each of the snake mouths came a ray of spirit power of enormous power. Just being hit by one of those rays was inconceivable, let alone nine. Yet, this was what happened. The nine beams merged into one, increasing their overall power before heading against the immovable Bao Bei, which at that point couldn''t possibly block the attack.


    "It''s over, you lousy monster! Die like that snake asshole!"


    The Sh¨¦ Family head screamed with a face distorted by the negative emotions he felt. There wasn''t even the slightest trace of elegance and grace existing before. All he wanted was to see that hated spider destroyed in front of him.


    Boom! Screech!


    A roar, louder than all those heard before, broke out where the two fighters were. Then it spread throughout the entire lake. Those who were watching from the lake shore, despite Gaiya''s protective veil, couldn''t help but all collapse on the ground, covering their ears because they couldn''t bear that deafening sound.


    No, it wasn''t correct. Not everyone was down to cover their ears. Two people, no, five beings were standing, unconcerned about how loud the noise was.


    Besides Gaiya, Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian stood motionless in their place. Their eyes never lost sight of Bao Bei for a moment. Not even the tears or their eardrums'' rupture or the excruciating pain that was gripping their hearts. No, none of this mattered. The only thing they cared about was the purple spider that was fighting in the sky with a strength never seen before.


    It was because Bao Bei was the strongest being of all!


    Therefore, there was no way that she would have let herself be defeated. And their absolute trust towards Bao Bei wasn''t disappointed because, despite the impossible situation, the divine beast spider, the Empress of all the Divine Beasts, wasn''t a being that would have gone down even for a blow that seemed impossible to avoid or block.


    "Concept of Reality, Projection of the Dream."


    When the glow from the titanic ray descended on Bao Bei, she said these words. Then she closed her eight eyes to see more clearly the image she wanted, not at all worried about the incoming ray that swept her a moment later.


    But Bao Bei hadn''t been swept, though. In front of her, a snake with pitch-black scales had suddenly appeared. Its whole body was pitch black, even its eyes, its tongue, and its teeth. Every visible part of this snake was of that color.


    After resisting the attack, that snake that initially had a size similar to that which Bao Bei was assuming, meaning five meters in length, began to grow larger.


    10 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters, 150 meters.


    At 150 meters long, the pitch-black snake stopped growing. Then it threw a hiss that reverberated throughout the lake region.


    Hiss!


    No, it wasn''t just the Crossroad Lake. The whole Rainbow Island was within the range of that hiss, making everyone who listened to it scare. However, it was different from the attacks of the Sh¨¦ Family martial artist. Those who heard that hiss, whether they on the lake shore or elsewhere, weren''t damaged by the sound''s out-of-scale intensity.


    Yet this wasn''t the case for the spirit beasts of the island. But rather than damaged, they were instead influenced by this hiss. Each of them began to kneel on the ground while they issued calls to respond to that cry.


    It didn''t matter if they were birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, or amphibians. It didn''t matter if they were vertebrate or invertebrate species. All of them were bending down to the ground. And this was because they could perceive it. Even if they didn''t know why, inside their hearts, they knew.


    It was as if it were engraved within their very essence. The supreme existence of their species. The pinnacle of the final evolution that had been denied to them countless years ago and which they so desperately longed to achieve.


    Their Lord and Sovereign, the Emperor Beast, had returned.


    And when the hissing finally ended, the black eyes of that pitch-black snake lingered on the human flying high in the sky that until a moment before was laughing pleased, convinced that he had finally achieved victory.


    "And so, we meet again. The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains."


    Authority. It was the most immediate feeling you felt when you listened to that voice. Not an authority derived from fear or from oppressing others with your strength. Not at all. It was an authority derived from trust and hope that those who followed him had towards their lord.


    For his enemies, his voice would have been like the cold blade of a dagger on a dark night. For his allies, it was instead like a spiderweb''s thread lowered to save the souls in pain that were in Hell.


    "HEI AN!"


    The Sh¨¦ Family head''s face became even more contracted and deformed than it had done up until now. This time, in addition to anger and hatred, there was a slight nuance of fear in his voice and expression. And it was because he couldn''t help feeling fear before the appearance of the snake that he had become even more furious.


    "HEI AN! YOU! I! WILL! KILL! YOU! "


    The human screamed violently with all the breath he had in his body. The being that had being occupying his thoughts for a hundred thousand years had appeared before him. The being that most of all, he wanted to kill him with his own hands. No, killing him was a euphemism.


    He wanted to tear his enemy''s flesh apart, cut it into pieces until the last shred. Tormenting his soul for eternity while binding him to survive to watch his loved ones suffer one by one of a horrible death. He wanted to see him collapse and despair. He wanted to see him plead for himself or his loved ones and see his reaction when he denied him grace, forcing him to suffer more.


    It was the stage his obsession, his resentment, and his hatred against the being before his eyes had reached.


    But this was of no use, because Hei An, the Emperor Beast, was the only possessor in the whole history of this world who had ever awakened the Concept of Hope. Regardless of how desperate his situation or that of his companions might seem, he wouldn''t give up. He would continue to advance, confident that one day, his dream would come true, even if he had to die to leave HOPE to someone else.


    "The One Who Hides Behind the Curtains! This time I''ll be your opponent! "

 Chapter 95 - The Curtains Comes Down

    "The One Who Hides Behind the Curtains! This time I''ll be your opponent!"


    The immense black snake proclaimed loudly as its spirit power was released into the surrounding environment.


    Those who were witnessing the clash, for the umpteenth time, were shocked by what they were seeing.


    "That ... snake ... black scales..."


    "How is it possible? We are sure that ...? "


    "Could it be that it is...?"


    "The Snake of Darkness!"


    "But it should be something that belongs to the legends of the past. How is it possible?"


    While the martial artists of the Rainbow Island families and sects were exchanging absolute disbelief, among the spectators present there, five had other emotions that flowed inside them in addition to disbelief.


    "Hei An! Is it really him?!" Gaiya exclaimed loudly.


    Ye and Xing on hearing Gaiya''s confirmation, couldn''t help but watch the gigantic black snake that had appeared excited with more intensity.


    Their father! The father they had never met and only heard of. Between the two, it was Ye in particular who felt more interested in the black snake she was seeing. She could feel her bloodline boiling wildly inside her.


    But it wasn''t just the three divine beasts there, even Hei and Lian were staring incredulously that black snake.


    Lian was amazed by the power and magnificence of the being before her eyes. Hei instead felt a more complex emotion.


    The Snake of Darkness, Hei An. The father, who wasn''t his real father, but at the same time, he was. His mother''s companion, the biological father of Ye and Xing, as well as the creator of the snake style he used. The one who had saved his mother one hundred thousand years ago, thus allowing Hei and Bao Bei to meet. And finally, the being to which the mission that his mother wanted him to complete belonged.


    "Domain of Darkness, Embrace of Darkness."


    Suddenly, despite being in broad daylight, all the light in that area began to quickly thin until it was entirely replaced by a dark night.


    "Law of Darkness, Dark Breath."


    Hei An''s mouth opened, and from it came a ray of intense black color that aimed at the Sh¨¦ Family head. The latter wasn''t late and answered immediately.


    "Concept of Destruction, Poison Law, Hydra Destruction Cannon!"


    Once again, the nine snake heads on the back of the human martial artist condensed his spirit power and joined the mouths to fire the ray used before.


    Boom!


    Another big explosion. The lake water was moved violently due to the shock wave, generating massive waves that continued until they reached the shore of the lake before being blocked by Gaiya''s protective veil.


    But the dispute wasn''t over. The nine snakes'' beam had blocked the ray of darkness. However, after having being stopped momentarily, the ray of darkness had continued its advance, gaining meter over meter, and it was getting closer and closer to its target.


    "Shit! Shit! Avatar Restrictions Removed! Transfer of Power!"


    With those words, the body of the human began to swell as his spirit power reached an even more inhuman scale. It was unbelievable how much spirit power he was able to be able to emit.


    In this way, his ray of spirit power that was having the worst stopped his retreat, and he began to gain the meters he had lost. No, he began to subdue the dark ray that wanted to destroy him.


    In the end, the ray of spirit power produced by the nine snake heads got the better of it and crashed into the giant black snake.


    Crash! Rumble!


    The black snake suffered the impact of the technique and collapsed on the surface of the lake. Then, it disappeared like grains of black light into the air.


    From above, the Sh¨¦ Family head stared in disbelief at this scene as he struggled for energy.


    "I don''t understand. Hei An was much stronger than that. Then why¡­? Wait, don''t tell me..?!"


    The man finally noticed a small but fundamental detail to witch, with the appearance of his archenemy had given no weight. But it was too late by now.


    Whistle!


    From above the location of the human martial artist, a five-meter purple spider was plummeting downward at an impressive speed.


    "Spider Lance, Law of Poison, Rot Venom Lance."


    The legs on the right side of Bao Bei''s body shone with a malign and dying light and flung themselves on her enemy.


    The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains had no way to dodge or use other techniques, so he could only do the only possible thing. To prepare himself for the impact by increasing the thickness of his protective layer of spirit power and use the nine heads to reduce that impact.


    Stab!


    The nine heads faced four of the eight legs of Bao Bei, and incredibly, despite their numerical advantage, these weren''t able to stop the advance of the spider''s legs.


    The Sh¨¦ Family head was, therefore, catapulted downwards as his nine snake heads gradually began to erode as they were unable to resist all that power.


    "Bitch! Now I understand! The Concept of Reality! You used the Concept of Reality on your Law of Illusions!"


    Exact. The black snake that appeared before everyone wasn''t the real Hei An. Yet, although he wasn''t, at the same time, he was the real Hei An, the Emperor Beast.


    Bao Bei had used the Law of Illusions to recreate her lost loved one and transformed that illusion into reality thanks to the Concept of Reality. Thas was why the black snake had been able to spoke and attack as if it were alive.


    However, the Concept of Reality required more expenditure of energy according to the complex of the illusion you wanted to make real. And making the Snake of Darkness appear and reproducing its strength was an arduous task, and Bao Bei could only make him stay for a short time.


    For this reason, the black snake had disappeared after enduring the attack. Had the black snake been the real Snake of Darkness, he wouldn''t have gone down so quickly, even if the strength of that ray had been twice as much.


    But that didn''t matter. The reason why Bao Bei had used such an exhausting move was to create a single moment of distraction in her opponent, that''s all. A single moment was all she needed.


    Rot Venom. The most potent poison available to her.


    It was an acid poison so powerful that it destroyed everything with which it came into contact, including its user or the medium with which it was used. And the reaction was so powerful that if someone with a weak body had tried to use it, they would have been disintegrated before they even reached the enemy. Fortunately, the legs of Bao Bei had an incredible hardness, so much so that they could hold up long enough for the decomposition generated by the poison, even if, in the end, they too would be destroyed.


    The two fighters touched the surface of the lake and continued to descend towards the bottom of the lake.


    ''Do you think you can change something with this sacrifice of yours?! Even if you stop me, I''ll come back. I have already prepared my plans, and without Hei An, no one can stop me. Even if you kill this body, you can''t kill me or stop my advance.''


    After arriving at the bottom of the lake, the nine snake heads of the Sh¨¦ Family head had been destroyed. The same was true for the four legs of Bao Bei, who was now using the weight of her own body to block her opponent at the bottom of the lake.


    Since there was water all around, the two were using spirit messages to speak since it wasn''t possible to talk in the water unless they possessed the Law of Water. However, the lack of oxygen wasn''t a problem. High-rank martial artists and high-level divine beasts all had an absurd ability to store air in their lungs and control their oxygen consumption. It wasn''t a problem at all, therefore, getting to stay for hours and hours immersed in water.


    ''It''s true. Even if I kill you, I won''t solve anything, and I''m not able to stop your plans. But it doesn''t matter. I told you. All I need is to create a possibility in the future. Because in the future, the being that all of us have been waiting for will surely come. A being more powerful than all of us that will stop you and save this world.''


    ''Those words again! How can you be so foolish as to believe that someone could stop me?! Hei An himself failed, even if he had sacrificed all his companions and his race to reach the divine rank. You divine beasts are now extinct. There is nothing you can do now. Or are you talking about humans or demons? Oh, give me a break! Those are busy killing each other for garbage that they consider treasures. They only serve as pawns in my plan and to entertain me. It is absurd to think that a divine beast like you would trust a human or a demon, hahaha.''


    ''Think of it the way you want, but I''m sure it will come. I''ve already seen it in my dreams. The HOPE of this world is already born. And the mission I was given is to protect it, at all costs. Farewell, The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains. One day you too will die, and you will have to pay for the sins you have committed in your life.''


    ''Rot Venom Lance.''


    The remaining four legs went down and penetrated through the protective layer of spirit power of the Sh¨¦ Family head. By now, the human martial artist had consumed almost every residue of his spirit power, and the little he had left wasn''t able to stop the attack of Bao Bei.


    ''I WILL NEVER DIE! REMEMBER THAT! I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING! YOUR HOPE AND ALSO THIS WORLD!''


    With those words, the four spider legs finally touched the flesh and penetrated it, sinking deep into the bottom and injecting the decomposing poison.


    Quickly, the body of the human martial artist and the remaining four legs of Bao Bei began to crumble like ash, disappearing into the water of the lake.


    The eight exhausted eyes of Bao Bei lingered on the rotting corpse in front of her.


    ''Law of Space, Opening of Space.''


    Unexpectedly, a hole in the water was formed into the center of the man''s chest, or rather into space. It was similar to what the Sh¨¦ Family head had done when he opened a gash in space to reach the Secret Dimension.


    ''Unfortunately, I am not proficient enough to use the Law of Space or the Law of Time in combat. But I can at least do this.''


    What Bao Bei was doing was opening a connection with the pocket dimension of the enemy she had killed. Given that he was the family head of one of the most important and influential families on the continent, at least from the words of The One Who Hides Behind The Curtains, it was taken for granted that he brought with him a myriad of treasures.


    As far as pocket dimensions were concerned, when a living being reached a certain degree of power, they could create a personal space in their soul where they could store objects or even carry people or other living beings. The size of the pocket dimension was according to the strength of the soul of that individual.


    However, the part of the soul used to create the pocket dimension was tied to the body during the process. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been possible to develop it. Consequently, when the martial artist or divine beast was killed, even if their souls were to survive, it wasn''t possible to preserve their pocket dimension. The pocket dimension, therefore, with the death of the body and the loss of the progenitor soul''s connection, would lose its stability until it imploded on itself and destroyed everything inside.


    Therefore, if one wanted to seize the enemy''s treasures, one had to act quickly and create a connection with the pocket dimension devoid of its master to retrieve the objects inside.


    It went without saying, however, that if the owner was still alive, it was impossible to do this without them intervening and immediately closing the connection to their pocket dimension.


    Furthermore, this process was so elaborate and complicated that it needed full concentration. Although a few moments of time might appear little, they were a massive window for high-rank martial artists and high-level divine beasts. Trying to do this in the middle of a war was almost impossible. Even if you were to kill your opponent, it was difficult to do as you would be vulnerable to a surprise attack.


    But fortunately, Bao Bei wasn''t on a battlefield in the middle of a war and had to face only one enemy who now lay lifeless on the bottom of the lake and was crumbling, disappearing into thin air.


    ''I finished collecting what was inside. It''s time to go seeing to my treasures one last time.''


    Slowly, the body of Bao Bei was reduced to one meter in length and began to rise to the surface. All she had in mind at the moment was to reach her cubs and greet them for the last time.


    As she feared, her body already with its counted minutes, in the end, had reached its limit.

 Chapter 96 - Legacy of a Mother

    The body of Bao Bei, now devoid of all her eight legs, was slowly emerging from the lake. Her eight eyes were slowly closing in fatigue, and her breathing was getting heavier. Slowly but surely, she was dying.


    The life force of Bao Bei was already in decline since Hei was a child. And it wasn''t a decline derived from burning her blood essence and therefore recoverable, even if it was difficult. No, it was instead derived from having consumed the entire lifespan that had been given to her.


    As much as she could try, there was no way to escape the chains of time. Sooner or later, everyone would die, no matter how strong they were. No, there was a method. To reach the Divine Rank. But it wasn''t something she could hope to achieve even with another hundred thousand years of life.


    However, it didn''t matter. She didn''t care about living for eternity. The only thing she wanted was to live to see her children grow up and create a family. Playing with her grandchildren and die wrapped in the love of her family.


    Still, fate hadn''t been so generous.


    Unexpectedly, in her quiet and loving life, her old enemy had reappeared. All the emotions of anger that were sleeping inside her exploded. The mission she didn''t want to think about was back in her life.


    So she fought. To give a chance to her treasures. A possibility for the future. But to do this, Bao Bei had to consume all the life force she had tried to save over the years.


    Assume her true dimensions, use elemental techniques, activate her bloodline, activate both her domains.


    Each of these actions was a colossal waste of energy, but together, they had consumed Bao Bei entirely. Now, only her willpower and her desire to see her children for the last time were moving her forward.


    Rumble


    The water surface began to tremble, and from there came out the body of Bao Bei from which the rest of the spiderweb armor came off. Then, looking around with her eight eyes, the divine spider beast headed for where her children were, landing in front of them.


    When they looked at the conditions in which Bao Bei was, Hei and Lian had their eyes flooded with tears while Ye and Xing were emitting heart-rending cries while writhing in pain. None of them dared to accept the reality they had before them. Gaiya was also crying. She could sense the condition of her beloved. Now that she had found her, fate was taking her away again.


    "Come."


    A brief word came from Bao Bei. Her half-closed eyes were struggling to remain open as she urged those she loved to come closer.


    "Mom ... Mom." (Ye)


    "Please ..." (Xing)


    "Master ..." (Lian)


    "Mother, I... why?" (Hei)


    "Your Highness¡­"


    Bao Bei, seeing them standing still in pain, began to move slowly with difficulty to approach them. Noticing her movement, the five immediately walked beside her with a pained face.


    "Well done, my little ones. Come here. Gaiya, thank you for protecting them."


    "Your Highness, I am not worthy of your words. Sniff, sniff, Your Highness, you...?"


    "Yes, I''m dying. This body had already reached the limit long ago, but I managed to conserve my strength. But now I have consumed it completely. You too, Gaiya, are about to disappear, right?"


    "Your Highness, how...?"


    "I know. I read the memories of my little ones now. I know everything you told them, including Hei An and the Heart. Ah, it''s typical of him to surprise me and make me worry like that."


    "Your Highness, if you have read their memories, then...?!"


    Gaiya''s voice took on an agitated tone as her body became more and more transparent.


    It must be known that when she had brought everyone out of the Secret Dimension and inserted the Secret Dimension within the Heart of the World Tree, at the same time, she had cut the bond that anchored her to this world. But even so, she would have had a long time before she disappeared.


    However, as Bao Bei, her consumption of spirit power to protect all those present from the spirit power''s undulations from the violent struggle had accelerated the process of decay. She now had just several minutes before she disappeared.


    Bao Bei looked Gaiya in the eyes and answered her doubt.


    "Yes, I saw what you said to Lian. No, actually, I had known about it for a very long time. The only reason I pretended nothing was because I was afraid of hurting you. Still, doing so maybe I ended up hurting you more. Therefore Gaiya, this time, I will listen seriously to what you feel, and I will give you my answer."


    Gaiya, when she heard those words, was astonished. She never imagined that her most intimate feelings, which she had done everything to hide, had been seen through by Bao Bei. As it was to be expected by her Empress, no one except her had noticed that.


    Making several deep sighs, Gaiya prepared to reveal what she had never said.


    "Your Highness. No. Bao Bei. I love you. I love you since we became friends. At first, it was simple curiosity, but seeing how you tried and how you were striving gave me the strength to continue in my role as Queen of plant divine beasts. I was very unsure of myself, but you became my source of strength, and you were near to me all the time. I never dared to say it so far because I didn''t want to ruin the relationship we had between us. I knew perfectly well what you felt for Hei An, so I was afraid that if I told you my feelings, then I would receive a refusal, and I would finish losing you. In the end, I did nothing but lie to my heart and comfort myself in seeing you from afar."


    Gaiya''s words contained a sadness and a wrenching pain. Strange as it may seem, the pain resulting from unrequited or unrealized love was more painful than a physical injury.


    Seeing all the time, the one you loved and not being able to hug him/her, holding him/her, kissing him/her... it was an inexpressible pain. Seeing that person/being fell in love with someone else and for fear of losing him/her, you ended up being satisfied with looking at him/her from afar and savoring those few moments with him/her. And the only alternatives were to get away from your loved one or accept that situation. Or reveal what you felt.


    But to reveal what you feel, especially if you really love that person/being, according to the circumstances, it was more difficult than facing a fight to the death. The fear of not being reciprocated was even greater than facing death.


    Yet now, when both she and Bao Bei were at the end of their lives, Gaiya had finally found the courage to confess her love.


    Bao Bei smiled to herself and answered, giving her the most sincere answer.


    "Thank you for your feelings towards me, but Gaiya, I am in love with Hei An. I have always loved him since the first time I met him, and I will continue to love him even after my death. But even if I don''t love you the way you want, I''ve always considered you one of the most important beings for me. A friend of mine, no, the best friend I could ever hope to find. I''m sorry I made you suffer all this time, and I thank you for staying close to me until the end. Without you, I couldn''t have done it."


    Gaiya fell to her knees, sobbing heavily. On her face, there was a smile of happiness and relief. Despite Bao Bei''s rejection, she was happier than ever. The weight she had in her heart had finally been removed, and inside her, she could feel the chains blocking her heart being destroyed.


    While Gaiya recovered from the whirlwind of her emotions, Bao Bei used her spirit power to take the Heart of the World Tree and made it floating in front of her. Suddenly, a small light emerged and slowly disappeared. Then, she made the Heart floating again, making it fall into Hei''s hands.


    "In here, I put all the objects I kept in my Dimensional Pocket. From now on, the Heart will belong to you, my son. Go to the Continent and find your father. He will reveal to you the hidden truth of this world and the origin of the real enemy that you will have to face. From now on, you will be the one to lead the family. Protect Lian and your sisters at all costs, understand? "


    "Mother... sob... sob... how can I? How can I do all this on my own? How can I go on without you? Without being able to feel your warmth, your voice, or your breath? I can''t. I can''t. Please don''t leave us. Don''t leave me, stay here with me."


    Upon hearing her son''s plea, Bao Bei''s eyes filled with tears. Not even she wanted to leave them, but there was no way to prevent it.


    "Yes, you can do it. Listen to me, Hei. You are mine, no, our HOPE. The hope to save our species and the whole world. When I took you with me, I didn''t know if you were able to do it, and I was reluctant to talk to you about my past. But seeing you grow day after day, I saw something unique in you ¡ª a particular light like that of Hei An. No, something even more unique. This is why I know you will be fine, and you will succeed in what your father and I have failed to accomplish. However, on your journey, you will encounter many difficulties. It''s up to you now, protect our family, and to do that, I''ve prepared something for you. "


    Bao Bei pulled from her dimensional pocket a two-meter-long dark purple spear that was covered from the head to the end with red veins that resembled a spider''s web.


    "This is a spear I made for you. It is made with my own exoskeleton combined with my bloodline. I prepared it when you were still a baby as a gift when you would become able to walk alone.


    The weapons created by the body of us divine beasts are particular. You will find all the details on the Continent. Just know that you will never have to change weapons again for the rest of your life. With this spear protect your family and save this world, did you understand?"


    While Hei received the spear in his hands, Bao Bei moved to Lian and gave her two 5 meter long silk ribbons.


    "Lian, I prepared these two for you. They were made with my bloodline. You must know that after donating my blood to Hei and creating his spear, I didn''t have much left. Because of this, I didn''t give you my bloodline, but luckily you managed to find Gaiya''s. However, the little remaining was still sufficient to create these two. As with Hei''s spear, you will never have to change weapons again if you want to.


    I must ask you to look after my children. I know they will bring you a lot of worries, but stay close to them and make sure they don''t get in trouble."


    Lian received the two silk ribbons with her hands outstretched and knelt with her head on the ground while a sapphire veil of tears covered her beautiful blue eyes.


    At that point, Bao Bei finally turned to her two little daughters. To the fruits of her love with the one she had loved, she loved and will always love.


    "Ye, Xing. As you are divine beasts, unfortunately, I have nothing to give you as weapons. This is why I want you to take one thing - my spirit core."


    Hearing the words spirit core, Ye and Xing shook their heads in shock, categorically refusing to obey their mother. How could they take their mother''s spirit core?


    "Ye, Xing. Listen to me well. You have to take it. Not now, not even in the near future. But there will come a day that your strength will fail, that you will need something to overcome your limitations. Because of that day, I want you to keep my spirit core. With that, I will always be close to you, and eventually, I will become part of you as your strength. Knowing Hei An, I know for sure that in addition to the Blood Essence of the World Tree and the Essence of us Divine Beasts, he has kept his bloodline and his spirit core. I am sure he will be delighted to find that he has two daughters. And he will be proud of how strong you will have become.


    Therefore, please, don''t make trouble and protect your big brother. Although he is usually calm, he sometimes gets angry and doesn''t pay attention to his safety. So, in those moments, you must be the one to help him. Be good and listen to his orders. If you need, ask for help. Lian will also be with you, so protect her too."


    Ye and Xing listened to their mother''s speech with difficulty. The emotions inside the two little spirit beasts were so hard to bear. Since their birth, their world had been revolved around their mother. Whatever experiences they had or the difficulties they encountered, at the end of the day, there was always their mother to console them. But how would they do now that she was gone? That they couldn''t stand by her side anymore.


    Bao Bei then momentarily closed her eyes and thought about her life.


    She recalled when he was a tiny spider and how she met Hei An. About how he took her with him as thanks for saving his life. About how they traveled from region to region, visiting so many incredible places.


    She remembered how little by little, she became stronger and stronger until she became a divine beast and her successes in her Elemental Laws.


    She remembered how her minuscule world had expanded to a boundless magnitude, and she finished meeting an infinity of living beings. About how her relationship with Hei An had progressed, professing their love in front of their comrades.


    She remembered how they went to war together for the future of their species and the difficulties they faced.


    She remembered how desperate and empty she felt when she found herself in the Multicolored Leaf Forest. About how surprised and happy she had been when she had found the eggs of Ye and Xing fertilized. Or when she had found Hei.


    She recalled the strange family experience that those little ones were giving her. What it was like to be a mother for the first time in her life. About how her treasures grew every day. About how they welcomed Lian into their family, ending up acquiring another daughter.


    All the memories of the past and the emotions she had felt so far condensed in her mind. In the end, all she had left was a little wish.


    ''I would like to stay with them a little bit more. I don''t want to leave them yet. I want to stay by their side until the end. I want to continue to be their mother just a little bit longer. Hei An, please. Take care of them for me. I will wait you on the other side, as I always did. Forever.''


    With that desire in mind, Bao Bei looked at her treasures for the last time and breathed her last breath.


    The last living divine beast, the Queen of Divine Beasts, the Emperor Beast''s Companion, was dead. But she hadn''t died as a holder of one of those titles. No, she died as a Mother. The Mother of four beautiful cubs who had given her joy and serenity when she thought that everything was now finished, and it made no sense to live in that unknown world alone, without the warmth of her loved one or the support of her companions.


    With her death, Ye, Xing, Lian, and Hei were forever scarred, receiving in their hearts a wound that would never be healed. A wound that would have repercussions in their lives.

 Chapter 97 - Seventh Stage! Bloodline Activate!

    Silence and lack of words


    It was what the martial arts survivors were feeling by looking so close to the big spider. A creature that until recently had fought at an unimaginable level for them. But it wasn''t just because of the facts of a while ago. No, inside, they felt that somehow they couldn''t break the scene in front of them.


    Two human youths and two spirit beasts were in front of the spider and were moaning as if they were in the grip of an unstoppable and unprecedented pain. They could feel their suffering even without knowing the dynamics behind their relationships.


    Meanwhile, Gaiya, who was becoming increasingly transparent, looked at Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing.


    ''Even though the pain in my chest is intense, the pain you are experiencing is even greater. I have lived for countless years with your mother while you haven''t been given this opportunity. Bao Bei, my love, if I could, I would gladly keep the treasures you left here. Unfortunately, my body is at the limit, and soon I will reach you. But first, there is one last thing I need to do. One last thing not to make your sacrifice vain.''


    "Hei, Lian, Ye, Xing. Your mother was a being like no other. I know the suffering that is flooding your heart. So, I won''t tell you not to cry or repress your sadness. But regardless of the pain that is oppressing you or how uncertain the road ahead may appear, keep walking. Don''t stop, even if you were to be blocked by the chains of sadness and uncertainty. Remember that your mother trusted you, and she will always do it. As long as you continue to love her, she will remain in your hearts and your memories. And to protect the Bao Bei inside you, I will protect you for the last time before disappearing."


    At the words of Gaiya, Hei and the others looked up with their faces devastated by pain. It was true. Their mother would never have wanted them to stay there crying forever, but how could they not despair after losing the most important being to them?


    "Law of Wood, Sou Attack, Heart Flower."


    Gaiya''s eyes landed on a precise spot on the lake shore. To be exact, where the tower where the Spirit Artifact resided was located.


    "No, wait. Please, I won''t say- "


    The Spirit Artifact tried to speak but was blocked by the following words of the Divine Beast, Lotus of Love.


    "Heartbreaking."


    Crash!


    Suddenly, the sound of something being broken resounded through the air, followed immediately by a piercing cry of pain from a metallic male voice. The next moment, however, everything was back to normal.


    "Good. There aren''t any tracks left. Hei, I destroyed the Spirit Artifact so that it can''t report anything that happened here. But I don''t have enough power left to eliminate the other witnesses. How to solve this problem, it''s up to you. Although I am sure you will succeed without problems. Farewell, treasures of Bao Bei. Thank you for finding me and letting me meet your mother one last time. "


    At that point, Gaiya''s figure completely disappeared, leaving not even a single trace of her existence.


    Hei, hearing those words, seemed to understand what she meant and looked up at the other people present. He could see that the various sect leaders and elders still alive were slowly approaching the position of his family.


    "It''s over? Is it really over? "


    "So it seems. But really, what the hell happened? And the Secret Dimension?"


    "Was that the Snake of Darkness? How is it possible?"


    "And that spider and that woman? Were they divine beasts? Weren''t they extinct?"


    "And the man instead. He fought on an equal footing with the divine beast. Is it possible that a Spirit Emperor of the Continent has appeared?"


    "What?! A Spirit Emperor?!"


    "And who else do you think it could be?!"


    "Speaking of the Continent, what happened to the Spirit Artifact?"


    "He died; we can no longer feel his presence. I''m sending messages to the guards at the block. We have to check the situation in the trial formations in our sect. "


    Various voices were overlapping with each other. Each of them was trying to process all that had happened up to now rationally. After all, with the enormous pressure exerted by Bao Bei, Gaiya, and the Sh¨¦ Family head, it was impossible to expect them, spirit soldiers, to be able to reason while they were fighting.


    As far as the term Spirit Emperor was concerned, it must be known that that was one of the ranks achievable by martial artists. To be exact, it was the sixth rank, the one under the god rank.


    The ranks of martial artists were divided as follows: Spirit Apprentice, Spirit Soldier, Spirit Master, Spirit Grandmaster, Spirit King, Spirit Emperor, God.


    Each of these ranks was then divided into seven stages, except for the Spirit Emperor rank and the God Rank. Regarding the God Rank, the reason was simple; no one except the Beast Emperor knew the answer since he was the only one to have reached that rank. As far as the Spirit Emperor rank was concerned, there were no precise, differentiated stages. Instead, the power difference was given by another factor.


    Meanwhile, while the various martial artists were discussing with each other, one of them suddenly said something that made others forget everything that had happened so far.


    "Hey ... if that spider was a divine beast and now it''s dead ... doesn''t that mean we can take its spirit core?"


    Gulp!


    At those words, everyone swallowed just by hearing the words ''spirit core'' and ''divine beast.'' Even if they were the hegemony of the Rainbow Island, at most, they could find spirit cores of second-level spirit beasts, and that was when luck was on their side. Yet now, they had before them the spirit core of a divine beast. That was something that belonged to legends of the past. Not even on the Continent, they could find something similar.


    Instantly, everyone''s eyes moved to where Hei and the others were. No, to be exact, where Bao Bei''s lifeless body was. Slowly, they began to approach that point.


    But if they had all heard that martial artist''s suggestion, the same was valid for Hei and his family.


    With tears still wetting his face, Hei stood up while his left hand held the spear his mother had given him. All of a sudden, all the memories from his childhood about his mother started pouring into his mind.


    The warmth and feeling of security he felt at her side and that he thought he could never feel again. He suddenly realized that Gaiya''s words were right. As long as he kept her memory in his heart, Bao Bei would never really die inside him. And the spear that was made with his mother''s body was the legacy that testified to the existence of Bao Bei.


    "Mother, you will always be with me. I know, thanks for all you''ve done and for giving me a family. I will make you proud of me, just watch."


    Hei''s words rang in all directions. The martial artists who were approaching the body of Bao Bei all stopped. Because the sixth stage spirit apprentice boy was emanating his spirit power, no, it wasn''t exact. He was no longer a sixth stage spirit apprentice. His mother''s loss and his pain had driven Hei straight to the seventh stage.


    But it wasn''t just because he had reached the seventh stage that they had stopped. Behind him, the transparent outline of a purple spider had appeared ¡ª the same purple spider whose body now laid lifeless.


    "If any of you dare to touch MY MOTHER, come forward. I will kill all those who try to get close. It doesn''t matter if you are sect leaders or elders. It doesn''t matter if you''re spirit soldiers, and I''m a spirit apprentice. Regardless of how things are, if you try to take a step forward, all of you will die."


    Hei''s words appeared cold and sharp like the blade of a sword. No, more than a sword, it was like a spear blade. The only ones who weren''t hit by the edge of that spear were Lian, Ye, and Xing.


    The two small spirit beasts began to grow again and surprisingly reached two meters in length. Their spirit power was now comparable to a seventh stage spirit apprentice.


    Lian also stood up, and, like Hei, she let her emotions guide her to the seventh stage. Behind her, the silhouette of Gaiya could be faintly perceived. The presence of the lotus of love''s bloodline.


    The two human youths had inadvertently used the active effect of their bloodlines, bringing some changes to their physical appearance. Hei''s pupils went from dark brown to dark purple. The tips of Lian''s hair took on a mixed color of green and pink.


    As far as Ye and Xing were concerned, they were divine beasts. So, even though they had activated their bloodlines, those caused no change in them. However, their momentum wasn''t at all inferior to the two young humans. Their blood of divine beast was boiling more than ever.


    "Boy, do you realize the situation you are in? What do you hope to do? Do you think you can block so many spirit soldiers with only the four of you?"


    "Right! Do us all a favor, fuck off. Do you believe just because you are part of the Flower Sect, you can impose such stupid orders?"


    "I agree. And then, the sect leader and the seniors of the Flower Sect agree with us, right? What do you think two youths of the younger generation and two spirit beasts are when compared to the spirit core of a sixth-level divine beast? If we succeed in acquiring it, advancing to Spirit Master will no longer be a dream. Perhaps even more."


    When the words "Spirit Master" were named, the hearts of all those martial artists began to beat faster. Ever since they were born on Rainbow Island, they were destined to remain bound to the rank of spirit soldier, no matter how desperately they tried to advance. Now, however, this possibility had appeared. It seemed like fate itself was trying to help them. So how could they not catch this occasion?


    But, unexpectedly for all of them, and even for Hei and his family, the figure of a charming woman floated in the air. She then stood between Hei and the other martial artists. She was none other than the sect leader of the Flower Sect.


    "If you want to take possession of that divine beast''s body, then you will have to face me first."


    At that point, the sect leader drew her sword and turned it against the sect leaders and elders of the other sects.


    "Sect leader of the Flower Sect. What the hell are you doing?"


    "Have you lost your mind, or what? Do you realize the consequences of your actions and words? "


    "Exactly. Just for this time, because of your status, we will let this go. But if you persist in continuing being out of your mind, then don''t blame us for being rude."


    The representatives of the various families and sects tried to reason with the sect leader. They knew about her power and didn''t want to clash with her if they could avoid it. At the same time, they weren''t so afraid, though. Even if she had joined with the two youths of the younger generation and the two spirit beasts, in the end, she was just a spirit soldier. So they still had the knife on the side of the handle.


    "Sect leader?" Hei tried to ask, incredulous, at the figure of the woman who had exposed herself like that for them.


    The sect leader took a quick look back before returning to talk to the rest of the crowd.


    "I won''t blame you for that, but I won''t take off. If you want to step forward, then do it. In any case, my actions must not be considered as the will of the Flower Sect, but just my own will."


    Own Will. With those words, she was taking away any involvement of the Flower Sect with this business. Indeed, if things went wrong, this would mean making the entire Flower Sect the enemy of all the other sects, leading to a war that would only see the destruction of the sect that she loved so much. For that reason, she decided to clarify that it was only her personal decision and not of the entire sect.


    But seeing how their sect leader had come forward in that way, how could the other elders remain silent?


    In front of the general amazement of the people present there, 12 other figures flashed. Nex to the sect leader, not only the remaining seven elders had appeared, but also the remaining five members of the younger generation who had participated in the Secret Dimension. Although they were injured, they forced themselves to stand next to their sect leader.


    "You ... what?" The sect leader was speechless. She said all those things just to avoid any involvement of their sect. Yet the other elders and even the young martial artists of the younger generation had come forward.


    "Sect Leader, you are the sect leader of our sect. It is only more than normal for us sect members to protect our representative." The second elder said.


    "Exact. Besides, what will we look like if we let them kill our sect leader and two of our disciples as if nothing happened? I have no intention of losing face in this way in front of the whole Rainbow Island," the first elder proclaimed with an angry tone.


    The other elders also spoke in words of approval while all of them extracted their weapons. As the first elder had said, their pride as martial artists and as members of the Flower Sect prevented them from turning their backs to the sect leader and two of their youths. Yes, even if that meant bringing the Flower Sect on the road to destruction.


    "Do you see it, master? Despite the discussions we can have between us, in the end, we are all part of one big family. I won''t let anything happen to you. I still have many things to learn from you."


    Beside the sect leader, Mei spoke in a gentle tone as she expressed herself in a smile containing the emotions of affection and joy she felt towards her master.


    Seeing Mei, who was usually so cold and severe, smiling in that carefree and warm way despite the situation they were in, the sect leader nearly burst out crying.


    "Good girl, I''m fortunate to have you as a disciple. No, that''s not right. Not only you. I am fortunate to have all of you by my side, and I am more than honored to be the sect leader of martial artists and people of your caliber." Then, turning to the representatives of the other sects and families, the sect leader said, "If for you others, there are no other words you want to say, then I say we can start. Get ready to taste my sword, because today it is sharper than ever."


    With her sword shining with her spirit power, the sect leader positioned herself to prepare for what might have been her last fight.

 Chapter 98 - Proposing a Deal

    "If for you others, there are no other words you want to say, then I say we can start. Get ready to taste my sword, because today it is sharper than ever."


    The last ultimatum of the Flower Sect sect leader. By now, it was certain that if representatives of the other families and sects tried to take away the body of the divine beast spider, the whole Flower Sect would be their enemy.


    Hearing those words, Hei felt a strong sense of gratitude and pride. Yes, so far, he hadn''t given much weight to being a member of the Flower Sect, considering it more like a business partner. Hei would help in their mission in the Secret Dimension and would receive resources in return.


    Now anyway, it was different. For the first time, Hei was happy and proud to belong to the Flower Sect. He could not have asked to be part of a better sect. After all, who did have the courage to make all the Rainbow Island major sects and families their enemies?


    Even if it was the Flower Sect, one of the five big sects, the scale of this feat verged on the impossible. In the eyes of a stranger, it would appear as an act of pure madness. And that was what the leaders of the other sects and families were thinking when they realized that the Flower Sect wasn''t at all joking.


    "Sect leader and elders of the Flower Sect. Since this is what you have decided, then we will act accordingly. Today will be the day when us, the five big sects of the Rainbow Island, will become four. Or will one of the middle sects ascend to that position?"


    A powerful and authoritative voice spoke. It was none other than the sect leader of the Tremor Sect. At the moment, he was struggling to contain himself. He had discovered the loss of their number one younger generation genius, Chang Huan.


    The Tremor Sect had focused on a lot of resources on him, even giving him the corpse of a spirit soldier. And yet, despite his potential and the precious corpses he carried with him, this genius was dead. And according to the testimony of other people present, Chan Huan had died during the clash with the Flower Sect member, Hei.


    Therefore, the fact the Flower Sect sect leader and elders had lost their minds gave him an excellent opportunity to take revenge and, at the same time, obtain resources for himself.


    "Stop!"


    All of a sudden, another voice rose between the people gathered there. Unexpectedly, to give that command had been Hei. Behind him, the silhouette of the purple spider disappeared slowly, but his pupils remained purple.


    "You don''t want to kill me unless you want to be destroyed," Hei said in a calm but self-confident tone.


    "What do you mean, boy?" The sect leader of the Tremor Sect asked in a resentful voice. He wanted to tear into pieces the boy in front of him. Yet inside his mind was still present the scene of the giant spider who had fought until recently.


    What they feared most was that there was still another divine beast hidden somewhere. If this were true, not even if they would have been a hundred times more numerous, they could have hoped to survive.


    "I will be frank with you. There is no other divine beast alive. But regardless that, I want to present you a deal."


    "A deal? Let''s hear."


    Feeling that there were no divine beasts, all of them become calmer. Yet, a part of them wasn''t able to trust Hei''s words completely, in case he was lying to take them by surprise.


    "I offer you two things, to all the martial artists now gathered here. The content within the pocket dimension of the man you saw fighting and my protection."


    With two words, everyone''s hearts stopped for a beat as if they couldn''t believe their ears.


    The content within the pocket dimension of that man?


    The unknown man was undoubtedly a Spirit Emperor of the Continent. He probably belonged to an influential family with a strong authority. Therefore, what he had in his pocket dimension was of equal value to the spirit core of a sixth-level divine beast. No, actually, it was superior. It was because, unlike the spirit core, there were undoubtedly medicines and pills designed to be used by human martial artists. They should have only to dilute it, and they wouldn''t run the risk of wasting the precious material as it was with the spirit core. After all, none of their alchemists, even if they joined together, would be able to convert the spirit core of a divine beast into something useful for a martial artist.


    "Hei, what-?" The Flower Sect sect leader couldn''t understand what the young brown-skinned martial artist was trying to do. Indeed, every move he made was incomprehensible to her.


    The reason Hei had revealed that information was to repay his debt to the Flower Sect.


    Although he was very grateful for their gesture, he couldn''t allow them to endanger their lives in matters that didn''t concern them. Especially considering the lives of the other sect members who had stayed at home, including his spirit beasts friends, were at stake. Yes, this thing was, after all, something that only concerned his family.


    Gaiya had said something about having faith in Hei and that he would come out of that situation. But Gaiya couldn''t be able to foresee the involvement of the Flower Sect, so it was something else that had made her say so. And Hei understood what she meant while the others were busy arguing.


    "The resources within the pocket dimension are more than enough to make all of you advance. But what should interest you most is my second offer, my protection. If, as you said, that unknown man was a big shot of the Continent, there is no way they won''t go looking for him or check the dynamics behind his disappearance. Or am I wrong, perhaps?"


    Hearing the words of Hei, all the other martial artists shuddered at that thought. Right, a Spirit Emperor had died today. Although there should be several Spirit Emperors on the Continent, it wasn''t a rank that anyone could reach. It was therefore certain that he was connected to some important family, but they didn''t know which. They knew, however, that if that family came to discover that they had taken away the treasures of that illustrious person and then covered their actions up, they would be torn to pieces in no time, without being able to react.


    "No, you''re not wrong. But what do you mean with your protection? What do you think you can do? You are just a younger generation brat!" The Tremor Sect sect leader answered for everyone as their spokesman.


    Right. Hei, no matter how talented he was, was only a younger generation disciple of one of the many sects on one of the many islands that bordered the Continent. To advance, he would have to go to the Continent. But that was impossible for those coming from the islands. After all, they didn''t have the qualifications.


    "Yes, at the moment, I''m just a younger generation disciple of the Flower Sect. Yet, at the same time, I am not. I am 14 years old, and so is my companion Lian. We have awakened our spirit power at around 12 years old, and participated in the Continent Trial, overcoming it. The same Spirit Artifact has classified our talent as high level even by the standards of the Continent, giving us two tokens with its trace of spirit power. And that''s why the Flower Sect has managed to send seven members instead of the five you knew about.


    As a result, we also have the qualifications to go to the Continent. It means that Lian and I have the talent to reach the same level as that unknown man. No, we can even surpass him. Therefore, having my protection is like having a future guarantee, in case you will have to deal with the repercussions for today''s events.


    After all, even if you killed us today and covered up everything, it wouldn''t change what happened. Haven''t you said so too? The Spirit Artifact is dead, and therefore, it can no longer refer to the Continent. But the very fact that it died on the same day as that unknown man is an indication that something happened on one of the islands. Not counting the financial movements of you sects and families. All the clues will indicate here, the Rainbow Island!"


    The various martial artists couldn''t help but open wide their mouths and eyes to Hei''s words. Quickly, they moved their heads towards the sect leader and the elders of the Flower Sect. When they received confirmation from them, the other martial artists couldn''t help being even more stunned.


    So that was the secret behind them sending seven younger generation disciples. Furthermore, 14 years old and seventh stage spirit apprentice? What kind of concept was that? And all this when they were on Rainbow Island. If they had been to the Continent, wouldn''t they have progressed even faster?! Perhaps they would have already reached the rank of spirit soldier. That was someone at their same level.


    Thinking of that possibility, the representatives of the various sects and families swallowed nervously, digesting every kind of emotion they were feeling. Even the sect leader and the elders of the Flower Sect seemed to be influenced. Even though they knew Hei''s secret, they couldn''t help but have goosebumps at the thought that it had flashed into their minds.


    Two of their younger generation disciples. Two members of the Flower Sect, who would become Spirit Emperors. What immense glory could it mean for their sect? Even though they were one of the five big sects of the Rainbow Island, they were worth even less than trash before the powers of the Continent.


    "If you leave my family and me alone, I''ll give you what you want. It should be more than enough. At the same time, you will gain a shield that can have the potential to protect you from danger. As for clues about your activities, I think that if you put your brains together, you can come up with a plausible excuse for your behavior during these months, don''t you?"


    Hei finally ended his speech. All he had to say had been said. Now it all depended on how the martial artists of the other sects and families would act.


    Even if it meant giving up such incredible resources, Hei didn''t care. How could pills or potions have the same value as his mother''s spirit core? Even if he had ten times more treasures, he would have given them all to keep his mother''s body safe.


    For Hei, such objects weren''t a goal but only a tool. A tool to protect those you loved. And if you couldn''t protect those you loved, then those treasures were nothing but trash. After all, no matter how rich and powerful he could become, for him, that meant nothing if he were to lose the ones he loved.


    Meanwhile, the discussion among the martial artists on the lake shore became more and more animated. The Flower Sect was bombarded with a myriad of questions. All of them wanted to know more about Hei''s circumstances and the actual veracity of his words. Meanwhile, they were also calculating in their minds every possible consequence for their actions and decisions. It wasn''t just their fate or that of their sects at stake. Instead, it was a matter that concerned the entire Rainbow Island.


    And finally, they decided. Yes, they finally found the answer they were looking for. The one that would allow them more chances of survival.


    "We consent to your proposal. In exchange for the treasures inside the pocket dimension of that Spirit Emperor, we will not touch your family or that spider''s body. We won''t even take action against the Flower Sect. But at the same time, you must complete your part of the deal."


    "Don''t worry. It is in my interest to protect this island. After all, there are important creatures that live here."


    Hei''s mind shifted to the spirit beasts who were now protecting his spiderweb home. In particular, he focused on Shui and Mi, who were the closest to his family. It was time to say goodbye to them too.


    In that way, the discussion about how to divide the assets into the pocket dimension was born. But it wasn''t something he cared about. While the others were distracted, he went to rejoin his family. He hid his mother''s body inside the Secret Dimension inside the Heart of the World Tree and took Ye and Xing on himself. Then, taking Lian''s hand, he began to slowly walk towards the Flower Sect, away from that place that had scarred him forever.

 Chapter 99 - Goodbye Mother

    Flower Sect, Outer Sect


    A portion of the Outer Sect''s territory had been designated as the residence for the numerous spirit beasts that lived there. Thanks to the young beast tamer Hei, as well as the number one of the Flower Sect''s younger generation, the sect was able to secure a new source of protection.


    With the absence of the sect leader and the seven elders, the members of the sect should have been anxious and agitated. However, apart from a slight nervousness due to the absence of their big shots, there wasn''t much agitation. It was due to the presence of the spirit beasts, in particular of the two second-level spirit beast elephants. Thus, the sect members were sufficiently reassured in case something happened to the sect.


    And since these spirit beasts were protecting the sect in place of the sect leader and the elders, the outer and inner members began to bring them leftovers from time to time as a kind of appreciation.


    The spirit beasts, given their turbulent past, were wary of humans. However, out of gratitude to the one who had saved them, they decided to make an effort. Therefore, they decided to give humans a chance.


    Therefore, the climate of tension between the spirit beasts and humans residing in the Flower Sect was appeased for the time being. Indeed, some spirit beasts began to lend themselves to help humans for manual labor that required brute force. It soon became common to see them grazing the fields.


    And yet, that day was different. No matter how hard the sect members tried, none of the spirit beasts could be seen around. It was as if they had all disappeared.


    But they weren''t gone. Instead, the spirit beasts had all gathered at a particular point - the heart of their territory. In that place, laid the treasure they were guarding - a dome made of silver-white silk.


    Yes, the owners of the spiderweb house had finally returned home. However, what should have been a moment of celebration became a moment of mourning instead.


    The mother of their savior, the last specimen of the divine beasts, had died.


    A large and deep hole had indeed been dug in front of the spiderweb house. Inside there was the corpse of Bao Bei covered with a myriad of different colored flowers.


    Each of the spirit beasts had in fact picked a flower from the various fields around it. Then, they threw it into the hole, paying their respects to the beautiful spider that now was sleeping for eternity.


    In front of the hole, with a hard expression on his face, was Hei. Beside him, there was Lian, who was watching Bao Bei being submerged in flowers and holding Ye and Xing, still in pain for losing their mother.


    The spirit beasts, once the hole was covered with flowers, began to express themselves in a symphony of verses of pain while they bent their bodies to the ground, giving a last salute to the buried divine beast.


    At that point, Hei took a shovel and started to fill the hole with the soil they had moved. Little by little, the flowers and the body of Bao Bei began to be submerged by the soil.


    The burial process lasted a long time. Hei wasn''t using his spirit power, nor was he getting help from anyone. He wanted to bury his mother himself, without any kind of help.


    Ye and Xing were gripped by grief and despair. Therefore, Hei decided to leave them quiet to cry their mother while Lian took care of them. And apart from them, he wouldn''t have allowed anyone else to help him with his mother''s burial.


    When the hole was finally covered, the spirit beasts present began to stand up one by one and then move away. Inside them, they felt that at this moment, the family that lived in the spiderweb house wanted to remain alone in front of the tomb of their lost family member.


    And so, before the tomb of Bao Bei, Hei knelt down with his hands outstretched and his head touching the ground. At his side, Lian assumed his position, as did the little spider and the little snake, despite their different bodies.


    A whole day passed, and the four were still there before the tomb. They hadn''t even risen from their position for a moment. Whether it was for eating, drinking, or doing their needs, Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye hadn''t moved, ignoring everything.


    The spirit beasts that dwelt there checked on them from time to time, worried by their behavior. In particular, it was Shui and Mi who were the most anxious about them. After all, they were the ones who were more familiar with Hei and his family. Moreover, the death of Bao Bei had hit them hard as well. However, they decided to stay aside with the others, letting Hei and his family metabolize the pain in their own was and according to their times.


    In the end, though, Hei got up. His face was ashen and had two large dark circles. It wasn''t just that day that he didn''t sleep. To get home as quickly as possible, he had through the Forest Kingdom day and night without ever stopping, except to let his little sisters eat and take a short break.


    "Ye, Xing, Lian. Let''s go home, get some rest."Hei exclaimed, looking at his family with wet eyes.


    The three replied with a nod, and together they returned to the spiderweb house. For the first time in Hei and his little sisters'' life, they would have slept without their mother, without being able to feel her warmth and her heartbeat.


    And indeed, even if they tried to force themselves, they couldn''t sleep.


    "Are you awake?" Hei asked as he lay on the floor as he watched the ceiling of the spiderweb house. Through the resealable hole at the top, he could, in fact, observe the starry night sky. It was really an incredible sight. And yet, that sight only made him more melancholy.


    "Yes, big brother." Xing and Ye answered together. Lian, on the other hand, remained silent, but she was awake as well. Although she was sad about the death of Bao Bei, Lian knew that the pain she was experiencing wasn''t comparable to what Hei, Ye, and Xing were experiencing. For that reason, she decided to remain at their side in silence.


    But even if her pain wasn''t as big as theirs, she could easily understand their moods. After all, she, too, had lost her parents. So she knew the feeling of loss that one felt and how the world completely lost its color.


    "Now that Mother isn''t here, I''m afraid. A crazy fear of living and moving forward. Even though I know what I have to do, at the same time, I don''t know. No, it is more correct to say that I am afraid of doing it. Inside of me, I wish I could stay here forever. Sleep and wake up, finding mom next to us. However, it isn''t what she would like. She would like us to go ahead. But I can''t do it alone. This is why I need you. I need you, Ye. I need you, Xing. I need you, Lian. I need the three of you. So don''t leave me, okay? For no reason, please."


    At that point, hot tears came down from Hei''s eyes, wetting his cheeks. His plea contained his most sincere emotions. He didn''t want to lose anyone else anymore. But above all, he didn''t want to be alone. He couldn''t imagine losing another member of his family. No, perhaps it was likely he wouldn''t be able to recover if he suffered the same wound again.


    Lian then stood up. She picked up delicately Ye and Xing from the ground and then approached Hei. Laying the two little spirit beasts on Hei''s chest, Lian sat next to him and took Hei''s head to place it over her legs. Then she began to rub the hair of the young boy in despair gently.


    "I promised I would protect you. That I would protect all of you. That I would take care of you. Therefore, don''t be sad. I, Ye, and Xing, we will never leave you. We will always be with you until the end."


    The young girl said in a confident voice as she slowly lowered herself to kiss Hei on the forehead.


    Feeling the warmth of Lian''s soft lips on his forehead, Hei closed his eyes as his pounding heart began to calm down. At the same time, he could feel his little sisters approaching his face.


    "Yes, the three of us will always be together." (Ye)


    "Whatever happens. We will never leave each other until the end of our days." (Xing)


    Thus, feeling on himself the warmth of the three dearest beings he had, Hei began to feel asleep and let himself be abandoned to the embrace of Lian and his two little sisters.


    *


    The next day, Hei woke up when it was around noon. When he opened his eyes, last night''s memories began to cross his mind. Even if he didn''t wish to reveal his weak and pathetic side, he couldn''t do otherwise. Fear and pain had overwhelmed him to that point.


    And yet, even though only several hours had passed, his mood was completely different. He still felt pain and fear for tomorrow, but now he had something he could rely on. No, that wasn''t right. He had always had it; only he hadn''t noticed.


    Looking around, he noticed that his little sisters were still above his chest, sleeping peacefully. Lian also slept but remained in her sitting position. Although it wasn''t a comfortable position to sleep, she didn''t flinch and remained in that position to avoid disturbing his sleep and those of his two little sisters.


    "Thanks, Lian," Hei whispered, touching her hair gently.


    After that, he carefully took his two little sisters and laid them on the ground, letting them sleep. Then he got up and slowly moved Lian''s body to the ground, making her sleep next to Ye and Xing.


    Watching the three of them sleeping so peacefully, Hei smiled. Then, he came out of the spiderweb house.


    Since it was already midday, the rays of the sun reached his face violently, blinding him for a few seconds. Once he got used to the sunlight, Hei opened his eyes, taking a big mouthful of air. Strangely, the air he breathed had a different taste than he usually felt. It was as if he had become a different person, but nothing had changed outside. Only his emotions had changed. Yet they were enough to make him different from how he was yesterday.


    With firm steps, Hei went to his mother''s grave and sat down in front of her.


    "Good morning, mom. How are you? We aren''t well. We miss you. But we are moving forward. Lian is supporting us to the best of her ability, and little by little, I, Ye, and Xing are accepting the reality of things. Nevertheless, as Gaiya said, as long as we carry your memory with us, you won''t disappear.


    So don''t worry. We''ll be okay, I promise. Now I know how to proceed. First of all, we need to understand how we can reach the Continent and prepare for the journey. When we are there, I will begin to study the history and customs of the place. Surely, it will be difficult at the beginning, but somehow we will do. We will become stronger and stronger to protect each other and, at the same time, try to find information on Dad.


    If Dad falls in the same case as Gaiya, then perhaps he is also hidden on a Secret Dimension. And in that case, we still have to be strong enough to get inside. But even so, we''ll make it. You built the foundations of our strength in a way that couldn''t be better. Now it''s up to us to erect the ladder that will take us to the pinnacle of this world.


    I''ll succeed. I will find Father, I will get revenge for both of you, and I will put an end to all this conflict, and I will save the world. And when I''m done, I''ll come back to you. With Ye, Xing, and Lian. And we can finally live together forever.


    I don''t think I''ve ever told you, mother. But I want to thank you for saving me that night. For letting me come into the world. For making me be your son and giving me a family. Thank you for everything, Mom."


    Hei laid his hand on the ground. Somehow, he seemed to be touching the body of Bao Bei and to feel her smile and her hug. Yes, his mother was inside him.


    At that point, Hei stood up. By now, he had decided, and no longer, he would be hesitant and unsure. It was now time to start preparing themselves and saying goodbye to the place where he had spent 14 years of his life.

 Chapter 100 - Meeting An Old Friend

    Hei went to the sect leader residence. He knew that she had already returned.


    After Hei and Lian left the Crossroad Lake, the sect leader had remained to deal with the other sects and families. However, after realizing that the two youths had left, without saying anything, she had immediately returned to the sect, leaving the first and second elders to direct the negotiations.


    The reason was simple. Inside her, the sect leader knew it wouldn''t take long for Hei to make his choice. Although she couldn''t say that she knew him thoroughly, in this period of Hei''s stay in the Flower Sect, the sect leader had, however, learned something about him.


    Hei was a strong person. Not because of his fighting skills or his ability to command spirit beasts. No, his strength comes from his own way of being and standing, from his character and determination. As long as he had a reason to fight and move on, he would do so. Regardless of how many injuries he would receive along the way.


    And so, the sect leader remained in her residence, waiting for the young beast tamer to come to her to communicate his decision.


    "Good morning, sect leader. Thank you for receiving me."


    "You don''t have to thank me." The sect chief answered, raising a hand to show Hei that there was no need to bow.


    "Yes, instead. Not just you, but all the elders and my companions. I have to thank you for what you did at Crossroad Lake. You have put your lives and the whole sect at risk for my family. I will never forget this. Surely, one day, I will repay my debt. I promise. And these are what I promised you for the Secret Dimension."


    At that point, Hei placed ten space rings on the sect leader''s wooden desk. Each of the rings was filled with objects from the Secret Dimension.


    Initially, not all the rings had been filled. But Hei, having acquired the property of the Secret Dimension inside the Heart of the World Tree, could freely extract objects within the Secret Dimension. At the same time, he could keep objects and living beings inside.


    The sect leader looked intensely at the ten space rings, before sighing. Then she took them and put them in the corner of her desk.


    "Thanks, Hei. And thank Lian for me as well. You did a great job. But this isn''t the only reason you came, right?"


    "No, I came to inform you of my decision. I will leave the Flower Sect. No, I will leave the Rainbow Island. It''s time for me to go to the Continent. I came to ask you which way is the most suitable to follow."


    Hei''s tone was calm but firm. His breathing and his heart rate were stable. Yes, he had no doubt. The time had come.


    "I knew you would have asked me for something like that. That''s why I came here first, leaving the other elders at Crossroad Lake. Even though I knew this day would come, I didn''t think it would come so soon."


    Saying this, the sect leader opened a drawer in her desk to pull something out. It was a piece of paper. Or to be more precise, it was a map. A map that didn''t indicate the territories of the Rainbow Island. Instead, it depicted the various existing islands, including the Rainbow Island. And at the edge of the map, there was a large section of indefinite land with Continente written.


    "This is a map of the islands around us, while that big piece of land is the Continent. Unfortunately, we aren''t able to define the contours of the Continent. So it is indicated in this way in all the maps. However, the rest of the map is accurate. If you follow the commercial sea route between the islands, you will be able to reach the island closest to the Continent: Island of Dreams. It is called that because it is the island closest to the dream of us, martial artists of the islands - reaching the Continent.


    From there, there should be some special convoy to reach the Continent. Usually, such convoys are limited to the city where they dock. But with the token provided to you by the Spirit Artifact, you aren''t limited by these constraints."


    At that point, the sect leader stopped for a moment to look at Hei. The young man looked back, not batting an eye. Hei knew why the sect leader had done this.


    The Spirit Artifact was dead. And with it, the trace of spirit power contained in the tokens assigned by it. Therefore, if the Secret Dimension tokens had lost their mark of spirit power, it was almost sure that the same had happened with the Continent Trial tokens.


    Seeing that Hei wasn''t mentioning this, the sect leader decided to let it go and continued with her speech.


    "I have already taken action in this regard. There is a merchant convoy that leaves in a week from the City of Mangroves. It will take you to the Island of Dreams. From there, you will have to handle it alone. I had initially thought that you would have preferred to travel alone, but for such a long journey, you need a large boat that, in turn, needs many people. The alternative was to build an artifact ship, but it would take time to build it, and you would have to leave one person driving all the time. Instead, by traveling in the merchant convoy, you will have plenty of time to rest or cultivate. I have already left predispositions on not to bother you during the trip. Therefore, you will have no problems."


    The sect leader illustrated the measures she had adopted and then remained silent to hear Hei''s opinion on the matter.


    "A week? All right. As for traveling with other people, that''s fine. I would like to leave as soon as possible, that''s all. Thank you very much for your help, sect leader," Hei said as he bowed his head respectfully to the sect leader.


    "I told you. There is no need to thank me. Instead, it is I who must thank you. That divine beast spider was very important to you, wasn''t it? Without its sacrifice, we would all have been dead. But now, I am about to realize my much sought-after dream of reaching the rank of Spirit Master. For this, I want to repay, as far as possible. I have already agreed with all the sects and families present at Crossroad Lake. Because you and Lian are our only hope, if things get bad for us one day, we must leave you the tools to do this. Medicines, pills, and other similar items to advance from the seventh stage to the spirit soldier rank and increase your cultivation once you reach the spirit soldier rank. Also, the Elemental Laws techniques we have available to us. As for the weapons, if you have any requests, please refer to as well. There is still a week to gather everything necessary."


    "No, I have no request for weapons. Those have already been given. Regarding the manuals, just give us those for these Laws: Metal, Darkness, Illusion, Poison, Water, Wood. Just these."


    "I understand, okay. Well then. I will return immediately to the Crossroad Lake. We will meet again in a week at the City of Mangroves. During this week you are free to do what you want. Just remember to stay in time there, or you''ll have to wait again before you can leave."


    With this, the conversation with the sect leader ended. Hei bowed again and took his leave. Now that he had finished here, he had to communicate his decision to the spirit beasts that lived with him.


    *


    Muuu!! Bzzz!!


    The noisy sound of a buffalo and a bee sounded in the air. They were Shui and Mi, who were reacting animatedly to the news Hei and his family''s departure. But it wasn''t much because Hei, Xing, Ye, and Lian would leave Rainbow Island. But it was because no other spirit beasts would come with Hei. Not even Shui and Mi.


    "I know. I know exactly how you feel. The idea of ??separating from you, from all of you, also hurts me. But I can''t do otherwise. On the Continent, there are beings so strong that they are able to fight with my Mother on equal terms. I don''t know what dangers we will encounter. If I took you with me, I would only end up putting you in danger. My strength is insignificant, so insignificant that I cannot protect the one I care most about. For this, I must become stronger. But as long as I don''t become strong, I can''t take charge of the lives of so many living beings. At the moment, only Ye, Xing, and Lian are already more than what I can take on me. I beg you, therefore, to understand and to forgive me."


    After saying this, Hei knelt on the ground towards all the spirit beasts in front of him, in particular, Shui and Mi. He was sorry for his selfish choices, but what he had said was what he really thought.


    If he put their lives at risk and they died, he would never forgive himself for all his life.


    The spirit beasts, sensing his sincere emotions, began to utter verses to tell him to get up, but Hei didn''t. It was when Shui and Mi went to him and touched his head that Hei finally looked up. Even if they didn''t want to, they would accept Hei''s decision.


    "Thank you, thank you so much, my friends. I promise you that one day I will return and that day I will take you with me to the Continent. But until then, you must guard our home and the tomb of our Mother. Besides, you also have someone who depends on you, right?"


    It was true. Shui was the buffalo herd''s leader. None of the other buffaloes had yet awakened spirit power, so they needed Shui as their guide, not to mention the nearing arrival of buffalo cubs. Mi, instead, lead only a small squadron of bees. But there was no doubt that the queen bee had become attached to her and wanted to make Mi her successor as the queen bee of the hive. Both, therefore, had to remain due to the responsibility for those who relied on the two spirit beasts.


    But knowing their feelings, Hei made a final proposal.


    "How about one last adventure together. Mi? Shui? There is one person I have to see before I leave. Will you accompany me? So I will also show you the place where I was born and raised before we met."


    Shui and Mi, on hearing those words, shook their heads quickly in happiness. One last adventure before saying goodbye.


    Seeing that reaction, Hei smiled and stood up. Yes, there was still one last thing to do before leaving.


    *


    Multicolored Leaf Forest


    Two youths were walking under the night sky inside the heart of the forest. Beside them were a large albino buffalo carrying a small spider and a small snake. Above them, a little bee was flying happily in the air.


    "This is where I, Ye, and Xing were born and lived for most of our lives. Mother had built a spiderweb house, not much different from the one present at the sect, just a little smaller. We used to spend our days training in the morning. After lunch, we could play a little, and then we had to listen to lessons on human civilization. After Mother thought we were at a sufficient level of understanding about human society, she let us go to the village not too far from here. After that, we alternated between the village and the forest. I would have liked to show you our old house. Unfortunately, we had to destroy it in order not to leave traces of us." Hei explained with a melancholy tone.


    The Multicolored Leaf Forest was where it all started ¡ª the location where he had met his mother and his little sisters. Only by standing there, a myriad of memories had begun to flood his mind.


    Lian at his side took his hand and said.


    "It''s all alright. As long as you keep the memory of it, it never really disappeared, right?"


    At Lian''s words, Hei smiled and slightly increased his grip on Lian''s hand. Yes, she was right. Nothing was wholly destroyed as long as its memory was preserved.


    "Well then, there is one person I have to meet. Ye, Xing, do you want to come with me? "


    ''Big Brother? Wait, do you mean-?'' Asked in unison the two little spirit beasts.


    "Yes, I''m talking about Lei Lei. I''d like to say goodbye before leaving and apologize because it''s likely we won''t see each other again. Besides, I would also like to see my teacher, Lei Bai."


    Ye and Xing nodded their heads and left Shui''s back, climbing Hei''s body.


    "Lian, stay with Mi and Shui. It won''t take long. We''ll come back to you quickly."


    With this, Hei started running as fast as he could and was swallowed up by the forest vegetation.


    *


    In a house on the outer edge of the Leaf Village, a young woman with a simple but elegant appearance was resting deeply on her bed. To her chest, she held a thick book with illustrations and writings that filled every edge of the pages. It was Le Lei; the first human being Hei had met in his life.


    "As always, you study a lot. I''m sorry to come here so secretly. But if I met you, I would end up making you suffer. Furthermore, I still don''t feel like talking openly about my mother''s death. But be serene, I haven''t forgotten the promise I made to you - I won''t forget you. So, don''t forget about yours. Continue with your life and live proud of who you are and what you do. Farewell, Lei Lei. Thank you for welcoming us into your home and your life."


    Hei then left a bouquet of forget-me-nots flowers and a space ring on the bedside table next to Lei Lei''s bed. Within the space ring, there were multiple resources. With those, Lei Lei and Lei Bai could develop spirit power, although it would be difficult for them to cultivate beyond the first stage. But the mere fact of having awakened it would help them a lot.


    "So, you came back, boy."


    A gruff voice sounded silently behind him. Turning around, Hei could see Lei Bai staring at him and telling him to go outside. He didn''t want to wake Lei Lei with the sound of their voices.


    After leaving, Bai took two chairs and placed them on the ground and motioned for Hei to sit down.


    "So came back, boy. And yet, you leave again without saying goodbye."


    At his words, Hei could only bow and apologize.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t want to disturb you. I wanted to see you one last time before leaving the Rainbow Island."


    "Leaving the Rainbow Island? Boy, look up and stare into my eyes."


    Hei did as much as Lei Bai requested and looked him straight in the eye.


    "I see. Now I understand everything. So, your mother is dead, right?"


    At Lei Bai''s words, Hei''s body froze. He never imagined that Lei Bai could understand that only from a glance.


    "Yes. It is as you say. How did you know? "


    "It is simple. I also had the same look when my wife died. Since your sisters are with you, the only reason is that your mother died then. Ah... poor boy. I know exactly how you feel, and I won''t tell you useless words of encouragement. I''ll just tell you what I know. It hurts; it hurts like hell. It is a wound that can never heal. But even so, you still have someone to protect, don''t you? Continue to walk and don''t look back. Even if you fail and fall, you must continue. Even when everything seems black and hopeless. Because one day, someone will come to help you escape the tunnel of sadness and depression. I know it well. That person was you for me.


    Even though I had Lei Lei, I felt guilty inside me. Since I am not as powerful as martial artists or wealthy, I couldn''t save her mother, nor could I give her the life she deserves. She was the only reason I stayed alive, but at the same time, it was also what kept me anchored in the remorse of the past. That is ugly for a father to say, but it is the truth. Fortunately, you came. You and your little sisters. You have brought a breath of joy into our home and our lives. It is why I will be grateful to you for my whole life, not just for saving us that night. But as I was saved, you too will be saved. Therefore, continue on your way. If possible, don''t get dragged down by the mistakes and remorse of the past. Break those chains and move on."


    When you Lei Bai finished speaking, he got Hei out of the chair. Then, with his right fist, he hit Hei''s chest, where the boy''s heart was located.


    "Run, run to the top of this world, and don''t stop."


    "Thank you, master, thank you for everything. I will never forget what you told me. "


    With this, Hei did what Lei Bai said and set off towards the Multicolored Leaf Forest toward Lian, Shui, and Mi.


    "You are awake, aren''t you?" Asked Bai without turning around.


    "Yes," answered a soft voice behind him. It was Lei Lei who had woken up from her sleep.


    "It is so typical of him to leave without saying goodbye. He didn''t even notice that I was awake all the time, stupid."


    "You could have greeted him then. Why?"


    "That''s okay. It''s the decision Hei made. I wanted to respect his desire. Our roads are not meant to continue together, but it doesn''t matter. It''s enough for me to have been close to him for at least a while. His place isn''t here but at the end of this world."


    She looked at Hei''s back in the distance with a warm smile. On her chest, she clutched the bouquet of blue forget-me-nots flowers, which reminded her of the moments spent together and that they would never live together again.

 Chapter 101 - Leaving the Rainbow Island

    City of Mangroves.


    It was one of the most important cities in the Forest Kingdom. And it was also the one with the largest seaport among all the kingdom''s cities that bordered the sea. It was called that way due to the presence of particular plants, called, for the note, Mangroves.


    Mangroves differed from other plants by their ability to grow in brackish water or saltwater. As a result, they ended up being the primary type of vegetation around the city, so that it became the very name of the city.


    The City of Mangroves, thanks to its large thriving and crowed port, traded not only with the other two Rainbow Island''s kingdoms but also with the other islands nearby. Therefore, there was always a coming and going of people in the port.


    Among the many ships, there were some of them really imposing, used to cross the entire system of islands in the Forgotten Ocean. That was nothing but the name of the aquatic section that separated the islands from the Continent. These large ships weren''t limited only to trade with the nearest islands. Instead, they traveled back and forth from the Dream Island to Reality Island, which was the furthest island from the Continent. In that way, they could unite the various separate islands and allow the trade of rare materials.


    Because they had to go through long journeys and the size of the ships, the number of people on board wasn''t just numerous. But they were all wandering martial artists, hired by the commercial company to which the ship belonged.


    Most sailors weren''t powerful, being between the third and fourth stages of the spirit apprentice rank. But they still represented a considerable strength, and they were able to row for a long time without getting tired if there had been the need. In charge, instead, there was usually a sixth or seventh stage spirit apprentice. If the trading company was rich and traded first-rate goods, then there could also be a spirit soldier as captain of the ship.


    In front of these massive ships, a big albino buffalo was carrying two youths on his back. That sight generated the looks from the people present at the port. But since they were all busy in their affairs, they didn''t remain for long watching the buffalo and those two youths.


    The albino buffalo was none other than Shui, while the two youths were Hei and Lian. Mi was hidden instead with Ye and Xing on Hei''s body.


    "You arrived on time, good."


    A voice sounded close in the ears of the two youths who turned their heads in that direction. They discovered the approach of a group of eight people coming towards them. They were the sect leader, the first elder, the second elder, and their companions of the younger generation: Ying Yue, Cao Su, Mei, Li, Zan.


    "Greetings, sect leader. First elder. Second elder," replied Hei as he greeted the three with respect. Then he turned to his companions, "Greetings, you too, guys. Thanks again for what you did at Crossroad Lake."


    Lian at his side, bowed her head slightly to show her appreciation as well.


    "You don''t have to thank us at all, Hei, Lian." Ying Yue hastened to say laughing. As usual, she had a cheerful and carefree expression.


    "The other elders greet you and wish you the best. Unfortunately, we cannot leave the sect so much unguarded for too long, despite the agreements with the other sects at the Crossroad Lake. But I brought your companions with me. They wanted to give you a last goodbye before leaving." The sect leader gave a slight smile and made way to the disciples of the younger generation.


    "Hei, Lian, I wish you the best and good luck for the future. If there is any possibility, come back to visit us from time to time." (Ying Yue)


    "I''m sorry to have insulted the spirit beasts at the auction. After the events at Crossroad Lake, I changed my opinion about them. That spider was really cool while fighting." (Cao Su)


    "May destiny have many successes in store for you. We will do our best with what we have here." (Mei)


    "I imagine that without you two, things will be less interesting from now on. But we''ll keep ourselves occupied somehow, haha." (Li)


    "I don''t have much to say. Just one thing - give a lesson to those of the Continent and show them the strength of us martial artists of the islands." (Zan)


    After the five disciples of the younger generation communicated their last greetings to Hei and Lian. It was the turn of the first and second elders.


    "In the end, we couldn''t recruit you in any of our factions. Instead, it was you who incorporated us into yours in a certain sense. Haha, well, I guess it''s not so bad as a scenario. However, be careful. Not only on the Continent. The journey itself to get there is full of dangers." (Second elder)


    "As my son said, you must give a lesson to those of the Continent. Even if you go away, you still carry the honor of our sect. Therefore, you must not forget it and do your best." (First elder)


    "Well, then it''s my turn. I wanted to thank you for your help with the Secret Dimension. Not just for the resources you brought us, but for helping your companions. Without you, probably, some of them could have died. The journey ahead will be difficult, but I trust you will have the ability to move forward. Here is something that can help you on your way," said the sect leader as she reached for Hei.


    Inside her closed hand, there were ten space rings. The same space rings that Hei had given her a week ago.


    "They were filled with the things I told you about earlier. Although it is practically nothing compared to what you gave to us, I hope they can help you two. Well then, the ship with which you will leave is just that in front of us. I have already sent a message to the captain, so you only have to board and wait for them to finish loading the goods."


    "Thank you very much, sect leader." Hei held out his hand and took the ten space rings, placing them in a pocket of his tunic. "Thank you very much, everyone, for your words and your help. Lian and I will do our best to honor the sect''s name. I hope to be able to see you again one day in more happy occasions. In the meantime, take care of yourself."


    At that point, Hei came down from Shui''s back and helped Lian down. Then he turned to Shui and Mi, who had come out of his clothes.


    "Well, it''s time for us to part as well. Please take care of everyone. One day I will come to pick you up, be sure. I promise you."


    Hei leaned forward and warmly embraced Shui, who rubbed his head against the chest of the young beast tamer. Mi also joined in the embrace, rubbing herself on Hei''s cheek. Ye and Xing came out of Hei''s clothes and exchanged farewell gestures with the two spirit beasts that would remain here. Finally, even Lian gently stroked Mi and Shui, saying goodbye.


    "Sect leader, elders, companions. I entrust my friends to you, treat them well, please. Until the day I return for them."


    "Of course, don''t worry. The spirit beasts that inhabit the sect are now part of the Flower Sect." The sect leader replied reassuringly.


    Shui then broke away from Hei and the others. Above his head was Mi, who kept her head down disconsolate. The time had come, in the end.


    Without further indulging in chatter, Hei took Lian by the hand and started to get on the ship in front of them. It was one of those large ships that made long journeys.


    The ship captain, as well as the sailors, had already been informed in advance of the two VIP passengers. But they had been told not to disturb them and not interact too much. So they just watched them go up without asking questions.


    When the sailors finally finished loading the goods, it was time to set sail. All of them, therefore, went to their places, ready to resume navigation.


    On the deck of the ship, Hei and Lian stood leaning against the railing. Their gaze was fixed where the Flower Sect group was located along with Shui and Mi. As the ship began to move, the two waved their hands for a final salute. Even Xing and Ye joined and waved their legs and tail, respectively. The Flower Sect group responded in turn to the greeting until the ship became too distant to distinguish the shapes of the two youths.


    "So, they left. I guess we won''t see them again for who knows how long." (Sect leader)


    "It is their destiny. Until it is otherwise, we won''t be part of it. The only thing we can do now is to focus on our lives. Even without them, we have many things to take care of now." (First elder)


    "Right. After all, no matter how talented they may be, they are nothing but one of the various geniuses in the Continent. Whether they can reach the top of this world is something that cannot be predicted. Therefore, we must prepare for the eventuality that they fail on the road." (Second elder)


    With this, the three elders began to turn around. It was time for them to return to the Flower Sect. So they began to lead the five members of the younger generation together with Shui and Mi to return to the sect.


    Meanwhile, Hei and Lian were looking at the immense expanse of water they were crossing. Ye and Xing, for the first time since their mother''s death, appeared less sad as they watched, with interest, this new scenario.


    "So, we are about to leave the Rainbow Island. Even though I already knew it would happen, it still seems like a dream to me. From today on, our new life will begin. Ye, Xing, Lian. But with you by my side, I know I can do it. We will reach the Continent, and when we are finished, we will come back here in the end. To our mother, to our home."


    "Yes!" The three females answered together by his side.


    From now on, it would be completely different, but it wasn''t necessarily something negative. In any case, as long as they were together, it would be fine.


    While they were busy watching the sea, a man in his forties approached them. He was a seventh-stage spirit apprentice. He was the captain of the ship.


    Although they had the opportunity to hire a ship with a spirit soldier captain, the sect leader decided not to do so. It was because it would have generated unnecessary pressure and concern in Hei. Moreover, the young martial artist was a very wary person when it came to strangers. Besides, his behavior wasn''t something wrong in the world of martial artists per se.


    Therefore, traveling with a spirit soldier wasn''t the best choice. After all, Hei was bringing with him many objects that would make everyone''s mouth water, even spirit soldiers. And, even if a monetary agreement bound the captain, he could take his word back. In the end, no blood pact was signed, and it was easy for accidents to happen in the ocean during the long crossings.


    "Welcome on board, young guests. Can I know your name?" The captain asked a slight smile.


    "I am Hei while she is Lian," Hei replied for both while he watched the man in front of him.


    "Hei, Lian. Good. You can call me Captain Fu. I just wanted to welcome you on board. As for the journey, you can sit in the assigned cabin. Otherwise, you can stay on the deck, but don''t hinder the sailors in their work. As for meals, lunch and dinner times are fixed. You can choose whether to eat with us or in your cabin. Just remember one thing. Even though I agreed to transport you, this isn''t a ship for an ocean holiday. The only reason I accepted passengers on board is that the request was forwarded by the King, that''s all."


    "Yes, we know. Stay assured. We understand perfectly."


    While Hei was listening and answered, he didn''t take his eyes off from the captain all the time. The man in command of the ship was somewhat surprised because a boy so young was able to stand his eyes without blinking. Not even his sailors with whom he shared so many journeys were able to look at him so openly.


    "Alright, then. I have nothing else to say, enjoy the journey as much as possible."


    The captain then left to return to guide the ship. Hei and Lian instead returned to look at the sea with Ye and Xing while the City of Mangroves grew smaller and smaller.

 Chapter 102 - Oceanic Assault

    It had been about two weeks since they left Rainbow Island. After the initial enthusiasm, Hei and the others had discovered that there was very little to do on the ship since they were there only as passengers. Thus, not wanting to disturb the work of the sailors, Hei stayed most of the time with Lian and his little sisters in his cabin to cultivate.


    During the events at Crossroad Lake, the two young martial artists had reached the seventh stage of spirit apprentice rank. The struggle against the big sects'' coalition and the pain of losing Bao Bei had stimulated their potential, helping them to overcome, without fail, the bottleneck that separated them from the seventh stage.


    But now they had to consolidate their foundations. Then they should prepare themselves to gradually increase their spirit power for the bigger bottleneck - that towards the rank of spirit soldier. It had to be remembered that the difficulty between ascending from the seventh stage of the spirit apprentice rank to the first stage of the spirit soldier rank was even greater than the difficulty in reaching the seventh stage spirit apprentice starting from the first stage.


    Many people had been stuck on that bottleneck for years. Making a breakthrough depended not only on talent and perseverance but was often due to luck. Obviously, it didn''t mean that consistently cultivating every day didn''t help raise the chances of success. And if you had pills or other medicines, the process could be facilitated.


    Since Hei and the others were also wary of strangers and were still a bit down for the death of Bao Bei, they didn''t exchange many conversations with the sailors. Just some greetings in the morning or to thank them for their meals.


    The sailors, in turn, didn''t pay much attention to them. The captain had expressly ordered them not to bother the two passengers in any way. And since he was a seventh stage spirit apprentice, while they were only in third-fourth stage spirit apprentices, they would certainly not contradict his order.


    Consequently, after a rapid analysis, it could be said that the journey in these first two weeks had been quiet and without excitement. It helped to find calm, but at the same time, it was dangerous because it led to a rethinking of the past.


    "It''s been two weeks now. According to the captain''s estimates, it takes about three months to reach Dream Island. But the time will likely dwell more because they have to dock at various cities. They also have to be careful of the weather and the sea tides. Not to mention any attacks by aquatic spirit beasts."


    ''Only two weeks have passed? I seem to have spent much more time. Who much I would like to have some meat, we''ve only been eating fish for two entire weeks.'' Ye complained as she rolled over on the bed provided to Hei.


    At her side, Ye was weaving a silk blanket because the one provided by the captain was dirty, and even if they washed it, it would still emit a strong salty smell.


    ''We can''t do anything about it. Being locked up here, the sense of time is lost. Besides, I think there is nothing but fish around. Rather than slacking, come and help me and hold this side of the blanket.''


    Ye looked up at Xing but was too lazy to move. However, when Xing began to tap with her legs on her black scales, Ye eventually gave in and finally got up and helped Xing with her weaving work.


    Two weeks weren''t enough to heal the wound caused by the loss of Bao Bei. But they were sufficient to get them back to life. It was surprising that no matter how much the world might appear to be about to end, little or nothing would change for other people the day after you woke up. It was just your conception of how you perceived what was happening around you that changed.


    With their mother now dead, the little two divine beasts, Xing and Ye, had to be strong and tried to go on following their way of being, according to the teachings of their mother. Hei had also changed since that day. He was more determined and confident, and even though he didn''t know what the future held for his family, he was sure he could overcome everything with the help of Lian and his little sisters.


    On another bed next to Hei''s one, Lian was reading a book about the study of formations. On her neck was the first silk ribbon that Bao Bei had given her.


    Initially, she had tried to give it to Hei because it was a memory of his mother, but he had refused.


    "Mother gave it to you, so it is yours to keep. If it''s you, then it''s fine. So take care of it for me, Lian, please."


    Hei had said so as he took the silk ribbon and wrapped it around Lian''s neck like a scarf. From that day on, Lian had always kept the ribbon wrapped around her neck to remember Bao Bei and keep her promise to Hei.


    But while the sweet family was enjoying this little moment of tranquility, suddenly the ship made a loud noise while braking abruptly, making fall all those present on board.


    ''What!?'' cried the two little divine beasts as they fell from the bed before being caught by Hei a few millimeters from touching the ship''s floor.


    Lian, fortunately, was sitting on the bed, and because she had a ''bigger'' body than Ye and Xing, she hadn''t been easily startled.


    "We stopped," said the young blue-haired girl after the shock had subsided.


    "Strange, yet we are in the middle of the ocean. There should be no islands nearby for several more days," Hei commented as he placed his little sisters on the bed.


    ''What if it was due to an attack?'' (Xing)


    ''Let''s get out! Let''s go see!'' (Ye)


    The two little divine beasts were quite excited about it. After two weeks of calm, they needed to let off steam with a good fistfight.


    "Agree. Then we go. Don''t forget, however, no reckless actions. Until I tell you, no attacks, we have an understanding?"


    ''Yes, yes! We understood! But let''s go now.'' Ye and Xing said together as they sneaked in their big brother''s robe.


    Hearing their response, Hei laughed and took Lian, who had placed her book in her space ring by hand. By now, if something unexpected happened, for Hei, it had become a habit to hide his little sisters on his body and take Lian''s hand. Somehow, it reassured him to have the three of them within reach during sudden situations. Only when he had ascertained what was happening would he let them go, free to act freely.


    When they came out of their cabin, they could see several sailors running on the hold as they took swords and bows. From their voices and agitated faces, Hei immediately realized that the situation was dangerous.


    "Spirit beasts! They are attacking us! And they aren''t weak! "One of the sailors shouted when Hei tried to stop him so he could understand what was going on.


    Hearing the words spirit beasts, Hei quickly snapped onto the deck of the ship, followed by Lian. When he finally reached the sunlight, he was welcomed by the sight of a giant octopus of about 8-9 meters long that was wrapping itself up to the ship.


    Looking at the impressive spirit beast, Hei couldn''t help but be nervous. His mother had explained to him that the power of a spirit beast was, in part, linked to its size, but at the same time, it wasn''t. In fact, after the initial astonishment, Hei realized that the giant octopus was still at the first level, comparable to a sixth stage spirit apprentice.


    After all, it was very reasonable after thinking carefully. In the wilderness, there were animals with imposing dimensions, without them having been magnified by spirit power. Therefore, if they had awakened their spirit power and become spirit beasts, it was evident that they would start from a considerable size. Furthermore, not all spirit beasts grew out of proportion as their strength increased. Some chose to block their body growth, preferring a less bulky stature but still possessed high power.


    On the deck, the various sailors were fighting against the octopus tentacles, terrified of being wrapped and thrown into the sea. It was because aquatic spirit beasts would have had an overwhelming advantage if they had moved the fight into water. Not to mention that the octopus wasn''t the only spirit beast that was attacking.


    A Great White Shark of about 5-6 meters was ramming the sides of the ship, crashing at high speed. From above, a five-meter Manta was hovering and attacking the sailors engaged in holding the octopus''s tentacles, before diving back into the water to regain momentum.


    Captain Fu was trying to protect his men, and although he had managed to avoid losses among his men so far, it was clear that he couldn''t keep up the pace even though he was stronger than the spirit beasts in theory.


    This was happening because the reached cultivation stage wasn''t enough to dictate the victory. The spirit beasts were attacking in three while Captain Fu was just one person. Furthermore, he was consuming his energies to protect his men and the ship.


    "Stop! Stop attacking!" Hei shouted. However, he wasn''t addressing the human beings who were defending themselves, but the spirit beasts that were attacking.


    They, hearing an unknown human speak their language, were so disconcerted that momentarily stopped the siege on the ship.


    "If we have disturbed you, we would like to apologize for crossing your territory. We''re just passing through. We''ll leave immediately."


    In the meantime that Hei was trying to calm the spirit beasts, Captain Fu and his sailors looked with astonishment at the scene before their eyes. A young boy stood fearlessly before those terrifying spirit beasts.


    Upon hearing Hei''s apology, the Manta began producing various noises to answer him. And its message wasn''t positive at all.


    Basically, it had said that they had been ordered by their master to destroy every ship that approached their position and to kill all the humans on board, without sparing one. And to them, it was a task that they didn''t dislike because they could have eaten human flesh to satiety. The octopus, in turn, addressed Hei''s mocking words, telling him that he would become an excellent snack for starting the day. Lastly, the great white shark was even more vulgar, pronouncing obscenities even more disgusting.


    "I see. If this is how things are, you don''t leave me any other choice. YE! XING! LIAN! Attack!"


    With that battle cry, the three females at his side moved with lightning speed.


    Xing used the tremendous force of her legs to jump up, coming before the Manta and clinging to the creature''s body. Ye instead slipped directly under water, directed towards the great white shark while increasing her size. Among them, she was the most skilled at fighting in the water. Lian instead activated her spirit power together with Hei. Then the two youths took out their weapons and hurled themselves against the octopus.


    Lian brought out two long silk ribbons wrapped around her body. These ribbons, similar to vines, tied together with the various tentacles of the octopus, preventing the powerful creature from attacking. Hei instead waved his purple lance with red veins.


    Slash!


    In one fell swoop, the tentacles tied by Lian''s ribbons were cut cleanly, falling with a thud on the deck of the ship before the incredulous eyes of the sailors who until recently were struggling desperately against those tentacles.


    However, Hei hadn''t finished his offensive. Using the ship''s railing as a support point, Hei jumped out of the ship. His landing point would be nothing but the face of the octopus.


    Seeing the little human swoop down on it like that, the octopus was puzzled. But it immediately recovered and instantly hurled more tentacles. It happened that the previous cut tentacles weren''t all the tentacles it had available, but it had others. But Hei didn''t care about those things.


    By concentrating his spirit power on his spear, he could hear his mother''s pulse resounding in the weapon, and that made him euphoric and full of vigor.


    "Spear Intent! Spider Thrust."


    The purple lance flashed and again cut off the octopus tentacles. At that point, the giant spirit beast was seized by fear and tried to withdraw underwater. But how could Hei let the enemy escape?


    "Law of Poison, Poisonous Thread."


    Suddenly, from Hei''s hands came out a very thin thread similar to that of a spiderweb. However, instead of using it as an attack, Hei tied him to the end of his spear. Then with all the strength he had, Hei threw the spear straight at the octopus that was descending into the water.


    Swoosh! Thrust!


    With a strong penetrating power, the spear went to thrust deep into the head of the octopus, which twisted with pain. But it wasn''t over here. Hei used the thread he had created to recall the spear he had hurled. Meanwhile, Lian had tightened one of her ribbons and was keeping Hei suspended in mid-air. From that position, the young martial artist attacked, repeatedly throwing his spear until the octopus died out definitively.


    Xing meanwhile was fighting in the air against the Manta. She tied part of her body to the enemy so that she wasn''t shaken off and then she started impaling the body of the Manta who crashed onto the deck, in the grip of convulsions due to the toxic poison injected by Xing.


    Ye instead used the ferocity of the great white shark to her advantage. Taking advantage of it wanting to bite her, she made herself be swallowed on purpose. Then from inside its body, Ye had started to dig through the flesh until she came out of the shark''s backside. On her mouth, she held a small blue sphere, meaning the spirit core of the great white shark.


    Amazing! Unbelievable! Frightening! Horrifying!


    These were the emotions of Captain Fu and his men when watching those two youths and that couple spider and snake fighting. Before long, they had succeeded in wiping out three spirit beasts comparable to three or four martial artists with a sixth stage spirit apprentice cultivation. And the most surprising thing was that the two youths, despite their young age, were already in the seventh stage. Meaning, they were equal in power to Captain Fu, yet their fighting strength was higher than that of the captain.


    "So young and yet so strong... what the hell kind of monsters have they asked me to carry?!" Captain Fu wondered to himself as he had a half-smile of disbelief on his face in front of Hei and Lian''s performance.


    Since they were VIPs, he thought they were the children of some noble who wanted to travel the world. Never would have imagined that they were two martial artists of such great talent and power.

 Chapter 103 - Emergency Landing

    Swoosh!


    The wind was blowing hard on the Forgotten Ocean. At one point, in that immense expanse of water, there was a large ship standing still after an unexpected battle. It was Captain Fu''s ship, where Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye were traveling.


    At the moment, despite the questions in their hearts, neither the captain nor his men could have the luxury of asking questions to the two young VIP passengers who had shown incredible strength.


    They had to check the damage done by the spirit beasts as soon as possible and decide what to do. Right now, they were in the middle of the ocean, and the nearest cities were days crossing away. They could only pray that the damage wasn''t massive and could hold out until they reached the next island.


    Meanwhile, Hei and Lian, with the two little divine beasts, Ye and Xing, were collecting the carcasses of the dead spirit beasts. Only the Manta impaled on the deck of the ship by Xing was still alive, albeit not for long. Hei had indeed ordered his little sister not to kill the enemy spirit beast because he wanted to ask it some questions.


    What interested Hei to know who their master was. The one who had ordered the three spirit beasts to attack every ship nearby. The wild spirit beasts, even if another spirit beast commanded them, would have used the term boss or leader. Master was a foreign term in the spirit beasts'' world, except for those who had made a spirit pact with a human.


    Therefore, it was very likely that a human had sent the three aquatic spirit beasts. Moreover, even if the spirit beasts were territorial, as long as you didn''t create confusion in their territory, they would hardly make every effort to destroy the intruder.


    And as Hei had suspected, the three spirit beasts had made a spirit pact with a beast tamer. Their goal was to kill anyone who approached his position. They didn''t know what, but it seemed that their master and other humans were looking for something and didn''t want to be disturbed for any reason.


    "Alright. Thanks for the info. Xing, put an end to its suffering now."


    ''Yes, big brother.'' Xing said as she raised one of her legs before piercing the manta on its head, ending its life. At that point, Xing began to dissect the dead spirit beast in search of its spirit core.


    ''A beast tamer and an unknown number of other humans... since he can control three spirit beasts comparable to a sixth stage spirit apprentice, the tamer must be at least a sixth stage. If he is in the company of others, then even his companions should be at the sixth stage, at least. There is no reason to investigate, and yet I am curious about the reason for their actions.''


    While Hei meditated to himself, the sailors on board had finished checking the status of the ship and had communicated everything to Captain Fu. The captain had a grim expression on his face and gave some orders before heading to Hei and Lian.


    Taking a look at the carcasses of the spirit beasts, Captain Fu communicated the situation to the two youths.


    "First of all, I want to thank you for the help you gave us. Thanks to you, we managed to avoid victims among my crew. Unfortunately, the great white shark has caused considerable damage to the ship, and we are forced to make an emergency landing. Nearby there is an abandoned island. By momentarily tapping the leaks, we can reach the island and land on the ground. Then we will make an emergency repair so that we can resume the journey. It means, however, that once we arrive at the next island, we should stop for at least several days to complete the repairs accurately. So, you can decide whether to wait, or I can ask if there is any other boat that leaves immediately and accepts passengers."


    Listening to the captain''s words, Hei replied with a slight smile.


    "Do not worry. For now, let''s focus on getting to the island and repairing the ship. We will take care of the rest when the time comes. "


    Noticing Hei''s calm, Captain Fu was even more surprised. Typically, a boy so young would have been at least a little shaken by this sudden change in plans, but Hei was rather calm as if nothing serious had happened.


    "I''m sorry to say when you helped us, but we can''t carry all three spirit beasts. The octopus, in particular, is cumbersome and would just slow us down. If you have already taken its spirit core, we will throw it into the sea then."


    "Ah, no. There''s no need. I''ll handle that."


    After saying those words, Hei got up and went near the body of the manta. The spirit beast was then sucked into the Heart, or to be precise, into the Secret Dimension inside the Heart. Then he made the same with the body of the great white shark and the octopus.


    Watching the three spirit beasts disappear like that, Captain Fu and his men opened wide both their eyes and mouths. It was amazing how those massive bodies had been sucked instantly.


    "Space ring ...?" Captain Fu muttered to himself as he couldn''t believe it.


    As a seventh-stage spirit apprentice, he also owned a pair of space rings, but they weren''t remotely large to contain all the three spirit beasts. Consequently, it was probable that the young boy in front of him had more than two space rings and that they were also first-rate space rings.


    ''The order to transport them came from the Forest Kingdom King of the Rainbow Island. But there is no way that they are part of the royal family. Then, they are part of a big sect? Indeed, their cultivation level is so advanced despite their young age.''


    "There is something wrong?"


    Suddenly a voice brought Captain Fu back to reality. When he looked up, he could see Hei looking him straight in the eye. Although Hei was neutrally looking at him, Captain Fu couldn''t help but have chills down his spine. It was like being naked and helpless before a dangerous beast.


    "No, there is nothing wrong. If you want, you can sit in your cabin as we head to the island."


    "All right, let us know when we arrive. Lian, Xing, Ye, come on. "


    Picking up his little sisters from the ground and taking Lian by the hand, Hei went down, returning to his cabin. Although it was a risk to reveal that he could store so much space on himself, Hei didn''t want to give up the flesh of spirit beasts. He had decided that he would no longer hide and that he would struggle with his teeth and nails for every single piece of resource that could make him stronger, even at the cost of having to clash with other living beings and kill them.


    "Ye, Xing. Come." Hei took his little sisters and put them on the bed. "It''s chow time." So, he gave Ye the spirit core of the great white shark, and Xing, the octopus''s one. As far as the spirit core of the manta was concerned, he would keep it aside for now.


    "Once you''ve finished digesting, start resting. Lian, you should rest too. If there is only one island nearby that is also deserted, then it is likely that we will meet that beast tamer and the rest of his companions. I don''t know what they are aiming for, but the fact is that they will try to kill us because they don''t want witnesses about what they are doing on the island. Even more so now that we have killed the three spirit beasts sent as sentinels."


    "Shouldn''t we tell Captain Fu? Since the octopus, the shark, and the manta are dead, the spirit pact with the beast tamer has been severed, so they know that something or someone has killed their spirit beasts. It is likely that they will be on the alert and that they will attack us as soon as we arrive. Consequently, the crew of this ship will also be involved."


    "There is no need for it now. They won''t attack recklessly with the number of people on the ship. They will certainly take time to understand the situation. And that''s where we''ll hit. There is likely a treasure or something on the island. So they will split up to look for it and, at the same time, to watch over us. We will, therefore, use Fu and his men as smokescreen while we go hunting. If it is an uninhabited island, then the vegetation must have grown without a brake. And in an environment with thick vegetation, I have the confidence of being able to hunt anyone." Hei replied, smiling at Lian and showing a confident expression.


    "Alright, then. We''ll do as you say. In any case, I will always be behind you to help you." After saying this, Lian laid down on the bed and began to rest as Hei had ordered.


    "Thanks, Lian," Hei murmured in a low voice as he went to sleep as well.


    *


    After half a day of sailing, the ship had finally reached the deserted island shown on the map of Captain Fu. As they approached, they didn''t notice traces of ships nearby or on the beach. Furthermore, except for the beach, the island was covered by thick vegetation that prevented one from seeing what was in the inner region.


    "Okay, start the maneuvers for landing on the island. Once on the ground, we will proceed as soon as possible to create a temporary camp. It is almost sunset now, so we will work tomorrow morning at dawn." Captain Fu shouted to his men, busy bending the sails and getting ready to dock.


    "We finally arrived," Hei commented as he took a breath of air.


    As he had foreseen, the vegetation had grown out of proportion due to the absence of human beings. And that greatly facilitated his plans.


    Once down, Hei and Lian decided to take care of the dinner for everyone, leaving Fu and his men to think about preparing the camp instead. Hei then took out the corpse of the great white shark and began to clean it and cut it into pieces. Then he threw each of the pieces straight into Ye''s mouth before the little snake spit them out.


    The reason for this was that shark meat contained high doses of urea along with other substances harmful to humans if ingested. That was because sharks were carnivorous creatures, so they absorbed every toxic substance of their prey.


    Hei had learned this thanks to books on alchemy, where there were recipes that talked about using meat from specific spirit beasts to achieve particular effects. And among the treated meats, there was also shark meat.


    Fortunately, Hei had his little sister Ye. Possessing the Concept of Digestion, it wasn''t a problem for her to absorb the harmful substances and make the meat edible. After that, it would only be enough to expel the toxic substances through the cloaca, which was nothing but a small opening in the snakes, designed to urinate and defecate.


    After receiving the pieces of shark meat, Lian would then cooked the meat on a fire they had lit. Thanks to the cooking, the part of Ye drool on the meat would disappear. Fortunately, the sailors were too busy with their tasks to notice the strange process that was taking place.


    When they finished preparing the portions for all Fu and his men, Hei made more for him and Lian. The remaining shark meat was then cooked as it was, without having to treat it in Ye''s body. That was the portion for his little sisters, and the spirit beasts were more resistant than humans when it came to ingesting something.


    Thus, the members of the ship enjoyed the shark meat outdoors, illuminated by the starlight. Since they didn''t have many spices and vegetables with them, the taste was a bit bland, but it wasn''t bad. It was actually quite tasty. And the two young VIP passengers had prepared an enormous amount to fill everyone''s belly.


    Under that cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, none of them noticed that the two young martial artists had sneaked away secretly in the forest of the island together with the small spider and the small snake that were in their company.

 Chapter 104 - Night Hunt Part 1

    In a location not too far from the camp where Captain Fu and his men were resting, hidden by the thick vegetation were two men dressed in worn clothes. Their faces had been scarred on several points, and different tattoos could be seen on their bodies.


    At the time, there were two men lay on the ground. They were watching with a small telescope the crew''s movements of the ship landed on the beach.


    "So these are the bastards who killed my creatures. Damn you. I''ll make them pay." One of them angrily snapped as he clenched his fists. His face was ashen, and his eyes were bloodshot.


    The loss of a spirit beast to a beast tamer was an enormous damage. Not only as regards the tamer''s fighting force, but above all for the damage received. Since the spirit pact united the minds and spirit power of two different beings, breaking the pact would cause both sides a spirit wound.


    Consequently, when the three spirit beasts died, they felt no repercussions from the breaking of the spirit pact. However, their tamer was alive and suffered almost simultaneously three spirit wounds. If it weren''t for the fact that his spirit beasts were still on the first level, the beast tamer could have died instantly.


    But even though he was alive, the wounds weren''t at all light. He could barely stand and had difficulty in circulating his spirit power. To cure his body, he would need special pills or medicines that were impossible to get in the middle of a desert island.


    It was precisely for this reason that the beast tamers were few compared to the ordinary martial artists. Not only because of the difficulty in raising spirit beasts but also because of the risk of being seriously injured at the death of one''s spirit beast. After all, receiving such a wound in the middle of a fight would mean almost certain death.


    The companion of the beast tamer tried to console him.


    "Come on, if we can accomplish the mission, we can get great rewards from our captain. Once you are cured, you can ask him to capture a powerful specimen of spirit beast for you. Maybe something that could even reach the second level."


    "Haha, hopefully. In that way, my influence inside the crew would grow. But it isn''t a bad idea. And then we can also make up for my losses with the cargo of those assholes'' ship. I refuse to believe that they managed to kill my three spirit beasts without having consumed almost all their strength. If we attack them with others, then we can do it. What do you say?"


    "Let''s hear the team leader first. It''s not safe-"


    Suddenly, a sharp blade flashed for a moment in the dark night. The head of the beast tamer''s companion was sent flying as it broke away from the body. Beside the just beheaded man, the tamer of the three killed spirit beasts was being bound by two long silver ribbons with red veins. It was even painful for him to breathe, not to mention reacting to that sudden assault.


    Standing next to the headless corpse, Hei was cleaning the blood on his spear with the clothes of the man he had just killed. His eyes, therefore, shifted towards the beast tamer kept bound by Lian.


    Beside her, Xing was rummaging through the clothes of the tied man while Ye examined the beheaded corpse.


    ''Nothing, big brother, not even a space ring. But I found this object.'' Ye reported as she showed the telescope held in its tail.


    ''Nothing even here. Even if these two are small fry, they should have something of value with them. If not, then it means they left it in their camp.'' Xing speculated as she returned to her big brother.


    "Nothing? I see. It''s probably like you said Xing. Let''s see what this one has to say." Hei said, pointing to the man bound by Lian''s ribbons.


    Sensing what he wanted to do, without needing a specific command, Lian began to go deeper into the vegetation, taking the tied enemy with her. Hei meanwhile took the decapitated corpse and let his little sisters take the head.


    After they had distanced themselves sufficiently from where Captain Fu and his men''s camp were, Hei signaled Lian to leave the captured man on the ground and free his mouth so he could speak.


    "Bastards! Who the fuck are you?! You have no idea what kind of trouble you are in. Get ready to die- "


    Slam!


    Without warning, Hei kicked the tied man in the face, making even a pair of teeth fly. Because of the spirit wound inflicted, the body of the beast tamer wasn''t in the condition to react. And it wasn''t by chance that Hei had left him alive. Thanks to his little sisters, he had been able to listen to their conversation, and he knew that the man tied by Lian''s ribbons was the tamer of the three spirit beasts. He also knew that he had to be weakened by the wound inflicted by the breaking of the spirit pact.


    "I don''t have much time to waste. I suggest you talk right away, or I''ll have to make you talk."


    "Cough... bastard. Who do you think you''re, kid, cough. Do you think you can intimidate me in that way?"


    "Alright. Ye, proceed. Lian, you stop him. Xing, you are on the alert if someone approaches."


    After Hei had given his orders, Lian proceeded to tie the enemy beast tamer even more tightly. She was also helped by Xing to tie a wooden branch between his teeth so that the man could not cut his tongue. Xing then climbed up a tree and began to watch the area below. Ye instead began to bite the body of the tied man and injected non-lethal poisons that caused pain.


    The beast tamer began to contort with pain, as he opened his eyes wide. His voice was faintly audible because of the branch and the webbing gag. As he tried to scream, his own drool was starting to accumulate in his mouth, and he had to swallow it not to suffocate.


    As the others were torturing the man, Hei took the corpse without its head. Then, he tied its feet on the branch of a tree, so as to keep it suspended in mid-air. Then, he took out a knife from the Secret Dimension and made a vertical cut that went from the bellybutton to the base of the neck. Quickly, the blood contained inside the body was poured outside, wetting red the ground below.


    Seeing that gruesome scene, the beast tamer fainted. But because of the pain, he was again brought back to reality. His mind was in chaos. He couldn''t understand how he ended up in that nightmare. All he wanted now was to run away in any way, even with death, if possible.


    Suddenly, a series of small noises began to resound all around, and Xing warned from her position.


    ''Big Brother-''


    "Yes, I know. Let them do it. There is no need to act."


    The source of those noises was none other than the island inhabitants, or the animals that lived there. Since it was a desert island in the middle of the ocean, there were no large predators, but they were all small. Only a few had traces of spirit power, but they were indeed not a danger to Hei and his family. Indeed, the reason why he had cut the body like that was just to lure them here.


    ''Xing, tell them that if they want their part, they must honestly answer your questions. Ask them if they have seen humans in the vicinity, and if they have not seen it, then send them to explore. As long as they manage to locate the position of these men''s companions, these two corpses will go to them.''


    Unlike before, this time, he used his spirit power to send a spirit message to Xing. He didn''t want the beast tamer under torture to hear the contents of the message.


    ''Sure big brother. Leave it to me.'' Xing cheerfully replied as if she had just been ordered to shop around the corner.


    "Well, then. Have you decided to talk? Or do you still want to experience another torture session? Don''t hope I''m wrong with the dosages. I am an alchemist, and in any case, I can always inject you something to treat the conditions in which your body is affected. That way, I can continue to torture you even more. I have all night available."


    The beast tamer at those words began to wriggle even more while he struggled with his head. He didn''t want to continue experiencing this pain. He would have gone mad if the torture continued for another minute.


    Noting the expression of his big brother, Ye began to suck the poison into the man''s body, freeing him from the pain.


    ''If I talk to you this way, there are no problems that you bite your tongue before spilling the beans. Now tell me, who are you? How many are you? Why did you come here, and why did you order your spirit beasts to kill anyone approaching this place?." Hei asked his questions through a spirit message.


    ''Please, no more torture. I will answer everything. We are part of the Sea Devils crew, led by Captain Pirate, Red Devil, Jin-Sang. Our group is small, but we are all sixth stage spirit apprentice. We also have an artifact ship that allowed us to have a good position in Captain Jin-Sang''s crew. One day the captain gave us a secret mission. We don''t know the details, but he wants us to explore the island and take every valuable thing we can find. He is the one who ordered us the utmost discretion and to kill any witnesses. In the case of a successful mission, he promised to grant each of us one wish.''


    ''I see. And where are your companions? And the artifact ship?''


    ''The artifact ship is hidden in a safe place. Since it is small, it is normal that you didn''t see it as you landed on the beach. My companions should now be in the heart of the forest. We have already scoured the beach and found nothing. I swear to you, we don''t know what the captain wants, he just told us to bring everything of value that we can find.''


    ''I believe you, don''t worry. Thanks for the info, now you can go to sleep.''


    ''To sleep?! No! Wait! You promised-''


    Crack!


    Without hesitation, Hei broke the neck of the still-bound beast tamer. From Hei''s current expression, one could only perceived coldness.


    "You dared to aim at the life of my family. I promised not to torture you, but the price for your actions is death anyway."


    At that point, Lian untied her ribbons from the lifeless body, wrapping them around her body. Her expression contained no trace of emotions. She was merely observing Hei to understand what they had to do now.


    At that moment, Xing arrived with an undefined group of small spiders. Following them, there were also groups of centipedes, scorpions, and praying mantises. There was even an entire colony of ants.


    ''Big brother, they say they saw humans in the middle of the forest. They say they are ten, including the two we captured.''


    "Well, apparently he wasn''t lying. Alright, then. Tell them that I propose another pact. They must help us monitor the movements of the enemies until we settle them. Once it is finished, we will give them the bodies of those killed."


    While Hei left the negotiations to his little sister, he took the corpses of the two men who had just been killed, and with his spear, he began to tear them into pieces, to divide the meat into equal parts.


    ''Big brother, they said it''s okay for them.''


    "All right, then hurry up with eating and moving the pieces of meat into your shelters. I give you an hour but no more. After that, I want you in your positions or no food for you."


    This time Hei turned directly to the group of small animals on the ground. When they heard a human speak the language of spiders, they became confused, unable to understand how a human could speak their language. But they didn''t give it much thought. They were, in fact, attracted by the ''food'' that had been offered as a reward. So, without delay, they pounced on the bodies of the two dead men.


    "Let''s go then. There are still eight more to settle." Hei urged as he took his little sisters on himself and led Lian by the hand toward the heart of the island''s forest.

 Chapter 105 - Night Hunt Part 2

    Heart of the Inhabited Island''s Forest


    "Hey, hasn''t some time already passed since the last report? Shouldn''t we worry?"


    "Don''t worry. I was the one who said to report only if necessary. We don''t know who is on that ship. If those people find spirit power''s fluctuations because they tried to communicate with us, it would be worse instead."


    "Right, I hadn''t thought of it. Well, if they merely observe from a distance covered by the vegetation, there is no risk of them being discovered. In the first place, nobody knows we''re here."


    "But is it isn''t risky to send only two? Seon is wounded because he has lost his spirit beasts and is unable to fight."


    "Idiot, precisely because he lost his spirit beasts and is wounded that he was sent. If they are discovered, he will act as bait while Hyo comes to warn us. Or do you want to take his place?"


    "No, for heaven''s sake. Indeed, it''s better this way. That''ll show him not to play the big man due to the strength of his spirit beasts when he is unable to resist in a one vs. one match."


    "No more fooling around, let''s keep looking. Only this place is left now, so we should find out as soon as possible what the captain wants."


    Various male voices were overlapping with each other. They belonged to the eight companions of the two men killed by Hei. Unaware of the fate of their companions, they were carefully searching the heart of the deserted forest.


    However, they didn''t know that a pair of eyes were watching them from afar. Hei was, in fact, hidden not too far from the group of pirates along with Lian and his little sisters. At his feet, the little creatures with whom he had allied were frantically reporting. They were warning him about the shape of the forest and where each of the pirates were.


    "Alright. Good job. In the meantime we settle these pirates, do me another favor. Those humans are looking for something. I don''t know what it is, but it must be something that shouldn''t be here, or that contains spirit power. Bring me everything you think can match these descriptions nearby."


    The little animals nodded their heads as if they understood. Then they went down into the ground, completely disappearing from Hei''s sight.


    "Good, then. How to proceed? There are eight of them, and all are sixth stage spirit apprentices. The wisest thing would be to go to Captain Fu and have him participate in the attack with his men," Hei commented as he pondered how to act.


    ''But if we do this, it means that the treasure we find will be shared with the crew. If things go wrong, then we will be forced to kill all of them.'' Xing analyzed, visualizing the consequences of such a choice.


    ''Let them try it. We''ll take down all of them.'' Ye was ready to fight. She didn''t care if she had to kill the entire crew of Captain Fu. After all, anyone who dared to hurt his big brother deserved to be punished.


    "Silly. It''s okay to be pumped for the fight, but always remember not to overdo it if you can avoid killing. There is no need to create unnecessary conflicts." He tickled Ye slightly to scold her for being too belligerent.


    The small snake began to wriggle on the ground until she admitted her defeat.


    ''Enough big brother. I give up, you''re right. Sorry.''


    ''No, you haven''t learned yet. Another tickle for you.'' Taking advantage of that opportunity, Xing piled on the poor Ye and tickled her with her eight legs at the same time. Meanwhile, Lian raised her head from that gracious sight and proposed her point of view.


    "If they are in the sixth stage, we can face them alone without asking for help from Captain Fu. Being subordinate pirates to another pirate, I doubt they could be considered as strong as the geniuses of the big sects. Their foundations are probably very unstable, and it isn''t certain that everyone has completed their elemental conversion and formed their elemental seed."


    Hearing her words, Hei thought for a moment before deciding.


    "You''re right. There''s no need to think about it too much. We will attack the enemies simultaneously so they will have no way to react. We will take two each. Aim to eliminate one of the two on the first attack. Don''t spare yourself and aim directly at killing, okay?"


    Lian, Xing, and Ye nodded their heads before turning serious. The break was over. Now they had to go back to hunting and kill.


    Thus, Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing separated, each focusing on different targets. Fortunately, the enemy pirates had scattered around the area. Their attention was also focused on scouring every corner of the land.


    Suddenly, from under the ground, the myriad of animals under Hei''s orders showed their presence, generating confusion in the hearts of the eight pirates. They didn''t understand why suddenly such a large number of disgusting animals had appeared under their feet. But, unfortunately for them, that was the signal to start the attack.


    From four different points of the forest, four dark shapes formed in front of four different pirates. These silhouettes then brightly shone as they pounced on their targets.


    Spider Lance!


    Slash!


    Taking advantage of the enemy'' opening, Hei used his most powerful move to aim directly at the head. The hit pirate, without even having a chance to understand what was happening, was killed instantly when Hei''s hand destroyed his skull and brain.


    Without wasting time, Hei slipped his hand from the enemy''s head. Shreds of brains mixed with blood were stuck on his sharp blades-like nails.


    "What the fuck -?"


    "Intent of the Spear, Spider Thrust!"


    After killing the first man, Hei immediately pointed toward his next prey. This time, the second pirate, having witnessed the death of his companion, managed to activate his spirit power and draw his sword.


    Peng!


    The tip of Hei''s spear hit the flat part of the sword. The pirate, although he had successfully parried, was made to step back several steps. His arms were trembling with the powerful impact just suffered.


    "Bastard. Law of the Wind, Sharpening!"


    The pirate condensed his spirit power into the blade of his sword and then hurled himself at Hei using his footwork technique. He was pretty quick for being a normal sixth stage.


    Without being preoccupied, Hei backed away and simply dodged without using the two-legged mode of the Spider Run. It was because, at the time, he was still wearing his boots. But even so, Hei''s speed was quite high, given his athletic musculature.


    However, when he thought he had dodged, he was grazed with the spirit power poured on the sword''s blade. Indeed, the spirit power, after absorbing the properties of the Wind Law, was like a continuation of the sword''s blade.


    "I see. In that way, you increase the reach of the weapon, while maintaining the light weight of a one-handed sword," Hei commented as he examined the spot where he had been hit. Fortunately, the protective layer of his spirit power had allowed him to get away with a small cut.


    "Even if you understand it, it will get you nowhere, kid. Don''t hope you can dodge forever. Get ready to be cut by my blade."


    With a grin on his face, the pirate prepared to strike again. As before, his footwork allowed him to move quickly over the rugged terrain of the desert island''s forest.


    Knowing that it was dangerous to try to avoid the blade of the sword, Hei then tried to block it using the shaft of his spear.


    "Haha, stupid. My technique increases the sharpness of my blade. Meaning, I can even cut metal weapons in half."


    As if he had foreseen his imminent victory, the pirate added even more force to his strike.


    Peng!


    With a metallic sound that resounded in the air, the pirate''s sword was stopped in mid-air. To his astonishment, his weapon had been blocked by the boy''s spear in front of him.


    "And so you think that such a trivial technique can cut the spear my mother made for me? Even just having thought of it is an insult."


    With a violent rage burning in his heart, Hei pushed the enemy''s sword upward. Then he spun his spear to sink the tip of the spear onto the pirate''s stomach. The pirate, although shaken because his technique had failed, avoided the sharp point sideways. But this was still part of Hei''s calculations.


    Crack!


    Taking advantage of the pirate''s lateral movement, Hei instantly changed the direction of his lance. The hard shaft of the spear crashed into the pirate''s right side, sending him flying several meters. From the noise that was produced on contact between spear and man, it was clear that some bones must have broken.


    "Cough!"


    Coughing a handful of blood, the pirate tried to get up quickly. Falling to the ground and losing sight of the enemy, even for a moment, was dangerous in the middle of a fight. It was especially true now that he was fighting alone.


    And indeed, as soon as he got up from the ground.


    "Intent of the Spear, Poisonous Spider Thrust!"


    The tip of Hei''s spear finally found its target. The Law of Poison concentrated on the tip began to corrode the pirate''s protective layer of spirit power.


    Sizzle! Stab!


    The spear finally succeeded in breaking the protective layer of spirit power and finally met the flesh. The pirate was violently impaled on the trunk of a tree while regurgitating blood from his mouth.


    There was nothing more he could do. The attack was so violent that it killed him instantly. He didn''t even have time to attempt a last desperate attack.


    "My mother''s spear cannot be broken by any attack. Not even if that attack could break my body."


    With those last words, Hei removed the spear from the pirate''s stomach. The lifeless body of man fell to the ground like a puppet whose threads had been cut. Hei looked indifferently at the dead pirate before cleaning the blood from his spear. Then he took the bodies of the two men he had killed and went to find Lian and his little sisters.


    In three other points of the desert island forest, three other clashes occurred, being concluded as quickly as Hei''s.


    Lian came out from a big bush. Behind her, two men were being dragged. Their red face indicated that they had died of asphyxiation. On their neck, there were, in fact, two strongly tied silk ribbons.


    Xing instead, after having killed and stripped her prey, hung them on the trunk of a tree. At the moment, she was searching to find something of value. Next to her was Ye with her two other prey. Ye''s prey were the ones that presented the most horrible conditions among the eight pirates. The two poor unfortunates had indeed been crushed to become a shapeless mass.


    Unlike Xing, who used her sharp legs and fangs to cut the opponent clean, Ye preferred to use her whole body and literally crush the opponent. It went by itself that she was also the one who ended up getting dirtiest as the blood and guts of her enemies would stick to her scales. But she didn''t care much about it.


    In a short time, Hei and Lian reached the two little divine beasts. All eight pirates had died brutally, and none of them remained. Unfortunately, it also meant that they couldn''t question them and see if their answers matched with those of their companions. But Hei didn''t care.


    It was he who said they had to aim to kill rather than capture. After all, they were at a numerical disadvantage, four against eight, and it wasn''t certain that what the two pirates had said before was correct. If he had tried to capture them and then discovered that they were far stronger than what the two pirates had said, Hei, Lian, and the two little divine beasts could have been in danger.


    To avoid this, it was preferable to kill the enemy. In any case, they could always rummage through their bodies and discover something from their objects. Besides, they currently had a whole squad of animals that was patrolling the area for them.


    "Good work, Lian, Ye, Xing. Did you find out anything? "Hei asked as he took the robe of one of the dead pirates and began to clean his blood-stained little sisters.


    ''No, nothing. I mean, I haven''t checked yet. Come on. I will take a bath later.'' (Ye)


    "No, you have to cleanse yourself now, or the blood then dries, and it becomes more difficult to remove it. Xing, did you find anything?"


    ''Yes, I found a couple of space rings. But there is little stuff and nothing really valuable.''


    "Lian, you?"


    "No, nothing. If these pirates have nothing with them, it may be that they left their things on their artifact ship. But we don''t know where it is. "


    "We''ll find out. Our scouts are about to arrive. "


    Indeed, the horde of animals sent to explore by Hei was returning. From how they moved slowly, it looked like they were carrying something. And indeed, when they were visible, he could see a wooden crate being carried by the colony of ants.


    "Good job. I''ll take this." Hei said as he took the burden off the backs of the little ants. "Xing, Ye. Cut the bodies into thin pieces so they can be easier to transport."


    "Yes, big brother." The two little divine beasts answered in unison.


    Meanwhile, the other groups also returned. Each was carrying various objects ranging from spirit stones to medicinal plants. However, between them, the group of centipedes had returned empty-handed but didn''t seem that they had found nothing.


    Listening to their story, Hei immediately understood why they presented themselves without bringing anything.


    "The artifact ship!"


    Yes, the group of centipedes had indeed found the artifact ship used by the pirates. They had hidden the ship inside the forest so as not to be visible from outside.


    "Good work, all of you. You can go to my little sisters to take your part. There''s enough for everyone. For those who haven''t helped, wait before the others are full and take their part. Then you can have the leftovers. Obviously, if you try to be clever, you will be eliminated," Hei shouted.


    At this time, he wasn''t addressing the groups of animals that had helped him, but others who were hidden not far from their position. As it happened, the smell of blood had attracted other predators. After all, on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, the amount of food available was limited. So, everyone wanted a slice. However, hearing Hei''s warning, the animals waiting to act and steal part of the ''booty'' froze on the spot.


    They could clearly perceive that it was better not to joke with that human and not to force his hand. Thus, they could only wait for their turn, hoping that the antecedent groups would not consume the eight human bodies completely.


    Hei, at that point, inserted the various objects received in his Secret Dimension. After that, he turned his attention to the wooden trunk found by the ant colony.

 Chapter 106 - Treasure Map Fragment

    The wooden chest brought by the ants wasn''t very large. It was, at best, thirty centimeters long. Consequently, what was contained inside shouldn''t be very large.


    At the moment, the chest was closed by a golden metal lock. Around the lock, there were strange symbols carved on the wood. They were difficult to distinguish because of the soil attached to the chest''s surface. But they didn''t seem to have just been made as decoration, and the ants had found no key near the chest. The same was true for them after rummaging through the bodies of the eight pirates


    ''There is no trace of the key. May their captain have it with him? Or is it another method that opens the key?''


    "Lian, take a look at this, please. There are some symbols, and I think it may be a formation." Hei said as he passed the small wooden chest in Lian''s delicate hands.


    Lian took the chest and looked at it intently, trying to decipher the barely legible lines carved on the wood. Unfortunately, the chest must have been buried for a long time, and the wood itself had begun to show signs of wearing down.


    It should be known that formations could be used not only to operate automatic mechanisms. They were also used as seals to immobilize a living being in a limited space. Or to protect something inside another object that served as a container. And the way to break these seals was to understand what types of formations had been used and how they interacted with each other. Then, by intervening on the seal, it was possible to break it eventually. It went without saying that that required a certain amount of understanding regarding formations.


    Hei could, therefore, only hope that the seal used on the chest wasn''t something too complicated. The best thing for them was to discover instead that those lines were merely decorative symbols since, in that way, he could directly destroy the lock that kept it closed.


    "It''s a formation, no doubt." Lian communicated after she finished examining the chest.


    "I see, too bad. Do you think you can break the seal on the lock? We don''t have the key, and I''m afraid that if I tried to use force to open it, the content inside would be destroyed."


    "Yes, I think. It will take me some time, though. It''s okay?"


    "Yes, don''t worry. Then, stay here to study the seal."


    After entrusting Lian with that task, Hei looked at his little sisters. At the moment, they were still cutting the pirates'' corpses. The ground below had become a kind of red mud due to the amount of blood poured from the bodies.


    "Wait, let''s move the bodies, or it will be difficult for you to move up there," Hei warned aloud to be heard by the horde of small animals that were currently feeding on the eight men.


    They, even if a little angry at having to stop their dinner halfway, still obeyed Hei''s order and moved to make room for him. Grabbing two corpses, nibbled here and there, Hei threw them at a dry spot not far from there. Then he proceeded to do the same with the other bodies.


    "Well, you can continue."


    At his signal, the horde of animals resumed their banquet. At this point, Hei turned to his little sisters, who had once again become stained with blood.


    "I''m going to see the artifact ship. You stay here and protect Lian, okay? I''ll be back soon. Try to clean yourselves as much as possible with the leaves, or you will have to take a bath."


    ''Okay, big brother. Be careful.'' Said the two little divine beasts as they went to clean themselves up with the surrounding vegetation.


    After warning his little sisters as well, Hei took one of the centipedes that had found the artifact ship. The centipede froze on the spot for that sudden gesture, not knowing what the human wanted from it.


    "Tell me exactly where the artifact ship you found is. Don''t worry. I won''t do anything harmful to you. And I''ll make sure to reward you properly. So, don''t worry if you don''t eat now."


    The centipede could only accept. Although reluctantly, it still did what Hei requested and accompanied him to the forest. To some extent, it trusted that strange human. After all, he kept his word and even cut the bodies to help them chew more comfortably.


    Thus, a man and a centipede went into the desert island''s forest in search of the artifact ship.


    *


    Meanwhile, in the camp on the beach, Captain Fu and his men were still enjoying the last remains of the great white shark, sipping some bottles of rum that the captain kept in his cabin.


    Unexpectedly, the emergency landing wasn''t so bad. If Captain Fu and his men ignored the damage to the ship, it could be considered as a kind of short vacation from work. After all, even if they were seafarers, they occasionally needed to be on dry land, free from the worry of having to manage their ship.


    "Hey, captain. But where did the two young heroes go? I haven''t seen them for a while."


    "Ehehe! But how? You don''t know? If you think about it, you can get there."


    "Although young, in the end, they are still a man and a woman. Do you think they''re doing it?"


    "Martial artists mature quickly. Wouldn''t it surprise me if they engaged in sexual activities, right, Captain?"


    The various crew members were making rude jokes and comments about the relationship between Hei and Lian. Given how close they were, from the outside, it looked as if they were engaged.


    Captain Fu didn''t satisfy his men. But instead, he warned them.


    "Stop wasting time with this nonsense and go to sleep. I want you at work tomorrow morning at dawn."


    "Come on, don''t be like that. Tell us your opinion, captain." His men insisted again, despite having just be scolded them.


    Seeing the spirited behavior dictated by the alcohol, Captain Fu couldn''t help but sigh briefly. Then he replied.


    "I advise you not to make such jokes. As you know, martial artists can be easily irritable. And those two kids have a cultivation equal to mine. If I had to face even one of them in a one vs. one fight, I doubt I could win."


    At the words of their captain, the ship''s crew lost the smile printed on their faces. Given the peaceful atmosphere and the alcohol, they had forgotten about it. Instinctively, they started looking around to see if there was any trace of Hei and Lian nearby. Fortunately, they weren''t visible on the beach.


    "Well, then. Go to sleep and stop drinking, you good for nothing guys." Captain Fu ordered everyone to go to bed. As for Hei and Lian, given their strength, he wasn''t worried that something would happen to them.


    After all, weren''t they on a desert island? There was no way that someone was in this place forgotten by everyone.


    *


    Hei had finally reached the artifact ship. It wasn''t big, at least compared to the ship he was currently traveling on. It was only about ten meters long and had only one large sail. For ten men, it must have been a little tight, but luckily there were only four of them.


    In addition to the sail, a black flag hung on the mainmast. Inside the flag, there was a crimson red skull dripping blood from its sockets. It was the flag of the crew that the pirates were affiliated with.


    Without delay, Hei boarded and began to check every corner of that ship. Apart from various bags containing gold and first-level spirit stones, there was nothing else of value. The only exciting objects were a series of detailed maps that accurately illustrated the system of surrounding islands. In one of these, a desert island in the middle of the ocean had been marked with an x.


    ''So they used these to navigate. Lian and I know nothing about maps. If we wanted to travel on our own, we would have to hire someone as a navigator. Uhmm... not that I like the idea very much.''


    After looking at the maps, Hei''s gaze settled on the ship''s power system. Being an artifact ship, the ship was capable of generating a boost through the consumption of spirit stones. In that way, it could travel faster than regular ships, even without wind. Due to the small size, the artifact ship had to be quite fast when compared to other ships.


    When he finished exploring, Hei came out again. At that point, he sucked the entire ship into its Secret Dimension. Fortunately, all he needed was to make the Heart touch what he wanted to send it inside the Secret Dimension. It was, of course, also possible to suck a person or a spirit beast.


    The problem was that without the authorization of the living being that he wanted to transfer to the Secret Dimension, that wasn''t possible. At least, from what his little sisters had said when they tried to enter the Secret Dimension through the Heart.


    He also tried to insert the Heart inside one of his space rings while his sisters were in the Secret Dimension, but it wasn''t something possible to do. When a living being was in the Secret Dimension, the Heart couldn''t be contained in other objects like space rings. So he couldn''t use it as a way to escape. At least one of them had to remain outside and protect the Heart.


    "Then. How about going back?" Hei turned to the centipede on his hand.


    All this time, the animal had remained motionless on his hand. If it weren''t for some slight movements from time to time, one might have thought it was dead.


    Feeling finally that the heavy assignment was over, the centipede nodded slightly before freezing again.


    Watching its behavior, Hei chuckled and hurried back to Lian and his little sisters again.


    *


    "How''s it going?" Hei asked Lian once he returned to them.


    "Good. I just finished figuring out how to break the seal. Now I open it, just give me another couple of minutes."


    "Okay. Nice work, Lian. Thank you."


    Hei stroked Lian''s head gently and then left her to work quietly. Then he put down the centipede that accompanied him and rewarded it as he had said.


    "Here, this is to thank you for your help."


    Hei poured several drops of spirit honey onto the ground, near where the centipede was. The small animal curiously observed the honey, instinctively perceiving that it was very nutritious. Without delay, it went to taste it and noticed his body getting stronger and stronger. The other nearby animals also saw the honey, but with Hei nearby, they didn''t dare do something that might disturb him.


    Tick! Thud!


    Like a slight thud, the lock that kept the chest closed fell to the ground, and finally, the contents inside could be revealed. Inside there were two sheets. To be precise, one was a letter and the other, the fragment of a map.


    To the one who is reading. I don''t know how many years have passed, but during my time, I was known as Pirate King Hae Seong. The map fragment that you found is a part of the map that indicates the position where I hid my treasure. There are a total of seven fragments hidden at specific points in the Forgotten Ocean. Find all seven of them, and my treasure will be yours.


    It was what was written in the letter contained in the chest. Hei reread the letter a few times, but the name Hae Seong was unfamiliar to him. To be safe, he passed the letter to Lian, but she didn''t know who this person was as well.


    "It is probably someone that lived long ago. Besides, we have always been on Rainbow Island. Let''s see the map."


    Hei took the yellowed map from the chest. The quality of the paper was excellent, and thanks to the chest''s protection, it had been preserved until today. However, there were still some traces of the passage of time.


    The map showed a section of the sea with some islands, but it was difficult to understand what precise point it indicated. After all, Hei did not know how the islands in the Forgotten Ocean were arranged. The back was more interesting. There were, in fact, several symbols of what appeared to be part of the design of a formation.


    ''If someone familiar with maps comes into possession of various fragments, even without collecting all seven fragments, I think it is possible to decipher the approximate area of ??the treasure. Yet in the letter, it is explicitly written that all seven fragments are needed. That the symbols on the back of the fragments are a necessary condition to access the treasure?''


    Without mulling over to speculate, Hei stood up.


    "Lian, Ye, Xing. We come back. We are done here. Captain Fu and his men must have noticed that we are missing. They won''t go looking for us for fear of disturbing us, but at the same time, we can''t stay all night in the forest here. We will take the opportunity to take a night bath and then straight to bed, okay?"


    "Yes!" Said the three of them at the same time.


    So, Hei led his little sisters and Lian back into the thick vegetation in the direction of Captain Fu''s camp.

 Chapter 107 - Four Pirate Generals

    After the lively night hunt, Hei finally arrived at the beach with Lian and his little sisters. Even though they had fought, they weren''t exhausted. The opponents weren''t particularly strong, not to mention the cultivation advantage they had over their opponents.


    However, after a long day of sailing and the events of a short while ago, it could be said that they had earned a well-deserved rest. But, before that, the two little divine beasts had to take a bath. They needed to remove the blood residue from their bodies. And since they wouldn''t bathe alone, Hei and Lian were forced to wash too.


    When they got to the beach, they all rushed into the water and enjoyed the warm temperature of the ocean. Indeed, it wasn''t bad to go for a night swim. It was quite relaxing and allowed Hei to think calmly.


    As he floated on the water surface, Hei pulled out the Heart and pulled out a small purple round object from there. It was the spirit core of his mother.


    Right. In the end, before burying Bao Bei, they had taken their mother''s spirit core. Bao Bei herself had ordered them to do it, and although he was reluctant to the idea, Hei still obeyed his mother.


    Given the preciousness of that object, Hei kept it in the Secret Dimension all the time. Occasionally though, he would pull it out to admire it. In a sense, it was like looking at the soul of his mother. Holding the spirit core in his hands was like touching his mother.


    Noting that Hei had brought out the spirit core of Bao Bei, Ye and Xing, who were playing chasing each other in the water, approached their big brother. Their expressions had returned to being sad as they watched the purple spirit core with reverence.


    "Sorry. I didn''t mean to spoil the fun for you." Hei said, feeling the change of mood of his little sisters.


    ''No, you don''t have to apologize. Is it just that... can we keep it for a while?'' Asked Xing pleadingly.


    Her eight legs were immersed in the water and acted as oars to move. The rest of her body instead floated above the water surface, so she hadn''t problems with breathing.


    "Sure, take it. You can ask me whenever you feel the need." Hei answered with a smile.


    Indeed, his little sisters had never asked him to pull the spirit core of their mother on their own initiative. Only when he did it, they could touch it and hold it close. So, he gave the spirit core to Ye and Xing and watched them as they caressed with love what once represented the essence of their mother.


    By his side, Lian was silently observing this moving scene. Slowly, she approached Hei and touched his shoulder.


    "Something worries you?" Asked the beautiful blue-haired young woman as her sapphire eyes looked straight into Hei''s.


    "More or less. I''m thinking about how to act regarding the map fragment we have found. The sect leader gave us enough resources to advance to the second rank, spirit soldier. They are also enough for the first stages of the spirit soldier rank. However, those resources are sufficient only for the two of us. They aren''t enough for Ye and Xing, and I don''t feel like killing spirit beasts just to acquire their cores. If they are hostile spirit beasts or that we have to kill to eat, that''s fine. But I would like to kill them as little as possible if I can."


    "And what do you have in mind? Do you want to go in search of that treasure?"


    "I think so. Those pirates were all in the sixth stage. Their leader must necessarily be a spirit soldier if he is capable of commanding so many sixth stage martial artists. Therefore, the buried treasure is precious enough to interest a spirit soldier, perhaps even more. If this is true, we can remedy our shortage of resources. But if we go in search of the treasury, it means that we must attack the crew ships to which these pirates belonged. It means that we won''t fight and kill just because they attacked first. It will be us that assault them."


    "And this is what disturbs you? That you could involve people who have nothing to do with the treasure?"


    "Let''s say yes. Pirates are criminals, but it''s not as if all of them are bad. Some of them may have become pirates due to circumstances and may never have hurt ordinary people. But it''s too late now. Since mother died, our journey has been marked. I''m not so naive that I have to create stories to satisfy my conscience. In order to have the strength to protect you, I will get my hands dirty with blood, even if I end up involving innocent people.


    To tell the truth, if it had been a matter of harming spirit beasts, I would have been more reluctant. But if they are human, then... after all, even if pirates, they remain martial artists. Those who decide to take the path of cultivation implicitly accept to die and kill for their own goals. As far as possible, I will avoid creating unnecessary victims, but if there is someone I must kill, then I will do it."


    After his speech, Hei looked up and held out a hand as if he intended to grab the moon.


    "I will reach the pinnacle of this world. No, not me alone. The four of us together. We will all reach the pinnacle of this world."


    At her side, Lian also reached out her hand, placing it gently next to Hei''s.


    "Even if in the eyes of the whole world you end up looking like a heartless beast, even if your hands end up turning red from the blood of the people you killed, in my eyes, you will always remain Hei. My family. I bet the same goes for Ye and Xing. So pay no attention to what others think and continue on your way, doing what you think is right and necessary to protect us."


    "Thanks, Lian. Without you, I don''t know how I, Ye, and Xing would have done."


    Having resolved his doubts, Hei made his decision. Lian was right, only his family''s judgment mattered. Nothing else. Even if he ended up becoming the enemy of the whole world.


    "Ye, Xing. We return."


    Taking the spirit core of their mother and placing it within the Secret Dimension, Hei took her little sisters and headed for the beach.


    When they arrived on the shore, Hei pulled out several towels and a set of dry clothes for him and Lian. Since it was difficult to wash clothes on the open sea, he had bought enough clothes for a whole year.


    Without embarrassment between them, the two youths undressed and quickly dried themselves with the towels before getting dressed just as quickly. The location where they were at the moment was a little far from Captain Fu''s camp, and considering that the sailors were sleeping, there was no danger of them peeking at Lian.


    When he got dressed, Hei took two large towels and handed one to Lian. Then he gave the girl Ye while he took Xing. Together, they began to dry carefully the two little divine beasts who started to writhe because they preferred to dry themselves with the wind. But of course, it was Hei who had the final say, and they could only accept their fate with reluctance.


    When they arrived at the camp, as expected, they saw the sailors sleeping blissfully without worries. Only Captain Fu was awake. At the moment, he was smoking a slightly worn wooden pipe as he slowly exhaled mouthfuls of smoke.


    "So, you''re back. Have you taken a bath?" Asked the captain.


    As an experienced seaman, he quickly noticed the still not completely dry hair of the two youths. Also, their bodies gave off a faint smell of saltwater.


    "Yes, my spirit beasts got dirty by exploring the forest surroundings. And since the water was warm, we decided to take a bath too." Hei replied promptly.


    He had long since become good at lying to people who asked questions about him and his family. The trick was to tell only part of the truth to seem honest. Indeed, what he said wasn''t false. Except it wasn''t the whole truth, that''s all.


    Captain Fu had no suspicions since he could see the little spider and the little snake still wrapped in towels with their eyes closed. Despite their protests, Ye and Xing had ended up falling asleep as they were being dried.


    "I understand. You should still get some sleep. At dawn, the boys will start the repairs, so there will be a lot of noise."


    "Yes, we just had in mind to do this. Ah, captain. You have been doing this job for a long time, so I bet you are expert with the stories of famous captains and pirates of the past, right?"


    "I can''t say I''m an expert, but I have my knowledge. Do you have any questions about it?"


    "Does the name Hae Seong sound familiar to you?"


    Since Hei and Lian knew nothing about the past of the Forgotten Ocean and the famous people who had sailed its waters, Hei decided to ask the person who had the most chance of knowing the answer.


    "Hae Seong? Familiar, did you say? I doubt there is a single seaman who doesn''t know that name. Pirate King Hae Seong. He is a pirate who lived a hundred years ago. As I suppose you know, the Continent doesn''t accept us, martial artists, from the islands. But nothing prevents someone from the Continent from coming to us. But, the difference between the Continent and the islands is like the difference between Heaven and Earth. Even if they are at the bottom of the pyramid, hardly anyone will face such a long journey. The only ones who could do this are spirit soldiers or lower. However, if they ended up messing around, they would be killed by the coalition of martial artists from the islands."


    "And this Hae Seong was, therefore, a spirit soldier?"


    "Not at all. Hae Seong was a spirit master and also a powerful one. I heard that he offended someone important on the Continent and ran away with his tail between his legs in the islands. During his escape, he suffered serious permanent injuries, which significantly reduced his strength. Even so, he was comparable to a just advanced spirit master. In a short time, he created his crew and sowed terror in the waters of the Forgotten Ocean, welcoming many followers. However, he eventually bit off more than he could chew and pissed off the big sects. Thus, a coalition of sects confronted Hae Seong''s crew, ending that nightmare. Even today, although a hundred years have passed, it remains famous, mainly because his elusive treasure has never been found. And we are talking about the treasure of a spirit master of the continent."


    Hearing the words of Captain Fu, Hei was even more convinced. He had to go after that treasure even if he had to delay his arrival on the Continent. After all, even if he went to the continent, the problem of resource shortages wouldn''t have disappeared. And on the Continent, the competition would have been more ruthless.


    The Spirit Artifact had defined Hei and Lian as having high-ranked talents. But it wasn''t like they were a rarity on the Continent. Besides, martial artists with inferior talent could still overcome them, thanks to the support of their families. Therefore, it was necessary to obtain as many resources as possible before reaching the Continent. Only then, he would have a stable support on which to base his future decisions.


    "And what about a certain pirate named Jin-Sang? Are you familiar with him?"


    This time, Captain Fu''s expression and voice became harsh. His eyes gave a feeling of caution and suspicion.


    "Why do you ask me that name?"


    Listening to his grumpy response, Hei raised his eyebrows. Apparently, the captain of the crew to which the pirates killed in the forest belonged was someone dangerous.


    "I just heard it around. You don''t need to answer me if you don''t want to." Hei put up an excuse that appeared to be a poorly made-up lie. But the fact that he didn''t try to insist made it less lie and more like the truth.


    Still half dubious, Captain Fu sighed and answered.


    "Well, it''s not like it''s a secret, and it''s not unlikely that you''ve heard of it. It is one of the famous four Pirate Generals. These four individuals command the largest pirate fleets in the Forgotten Ocean. Son of the Wind, Hong Shin, Storm Lightning Kan Ki-Nam, the Steam Goddess Ho Ri-Na, and lastly, Red Devil Jin-Sang. They are spirit soldiers and govern the criminal world of the islands. However, they are intelligent enough not to affect the affairs of the big sects. Not to mention that their strength makes them rather difficult to get rid of. Among them, the Red Devil Jin-Sang is said to be a descendant of the Pirate King Hae Seong. But if this is true, it isn''t known."


    While telling about Jin-Sang and the other Pirate Generals, Captain Fu''s eyes had focused on Hei all the time. But the young martial artist had no particular reaction.


    ''Am I overthinking about things, and it is really as the boy says?'' Thought Captain Fu to himself.


    "Thanks for your answers, captain. So, Lian and I will take our leave to go to sleep. Goodnight, and thanks again."


    Hei''s words brought Captain Fu back to reality, diverting him from his thoughts.


    "Oh, yes. Goodnight."


    Since Hei asked no further questions and since he had no reason to question him, Captain Fu gave up on asking where Hei heard Jin-Sang''s name. As an experienced seaman, he knew when it was better not to investigate matters that didn''t concern him, especially if they concerned Jin-Sang. His name carried an incalculable number of corpses behind him, some even belonging to important sects.


    Hei and Lian chose a quiet spot in the camp, separated from the rest of the ship''s crew. Even though the sailors were sleeping, Hei couldn''t sleep if strangers were too close to him. Even more, now that their mother wasn''t there with him.


    ''So, it''s decided, right?''


    Suddenly, a spirit message came to Hei''s mind. The sender was none other than Lian.


    ''Yup. Even if we were to step back, we still have a piece of the map. There is no way he won''t come looking for the fragment. But even if he is a spirit soldier, we can still act. There are three other individuals on par with Jin-Sang, and there are chances that they too may have map fragments. So it''s likely that we can use their rivalry to get in the way. But before then, we need to increase our strength. We must at least reach the rank of spirit soldier.''


    ''So are you saying we''re going to piracy as well?'' Asked Lian.


    The only way to increase their strength and stay updated on the situation among the Pirate Generals was to become pirates themselves.


    ''Yes, but rather than attacking ships of innocent people, we will target pirate ships. If we manage to destroy the stalemate between the four Pirate Generals, then it will be only a matter of time that they will try to kill each other. The ideal would be to join the crew of one of the remaining three Pirate Generals and make him/her grow to become a threat that Jin-Sang cannot overlook.''


    Planned their moves for the imminent future, Hei and Lian then closed their eyes and let themselves be lulled by the sound of the waves as they fell asleep. Among them, Ye and Xing were still sleeping blissfully, enjoying the warmth of the bodies of the two youths.

 Chapter 108 - Tavern Brawl

    Crab Island, this was the name of the island closest to the deserted island where Captain Fu''s ship had landed. It took about two days of sailing to reach it. Fortunately, the repairs to the ship had been enough to get to the island without problems. So, they landed at the port of Blue Crab City to complete the repairs so that they could resume the navigation.


    "Thank you very much for all you have done, Captain Fu," Hei said politely to the captain.


    The experienced seaman scratched his head and replied, "Are you sure I can''t change your mind? There is no problem for me to look for another ship that can carry you."


    Hei shook his head to emphasize his answer. "Thanks, but there is no need. To tell the truth, we are a little tired of the sea. Apparently, we aren''t suitable for being seafarers. So we will rest a little here and leave later. In any case, I have enough funds to buy the ride for Lian and me."


    "Okay, if you say so. Then I won''t insist. I wish you luck, and thank you again for your help."


    "Yes, don''t worry. After all, you brought us this far. It was the least we could do."


    With that swift exchange, Hei and Lian said goodbye to Captain Fu and his men. They had no more reason to stay with them. Indeed, it would have been more difficult to implement their plans if they had remained with Captain Fu. After all, they couldn''t know if the old captain would blurt something out in the long run. At the moment, they couldn''t face Jin-Sang head-on and his crew as they were still in the seventh stage spirit apprentice. Instead, they had to pass themselves off as new pirates and make a name for themselves in those turbulent waters.


    "So, let''s go?" Hei asked, turning to Lian. Ye and Xing were hidden in his clothes and occasionally peeked to look at the surrounding landscape.


    "Yup. Let''s go." Lian smiled and let Hei take her hand and lead her out of the busy port.


    Blu Crab City was similar to a typical city near the ocean. Its peculiarity was the strong presence of blue crabs that were also the origin of the name of the city. Not only the city but the whole island as well. Crab Island was called by that name because of the abundant presence of crabs, and the various cities'' names differed in the color of the crabs that could be found nearby.


    Since they were new to the city, Hei and Lian immediately headed to the place that had the highest chance of helping them on their mission: the tavern near the port. Unlike the tavern in the Chestnut City, the Blue Crab City''s tavern was huge. It had four floors and was about twice the length of an ordinary tavern. In a way, it could be said that it was more like a large villa than a public building.


    When Hei and Lian entered, they could see a large number of people inside. Unlike inland taverns, port town taverns were visited both day and night. After all, with the port a step away from them, it was reasonable that they would choose to visit the tavern to eat and relax a little. There were also those who decided to stay for several days and book a room on the floors above.


    Hei pushed through the crowd and came to the counter. Behind the counter, a grumpy middle-aged person turned to the two young visitors who had just arrived.


    "What do you want? To drink or eat? "


    Since they hadn''t had breakfast yet and had only been eating fish for a week, Hei decided to take both.


    "Both. We would like four hearty soups with meat or chicken and for drinking, bring us two bottles of water, a bottle of your finest wine, and a couple of mugs of beer."


    Listening to Hei''s unusual request, the old innkeeper raised his eyebrows. But in any case, he asked no questions. It wasn''t his concern what his customers ordered as long as they paid for everything.


    Hei and Lian then sat on chairs and waited for their order to arrive. It didn''t take long for four bowls of hot soup to be brought to them alongside their requested beverages.


    Hei gently placed Ye and Xing on the counter and let them eat the soup while he took the spoon to enjoy his. But before he could taste his soup, he heard a voice beside him exclaiming.


    "Hey, hey! What the fuck is this? I thought we were in a tavern, not a pigsty. What the fuck are filthy animals here? And they are even eating where we people eat. Puh!"


    A man in his thirties, spat on the ground as he approached where Hei and Lian were. His flushed face indicated that he was already drunk in the early morning, but no one made a fuss about it because they weren''t the target of that drunk. They also shared the same thought of what the man said.


    "Hey, kid! Did you hear me, or are you deaf? What the fuck are you going to do with those disgusting creatures- "


    Without warning, the drunken man''s body flew several meters into the air before badly falling to the ground with a thump. Then, he began to pant on the ground, trying to breathe as he writhed on the ground.


    From where the drunk man was before, Hei was standing there with his fist raised high.


    "If we weren''t in a public place, I would have killed you instantly for your words. Disappear now, or I''ll kill you here now, regardless of how many people are present. The same goes for others. If you have a problem that my spirit beasts eat here, then get ahead, and I will be more than happy to answer your complaints."


    Hei unleashed the spirit power of his body, and soon, each person inside the tavern could notice the strength of a seventh stage spirit apprentice. But it wasn''t a beginning seventh stage, but an early seventh stage spirit apprentice. It was incredible that such a young boy was able to achieve such a level of cultivation.


    And therefore, since strength dominated in this world, the others decided to keep for them their complaints. After all, whoever wanted to offend a seventh stage spirit apprentice for a trivial matter like that.


    The drunken man meanwhile got up with difficulty. The violent blow and the embarrassment of being hit had canceled the state of drunkenness in which he was.


    "Bratty bastard! I will make you pay! Just watch."


    Leaving those words behind, the man disappeared from the tavern, which then returned to being quiet.


    At that point, Hei returned to his seat and turned to the innkeeper.


    "I''m sorry for the confusion. I am willing to pay you for the inconvenience caused to your business."


    "No. There''s no need. On the contrary, if you want more to eat or drink for your spirit beasts, you just need to ask."


    This time the host''s voice was warmer and expressed a touch of excitement. After all, such a young boy with such a high stage of cultivation must surely be someone important. If he was perhaps the son of a big shot, he could make big profits if he served that young man well.


    Hei nodded to the innkeeper and went back to eating his soup. Ye and Xing, however, had their heads lowered for the facts of a while ago. Hei, who noticed this, addressed them via spirit message.


    ''What''s up? Why don''t you eat?''


    ''If we want to eat with big brother in public, these accidents will always happen. We don''t want to cause you much trouble.'' The two little divine beasts said promptly. Their tone was slightly sad.


    ''So? If anyone has problems, then I have no problem punching them to silence him. You are my little sisters, and you have the right to eat with me anywhere. And if they continue to harass us, then I will take their punishment to the next level.''


    Hei''s tone was calm but firm. He knew that most humans wouldn''t like to eat at the same table where spirit beasts ate. For some reason, they were convinced that they were superior beings and that all the others had to eat on the ground because they were inferior creatures.


    For this reason, Hei would forgive the looks of contempt of others, and if someone scolded him directly, he would send him away, be it with words or force. But if they continued to annoy him and insult his little sisters, he would give up every human etiquette and would settle that annoying human once and for all.


    Thanks to the words of their big brother, Ye and Xing returned to be lively and started eating and drinking without worries. The other customers occasionally cast looks of contempt or curiosity but dared not do anything more.


    In that atmosphere, Hei and his family finished the breakfast they ordered. Their stomachs were full and gave a pleasant warm sensation.


    Since they had met their needs, Hei moved on to what he had planned from the beginning. He called the innkeeper and asked him a question.


    "Do you know of any pirate crew who are looking for new members?"


    Listening to Hei''s words, the innkeeper in the tavern widened his eyes. He never imagined that the young man would ask him such a question. However, he composed himself immediately afterward. He had heard of some stories of children of important families who became bored and wanted to go on an adventure. Of course, many of them ended up making a bad end, but with the strength that had released the boy, the innkeeper believed that there would be no problems as long as he didn''t offend the big shots of piracy.


    "Yes, I know them. But it isn''t a piece of information that I can reveal for free to the first person who passes by. I hope you can understand me." The innkeeper rubbed his hands to emphasize the difficult position he was in.


    Hei quickly understood and pulled out of one of his space rings, the spirit core of the manta ray he had preserved.


    "How about a first-level spirit core? The strength of the spirit beast was comparable to a sixth stage spirit apprentice. Consider it as payment for food and drink and the disturbance created as well."


    Hearing the words spirit core and sixth stage, the innkeeper''s mouth went dry. It was the first time that he had been offered such a sum. If the boy could come up with such a thing without batting an eye, then it meant that his background was exceptional.


    The spirit core attracted the attention of all the others present who carefully observed the exchange between Hei and the innkeeper. As an implicit law among seafarers, touching tavern owners was prohibited, and offenders were severely punished with death. However, it wasn''t forbidden to attack other people inside the tavern.


    Although that gesture ended up attracting the attention of the entire tavern, Hei wasn''t worried. In truth, it was what he wanted. If he wanted to make a name for himself as a pirate quickly, then he had to put himself in the spotlight. Only in that way could he captured the interest of one of the other three Pirate Generals. Besides, it was also a kind of training. Being in a dangerous situation continually would push him, Lian, Ye, and Xing to fully exploit their potential and let them advance faster.


    Just as the innkeeper was about to receive the spirit core and preparing to reveal the information, the tavern''s doors opened. A group of eight entered. In front of the group, there was the drunk man from before.


    "Here he is, brothers. It was that brat that struck me!" The man pointed vehemently towards where Hei was. There was a mocking grin on his face as he imagined how badly the brat would be reduced.


    "Trash. You got beat up by a brat. If you weren''t our brother, we would have kicked you in the ass." What looked like the head of the group spoke reproachful words to his partner before turning to Hei. He quickly noticed the spirit core he was holding, and his instincts told him that it wasn''t a spirit core of a weak spirit beast.


    "Hey, brat. I heard you dared to teach my little brother a lesson. Normally I would have left you half-dead, but today I feel magnanimous. Give me the spirit core you are holding, and I will consider it solved."


    The voice of the group leader sounded overbearing and authoritarian, dictating absurd conditions. Hei ignored him and sent a spirit message to the innkeeper.


    ''I will pass for my information tonight. For now, keep the core; it should be enough to cover the damage.''


    "Damage?" The innkeeper looked confused as he took the spirit core. But then he immediately discovered what Hei meant.


    In the next instant, Hei and Lian moved quickly against the group of eight. Ye and Xing were instead hidden in their big brother''s clothes by Hei''s orders. He didn''t want to show their strength in front of so many witnesses.


    Bang!


    Two bodies from the group of eight flew and fell with a thump. The rest of the group looked shocked at the two youths in front of them and angrily activated their spirit power. Afterward, they rushed against those two brats who had dared to attack their companions.


    But it wasn''t just the drunken man''s companions who moved. The other people in the tavern also turned against Hei and Lian. They had seen that the young boy was wealthy enough to pull out a spirit core without batting an eyelid. Since they had the numerical advantage, they slashed against the two youths despite them having a higher cultivation.


    Hei and Lian weren''t intimidated, and they responded blow for blow. None of their enemies were using attacks based on elemental laws. Only a few were in the sixth stage and probably hadn''t yet finished their elemental conversion and formed their spirit seed. So, even though they were surrounded, they weren''t in any kind of imminent danger.


    Crush! Peng! Crack!


    The sound of breaking chairs and tables was ringing across the tavern. The floor had already been littered with bodies. They weren''t dead but only unconscious.


    Hei was using Snake Hair and had grabbed the ankles of two martial artists and was swinging them in the air to crash them into other people. Lian was also adopting a similar attack method, using her two silk ribbons. The coalition of people couldn''t do anything against the fury of the two young martial artists. It wasn''t only the difference in cultivation, but it was, above all, the gap in techniques, weapons quality, and battle awareness. Hei and Lian would certainly not lose against petty criminals like these.


    But although none of them were using elemental techniques, the fight ended up attracting the attention of city guards. Sensing the arrival of a large number of people, Ye and Xing immediately reported the situation to their big brother.


    Hei then turned to the innkeeper again, hidden behind his counter.


    ''Remember, I will come tonight. Do your job, and you will be rewarded properly.''


    Then, making his way through the crowd of people, Hei led Lian and his sisters out of the tavern. After that, they started running out of the city, relying on the two little divine beasts to avoid the guards.


    Even if they would stay here for a short time, it was better to avoid a conflict with the local authorities. Besides, Hei had given enough proof of his strength. Now it depended on the innkeeper''s greed for wanting a better profit than what he had already received.

 Chapter 109 - Pirate Deal

    It took some time to lose the guards. Since it was a pay period, many of them wanted to earn some extra cash through some arrests. Fortunately, with the detection abilities of Ye and Xing, losing the guards wasn''t particularly difficult.


    "Phew... we got them out of the way. But it will be better not to go around for now. Let''s go find somewhere to sleep, okay?" Hei proposed to his little sisters and Lian. They nodded their heads and followed Hei.


    Since they didn''t know the city, he had to ask passersby for directions. The tavern wasn''t the only place that allowed to rent rooms. There were several hotels placed here and there in the city. Usually, these places were quieter than taverns because of the higher price, which was better for them since they could rest undisturbed.


    So, they came to a luxurious hotel and booked the hotel suite on the top floor. Since they were martial artists, luxuries that were unthinkable for ordinary people were nothing but trivial expenses for them.


    Usually, Hei was a thrifty guy, only spending what he thought was necessary. But he thought it was nice to indulge in luxury from time to time, mostly for Lian and his little sisters.


    The long sea crossing had been rather tiring, and they would soon be riding the waves of the Forgotten Ocean again. Therefore, they didn''t know when they would be able to rest like this.


    The room was huge, at least compared to the ones Hei had seen. On one side of the wall, there was a large queen size canopy bed with soft, high-quality blankets. There was also a polished wooden desk and a couple of sofas with finely crafted fabric.


    The bathroom was also huge and had a large bathtub that could easily contain several adults at a time. There were a series of glass flasks containing perfumed fragrances and various soaps.


    Rounding out the suite, there was a balcony overlooking the city. From there, it was possible to observe the frenetic coming and going of people on the streets and the unfolding of city life.


    Hei let out his little sisters who were happy with the room and began to explore it curiously. Hei instead went straight to bed and lay down, followed shortly after by Lian.


    "Since we can''t move and have to wait at least until the night comes, it''s better to rest. The beds in the cabin weren''t all that comfortable, so we should sleep now that we have the chance."


    Lian nodded that she understood and slipped with Hei under the covers. Then the two youths went to sleep. Even Ye and Xing, after having explored the suite, got on the bed, and slipped under the covers, sleeping blissfully.


    They spent the day in the suite, enjoying all the comforts that room offered. They even had a banquet worthy of a noble brought into the room and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.


    In the end, the night came, and it was time to go. Hei paid the housing costs, and with Lian and his little sisters, he left for the tavern.


    The situation in the tavern had calmed down. The guards had arrested those they found passed out. The lucky few who survived the fury of Hei and Lian managed to escape, taking advantage of their knowledge of the city streets. Even though they were angry about how things had gone, they decided to leave it alone. They had learned their lesson and wouldn''t disturb those two young martial artists.


    However, even if it was calm inside, it couldn''t be said that the place was in place. Most of the tables and chairs had been destroyed and were to be thrown away. Therefore, for that night, the tavern was closed to the public.


    But the owner wasn''t worried or angry at all. The compensation he had received was well beyond the expense necessary to repair his business. Not to mention he had already ordered new tables and chairs that would arrive the next morning. So his business would stop only for tonight.


    Therefore, when Hei and Lian arrived there, they found the door locked. They tried to knock a couple of times until the innkeeper''s voice came from inside.


    "We are closed. Come back tomorrow."


    "It''s me, let me in," Hei replied quietly.


    The innkeeper recognized Hei''s voice and hurried to open the locked door.


    "Sorry, sorry. I thought you were other customers who wanted to come in. Come on, get inside."


    The innkeeper removed himself from the door to make room for Hei and Lian, who entered the tavern. As they had imagined, the place was quite bare, and inside, there were only a couple of tables and chairs that survived the morning brawl. But what attracted the two youths was the presence of a man sitting on one of those tables.


    He was a man in his early thirties. Like most seamen, he had various scars on his hands and face. He was currently drinking a mug of beer while chewing what appeared to be a chicken leg.


    When he saw the man, Hei''s eyebrows furrowed. The tavern was supposed to be closed right now. Therefore, either he was a host''s acquaintance, or he had something to do with the request that Hei had made.


    "As you can see, I haven''t been idle. I took the initiative for you to summon someone who can help you with your request. He is-"


    As the innkeeper was about to introduce the man, he raised a hand to tell the innkeeper to stop talking. Then, taking the last sip of the mug and finishing chewing, he turned to Hei.


    "So are you the kid who wants to become a pirate? I heard you make a mess today. What''s your name?"


    Listening to his words, Hei frowned even more. He could sense that the man wasn''t taking him seriously.


    "In theory, it would be courteous to introduce yourself before asking someone for their name. Don''t you think?"


    Hei''s voice was steady as he stared at the pirate without blinking. The pirate was irritated by that answer and replied.


    "Boy, what do you think I am? I am a pirate. Those fucking rules don''t apply here. Now, answer the question or else disappear."


    "I understand. Okay then, I''ll disappear. Innkeeper, in the end, you weren''t as useful as I hoped. Be satisfied with what I have given you."


    After saying this, Hei turned and headed for the door. The innkeeper, hearing those words, panicked and tried to remedy that situation.


    "No, wait. We can still solve- "


    "There is nothing to discuss. I have no interest in dealing with someone whose name I don''t even know. I indeed want to give myself to piracy, but it isn''t as if there is only a group of pirates, Am I not correct, my dear pirate without a name?"


    Hei turned and smiled in the direction of the pirate, still sitting at his table. The pirate had a slight wrinkle sticking out of his forehead. He didn''t like at all the disrespect that Hei was showing towards him. If it were up to him, he would have torn that brat to pieces, but...


    "Alright. I''ll tell you my name. Are you willing to talk then?"


    At that point, Hei went to the pirate and sat down at the table. Behind him, Lian remained standing, ready to intervene at any moment.


    There were three reasons why Hei had acted so arrogantly. First, he didn''t want to get into a passive position in the pirate deal. If he had accepted his terms without discussion, it would have been difficult to manage things according to his will.


    Second, since it was about recruiting new members, it was unlikely that a spirit soldier would come. But they would send a seventh stage instead since he had shown his cultivation that morning during the fight.


    And third, it was to guess which crew the pirate belonged to. If his conjectures were correct, with a seventh stage martial artist as a recruiter, he had to belong to the crew of one of the four Pirate Generals. And if he stopped him despite their dissent, then it meant that the Pirate General needed talented men for his/her plans. As a result, it was likely that something was going on regarding the stalemate between the four Pirate Generals.


    From how Hei had managed to realize these details in a short time after a rapid interaction with the pirate, it was easy to notice his high capacity for analysis and perception.


    "My name is Mo Songmin."


    "I am Hei."


    "Well, Hei. So why do you want to become a pirate?" Mo Songmin asked as he looked into Hei''s eyes. He was trying to detect traces of lies in the words of the young boy before him.


    "To get stronger," Hei replied briefly.


    It wasn''t a lie. The main reason for Hei''s actions was to get stronger.


    "To get stronger, you say? I understand. You''re a man of few words. So I''m going to go straight to the point. I can''t tell you which crew I am part of, nor you can ask the innkeeper or any other person. I will come to find out if you asked about me. In that case, you can forget about any possibility of being recruited. Does it suit you?"


    Hei nodded quickly but said nothing. He was waiting for the rest of Mo Songmin''s speech.


    "Okay. To get started, you will have to carry out some missions on my behalf. When you prove yourself reliable, you will be subjected to a final test. If you succeed, you will be officially part of the crew. Do you have a boat?"


    "I own an artifact ship."


    At the word ship artifact, the pirate was quite surprised. Hei didn''t expect Hei to possess such a thing. His expression became more serious.


    "Is it possible to see this artifact ship?"


    "Yes, but it is hidden. And I don''t want anyone else to know about its location. If you want to see it, you will have to follow me. But you will have to keep your eyes closed all the time. Always assuming you dare to trust me."


    Hei smiled again, this time more bold to put pressure on Mo Songmin. In reality, there was no need for such a request since the artifact ship was currently within the Secret Dimension. However, he wanted to see how far the Pirate General, that Mo Songmin served, needed talented recruits.


    Mo Songmin appeared conflicted. Several times he bit his lips in indecision, but eventually, he convinced himself to take the risk. He could sense that the boy in front of him had something in mind and wouldn''t risk doing something foolish like attacking him.


    "Alright. Led the way."


    With Mo Songmin accepting his offer, Hei got up from the table. He left some coins at the innkeeper for his work. Then, he headed out of town with Lian and Mo Songmin.


    He didn''t have a precise point in mind. He just needed to walk until they reached a reasonably appropriate place to hide an artifact ship. Mo Songmin was therefore blindfolded by Lian''s ribbons as soon as they set foot outside the city.


    When they reached a small grove overlooking the ocean, Hei stopped. Then he took out the Heart and placed it gently on the ground. From there, the artifact ship came out. At that point, Hei motioned for Lian to remove her ribbons from Mo Songmin''s eyes while hiding the Heart.


    Mo Songmin looked around briefly to get an idea of where they were. Then his gaze fell on the artifact ship in front of him. When he saw it, he was amazed and couldn''t help but murmur a few words.


    "Hey, wait. Isn''t this the artifact ship of Jin-Sang''s pirates?"


    Swoosh! Snap!


    Lian''s two ribbons wrapped violently on the pirate''s neck, who was lifted into the air. Hei pulled out his spear and prepared to strike.


    Noting that the two young martial artists weren''t joking about killing him at all, Mo Songmin sent a spirit message to Hei because he was unable to use words because of suffocation.


    ''Wait, cough. You don''t need to kill me. If you let me go, I''ll tell you everything. Please.''


    Hei quickly pondered his words. From Mo Songmin''s words, he didn''t seem to be part of Jin-Sang''s crew. But since he recognized the artifact ship, it was likely that he was familiar with the Red Devil''s crew. If it was because he was an ally or an enemy, that Hei was unable to know. However, for the possibility that Mo Songmin was an enemy of Jin-Sang, Hei ordered Lian to let him go.


    Mo Songmin was dropped to the ground and remained in that position for a few moments as he coughed violently, trying to catch his breath.


    "Speak, or I''ll force you to do it."


    Hei didn''t allow himself to be pitied and mercilessly ordered that Mo Songmin began to spill the beans. The pirate looked at the boy who he had looked down on all the time. His anger told him to take revenge for the affront received. Yet his instincts told him that he would surely die even if he was a seventh stage spirit apprentice like that brat.


    "Before I speak, let me ask you something. What happened to the men to whom this artifact ship belonged." Mo Songmin took on a grim expression while asking that question.


    Even if it meant making his situation worse, he had to know the answer. It was necessary to get out of there alive.


    Hei didn''t lie and answered his question.


    "Dead. They are all dead."


    Listening to his words, Mo Songmin couldn''t help but be surprised.


    "Dead? Do you mean all ten men in that group and their three spirit beasts?"


    From how Mo Songmin knew the numbers of pirates to which the artifact ship belonged, and even the number of spirit beasts at their disposal, Hei became even more convinced that Mo Songmin knew well the composition of the Red Devil Jin-Sang''s crew.


    "Yes, all dead. We killed all ten pirates, including their spirit beasts."


    Hearing Hei''s confirmation, Mo Songmin was stunned.


    Dead? How was that possible? Even though they were only in the sixth stage, the fact that they always traveled in ten and the presence of their spirit beasts made them an important component in Pirate General Jin-Sang''s crew. It was difficult for spirit apprentices to try to attack them.


    "So, are you ready to speak or no? It''s your last warning."


    "Okay. My name is Mo Songmin, and I am part of the crew of the Steam Goddess Ho Ri-Na. The reason I recognized the artifact ship is because I was given the mission to track down that ship. The elimination of that group of pirates and their spirit beasts is of great importance for our captain''s plans. However, since we cannot send one of our spirit soldiers at the moment, that mission has been entrusted to us, sixth and seventh stage spirit apprentices. But I never thought they would be killed by a couple of kids."


    Listening to Mo Songmin''s words, Hei caught some interesting details. He had used the words ''one of our spirit soldiers.'' Therefore, there must have been other spirit soldiers under the command of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. And if that was true for her, all the more reason, it had to be the same for the other Pirate Generals.


    "If it was really you to kill that group, then I have a proposal. You want to become pirates, don''t you? If so, then what I have to say will certainly interest you." Mo Songmin suddenly said as he tried to get out of that situation.


    "Speak," Hei replied briefly. He didn''t want to expose his thoughts to Mo Songmin. In that way, the pirate would still feel in danger and reveal other interesting details.


    "Our captain, the Steam Goddess, is looking for reliable and talented new members. I don''t know the details, but I know she''s planning something big. If, as you said, you two killed Jin-Sang''s men, then our captain will be more than happy to welcome you. She will also certainly put you in her main projects since you own an artifact ship. If you spare me, I will talk to her so that she will accept you into the crew. Furthermore, I can assist you in modifying your ship. If you intend to sail the ocean with that ship, you have to modify it. It''s possible that I am not the only one who memorized the features of that artifact ship."


    At Mo Songmin''s words, Hei smiled into himself. Jackpot! He had managed to catch one of the four big shots on the first attempt. And from what he heard, the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na was preparing something big. And it was likely to be related to the map fragments. But even if it wasn''t the case, it was still an opportunity that he couldn''t miss.


    "Okay. I''ll let you go. But on the condition that you sign a blood pact in which you swear that what you told me is true. If you refuse, you leave me no choice but to kill you and erase every trace of your existence."


    Mo Songmin bit his lip until he bled. But in the end, he accepted. Even though he didn''t like the idea of the blood pact, what he had said was the truth. So, he had nothing to fear. Furthermore, the deal only concerned things he had already said and didn''t force him to say anything more to Hei.


    After signing the blood pact, Mo Songmin left. Hei agreed that they would meet at the tavern in precisely three days from now to find out Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s answer.

 Chapter 110 - Pirate Ho Ri-Nas Missions

    In a private warehouse in the Blue Crab City''s port, a ship of about ten meters had been placed in the center of the structure. At the moment, two humans, a spider, and a snake, were standing there watching the ship.


    They were none other than Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye. After Mo Songmin left to talk to his superiors, Hei thought about what the pirate had said. The artifact ship would have attracted too much attention and suspicion as it was. If Mo Songmin had been able to recognize the features of the ship, there was no way that others couldn''t do such a thing.


    Hei didn''t know how to modify the structure of a ship, and there was no way that he would have hired a carpenter who could then leak something. Sure, he could have killed him or forced him to make a blood pact to silence him, but he wanted to avoid involving innocent ordinary people. Not to mention it was an artifact ship. Modifying the ship''s structure could have compromised the propulsion function of the artifact ship. Therefore, the best solution he came up with was to change the aesthetics of the ship.


    With no expense spared, he rented a private warehouse large enough to hold the artifact ship and a large amount of dye to color the ship''s sails. He was undecided about whether to paint the ship''s wood too but decided not to do so. Otherwise, he would have to repeat the operation continuously since the wood would return to its original color due to prolonged contact with water. Finally, he didn''t want the dye used to be dissolved in water and cause problems for the creatures who lived in the ocean.


    It was a risk to do so, but by now, he had made his decision. He hoped the changes on the sail would be eye-catching enough to make his enemies take their eyes off the ship''s structure. But even if they were discovered, it wasn''t a problem until a spirit soldier came to hunt them down. And if he were to be admitted to Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s crew, the Pirate General Jin-Sang couldn''t easily move against them.


    For the color of the sail, Hei and his family chose to use a black background. On top, they would then paint the silhouette of a purple spider that would cover almost the entire sail. It was a tribute to Bao Bei, and the artifact ship would take the name of Hope to commemorate their father, Hei An.


    In addition to sailing, they also decided to create their own pirate flag. The color was always black, but instead of the classic skull used by pirates, Hei chose to use a blue lotus flower. Above the flower, there was a small purple spider with silver patterns and a small black snake with golden patterns. It was the tribute for the three most important living things he had in his life: Lian, Xing, and Ye. Without them, his life would have been only a continuous descent into the abyss of despair after the death of his mother.


    At the moment, the two little divine beasts were happily running around on the large sail placed on the ground while holding brushes with which to color the sail. Since it was a tribute to their mother, they asked Hei if they could take care of painting the sail, and Hei let him do it. But even though it was a task they were taking seriously, their childish and playful side came out. So, they were chasing each other, trying to get each other stained. Whoever ended up having more dye spots would lose.


    Lian, on the other hand, had a better aesthetic sense and was the best at drawing. So she was drawing on the white silk flag created by Xing. Her face concentrated on the piece of silk in front of her was truly fascinating. In particular, her sapphire eyes that could easily enchant anyone who looked at her.


    Hei watched the three of them work with a smile. He wanted to help, but because they seemed to be having fun in their own way, he let them take care of it. In any case, he had a commitment he had to attend to.


    The three agreed days had passed. It was time to talk to Mo Songmin and find out about Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s response.


    Therefore, he left the warehouse and went to the tavern. Even though it was risky to go alone, there was no way Mo Songmin would try to dare to do something in the city in broad daylight. Furthermore, as said by Mo Songmin, the spirit soldiers of his pirate crew were currently unable to be mobilized.


    At the tavern, when Hei entered, the innkeeper came to meet him and gave him a piece of paper with the number of a room written on it. It was one of the rooms on the top floor. Apparently, Mo Songmin was waiting for him there.


    Hei went to the indicated room. Inside he found Mo Songmin. There were no traces of other people in the room.


    "You have finally come. I thought you would arrive immediately. "


    "I was busy. Anyway, tell me what your boss said. "


    Listening to Hei''s uninteresting response, Mo Songmin sighed. He wanted to beat the young man in front of him, but his pirate instinct told him to stop.


    "The captain has heard my story. She was pleasantly surprised by your feat and agreed to let you join the crew. She also left me as an intermediary between you and her. It''s okay with you, isn''t it? "


    Hei nodded and let Mo Songmin continue to speak.


    "The captain has a mission for you. She says that before you can meet her and fight under her direct command, you must show your loyalty. She will entrust you with three missions, and if you manage to complete them, you will be able to see her in our main camp."


    "I understand. Three missions, did you say? And what do these missions consist of? "


    "For now, she has only entrusted me with the content of the first mission. Depending on how you complete the mission, you will be assigned to the second one. But before I reveal the contents of the first mission, I have to explain the division between the four Pirate Generals."


    Mo Songmin, therefore, began a summary of the situation of the four pirate crews and their activities.


    The Red Devil Jin-Sang was the Pirate General with the most power among the four. His main business was mercenary contracts, and thanks to this, his influence had expanded without restraint. It was to the point that in any major naval conflict, there would always be the presence of some ship associated with the Pirate General.


    The Storm Lightning, Kan Ki-Nam, and the Son of Wind, Hong Shin, were more or less similar in strength and authority. Kan Ki-Nam was primarily concerned with assaulting commercial ships on behalf of rival merchants. In addition to that, he also owned a massive round of betting and underground fighting in various cities. Hong Shin instead controlled the drug market and, regarding the financial aspect, he was the one who had the most profit.


    As for drugs, these substances were generally strictly controlled by sects. Only expert alchemists could use and buy them from the sects that prohibited any outside production and sale of drugs. But instead of targeting martial artists, Hong Shin instead aimed at ordinary people and wandering martial artists, thus avoiding the hostility of the big sects. Not to mention that the drugs produced by him were also used by big and medium sects because of their effects in stimulating the user. It was a trump card to use between wars between sects or even in friendly competitions where the prestige of sects was at stake.


    However, if martial artists could contain in some ways the side effects of drugs, this couldn''t be said to apply to ordinary people. And here came into play, the last Pirate General, the Steam Goddess Ho Ri-Na. She was the one who had the least war power among the four, even if it was only by a slight margin.


    The female pirate controlled the most massive prostitution ring ever existed in the Forgotten Ocean. The reason was that the women who worked for her as prostitutes were protected and treated with respect by the female pirate. Unlike other prostitution managers, Ho Ri-Na wasn''t greedy in the percentage of the earnings she took from her women. On the contrary, she would have had them subjected to periodic medical checks, paid their medical bills, and ensured their safety during their work.


    For this reason, women who, for one reason or another, decided to pursue that career, all wanted to work for her. Even those who had been sold as slaves were treated in the same way. And after earning a certain sum, they could buy their freedom without risk of persecution.


    Thus, Ho Ri-Na also earned another nickname - the Benevolent Mother of the Prostitutes.


    The women who worked for her would sincerely repay the treatment received. Many of them ended up becoming pirates in her service. By becoming a prostitute, they had agreed to be considered as objects and not as a woman. However, Ho Ri-Na would always treat them as human beings, even punishing members of her own crew if they caused problems for the girls or failed to protect them.


    However, the expansion of the drug market had also come to brothels. Despite the protection of the pirate, those who carried out this profession were often prey to conflicts. Some of them, therefore, ended up falling into the infinite abyss of drugs, sinking deeper and deeper. It doesn''t matter if they were protected or treated with respect, the mere fact of living that kind of life was too much to bear for them. So, drugs were a fast and easy solution to that problem.


    But the presence of the drug in her brothels had become a serious problem and soiled the Steam Goddess reputation. It had gotten to the point that Ho Ri-Na decided to take matters in hand. She decided she would eliminate, once and for all, the threat that persecuted her girls - the Son of Wind Hong Shin. But to do this, she had to weaken his influence enough to force him out of his hiding place.


    "Your first mission is to join with some ships of our crew in assaulting a convoy of ships carrying a large load of drugs. It won''t be just us. In different parts of the Forgotten Ocean, our ships will attack Hong Shin''s drug ships. By blocking so much drug in one fell swoop, we will deal great damage to him. Depending on how things unfold, the Captain will then entrust us with the second mission. I need to remind you that we will face not only Hong Shin''s pirates but also mercenaries that aren''t directly affiliated with the General Pirate. It''s not unusual for us pirates to use mercenaries in some of our jobs, especially when you consider the extent of Hong Shin''s drug commerce."


    When Mo Songmin finished speaking, Hei became silent for a while. The origin of the clash between the two Pirate Generals wasn''t what he expected. But they obviously wouldn''t have revealed the existence of the map fragments. So, there was also the possibility that all this was an excuse to deprive Hong Shin of his fragments. Being the major exponents of piracy, they were likely to have one or more fragments with them.


    And if Ho Ri-Na killed Hong Shin, the stalemate between the four pirates would have broken. There was also the possibility that it would put pressure on the remaining two General Pirates. However, it didn''t interfere with Hei''s plans. Not to mention that he could use the conflict to verify the presence of the map fragments in the two Pirate Generals, Hong Shin and Ho Ri-Na.


    "I see. There are no problems for me. So when do we leave?" Hei asked calmly. He didn''t seem at all worried about what Mo Songmin had said as if he didn''t put the Pirate Generals in his eyes.


    However, that wasn''t correct. It wasn''t as if Hei wasn''t cautious towards them. But he had analyzed the situation, and if he played his cards well, the dangers for him and his family wouldn''t be fatal. He only needed to gain strength as he let the four contenders fight each other. When they became exhausted by the fights, he would act, and eventually, his family would be the winner in that contest.


    Mo Songmin looked stunned by Hei''s courage. No, maybe it was better to call it recklessness? Either way, he proceeded to answer Hei''s questions.


    "We are leaving tonight. Since your group joined us, the Captain has decided to speed up the plan slightly. What about your ship? Did you do something about it, or did it stay as before?"


    "I''m finishing the color changes on the sail and the flag. I didn''t proceed to change the ship''s structure for fear of ruining the propulsion function."


    "Okay. Anyway, we will face the Hong Shin''s men. Therefore, they shouldn''t notice it. Take this. Inside there are pirate clothes for you and your partner. Since I don''t know what size you bring, I went by eye. To compensate, I took several clothes. So you can choose the one that suits you best."


    "Thanks for the thought." Hei then nodded to express his thanks.


    Mo Songmin appeared slightly amazed. It was the first time that Hei had shown a gesture of respect directed towards him. And it was for a trivial gesture like that. Rather than showing the authority and power of his crew, was it better to treat the young man kindly before him?


    Hei, oblivious to Mo Songmin''s thoughts, inserted the large chest containing the clothes brought by the pirate into one of his space rings and told Mo Songmin.


    "If there are no other things you need to tell me, then I''ll say goodbye. I have to finish the ship''s preparations and notify my partner of the news. Don''t worry, just tell me about the time and place of the appointment, and I''ll be there."


    "There is no need for much secrecy. My ship is the only one in this port. But for safety, make yourself be found at midnight outside the entrance of the ships to the port. The others will join us on the way."


    "All right. There are no problems. I''ll see you tonight then. Thanks again for the clothes. "


    When he finished saying goodbye to Mo Songmin, Hei left the room and went down to the ground floor. Once he got out, he gave the innkeeper a gold coin for the service and went out. He didn''t go immediately to the warehouse but made a quick tour of the markets to buy food. Only when he bought enough food, Hei went to his family. Ye, Xing, and Lian should definitely be hungry after all that painting work.

 Chapter 111 - Ship Battle on the Ocean

    A ship of about ten meters was parked outside the entrance for ships to the port. It was a regular ship, smaller in size than the ships used for naval combat or for carrying large loads. Yet, at the same time, it gave unexplained pressure to the viewer.


    Its black sail was extremely flashy, but what attracted the most attention was the giant purple spider drawn above. Under the spider was written HOPE.


    It was Hei''s artifact ship that was awaiting the arrival of Mo Songmin''s ship.


    In order to start their pirate career, Hei and his family were wearing the clothes brought by the pirate Mo Songmin.


    Hei chose long black trousers that were neither too tight nor too loose, so as not to hinder movements. As for the shoes, he decided to remain barefoot instead. His fighting style with Beast Claw was truly complete only when he used all his four limbs for attacking. For the upper part, Hei was wearing just a white long-sleeved shirt. It wasn''t particularly cold, and since they had to fight, it was better to wear few clothes.


    Lian also chose a simple style. She wore long brown leather boots with long, tight black trousers that enhanced the tone of the young woman''s legs. Above, she instead had a simple white linen blouse. As for other accessories, Lian wasn''t the type to wear them. The only exception was the silver-white silk ribbon that she was wearing around her neck as a scarf.


    Ye and Xing instead chose to wear accessories. Ye wore a red band on her head while Xing wore a hat with a white skull. They also wanted to wear an eye patch, but Hei forbade it with the excuse that it would hinder them in the fight.


    As for who steered the ship, Hei had been mulling over that issue. The artifact ship had an automatic propulsion system that allowed it to go in a straight line as long as there was enough fuel. There was, however, a problem with naval battles. They couldn''t go in a straight line as in regular crossings but had to move the ship all the time to prevent it from being rammed. Given that it was smaller than the other ships, the artifact ship couldn''t stand a direct crash, but they had instead to aim for speed and avoid any direct contacts.


    So, in the end, without other solutions, they hired an old longtime friend of the tavern host. He was a sailing master who had worked on the largest merchant ships for years but had been forced to withdraw due to a leg injury. However, after years of inactivity, he wanted to start driving a ship again.


    Hei then offered him a deal - a daily wage and the artifact ship as a reward, once what Hei and his family had to do in the Forgotten Ocean was done. In return, the man would have to sign with Hei a blood pact of absolute secrecy. He couldn''t reveal to anyone in any existing way what would happen during this period of collaboration for the whole course of his life.


    The sailing master accepted it despite the severe restrictions. The pay Hei offered was more than inviting in itself. But the possibility of having an artifact ship all to himself was what attracted him most. With that, he could open a fast delivery service that would guarantee him a pension and kept his dream of sailing until his last days.


    As for having to sacrifice the artifact ship, it wasn''t a problem for Hei. Once they reached the Continent, it would no longer be necessary. Also, when they became spirit soldiers, he and Lian would be able to fly. As for Ye and Xing, he knew it was possible for them to fly. However, Hei didn''t know if flying was possible only for divine beasts or for all spirit beasts. Furthermore, he didn''t even know when it would be possible for them to learn to fly. He could only hope that they shouldn''t have to wait too long.


    In any case, his little sisters were talented divine beasts. Being the Spider of Nightmare and the Serpent of Darkness'' daughters, how could their talent be low? So Hei didn''t doubt that with practice, the two of them would be able to fly.


    "Old Tohyon, the ship we''re waiting for is coming. Get ready to go."


    In the distance, a large ship was approaching them. It was Mo Songmin''s ship.


    When the large ship came to the side of the artifact ship, the first slowed down its run. From the bridge, above the wooden railing of the ship, Mo Songmin stood looking down on the artifact ship.


    "We will guide you. You lead your ship behind us without getting lost. Alright? The designated point is about a day''s sailing from here. We will travel nonstop, so be prepared. The other ships will join us in the morning at another point. Is it all clear?"


    "Yes, I understand. Lead the way then. "


    Mo Songmin nodded his head and got off the railing. Then he started giving orders to his men. Soon, the great ship passed the artifact ship.


    "Old Tohyon, have you heard? I rely on you."


    "Don''t worry, Master Hei. This old man will not disappoint you."


    The old sailing master began to spin the ship to follow Mo Songmin''s ship. They were currently using the ship''s regular navigation system. There was no need to consume spirit stones for the propulsion system. In any case, Hei had given the sailing master plenty of spirit stones to use the system for hours, not to mention his other reserve stocks.


    Hei had the Secret Dimension and its resources, including the spirit stones inside. Although he kept them for cultivation, he could pull them out if needed and used them as fuel for the artifact ship or to buy pills or medicines.


    Thus, the two ships sailed in the darkness of the night. As Mo Songmin said, at dawn, they met three other large ships. They were pirates under the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s command. Together, the convoy of five ships headed to the designated point to attack the pirate Hong Shin''s drug ships.


    *


    After they sailed for another day, they finally met the Pirate General Hong Shin''s drug convoy. It consisted of about ten ships, of which at least half were merchant ships. That type of ship was more predisposed to the transport of goods than to attack and had few men.


    The four ships of the pirate crew Ho R-Na fanned out to surround the convoy. Behind them, hidden by their size, was the artifact ship of Hei. The plan was simple, while the pirates of Ho Ri-Na distracted the enemy''s main fighting force, Hei and his team were supposed to infiltrate in the middle of the battle and board the merchant ships inside.


    It wasn''t necessary to kill all the enemies, just make sure to destroy the drugs they carried. Of course, if they managed to kill all the men in Hong Shin''s ships, it would be an added advantage for the future plans of the pirate Ho Ri-Na.


    Thus, the battle began.


    From the ships began to fall a rain of arrows and javelins while from the sides iron harpoon were being fired toward the enemy combat ships. In that way, the enemies wouldn''t escape the attack, and the merchant ships would have remained isolated if they had attempted to escape from there.


    "At full speed!" Old Tohyon screamed in an excited voice. A lot of years had passed since the last time he savored the excitement of listening to the sound of arrows that swooped down from the sky and the sound of broken wood when ships rammed each other.


    Hei''s artifact ship popped up from behind the fan formation of the four ships. Taking advantage of the propulsion system, the artifact ship quickly crept into the chaotic battle.


    When they reached the merchant ships, Hei jumped from the artifact ship. With his hands and feet''s claws, he stuck his limbs on the wood of the enemy ship. He had one of Lian''s ribbons on his belt as the girl wasn''t expert in climbing vertical surfaces. Ye and Xing were on Hei''s shoulders instead, excited to fight.


    Hei, therefore, began to climb the wall of the ship quickly. Lian wasn''t heavy, and the weight of his little sisters was almost nonexistent for now. So he was able to reach the ship''s deck quickly.


    At the deck, there were about fifteen fully armed men. They were taken by surprise by the arrival of the intruders.


    Without letting them recompose, Hei and his family set off on the attack. None of the men aboard that merchant ship was dangerous. They were all between the third and fourth stages. So, there was a massive gap between the pirates and Hei and his family.


    Peng! Crack! Stab!


    Loud metal rumors colliding were resounding at that point in the ocean. Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing were sweeping their enemies with ease. Given the difference in cultivation, none of Hong Shin''s men was able to stop them. They were all killed, and their blood had started to form a red lake on the bridge, making it difficult even to remain standing.


    Without wasting time, after they cleaned up the men on the first ship, Hei got off the ship with Lian and his sisters in tow. Below, Old Tohyon was waiting for them. As soon as they landed on the artifact ship, the sailing master set off the ship in the direction of the next merchant ship.


    Rather than burning drugs now and wasting so much precious time, Hei wanted to leave them intact so he could focus on Hong Shin''s men. If they wanted to attack him and annihilate his crew, they had to weaken his power as much as possible, even if it was just by a single man.


    As in the first ship, the men of the second ship weren''t spared as well. The lucky ones were quickly killed by the clean cuts of Hei''s spear and Xing''s legs. The more unfortunate ones had to die slowly of asphyxiation from Lian''s ribbons or be literally torn to pieces by the fangs of Ye, who had become even redder than the bandana she was wearing.


    When the men of the second merchant ship were also killed, the remaining three immediately decided to flee. It mattered little if they had to abandon the rest of their companions, their life came first. Not to mention that they had to secure the drugs so as not to incur the wrath of their boss.


    The five Hong Shin crew''s combat ship that completed the convoy were holding back the four Ho Ri-Na crew''s combat ship. Only Hei''s artifact ship remained to threaten the three merchant ships. But since it was only one ship, there was no way that artifact ship could attack all three of them at once. In doing so, they would ensure the survival of two ships while the third would become the unfortunate sacrificial lamb of that decision.


    Obviously, there was no way Hei would let his prey escape.


    "Full speed, Old Tohyon."


    "Got it, Master Hei."


    With sudden acceleration, the artifact ship placed itself in front of the three merchant ships cutting their way.


    "Lian, go."


    Lian, who was on the other side of the artifact ship, quickly ran over the bridge toward Hei. When they were about to collide with each other, Hei joined his hands together and acted as a foothold for Lian''s feet. Then with all the strength of his arms, he threw Lian upward in the direction of the merchant ship ahead of them.


    High in the air, Lian began to rotate on herself as her two silk ribbons hardened and became like the blades of a rotating mill. From there, two small indistinct shapes were thrown at high speed, which landed on the remaining two merchant ships to the side. It was Ye and Xing. Meanwhile, Lian had also landed on the merchant ship in the center.


    "Kill all of them! As soon as you''re done, Old Tohyon will come to pick you up." Hei yelled in their direction before turning to the old sailing master.


    "Old Tohyon, bring me where the other ships are fighting. Then return to Lian and my spirit beasts and bring them back to me, okay?"


    "All clear, Master Hei. Let it to me."


    Tohyon commanded the ship to return to the epicenter of the conflict. There, fifth and sixth stage martial artists were challenging each other without sparing their energies. There were even some of the seventh stage.


    As before, Hei launched himself towards one of the enemy ships. Then, he went up the wall to reach the point of the ship. Suddenly, the aura of a seventh stage temporarily froze the men present. They didn''t expect the arrival of a seventh stage at that time when the fight had already been going on for a while.


    "It''s one of us! Attack at full power! The merchant ships'' crews are dead. The victory is ours!" Mo Songmin shouted to his companions.


    Apparently, Hei had boarded the ship attacked by Mo Songmin''s crew. But that was fortunate because Mo Songmin''s men became excited at the words of their captain and regained courage.


    Spider Run, Four-legged Mode!


    Running on all fours, Hei rushed at full speed against the seventh stage that Mo Songmin was facing. Instead of wasting time killing small fries, it was better to target the enemy boss in a situation like this.


    Intent of the Spear, Spider Thrust!


    Holding his spear with both his hands, Hei aimed at the heart of his prey.


    Stab! Drip!


    The spear penetrated the flesh as drops of blood fell to the ground. However, it wasn''t the seventh stage enemy but one of his men. That pirate understood that they would all die if their leader was killed, so he decided to sacrifice himself to save his captain from certain death.


    Hei kicked the man''s body impaled by his spear, making him fly several meters before he fell to the ground. All around, the pirates belonging to the Hong Shin''s crew looked at him with anger and hatred because the man hit by Hei was their first officer.


    The first officer hadn''t yet died since it was a sixth stage, but the wound was too severe for him to survive without someone''s intervention.


    So the pirates were planning on going to rescue their first officer when they realized that Hei was about to attack their captain again.


    Instead of finishing the wounded prey on the ground, he had preferred to attack the biggest prey still alive. It was because, if he chose to give the first officer the coup de grace, the enemy pirates would simply have to detain him while they brought their first officer to safety. By attacking their captain instead, he was forcing them to decide between saving their captain or their first officer. Regardless of their choice, the outcome wouldn''t have changed. Just the speed with which they would die.


    Enemy pirates eventually chose the worst choice - save both. They divided the few forces available to protect both of their superiors. But they had forgotten that Hei wasn''t the only one there. There were also Mo Songmin''s men. They took advantage of the fact that their enemies had split up to attack the smaller groups en masse.

 Chapter 112 - Unexpected Mission

    Arg! Uggh!


    Enemy pirates tried in every way to hit Hei, who was rapidly moving on the ship''s deck. It didn''t matter if the ground was slippery due to water or blood, Hei''s claws stuck easily into the wood, thus keeping him firmly in place.


    His hair was a perfect defense that blocked his opponents'' blades. Not even when he was surrounded, they managed to penetrate that defense. He was currently using his hands to maneuver his spear instead of using the full combat mode. After all, when he was in a numerically disadvantaged situation, it was preferable to leave Snake Hair as a continuous defense. In any case, when he saw the right opportunity, he would use Snake Fist with his feet.


    The speed of Snake Fist, combined with the penetrating force of Best Claws, was enough to hurt the enemies around him quickly. Soon, they became less and less until they all ended up becoming lifeless bodies on the ground.


    Around him, the still-living enemies and his allies were looking stunned at him.


    A martial artist so young had slaughtered a dozen people as if they were flies to be crushed. Even if he had higher cultivation than his opponents, it was still a remarkable feat. But it was more the decisiveness in his attacks that surprised them.


    As pirates, they had learned to become ruthless and kill their enemy without batting an eyelid. But it was something they had learned over time. None of them when they were young as Hei could have done something like this.


    Regardless of the people''s looks, Hei shifted his eyes to the still-living seventh stage, who was fighting against Mo Songmin. With every man who died at the hands of Hei, the enemy captain would feel the grip on his neck tightening.


    He was now at the point where he could feel his breath fail as the fight against Mo Songmin consumed his energies.


    "Spider Lance."


    Hei''s blow came from behind his back, and his arm ended up popping out of the mouth of the enemy pirate, splashing the blood and teeth of the man on Mo Songmin''s face.


    Mo Songmin looked at that scene in horror. A seventh stage like him, although at the limit of his strength, had been easily killed with one shot. Still incredulous, he removed the blood from his face as he watched Hei move once more towards the remaining enemies.


    In the meantime, something similar was happening in the other combat ships. Lian, Xing, and Ye had easily killed the crews of the merchant ships. Then they were retrieved by the Old Tohyon and boarded the other ships.


    Lian went to the most difficult battlefield, where the crews of two enemy ships were fighting against the crew of a single allied ship. However, Lian''s arrival turned the tables.


    The young girl, like a star fairy, elegantly fluttered over the ship''s slippery red bridge. Her silk ribbons were like metal whips that crashed hard against the enemies'' bodies.


    None of Hong Shin crew''s pirates knew how to catch her. They were frantically moving their blades but without making contact. The situation got even worse when Hei also arrived.


    Like a ferocious beast, Hei ran on all fours on the deck. His hair was holding the spear while he attacked from that height.


    Realizing Hei''s presence, Lian began to act like a bait as she directed her pursuers to Hei, thus bringing them straight into the jaws of that deadly beast.


    Ye and Xing were, in turn, sowing terror in both enemies and allies. Although they were seafarers with a lot of adventures and dangers in their lives, none of what they had seen was comparable to the gruesome spectacle ahead of them.


    A spider and a snake, both two meters long, were tearing the bodies of Hong Shin pirates to pieces with ease. Heads, eyes, and guts were flying everywhere as scarlet blood painted the bodies of the two divine beasts that were emitting loud metallic noises, or at least that was what appeared to the ears of the spectators.


    ''Take this, stupid pirate. Taste the fury of the Pirate Queen Ye!''


    ''If you are the Pirate Queen, then I am the Empress of the Forgotten Ocean, Xing!''


    The two divine beasts were communicating even though they were two separate ships. At the time, they were competing with each other to see who would kill the enemies fastest. The prize was that the winner would decide for a week which games they would play during their free time.


    It was to be known that Hei would always allow a couple of hours of play a day to his little sisters, and sometimes he and Lian would participate in the game sessions of the two little divine beasts.


    Eventually, Xing won, by a slight margin, though. Ye shook her head, disconsolate in defeat.


    ''Oh, no! I lost! Ugh, sigh.''


    Seeing her sad, Xing let herself be pitied and offered to split the prize.


    ''You were unfortunate that there were a couple more of men on your ship. How about if we do fifty-fifty? I choose the game to play for the first half of the week, and the rest of the week, you will choose it, okay?''


    Hearing her words, Ye rejoiced instantly.


    ''Really? Thanks, Xing. Then to thank you, I will help you one morning in your weaving work.''


    Ye smiled to herself as she thought she had tricked Xing and managed to grab half the prize. But as she felt uncomfortable, she gave Xing one morning of help with her weaving, although Ye preferred to sleep.


    Thus, the naval battle ended. Hong Shin''s crews and his affiliated mercenaries had been defeated. Most had died, and the few survivors had been taken prisoner and loaded onto the ships. The drug loads were set on fire together with the merchant ships that carried them.


    *


    On a desert island near the battle, five ships were docked on the shore. It was the pirate groups of the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na, together with Hei and his family. At the time, they were all on the shore of the island.


    The reason for this stop was to count the number of victims and the damage suffered by the ships. Furthermore, the injured ones needed to be medicated quickly. Even though they weren''t doctors, over time, some pirates had acquired medical knowledge and could roughly medicate their companions. Even if they weren''t accurate, it was still better than nothing.


    Those who were fine or suffered minor injuries were currently surrounding Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye. However, it wasn''t to harm them but to toast them. If it weren''t for their performance, there would have been many more victims.


    I could have been the one who died.


    It was what each of the surviving pirates thought as they exalted the two youths and their spirit beasts.


    "Impressive. I have to admit it. I had sensed that you were strong but not so strong. Even your partner and your spirit beasts don''t mess around. The captain will be delighted to hear the news."


    Mo Songmin''s voice peered through the crowd. On his face, there was a sincere smile of gratitude. Hei and his family hadn''t only saved the lives of the men on the other ships, but also his own men. He could only be grateful to this young man.


    "There is no need to thank you. I didn''t do it because I wanted to help you, but because it is dangerous to prolong a fight for no reason. If I have the opportunity to kill my enemy quickly unless there is a rational reason, why should I give him more time to live?"


    Hei''s words broke the cheerful atmosphere that had been created. It wasn''t that he did it on purpose to ruin the party for everyone, but he only said what he thought. He wasn''t a hero who fought to save people in difficulty like a knight in shining white armor. He fought for his goals and to protect his family, that''s all.


    If he had wanted to, he could have used all his power, that is, using the elemental laws and activating his bloodline. Yet he hadn''t. The reason? It was because he didn''t want to reveal all his cards if there was no need. The same was true of Lian and his little sisters. Otherwise, if they had used their full power, the battle would have ended much earlier, and there would have been fewer victims.


    "You''re right, but it doesn''t change that you''ve saved a lot of us." Mo Songmin tried to break that sense of unease.


    "Okay." Hei understood the meaning of his words and accepted the words of thanks, making the pirates'' hearts feel comfortable.


    After that small exchange, Hei judged that it was better to recover their energy immediately and pulled the flesh of the octopus they had killed out of his space rings. Fortunately, the space rings were able to stop the decay and thus could keep fresh the meat inside. Besides, in the three days of waiting, Hei had finished cutting the body of the octopus completely. The body of the manta was instead devoured, always in those three days.


    He quickly pulled out the cauldron he used for alchemy. Since it was difficult for him to make pills or potions on a ship in the middle of the ocean, he had started using the cauldron as a pot to cook the meat of his prey.


    He poured clean water from the bottles contained inside his space rings and turned to the pirates around.


    "If you want to repay me, bring me some firewood as soon as possible."


    Amazed by his request, the pirates did what Hei asked anyway, and soon brought him what he asked for. At that point, Hei lit the wood and placed the cauldron containing the water on it, waiting for it to boil. Once it started boiling, he started pouring the cut pieces of octopus into the cauldron and finally closed the lid.


    "If you have pots and the like, bring them to me. I have the flesh of an octopus spirit beast. Since we are making a brief stop, I will cook the octopus for you. It won''t be much of a taste, but at least let''s put something under our teeth." Hei loudly proclaimed as he moved his gaze to the pirates who surrounded him.


    The pirates, listening to his words, let out shouts of joy. The meat of spirit beasts was delicious and nutritious, and a continuous consumption would benefit their cultivation, except that they were dangerous to hunt. But now Hei was offering to share it with them. How could they not be happy?


    Soon, they collected all the pots they had in their ships and boiled the water to dip the pieces of octopus inside and wait for the cooking to finish.


    While everyone was enjoying that amazing meal, a ship came towards them. It was a support ship sent by the pirate Ho Ri-Na to verify the consequences of the battle and bring relief to those in need.


    When the rescue ship docked on the island, the ship crew immediately went to medicate the wounded. Their captain, on the contrary, went to those who were eating the octopus.


    "Soo-Yeon, so the Captain sent you?" Mo Songmin asked the newcomer.


    The man called Soo-Yeon looked Mo Songmin in the eye and replied.


    "Yes, the Captain sent a rescue boat to each of the affected areas. As you can see, she hired several doctors and distributed them in the several rescue ships. We will take care of the wounded while you proceed to your next mission."


    "Next mission? Already? Our crews are seriously compromised. If we attack another convoy, we may not be able to do it."


    "Don''t worry. The Captain knows this perfectly. In fact, what you are attacking aren''t ships, but an agricultural estate."


    "An agricultural estate?"


    "Yes, you will have to go to the Black Tea City on the Tea Leaves Island. There, you can find one of the various agricultural estates where Hong Shin grows his drugs. Your job is to attack and destroy the estate. By joining the survivors of your five crews, you will have enough members to assault the estate. We have to beat the iron while it''s still hot. Hong Shin will take a while to notice the disappearance of his ships. Probably one day, a maximum of two, if we are lucky. We have to use this advantage to hit while his defenses are still down."


    "Fuck, shit. Okay, we''ll leave immediately then." Mo Songmin spat on the ground in annoyance. They had just finished a battle and had to dive into the conflict again. However, he wasn''t too worried. The reason for his serenity was the presence of two young martial artists and their spirit beasts. He hoped that they would create another miracle in the upcoming battle as well.


    "Ye, Xing, Lian. Finish eating quickly. Apparently, the second mission arrived earlier than expected."

 Chapter 113 - Assaulting the Estate

    Tea Leaves Island, in an isolated gulf about ten kilometers from Black Tea City.


    At that point, far from prying eyes, five ships were anchored on the shore. The ships''s had gone ashore, and they were discussing with each other.


    "Wasn''t there another point closer to the city? Now we have to walk several hours on foot."


    "And did you want to be discovered? We can''t screw up this mission. So, no more fuss regarding this. The less we draw attention, the more chance we have of succeeding."


    "But we still have to go to town to take a look, don''t we? We need to understand what''s around the estate to understand what it''s the best way to attack it."


    While the pirates were discussing how to assault the estate, in the corner of the gulf, Hei was sitting on the ground with Lian and his little sisters. Old Tohyon was cheerfully cleaning the ship. From his experience, a clean and well-maintained ship was a ship that wouldn''t abandon you in times of need.


    ''Big brother, what are we doing now?'' Ye asked impatiently. She was still excited about the previous battle and was looking forward to fighting again.


    "It is still morning. We will probably attack in the evening, so we will have to wait at least the sunset before we can start to position ourselves. The others are still debating how to proceed, so it''s better to spend this time cultivating, okay?"


    Ye gently rubbed her head on Hei''s chest, trying to convince him to leave her and Xing a few hours of play, but Hei was resolute - they had to cultivate to increase their strength as soon as possible.


    "Many battles await us before long. We must maximize the time available. When we finish our businesses with the pirates, then I''ll give you a few days of play, okay?"


    Ye and Xing looked delighted and started cultivating, even though it seemed to outside eyes that they were sleeping. Lian at Hei''s side also closed her eyes and began to cultivate.


    At the moment, she and Hei had a cultivation of an early stage seventh spirit apprentice. However, thanks to the battle of the other day, they were close to reaching the middle seventh stage spirit apprentice. Therefore, Hei hoped to be able to make a breakthrough before the end of the day for the upcoming mission.


    And in the end, as he thought, they succeeded. Their foundations were solid and combined with their talent and potential, under the impulse of the stimuli deriving from the fight, it wasn''t strange that they had only taken half a day to overcome the bottleneck.


    The pirates in the gulf looked at the two young martial artists in amazement. They didn''t expect the two youths to make a breakthrough at that moment. But it wasn''t bad news for them, quite the opposite. The two youths had played a decisive role in the previous battle. If they had gotten stronger, it was all gained.


    Eventually, the period of the sun ended, and it began to set to make way for the night. The pirates started to move in the direction of the point designated for the attack. During the day, some of them had gone to the city. They wanted to scour the surrounding territories to understand better how to carry out their attack.


    Fortunately, the agricultural estate was far from the city, which was foreseeable, given that they cultivated drugs. But it wasn''t far enough to completely rule out the intervention of the city guards. That, therefore, meant that they had to end their attack as soon as possible.


    The pirates split into four groups and would attack from four different points on the estate simultaneously. Although in that way, they would have to divide their forces, the same was true for the enemy. Not to mention that such a system allowed them to finish their mission sooner and make the enemy even more agitated.


    Hei, his little sisters, and Lian were with Mo Songmin''s group. Since there were only four of them and he was more familiar with Mo Songming, it was decided that they would go with him. However, considering the strength of the two young martial artists and the two spirit beasts, Mo Songmin''s group also became the main invasion force. Therefore, their group would attack from the main entrance and attract the majority of the estate''s guards.


    To facilitate communication, each of the four group leaders had a communication talisman. These talismans'' communication range was just enough to cover the entire agricultural estate.


    "Are you all in position? Excellent, then to my three. One! Two! Three!"


    The four groups came out of their hiding places in unison and ran around the estate''s territories. The guards protecting Hong Shin''s drugs were alarmed by the noise and sounded the alarm.


    "Intruders! Activate the defense protocol! "


    The estate''s guards quickly gathered towards the main entrance before discovering in spite of themselves that that wasn''t the only point under attack.


    "Shit! They are also attacking elsewhere. The guards in those places are being overwhelmed. What are we doing? Do we divide our forces?"


    "No! If we scatter our strength, we will only get our deaths. We will kill this group first and then move on to the others."


    What appeared to be the chief guard ordered his men to remain on the spot as they prepared to receive Mo Songmin''s party.


    "Attack! For the glory of Captain Ho Ri-Na!"


    The pirates at his command screamed with excitement as they crashed into the group defending the main entrance.


    Peng! Clash!


    Metallic noises of weapons colliding with each other reverberated in the quiet of the night. How many of them would see the morning light was something impossible to know.


    "Lian, Ye, Xing. Let''s go!"


    Hei took his sisters in his hands and threw them forcefully against two of the enemy guards. While in mid-aria, the bodies of Xing and Ye began to grow, and, to the horror of the two guards, they reached two meters in size.


    Crunch!


    The fangs of both spirit beasts went to crash the guards'' skull as if they were watermelons hit by a stick.


    The guards around watched that scene terrified and attempted to kill those dangerous beasts before they became their next target. But how could Hei allow his little sisters to be in danger without intervening?


    Snake Run!


    Moving in a zigzag while swinging his arms in a hypnotic rhythm, Hei intercepted part of the guards directed toward Ye and Xing. On the other side, Liana also did the same while her ribbons stretched as if they were vines.


    Spider Carapace!


    His spirit power concentrated on his arms. During this period, he had finally managed to overcome his limit with Spider Carapace. Now he was able to cover both his arms, even though it was up to the elbow. But it was enough.


    Snake Whip!


    The bones of his shoulder and arms got dislocated as his arms began to move quickly in the air as if they were whips. Everything within a 1.5-meter radius was mercilessly struck.


    Soon, Hei, Ye, Xing, and Lian became the main target of the guards. Although there were also other fighters among the attacking pirate ranks, the two spirit beasts, and those two young martial artists posed an even greater danger.


    "Get out of the way!" The mighty voice of the chief guard was heard amid the hustle and bustle of the battle. His saber flashed maliciously in the moonlight.


    "Brat! I will now be your opponent!"


    As he launched his challenge, the chief guard rushed to Hei. It was a middle seventh stage spirit apprentice, meaning he had the same cultivation as Hei''s.


    However, Hei didn''t care much about it. Cultivation wasn''t everything in a fight, and before an enemy with the same cultivation, all the more reason, he wouldn''t retreat without fighting.


    The chief guard''s saber snapped as he attempted to tear apart the boy who was sowing panic on that battlefield. But regardless of how the chief guard waved his weapon, his saber was unable even to graze Hei''s body.


    The elusiveness of Snake Run was significantly higher than in Spider Run. If it was about dodging close-range hits while keeping your distance from the enemy, there was no better footwork technique.


    "Bastard! Die! Law of Fire, Fireball!"


    A red sphere of several centimeters in diameter was generated in the free hand that wasn''t holding the saber. After that, that red sphere was thrown violently against Hei. The speed impressed on that small object was sufficient to make dodging impossible. Hei could only receive it directly, or so the chief guard thought.


    Spider Run, Two-legged mode!


    Changing from Snake Run to Spider Run, he used his movement technique to get out of the ball''s path quickly. The fireball thus inadvertently ended up against one of the estate''s guards who was set on fire.


    Arghhh!


    While the guard became a mannequin in flames, Hei took advantage of the moment of distraction to get closer to the chief guard.


    "Poison Law, Poison Coating, Fist Snake Storm."


    Peng peng peng!


    The claws of Hei''s hands coated with poison violently hit the vital points of the chief guard who tried to defend himself as best he could against that assault. His defensive layer of spirit power allowed him some resistance, but the Law of Poison had a corrosive effect that could dissolve that layer. If he were to receive too many blows, his flesh would eventually be torn. And once the poison benga to circulate inside his body, it would be the end for him.


    "Law of Fire, Fireball!"


    This time, rather than with his hands, the fireball was thrown from the chief guard''s mouth, directed against Hei''s face, who was very close, just by half a meter. Indeed, even with Spider Run, it was difficult for Hei to dodge that attack completely. But if he couldn''t avoid it, all he had to do was to block it.


    Snake Hair!


    Hei''s hair quickly moved as if it was alive. His shiny black hair blocked the arrival of the fireball.


    "Stupid, do you think it''s enough to use your hair to stop my attack? Haha, burn now! Burn to ashes! You, piece of shit!"


    The mocking grin on the chief guard''s face became more twisted than before. However, his euphoria ended a few seconds later, because the scene he had imagined wasn''t happening. The brat''s hair in front of him wasn''t being set on fire.


    "Intent of the Spear, Law of Poison, Poison Spider Thrust!"


    One of his hair''s strands grabbed the spear placed behind Hei''s back and put the weapon in his hands. After that, he aimed his spear at his opponent, who was taken aback by his actions.


    Peng!


    The chief guard was hit in the stomach. The defensive layer of spirit power was acting as protection, but the tip of Hei''s spear coated with poison was now corroding that layer. And since the spear was about two meters long, the chief guard couldn''t attempt to hit Hei with his saber. Therefore, he promptly decided to abandon his saber while with both his hands, he tried to stop the advance of the spear.


    Snake Hair!


    Hei''s hair split into two long locks and went to tie on the wrists of his enemy''s arms. Then, he started pulling them to the side, forcing the chief guard''s arms to release their grip on his spear.


    "Shit, shit! Law of Fire, Fireball!"


    Once again, the chief guard raised the fireball from his mouth. Since Hei''s hair was tied on his arms, he couldn''t use it as before to defend himself. If Hei wanted to use his hair to block the fireball, he would have to free his enemy''s wrists. But that meant that the chief guard would gain breathing space to think about his next move.


    But things didn''t go as the chief guard hoped. Hei didn''t let go of his wrists because he didn''t need his hair to block the oncoming attack.


    "Chameleon Tongue, Law of Poison, Poisonous Spit!"


    Hei had, in fact, predicted that his enemy would attempt such an attack. So he had prepared himself accordingly. He had started making saliva inside his mouth and covered it with poison with the Law of Poison. Then through the launch mode of Chameleon Tongue, he spat the poisonous saliva from his mouth, aiming for the incoming fireball.


    Swoosh!


    His saliva whipped through the air at high speed as it hit the exact center of the red sphere. The poison inside corroded the sphere to destroy the cohesion of the flames, dispersing them in the air.


    Hei received a flush of hot air that slightly burned his face, but it was nothing to worry about. The guard chief, however, fell even more in panic.


    "What the fuck are you?!"


    He couldn''t understand how someone who fought like that could exist. It was like fighting against a spirit beast than against a human being.


    "You don''t need to know. Now die and be silent." Hei coldly replied as he placed even more strength in his weapon.


    Crack!


    The defensive layer of spirit power of the chief guard could no longer bear the pressure exerted by Hei''s spear. Eventually, the sharp tip of the spear stuck into his stomach, coming out of the other side of the back.


    But Hei didn''t end his attack just because his spear had pierced his enemy. By pulling his spear back so that the spearhead returned to his enemy''s body, Hei moved his weapon horizontally.


    Slash!


    The spearhead lacerated the body of the chief guard at the height of the navel, coming out of his left side. At that point, with another rapid rotation, the spear moved up, and with another horizontal stroke, it cut the head of the chief guard, making it fly in the air. All of this happened within a couple of seconds. However, for the poor unfortunate and the rest of the spectators seemed like an eternity.


    Thud!


    When the chief guard''s head fell to the ground with a thud, the frozen time began to flow again.


    With their boss killed in that way, the estate''s guards lost their desire to fight entirely. How could they hope to win when their strongest warrior had been killed?


    The guards began to disperse in fear, but their actions did nothing but speed up their deaths. Lian blocked their way using her ribbons as Ye and Xing came fiercely from behind, tearing apart those who tried to escape.


    Even their allies, the pirates under the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s command, couldn''t help but be horrified in front of the carnage that was taking place there. Remnants of human bodies were being made flying into the air, and the situation became even more chaotic when Hei joined his little sisters to massacre the survivors until eventually there wasn''t even a single living enemy.

 Chapter 114 - Meeting a Spirit Soldier

    When Hei and his little sisters finished romping around, only the shreds of their enemies bodies remained at the main entrance. Their bodies were covered in blood from head to tail/legs. Only Lian was the clean one, even though her white silk ribbons had turned crimson red.


    It took a few moments for Mo Songmin to recover. With a dry throat, he took his communication talisman and sent a message to the remaining team leaders - the guards at the main entrance had been killed, and they would now set the estate on fire.


    When they received the message, the other three team leaders were amazed. The main entrance was the one with the most enemies, yet it had been the first to fall. The strength between their men and Mo Songmin''s crew wasn''t that different. If that had happened, it was only because of the presence of the two young martial artists and those two spirit beasts.


    Soon, the large villa inside the estate was set on fire. There was no need to go in search of any treasures. This estate was one of the many drug production sites of Pirate General Hong Shin. They also didn''t know if or when the city guards would arrive. So it wasn''t worth the risk for something so uncertain and of little value.


    When the flames in the villa became visible even from afar, the remaining estate''s guards felt their heart skip a beat. The fire meant that the main force had been defeated, and they wouldn''t receive reinforcements. With their broken spirits, they quickly lost ground and ended up losing their lives too.


    Immediately afterward, in three other different points, the flames began to spread and moved over the drug fields, generating an intense and toxic black smoke.


    The inhabitants of the city watched in alarm that immense cloud of smoke rising in the sky and warned the guards. Soon, city authorities issued orders to put out the flames when they realized that the estate set on fire belonged to Pirate General Hong Shin.


    However, there was nothing to do. When the guards managed to calm the flames, nothing remained intact of the fields or the villa. They found only the half charred remains of the guards. As for traces attributable to the identity of the responsible, they didn''t even find the shadow of it, and it wasn''t even conceivable for them that someone wanted to go against one of the four Pirate Generals.


    *


    In the gulf several kilometers away from the Black Tea City, there were those responsible for the incident. They were bandaging the wounded one while counting the number of victims.


    Attacking structures affiliated to the four Pirate Generals was always a risk as the guards were at a level of cultivation no less than theirs. But ever since they accepted the pirate life, they had prepared themselves for the consequences of their choice.


    So without wasting too much time mourning their dead, they quickly loaded the bodies into the ships. They would perform their funeral in the middle of the ocean as tradition required.


    "Come on! On the ships! Let''s quickly leave this place before they start blocking the surrounding waters." One of the team leaders shouted, urging everyone to return to their respective ships.


    "Let''s go. Nice work today, Lian, Ye, Xing. You should rest now, okay?" Hei smiled at his little sisters and Lian before turning to Old Tohyon. "I leave it to you to follow the ships. Wake me up if something happens, all right?"


    "There are no problems, Master Hei. I will notify you if there is news from other ships."


    After these two incidents, Old Tohyon understood that something was about to happen to the balance of the four Pirate Generals. The idea of being one of those responsible for this event excited him. Even without the imposition of secrecy from the blood pact, he wouldn''t have revealed it absolutely to no one, not even to his family or longtime friends.


    So the five ships left the gulf with the night still present to cover their retreat. Their destination was one of the bases belonging to Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. Although it wasn''t the main camp where she was located, it was still one of the largest bases. It was also likely that they would run into other groups that had received their same mission.


    The pirate Ho Ri-Na had, in fact, attacked multiple locations to surprise her rival. If, however, the other groups had managed to complete the mission, it was unknown to them at the moment.


    *


    About two days later, they arrived at the designated base. They had traveled all the time non-stop for fear of any pursuers. Not knowing the details of the situation, they were unsure whether Pirate General Hong Shin hadn''t started the persecution of the perpetrators.


    Upon their arrival, they were greeted triumphantly by the pirates present at the base. They had heard of their success and wanted to celebrate them.


    The pirate base could be considered as a kind of town. There was everything from the harbor to the taverns to the markets. The various pirates'' families, as well as other people who were in the service of the Pirate General, lived there. Soon a real inhabited center had formed on that island, which appeared deserted on the maps.


    "Step aside if you don''t want to get kicked in the ass. You will have plenty of time to celebrate them later."


    From the crowd, a familiar man advanced with determined steps. It was Soo-Yeon, the captain of the rescue ship who had entrusted them with the second mission.


    "The commanders of the five ships follow me. You will be informed about how the other groups did and how we should proceed in the future."


    Upon hearing his words, Hei looked interested. He wanted to know what the pirate Ho Ri-Na intended to do so he could prepare in advance.


    "Wait here, okay? Nothing will happen to me, rest assured. Instead, take the opportunity to take a look at this place, okay?"


    Lian, Ye, and Xing nodded and let Hei go along with the other team leaders. Although they were momentarily allied with the pirates, they couldn''t help but be worried about Hei. However, he said it was going to be okay, and they trusted him. So they did as Hei asked.


    Hei, Mo Songmin, and the captains of the other three ships followed Soo-Yeon along the streets of the town until they entered a large and luxurious villa. A large number of pirates protected the house, the weakest of whom were in the fourth stage, and went up to the sixth stage.


    "Soo-Yeon, how come there are so many guards? Who came? "Mo Songmin asked Soo-Yeon.


    As a pirate in the service of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na for years, he was familiar with this town and its inhabitants. No one usually lived here to request such a level of protection. The only explanation was that a big shot of the crew had arrived.


    Soo-Yeon didn''t reply but merely gestured to follow them. In any case, they were almost there. And in one of the rooms of the villa, sitting behind a desk while sipping tea, there was a youthful-looking man with short light brown hair. At his side, there were two seventh-stage guards standing who watched the arrival of visitors without emotions.


    "Greetings, Sok Yeong-Gi-nim. I, Soo-Yeon, led the captains of the five ships responsible for one of the assaults on the drug convoys and the destruction of the estate at the Black Tea City." Soo-Yeon reverently announced as he bowed his head before that man. Mo Songmin and the other three captains did the same. The only one who remained standing was Hei.


    Sok Yeong-Gi, watching this scene, stopped drinking his cup of tea and frowned at the boy who hadn''t bent over like the others.


    "I see that someone doesn''t know good manners. Why don''t you tell me who you are, kid? "


    Noticing Sok Yeong-Gi''s angry tone, Mo Songmin hastened to speak.


    "Sorry, Sok Yeong-Gi-nim. In reality, he isn''t part of our crew officially. He''s the guy I talked to the General about. I don''t know if she mentioned him to you."


    "I remember something vague, something about a couple of brats, but nothing that interested me." Sok Yeong-Gi replied, disinterested while still looking angry.


    "Hei, this one in front of you is Sok Yeong-Gi-nim. He is one of three spirit soldiers in the service of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na."


    "I see. Hei, pay his respects to the spirit soldier Sok Yeong-Gi."


    Hei took a quick bow, calming Sok Yeong-Gi''s anger. He hadn''t wanted to make a scene. But in front of figures of authority, such a gesture was excellent for assessing the character of the person in front of him. And from his reaction, Sok Yeong-Gi was the classic pompous ass that looked down on all those with less cultivation than his, which was positive or negative depending on the situation and how Hei would move.


    "I have heard of your success in your two missions. In particular, the assault on the estate at the Black Tea City. Compared to the other teams, yours is the one that has suffered the least number of injuries."


    Sok Yeong-Gi complimented the five even though he didn''t seem very sincere. Instead, he had told them those words to know the reason behind their unusual performance. After all, the teams had been organized to be pretty much all equally strong. Still, such a gap had arisen.


    "The reason is simple, Sok Yeong-Gi-nim. It''s all thanks to the boy next to me, Hei. As I said to the General, this guy is a seventh stage. However, it''s not only his cultivation that is exceptional for something so young, but his fighting prowess is first class. If it weren''t for him, we would have lost many more men." Mo Songmin explained the situation to Sok Yeong-Gi. The other team leaders nodded their heads to confirm his words.


    Sok Yeong-Gi, therefore, looked in the direction of Hei and asked him, "Boy, you proved yourself more useful than expected, congratulations. Still, I doubt someone like you comes from an unknown place. Would you please tell me your true origins and your real reason for being here?"


    Sok Yeong-Gi''s request appeared polite and friendly but hid a hidden pressure in it. There was no doubt that he expected Hei to answer the truth.


    "It seems to me that I have already answered about it. I have decided to become a pirate to increase my strength faster. After all, we martial artists grow quickly in dangerous situations. As for joining your crew, it was just a coincidence. I had hired a tavern host to introduce me to someone, and it happened to be Mo Songmin, that''s all. Regarding my origins, I come from a big sect of one of the various islands of the Forgotten Ocean. To gain experience, I left my sect. So I don''t think there is a need to mention it."


    Hei calmly and fearlessly answered Sok Yeong-Gi''s questions. Even though a spirit soldier stood before him, he wasn''t afraid. He had already seen multiple spirit soldiers at Crossroads Lake, not to mention his mother.


    Sok Yeong-Gi looked at him intensely. Suddenly the aura of a spirit soldier rose from his body and enveloped the room. The other pirates in the room activated their spirit power, but it was clear that they were having difficulty resisting. Only Hei was on his feet, albeit with difficulty.


    ''He is testing me to see if what I said is true. If I come from a big sect, I should have more resistance to being subjected to the aura of spirit soldiers than normal cultivators. Unfortunately for him, mother was far above his miserable power as a spirit soldier.''


    After a few moments, Sok Yeong-Gi retracted his aura. He was curious about why a disciple of a big sect ended up there, but it was better not to investigate. There was no guarantee that the boy didn''t have contact with his sect. Making another enemy in this delicate moment was stupid. His captain would have punished him severely if something like this were to happen.


    "Alright. I will leave it alone for now. Anyway, now I will tell you about the situation of the other teams. Although the losses reported aren''t negligible, we have dealt a great deal of damage to that jerk of Hong Shin. In fact, we managed to complete all the attacks.


    Right now, his men are going around like crazy flies in search of the culprits. However, the Captain ordered a general stop of our attacks. Although it''s a fair chance to attack, we can''t overexpose ourselves because of the other Pirate Generals. Instead, we will take advantage of this period to observe their reactions."


    The balance between the four Pirate Generals was precarious. A single mistake and they should have faced not only the crew of the Son of Wind Hong Shin but also the crews of the other two Pirate Generals. It was because it was in their interest to attack the prey, which seemed weaker and at a disadvantage.


    By not attacking and defending only, they would have make the remaining two Pirates Generals focus their attention on Hong Shin as he had been weakened. Or they could have incited the Red Devil and the Storm Lightning to attack each other, confident that Hong Shin and Ho Ri-Na wouldn''t intervene. Either way, the best thing they could do now was to wait. But at the same time, they had to be ready to sail at any time.


    "You can go. If there is news, I will call you. Remember to remain available and that you are prohibited from leaving this island. Was I clear enough?" Sok Yeong-Gi made a slight threat in case someone thought about doing such nonsense.


    Hei and the others nodded their heads and left the room to then return to the town. Meanwhile, Sok Yeong-Gi said to his two guards by his side.


    "That brat doesn''t convince me. Keep an eye on him all the time. We cannot afford dangerous unknowns at the moment. Not now that we are so close to direct confrontation with Hong Shin."


    The two guards reverently nodded as they knelt,


    "It will be done. As you wish, Sok Yeong-Gi-nim."


    Quickly, they left the villa and started following the pirate group where Hei was without being seen.


    ''As I thought. I''m being followed. But it''s not a big deal. In any case, we will spend most of our time cultivating, so there is no need to worry too much about these snoops. Of course, if it should become necessary, I should think of some plan on how to get rid of them. I don''t know when we will be employed again, and this spirit soldier can be annoying enough to do something during this waiting period.''


    Although Hei couldn''t see them, with Spider Hair and Snake Tongue, Hei could continuously monitor his pursuers. Obviously, he hoped to be able to spend this waiting period safely. But just in case, he would start preparing escape plans, in case he was forced to act.

 Chapter 115 - Gray-haired Woman

    Life in the pirate town went better than expected. Hei was assigned a small private home to stay with Lian and her little sisters. Each day they would mainly spend their time cultivating. With the resources provided by the Rainbow Island''s sects and those from the Secret Dimension, they didn''t have to worry about their expenses at the moment. Just during meals, they would go out to eat in the tavern or some other places.


    The two guards continued to monitor them all the time, but it wasn''t a problem. Since they were secretly carrying out that mission, they always positioned themselves at a certain distance from Hei and his family. Therefore, they didn''t hinder the peaceful family''s life at all, not to mention that Hei and Lian had no plans to do anything shady in the town.


    All they wanted to do at the moment was to wait for the next mission, their third and final mission. Thus, Hei and Lian would finally be able to be received at the main base where Pirate General Ho Ri-Na resided.


    On one of those quiet days, Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing were at the tavern eating as usual. They had spent a whole month here in the town and now knew the place by heart. During this time, their spirit power had shifted from the middle seventh stage spirit apprentice to high seventh stage spirit apprentice.


    Since they weren''t forced to release their spirit power, no one noticed the change. After all, it was impolite to investigate a person''s stage of cultivation. Only if there were reasonable reasons, this could be asked.


    Anyway, it was perfectly fine for Hei, who preferred to have some degree of secrecy about himself and his family. It would also be useful to surprise any enemies.


    ''Big brother, a month has passed. I got bored with being here and just cultivating. Can we play later?'' Ye asked with a disconsolate tone.


    Indeed, even the two little divine beasts had worked hard to increase their cultivation and be on par with their big brother and Lian. However, the period of stay in the pirate town had lasted longer than expected. Now they were feeling the approach of boredom since Hei had currently forbidden them to play.


    "Alright. Now that we have made a breakthrough, we can take a few days off. For now, think about eating your fill. I will then give you an afternoon nap, and we will play with whatever you want." Hei replied in a low voice as he consoled his little sister.


    ''Really? And can we all sleep together?'' Xing asked this time.


    Although the little spider was the more diligent of the two, at times, she let herself be carried away by the enthusiasm of her sister Ye. So, she ended up being playful again, losing that aura of seriousness she had.


    "Of course, everything you want. Right, Lian? "


    "Yes, we''ll all have a nice afternoon nap together." The blue-haired young woman replied with a smile as she reassured the two little divine beasts.


    At that moment, the door of the tavern opened, and another young woman with long gray hair entered. She must have been between 18 and 20 years old. She wore tight-fitting black pants that outlined her legs, and the shape of her breasts was also visible even with the obstruction of her clothes.


    The young woman, with determined steps, went to the counter and ordered the innkeeper, "Give me a big mug of the best beer you have, quickly. I have a tremendous thirst."


    The innkeeper nodded and brought the young woman a large mug of beer, filled to the brim. The young woman took the mug and drank it all in one gulp. Apparently, she was really thirsty.


    As she finished drinking, a pirate, who often frequented the tavern, approached her, "Hey, little sister. You''re new here, I''ve never seen you around here. How about having a good time with me, your big brother? You will see that you won''t regret it."


    The young woman didn''t even glance at the male pirate. Instead, she turned to the innkeeper again, "Another round, please."


    The pirate man who had tried to talk to her frowned at the disrespect has was receiving.


    "Hey! Bitch, I''m talking to you. "


    After saying this, the pirate tried to grab the young woman on the shoulder, but before he could do it...


    Slap!


    A violent slap flew across his face. The impact was so great that it made the pirate lie down directly on the ground with foam in his mouth.


    ''A sixth stage.'' Hei thought to himself as he watched the scene from where he was sitting.


    It was the first time he had ever seen a woman with such cultivation among pirates. But his amazement ended there. It wasn''t as if it were rare to see a martial artist woman as strong as men. The Pirate General Ho Ri-Na and the sect leader of the Flower Sect were an example of how women could compete without problems with men on the path of cultivation. Not to mention the most concrete example he had at his side - Lian.


    The gray-haired young woman seemed to notice Hei''s gaze because she moved her eyes to where he was. And she was surprised by what she saw.


    Although it wasn''t uncommon to see young boys in the pirate ranks, these were mostly deckhands who were embarking on pirate life for the first time. Their cultivation stage would have been low, and they would hardly have dared to go around the tavern on their own. After all, it was easy to come into conflict with other pirates present there.


    Yet, sitting at a tavern table, was a young man and a young woman. From the appearance, they were even younger than her. And as the other pirates paid attention not to disturb them, it seemed that they weren''t mere small fries.


    The gray-haired young woman was intrigued and walked over to the table where Hei and Lian were.


    "Hi, it''s the first time I''ve seen you here. My name is Ho Yeon-Hong, but Yeon is more than good. Can I know your names?" The young haired woman cordially turned to Hei and Lian.


    Hei looked up to look at her and replied, "Hei. She is Lian. "


    Since the newcomer had been educated to introduce herself before asking for their names, Hei felt it was appropriate to answer her question at least.


    "Hei, Lian. And where are you from? Which crew are you part of?" Ho Yeon-Hong continued with her questions. She seemed to be the type of person who always took control of the flow of conversation.


    "We come from a distant island. Regarding which crew we are affiliated with, it would be mine." Hei began to become irritated at that series of questions from a stranger, but he restrained himself and answered anyway.


    "Yours? Are you a captain then? What about your ship? What kind of ship do you have? Do you mind if I sit down?" Ho Yeon-Hong, without waiting for Hei''s response, moved one of the free chairs to their table, and sat on it.


    Closing his eyes for a moment, Hei quickly stood up, "I apologize, but we have several things to do." After saying this, he took his little sisters off the table as Lian got up too.


    "Hey! Wait up! Aren''t those spirit beasts? Where did you get them?" Ho Yeon-Hong wasn''t discouraged and tried to grab Hei on the shoulder. Ironically, she was behaving just like the pirate she had slapped. Only the intentions behind her actions were different.


    Swoosh!


    With a slight slap, Lian chased away Ho Yeon-Hong''s hand that was about to touch Hei''s body, "It isn''t polite to touch a person you have just met without his permission."


    Lian''s tone was calm but cold. She was angry at the behavior shown by that newly known young woman. Ho Yeon-Hong appeared surprised by the reaction. She didn''t expect to be rejected so openly.


    "Come on, Lian. We''re done here, let''s not waste any more time."


    Hei''s voice came like a bucket of cold water over Ho Yeon-Hong. It was the first time that someone defined making her acquaintance as a waste of time. Even if she didn''t reveal her status, her fascinating and beautiful presence alone was capable of captivating men. It was enough to see the interaction of a little while ago with that lewd pirate from before.


    But before she could reply, Hei and Lian had already left the tavern in the direction of their home.


    After that sudden meeting in the morning, there were no other surprises during the afternoon. As promised to Ye and Xing, the four of them slept together and spent the day playing until the two little divine beasts fell asleep tired.


    "Sleep well, my little ones. Big brother promises you he will play with you more often when we finish our duties here."


    Hei laid a series of wool blankets over Ye and Xing. Even though they had no problems resisting cold, the two little divine beasts liked sleeping with a hot temperature. It was because it probably reminded them of their mother''s warmth. The same was also true for Hei.


    "Hei, about that woman in the tavern today. Her age is similar to Mei''s and the others'', so she must have a background of a certain importance. My actions may have offended her. If so, I may have got our family into trouble. Sorry. "Lian said as she bowed her head.


    At the tavern, she acted on impulse. Something in her had flicked without her noticing it. So, without even thinking about the consequences of her actions, she had pushed that woman''s hand away before she could touch Hei''s shoulder.


    Hei, hearing Lian''s apology, smiled and stroked her head. "Don''t worry. It''s okay. In fact, I wanted to thank you for your gesture. You have nothing to apologize for."


    Lian, therefore, raised her head at Hei''s words and looked him intently in the eyes. Her sapphire blue pupils were reflected in Hei''s dark brown pupils.


    In that delicate moment, someone was heard knocking from outside. Soon after, Old Tohyon''s voice could be heard. "Master Hei, there is an emissary for you. They say you have been summoned urgently."


    Hearing Hei''s words, Hei''s brow furrowed. A month had gone by without communication from Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. Now, however, an emergency communication had suddenly appeared. All on the same day, they met that woman. There was, therefore, a high probability that she had something to do about it, but what was her involvement, he couldn''t have known.


    Lian appeared troubled by the summons. It was as if her fears of having brought trouble to Hei, Ye, and Xing had come true.


    "I''m coming, tell them to give me a few minutes," Hei replied to Old Tohyon, sending him to notify the emissary who had come to look for him.


    "Don''t worry, Lian, nothing will happen to me. It is not said that the woman from before had anything to do with it. There is indeed a possibility of that happening. But, in the end, an entire month has passed since the attack on the estate at Black Tea City. It wouldn''t surprise me if Pirate General Ho Ri-Na started moving again. Probably this rest period is finally about to end, and we have to go back to the ocean again. So, stay here with Ye and Xing and watch them while they sleep, okay?"


    Although not entirely convinced, Lian nodded her head. She could only hope that it was nothing serious, and instead, it was as Hei had said. In any case, they would soon find out.


    Hei, therefore, left his home and outside were Old Tohyon and one of the two guards who had kept an eye on him for this whole month. He recognized him because, using Snake Tongue to monitor the movements of the two guards, he ended up memorizing their body scents.


    "You have been summoned by Sok Yeong-Gi-nim. Follow me." The guard didn''t say much but just ordered Hei to follow him using the name of Sok Yeong-Gi, the spirit soldier under the direct command of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na.


    ''Old Tohyon, head to the artifact ship and wait there. Prepare to leave immediately, if needed.'' Hei sent a telepathic communication via spirit message to the old seaman who appeared slightly surprised but didn''t show it outside. As they said, the experience was a significant advantage in this type of profession where you could die at any moment of carelessness.


    Hei, therefore, followed the guard to the villa where Sok Yeong-Gi was.

 Chapter 116 - Unexpected Revelations

    When Hei arrived at Sok Yeong-Gi''s villa, he noticed that surveillance was even tighter than the time he first came. It was strange since Sok Yeong-Gi was a spirit soldier, a martial artist at the top of the martial artists'' society. Not to mention the fact that it was evening at the moment, and nobody would have liked to spend an entire night working as a sentry.


    Either way, Hei followed the guard/emissary who had gone to call him. Their two entered the villa until they reached the room where the Sok Yeong-Gi was.


    "Welcome, Hei. I am glad that you arrived immediately, despite the sudden summons."


    As usual, Sok Yeong-Gi''s tone was a farce of courtesy and education. If Hei had been late for some reason, even if it wasn''t his fault, Sok Yeong-Gi would have punished him.


    It was why Hei didn''t like hanging out with people very much. Many of them pretended their true nature to maintain appearances. With spirit beasts, however, everything was more straightforward. Of course, not all humans were like this.


    "I am sorry if I kept you waiting, even if it was for a short time. You summoned me. I suppose you have an assignment for me, don''t you?" Hei didn''t let his feelings cloud his judgment and asked about the reason for his summons.


    "You are very witty despite your age. Yes, indeed. I received a letter from Captain Ho Ri-Na. You and your crew have been admitted to the main base of our crew." Sok Yeong-Gi communicated in a striking way as if it were one of the highest honors that could be received.


    Hearing what spirit soldier Sok Yeong-Gi said, Hei was confused. After all, it had been told to him that only after completing three missions, he would be admitted to the main base. That location was where the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na resided, after all.


    At the moment, he had completed only two of the three missions required, and pirates weren''t the type of people to give discounts. Therefore, there had to be something behind these changes.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi-nim, can I know why I was admitted to the main base? If I''m not mistaken, I was told that only after completing three missions, I would be officially accepted into the crew. But I''ve only completed two so far."


    Sok Yeong-Gi, listening to Hei''s question, laughed amicably, "Yes, you will still have to the third mission. It''s just that you will do it on your way to the main base."


    "On the way to the main base?" Hei asked, still confused.


    What kind of mission was it that could be done on the way? Was it another naval conflict again?


    "No, it''s not a naval conflict if that''s what you''re thinking. However, I wouldn''t feel like ruling out that this could happen during the mission. No, your job is simply to escort a person until you reach your destination - the main base of our crew."


    When Hei heard Sok Yeong-Gi''s words, he frowned. Escorting someone involved many things, but first, he needed to know something.


    "Who should I escort?"


    Exact. Before Hei could speculate or prepare himself, he had to know who was the target to protect.


    Sok Yeong-Gi smiled and rang a bell on his desk. From outside, the sound of footsteps could be heard as the office door opened. In the doorway stood a beautiful young gray-haired woman.


    ''She''s the woman of this morning!''


    Yes, Hei knew that woman. It was the same one who had tormented him with her questions at the tavern. The gray-haired woman also recognized Hei.


    "Ah! It is you! Uncivil, you left without warning." Ho Yeon-Hong retorted as she puffed. Her two soft cheeks swelled as if she was a small tender animal.


    Sok Yeong-Gi was surprised by that interaction between the two and asked the young woman.


    "Yeon, do you happen to know this guy here?"


    "Yes, I met him at the tavern this morning. But he was vulgar and went away without answering my questions."


    Hei frowned even more at Ho Yeon-Hong''s claims. It was clear that the young gray-haired woman had an important background in Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s crew.


    ''Ho Yeon-Hong. Ho Ri-Na. Could it be that...? ''


    In order not to make matters worse, Hei promptly apologized, "I apologize for my behavior. I''m not a sociable guy, and I don''t like anyone who investigates me. I didn''t want to offend the young lady. I hope you can forgive me."


    "Humph! Just an apology won''t be enough. If you really want my forgiveness, then you will have to answer my questions."


    "As the young lady wishes." Hei could only accept reluctantly. Obviously, he wouldn''t answer sincerely any questions that were too personal.


    "Now that you have finished solving your matters let''s move on to the main topic. Hei, this one in front of you, is Ho Yeon-Hong, the younger sister of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. Few people know of her existence. If it weren''t for urgent circumstances, such a secret would never have been revealed to you."


    Hei''s conjectures were correct. He had foreseen that she should have a close relationship with the Pirate General. A sister or daughter. These were the two most credited options, and in the end, Ho Yeon-Hong turned out to be the younger sister of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na.


    "Hong Shin spent this month by investigating far and wide in search of those responsible for the attacks. Although he hasn''t been able to obtain tangible evidence, it is clear that he suspects us. After all, we pirates don''t need too many reasons to kill someone. The problem is that he found out about Yeon''s identity. He wants to capture her to bring out the Captain. The ship with which Yeon came was, in fact, attacked by unknown. It was only by a miracle that Yeon was brought up here.


    As a result, your mission is to escort Yeon to the Captain safely. You own an artifact ship, so in case of extreme necessity, you can take her with you and run away. I''ll sail with my ship with you as well. I alone am more than enough, but the Captain doesn''t want to take any risks. Therefore she has ordered me to involve you in the plan."


    Sok Yeong-Gi finally revealed the reasons behind the third mission that Hei was to carry out.


    "An artifact ship? Wow, do you have one on your own? Very few have one among the pirates, where did you find it?" Asked Ho Yeon-Hong. She didn''t seem very upset even though she was the target of the attacks.


    "A gift from some kind acquaintances. Rather than that, Sok Yeong-Gi-nim. Will it be just the two of us leaving?"


    "Yes. If we were to have multiple ships, we would only stick out. I also intend to send other crews to different places to confuse the enemy. They will act as bait practically."


    "And what about the other Pirate Generals? Aren''t they going to move?" Hei asked.


    Although it wasn''t a nice thing, he didn''t care much that the other pirates would be used as bait. They had already lost those rights of innocent people when they chose the pirate life. Besides, Hei only cared about the good of his family, that''s all.


    For this reason, he asked about the actions of the two Pirate Generals, the Red Devil, and the Storm Lightning. He wanted to know how they would behave, especially now that Sok Yeong-Gi, one of the spirit soldiers under General Pirate Steam Goddess''s command, would move personally.


    "You don''t have to worry about their two. The Red Devil has decided to take advantage of our bickering with the Son of Wind, Hong Shin, to settle his feud against his longtime rival, the Storm Lightning. At the moment, they are worried about amassing their forces to battle it out, which leaves us room to set up our offensive against Hong Shin. You will know the details as soon as we bring Yeon to the Captain."


    "Alright. I understood everything. When do we have to leave?" Hei asked, even if he already imagined the answer.


    "We will leave tonight. At three in the morning, we will set sail with our respective ships. So get ready."


    "Okay. If you want to excuse me then. Sok Yeong-Gi-nim, lady Yeon. I have several things to prepare for the trip." Quickly greeting the two of them, Hei left the room. He didn''t want to be held back further by that petulant woman. Besides, he actually had to make preparations for the mission.


    Ho Yeon-Hong appeared annoyed by this, but Hei was now gone. Either way, she would see him again in a few hours. Sok Yeong-Gi instead had no change of expression and looked at that scene impassively.


    Returning to his temporary home, Hei immediately went to Lian and awoke his little sisters from their sleep.


    ''What is it, big brother? Why are you waking us up? It''s still night.'' Ye stammered while she was still sleepy. Beside her, Xing was also opening her mouth and moving her fangs. It was her way of reproducing a human being''s yawn.


    "There has been a change of plans, and we have to move quickly," Hei said.


    Before long, he made a summary of what had happened and the mission they were to undertake.


    After having listened to the words of their big brother, the two little divine beasts recovered from their state of sleepiness. They were more lively than ever. After a full month of forced standstill, they were finally able to resume their journey. But above all, they could finally fight someone. They were curious to see their improvements after this month spent cultivating.


    "I am happy that you are euphoric, but before that, there is something that we have to solve. Since we''ve been busy all this time, I''ve forgotten about it, but we''ve never made a spirit pact between us, right?" Hei asked Ye and Xing.


    Spirit Pact. That was the contract signed by a beast tamer and his spirit beast. It was used to telepathically link the two beings and help each other in cultivation. Since they had always been busy, they ended up forgetting about it. Even Bao Bei had no longer mentioned it.


    In a sense, it was quite reasonable. Hei and his little sisters already had an unbreakable bond. It made no sense to make the spirit pact. It was like signing a sheet that said they were brothers. They didn''t need such a thing to confirm their connection. But now Hei had pulled out this topic.


    "With the death of mother, I thought about it several times. In the end, I decided it wouldn''t be a bad idea. For me, you are, and you will always be my little sisters, this will never change. But if we can have an extra boost on our cultivation speed, why don''t we use this card? Obviously, it must be okay for you. If you don''t like it, we''ll leave it aside. What do you say?" Hei turned to his little sisters with a smile.


    With his smile, he wanted to communicate that whatever decision they made, he would respect it.


    ''We will do as you advised us, big brother. We will always follow you. Always.'' Xing replied for their two. Ye instead asked about another thing. ''Lian instead? How do we do with her?''


    Indeed, until now, they had always proceeded in unison regarding the speed of cultivation. If they were to sign the spirit pact, in the long run, they would have been higher than Lian as a cultivation stage reached.


    "About this, Lian. Do you think you can do anything about it? I don''t know, modify the classic spirit pact so that it can include the four of us if it suits you. After all, there are serious consequences if the spirit pact is broken." Hei said bitterly.


    Spirit Wound. The damage resulting from the breaking of the spirit pact. Typically it was due to the death of one of the two contractors, and it was almost always the death of the spirit beast.


    Hei would never allow something to happen to his little sisters, at the cost of his own life. However, he couldn''t let Lian sign a spirit pact with them, without her first thinking carefully about it. If the young girl were to refuse, he or his sisters wouldn''t certainly have blamed her.


    Lian, listening to Hei''s words, smiled. She imagined he would say something like that. It was so typical of him. But somehow that consideration made her a little sad. She wanted to be even closer to their family. Even closer to Hei.


    "No, it''s okay. In fact, during our stay at the Flower Sect, Bao Bei made me study the books regarding spirit pacts carefully. She even stole various books from the private collections of the second and fifth elders to show them to me."


    Lian''s confession came as utterly unexpected to Hei, Ye, and Xing. They weren''t aware of such backstory at all. Immediately, they wondered why their mother hadn''t said anything to them about it or why Lian hadn''t mentioned it.


    "Bao Bei wanted you to desire the spirit pact on your own. She knew she was going to die sooner or later, so she wanted you to find a way to be closer. It made me promise not to say anything until the day came. I just didn''t think it would come so soon. I thought she would stay with us for many, many more years."


    Lian''s voice grew even weaker. The pain of Bao Bei''s loss had been heavy on her, and that wound was still vivid. Hei stroked her head and smiled at her.


    "Tell me what mom said to you. Every word."


    Lian then began to tell how Bao Bei had asked her for that favor. In the end, the two of them had devised a modified spirit pact that would allow Hei and Lian to enter into communion with Ye and Xing. All four of them would receive the cultivation speed boost, although the risks of spirit wounds would remain. However, the forced command option, that classic spirit pact possessed, had been eliminated. After all, they were brothers, united by their spirits. There wasn''t a need for an option like that.


    "I apologize if I haven''t mentioned anything to date. After Bao Bei''s death, I wanted to tell you several times, but I had promised it to her. I just didn''t want to break the promise, or it would have been like disrespecting her memory." Lian''s sapphire blue eyes began to produce drops of tears like blue pearls that slowly fell on her cheeks.


    Hei reached out and wiped her face with the sleeve of his robe, "You have nothing to apologize for. You did what I, Xing, or Ye would have done. You respected our mother''s wishes. Only for this, we should thank you immensely."


    Ye and Xing immediately rushed to support their big brother and began to praise Lian for her loyalty, reassuring her that they weren''t angry at all.


    "Okay, then. It''s already been a long time, and we don''t have much time. Let''s continue then. Old Tohyon will be anxious about this wait."


    Breaking the melancholy atmosphere, Hei urged Lian to proceed. Now they were ready as Bao Bei wanted some time ago when she mentioned them spirit pacts for the first time.

 Chapter 117 - Ambush on the Ocean

    Three in the morning, Port of the Pirate Town, Base of the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na


    An immense ship, bigger than all the others, was docked on the port. There were about two hundred men on board. Such a number was imposing for a ship.


    From his artifact ship that was tiny in comparison, Hei looked amazed. He knew that the Pirate Generals had a lot of power, but he didn''t believe it was so much. Only one of the spirit soldiers under Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s command had a crew of about 200 men.


    There were three spirit soldiers under the female Pirate General, so there were at least 600 men. By counting the smaller ships and other affiliated crews, the number easily exceeded one thousand. Now he understood why the sects left the four General Pirates alone. As long as their four didn''t dare to undermine the sects'' authority and power, it wasn''t worth fighting against such an enemy.


    Each soldier on Sok Yeong-Gi''s ship had cultivation no lower than the third stage spirit apprentice, going up to the seventh stage. They definitely had the power to challenge a big sect.


    "A war galleon. I haven''t seen such beauty for some time. The wood used on the ship comes from the bark of tree-type spirit beasts. The impact resistance is higher than the normal wood used in other ships. In addition, the number of crew on board makes it like a mobile fortress. The only flaw is that its size makes it slow regarding rapid maneuver changes. But as long as it rams the enemy ship, you have practically the victory in your hand."


    Driving the artifact ship, Old Tohyon illustrated the characteristics of the ship ahead of him. As an expert seaman, he knew what kind of ship it was just from its appearance. He also knew the ship''s strengths and weaknesses.


    "I see. Indeed, with such power, Sok Yeong-Gi alone could accomplish the mission. However, in case of unexpected events, the ship''s strong point would become its fatal flaw. In that case, if it''s about escaping from danger, our artifact ship is the best solution. To Sok Yeong-Gi, it would be enough to give us the primary objective and then go on the run by flying or even getting on our ship."


    Thanks to Old Tohyon''s words, Hei was able to take stock of the situation. Behind him, Lian nodded as she held Ye and Xing in her arms. On their body, there was a tattoo imprinted on their chest - a sign of a spirit pact''s presence. However, it was faintly visible under normal conditions, let alone with the darkness and obstruction of clothes (as far as the two humans were concerned).


    "I have a name. Call me with that rather than with primary objective. Besides, don''t talk so familiarly while you are talking about Big Brother Yeong. Remember that he is still your superior."


    On the ship deck came the irritated voice of Ho Yeon-Hong. By order of Sok Yeong-Gi, she had been placed onto the artifact ship so that she was already in position in case of danger. Or maybe, he had done it not to have her in his way.


    Hei rolled his eyes slightly. It was the first time he felt irritated by interacting with a person. Of course, he had already had discussions with others. For example, the outburst he had when Cao Su had insulted spirit beasts. But it had always been single moments. This time it was more an instinctive sense of irritation towards the young gray-haired woman.


    Hei didn''t mind the expansive people, provided that they knew how to read the situation, and didn''t insist on harassing him with questions or reproaches. At his side, Lian had frowned her eyebrows. She was even more annoyed than Hei but was holding back. She didn''t want to create problems, given Ho Yeon-Hong''s status. Fortunately, the two possessed high endurance in any case. Furthermore, they weren''t alone, as Old Tohyon was there with them. He was, in fact, helping them by distracting Ho Yeon-Hong with old tales about his life.


    However, it must be said that Ho Yeon-Hong wasn''t a bad person. It was just that, being the sister of General Pirate Ho Ri-Na, she had inherited her older sister''s spirit of adventure and curiosity. However, because Ho Ri-Na had a delicate position and had powerful enemies, Ho Yeon-Hong was prohibited from joining a crew.


    Thus the young woman had to suppress her passion for the Forgotten Ocean and its secrets. She knew well why her sister was doing that and had accepted her orders without question. However, in the end, the desire to sail had the upper hand.


    Thus, she had set out as a stowaway on a ship that was leaving the main base. Once she reached the first city, she then mingled with crews not affiliated with her sister. With her sixth stage, she thought there would be no problems with her safety.


    Pirate General Ho Ri-Na also thought so. As long as she kept her identity secret, Ho Yeon-Hong would have no problems. Therefore, even though Ho Ri-Na had found her younger sister, she decided to go along with her desire. In addition, she would have kept her little sister out of harm''s way in case things went wrong with Pirate General Hong Shin.


    But in the end, Ho Yeon-Hong''s identity was leaked, and the ship, she was aboard, was attacked. Ho Yeon-Hong managed to save herself thanks to her skills and wit. However, that also meant the end of her short adventure as a pirate. Her sister Ho Ri-Na ordered her to return to the main base, which then led to the current situation.


    However, after some time spent traveling, Ho Yeon-Hong was now leaning on the railing to admire the sea in silence. Inside her head, many thoughts were swirling rapidly.


    "What are you thinking about?" Hei decided not to be influenced by his feelings and asked Ho Yeon-Hong. During their journey to the Continent and once they reached it, Hei and his family would meet more and more people. He couldn''t isolate himself, surrounded by spirit beasts as they had done during their stay at the Flower Sect. Instead, he had to learn to interact with every type of person. Even with those who at first glance didn''t think he would get along.


    Ho Yeon-Hong looked up at him in amazement. She didn''t expect Hei to speak to her on his own initiative.


    "Tell me, Hei, have you ever felt trapped as if you were a bird in a cage? Having wings and being able to fly, but not being able to do it. All you can do is circle in your tight space."


    Ho Yeon-Hong''s voice appeared melancholy as she returned to look at the ocean water that was moved by the movement of the artifact ship. From above, the moon projected its image onto the water surface, illuminating the travelers.


    Hei approached her and stood beside her, observing the dark waters of the ocean as well.


    "Cage? I lived for a period confined in a certain limit of space, but it never seemed an imposition to me. Despite my curiosity about the world, as long as she stayed with me, I wouldn''t have minded staying in the cage. In a sense, the cage you hate so much is also the one that protects you from the outside world. If you were to lose it, all you would do is miss that cage."


    "If I was to lose it? Have you lost a loved one?"


    At Ho Yeon-Hong''s question, Hei didn''t answer. But from his silence, the gray-haired girl could guess the answer.


    "You know, in a way, I think I understand what you want to tell me. I love my sister and am proud of what she has become and the position she has achieved. I am also grateful to her for helping me and protecting me. But I don''t always want to depend on her.


    You know. She is truly incredible. She embarked on a ship before she even awakened her spirit power. She slowly made her way through that ruthless world. She is now a spirit soldier and is known by all as the Steam Goddess, one of the Four Pirate Generals.


    But I don''t want to live in her shadow. Wherever I go, I''m just the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s little sister and not Ho Yeon-Hong. They treat me well just not to offend my sister. They don''t look at me for the kind of person I am. Big brother Yeong is also the same. If it weren''t for my sister, he certainly wouldn''t be willing to escort me to the main base. In a way, I''m grateful to you. Even if you know my identity, you don''t wear a mask. You show me your irritation when I exaggerate with my curiosity."


    It was the first time Ho Yeon-Hong had revealed such things to someone. Not even to her sister, she had confessed this. Yet, now, she had told her innermost feelings to Hei, someone who could be practically defined as a stranger. Maybe it was because Hei was the first person not to be impressed with her sister''s status or had ulterior motives for interacting with her.


    At Ho Yeon-Hong''s words, Hei scratched his head. He wasn''t sure about what to say since he hadn''t done that to impress her.


    "It''s not that I don''t wear a mask. We all have secrets. However small they are, as long as we keep them hidden, then we wear a mask. I showed you my irritation because I''m not good enough at interacting with people, that''s all. If I had the ability, I wouldn''t have revealed my feelings to you."


    "Hahaha, you''re an outspoken one, huh? Really. It was such a romantic moment, and you ruined the atmosphere. Many people would have paid dearly to stay in your place right now."


    Ho Yeon-Hong revealed a smile as she turned to Hei. It seemed that her melancholy had been temporarily dissolved. Hei only reciprocated with a slight smile.


    He had no particular interest in knowing the young woman''s life and wasn''t one of those types to pursue a beautiful woman wherever they went, appearing as the hero of fairy tales who saved the girl from her unhappy life. Ironically, however, that definition of a hero was valid in Lian''s case. But she was the only one who had pushed him to act differently than he would have usually done.


    As Ho Yeon-Hong went to the cabin under the bridge of the artifact ship, suddenly, Xing jumped out of Lian''s arms and headed for Hei.


    ''Big Brother. There is something wrong. I have a bad feeling.'' Xing said in an agitated voice. The hair on her body was moving nervously back and forth as the little spider attempted to pick up external noise.


    "What''s up? Is someone coming?" Hei asked her little sister. Meanwhile, Lian had approached them carrying Ye.


    ''I do not know. I feel the vibrations of something that is approaching, but I can''t understand where. Yet it is getting closer.''


    "Ye, you feel something. Do you sense scents?"


    Since Xing couldn''t understand where the vibrations she felt came from, Hei turned to Ye, who could sense the scents from afar. At the same time, he activated Snake Tongue and Spider Hair to help his little sisters detect the anomaly.


    To the side, Ho Yeon-Hong was surprised and a little disgusted to see Hei stick his tongue out, with the saliva dripping down his face. But Hei didn''t have time to pay attention to her further.


    ''No, big brother. I don''t smell, are you sure you''re not wrong Xing?'' (Ye)


    ''No, I''m not wrong! It''s like asking you if you were wrong to detect a scent.'' (Xing)


    "Calm down, don''t fight. You are both right. I feel vibrations too, but there are no scents." Hei appeased his little sisters revealing that both hadn''t been wrong.


    "Hei, if you and Xing can feel the vibrations but not the smell, it means that the origin of the vibrations is moving through a medium that conceals the smells but not the sounds," Lian suggested to Hei. He immediately understood what she meant.


    "The ocean! Underwater!"


    Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!


    Shortly after that, the water around the war galleon and the artifact ship began to shake violently. It wasn''t due to the movement of the two ships but to something else. Suddenly, dozens of dark shapes appeared from under the water, ranging from one meter and a half up to two meters.


    As soon as the moonlight illuminated them, the crews of the war galleon and the artifact ship could see that they were fish-type spirit beasts. No, it wasn''t correct.


    "Killer whales, Orca. Why are there so many?" Hei immediately recognized the identity of the new arrivals. But his question was answered quickly afterward.


    A tremor greater than before was created in front of the war galleon. An imposing spirit beast came out from the ocean. It had dark black skin marked by huge scars several meters long. In total, its body had to be 15 meters long.


    "Bowhead Whale!" Hei was speechless at the appearance of that creature.


    The Bowhead Whale was a rare type of whale. It was characterized by the arched shape of the head derived from the triangular structure of the skull. It didn''t have a dorsal fin and had a mouth larger than any other type of whales. Instead of teeth, it had laminae about three meters long, called baleen. They were used as a filter to expel water from the mouth and holding its prey. Its blubber was also the thickest of the whale species, making it incredibly tough.


    But what surprised Hei most wasn''t the appearance of this rare spirit beast nor its size. But its cultivation. The whale in front of him was a second-level spirit beast; meaning, it was comparable to a spirit soldier.


    From the whale head, a small figure (compared to the size of the whale) slowly ascended into the sky. It was the silhouette of a man, and by the fact that he could fly, it meant that he had at least reached the rank of spirit soldier.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi! Why don''t you come out and play with me? The punishment that your Captain''s whore awaits will first be imposed on you by myself."


    The man''s voice exploded throughout the surrounding area, making it audible to anyone around. Immediately afterward, from the war galleon, Sok Yeong-Gi flew high in the air, reaching the same height as the man who had challenged him.


    "Pang Ja-Kyung! What do my eyes see?! The famous beast tamer under that asshole Hong Shin. What brings you here?"


    "Haha. You make me laugh. You get too ahead of yourself when you''re just a first stage spirit soldier. Among the rank of spirit soldier, you are only at the bottom of the ranking."


    "Look who''s talking. Aren''t you also a first stage spirit soldier? Do you think you can compare yourself to me in a one vs. one? You, a beast tamer?"


    "Stupid. Do you believe I can''t defeat you in a one vs. one? You are very wrong if you catalog me with the rest of that trash beast tamers. I can fight very well alone. Plus, once my whale has slaughtered your men, it will only be a matter of moments for you to suffer the same ending."


    "Pang Ja-Kyung! If you believe that you and your stupid whale can beat me, come forward! I, Sok Yeong-Hong, one of the three Spirit Soldiers under Pirate General Ho Ri-Na, will kill you."


    The speech between the two pirates ended there. Although Sok Yeong-Hong seemed self-confident, he wasn''t. He was arrogant, but he wasn''t stupid. Pang Ja-Kyung alone was already a big headache for him, but now there was also his whale to worry about. If they attacked him together, Sok Yeong-Hong even had doubts about being able to escape. At that juncture, the only thing he could think of was...


    ''Hei, as your superior, I order you to engage the whale and take time.'' Sok Yeong-Hong sent a spirit message to Hei.


    The situation was beyond all his expectations. If he wanted to survive, he had to save Ho Yeon-Hong. But if he had brought her with him flying, Pang Ja-Kyung would have reached him. If they had used the artifact ship instead, he wasn''t sure that the boat could resist enough to distance themselves from the whale.


    The only solution was to keep the whale as busy as possible while he was fighting Pang Ja-Kyung. And the only ones to whom he could entrust that task were Hei and his team, which had two seventh stage martial artists and two equally strong spirit beasts. In extreme cases, he could use his and Hei''s crew as bait while escaping.


    ''Understood.'' Hei replied briefly. There was no point in arguing now. Being affiliated with Ho Ri-Na, although not officially, there was no way that Pang Ja-Kyung would let him go. The only thing he could do was to take out the Bowhead Whale, a second-level spirit beast.


    "Old Tohyon. For this battle, your help will be crucial. But if you don''t feel it, I''ll understand perfectly."


    "Master Hei, are you kidding? I have never felt more alive in all of my life. I am ready when you want."


    Hei smiled at the expert seaman, "Lian, we can''t fly. So you''ll have to keep us in the air, okay?"


    "Got it, Hei."


    "Ho Yeon-Hong. Even though we should protect you, I have to ask you to stay close to Lian. You absolutely have to make sure she isn''t disturbed."


    Ho Yeon-Hong was confused as to how the situation had degenerated. But she still nodded her head. Although she had little experience, she knew it was better to rely on those who were more experienced.


    ''And what about us, big brother?'' Ye and Xing asked nervously together. It was the first time that they faced such an opponent.


    "The three of us will attack the whale. We will eat whale meat for breakfast, so let''s do it!"


    ''Yes!'' The two little divine beasts screamed excitedly, ready to fight with all of themselves.

 Chapter 118 - Facing a Second-Level Spirit Beast

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Old Tohyon changed the direction of the ship so that it pointed towards the Bowhead Whale. Several sacks containing spirit stones had been placed near him. The more spirit stones he put together, the greater the propulsion would be, and this was fundamental to avoid a direct contact against the spirit beast.


    After all, a single direct contact was enough to bring down their boat and decree their end. The problem, however, was the presence of the endurance limit of the propulsion system. Hei and his crew could only hope that with its immense body, the whale wasn''t rapid in small displacements around a specific area.


    Lian was at the bow of the ship, sitting on the deck. One of her ribbons had been tightened on her waist, keeping her tied on the parapet so that she wouldn''t jump away. Standing next to her was Ho Yeon-Hong, who was nervously watching the situation unfold.


    Hei and his little sisters were instead in front of Lian and Ho Yeon-Hong, above the parapet. Ye and Xing still had their petite shape and were respectively on the left shoulder and right shoulder of their big brother, who had tied the end of Lian''s second ribbon to his waist, while the other end was held by the beautiful blue-haired girl.


    Battle Formation. It was the answer Hei quickly came up with. It was like when the Formation Flags came together in a precise pattern. This time, however, instead of creating an area subject to a specific effect, it was going to influence their same spirit power. The Battle Formation combined the spirit power of the users and then amplified it. The more people there were, the more power would be generated.


    Generally, Battle Formations were used by weaker martial artists to fight a stronger opponent. With this technique, it was possible to overcome the cultivation gap between the two parts.


    The problem was the extreme difficulty in implementing such a technique. Each member of the group had to be in unison with each other. A single disharmony would destroy the Battle Formation, going to disperse the group''s spirit power into thin air. That would then almost always lead to the death of some or all of the group members.


    For this reason, it was a rarely used technique. After all, as much as one could train with one''s teammates, it wasn''t certain that any of them wouldn''t make an execution mistake during the fight. It was like putting one''s life in the hands of others and vice versa. It was, therefore, necessary to have absolute trust in one''s companions.


    Of course, trust was something it wasn''t a problem at all for Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing. During this month, in addition to cultivating, they had also trained to use this technique.


    Originally, Hei and her little sisters already had a battle formation used for hunting, although they had never used it to combine their spirit power. So they just had to use that as a base and then modify it to add Lian. Thus was created the ''Snake-Flower-Spider'' Battle Formation. Lian was at the bottom and controlled from a distance Hei through her ribbon and provided him with spirit power. Hei was the avant-garde that would act as both a shield and a spear. Ye and Xing were on Hei''s shoulders, and their job would be primarily to protect Hei and provide him with spirit power; only if the opportunity was right, they would attack too.


    Even though the battle conditions weren''t favorable since they were in the middle of the ocean and they still didn''t know how to fly, with some modifications, they had still been able to use their Battle Formation. Only, since Lian had to use one of her ribbons to not fall off the ship and her other ribbon was tied to Hei, they used Ho Yeon-Hong as an emergency shield in case one of the killer whales attacked from behind. Of course, it didn''t mean that Ho Yeon-Hong had been included in the Battle Formation. But she would simply help them from the outside as an external element.


    Meanwhile, the killer whales had started attacking Sok Yeong-Gi''s ship, waging a battle against his crew. The two spirit soldiers, on the other hand, were challenging each other in the air as they launched their elemental attacks. The Bowhead Whale had finally selected the last remaining target - the artifact ship that was aiming at it. After making a deafening sound, the whale charged towards the arriving ship.


    "Get lost! If you don''t want to become whale meat! "Hei screamed in the direction of the whale, using the language of spiders.


    This action momentarily stopped the whale in its advance. It didn''t believe a human boy could communicate with it using the language of spirit beasts. But nothing would have changed even if he could speak that language. The only thing that awaited the humans in that area was death.


    However, the whale didn''t realize that all Hei wanted was just that brief slowdown. By making it stop in its advance as they advanced at full speed, they would quickly bridge the distance from the whale. In that way, the charging power of the imposing spirit beast would have been decreased.


    Hei suddenly began to hover in the air as he moved away from the bow of the artifact ship and then stopped when he reached five meters away from Lian. A silk ribbon sprouted from his back that held him tied to Lian and held him suspended in the air.


    A radius of five meters. That was the space where Hei could move suspended in the air. Since he couldn''t move independently in the air, he decided to leave the decision of his movements to Lian. That meant that if Lian had been slow to read the whale''s movements, Hei would have received the full impact of the attack. Undoubtedly, it was something that couldn''t be done without absolute trust.


    So he could entirely focus on attacking. He didn''t even have to worry about managing his spirit power; his little sisters were there to do it for him.


    Finally, Hei and the Bowhead Whale were now face-to-face. In a few moments, they would collide.


    Hei pulled out his spear as he attacked.


    "Intent of the Spear, Law of Poison, Poisonous Spider Thrust!"


    By simultaneously activating the Law of Poison and the Intent of the Spear, Hei went on the attack. Old Tohyon, meanwhile, used the propulsion system to its fullest for the first time. Thanks to this, the ship moved from the whale''s trajectory. It navigated instead toward the left side of the big creature.


    Screech! Stab!


    As Old Tohyon had moved the ship, Hei, connected to Lian who was on the deck, was also dragged out of the whale''s path. Quickly, he attacked the enemy creature''s flank for the whole length of its body. His attack had done nothing but generated a single barely visible line on the creature''s side.


    "Shit, the meat is so thick that it''s hard to make a cut properly. But if I were to attack the head, it would be even worse. Not to mention the tail." Hei complained as he gritted his teeth.


    As he thought, facing a second-level spirit beast, comparable to a spirit soldier, was really difficult when he was only at the spirit apprentice rank. If it weren''t for the Battle Formation that amplified his spirit power and, therefore, the power of his attacks, he wouldn''t have even left that little line. The good thing was, however, that in that exchange, he had sensed that the whale had just advanced, thus making it comparable to a first-stage spirit soldier.


    The whale let out a cry of anger at being cut. It didn''t expect to be injured by an insignificant human being who wasn''t even at the spirit soldier rank. Quickly, it began to change direction as it slightly moved its head down.


    Bowhead Whales possessed a pair blowholes, which were nothing but holes through which these creatures breathed. Considering their size, the air jet that was blown out was quite strong. That was even more true for Bowhead Whales that had developed spirit power, not to mention a second level specimen.


    Swoosh! Rumble!


    Suddenly, two superimposed jets of air emerged from the whale''s blowholes while the surrounding water was splashed everywhere for meters and meters. Since the flanks were the most delicate points of a ship, Old Tohyon made the artifact ship turn by pointing the bow against the two jets of air.


    After considering the speed of these air jets, it was unlikely that they would be able to dodge them. So, Old Tohyon, with Hei''s approbation, decided to receive the impact head-on. Fortunately, they were the air jets of the whale. If they had had to receive the impact of the whale''s own body, there was no way Old Tohyon or Hei would have done such a thing unless they were without other solutions.


    "Intent of the Spear, Law of Darkness, Half-moon Blade!" Shouting aloud, Hei generated a black half-moon-shaped blade that was thrown against the two incoming air blows.


    The Poison Law was ideal for dissolving the protective layers of spirit power. It was also possible to dissolve enemy attacks. However, in a situation where they were at a disadvantage in cultivation, Hei didn''t have enough strength to do this. So, he resorted to his second element; the one Hei had awakened on his own and not because he had received a bloodline.


    Screech!


    The crescent blade and the two jets of air collided. Hei had thrown the half-moon blade vertically towards the exact center of the conjunction of the two air jets. The black blade thus managed to break the union of the two air jets, dispersing them on the sides of the artifact ship. Rather than blocking the whole attack, it was better to focus on a specific point and then deflect it.


    The jets of air continued in their path for several meters until they lost power. On their way, they had inadvertently struck some of the orcas that were attacking the crew of Sok-Yeong-Gi. The poor creatures were killed on impact and were now floating motionless on the surface of the ocean.


    The Bowhead Whale made another deafening sound. This time, even without understanding the language of spirit beasts, one could clearly guess that it was pissed off. Not once, but twice Hei had managed to stop its attack.


    In a few moments, the whale dived underwater, disappearing from everyone present. Even its spirit power had been nullified so that it wasn''t perceptible by the spirit sense technique that detected nearby spirit power.


    "Lian put us underwater. Ye, Xing, take a deep breath and close your eyes."


    In an instant, Hei commanded Lian how to proceed and warned his little sisters. An underwater fight was beneficial for the whale. However, it was the whale who was chasing them, so there was no need to go into its territory. The only reason Hei had gone underwater was to sense its movements.


    ''Spider Hair.''


    Even when the whale was hiding underwater, Hei could still perceive it with his ''Spider Hair'' technique. Furthermore, the very bulk of the creature made it visible from afar. So Hei could detect the movement of his enemy, and when he was at a sufficient distance, Hei tugged the ribbon tied to his waist. It was the signal for Lian to pull him up.


    Once out of the water, Hei quickly shouted.


    "Old Tohyon, it is coming from east, full speed!"


    Old Tohyon promptly inserted a new load of spirit stones into the propulsion device. In an instant, an outburst of spirit power in the form of an air blast propelled the artifact ship forward. A few seconds later, the huge whale body came out of the water just where the artifact ship had been moments ago.


    Hei, in fact, had waited for the last few moments to be sure that the whale had no time to change its direction. After all, although they had a tremendous amount of spirit stones, he wasn''t sure that the propulsion system would hold so many accelerations in a row. The less he was forced to use accelerations, the more his chances of victory were.


    However, while Hei and everyone else on the artifact ship thought they had dodged the danger, something that they didn''t expect at all happened.


    The whale that was to fall back into the water moved its body in midair. It shifted its head to where Hei and the others were. Then, remaining suspended in the air, a couple of meters from the water, it advanced towards its prey.

 Chapter 119 - Slaying The Whale

    Amazement and disbelief. These were the feelings that Hei and his companions were experiencing. Seeing a creature as big as the Bowhead Whale moving by hovering in the air was indeed an incredible sight.


    Hei had previously seen a creature of enormous size flying through the air. But the other time, he had witnessed the scene as a spectator. This time, however, he was the target of the creature''s attack, not to mention that he didn''t imagine that a second-level spirit beast could fly.


    That sight answered his question whether his little sisters could fly once they reached the second level, but, sincerely, he would have preferred to learn about it in another way. However, it wasn''t the time to get caught off guard. A single mistake could have decreed the death of all of them.


    "Old Tohyon, maximum speed again. Let''s get out of here." Hei nervously watched as the whale approached.


    The old seaman activated the propulsion mechanism, inserting a new load of spirit stones. The artifact ship made a series of creaking noises from the pressure it was being subjected to.


    ''Shit, if we do such powerful accelerations in a row, the system will collapse before long.'' Hei thought to himself as he gritted his teeth.


    The artifact ship was pushed forward by the propulsion system and was able to get out of the trajectory of the whale''s massive body. However, the ship received a violent impact from the high waves that were generated when the whale fell on the water surface.


    ''Has it landed? Why? It could have continued to fly... wait. Could it be that it can fly only for a short period?'' Hei quickly analyzed the behavior of the whale that had once again dived underwater.


    "Lian, immerse us in the water again. Ho Yeon-Hong, if you have ranged attacks, attack the whale at my signal."


    Ho Yeon-Hong''s face turned pale upon hearing that. If Hei, who was a seventh stage, had barely scratched the whale''s body, how could he hope that she could do anything when she was only a sixth stage?


    "Attacking the whale?! What? But it''s a second-level spirit beast. It wouldn''t do any good, not even you- "


    "Don''t argue! If you don''t want to die, do as I said. Just attack the whale. Lian, get ready to use your full strength as soon as we dodge the first attack. Now dive in." Hei interrupted her and warned Lian. The young blue-haired woman nodded firmly and pushed Hei back into the ocean.


    As before, thanks to Spider Hair, Hei was able to perceive the approaching whale. Then he tugged the silk ribbon tight around his waist again. Lian pulled him promptly, and Hei warned Old Toyon of the whale''s arrival.


    The artifact ship once again dodged the whale''s underwater assault, which again used the same tactic as before, hovering in the air towards them. This time, however, Hei was ready.


    He ordered Old Tohyon to point the bow of the ship against the whale and prepared to receive the impact.


    "Old Tohyon, maximum speed. We must not be pushed back. I''ll take care of blocking the attack, but you need to keep pushing the ship forward."


    "Master Hei, this is total madness. But if you say so, then I will execute the order. "


    "Lian, are you ready?"


    "Yes, Hei! Whenever you want!"


    "Ho Yeon-Hong, get ready as well. Wait until my signal before attacking. Now Lian!"


    "Lotus of Love bloodline, Activate!"


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate!"


    ''Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate!''


    ''Snake of Darkness bloodline, Activate!''


    The spirit power of Lian, Hei, Xing, and Ye experienced a surge in power when their bloodlines were activated. Since they were joined together by the Battle Formation, the amplification effect was even more powerful.


    The spirit power of the four of them was then concentrated on the tip of Hei''s spear, which absorbed all the spirit power it was receiving without restraint. Suddenly, a slight flicker was produced by the spear as if it was animated, and it was getting excited in anticipation of the battle.


    Hei didn''t know why this was happening. Perhaps it was because he had infused his spirit power into the spear after activating his bloodline. After all, the spear had been made with his mother''s own body. Bao Bei also told him that the weapons created with the bodies of divine beasts were particular. But now wasn''t the right time to worry about it.


    All Hei was thinking about right now was the whale before him. The creature was swooping down from above like a huge bird of prey. Hei firmly grasped his spear with both hands and asked Xing to tie his hands on the shaft of his weapon so that he wouldn''t lose his grip.


    "Are you ready? Law of Poison, Law of Darkness, Combined Technique, Poisonous Dark Spider Thrust!"


    The tip of the spear was suddenly colored in dark purple and pitch black. Two Elemental Laws were linked in one place while the spirit power of four living beings was merged to produce more power.


    Combined Technique. The maximum expression of the Battle Formation. In addition to uniting and amplifying the spirit power of multiple living beings, it was able to amplify the very elemental attacks, thus creating an even more powerful technique. There was no need to say that the difficulty was greater than that of the Battle Formation itself.


    There were various reasons why Hei and his family were able to use it. First, Xing and Ye had the same mother in common; even though they had different bloodlines, they were still more similar to each other than a divine beast specimen of their species. Second, Hei had the same bloodline as Bao Bei and, therefore, the same as Xing''s, while he had the element of darkness as his second element, that is, the same element of Ye''s bloodline. Third, in their combination, there was Lian and the Lotus of Love bloodline. That bloodline was related to the Law of Wood. Together with the Law of Water and Law of Light, it had harmonizing characteristics. Thus, Lian, who possessed both the Law of Wood and the Law of Water, was harmonizing the spirit power and the Elemental Laws of their four so that they wouldn''t go out of control.


    Of course, at the level where they were, such a technique was only usable once. And this was already a result beyond what one would expect from someone with their rank of cultivation.


    Boom! Screech!


    Hei''s spearhead violently met the Bowhead Whale''s head and stopped it in mid-air. The bones in his arms ached like mad; if it weren''t for his high level of pain endurance, he would have passed out on the spot. In truth, if it weren''t for the protective layer of his spirit power combined with that of his little sisters and Lian''s, his arms would have collapsed at the first second of contact.


    However, although he managed to block the whale in that position, the artifact ship was slowly and relentlessly being pushed backward. If it hadn''t been for the propulsion system, they would have been thrown overboard even if they had blocked the whale''s attack.


    From above, the two spirit soldiers who were fighting in the sky looked with absolute amazement at the scene that was unfolding below them. Both of them couldn''t understand what they were looking at.


    "How is it possible?! How can my mighty spirit beast be stopped that way?" Pang Ja-Kyung, the owner of the Bowhead Whale, exclaimed as if he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "How can those kids release so much power?" Sok Yeong-Hong also exclaimed in amazement. The power that was being shown by Hei and his family wasn''t inferior to his; on the contrary, it was even slightly higher.


    Ever since he started his pirate career, Sok Yeong-Hong believed he was a genius among geniuses. He had talent comparable to that of the geniuses of the big sects but chose the pirate''s way because he didn''t want to be tied to an organization. He wanted to create his crew and make a name for himself among the famous members of piracy.


    However, his dream was shattered by his arrogance when he bit off more than he could chew, even risking to lose his life. From that day on, he learned his lesson and decided to hide his true nature under a false form of friendliness. He joined the crew of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na, who was the one with the least chains and waited for his moment.


    When he became a spirit soldier and learned of the pirate Ho Ri-Na''s plan, he thought his moment would finally come to show off his skills and make a name for himself. But, even before the great battle, the spotlight that was to be on him was now focused on Hei, Lian, and those two spirit beasts.


    ''That''s no good. If those brats can unleash such a force even if they are in the seventh stage, what would happen if they were to advance to the spirit soldier rank? Wouldn''t they become the protagonists of this great conflict between pirates while I would be relegated to mere extra?''


    Sok Yeong-Hong was confused. He couldn''t allow those brats to grow even more. But killing them now would have meant his death. He didn''t have the strength to face Pang Ja-Kyung and his whale together. Besides, on the artifact ship was Ho Yeon-Hong, Pirate General''s younger sister Ho Ri-Na. There was no way he could silence her. Failing to protect her would mean certain death. Ho Ri-Na was gentle as a boss but knew how to be brutal and unforgiving when she wanted, or otherwise, she wouldn''t have achieved such a leadership position.


    In the meantime, the whale''s charge had stopped. The huge creature''s body was once again floating on the water as it watched the scene in front of it incredulously. Large blobs of blood were pouring out of its head and were staining the ocean waters red. The fat on its head had literally melted into thin air along with its flesh. A hole one meter in diameter had been dug deep. If it weren''t for its size, that blow would have hit its brain by now.


    The Bowhead Whale was diverted from its surprised state by the twinge of pain that came shortly after that. It opened its mouth wide in pain as it waved its tail.


    "NOW! HO YEONG-HONG!" Hei yelled.


    Ho Yeong-Hong, who had also been captured by the incredible sight just now, recovered thanks to Hei''s scream. She had been ready for quite some time.


    "Gas Law, Hot Steam Flows!"


    Two light gray flows were produced from Ho Yeon-Hong''s hands. Like her sister Ho Ri-Na, she too had awakened the Gas Law, focusing specifically on Steam.


    Given the state in which it was, the Bowhead Whale in pain moved its powerful tongue to block the two streams of hot steam. Like any living creature, the internal parts of its body were more delicate than its flesh.


    As if they were two small flames, the whale''s tongue swept away the streams of vapor with ease. But by now, it had fallen into the trap.


    As Ho Yeon-Hong launched her attack, Lian had stood up. The ribbon that held her tied to the ship''s railing was now tight around Hei''s ankles. So, grabbing her two ribbons, she quickly began to swirl on herself. When she reached sufficient speed, she untied the end of her ribbons tied to Hei''s body.


    Hei was thus projected like a dart straight into the whale''s mouth. On his shoulders, his little sisters were excited as never before despite the current of air slamming against them.


    ''We are flying! How nice!''(Ye)


    ''Yeah, let''s do it more often!'' (Xing)


    They didn''t seem at all worried that they were going to end up in the mouth of a creature the size of the Bowhead Whale. Hei smiled at their light-heartedness and responded to their enthusiasm.


    "Well, we have verified that second-tier spirit beasts can fly, although only for a short time. So you can fly yourself later."


    With those words, Hei finally landed on the whale''s mouth. By activating the four-legged mode of Spider Run, he immediately ran towards the inside of the whale. The reason he asked Ho Yeon-Hong to attack was to distract the whale and stop it from using its tongue. The fat of the whale made it difficult to damage it, so they decided to attack from the inside. But they couldn''t enter, like it was nothing, inside its mouth. They had to be sure to distract it at the appropriate time to reveal their actual plan.


    Immediately, the whale began to twitch as if it had gone mad. Its tail moved here and there as it tore the specimens of killer whales that had come with it. The orcas, seeing the state the whale was in, went away from that place, abandoning the conflict. They weren''t spirit beasts bound by a spirit pact. They had simply been subdued by the Bowhead Whale''s strength, but now that their leader was in that condition, there was no reason for them to continue following it.


    Pang Ja-Kyung noticed the danger his spirit beast was in and began to rush downward at full speed. But in the same way, he noticed it, Sok Yeong-Hong noticed it too.


    "Pang Ja-Kyung! Where are you running?" Sok Yeong-Hong shouted in a high euphoric voice. If he managed to kill Pang Ja-Kyung, he would earn great merits and would be rewarded. Not only would he protect Ho Yeon-Hong, but he would also kill one of the spirit soldiers of Hong Shin. Indeed, if he was lucky, he could then destroy the whale and, therefore, Hei inside, making everything go by like an accident. As for Lian, he didn''t think that the girl alone would be a danger to him in the future.


    "Sok Yeong-Hong! Damn you!" Pang Ja-Kyung had to stop his advance and parry the attack of his enemy. With each passing second, he could feel the strength of his whale fading more and more.


    "Fuck, fuck!" By making an extreme choice in seconds, Pang Ja-Kyung did the only rational thing - abandoning his spirit beast. There was no way to save his whale if Sok Yeong-Hong got in the way. If he continued to stay there, it was only a matter of time before he received a spirit wound. At that point, he would have had no hope against Sok Yeong-Hong.


    "Sok Yeong-Hong! You will pay for this, bastard! The same goes for you, damn brats!" Pang Ja-Kyung left behind a series of curses.


    Sok Yeong-Hong tried to chase him, but the beast tamer proved to be more elusive than expected. Meanwhile, the Bowhead Whale had plunged underwater as a last-ditch attempt, but there was now nothing it could do. The last remains of life force were savagely destroyed by the attack of Hei and his little sisters.


    As soon as he realized that the whale had lost its life, Hei pulled out the Heart and absorbed the corpse of the whale. By taking advantage of the function that allowed living organisms to refuse to be absorbed, Hei and his little sisters weren''t sucked into the Secret Dimension.


    ''I am not sure in what condition the corpse will be as we were inside, but in any case, there is time to find out later on.'' Hei thought to himself as he went up to the surface. Since he didn''t know the Law of Space, he didn''t know well the consequences regarding the spatial displacements nor about the absorption functioning of the Heart. However, they weren''t knowledge he needed to know at the moment. Just the fact of being able to have recovered the corpse of the whale, no matter how damaged it was, was more than enough.

 Chapter 120 - Planning Future Moves

    With the Bowhead Whale dead and Pang Ja-Kyung escaped the danger that had assailed Hei was over. Most of the killer whales left alive had already fled to the darkness of the ocean, and the crew of Sok Yeong-Gi''s crew was cleaning up the stubborn ones. Sok Yeong-Gi had gotten back on his ship, his breathing seemed breathless, and he had lost most of his strength, but overall he was fine.


    Hei meanwhile had risen to the surface. Waiting for him was Lian, who promptly pulled him up onto the deck of the artifact ship. Ye and Xing then descended from Hei''s shoulders and slumped to the ground, followed shortly after by their big brother, who leaned his back on the ship''s deck while looking up at the sky.


    "We made it. Haha, nice job. Without you, I couldn''t have made it." Hei complimented Ye, Xing, and Lian with difficulty due to his exhaustion. No, Ho Yeon-Hong was also included. Although minimal, the help of the gray-haired young woman had been crucial.


    ''Oh, yes. But now I need to sleep for at least an entire day.'' (Ye)


    ''Yeah, a day of good sleep, and then we''ll eat the whale, right?'' (Xing)


    "First, you have to take a bath to remove the saltwater from the ocean, or it will stick on you. The same goes for you. Hei, but I suppose we can wait a little longer for that." Lian admonished them sternly before bursting out laughing.


    Hei also let himself go to a contagious laugh with his little sisters who were writhing with joy despite the tiredness. Beside them, Ho Yeon-Hong was watching the scene in amazement.


    "Is it really over? Is it all over?" She asked as if she couldn''t believe her eyes.


    "Yes, it''s over. I think you will no longer have to fear for your life on the way. I strongly doubt that they imagined that their spirit soldier and his spirit beast would fail. Excellent work, Ho Yeon-Hong. Excellent work, Old Tohyon. Without you, we wouldn''t have made it. "


    "There is no need to thank Master Hei. Just surviving to tell about such a battle is an honor. Ah, but I guess I''ll have to settle for keeping it in my memories." Old Tohyon smiled wryly. His spirit pact was still active, so it was impossible for him to talk to others about what he was experiencing onboard the artifact ship.


    "Who knows, Old Tohyon. Those are still editable. Am I not right, Lian?" Hei asked Lian as he winked toward her.


    The blue-haired young woman smiled and turned to Old Tohyon, "Yes, that is possible. Of course, it depends on how things are going, right, Hei?"


    "What are you talking about by behaving so mysterious?" Ho Yeon-Hong couldn''t understand the flow of the conversation. What were they talking about?


    Hei and Lian burst out laughing again, followed by Old Tohyon. As an experienced seaman, he had already sensed the meaning of their words. Besides, during this period of service as a member of Hei''s crew, Old Tohyon had learned to know the young man and his companions. Honestly, he would have liked to have been able to tell their deeds at the end of their journey.


    Ho Yeon-Hong still couldn''t understand, but before she could press for answers, Sok Yeong-Gi arrived on their ship. He had a faintly twisted expression when his feet touched the ship''s deck.


    He had a golden opportunity to kill Pang Ja-Kyung and bring a considerable advantage to his Captain Ho Ri-Na in the clash against Pirate General Hong Shin. However, not only he had let the enemy escape, like he was a fool, the final act of this clash was decided thanks to that pair of young martial artists and their spirit beasts.


    "Congratulations, Hei. You and your crew have accomplished an incredible feat. Of course, I also congratulate you, Yeon. You have demonstrated great skill in not losing your courage against a second level spirit beast. You were crucial in killing that creature." Sok Yeong-Gi tried to move some of the success onto Ho Yeon-Hong.


    However, the gray-haired young woman shook her head, "If it weren''t for Hei''s guidance, I would have panicked. I have done nothing but just following his directives. I bet that the big sister Ri-Na will be happy to know about this result. Two seventh stage spirit apprentices who stop a second level spirit beast. I think it''s unheard of throughout the Forgotten Ocean, right, big brother Yeong?"


    Sok Yeong-Gi twitched his forehead even more but strove to maintain a friendly appearance, "Not that I''m aware of. I think it''s the first time that something like this has happened. As you said, the Captain will be pleasantly surprised. Speaking of which, where is the whale''s corpse? Were you able to take its spirit core?"


    Sok Yeong-Gi looked into Hei''s eyes as if he wanted to peer into his soul. Hei then got up from where he was. He stood in front of Sok Yeong-Gi and looked him in the eye as well.


    "No. The whale''s body fell deep into the ocean. Furthermore, I was unable to reach the point where the spirit core was. I was more worried about not dying." Hei jokingly said. It wasn''t a lie. He actually had no enough time to reach the whale''s spirit core.


    "I understand. Well, it would be a pity to give up something so valuable. Don''t you mind if I go looking for it underwater, do you? It would be an excellent gift to bring to the Captain."


    "Big Brother Yeong?" Ho Yeong-Hong tried to understand why he was asking such questions, but she was interrupted by Hei.


    "Go ahead, except that the whale had already dived quite deep. With the darkness of the night, it will be difficult to find it even if it has a huge body. Considering that it is likely that its corpse has gone even deeper now." Hei commented as if he wasn''t worried at all.


    Sok Yeong-Gi didn''t reply but dived directly into the water. He would believe it only if he were to see with his eyes and not by trusting Hei''s words.


    Hei let him do. He wasn''t worried at all. It was impossible for Sok Yeong-Gi to find the whale''s carcass. Not to mention that he didn''t even have a piece of evidence that could connect Hei with taking possession of the body of that spirit beast.


    And after about ten minutes, Sok Yeong-Gi returned to the surface again. He was thoroughly drenched but didn''t seem to care much about it. He was pretty pissed at the moment. From his reaction, it was clear that he hadn''t been successful in finding the whale carcass.


    With a fleeting glimpse, he looked briefly at Hei before looking away. He had his hands tied. He couldn''t act, at least not with Ho Yeon-Hong present. One solution was to do something once they got to the main base, but that too was suicide. Pirate General Ho Ri-Na would never have forgiven him if he were to create a mess at the base during a delicate moment like this.


    However, the problem that worried him most was whether he was able to take out this couple of kids and their spirit beasts. The power shown by them was superior even to his. If he were to face them head-on, he could have risked losing.


    As a result, the only truly plausible alternative was to take them out during the conflict with Hong Shin. At that moment, Captain Ho Ri-Na and the other spirit soldiers under her service would be too worried to look after him.


    ''I know what you''re thinking. If you think you can take advantage of the conflict between the Pirate Generals to take action, then you''re wrong. On that occasion, it won''t be us who will be eliminated, but it will be you instead. If you dare to show fangs against my family, be prepared to suffer my punishment.'' Hei thought to himself as he watched Sok Yeong-Gi return to his ship.


    For now, they had escaped the danger thanks to the presence of Ho Yeon-Hong. However, it was clear that spirit soldier Sok Yeong-Gi felt threatened by him and Lian. Hei wasn''t sure why the pirate was feeling in that way, but it didn''t change the fact that Sok Yeong-Gi had bad intentions against them. So, Hei, too, at the first opportunity, would get rid of the enemy who was waiting in hiding.


    "Ye, Xing. Lian is right, let''s have a quick wash and then let''s go to sleep. Ho Yeon-Hong, you can go to the cabin in the meantime. In any case, soon, we will go to rest, and we don''t want to be disturbed." Hei turned politely but firmly towards the young gray-haired woman.


    Ho Yeon-Hong sensed that as the vanguard of this operation, Hei must have consumed his forces almost completely. He was also likely to have suffered internal wounds not visible at first glance from outside. So, she made no fuss and headed for the cabin. She could only hope that Hei wasn''t hurt too badly.


    As soon as Ho Yeon-Hong left, Hei fell to the ground with a thud. In truth, he had used the last remnants of his strength to stand up against Sok Yeong-Gi. Now he couldn''t even get up.


    Lian went up to him and put a hand on his forehead. Soon a warm stream of spirit power was released by Lian''s soft and delicate hand. Hei made no resistance and let her examine his body.


    Alchemy and Formations had several common traits. One of these was the basic ability to understand the internal structure of an object through one''s spirit power. Right now, Lian was examining the internal state of Hei''s body. Although she wasn''t a doctor, she could still do a rough analysis of Hei''s condition.


    "Your internal flow of spirit power is in turmoil. The Combined Technique puts too much pressure on your body. Even your muscles and internal organs have wounds, although I don''t know in which entities. But since you don''t look dying, they shouldn''t be fatal or serious." Lian gave a brief account of what she had sensed.


    "Yeah. My arms, in particular, hurt like mad. I think there will be no fights for a while, but maybe it''s better this way. We will use the excuse of my injuries to stay in the main base all the time. We have finished the three missions pre-imposed by Ho Ri-Na, so we aren''t required to do more, also considering that we have saved his younger sister."


    "If we don''t go on a mission and you want to be treated as injured, then will we have another reclusion period?" Lian quickly analyzed the implications of Hei''s words.


    "Yes, I guess you noticed it too. Sok Yeong-Gi. I don''t know why, but he won''t let us go. We have to get rid of him. But we can''t use the Battle Formation and Combined Technique all the time. Before the clash against the Hong Shin''s crew, we must reach the rank of spirit soldier."


    "I see, you want to close the accounts there." Lian''s face became severe. Like Hei, she no longer had problems killing people or planning their deaths.


    "It''s not just Sok Yeong-Gi. Depending on the situation, it is likely that we should act ahead of schedule. If there are map fragments, then we should also aim our weapons at Ho Ri-Na. Besides, I doubt she would leave us unpunished after killing one of her men. And the best time to act is while fighting Hong Shin."


    After that quick conference on their next moves, Hei got Lian to help him take off the top of his tunic. The young blue-haired woman began to clean his back and chest with buckets of water, pulled out of her space rings. Once she was done with Hei, she also went to wash Ye and Xing.


    When she had finished washing the three siblings, Lian noticed that they had fallen asleep from exhaustion on the ship''s deck. With a slight smile, she took the two little divine beasts and placed them on her chest. Then she leaned on Hei''s body, who was peacefully sleeping because he knew that Lian was nearby.


    "You could have waited to get back into the cabin, you idiot." Lian scolded him tenderly. Her two silk ribbons wrapped them like petals, sheltering them from the morning cold.

 Chapter 121 - Meeting the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na

    Main base of the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na, Steam Goddess'' Island, Steam City


    The so-called main base was nothing but a real city, called the Steam City. The island itself was called the Steam Goddess'' Island as if to symbolize its belonging to the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na.


    Like her sister Ho Yeon-Hong, Ho Ri-Na had awakened the Gas Law, focusing on Steam. Her nickname was precisely due to this. However, the Pirate General was also known by another name - the Boiling Reaper. It was because the enemies who challenged Ho Ri-Na ended up dying because they had been burned from the inside by boiling steam.


    Steam City had nothing to envy to a big city. It had an immense port that served to host the large number of pirate and non-pirate ships. In fact, not all the ships moored at the port were pirate combat ships. Many belonged to pirate family members who, instead of pirating, focused on simple trades as merchants.


    In addition to the port, the other structures were also well developed. As the only city on the island, Steam City could expand without limits, according to the needs it had. Pirate General Ho Ri-Na herself had spent part of her assets to make sure the inhabitants had everything they needed. In a sense, she was a better ruler than many others.


    Sok Yeong-Gi''s ship landed at the port, followed by Hei''s artifact ship. In a specific corner of the port, there was a specific space reserved only for the three spirit soldiers under Ho Ri-Na. At the time, there were two other ships as large as Sok-Yeong-Gi''s, which meant that all three spirit soldiers of Ho Ri-Na crew were present at the main base.


    "And so, this is the main base." Hei murmured as he glanced around. Once again, he had to change his mind about the power of the Pirate Generals. Indeed, they weren''t like mere bandits aboard a ship, but they were more like an organization with a very precise and orderly hierarchy.


    "Yes, this is Home. The big sister teaches pirates to call this city Home instead of its official name, Steam City. In this way, it establishes in each of us a sense of belonging to a specific place. Even if we come from different places or have different stories, it doesn''t matter. By joining the big sister''s crew, she gives a new life and a new home to all of us. A place where even those on the edge of society can feel welcomed." Ho Yeon-Hong from behind, explained in an excited voice.


    Although this Home had been her cage, she couldn''t deny that it was a welcoming place to stay and return. It was because everyone who went to sea needed a place to return to, or else your life would have been a mere sailing in the ocean. It doesn''t matter if you were to stay just for a day; the important thing was to have a home to return to and be warmly welcomed.


    "A home to return to, huh?" Hei smiled a little as he thought about it. He had noticed it even before, with the favorable conditions faced by prostitutes, but Ho Ri-Na was truly generous. Or more than generous, she was an honest person, although it was difficult to associate honesty with pirates.


    ''Oh, have we finally arrived? Good thing. To tell you the truth, I was starting to suffer from seasickness.'' (Ye)


    ''Seasickness? But if you''ve never had such problems. Didn''t you overeat whale meat last night? It must be that what made your stomach ache.'' (Xing)


    At his side, held between Lian''s arms, were his two little sisters. They were still a bit sleepy as it was early in the morning, but they were waking up slowly. As for the whale meat mentioned, Hei had paid a visit to the Secret Dimension within the Heart.


    Since the Heart had to remain outside while there was a living being inside, Hei entered alone, leaving Lian and his sisters to stand guard. Hei rarely entered the Secret Dimension; mostly, it was his little sisters who collected the resources they needed within the Secret Dimension.


    It took several days, but eventually, he cut the whale''s body entirely. The meat of spirit beasts was, in fact, helpful in cultivation if consumed regularly. Hei also collected the blood of the imposing creature for use in alchemy and also preserved the bones and other remains. Although he didn''t need a weapon, he could always sell them to some forge. But the most precious treasure he acquired was none other than the second level spirit core of the whale.


    At the moment, he hadn''t yet planned what to do with that spirit core. Since there was only one spirit core, he would have had to split it in half if he wanted to give it to his little sisters. However, this would have consumed some of the power contained within. Dividing it would have regressed it to be a first-level spirit core, comparable to a seventh stage spirit apprentice.


    Fortunately, Ye and Xing were divine beasts by birth, so they had no bottlenecks. Splitting the whale''s core could also have been a good solution. But Hei preferred to set it aside. If they had encountered a second-level spirit beast among the ranks of enemy pirates, there was a possibility that they would have met others.


    Once moored at the port, Hei left Old Tohyon to take care of the maintenance and repairs of the artifact ship. Although they had been fortunate to avoid direct contact with the whale, the violent waves that collided with the ship still caused some damage. It was better to take advantage of this stop to bring the artifact ship back to maximum conditions. As for the cost, there were no problems. Hei had enough spirit stones, and in any case, he imagined that Ho Ri-Na would reward them appropriately.


    "Follow me." Sok Yeong-Gi ordered Hei, Lian, and Ho Yeon-Hong to follow him.


    Since he only took the three of them (five, considering Ye and Xing), and left his crew members on the harbor, he was likely going to take them to Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. From the face torn between happiness and concern of Ho Yeon-Hong, it was almost obvious that it was so.


    "You will see that it will be fine." Hei tried to console the young woman.


    Although he still didn''t like much when she asked him three thousand questions together, Hei''s aversion to the young gray-haired woman had lessened. But of course, it was a long way from turning it into something else. Hei wasn''t after all interested in that kind of relationship.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t know about the interaction between men and women. Bao Bei had taught him openly about this concept, and he also knew what sexual intercourse between humans consisted of. However, although Ho Yeon-Hong was pretty at sight, that alone couldn''t infatuate Hei. Or it was better to say that rather than the physical aspect, Hei was interested in mental and emotional interaction. But either way, he didn''t have time for that at the moment. He had more pressing matters to complete, not to mention that his heart was still grieving over the loss of his mother. It would hardly have opened his heart to love relationships at the moment.


    Therefore, Hei, Lian, and Ho Yeon-Hong followed Sok Yeong-Gi through the city streets. Wherever they went, people would greet the spirit soldier with reverence. Since he was one of the most prominent members of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na''s crew, it was a foregone conclusion.


    Away from the city, on a small hill surrounded by orange trees, stood an imposing villa. Already from afar, it was possible to see the incredible dimensions of the house. And from how guarded it was by an impressive number of martial artists, it was undoubtedly the home designated to the ruler of the city - one of the Four Pirate Generals, the Steam Goddess, Ho Ri-Na.


    The guards at the entrance made them pass without problems. They instantly recognized Sok Yeong-Gi and sent an emissary to warn their Captain of his arrival. Ho Ri-Na''s answer wasn''t long in coming, and she summoned them to her study.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi greets the Captain. I apologize for the delay. There were unforeseen events along the journey, but I completed the mission."


    "Ho Yeon-Hong greets the big sister. I apologize if I left without warning, I''m sorry- "


    As Ho Yeon-Hong finished her apology, a silhouette flashed quickly. In front of her, a beautiful woman with dark gray hair appeared in an instant. She was similar to Ho Yeon-Hong but had a more mature and charming aspect, typical of someone who was now a woman in every way.


    "You are finally back. You don''t need to say anything. The important thing is that you are fine." Ho Ri-Na''s gray eyes looked with a deep love at her little sister as she examined every part of her body. After making sure she was okay, she turned to Sok Yeong-Gi, "Sok Yeong-Gi, you did your duty well. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will be rewarded enormously."


    Sok Yeong-Gi bitterly smiled as he hurried to respond. Although he didn''t want to, it was better to tell the truth behind the events of this mission himself, or he could have made a wrong impression as the one who wished to have all the honors.


    "I thank the Captain for the kind words. It is an honor for me to receive them. However, this time, the credit for the success of this mission isn''t mine alone. These two youths played an equally crucial role in the survival not only of Yeon but also of mine and my men."


    "Oh, really?" Only then, Ho Ri-Na looked in the direction of Hei and Lian. The two young martial artists bowed their heads and greeted the General Pirate.


    "Hei greets Pirate General Ho Ri-Na."


    "Lian greets Pirate General Ho Ri-Na."


    Hearing their names, Ho Ri-Na seemed to remember something. "Hei, Lian ... so, you are the two youths I heard about. Apparently, you are better than expected if you pushed Little Yeong into saying such words. Tell me what happened."


    Sok Yeong-Gi smiled and told what happened on the way. The appearance and attack of Pang Ja-Kyung surprised Ho Ri-Na very much. She didn''t expect Hong Shin to send one of his spirit soldiers to the attack. She had expected a reprisal of some kind but not one of such magnitude.


    "I understand, so you managed not only to repel a second-level spirit beast, but you also killed it. It is a pity that you haven''t managed to recover the spirit core, but you will still be rewarded adequately for the service rendered, so much so that you will no longer think about your loss. I am truly amazed at your abilities, and I am delighted. Can I ask you if I can count on your help in the battle against Hong Shin?" Ho Ri-Na then asked an essential question to Hei and Lian. She wanted to know if they were willing to fight for her even after witnessing the strength of a spirit soldier.


    "For us, there are no problems. First, we embarked on the path of piracy to improve ourselves as martial artists. It is more beneficial for us to find ourselves in a conflict. However, at the moment, we are in the process of healing for the injuries we suffered against the whale. I would, therefore, ask not to send us to fight for a while, at least until we heal from our wounds." Hei made another slight bow to emphasize that it was an honor for them to fight for Ho Ri-Na.


    The Pirate General looked him in the eye and replied, "Of course, there is no problem. No other attacks are currently planned. The information you brought me today changes my plans by a lot. So I have to take some time to formulate the next moves. I will let you know if there is any news and to give you your reward. For now, enjoy your stay in the city." Ho Ri-Na gave them a gentle smile as she dismissed them.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi, you can go to rest too. Even for you, your reward will be decided later. Yeon, go back to your room and rest. I will come to visit you later so you can tell me what you have seen and done on your travels." Ho Ri-Na also dismissed Sok Yeong-Gi and her sister Ho Yeon-Hong. Evidently, she needed to be alone to process the information she had just received. The four didn''t disobey her will and took their leave without further disturbing the Pirate General.


    "Here, I say goodbye to you. I remind you two that it is forbidden to fight inside the domains of the Steam City. Even if the Captain sees you favorably, the law is the law. No matter how generous she is, the Captain remains the ruler of this place and treats everyone fairly, regardless of who you are. So, you should remember it. Yeon, I salute you. You''d better rest as the Captain said." Sok Yeong-Gi admonished Hei and Lian as he took his leave from Ho Yeon-Hong. Since he had finished his task, he was no longer forced to escort them.


    "Yes, it''s fine. Hei, Lian. Thanks for your help. I would like to guide you through the city, but it is better not to contradict my sister. But I will try to convince her to guide you tomorrow. It is better than wandering aimlessly. If you want to buy or sell something, I know all the right places." Ho Yeong-Gi said radiantly. It was probably her way of thanking them for what they had done.


    "Alright. Thank you." Hei accepted her good intentions in a few words. Then he took his leave with Lian, and they came out of the villa escorted by guards. Once out, they headed for the city to find a place to sleep for them and Old Tohyon as well.


    In the meantime, in Ho Ri-Na''s office, the silhouette of a man had appeared next to General Pirate.


    "What do you think of all this, Byung? Can we trust them?"


    "Captain, my answer has no weight. Only your will matters. But if I can give my opinion, the two youths have incredible potential. They successfully dealt with the three missions as you desired and brought great benefits to our plan. It is worth betting on them; your initial judgment wasn''t wrong. Rather than their loyalty or origins, it is better to think about how to use them. Hong Shin is becoming impatient. He will soon mobilize his main army. With the two youths, we could bridge the strength disadvantage among spirit soldiers."


    "Bridging the strength disadvantage? Assigning them one of the other spirit soldiers of Hong Shin may be too much for them. But, if they managed to kill the second level spirit whale, they could be able to manage Pang Ja-Kyung and his spirit beasts. Indeed, the lack of a beast tamer was a problem, but their presence solves our problems."


    "Do you want me to call Gyeong-Su?"


    "No, there is no need. First, let me outline some plans on my own, then we''ll summon Gyeong-Su and Yeong-Gi."


    "As you wish, Captain."


    The silhouette of the man disappeared again, leaving Pirate General Ho Ri-Na alone.

 Chapter 122 - Pseudo Bloodlines

    After taking their leave from Ho Ri-Na and Ho Yeon-Hong, Hei and Lian rented two rooms at the harbor tavern. Considering that the tavern was the meeting place for those who traveled in the ocean, Steam City''s taverna was even three times larger than those cities with large ports.


    Ho Ri-Na knew that having an entertainment place was ideal for decreasing the dissatisfaction rate, so she spared no expense in building her city''s tavern. Likewise, other entertainment facilities such as brothels were equally well cared for and owned large buildings.


    "Master Hei, I spoke to various carpenters in the area. In particular, I have found one that has great experience in dealing with artifact ships. I made him look at the ship, and he says the damage isn''t serious. The price is more than affordable, and he says he will give us an additional discount as we arrived together with the spirit soldier Sok Yeong-Gi." Sitting on a table in the large tavern, Old Tohyon made a report regarding the ship''s condition.


    "Excellent, before proceeding, however, ask him if it is possible to modify the structure of the ship, I would like to strengthen it. Also, ask him if we can also improve the propulsion system and consider whether it is possible to bring further effects to the formation engraved on the ship." Hei gave orders as if he was talking about simple repairs.


    Hearing what he asked for, Old Tohyon stood with his mouth wide open. It took a few seconds before he could reply, "Excuse me if I allow myself, Master Hei, but such changes to the ship are expensive. The artifact ship has made an excellent performance so far, how come this sudden change?"


    "In truth, it was already something I had thought about. Only there was no occasion before, not to mention, as you said, the ship artifact has performed well so far. However, the fight against the whale has been too passive. We can''t just rely on the propulsion system, and I can''t waste my spirit power on blocking attacks. We must have at least one more card to rely on. It doesn''t have to be an attack mechanism; I just need to have installed a shield mechanism. The price isn''t a problem. I have enough resources to absorb the costs."


    The fight against the whale had been really tough for them. Their salvation had been the artifact ship; without that, Hei and the others would have had no hope. But as he said, he absolutely had to upgrade it. If he were to clash with spirit soldiers and second-level spirit beasts, he had to be able to fight without too many worries of being hit.


    Old Tohyon understood what Hei meant and nodded, "I will do my best to resolve this issue. Don''t worry."


    "Thanks, Old Tohyon. I bet you will be tired after all these events. I reserved a whole room for you, get some rest. Aside from what I asked you, you are free to do what you want. But the sooner we solve the ship''s issue, the better. I don''t know when Ho Ri-Na will summon us, and when this happens, it is likely to be for the decisive battle against Hong Shin."


    Upon hearing the words ''decisive battle'', Old Tohyon swallowed nervously. Although he was an experienced seafarer, it was the first time he would participate in such a big conflict - the dispute between two of the Four Pirate Generals, the greatest exponents of piracy in the Forgotten Ocean.


    Old Tohyon took advantage of Hei''s permission to go to bed. Indeed, even though his body was still full of energy, his mind was beginning to ache. As he was too nervous, he stayed awake most nights to steer the artifact ship in case there were other sudden attacks.


    Left alone, Hei and Lian ordered large quantities of food to be brought to their room. Ye and Xing had stayed over, playing, since they weren''t interested in hearing about the artifact ship''s issues. However, it was inevitable that they would soon be hungry.


    The day passed, therefore rather calm, resting almost the whole day in their room. Hei decided it was better to wait until tomorrow to scour the city. If Ho Yeon-Hong had guided them as she said, it was certainly more efficient than wandering at random. He had several things to do and wanted to see what the city, governed by one of the four Pirate Generals, had to offer.


    *


    The next day, as she said, Ho Yeon-Hong came knocking on their door. Regarding how she knew the number of their room, it wasn''t at all something so surprising. It was the city of Ho Ri-Na. It was, therefore, right to assume that she had eyes and ears on everything that happened in her territory, and nothing escaped her supervision.


    "Hei, Lian. Good morning. I talked to her big sister, and she said that I could guide you. If you come downstairs, I''ve already had a breakfast table set up." Ho Ri-Na said softly to the two.


    From her relaxed and serene expression, it was clear that the conversation with her sister Ho Ri-Na had gone well, and she hadn''t been punished for her unannounced escape and for hiding without leaving messages to reassure she was okay.


    "We''ll get there right away," Hei replied briefly. Beside him, Lian was setting up the double bed on which the two of them had slept together with Ye and Xing.


    When Ho Yeon-Hong shifted her eyes and noticed that detail, her serene expression had a strange change, but it was only for a moment. Quickly, she replied, "I''ll wait for you below," and went downstairs again. Hei paid no attention to it and took his little sisters in his arms. Only Lian noticed Ho Yeon-Hong''s change.


    On the ground floor, a large table had been set up with dishes and drinks of all kinds. Although it was genuinely abundant as a breakfast meal, Ho Yeon-Hong had learned that Hei and his spirit beasts ate a lot. Even Lian, who didn''t give such an impression, ate two or three times the amount of what Ho Yeon-Hong usually ate.


    "Don''t worry about the meal. I am the one who invited you. Think of it as a thank you for saving my life." Ho Yeon-Hong bowed deeply. Her words were sincere.


    "You don''t need to thank us. It was our mission, after all. Thanks anyway for the meal." Hei thanked her briefly as he put Ye and Xing down, leaving them free to eat finally.


    Once seated, Hei, therefore, asked Ho Yeon-Hong how things had gone with his sister, "So, is everything settled between you and your sister?"


    "Yes, we cleared that up. She forbade me to do such an action in the future. But she allowed me to join her crew officially. She said I could even fight in the decisive battle against Hong Shin. However, I have to find a reliable ship on which I can board. That''s why I was wondering if- "


    "If you could join us for the battle?" Lian finished the sentence for her.


    Ho Yeon-Hong quickly glanced at Lian, a little annoyed that Lian had anticipated her, but continued, "Yes. My big sister will never let me join ships with a sixth stage spirit apprentice or lower as captain. It must be at least a seventh stage. Since yours is also an artifact ship, in case of danger, we have more chances to escape. What do you think about it? Can you accommodate my request?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked hopefully as her big eyes looked at Hei''s.


    Hei met her gaze and thought it over carefully, "Okay. However, I won''t do it for free. You should know it."


    Hei''s answer wasn''t what Hon Yeon-Hong had expected, but he had accepted anyway. Lian looked doubtfully at Hei as if she wanted to ask him the reason for this.


    ''It''s not just for receiving a reward. If necessary, we can use Ho Yeon-Hong if things go wrong.'' Hei sent a spirit message to answer Lian''s doubt.


    It was correct. He hadn''t accepted just for the reward. If he intended to fight for the fragments of the treasure map, he was sure he would have to cross arms against the General Pirates. At the time, Hei and Lian weren''t the opponents of the four Pirate Generals. However, Ho Ri-Na had a weakness - she was a generous person and loved her sister very much. Although it was an abominable action to kidnap one person for blackmailing another, for the survival of his family, Hei would do such heinous acts.


    "Ho Yeon-Hong, apart from Sok Yeong-Gi, what other spirit soldiers are in your sister''s crew?" Hei asked a question that interested him very much.


    "Why? Are you curious? I guess so. After all, it is one of the questions that is often asked by those who join us officially. In addition to Yeong-nim, there are Won? ?Byung-Chul?-nim ?e Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su?-nim."


    "And compared to Sok Yeong-Gi, how are they?"


    "In terms of strength, do you say? I shouldn''t tell you openly, but in the end, they aren''t such secret things. Gyeong-nim is a second stage spirit soldier, while Byung-nim is a fourth stage spirit soldier. They both also have a pseudo bloodline, so they are stronger than normal spirit soldiers with an equal stage." Ho Yeon-Hong explained proudly. She seemed happy to brag about her sister''s crew.


    "Pseudo bloodline?" Hei asked, perplexed. He was amazed at the cultivation stage reached by the other two spirit soldiers, especially Won Byung-Chul. However, it was the ''pseudo-bloodline'' words that caught his attention.


    "Don''t you know it? yet you and Lian also have a bloodline¡­ wait. Don''t tell me you have a pure bloodline?" Ho Yeon-Hong exclaimed in amazement. She had seen Hei and Lian activate their bloodline during the fight against the whale, but she didn''t believe it was a pure bloodline.


    "Calm down and explain what you mean." Hei tried to get the meaning of those terms explained.


    "Basically, with the disappearance of the divine beasts, it has become impossible to acquire new bloodlines. You must know that when the owner of a bloodline has a child, the child doesn''t necessarily end up owning that bloodline. There is a probability of success that depends on several factors. However, the more you go on with the generations, the more the bloodline becomes less present in the body until it disappears. There may be exceptions in which after generations without owners of bloodlines, there is someone who awakens a bloodline, but they are rare occasions.


    Those who are called owners of a Pseudo Bloodline are martial artists who have a bloodline with only the active effect. Therefore they don''t have the passive effect of assisting them in understanding Elemental Laws. Pure Bloodlines are those that have both passive and active effects. I also heard there is another definition called Royal Bloodline, but it is something that concerns the Continent. I don''t know precisely how they differ from Pure Bloodlines." Ho Yeon-Hong finished her explanation as she looked in amazement at Hei and Lian.


    ''Owners of pure bloodlines! It''s something you don''t hear about who knows how long here in the Forgotten Ocean.'' Ho Yeon-Hong thought to herself.


    ''Shit, I inadvertently ended up revealing something I shouldn''t have.'' Hei regretted it.


    It wasn''t strange that Hei didn''t know this. The information he had was mostly derived from his mother, Bao Bei. Bao Bei had lived in the period when the divine beasts were still alive, and therefore the phenomenon of pseudo bloodlines wasn''t present. It wasn''t so strange, therefore, that she knew nothing about it and hadn''t warned Hei about the pseudo and pure bloodlines.


    Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, so he couldn''t go back. Asking Ho Yeon-Hong not to report her sister would have been very suspicious. After all, if they were really owners of a pure bloodline, they would have been seen with even more value than now. He could only rejoice that he had discovered it now and that there wouldn''t be too severe as a consequence.


    "Ah, for information as we are revealing our secrets. What stage of cultivation has your sister Ho Ri-Na reached?" Hei asked the question that interested him most of all.

 Chapter 123 - City Tour

    "Ah, for information as we are revealing our secrets. What stage of cultivation has your sister Ho Ri-Na reached?" Hei asked the question that interested him most of all.


    Hei''s question came utterly spontaneous. Since the cultivation stages of the spirit soldiers under Ho Ri-Na''s command had been revealed, it was reasonable to be curious about the cultivation stage reached by the General Pirate herself. Ho Yeon-Hong appeared somewhat reluctant to disclose that information, but, as she said, it wasn''t a secret to be jealously guarded.


    "The big sister is a fifth stage spirit soldier, but this figure dates back to a long time ago. Right now, I don''t know how much her cultivation actually is or how powerful she is.


    After hearing that, Hei''s face twitched slightly. A fifth stage spirit soldier. It was a level that was currently impossible for him to touch under normal circumstances. It was also reasonable to think that the other General Pirates were also roughly at the same power level. The differences had to be at what point of the fifth stage they were. That was without mentioning the possibility that such data were inaccurate or outdated.


    "Ho Yeon-Hong, don''t you have a bloodline? Against the whale, I don''t seem to have heard you activate one." Hei asked the young gray-haired woman.


    "No, unfortunately not. Not even the big sister. But it doesn''t matter. Bloodlines aren''t the only ones that can make you stronger. Aside from you two, I''ve never heard of other owners of pure bloodlines, at least among the pirates. Therefore, those with bloodlines are all owners of pseudo bloodlines and therefore have only the active effect. An Elemental Essence of your element allows you to bridge the gap with bloodline owners. And that''s what my sister did."


    ''I see, In fact, she is right. If it is only the active effect, an elemental essence does the same work in practice. And since Ho Ri-Na is called the Steam Goddess, it must be an elemental essence of the Steam-type Gas Law.'' Hei thought to himself as he moved the discussion to the other General Pirates.


    "And what about the other Pirates General? Do you know something? Are they as strong as your sister?"


    "You are asking about lots of things today, huh? On the ship, you were reluctant to speak, not even speaking to me for days. But now you''re a talker, tell the truth. You suffered from seasickness, didn''t you? And now that you are on the ground, your tongue has loosened." Ho Yeon-Hong said, laughing. She didn''t really think that Hei suffered from seasickness, but she found that change of attitude amusing.


    ''Maybe he''s just shy. Now that he knows me more, he feels more comfortable.'' Ho Yeon-Hong thought to herself.


    It wasn''t like she wasn''t right. Indeed, Hei was the type who would give confidence more and more he knew a person and was now less reluctant to talk to Ho Yeon-Hong. But if it weren''t for the fact that it was useful information that he needed to know, he would never have asked so many questions.


    "Well, they should theoretically also be in the fifth stage of spirit soldier. As I repeat, it isn''t precise information. The Son of Wind and the Storm Lightning are like my sister; they have an elemental essence, respectively, of the element Wind and Lightning. As for the last of the four Pirate Generals, the Red Devil, he has a pseudo bloodline - the red shark bloodline. But don''t misunderstand the name. Red isn''t about the fire element but the blood element. I heard that wherever he passes, he always leaves a red stripe formed by the blood of his enemies." Ho Yeon-Hong briefly explained the information she had about the other General Pirates. As Ho Ri-Na''s sister, it was normal for her to know the skills of her sister''s rivals.


    ''Red Shark Bloodline, Blood Law... I don''t know much about that law. I know it allows you to manipulate your own blood, but I don''t know how or if you can manipulate other people''s blood. I''m curious about the bloodlines of the two spirit soldiers under Ho Ri-Na, but asking this isn''t appropriate.'' After a quick reflection, Hei thanked Ho Yeon-Hong for the information received.


    "Thank you very much, Ho Yeon-Hong. Sorry if I asked you a lot of questions, but since we will soon have to fight against one of the Four Pirate Generals, I was curious to know about the effective strength of our allies and our enemies."


    "No need to thank me. It isn''t such confidential information. I''m glad to have helped you, so what do you say? Have you eaten enough, or do you want to order more?" Ho Yeon-Hong radiantly smiled as she pointed to the table that had been cleared of the dishes that previously filled it. In the center, a small spider and a small snake were lying down. There was a small bulge on their body, a sign that they had eaten more than enough.


    "Yes, we can go." Not giving in to the grievances of Ye and Xing, who wanted to enjoy that free meal for a while longer, Hei took them and put them on his body. Then, together with Lian and Ho Yeon-Hong, they left the tavern.


    Ho Yeon-Hong decided to take first a quick panoramic tour of the city, illustrating the story of how Ho Ri-Na had started from a couple of tents placed on the beach to create that magnificent city. From her words, one could see how much she was close to her older sister.


    After the introductory tour, Ho Yeon-Hong asked Hei if he had something that interested him, "If you plan to buy something, you can tell me. The big sister said that as a reward, you have unlimited credit. Obviously, only for things regarding the spirit apprentice rank. Though, none of the shops here deal with items for spirit soldiers."


    "Unlimited credit? What do you mean?"


    "Well, the spirit core of a second-level spirit beast is very precious, not only for its value but also for its rarity. So it would be difficult to achieve such a value only with objects that interest spirit apprentices. Therefore, the sister offers you an unlimited credit, hoping it will satisfy you. She also said that you two look like pretty pragmatic people, and she is confident that you will take only what you really need."


    "Pragmatic people, you say?" He smiled at those words. That was nothing more than a test to evaluate his behavior. She was offering him unlimited credit, but it wasn''t like he could actually buy anything in town. "All right, then take me to the best forge you have here first."


    "Okay, follow me." Ho Yeon-Hong motioned for them to follow her as she led them to a series of hidden streets. As expected from a large city, it was easy to get lost if you weren''t familiar with the place.


    After walking for a long time, they came to a forge. From outside, you could hear the metallic noise of the hammer being beaten. Arriving at the counter at the entrance, they heard a harsh voice address them, "Are you here to sell or buy?"


    The owner of the harsh voice was a middle-aged man surrounded by various papers. Since Hei, Lian, and Ho Yeon-Hong looked very young, he didn''t give them much attention, turning to them as if he wanted to send them away as soon as possible.


    Ho Yeon-Hong appeared irritated by this attitude and cleared her throat as she pulled out a medallion, "These are important guests of Captain Ho Ri-Na. Have some respect when you speak to them. "


    Hearing the name Ho Ri-Na and noting the medallion with the emblem of the General Pirate engraved on it, the blacksmith in charge of the customers turned white. He was so white that he looked more like a ghost than a person.


    "I apologize for my behavior. It won''t happen again." The blacksmith immediately bowed, cursing his bad habit of treating customers roughly. Ho Yeon-Hong seemed satisfied with these apologies and didn''t pile on further.


    "I came here to sell some materials. I have something that might interest you." Hei intervened by letting out part of the baleen that he had obtained from the whale, "It comes from a second-level spirit beast. There are still traces of spirit power, so there is no need for a proof of authenticity."


    At the words ''second-level beast'', the blacksmith''s face blanched even more while even Ho Yeon-Hong was surprised.


    "I thought you hadn''t been able to recover the whale''s body."


    "And in fact, it isn''t the body of the whale. It is only a small part that I managed to tear after various efforts. It''s the only thing I could take."


    As Hei explained the situation to Ho Yeon-Hong, the blacksmith began to examine the baleen. The baleen was a rather rare material and was highly sought after due to its elasticity. In addition to various everyday objects, it was also usable for the creation of whips and bows.


    "Incredible. It really belongs to a second-level spirit beast. Insane. I would like to ask you how you got hold of it, but I guess it''s a pretty long story, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, let''s just say I was forced to hunt whales. As for the value, how about an exchange? I need various rare metals and other things. You can take the baleen value out of the total price, and I will pay the rest with spirit stones, is it okay?" Hei proposed that he didn''t want to waste too much time bargaining with the blacksmith.


    "Yes, sure. Then take a look and tell me what you need." The blacksmith looked happy as he could sell extra stuff and buy such a rare material.


    "Hei, what about the unlimited credit-?" Ho Yeon-Hong was about to ask before being interrupted by Hei.


    "Thank your sister for me, but I prefer to pay for myself. Rather than unlimited credit, tell her that a second-level spirit core is more than welcome. I guess she has some in her personal collection, right?" He smiled as he examined the various metals on display, leaving Ho Yeon-Hong with a surprised face.


    Eventually, Hei purchased a large amount of various metals for Ye so that she could cultivate the Law of Metal. For Xing, however, he bought a large number of Dream Boxes. The Dream Boxes were nothing more than boxes with an illusory formation engraved, mainly used as traps. Hei intended to use them on Xing so that she could train her Law of Illusions.


    After the tour in the forge, Hei asked Ho Yeon-Hong to guide him to an alchemist shop. The Flower Sect and the other sects had left Hei and Lian with pills to use to advance to the second rank. However, although the creator of these pills was better than Hei as an alchemist at the time, the materials used weren''t comparable to the whale''s body. So Hei planned to use now the pills they were supposed to use for their rank advancement. In that way, they could quickly reach the peak of the seventh stage spirit apprentice. Subsequently, he would create pills for him and Lian with the whale''s remains for their advancement as well as for his little sisters.


    ''The Bowhead Whale is an aquatic creature. Therefore its spirit core contains properties of the Law of Water. However, since it wasn''t a divine beast, the Law of Water wasn''t engraved on the whale''s body. With a few filtering cycles, I should be able to eliminate the properties of the Law of Water inside its carcass. And by adding reagents of other elements, I should be able to create personalized pills for everyone.'' Hei meditated to himself, examining the resources available in the shop.


    After carefully choosing every material that could be useful to him, Hei paid for everything with spirit stones, placing his purchases in his space rings and Lian''s.


    By his side, Ho Yeon-Hong looked in amazement at the amount of money Hei owned. ''Now I understand why he didn''t want the unlimited credit. I thought he was saying, so to say, but he has a terrifying financial amount.''


    "Well, I think there isn''t anything else that I need urgently for the moment. Ho Yeon-Hong, thank you for accompanying us. But it is time to say goodbye. With the decisive battle incoming, I would like to take advantage of every possible moment to cultivate. Please tell your sister about my request, though." Hei turned to Ho Yeon-Hong, dismissing her as they had no other places to visit.


    "Yes, it''s fine. I''ll let her know." Ho Yeon-Hong replied absently. She was still quite surprised by Hei''s financial strength, and it wasn''t as if what he had said was wrong. Therefore, Hei and Lian greeted her as they returned to their room in the tavern.

 Chapter 124 - The Decisive Battle Begins - 1

    After the city tour, Hei and Lian mainly stayed inside their room to cultivate. With the use of pills donated by the sects of Rainbow Island, their level of cultivation was gradually approaching the peak of the seventh stage spirit apprentice. Once they finished absorbing the energy, they would reach the peak or even be half-step to the second rank.


    By half-step, it meant another type of classification within a single stage. In addition to beginner, low, medium, high, and peak, there was half-step. It meant that a martial artist had the basis for trying to make a breakthrough to the next rank. They just had to go through the advancement process.


    Thinking carefully, Hei considered whether to advance directly to the second rank. Of course, it would have been helpful to become a spirit soldier before the decisive battle. But there was always the problem of unstable foundations. If he were to advance too quickly, then he would have to waste time later to stabilize his cultivation. And that wasn''t something at all desirable as it was a really annoying and expensive procedure.


    Eventually, he decided to stick with his original plan - to reach the peak seventh stage or half-step from the second rank and then stabilize his cultivation there. Later, he would create some pills with the remains of the whale he had slain. Unfortunately, after the events of Crossroad Lake, the Secret Dimension had been damaged by The One Who Hides Under The Curtain and the abrupt shift inside the Heart.


    It wasn''t damaged up to a point it wasn''t possible to enter inside. But the flow of spirit power had become chaotic. Staying inside wouldn''t cause any problem, even if it was for a very long time. However, trying cultivating even just a little bit would cause internal injuries. For this reason, Hei had been using the Heart just like a space ring, without trying cultivating inside.


    During this time, Pirate General Ho Ri-Na had eventually succumbed to Hei''s request, giving him a second-level spirit core. As a pirate who had been sailing the waters of the Forgotten Ocean for years, there was no way she wouldn''t have such an object on her. Although it was a massive reward for one of her subordinates, Ho Ri-Na chose to do it because Hei and Lian had protected her sister''s life.


    Hei, therefore, gave the two second-level spirit cores he had to his little sisters. Since the energy inside those two spirit cores was higher than their level of cultivation, Ye and Xing spent most of the time digesting that energy. However, that wasn''t wasted time at all, because the two little divine beasts passed to the second level while Hei and Lian stopped half-step from the second rank.


    "You have been outstanding, Ye, Xing. I had no doubt that you would level up after eating the cores." Hei proudly spoke regarding the level advancement of his little sisters.


    "Congratulations, Ye, Xing. You did a great job." Lian also complimented the two little divine beasts. Her eyes emitted a slight excitement due to the joy of the news.


    ''Eheh, now we are stronger than the big brother. So can we take it easy?'' Ye suggested.


    Being divine beasts by birth, they had no bottlenecks. It was the advantage of the species known as divine beasts. The important thing was to gradually accumulate the spirit power in their bodies until they reached a sufficient amount to advance in level. However, precisely because they had no bottlenecks, many of the divine beasts ended up being very lazy as far as cultivation was concerned. Ye and Xing were a prime example. If it weren''t for Hei constantly spurring them, it would have taken longer for them to advance.


    There was also to say that although they didn''t have bottlenecks, the amount of spirit power needed to advance was higher than that required by humans. Therefore, even the divine beasts who cultivated diligently would have ended up not having such a significant advantage over humans and demons.


    ''Can we? Just for a day or two, please.'' Xing asked with supplication as well.


    The process of absorbing a spirit core was exhausting, especially if above their level of cultivation. Ye and Xing had to stay awake for days and days so as not to waste that energy. Their fatigue was, therefore, understandable.


    "Alright. Then go to sleep and rest." Hei smiled at his little sisters, giving them a well-deserved rest.


    After Ye and Xing went to sleep, Hei turned to Lian, "What do you think? In a way, I''m relieved that they managed to reach the second level."


    "Yes, at least they will be safer during the battle. And the same goes for us. I just wish we had reached the second rank to be even more relaxed." Lian confessed as she bit her lip. Although half-step to the second rank was a respectable cultivation for someone of the younger generation like them, she wasn''t delighted with the result.


    "Yeah, I also wish it was so. But we mustn''t be in a hurry. It is now just a matter of time. The pills for our rank advancement are ready, and the foundation stabilization process is almost over. Honestly, I would like to use them immediately, but something tells me that we will soon be summoned."


    While Hei was discussing with Lian, the two of them heard a knock on the door. It was Ho Yeon Hong. "Hei, Lian. It''s me, Ho Yeon Hong. My sister sent me here. She wants me to take you to her."


    "Okay, we''re coming," Hei answered as he took the sheets from the bed with which he wrapped Ye and Xing. Then, taking them in his arms, he left the room with Lian to follow Ho Yeon Hong toward her older sister Ho Ri-Na.


    "Have you advanced a little during this time?" Ho Yeon Hong asked Hei and Lian, turning more to Hei specifically.


    "Yes, it is now only a matter of time before becoming spirit soldiers," Hei answered sincerely. There was no reason to hide their cultivation when it could easily have been seen by Ho Ri-Na and the spirit soldiers under her command.


    "Wow! I had noticed that you were quite advanced as a seventh stage, but you even approach the second rank in this way. I bet the big sister will be pleased. The crew will acquire two more spirit soldiers, and our power will increase." Ho Yeon Hong complimented the two of them as she excitedly thought about the idea that his sister would lead five spirit soldiers.


    "You instead? Were you able to advance with your cultivation?" Hei asked in turn, as he tried to move the topic to Ho Yeon Hong.


    "Yes, I am a high sixth stage. I am approaching almost the peak. From there, I will then have to face the bottleneck towards the seventh stage. I had thought of trying to go directly to the second rank once I reached the peak sixth stage. However, my sister categorically forbade me. Even if we are having a hard time, she doesn''t want me to waste my potential."


    The seventh stage was a particular stage compared to the other stages of the first rank, spirit apprentice, precisely because it wasn''t indispensable to advance to the second rank. It was just that progressing from the sixth stage spirit apprentice to the first stage spirit soldier was more difficult than advancing from the seventh stage spirit apprentice to the first stage spirit soldier. Not to mention that spirit soldiers who used that shortcut ended up having more difficulties in advancing between the stages of the spirit soldier rank and a lesser amount of spirit power available to them. Not surprisingly, they were also referred to as second-rate spirit soldiers.


    After some trivial talk, they finally arrived at Ho Ri-Na''s villa. The guards made them pass without problems, but from their attitude, one could see that there was tension in that place.


    Once they arrived in front of the office, Ho Yeon Hong knocked and warned of their arrival, "Big sister, I took Hei and Lian as you asked. We''re about to come in."


    "Yes, that''s fine." Ho Ri-Na''s voice came from the other side of the door. From the sound, you could notice something hoarse, as if she had a sore throat or had spent a sleepless night.


    Ho Yeon Hong, therefore, opened the study door. Inside there were besides Ho Ri-Na, Sok Yeong-Gi, and two other men. As they stood fearlessly standing near one of the Four Pirate Generals, they must surely have been the other two spirit soldiers under Ho Ri-Na''s command.


    "Welcome, Hei, Lian. I guess you know why I got you summoned here." Ho Ri-Na didn''t waste too much time on the pleasantries and went straight to the main topic. Her sunken eyes shifted briefly to Ye and Xing, who were blissfully sleeping, regardless of what was going on.


    "Yes. The decisive battle against Hong Shin. So the time has come?" Although it was rather obvious, Hei still asked as confirmation.


    "Yes, we are finally ready. I had you summoned just to assign you your tasks. But before that, I want to congratulate you on reaching half-step towards the second rank. If it had been possible, I would have liked to have given you more time to advance."


    Upon hearing the words'' half-step'' and ''second rank,'' Sok Yeong-Gi''s face twitched slightly. He wasn''t at all happy to have received such news. Ho Ri-Na glanced briefly at him. As much as Sok Yeong-Gi tried to conceal his real character, he couldn''t fool a woman''s careful eyes. After all, if it was a matter of secrets, women were generally more skilled than men.


    "I am honestly surprised that you have reached half-step second rank. I thought you would have stopped at the peak of the seventh stage, but it is better that it went like this. Take this." Ho Ri-Na handed them a thin, vertical object. "It''s a jade slip. It is similar to the bamboo and wooden slips, used in the past to transcribe information. The shape is the same; however, by etching a formation on it, certain information can be sealed inside. It is as if it were a technique manual. You just have to flow your spirit power within, and the information will be displayed directly in your mind. It is handier to carry rather than a book, and more direct as a learning method. But it doesn''t mean that it is enough to use it to learn a technique."


    "Thank you, Captain. However, can I ask you the reason for this gift?" Hei didn''t immediately take the jade slip presented by the sect leader. In the world of martial artists, there was hardly a gift for free without asking for something in return. So before accepting anything, you always had to clarify the situation behind that gift.


    "Haha, prudent as they told me. You have been hiding pretty well as well, not revealing that you have a pure bloodline. I don''t know where you two got it from, and I don''t care. In any case, the jade slip is solely because of the impending battle. Since you are half-step second rank, you cannot fly yet. However, some movement techniques are possible. If you want to have more chance of survival, you should take it. Inside you will find a technique that allows you to walk on the surface of the water using your spirit power. It''s not like flying, but does it allow you more freedom of maneuver, or am I wrong by chance?"


    Upon hearing that, Hei''s eyes settled on the jade slip on Ho Ri-Na''s desk. As she said, that technique would have given them more chances of maneuver and, therefore, survival. He couldn''t miss such a thing.


    "What''s the price? Or rather the task you want to assign us?" Hei finally asked, after having made his decision.


    "Good, excellent reasoning. First of all, the protection of Ho Yeon Hong. I know you allowed her to board your ship for the battle. You can think of this as the payment for that concession. As for your task, yours and your partner''s, you have to face the beast tamer Pang Ja-Kyung and his spirit beasts. Our crew has about 600 men; that of Hong Shin too is roughly on those numbers. The difference lies in the number of spirit soldiers. Excluding myself, there are three other spirit soldiers on our side, while there are four spirit soldiers in command of Hong Shin. So you two will have to make up for our lack and get rid of Pang Ja-Kyung. You don''t have to kill him necessarily. It will be good as long as you keep him busy so that he doesn''t interfere in other people''s battlefields. Obviously, the ideal would be to kill him. If you manage to eliminate it, you will then help the other teams. In the meantime, my other spirit soldiers and I will face Hong Shin and his spirit soldiers. If you have managed to kill the whale, then I am confident that you will be able to face Pang Ja-Kyung." Ho Ri-Na, therefore, began to explain her plan in detail, answering any questions Hei had.


    Once over that meeting, Hei finally asked the most crucial question, "When do we leave?"


    "Tomorrow at dawn. All the men for the mission are ready, and I have already left arrangements during my absence. We should then meet the enemy after a day and a half of sailing."


    "All right. We''ll be ready without a doubt." Hei replied as his expression turned serious.


    He had already participated in battles with dozens of martial artists at the same time. However, this battlefield consisted of approximately 600 men on both sides, for a total of roughly 1200 men. It was reasonable that he was anxious. But more than anxiety, it was excitement.


    ''A battleground for over a thousand martial artists. Facing a spirit soldier and killing him. I have no doubts, I, Lian, and my little sisters will wipe out every enemy and get the victory.''

 Chapter 125 - The Decisive Battle Begins - 2

    Twenty medium-sized ships were moored in the port of the pirate city Steam City. All of them were well-crafted combat ships and in perfect condition for sailing. They had good damage resistance and sufficient speed to avoid too heavy impacts. Furthermore, their carrying capacity was also reasonable. Ultimately, they were a standard choice as a vessel for naval battles.


    Leading these twenty ships were three massive war galleons that paved the way for the fleet. Each of these war galleons was driven by a spirit soldier, while Pirate General Ho Ri-Na was in the center war galleon overseeing the status of her entire fleet.


    In truth, the three war galleons had such a load capacity to embark on all the men brought by Ho Ri-Na for the battle. However, the Pirate General had decided not to opt for such a move. The reason was simple - it was a naval battle between Pirate Generals.


    Usually, pirate fights mainly involved spirit apprentices. As a result, each pirate was careful not to damage too much the ship they were fighting on. If they had destroyed their ships, they would have been forced to fight while swimming. But even if they had won, they certainly couldn''t have swum the ocean when there were aquatic spirit beasts lurking.


    However, this time there were nine spirit soldiers to fight - Ho Ri-Na and her three spirit soldiers; Hong Shin and his four spirit soldiers. Since they were spirit soldiers, they would move their fight into the sky, but there was no certainty that they wouldn''t harm the ships below them. As a result, Ho Ri-Na thought of dividing her troops into multiple ships so that her men had various footholds for the fight. At the same time, it was also a way of distributing the pressure of enemy attacks on multiple fronts.


    Rounding out the fleet was the presence of a ship smaller than the others - Hei''s artifact ship. Old Tohyon had taken charge during this period of supervising the work on the artifact ship. Under Hei''s orders, he had the entire ship''s structure enhanced, including the formation that propelled the propulsion system. A shield function was also added to the formation so that the ship had more chance of resisting impacts. The cost of such changes was exorbitant, at least for a regular pirate, but Hei had enough funds and paid without batting an eyelid.


    "It''s finally time to sail." Hei murmured in a low voice as he looked at the inhabitants of the Steam City gathered at the port to greet the fleet.


    It should be known that there weren''t only the lives of the pirates at stake but also those of all the people who lived under the jurisdiction of Ho Ri-Na. A defeat or worse, the death of the Pirate General, would not only have resulted in the loss of power and territory but also the end of those quiet days under the protection of the female pirate.


    Suddenly, when all preparations had been completed, a female voice was heard echoing in the air. It was Ho Ri-Na. Before leaving, she wanted to salute her subordinates, who would stay there.


    "Comrades! Whether you are pirates or not, the moment you chose to place yourself under my banner, we became one. Today we will leave to terminate an unfinished business against an old enemy. This enemy has caused so much damage to many of our comrades; for this reason, he must be punished. But you don''t have to be afraid. You should rejoice and start preparing the celebrations. Because victory is already in our hands!"


    Ho Ri-Na''s incitement warmed the hearts of pirates but, in particular, of the citizens of her city. Seeing their sovereign so proud and confident of victory, how could they continue to doubt? Wasn''t she Ho Ri-Na, one of the Four Pirate Generals? The only woman to have achieved such a position among pirates?


    In that way, the fleet began to move further and further away from Steam City until it disappeared from sight, and there was only the ocean around them. The next day, many of them wouldn''t have seen such a scenario on the return.


    Meanwhile, as the ships continued their journey, a bizarre scene was happening in the artifact ship. A large wooden tub filled with seawater had been set up on the bridge. Standing in the middle of the tub were two people who seemed to float. It was Hei and Lian.


    The day before, Hei had received the jade slip containing the technique for walking on water. Upon returning home, he had immediately made efforts to learn it, but it wasn''t a simple technique to be learned in one day. Fortunately, both Hei and Lian were quite well versed, and it wouldn''t be long for them to master it.


    "How''s it going, Lian?" Hei asked as his feet were half wet in the water and half out.


    "I understood the mechanism, but I''m still wrong in regulating my spirit power. But there shouldn''t be much left." Lian replied as she concentrated on looking at her feet to understand how to manage her spirit power.


    At the side of the tub, wrapped in a silk blanket, were Ye and Xing, who were sleeping soundly. Having reached the second level, it hadn''t taken them long to understand how the technique worked, and they had mastered it in a few hours. So Hei had given her free time to rest and reach their peak conditions. As for their flying ability, however, at the moment, the two little divine beasts weren''t yet capable of it. But, they were confident that they would understand something by observing the spirit soldiers more closely during this fight.


    Besides them and the old Tohyon who was driving the ship, there was only Ho Yeon-Hong. She was looking nervously at the waves generated by the ship''s movement. Even though she was Ho Ri-Na''s younger sister, it was the first time she faced such a battle. Therefore it was normal for her to be agitated, although until recently, she was full of vitality and excitement for the battle.


    With such an atmosphere, Hei''s ship continued to follow the fleet to their destination.


    *


    Whoosh!


    The wind blew strongly at that section of the ocean as the two opposing fleets came from two different directions.


    Son of Wind, Hong Shin. As one of the Four Pirate Generals, he also had three gigantic ships, such as Ho Ri-Na''s war galleons. In addition to those, there were also other smaller ships, according to a pattern equal to that of Ho Ri-Na. Evidently, the two Pirate Generals had had the same idea about the struggle between their weaker subordinates. However, there was a big difference between the two fleets.


    Keow! Keow! Keow!


    Above the Hong Shin''s fleet, a large flock of seagulls was flying, following the speed of the ships below them. They weren''t ordinary seagulls but, rather, specimens of spirit beasts. It was easy to understand since the size of each seagull was around 1-2 meters in length. Leading them was an enormous 5-meter specimen carrying a man on its back.


    From the bridge, Hei used the telescope he had found on the desert island along with the map fragment to look at the flock.


    "Great Black-backed Gull! To be able to command such a flock, it must necessarily be a second-level spirit beast."


    Hei quickly understood the species of the flock''s leader. It was a great black-backed gull, the largest specimen of gull that could be found in nature. Snow-white head and body, pitch-black wings as the night, and a large yellow beak. Its coloring combined with its build and its dominant attitude made it a king among the seagulls, capable of governing large flocks.


    Moving the telescope, Hei recognized the man who sat on top of that majestic creature - Pang Ja-Kyung. The beast tamer after his defeat, and the loss of his whale hadn''t been demoralized. Fueled by the desire for revenge, he had resorted to various types of medicines to heal his spirit wound and obtain another second-level spirit beast. Eventually, he had managed to control the king of this flock of seagulls.


    As Hei finished watching the flock, the ships of both fleets had stopped on the spot. They were still too far away to be able to fight, but the mere presence of the enemy put even more tension on pirates on both sides.


    "Comrades! We have finally arrived at the day when we will end once and for all that Hong Shin bastard! You know very well that not all of us will get out of this fight alive, but has this ever stopped us?" Ho Ri-Na asked as her voice rang out among all the ships in her fleet.


    "No! Never! "


    "Better to die than to live as cowards!"


    "We will follow the Captain to the end!"


    As various voices overlapped each other, Ho Ri-Na continued, "Excellent. Yes, many of you will die, but to those who remain alive, I promise wealth. The Treasure of one of the Four Pirate Generals! Don''t you think it''s a nice loot? Then let''s go get it like the pirates we are!"


    With that sentence, the pirates let out their war cries as they stamped their feet on the ground. They were euphoric and heedless of death. Thus, the ships began to resume their march as the enemy became more visible. The Hong Shin fleet had also resumed its march and was approaching.


    "Charge!"


    When the two ships were at a sufficient distance, Ho Ri-Na issued the last order. Then from both fleets, eight figures rose to the sky and then collided with each other.


    Boom!


    The sharp noise of spirit power colliding echoed in the air. The spirit soldiers in the sky began to fight each other as they gradually moved their fight somewhere else. But from below, their subordinate pirates could clearly see how intensely they were fighting and became excited at the sight.


    " For Captain Ho Ri-Na! Let''s bring her the victory! "


    " For Captain Hong Shin! Let''s teach these bitches what terror is! "


    The ships began to collide with each other as they approached each other. Pirates drew their swords and brought chaos to a new level.


    "Ye, Xing, Lian, Ho Yeon-Hong, Old Tohyon! Are you ready?! Let''s get started!" Hei let out his war cry and concentrated on the task assigned to him - facing Pang Ja-Kyung.


    The flock of seagulls also had begun to move, unraveling their tight formation and plummeting toward the pirates of Ho Ri-Na. From above, Pang Ja-Kyung controlled everything sitting on his second level spirit beast. From his smile, it was clear that he was relaxed.


    Screech! Hiss!


    Suddenly, a series of hissing and deafening sounds began to echo on the battlefield. The flying seagulls that were diving toward the ships were startled by these sounds and stopped as they tried to understand their origin. Then they identified the source - a smaller ship than the others at the end of the enemy fleet.


    Since their king hadn''t said anything yet, the seagulls rushed to that small ship at full speed. Their eyes were filled with anger at what they had heard.


    It was Ye and Xing who had produced those sounds, and the meaning conveyed wasn''t something very polite to say. No wonder, therefore, that it had triggered the anger of all the seagulls in the flock.


    "Could you have chosen something else? It''s not very nice to say." Hei commented as he prepared to receive the flock.


    ''But big brother, you were the one who told us to get their attention.'' (Ye)


    ''Yes, it was the fastest way. And then we got a good result, didn''t we? '' (Xing)


    "Hahaha, okay. Then, we welcome our guests with a warm hug." Hei said while smiling.


    Hei''s spirit power then began to flow out of his body as he assumed the battle position. The tip of his spear shone with a lethal g

 Chapter 126 - Clash of Beast Tamers

    The flock of seagulls approached menacingly towards the artifact ship driven by Old Tohyon that accommodate Hei and the others on board. Watching these spirit beasts approaching at high speed, Ho Yeon-Hong could only get nervous.


    "Hei, what''s going on? Why are those creatures all coming here?" asked Ho Yeon-Hong with a trembling voice. She couldn''t understand why those birds had changed so abruptly their targets.


    "Don''t worry about the reason; get ready to fight instead. Lian, for the time, being just to support us, alright?" Hei responded without giving a proper answer. There was no time to explain in detail; she just needed to do what he ordered.


    "Yes, let it to me. Don''t worry, Hei." Lian answered while watching the upcoming seagulls. She trusted Hei and had learned just to follow his commands.


    The flock of seagulls finally arrived where the artifact ship was. The first specimens swooped down against the humans who were on the deck. The beak on their heads was shining with a lethal glow. It was as if they had been trained to pierce the flesh of their victims.


    ''Gull meat, yum yum!'' (Xing)


    ''Lil'' Gull, come here so that I can take a big bite'' (Ye)


    Unlike Ho Yeon-Hong, Ye and Xing didn''t seem worried at all about the flock that had descended on them. With clearly excited and amused tones, they launched themselves against the first downhill seagulls. They still had their minute dimensions used when they hid on Hei''s body, but their strength wasn''t at all hindered by it anyway. However, at the moment, they weren''t using all their power, thus hiding the fact that they had reached the second level.


    Slash! Crunch!


    The seagulls who dared to challenge them were beheaded while they were still flying, and their bodies continued to fly for a few more meters as the blood came out of the clean wounds on their necks. Ho Yeon-Hong watched with horror as the blood shower descended from above onto the ship''s deck along with the beheaded heads of the seagulls.


    Meanwhile, Hei had also moved. Waving his spear, he imitated his little sisters and started slicing the seagulls. The flock immediately saw the danger and tried to surround him to peck him from several sides. However, Lian was protecting Hei with her ribbons, preventing the seagulls from approaching beyond a certain distance, allowing Hei to attack without worrying about his defense.


    Ho Yeon-Hong eventually recovered. Although she was still flustered and agitated about her first big fight, she was still the sister of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. Taking a deep breath, she drew her sword as she helped Hei chase the seagulls away.


    The seagulls that made up the flock were all first-level spirit beasts. Their power ranged from specimens comparable to fourth stages to those with a seventh stage power. Still, none of the seagulls managed to inflict concrete harm to the humans on the deck.


    The defense of her ribbons allowed Lian to delimit a perimeter in which Hei and Ho Yeon-Hong could attack without problems, not to mention Ye and Xing, who were overwhelming anything in their path. As second-level divine beasts, there was no way they could lose against first-level spirit beasts.


    Watching the flock losing its momentum and being repelled, suffering huge losses, Pang Ja-Kyung finally started to get irritated. From his seated position, he rose to his feet and commanded the leader of the flock, the Great Black-backed Gull, to the artifact ship.


    "Lian, get ready. It''s almost time!" Hei quickly communicated as soon as he noticed Pang Ja-Kyung''s movements.


    "Okay, whenever you want," Lian replied as she took on a more serious expression.


    Both knew that there was no way Pang Ja-Kyung would have allowed them to slaughter the flock of seagulls undisturbed. So far, he had let them fight as it was only the beginning of the battle. It was a way to break the ice. But now that the ice had been broken. The moment of the main course had finally come, which was what Pang Ja-Kyung was waiting with fervor. After all, he still remembered the searing defeat he had endured because of Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing.


    However, Hei was also waiting for that moment. Their job was to engage Pang Ja-Kyung and make sure he wouldn''t head to the other battlefields. If the beast tamer wanted to settle accounts with him, it was okay for Hei. He already had a plan in mind to fight Pang Ja-Kyung and his second-level spirit beast. He wasn''t afraid; after all, he had two second-level spirit beasts. And they weren''t mere spirit beasts, but divine beasts that even had awakened their Concepts.


    When Pang Ja-Kyung came close enough, Hei gave the signal to Lian, "Now!"


    At that point, the blue-haired young woman used one of her ribbons to wrap the neck of one of the larger seagulls. The bird tried to free itself but without success. Left without alternatives, it decided to go up to the sky, thinking that in this way, it would be able to get rid of that annoying human.


    Lian smiled as she saw this and didn''t try to counter the seagull, letting it drag her up into the sky. Before leaving the ship''s deck, however, she threw back her second ribbon, which was quickly grabbed by Hei, who had Ye and Xing on his shoulders.


    "Old Tohyon, activate the formation shield. Ho Yeon-Hong, in the meantime, you continue to engage the remaining seagulls." Shouting orders as he was being dragged through the air, Hei then moved his gaze to the Great Black-backed Gull, which was a few meters away and was flying at full speed against them.


    "You made a mistake to go up here, kid! You should have stayed on your ship. Great Black-backed Gull, kill him!" Pang Ja-Kyung cursed with words full of hatred and joy for the revenge so close to him.


    With enthusiasm, he urged his spirit beast to go faster while the Great Black-backed Gull opened its beak ready to tear apart the human who was so hated by his master. However, a few moments before the contact, Lian maneuvered the ribbon that held Hei and his little sisters suspended, throwing the three of them high in the sky. Soon after, Lian loosened her grip on the seagull that had carried them in the air and launched herself towards the Great Black-backed Gull as she wrapped her ribbons on the creature''s neck.


    Keow! Keow! Keow!


    The Great Black-backed Gull didn''t seem happy at all about being tied up like that and began to shake its body vehemently as it tried to free itself. Pang Ja-Kyung looked with hatred at that scene and wanted to intervene. However, in front of him, Hei and his little sisters were blocking his way.


    "Do you want to go somewhere?" Hei mocked as he smiled. He knew that Pang Ja-Kyung felt a strong grudge against him. As a result, he wouldn''t have wasted the opportunity to make him more nervous. After all, those who ended up being clouded by anger ended up making mistakes during the fight.


    And Pang Ja-Kyung was furious. He didn''t dare believe that a boy like Hei was so arrogant towards him. Last time he had lost his precious whale, yet now he had become the target.


    "Brat! Do you really think you can do something? Let me teach you the difference between a spirit soldier and a mere spirit apprentice." Pang Ja-Kyung spat each word angrily as he drew his sword. Then with swift footwork, he lunged forward against Hei.


    Hei raised his spirit power to the maximum and infused it into the spear. Then he used his weapon to ward off the sword that was coming against him.


    Peng!


    A loud metallic sound rang out while the blade of Pang Ja-Kyung''s sword was blocked by Hei''s spear shaft. No matter how much strength the spirit soldier tamer tried to exercise, Pang Ja-Kyung was unable to advance his sword further, getting stuck a few centimeters from Hei''s face.


    "How is it possible! How can you?!" exclaimed Pang Ja-Kyung in amazement. He couldn''t believe his attack had been blocked in such a way.


    It was known that Hei hadn''t yet resorted to using his battle formation, and therefore, it was natural that Pang Ja-Kyung thought he had the advantage at the moment. However, Hei was a half-step spirit soldier, meaning his spirit power was on the threshold of the second rank. Although it was still at a disadvantage when it came to cultivation, the gap wasn''t that big. Furthermore, his spear had been made with his mother''s body, a sixth-level divine beast; consequently it wouldn''t have been broken so easily. All Hei had to do was resist the impact, and that was precisely what he was doing right now.


    Spit!


    While Pang Ja-Kyung was still appalled by the scene in front of him, a large spit of saliva was generated from Hei''s mouth. Using Chameleon Tongue, he perfectly centered Pang Ja-Kyung''s right eye.


    Although it was a simple spit and there was the layer of spirit power to act as a barrier, Pang Ja-Kyung couldn''t help but react instinctively when that lump of saliva temporarily blocked a portion of his vision. Immediately, he stopped exerting pressure with the sword as he wiped his right eye, and that action gave Hei a breathing space for charging against his enemy.


    Stab!


    With all the strength he possessed, Hei ran forward and pointed the spear at his opponent''s stomach. The enemy''s protective layer still held up, saving Pang Ja-Kyung from a severe injury. However, this wasn''t what Hei was aiming for. No, Hei had a completely different plan in mind.


    Taking advantage of the enemy''s protective layer of spirit power, Hei continued to push Pang Ja-Kyung along the body of the Great Black-backed Gull until they reached the creature''s tail. Then, using the momentum he had built up, he pushed Pang Ja-Kyung away from the second-level seagull and threw himself after that.


    In mid-air in the sky, Pang Ja-Kyung stopped using his flight skill. He didn''t know why Hei had done such a thing when he wasn''t even a spirit soldier. Fighting in the air would only have favored him, after all, while placing Hei in a passive position. But he had no time to think about the reasons for such a suicide. Since he had been given the opportunity, he would have used it to teach the brat a lesson.


    "Take this, Intent of the Sword, Piercing Blade!" Pang Ja-Kyung lunged forward while intercepting Hei, who was falling. But this was nothing more than a mistake.


    "Ye! Xing! Now!" Hei screamed as he commanded his little sisters.


    Suddenly, Ye lunged forward from Hei''s shoulder. Waving her tail, she went to intercept Pang Ja-Kyung''s sword aimed at her big brother.


    Peng!


    Another metallic noise rang out as the snake''s tail and the sword blade collided. Entirely shocked, Pang Ja-Kyung realized the creature that had blocked his attack was a second-level spirit beast.


    "How is that possible!?" Pang Ja-Kyung exclaimed in horror. He couldn''t believe that such a brat could command second-level spirit beasts. That meant they were equal regarding their taming skills.


    ''Snake Coiling!''


    Without answering, Hei used Snake Coiling and wrapped his four limbs around those of Pang Ja-Kyung. The enemy beast tamer tried to react, but his sword was quickly stolen by Ye, who was now wielding it with her tail.


    ''Snake Hair!''


    Leaving a lock to hold his spear behind his back, the rest of Hei''s hair went to increase the grip on Pang Ja-Kyung. Meanwhile, Xing was also contributing to this, generating spiderweb threads to tie the two as tightly as possible.


    "Brat! What the fuck are you trying to do?" Pang Ja-Kyung asked bewildered.


    At the moment, they were being suspended in midair thanks to the spirit soldier''s flying ability. Still, if Hei had started attacking him, the most direct consequence would have been that they would both have fallen down towards the ocean.


    "How about a nice dive in the ocean waters?" Hei mocked as he looked at Pang Ja-Kyung a few centimeters from him.


    At that point, Ye approached the beast tamer of Hong Shin''s crew and buried her fangs in the man''s neck. The spirit power layer was still active, and it momentarily prevented Ye''s fangs from entering the flesh. However, Xing was also attacking that area with her eight legs. So it was only a matter of time before the protective layer of spirit power that protected Pang Ja-Kyung collapsed.


    "Shit! Great Black-backed Gull, where are you?!" Pang Ja-Kyung vehemently screamed as he realized the situation he was.


    Since it had received no orders, the second-level gull had concentrated on trying to get rid of Lian still above its head. However, the young blue-haired woman had been more tenacious than ever. Holding on to her two ribbons wrapped on the head of the seagull, Lian had remained anchored on the bird''s back even though the creature was constantly spinning on itself.


    But, unfortunately for the seagull, there was no time to get rid of that annoying insect, and the bird quickly ran to its master after hearing his desperate cry for help. To its surprise, the seagull noticed the aura of two second-level spirit beasts. After sending a shout of defiance against Ye and Xing, it increased its flight speed even more.


    ''It has finally arrived.'' Hei thought to himself as he smiled. The arrival of the second-level seagull didn''t bother him in the least.


    "Xing! It''s up to you! "Hei immediately issued an order to his little sister, who understood what she had to do. With their level of familiarity, they didn''t need many words to understand what they were thinking.


    With a jump, Xing launched herself into the air against the seagull heading for them. Quickly, her small body began to grow. In front of Pang Ja-Kyung''s astonished gaze, the small spider became a huge three-meter spider. Xing''s eight legs went to close on the body of the Great Black-backed Gull, who didn''t expect such a change. Quickly, the two beasts crashed down as they spun at an insane speed.


    Before plummeting down, however, Lian loosened the grip of her ribbons and jumped into the air towards Hei. Using one of her released ribbons, she wrapped that ribbon around the bodies of Hei and Pang Ja-Kyung, increasing the pressure between the two, and settled herself behind Hei''s back, firmly grasping the young man''s body.


    "Nice job Lian. The time has come. Ye, take us down." Hei said, smiling at Lian.


    Since his hands were stuck, he used his tongue to lick Lian''s forehead quickly. She made no sign of remonstrance at that gesture of affection and, in turn, smiled a little. Meanwhile, Ye was carrying out her big brother''s command. Increasing the size of her body as Xing had done before, she quickly reached three meters in length. And when she did, Pang Ja-Kyung was no longer able to maintain the altitude, and the rapid downward fall began. Before long, they would encounter the harsh impact of ocean water.

 Chapter 127 - Kill a Spirit Soldier

    Thud! Splash!


    The heap of meat consisting of Ye, Hei, Lian, and Pang Ja-Kyung precipitously fell into the freezing ocean waters. Even though the spirit soldier Pang Ja-Kyung did his best to avoid ending up in the water with his flying ability, he alone was unable to hold such a large amount of cargo. So, all he got was just to slow down the falling a little.


    The one to suffer the most significant impact was Ye, who first came to touch the water. However, Ye had a resistant body due to the Law of Metal, and therefore that fall had no major consequences on her. Immediately after Ye, Pang Ja-Kyung suffered the most from the fall. Hei had, in fact, controlled the descent so that his enemy would first fell into the water. In doing so, he sharply reduced the impact for him and Lian behind his back.


    The four, after coming into contact with the surface of the water, continued to sink. Ye had wrapped her tail over Hei and Pang Ja-Kyung and was dragging them down until she stopped about 5 meters underwater. After reaching five meters, Ye stopped and turned to look at Hei.


    ''Big brother, now what? Do you want me to finish this one here?'' Ye asked as she tilted her head and uncovered her fangs as if she meant she could easily bite Pang Ja-Kyung.


    ''No, go back to Xing. Kill that second-level seagull and recover its body. Even if you have reached the second level, you are just advanced. I have faith in you, and I know that both of you can kill such an enemy on your own, but since we are in advantage, why do we have to risk suffering deep wounds? There are still enemies around us, and it is better to save our strength.'' Hei replied to his little sister via spirit message.


    ''Alright. Then I''ll go immediately. I''ll come back in a little while.''


    At that point, the large three-meter snake began to rise rapidly to the surface. Pang Ja-Kyung raised a sigh of relief within himself. For a moment, he had believed that his end would come at the hands of that hideous creature, but it hadn''t happened. He didn''t know why they hadn''t finished him, but he couldn''t waste that chance. With all his might, he tried to fly up to the surface. However, Pang Ja-Kyung soon realized that no matter how hard he tried it, he couldn''t move from where he was.


    The reason? It was simple - the ribbon Lian had tied around Hei and Pang Ja-Kyung. Lian had put her spirit power into this ribbon and had hardened it. By commanding it through her spirit power, she could cause the ribbon to remain motionless at a specific point, thereby immobilizing those who had been trapped.


    ''Lian, go. Stop anyone from coming down here.'' Hei quickly ordered Lian to continue with the plan he had formulated to counter Pang Ja-Kyung. Hei had already planned to move the combat underwater to counter the enemy''s flying ability; it was just that the presence of the seagulls'' flock and the second-level seagull had forced him to modify the details of his plan in a short time. But in the end, things had gone smoothly.


    Lian nodded and quickly returned to the surface as well. Now, five meters underwater, there were only Hei, and Pang Ja-Kyung squeezed in that strange cocoon of spiderweb and hair, held in place by the silver silk ribbon with reddish veins. Even though Lian had returned to the surface, with her spirit power, she could still control the five-meter long ribbon.


    ''So Pang Ja-Kyung, how about seeing who resists most underwater?'' Hei faintly smiled as he addressed these words to his enemy a few inches away.


    ''Crazy! What do you think this farce is for? Do you want to turn our fight into a shallow breath-holding game? Don''t make me laugh; I''ll definitely kill you.''


    ''Shallow game? Pang Ja-Kyung, this isn''t a game. It is a hunt, and the situation you are in now is nothing more than the trap I have designated to hunt the prey known as Pang Ja-Kyung.'' With those words, Hei slowly started to move his neck to rest it on Pang Ja-Kyung''s.


    ''Hey! What are you doing? What do you want to do?'' Pang Ja-Kyung asked in an agitated voice, unable to understand the reason for that move. Wasn''t it a dispute to whoever breathed the most?


    ''Spider Bite!''


    Two half-moon blades of spirit power emerged from the two lateral sides of Hei''s throat. These blades impacted the defensive layer that still protected Pang Ja-Kyung''s body. However, that defensive layer had previously been eroded by the consecutive attacks of Ye and Xing. Indeed, Pang Ja-Kyung had spent much of his spirit power to resist the spider and snake pair, even though their attacks hadn''t lasted for a long time.


    The trap Hei had devised wasn''t a simple competition of holding their breath. With Spider Bite, he could continue attacking without repercussions despite the situation he was in. It didn''t matter that he was underwater or that his whole body was tied to the enemy''s, as long as his head remained free, Hei had multiple ways to continue the fight. This notion, however, wasn''t true at all for Pang Ja-Kyung, who could only hope that his spirit power would last long enough for someone to come and save him.


    Out of the water, he still had his Great Black-backed Gull, who was currently fighting Xing. The two creatures were tight in a deadly dance as they flew quickly around the battlefield. The second-level seagull, despite being in the middle of combat, had noticed the danger of its master, but it couldn''t get rid of that spider that was sinking her legs on its body. Its beak, whom it was so proud of, was unable to break the armor-like exoskeleton of that purple spider with silver patterns.


    Keow! Keow! Keow!


    Therefore, the Great Black-backed Gull ordered the members of its still-alive flock to go and save its master in its stead. The flock gulls immediately obeyed its command, interrupting their attack on the artifact ship.


    "What''s going on?" Ho Yeon-Hong wondered to herself.


    The gray-haired young woman was breathing heavily, and her sword had now turned scarlet red from the gull blood with which she had stained herself. On the ship''s deck, there were dozens of bodies of seagulls with visible blade wounds. Around the ship, an azure-colored oval barrier had been erected by the new defense mechanism of the artifact ship.


    "They aren''t withdrawing. Lady Ho Yeon-Hong, I think they are going to where Master Hei is." Old Tohyon guessed from the flight direction of the seagulls where they were headed.


    "Towards Hei? Then we have to chase them! Hei has left me the task of holding back the flock, and I will complete that task. Old Tohyon, go at full speed."


    "All right, leave it to me, Lady Ho Yeon-Hong."


    Quickly, the artifact ship used the propulsion system as it launched in pursuit of the flock of seagulls. Thanks to the speed provided by the formation engraved on the ship, the artifact ship was able to bridge the gap from the flock and soon reached the destination point.


    Standing above the surface of the water, a young blue-haired woman was dancing on the water while waving a silver ribbon with reddish veins. It was as if her tape was alive. In a certain sense, she reminded of a beautiful flower and the roots that kept that flower anchored to the earth. However, the ''root'' that kept anchored that beautiful young woman was currently protecting that ''flower'' from the attack of the fearsome seagulls who wanted to tear her up and dive into the water.


    Without delay, Old Tohyon pushed the artifact ship forward and rammed a pair of seagulls that wanted to hit Lian. The impact was so strong that the two affected seagulls were made flew several meters.


    "We have come to help! Where''s Hei?" Ho Yeon-Hong shouted as she started hitting the seagulls.


    Lian looked at her briefly and nodded her head to indicate the water. Ho Yeon-Hong immediately understood what Lian meant. The meaning of that gesture was quite intuitive, and there was no need for further explanation. Old Tohyon also understood Lian''s message and reactivated the barrier around the ship again.


    Now part of the flock was being blocked by the artifact ship while Ho Yeon-Hong continued to cut numbers. Their intervention greatly reduced the burden on Lian''s shoulders, who had more room to breathe. Unfortunately, at the moment, she only had one ribbon as the other one was tight around Hei and Pang Ja-Kyung, so it was difficult for her to block so many enemies on her own.


    This situation continued for some time. But in the end, the seagulls'' efforts to save Pang Ja-Kyung were in vain. Indeed, they only led to the death of all of them. Ye had reached Xing, and, taking advantage of her sister''s spiderwebs, she had reached the spider and the seagull in the sky. In a short time, the two divine beasts slaughtered the Great Black-backed Gull, securing its body. They then returned to where Lian was and joined the group to finish off the remaining seagulls.


    From beneath the surface of the water, Pang Ja-Kyung''s face became increasingly white as the water was colored red because of the blood lost by the seagulls. But the decisive turning point came as soon as the Great Black-backed Gull died. The breaking of the spirit pact caused him a spirit wound that conspicuously weakened him. Before long, the defensive layer of spirit power that protected his body was broken, and Hei''s half-moon blades of spirit power finally sank into Pang Ja-Kyung''s neck, thus ending the life of the spirit soldier.


    As soon as Hei killed Pang Ja-Kyung, he used his body to jerk the ribbon that wrapped him fifteen times in a row with a two-second interval between each jerk. It was the signal he had previously agreed with Lian to communicate when he would accomplish his task. At the moment, the range of his spirit message wasn''t such as to bridge the distance that separated him from Lian, thus forcing him to that stratagem.


    Lian noticed the signal being sent and waited for the fifteen tugs to end before maneuvering her ribbon to return to her. Quickly, Hei came out of the water and was still tied to Pang Ja-Kyung''s corpse.


    Hei slowly looked up at Lian and the others. Since he had had to stay underwater all this time, except to perform Spider Bite, Hei had reduced his body''s activity so as to keep the air inside his body and not die suffocated. However, even though he was still alive, the time spent holding his breath had still left him very fatigued.


    Without wasting time, Lian dragged him to herself, and with the ribbon still wrapping Hei and the now lifeless Pang Ja-Kyung, she brought the two men on board the ship where she finally untied the grip of her tape. Soon after, Xing used her sharp legs to cut the spiderwebs that held her big brother in one fell swoop.


    "Cough, cough! I''m fine. Give me a moment." Hei struggled to answer the worried looks of Lian and his little sisters.


    While Hei took deep breaths to regain air after that long apnea period, Ho Yeon-Hong also approached him. The gray-haired young woman hadn''t immediately approached Hei for fear of Xing and Ye. So far, she had only seen them in their petite form, and although she knew they were strong since they had helped Hei kill the whale, she didn''t think they were capable of increasing their size up to that point.


    "Are you okay?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked nervously.


    "I''m fine, thanks for holding back the flock of seagulls. Without you, we would have really been in trouble." Hei thanked the young woman.


    They weren''t words spoken out of politeness. It was really what Hei thought. Without the help of Ho Yeon-Hong, who held back the flock of seagulls, Hei, Lian, and even Ye and Xing would most likely have been in danger. If something had gone wrong, they could have lost their lives. After all, their opponent was a spirit soldier who commanded a second-level spirit beast.


    Hearing Hei''s words of thanks, Ho Yeon-Hong blushed, although it was difficult to notice given the gull''s blood that covered her body. Hei didn''t see it and stood up to look elsewhere.


    "We killed Pang Ja-Kyung, but the battle isn''t over yet. Old Tohyon, take us where the Pirate Generals and their officers are fighting. Let''s see if we can take out other spirit soldiers."

 Chapter 128 - Killing Another Prey

    "We killed Pang Ja-Kyung, but the battle isn''t over yet. Old Tohyon, take us where the Pirate Generals and their officers are fighting. Let''s see if we can take out other spirit soldiers."


    It was what Hei said as he kneeled down before Pang Ja-Kyung''s lifeless body and took his space ring. He wouldn''t let go of the spoils of war he had earned with his forces and his family''s.


    Upon hearing his words, Ho Yeon-Hong''s eyes widened. She couldn''t believe that after fighting Pang Ja-Kyung, Hei still had the desire to challenge other spirit soldiers, considering that the remaining spirit soldiers of Hong Shin''s crew were stronger than that beast tamer.


    "Hei, are you sure? Isn''t it better to support the others and bring down the enemies that are within our reach?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked in a worried voice.


    What she said was logical enough to think of, and it wasn''t wrong at all. Even though Hei had won against Pang Ja-Kyung, it was only thanks to several factors that had chained to each other. There was no way of knowing that he could kill another spirit soldier. It was more logical to take down the enemies who were fighting on the ships and help their companions.


    "I understand what you mean, but I won''t change my mind. If only one of the enemy spirit soldiers were to win their fights, the situation would become bad for us. That spirit soldier could go to help one of his companions, and eventually, your sister could lose against Hong Shin. If that happens, it will be the end of all of us. It will be so even if we manage to wipe out all the enemies on the ships." Hei quickly explained his point of view to Ho Yeon-Hong.


    It wasn''t as if he didn''t know that by doing so, he would condemn many of the pirates who were fighting on the ships. However, if what he had just said happened, it would have been the end for all of them. Between the death of a dozen more pirates and total annihilation, he would have chosen the path that had the most chances of victory for himself and his family. Even though he didn''t feel bad at staying in the Steam City, in the end, they weren''t his companions, and he didn''t feel such a deep attachment for them to compromise the victory itself.


    Ho Yeon-Hong listened to Hei''s words and bit her lips. What he said was right, and there was no way in which she could reply. Even though she felt sorry for the other pirates, she couldn''t compromise her older sister''s life itself.


    "However, it isn''t said that we could not do both. Only Ye and Xing will be enough for what I have in mind. Lian, you go with Ho Yeon-Hong and kill the enemies on the ships. Be careful, though, in any case. Even if you aren''t facing spirit soldiers, you must not let your guard down."


    Hearing Hei, Ho Yeon-Hong made a big smile. It was evident that she was delighted with the alternative Hei had found. However, she tried to contain her joy and asked, "Is it really okay? If you want, I can go alone to help the others. After all, Lian is a half-step spirit soldier. Her support will certainly help you more than mine."


    "No, there is no need. Only my spirit beasts will be enough. Besides, I can''t risk you running into danger. So Lian will also function as your personal guard if there are any enemies of the seventh stage. Lian, please, be careful and be prepared for any eventuality."


    Lian nodded her head to indicate Hei that she had understood what he had said while Ho Yeon-Hong blushed at Hei''s statement that he wanted to protect her so much that he assigned Lian as her personal guard.


    "Old Tohyon, then approach one of the ships first so as to leave Lian and Ho Yeon-Hong. Then we''ll go where I point you."


    "Roger, Master Hei, let''s go!" Old Tohyon turned the helm quickly, leaving the place where they were. Since they had followed the flock of seagulls, they had gone quite a distance from the rest of the ships.


    In a short time, they came to the side of one of the three allied war galleons, specifically the one under the direct command of Ho Ri-Na. On the deck, there was a close battle between the pirates of the two crews. Fortunately, the ship was sturdy enough to easily withstand, without sinking, due to the damage the battle was causing.


    "Lian, Ho Yeon-Hong, go. Remember what I told you." Hei quickly greeted the two as he helped them hook onto the side of the ship.


    "Yes, don''t worry, Hei. We''ll get by." Ho Yeon-Hong hurriedly replied cheerfully before returning to be serious as she prepared herself for the battle. Lian just nodded her head; however she and Hei exchanged a look of understanding containing meanings that were hidden from everyone else except them.


    "Old Tohyon, let''s go. We''ve already wasted a lot of time. We have to hurry before the worst situation happens."


    Old Tohyon operated the propulsion system while driving the ship to the place Hei was pointing to.


    *


    A few meters above the ocean level, two men were suspended in midair, panting visibly. However, there was a clear difference between them because one of the two was seriously injured on his right side and was blocking the flow of blood by placing his hand over the wound.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi, I must admit that you surprised me. I didn''t think you would have put me in such troubles. But for you, the end has now come." Said the man without wounds while looking at his opponent.


    The other person, wounded in the hip, was none other than Sok Yeong-Gi. Ho Ri-Na had assigned him to face against one of Hong Shin''s spirit soldiers. However, the enemy was a second stage spirit soldier while he was only in the first stage. Although it had been a fair fight until recently, a moment of distraction had led him to suffer a severe injury. Now the tip of the scale hung on the spirit soldier of Hong Shin''s crew.


    "You won''t say anything, Sok Yeong-Gi? Not even a few last words before you die?"


    "Kim Seon, don''t flatter yourself so much. Even if you have an advantage of cultivation, your spirit power is almost completely exhausted. If it weren''t because your cultivation is superior, you would have already lost. The mere fact of being reduced to this state should make you ashamed of yourself."


    Despite being in that situation, Sok Yeong-Gi still mocked his enemy. He knew it would be a difficult fight due to the difference in cultivation. Nonetheless, he believed that a genius like him could do it even in those conditions. After all, didn''t those who were destined for great things always be disadvantaged?


    Kim Seon, the spirit soldier of Hong Shin, smiled coldly. He didn''t like Sok Yeong-Gi''s words at all since they weren''t false. Although he had the advantage of both experience and cultivation, he ended up drawing and draining almost all of his spirit power. If it weren''t for that moment of Sok Yeong-Gi''s distraction, it was hard to say he would have emerged victorious from that fight. Yet Sok Yeong-Gi had made that mistake, and victory was now within reach of his hand.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi. There is no point in continuing to play the big man. Now the end has come for you."


    While Kim Seon was preparing to charge against Sok Yeong-Gi, from afar, the shape of a ship could be seen quickly approaching them, producing a series of roars. In a short time, it arrived about 5 meters away from them and stopped at that point. A young man with brown skin and raven black hair came down from the ship. His feet were still on the surface of the ocean as if they were touching solid ground.


    Looking at that young man, both Sok Yeong-Gi and Kim Seon opened their eyes wide. It wasn''t for the fact that that young man could walk on water without problems, but for what he was holding in his right hand.


    The newly arrived young man was Hei, and he was holding nothing but Pang Ja-Kyung''s severed head on his right hand. The rest of the beast tamer''s body had been thrown into the sea as food for the creatures that lived in that part of the ocean.


    "Pang Ja-Kyung? How is that possible?!"Kim Seon instantly recognized who the severed head belonged to, and quickly, his heart was flooded with questions. Pang Ja-Kyung was a first stage spirit soldier and commanded a second level spirit beast as well as a flock of first-level spirit beast gulls. According to the information they had, there should be no one in Ho Ri-Na''s crew capable of fighting him or killing him. Yet reality had been brutally projected before his eyes.


    Sok Yeong-Gi also had an incredulous expression. He knew that Hei was facing Pang Ja-Kyung and was in charge of blocking him. Although he knew that Hei could use a battle formation with his spirit beasts and his female partner, he thought they would be able to stall Pang Ja-Kyung and his new second-level spirit beast at best. It was far from him to believe that the brat who was still a spirit apprentice could manage to kill Pang Ja-Kyung. It was because it was necessary to kill the second level spirit beast and the entire flock of first level seagulls if you wanted to face Pang Ja-Kyung, not to mention that the beast tamer was capable enough to fight one vs. one against him. So it was natural that he absolutely didn''t think that Hei would kill his opponent.


    "Hei? Were you able to kill Pang Ja-Kyung?" Sok Yeong-Gi asked in a shaky voice.


    Hei didn''t reply but turned his gaze instead to Kim Seon, who felt a slight shiver on his back as if he was being observed by a lethal beast on the verge to attack.


    "Brat, what the fuck are you looking at? Do you think you can attack me? Do you believe that just because you killed that trash of Pang Ja-Kyung, you can kill me? Me, Kim Seon, one of the spirit soldiers of Pirate General Hong Shin?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, was Pang Ja-Kyung also one of the spirit soldiers of Hong Shin and yet wasn''t he killed by my hand? Do you think your stupid threats can impress me?" Hei replied scornfully. His tone was arrogant and fearless, and his eyes gave the feeling that he didn''t put Kim Seon in his eyes at all. It was as if he wasn''t worried that his opponent was a second-stage spirit soldier.


    "Bratty bastard! Who the fuck do you think you are? I''ll show you. I will make you feel a terror you have never experienced." Kim Seon quickly made his spirit power resound through his whole body. Sok Yeong-Gi''s words had already angered him earlier, but with the arrival of Hei and what he had just said, the anger of the second-stage spirit soldier had exceeded the endurance limit.


    With a fierce momentum, Kim Seon flew in the direction of Hei, who was standing in his place and had no intention of running away. Hei just grabbed his spear with both hands and waited for the arrival of his enemy.


    "Cheeky! Don''t be presumptuous. Do you really think you can resist my assault?"


    "You''re just trash. It is you who shouldn''t flatter yourself. You are just a walking corpse."


    "Bastard! Take this, die!"


    Kim Seon concentrated his spirit power on his sword and waved his weapon toward Hei. His strike contained all his anger and energy, completely ignoring the defense to focus on tearing Hei to pieces. But that choice did nothing but cost him his life.


    Before he could even graze Hei, from beneath the ocean''s water surface, the figure of a huge snake popped out. Its mouth was wide open just where Kim Seon was. At the same time, another silhouette flew from Hei''s head at high speed, heading towards Kim Seon''s face.


    Crunch! Thump!


    It all happened in an instant. The lower part of Kim Seon''s body, from the waist down, was detached from the upper part while the head of the unfortunate man was severed and made to fly in the air until it landed in front of Sok Yeong-Gi. All that was left was the upper body without a head and legs.


    The reason Hei had acted so boldly earlier was to distract Kim Seon. By completely drawing the enemy''s attention to himself, he caused Kim Seon''s reflexes to weaken. This allowed Ye and Xing to attack, taking the spirit soldier by surprise, who didn''t expect such a surprise attack at all.


    With cold, calm eyes, Hei grabbed the torso that was falling on the water. He quickly picked up the space ring on the hand of the lifeless body before letting it go. Meanwhile, Xing had gone back over his head while Ye spat Kim Seon''s legs out of her mouth and shrunk to return to her big brother''s body.


    Although apparently, it seemed like it was a piece of cake for them, Ye and Xing had used all their spirit power in that blow to be sure of killing the enemy on the spot and avoiding unnecessary surprises. Additionally, they had previously spent a lot of spirit power against the second-level seagull. As a result, they were now almost without energy.


    Hei, although better off, had also consumed much of his spirit power against Pang Ja-Kyung while holding him immobilized and breaking through his defense of spirit power with Spider Bite. Therefore the hunt for spirit soldiers could be said to have ended here for them.


    "You can still move, can you? If so, join another of your companions and help him. Bring the heads of Pang Ja-Kyung and Kim Seon with you. Even if you are injured, just seeing you bringing the heads of two of their companions will put the enemies under pressure. I advise you to hurry up because the remaining fighters should be in the final stages by now." Hei said without emotions as if it were a commonplace everyday topic while he threw Pang Ja-Kyung''s head towards Sok Yeong-Gi.


    Hei knew when to stop and not be greedy. With his little sisters who had consumed almost all their energy, it was dangerous to persist fighting. Having earned the space rings of two spirit soldiers was more than enough. He also wanted to retain as much spirit power as possible at the moment, not to mention that by helping Sok Yeong-Gi, he had practically achieved his intended purpose. Before long, the other battlegrounds would also end thanks to the intervention of Hei, who had freed Sok Yeong-Gi from his situation.


    Without waiting for the spirit soldier''s response, Hei turned and went back on the ship. Old Tohyon quickly restarted the artifact ship and returned to where the other ships were fighting, leaving Sok Yeong-Gi alone with the heads of the two enemy spirit soldiers killed by Hei.


    "Bastard!!! How the fuck do you dare! Treating me as if I were rubbish and giving me orders as if I were a simple stooge. I''ll make you pay. I''ll make you pay. I swear to you on my name!"


    Sok Yeong-Gi exploded into a series of curses, and yet there was nothing else he could do at the moment. What Hei had said made sense, and if he delayed further, he would endanger himself as well. So, although reluctantly, he did what Hei had told him and flew away from there, taking the heads of the two enemies, in the direction of one of his companions.

 Chapter 129 - End of the Collaboration

    "Master Hei, are you sure it was a good thing to speak like that to the spirit soldier Sok Yeong-Gi?" Asked Old Tohyon in a worried voice.


    More than worried about himself, the old navigator was worried about Hei. Even though they were connected through a blood and economic pact, during this period, he had become attached to that strange young man with such a curious behavior.


    "It''s fine like that. It''s not that I owe him or something. I just told the truth. Besides, there is no longer even a need to pretend giving him courtesy."


    "What do you mean?" Old Tohyon tilted his head, unable to understand what Hei meant.


    "Don''t worry about that at the moment. Just focus on steering the ship and always be on the lookout." Hei cut short, not wanting to explain further.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Old Tohyon, considering there was also a blood pact between the two of them. But he preferred not to mention his plans as it was not the time yet. Old Tohyon didn''t investigate further and resumed his concentration on governing the artifact ship.


    Before long, they reached the war galleon on which Lian and Ho Yeon-Hong had been left. With the arrival of the two young women, the situation had reversed entirely, leading to the victory of Ho Ri-Na''s crew. However, there were still multiple conflicts going on in the other ships. Therefore they couldn''t indulge in the euphoria of victory.


    "Lian, Ho Yeon-Hong. Get on board. Quick." Hei loudly ordered, over any other noise in the war galleon. The two young women recognized his voice and quickly jumped down, landing on the deck of the artifact ship.


    "How did it go? Were you able to kill another spirit soldier?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked anxiously. The success of Hei''s task coincided with her older sister''s chances of victory and survival.


    "Yes. I killed a spirit soldier named Kim Seon, who was facing Sok Yeong-Gi. Sok Yeong-Gi is now going to support the others."


    "Really? It''s great! The big sister can soon be helped." Ho Yeon-Hong let out a deep sigh, pleased with the news that Hei had brought.


    "Sok Yeong-Gi, however, is seriously injured and has little energy. So I don''t know how much he can actually help. For this reason, how about we go to your sister and tell her the news? Even if we can''t face Hong Shin directly, just hearing that two of his spirit soldiers are dead can put him under pressure and lead him to defeat."


    Listening to Hei''s proposal, Ho Yeon-Hong had her eyes wet. She didn''t believe Hei would go so far for her. Her sister was the most important person for Ho Yeon-Hong, but the fact that she was only a sixth stage spirit apprentice prevented her from being able to help Ho Ri-Na as she wanted. Yet now, Hei was ready to take her to Ho Ri-Na so that she could help her sister for the first time, even at the cost of endangering himself, as two fifth-stage spirit soldiers were fighting there.


    Quickly, the artifact ship arrived in the ocean section, where the two spirit soldiers were fighting mid-air. From where they were, Hei and the others could hear the clash between the two Pirate Generals'' spirit powers. They were relentlessly exchanging attacks, without sparing themselves in the least and trying to take out their enemy.


    "PIRATE GENERAL HO RI-NA!"


    From the deck of the artifact ship, Hei took a deep breath before screaming at the top of his lungs. The pirate woman was fighting in the sky at a distance beyond the reach of his spirit message. So, Hei had to resort to this method to get her attention.


    Absorbed as she was in the fight, Ho Ri-Na didn''t hear Hei''s voice at first. However, as the screams continued, the woman noticed this detail as well as her enemy Hong Shin. Both stopped in surprise because they couldn''t understand what such a small number of people were doing there, considering that they weren''t even spirit soldiers.


    "BIG SISTER!" Ho Yeon-Hong shouted, in turn, to get noticed by Ho Ri-Na.


    "Yeon? What are you doing here? Why-" Ho Ri-Na wondered. But before she could finish asking herself, Hei''s answer came.


    "Spirit Soldiers Pang Ja-Kyung and Kim Seon are dead. Sok Yeong-Gi has gone to help the other spirit soldiers at your command, and they will soon be here."


    Thud!


    As if a boulder had come up against them, the two Pirate Generals were shaken by the news. Both looked in disbelief as they moved their gaze to the other battlefields. Although they couldn''t see clearly or stretch their spirit sense, there were only a few spirit soldiers fighting, and they could verify the truthfulness of this news. And indeed, excluding the two of them, only five people were flying - the three spirit soldiers of Ho Ri-Na and the last two remaining spirit soldiers of Hong Shin.


    "What?! How? How is that possible?" The Son of Wind, Hong Shin, clenched his fists while he was in complete chaos.


    He had a distinct advantage over Ho Ri-Na, which is the presence of an additional spirit soldier. Furthermore, Pang Ja-Kyung wasn''t merely a spirit soldier, but a beast tamer. Although he had lost his second-level whale, he had managed to recover his losses by acquiring a second-level spirit beast gull alongside the whole flock of seagulls spirit beasts. Therefore, he wasn''t worried at all that someone from Ho Ri-Na''s crew would interfere with their fight.


    Yet now, things were different. Pang Ja-Kyung was dead and most likely that also applied to the spirit beasts he led. But, in addition to him, Kim Seon had also been killed, and a Ho Ri-Na''s spirit soldier was helping his companions. How could Hong Shin not panic in such a situation?


    Quickly, the Pirate General, Son of Wind, looked around in all directions. His defeat was now absolute, and it was only a matter before the two spirit soldiers in his service were taken out. At that time, he would have to face four spirit soldiers, including Ho Ri-Na, who had the same cultivation stage and had a similar battle power.


    ''Shit! Fuck! There is no way I can get rid of that Ho Ri-Na bitch in a short time. Besides, if I had to run away, she wouldn''t leave me alone, and I don''t think I can outrun her even if I use all my strength.''


    Hong Shin analyzed the situation he was in and thought about the only solution that could allow him to save his life. "Ho Ri-Na! Let''s make a deal. I have a Fragment of the Pirate King Hae Seong''s Treasure Map. I know for sure that you have at least one, and you know what I''m talking about. I am willing to give it to you, but in return, you must promise to let me go."


    Hong Shin''s voice was powerful and resounded in that corner of the ocean. As a result, even those who were on the artifact ship''s deck heard the sound of his words.


    "Treasure Map? Am I wrong, or did he just mention the famous Pirate King, Hae Seong?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked Hei while she couldn''t understand what Hong Shin meant.


    Hei instead understood correctly and turned his full attention to the exchange between the two Pirate Generals. What they said would determine his future actions.


    "What makes you think I can''t take it from your corpse? I don''t need you at all. And then, do you think I am stupid? I know all about your secret agreements with the Red Devil Jin-Sang. I feel sorry for you. You call yourself one of the Four Pirate Generals, but you lower yourself to lick that crazy murderer''s ass and be one of his minions."


    "How? No, I see ¡ª one of your whores for sure. Apparently, I haven''t taught my men to hold their tongues. And what are you going to do? Jin-Sang''s strength is superior to ours as well as his crew. Even if you, me, and Kan Ki-Nam had united against Jin-Sang and defeated him, what would have happened next? We would have torn ourselves apart to decide who the supreme winner is.


    Rather than risk for such an uncertain eventuality, I prefer to put myself at the service of Jin-Sang, who is the one with the most chance of winning. That madman of Kan Ki-Nam. At this hour, he must be a corpse sinking into the abyss of the ocean. Think about it. You cannot fight Jin-Sang alone. You''d better join him as I did, or you''ll end up murdered along with all your men."


    The dialogue between the two Pirate Generals revealed an unexpected background. Hong Shin had bowed his head to Jin-Sang, giving up his pride in order to survive. He didn''t care if he ended up becoming one of the Red Devil''s minions. And Ho Ri-Na was aware of this.


    ''The drug marketing isn''t the only cause of this conflict. To avoid finding herself in an impossible situation and creating a light of hope, she acted in advance to eliminate Jin-Sang''s ally.'' Hei thought to himself as he made his decision.


    Meanwhile, Ho Ri-Na replied to Hong Shin''s words, "It''s true. It''s probably a senseless act considering how things are now. Nonetheless, I am not going to give up my freedom. I am Ho Ri-Na, the Steam Goddess. For the dead and alive comrades who brought me this far, I cannot give in to such threats."


    With the pride of a woman with an inflexible spirit, Ho Ri-Na suddenly disappeared from the sight before appearing in front of Hong Shin, who was taken aback.


    "Steam Kiss."


    Ho Ri-Na''s soft and delicate lips touched Hong Shin''s rough lips. The Son of Wind was taken aback by that gesture, loosening his guard to such an unexpected pleasure. But those few seconds in which he loosened his guard were fatal to him. As Ho Ri-Na''s tongue went to immobilize Hong Shin''s, a wave of hot steam exploded from the woman''s lungs, and through the kiss, she poured it into Hong Shin''s body.


    Fizz! Cough!


    Suddenly, Hong Shin began gasping and twisting violently. He tried to free himself by pushing Ho Ri-Na away with all his strength, but the woman Pirate General didn''t let go and wrapped herself even more strongly toward Hong Shin, continuing that intense kiss.


    The two Pirate Generals found themselves in such a vise while flying high speed through the sky. Eventually, Hong Shin''s body moved less and less until it stopped moving altogether. No matter how hard he tried to hit Ho Ri-Na and chase her away, nothing he tried was effective.


    Upon seeing that scene, Hei shivered with fear. In a sense, Ho Ri-Na was indeed a terrifying woman. With such a move, she had managed to get rid of her enemy, who was a spirit soldier with a similar battle power.


    "Wow! The big sister won! Hooray!" By his side, Ho Yeon-Hong indulged in a series of exultations as she celebrated her sister''s victory.


    "Yes, she won. I''m sorry, Ho Yeon-Hong." Hei said as he turned to her.


    "You are sorry? For what?" Ho Yeon-Hong gave a half-smile, not understanding why Hei was apologizing. However, she suddenly felt intense pain in the back of her head. The last thing she saw was a pair of blue eyes like sapphires.


    "HO RI-NA!" Hei screamed again at the Pirate General.


    The woman had consumed almost all her strength in this last attack. She turned while panting to look in the direction of the artifact ship, and what she saw shocked her. Suspended in the air, squeezed between two silver ribbons, was an unconscious Ho Yeon-Hong.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Ho Ri-Na''s voice sounded icy as her eyes narrowed to two slits from anger upon seeing her sister''s body. Even though she knew Ho Yeon-Hong was alive, she couldn''t accept her little sister was being hurt.


    "What Hong Shin wanted to do. Let''s make a deal. Give me the map fragment you own as well as Hong Shin''s, along with his space ring. If you do, I will let your sister go after we get enough distance from this place. I swore to you I won''t harm a hair on her unless you force me."


    Hei''s plan was finally revealed - taking Ho Yeon-Hong as a hostage to force Ho Ri-Na to hand over her map fragment as well as what she had just earned. It was a brazen action considering that the person he was blackmailing was none other than the Steam Goddess, one of the Four Pirate Generals.


    "What makes you think I will let myself be blackmailed as if nothing had happened. Haven''t you seen the end of that miserable Hong Shin?"


    "You don''t need to look at me with so much hostility. I know you can no longer make that move, and even if you were to kill me, it wouldn''t change the fact that your sister would also go away with me. The choice is yours - the Pirate King''s treasure or your younger sister''s life."


    Hei''s voice sounded cold while Lian commanded her two ribbons to put more pressure on Ho Yeon-Hong''s neck. Seeing this, Ho Ri-Na''s face frowned, becoming deformed by the anger and helplessness. Her sister was important to her, and yet accepting the blackmail meant giving up the chance to become the Pirate Queen. On one side was her much-coveted dream; on the other side, the most important person she had. In a sense, she had to choose between being a martial artist or being an older sister.


    And in the end, she made her choice.


    "Alright. I will give you my map fragment and Hong Shin''s one. But don''t hurt my sister. Otherwise, I swore to you I will chase you to every corner of this ocean, even if it is the last thing I do."


    "Don''t worry. I have no hostility towards you or Ho Yeon-Hong. If it weren''t for the treasure map fragments, I would never have attempted such a thing. As I said, as long as you and your men don''t make false moves, everything will be fine. Now put the fragment you own inside Hong Shin''s space ring and throw it. Then you won''t have to chase us, neither you nor your men. Don''t try anything, because I have special skills that let me know if someone follows me."


    Clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, Ho Ri-Na did what Hei commanded. In the meantime, the spirit soldiers at her service had finally arrived at her side after killing their enemies. However, instead of a scene of joy and celebration, what greeted him was that strange sight.


    "Captain!"


    "Captain Ho Ri-Na!"


    "Ri-Na?"


    "Don''t move. It is an order. No one has to follow them, let them pass." Ho Ri-Na commanded as her voice broke from the negative emotions she was feeling.


    The three spirit soldiers under her command looked towards Hei and Lian, with looks full of hostility. The one who transmitted the most hatred wasn''t Sok Yeong-Gi, but a tall man with fiery red hair and a robust build. He was also the one who had called Ho Ri-Na directly by her name and transmitted the biggest pressure of all present, second only to Ho Ri-Na.


    ''Won? ?Byung-Chul?, fourth-stage spirit soldier. Second in command, as well as Ho Ri-Na''s right-hand man. From his reaction, their relationship certainly goes beyond a simple relationship between boss and subordinate.'' Hei thought to himself as he took Hong Shin''s space ring.


    Examining it quickly, he extracted the two fragments of the map contained inside. They were identical in all respects to the one he had, except that they depicted a different portion of the Forgotten Ocean.


    "Old Tohyon, we can go."


    "Yes, Master Hei."


    Old Tohyon had a worried look. He didn''t think Hei''s aims were so big. He had even threatened one of the Four Pirate Generals, and from their speech, it seemed that it was for the mysterious treasure of the Pirate King Hae Seong that was said to be just a legend.


    "Don''t think it''s over. As long as you have those fragments, Jin-Sang will come after you, and there will be no one to help you out." Ho Ri-Na gave one last warning that appeared more like a threat.


    "I know. But to complete the mission that has been left to me by the most important being of my life, I must necessarily enter inside the lion''s mouth. Only in this way can I have a possibility for the future. Compared to the enemies that await me, you or Jin-Sang are nothing but insects. Insects that I have to hunt so that I can become an adult spider and kill those who threaten my family."


    Leaving those obscure words, the artifact ship set off at full speed, leaving Ho Ri-Na and her men behind, until they became impossible to see.

 Chapter 130 - Message

    In an unknown section of the Forgotten Ocean, a ship was traveling at high speed through the immense expanse of water that seemed infinite. The sail placed on the main mast was loudly swaying as it received the gusts of impetuous wind. On the ship deck, a gray-haired young woman was lying with her face turned towards the sky. Her eyes were closed, and if it weren''t for the light breathing she was emitting, one could have thought she was dead.


    Suddenly the young woman opened her eyes and raised her back to sit up. Without warning, a sharp pang came behind her head. The young woman put her hand on her head as an instinctive gesture. She looked around, trying to think about what had happened.


    ''What happened? I am on the artifact ship, but why don''t I see the other ships? Where''s the big sister? Wait, now I remember-''


    The young woman was Ho Yeon-Hong, and after a few moments of disorientation, she found her lucidity as she remembered the pair of blue eyes like sapphires. In an instant, she realized that she had been hit in the head by Lian. However, she couldn''t understand why Lian had done that. But above all, her heart wanted to know if this was something that Hei had ordered because Lian would never act on her own without orders from the young brown-skinned man.


    "You woke up."


    A familiar voice rang out behind her. Instinctively, Ho Yeon-Hong tried to turn around, but the blow to the head she had received caused her another pang of pain. But she didn''t need to turn around to find out who the owner of the voice was. She could recognize him just from the sound.


    "Hei... is that your idea? Tell me it wasn''t you, and it''s only Lian''s initiative."


    Ho Yeon-Hong''s voice was shaky. She feared the answer she would receive, and a part of herself didn''t want to hear the answer. But she had to know - to know if Hei really ordered Lian to attack and kidnap her.


    Hei didn''t reply and started to move slowly over the deck before stopping in front of Ho Yeon-Hong. His dark brown eyes looked at Ho Yeon-Hong''s while his expression remained serious.


    "Yes, I was the one who ordered Lian to do this. That''s why I told her to stay close to you all the time."


    Thud!


    As if she had fallen into an abyss, Ho Yeon-Hong''s vision blurred. She couldn''t believe her ears. No, on the contrary, she couldn''t believe that this was the reality. Inside, she hoped that it was nothing but a bad dream, that when she woke up, she would find herself in the Steam City as usual.


    "This is the reality, Ho Yeon-Hong. I have a task that I have to complete. To do this, I need all the power I can accumulate. The treasure of the Pirate King Hae Seong, a spirit master. I need to take possession of it, but the map that leads to the treasure is divided into several fragments. Fragments that have been scattered throughout the Forgotten Ocean and that have ended up in the Pirate Generals'' hands."


    "So... you just used me? Everything you said and did was a lie just to get to this day. To steal my big sister and Hong Shin''s map fragments? Why? You could have just talked it over with my big sister. I bet she would have given you some of the treasure as a reward. Furthermore... furthermore, if we got together, she would have given you a prominent position and all the resources you needed. Why did you betray me?"


    From Ho Yeon-Hong''s eyes, a cascade of tears came out and wet her face. A normal man would have been made uncomfortable at the sight of a beautiful girl crying, and they would have been quick to give her help. Yet Hei remained standing before her with an impassive expression.


    "I didn''t betray you, and the things I said and did weren''t a lie. It''s just that my goal has never been to become a pirate or join your sister''s crew. Much less, my final destination is the Forgotten Ocean. For this reason, I need all the treasure and not just a part. I cannot accept less. I''m sorry if I hurt you, but I can''t respond to your feelings, I don''t feel that kind of emotion towards you at all. Also, the ''we'' you speak of doesn''t include my spirit beasts and Lian. They are my family."


    Hei''s tone was calm, but in Ho Yeon-Hong''s ears, it was cold like the freezing wind of winter. The young woman''s heart was frozen with the abrupt refusal she had just received. Although it hadn''t been long since she met Hei, during the moments spent together, she had become increasingly fascinated by that mysterious young man. This curiosity had become something else without her knowledge, and a strong feeling of attachment had formed inside her. But now, all this had been destroyed by the very source of that attachment.


    "You betrayed the crew! You betrayed the big sister! You betrayed ME! Bastard!"


    Gritting her teeth, Ho Yeon-Hong pounced on Hei. She didn''t draw her sword, but her assault full of anger was giving a not lesser pressure. But before she could even touch Hei, a silver ribbon moved behind her, binding itself to her waist and pulling her back.


    "NO! Let me go, bitch. Release me, I told you!"


    Behind Ho Yeon-Hong, Lian had one hand stretched forward as she commanded one of her two ribbons, holding Ho Yeon-Hong suspended in midair, one meter high from the ship''s deck. Ho Yeon-Hong activated her spirit power and tried to break the ribbon by force. Despite her efforts, the strength gap was too much, not to mention that the ribbon''s material itself was impossible for her to break.


    "Calm down, Ho Yeon-Hong. I have something to tell you." Hei told the gray-haired young woman who was struggling with all her strength suspended in the air.


    "NO! I don''t want to hear a word from you. Tell her to let me go."


    "I''ll let you go when you''ve heard what I have to say. Even if you don''t trust me, I give you my word that I will free you as soon as you have heard what I have to say."


    Ho Yeon-Hong, hearing this, stopped moving. Although she didn''t trust Hei after what had happened, a part of her couldn''t help but do as he asked. Seeing that she was no longer struggling, Lian lowered her ribbon until Ho Yeon-Hong''s feet touched the ship deck. However, she didn''t let go of the young female pirate.


    "What do you have to tell me? Then? Speak." Ho Yeon-Hong said as she looked away from Hei''s face to look sideways. She couldn''t look him in the eye.


    "I have a message for your sister. From Hong Shin''s space ring, I know that Jin-Sang has five spirit soldiers and three of the map fragments. Considering that the remaining Pirate General, the Storm Lightning, must have one, Jin-Sang should have got hold of the fourth fragment by now. In the past, I killed a team of Jin-Sang''s crew, sent to look for one of the fragments. With that of your sister and Hong Shin''s, I have three fragments. Since there are only seven fragments, it is natural that Jin-Sang must come behind me to get the remaining fragments.


    I want you to tell your sister to make public what happened between us but without giving too much detail about what was stolen. Jin-Sang will likely understand the truth and will surely send one of his spirit soldiers to hunt me down. Soon, Lian and I will advance to the second rank, becoming spirit soldiers. Therefore it isn''t impossible for us to kill the spirit soldier that would be sent by Jin-Sang. In this way, not only will we draw Jin-Sang''s attention to us, but we will significantly diminish his power. Your sister will, therefore, have time to reorganize her forces.


    I don''t have any aims in becoming Pirate King, unlike Jin-Sang, who won''t stop until he has killed your sister or made her his slave. If she agrees to leave me the treasure, I will give her a hand. Together with my two spirit beasts, she will have the strength of four spirit soldiers. Besides, the four of us are capable of using a Battle Formation. Therefore our strength can compete with higher stage spirit soldiers. Your sister cannot beat Jin-Sang; he has reached the sixth stage of the second rank and has a pseudo bloodline. But with our help, Ho Ri-Na can completely turn the tables.


    Hei concluded his speech, turning his back to Ho-Yeon Hong. The young woman was speechless as she gazed at Hei''s back with wide eyes. She didn''t know what to think. She thought Hei had betrayed her and her sister, and yet from what he had just said, it didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Do not misunderstand. The only reason I''m proposing is to repay Ho Ri-Na for the time spent in her crew. It''s not because I need her help or have a particular attachment. If I want, I can take out Jin-Sang after he has used up his strength against your sister. Tell your sister that there is no need for an immediate response, but she still has to do as I said if she doesn''t want to be overwhelmed immediately by Jin-Sang''s thirst for power."


    At that point, Lian released the ribbon holding Ho Yeon-Hong. The latter, after being released, rubbed her hands, not knowing what to say or do. Hei''s revelations had been a severe blow to her, both for good and for bad. She had mixed feelings inside her heart - on the one hand, she was hurt by that betrayal; on the other hand, the betrayal itself had become a hope for his sister''s final victory.


    "Hei-"


    "You don''t need to say anything. We will soon arrive at the port of a city, our streets will separate there, and you can contact your sister. While it may seem like a lie, it wasn''t bad the time spent with you."


    After saying this, Hei started walking towards the lodgings under the deck, followed by Lian. Ho Yeon-Hong stood there motionless with tears in her face as she watched that back go away forever.


    *


    A week later, on an unknown island.


    "Boss, I''m back." Said a man with a hidden face as he knelt before a kind of stone throne.


    "Tell me what you''ve discovered." Replied a voice from the stone throne.


    "Our information says that during the battle between Ho Ri-Na and Hong Shin, a couple of young martial artists, called Hei and Lian, threatened the Steam Goddess with the life of her younger sister. There are no precise details behind this blackmail, but we know for sure that Ho Ri-Na has delivered the Hong Shin''s space ring to the young couple of martial artists. Furthermore, even if it has been modified, it seems that these two have an artifact ship similar to the one owned by one of our teams."


    "I understand. So it was them... if so, then, what they took ... okay, you can go."


    "Yes, boss. "


    After making his report, the man with the hidden face left, leaving alone the person sitting on the stone throne. That person then began to laugh out loud while clenching his fists.


    "Hahaha, Ho Ri-Na. You got screwed by a couple of brats. I knew that women are too emotional to be in charge. They should just obey and warm the bed for us men. Mok Tong-Hyon!"


    "Did you call, Captain Jin-Sang?" Another voice immediately answered the man sitting on the stone throne, who was none other than the Red Devil Jin-Sang.


    "Yes, I have a mission for you. You must find the two brats called Hei and Lian, who were part of Ho Ri-Na''s crew. Offer them to join the crew and bring them to me."


    "What if they don''t listen? Am I allowed to use heavy manners?"


    "Do as you wish, but bring them to me alive. Even if it''s a remote possibility, I can''t risk that they have hidden the fragments in some secret place. They are just brats with a half step spirit soldier cultivation. With your strength as a third stage spirit soldier and your pseudo bloodline, you should have no trouble catching them."


    "As you order. I, Mok Tong-Hyon, will successfully complete the mission entrusted to me."


    Having said that, the man called Mok Tong-Hyon went off, leaving Jin-Sang alone, who was now prefiguring the moment he would have all seven fragments of the map.

 Chapter 131 - Reaching the Second Rank

    On a desert island of the Forgotten Ocean


    A ship was anchored near the shore as it floated gently on the spot due to the ocean currents. On the beach, in front of where the artifact ship was located, two large tents had been set up. Hei came out of one of the tents. He stretched his arms toward the sky to wake up his body after a long sleep.


    After leaving Ho Yeon-Hong, Hei had asked Old Tohyon to take them to a deserted island. To overcome his bottleneck and reach the second rank, he needed to enter a period of closed-door cultivation. So it was necessary to find a safe and isolated place where he could concentrate without being bothered.


    Old Tohyon, thanks to his experience in navigating the Forgotten Ocean for so many years, suggested an island he knew about and was uninhabited. Having no better alternative, Hei decided to follow the old man''s proposal, and therefore they camped on the island after a long ocean crossing.


    ''Both Lian and I are a half-step spirit soldier. Although it is closer than the peak seventh stage, it doesn''t mean that we can underestimate the second rank''s bottleneck. Since we are finally in an isolated area, I would say it is time to complete the pills with the remains of the whale''s body. Besides, I now also have the remains of the Great Black-backed Gull available.''


    Thinking to himself, Hei pulled his alchemist cauldron out of one of his space rings. It had been a while since he had used it to create an alchemical product, using it instead as a tool for cooking. So first, he cleaned up the cauldron to make sure there were no impurities during the creation process. After that, he filled the cauldron with clean water he had previously purified and lit a fire to boil the water.


    "After the water has started to boil, I will put the whale''s heart inside to cook it. During the high flame cooking process, the meat tends to lose the water inside and become hard. Through this process, I can extract the residues of spirit power that are contained in the heart. With that, I can deposit it in the water instead. Except that the heart of the whale is really huge, so I better cut it."


    With a slight sigh, Hei pulled out a large silk cloth made by Xing and brought out the heart of the whale, which was about 2-3 meters high. It was massive and didn''t fit into the cauldron at all. So Hei had no choice but to cut it into pieces. But first, he inserted a metal tube into the whale heart while the other end of the tube was suspended above a glass container. Injecting his spirit power into the whale heart, he began to make the heart beat again, pumping the blood that still resided inside through the metal tube until it ended up inside the glass container. Once he made sure that he had extracted all the blood, he went on to cut the heart into small pieces and immerse them in boiling water.


    At that point, he left the heart boiling for an hour, using the alchemical manipulation string attached to the cauldron to observe the extraction state without disturbing the cooking process. To ensure the best result, he had to make sure he would lose as little spirit power as possible of the whale''s body. Only then would he be able to make a better quality pill.


    "How''s it going?"


    A female voice rang out behind him. It was Lian who had woken up and was carrying Ye and Xing in her arms. The two little divine beasts were looking curiously at their big brother, who was struggling with processing the whale''s remains. They could perceive the smell of meat being cooked.


    "Well, but it''s a fairly long process. Fortunately, you improved the cauldron with the formations, or it would have taken longer."


    "If you want, I can create a formation on the ground to reduce the amount of heat loss and adjust the outside temperature."


    "It would be very welcome, thanks, Lian."


    Hei stepped aside to let Lian work, who pulled out her tools and quickly created a series of symbols on the ground, arranging dust of spirit stones. Her swift and confident movements made her seem like a great expert. Hei sat on the ground as he watched her with admiration. His little sisters went to him, and both pulled one edge of his pants each.


    ''Big brother, we are hungry. Prepare us something to eat.'' said the two little divine beasts together.


    Seeing them begging desperately for food, Hei smiled and replied, "Wait for a little. Before long, the pieces of whale heart that I put in the cauldron will have completed their purpose, and you can eat them. Instead, since you''re here, help me with my next task."


    Hei pulled out a series of long bones of the whale and the Great Black-backed Gull and gently laid them on the silk cloth. Then he pulled out a large green jade mortar and pestle. Typically, a small mortar and pestle would have been used, but for alchemists, it was essential to have equipment suitable for treating the remains of spirit beasts, whether they were small or huge.


    "Xing, cut the bones into thin pieces and deposit them near the mortar. Ye take the cut bones and grind them with the pestle. Then put the bone powder back into this container." Hei ordered as he placed an oval container near Ye.


    The two little divine beasts nodded their heads without making a fuss and went to work. In the meantime, Lian had finished her work and went to Hei to ask for further instructions.


    "Take me a large container to put this water here and also bring me the heart of the Great Black-backed Seagull."


    Lian did as requested by Hei and placed a large cooking pot next to him. Although it wasn''t suitable for alchemical reactions like a cauldron, it was okay for holding something temporarily. Hei then poured inside the water he had boiled along with the whale''s heart and placed the cut organ pieces aside. He would use them as a meal for his little sisters. At that point, after cleaning the cauldron again, he repeated this procedure for the Great Black-backed Seagull. Fortunately, this time the process lasted less than before.


    After boiling both the hearts and since Ye and Xing had finished grinding all the bones given to them, it was time to create the pills. Hei filled the cauldron with whale blood, after yet another wash with clean water, and added inside the four spleens he had found inside the whale''s body. It should be known that beings such as whales tended to possess multiple spleens compared to human beings who possessed only one.


    ''The spleen has the function of cleaning up the blood. Even if it is the original body is dead, I can partially reproduce this function through spirit power.''


    In order not to let the blood dry too quickly, Hei poured over the water he had boiled and patiently waited while Lian helped him maintain the temperature of the flame. In that way, the process would follow the course that Hei wanted. After the blood had thickened enough, he put inside the blood of the Great Black-backed Seagull and left everything to a slow boil, ordering Lian to lower the flame to a minimum.


    "Well, now, we are almost at the end. It''s time to make the body itself for the pills." Hei said to himself as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. As he had imagined, the alchemical creation process was tiring, considering the size of the spirit beasts he was using as a basis.


    ''Big brother, feed us. We are hungry.'' (Ye)


    ''Yes, we have finished grinding everything. Please.'' (Xing)


    "Okay, okay. Here you are then. A snack based on whale and seagull hearts. They are a bit tough because I had to cook them more than necessary to extract the liquids but try to make it enough for now. I''ll make you something better later, okay?"


    ''Yay! Okay, thanks, big brother!''


    While the hungry Ye and Xing devoured the hearts of the two killed spirit beasts, Hei took the powder of ground whale and seagull bones. He carefully mixed everything with the pestle so that the percentage of the two bones'' types was homogeneous and began to create four large spheres, compacting the ground powder. Hei then used the remaining whale baleen as an outer covering through which to protect the four spheres so that they wouldn''t flake off during the final process. Finally, he threw the spheres into the cauldron along with other substances. He then used his spirit power, concentrating as much as possible, to maneuver the energy of all those elements towards the four spheres.


    It took five hours, but Hei eventually succeeded. All the while, Lian remained by his side. She had been maneuvering the flame of the cauldron since Hei was busy checking the changes inside the cauldron. Ye and Xing instead watched in silence, playing lazily on one side over the silk cloth since they didn''t want to get too dirty with sand.


    "Excellent, now the pills are ready. But I think it''s better to rest for now before proceeding, how about it, Lian?"


    "I agree. It is better to reach our peak condition so as to have the maximum probability of success."


    Hei, therefore, took the pills on the bottom of the cauldron and placed them in one of his space rings after having dissolved the protective layer created with the whale baleen. At that point, he spent the rest of the day with his family, resting both his body and mind. It was when it was the evening that Hei and Lian finally decided to attack the bottleneck towards the second rank.


    Assuming the meditation lotus position, they swallowed two of the four pills created during the day and began to meditate, making flowing their spirit power. Soon, the energy contained in the pills exploded inside their bodies, creating an uproar in their flow of spirit power. As the spirit power of two different types of spirit beasts was contained within, it was difficult to calm such turmoil. Fortunately, the properties of the herbs mixed in the mixture had mitigated the strong contrast reaction, enough to allow Hei and Lian to be able to absorb the pills without severe consequences.


    The process lasted a couple of hours, and Xing and Ye stayed awake to keep watch. Even if they had tantrums during the day, it was because they were in a situation where they could afford it. Now, however, both Hei and Lian were in a delicate situation. Therefore, they didn''t dare to behave as before, and they put themselves on the alert against any eventuality.


    From one of the tents, on the other hand, Old Tohyon was looking with admiration toward the two youths, in particular, Hei. He had been observing since this morning the efforts of his young employer into making the pills. And it was even more commendable that he had such knowledge of alchemy despite being so strong in combat.


    Fizz! Clank! Crack!


    As if there was something to hinder their path, Hei and Lian''s spirit power continued to crash into that obstacle. Eventually, after a constant assault, the obstruction that held them back was broken. Suddenly, both Hei and Lian felt their spirit power boil like never before as it shot up. It was a feeling never experienced before. Perhaps the only closest thing was when they cultivated for the first time.


    ''I can feel the power flowing inside me. It''s really incredible.'' Hei let out a slight smile as he examined his body and exhaled a deep breath.


    Finally, Hei and Lian had reached the second rank, becoming full-fledged spirit soldiers. They had reached the top of martial artists'' society in the islands, although they were only at the bottom of that peak as they had just advanced. Nevertheless, reaching the second rank now opened new doors, and they could face spirit soldiers head-on.


    ''Wow, congratulations! The big brother and Lian have reached the second rank.'' Xing and Ye exploded in a series of exultations as they ran towards them. They were happy with the advancement of the two young humans.


    "Congratulations. It is amazing that two young people like you have been able to reach the second rank. I doubt that in any other sect or organization, there are martial artists of your age with such a level of cultivation."


    Noting the strange flow of spirit power, Old Tohyon had approached to check how it was going. And although he expected it, considering the talent shown by Hei and Lian during this period, he couldn''t help but be genuinely surprised.


    "Thanks, Old Tohyon, but it isn''t over yet. At the moment, we still need to stabilize our foundations and learn to manage our new power before we can call ourselves true spirit soldiers. Go to sleep. My spirit beasts will take care of the guard."


    "Okay, then. Congratulations again. I confess that I was worried about the latest events, but now I am not so much anymore. I hope you will be able to surprise again with another miracle, Master Hei."


    With a slight bow of the head, Old Tohyon left Hei and Lian to cultivate without being disturbed. Indeed, no matter how promising they may have been, during Ho Yeon-Hong''s kidnapping and the following days, he had been anxious about the retaliation they might have received. To this, it was added the revelations on the Pirate King''s treasure and the threat posed by the Red Devil Jin-Sang. At this time, they no longer had the protection of one of the Four Pirate Generals, so it was only normal for him to be worried. However, Hei and Lian induced a sense of security within Old Tohyon through their advancement. He had seen what these two youths were capable of along with those two unusual spirit beasts. And now excitement for the future was flooding into his old body.


    "Ye, Xing. Stay on guard. We are likely to need the whole night to stabilize the effects of the pills and rank advancement. As soon as we are done, you will be able to sleep, and tomorrow I will prepare you something good to eat. It is time for you to take your training seriously again, and we must also learn how to fly. Fortunately, the Flower Sect has already left information regarding the flight technique. It is only to understand how to adapt these techniques to you, but somehow we will. Stay assured."


    The two little divine beasts nodded their heads as they returned to their guard positions. Hei then looked at Lian, who returned his gaze with a smile.


    "You did a good job, Lian. We are doing well. Let''s keep it up. Together, the four of us will defeat anyone who blocks our way." Hei confidently said while stroking Lian''s head.


    "Yes, together, we are unbeatable. I''ll do your best to stay by your side." Lian whispered in a low voice so that Hei couldn''t hear. After that, the two resumed cultivating. Although they had advanced to the second rank, they still had a great deal to do and prepare for. The race against time to adapt to their new power as soon as possible had now begun. They had to succeed before the real clash against a spirit soldier.

 Chapter 132 - Hunting the Hunter - 1

    Steam City, Base of the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na.


    In the usually lively and noisy city, there was an unusual silence that made all the inhabitants uncomfortable. The Steam Goddess, the ruler of that territory, had returned victorious after the clash with Pirate General, Son of Wind, Hong Shin, ending the illegal drug trade that haunted the islands of the Forgotten Ocean.


    With the fall of their commander, the teams under Hong Shin''s command that didn''t participate in the clash went in disarray, and Ho Ri-Na swallowed the territory of her defeated enemy in the blink of an eye. She thus acquired an enormous sum of money and resources, increasing the overall strength of the men under her service. Yet despite the fact that these results were usually a source of joy and celebration, no one was in the mood to celebrate.


    Unexpectedly, something that nobody expected had happened during the battle. Ho Ri-Na, after the victory over Hong Shin, was blackmailed by a couple of young martial artists who threatened the life of her younger sister, Ho Yeon-Hong. Such an unexpected development surprised everyone who listened to the result of this clash as they couldn''t believe that a couple of spirit apprentices had been capable of such a bold gesture. Fortunately, a few days later, Ho Yeon-Hong had returned safely to your sister''s home - the kidnappers had kept their word.


    But in addition to Ho Ri-Na''s victory and that unbelievable kidnapping, another news shook the inhabitants of the islands, especially those used to travel across the Forgotten Ocean. The Red Devil Jin-Sang had defeated his lifelong rival, the Storm Lightning, Kan Ki-Nam, thereby reducing the number of Four Pirate Generals to just two. As a result, there was now no one who could stop the advance of the Red Devil except the Steam Goddess. However, only very few people thought Ho Ri-Na could have the power to face Jin-Sang. The ferocity and strength shown by the Red Devil dominated the elegance and skill demonstrated by the Steam Goddess.


    Therefore, what everyone was wondering was when Jin-Sang would launch his attack and consolidate his power, becoming the Pirate King for the first time since Hae Sang happened. But while everyone was excitedly awaiting the occurrence of such an event, shocking news circulated again in the entire Forgotten Ocean.


    "Big sister, big sister!" Ho Yeon-Hong shouted as she ran through the villa corridors to go to her sister''s office. Receiving no response, Ho Yeon-Hong forcibly opened the door, heedless of disturbing her sister.


    Ho Ri-Na was sitting behind her desk with her hands on her forehead, and her head bowed. Next to her stood her right arm, Won? ?Byung-Chul?. Sitting on two chairs in front of the desk, there were the remaining two spirit soldiers, Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su? and Sok Yeong-Gi.


    "Big Sister. Is what I heard true?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked as she gasped for shortness of breath due to running up to here.


    "Yeon, I knew you would come. Yes, what you''ve heard is true. Even I can hardly believe it, but all the inhabitants of the Blue Lobster City have confirmed what happened."


    Receiving the confirmation of her sister, Ho Yeon-Hong opened her mouth surprised by the news, but she soon recovered to ask, "Big sister, what do you want to do?"


    *


    Lobster Island, Blue Lobster City.


    In the crowded market of this city, Hei and Lian were slowly walking through the commercial streets looking at the goods displayed by the various retailers. Their heads were covered by a long black cloak with a hood, which made it difficult to even peer at their faces. Yet no one was paying attention to it; after all, it wasn''t unusual to see people who wanted to keep their identity hidden.


    The two made their way to one of the food stalls neatly located at specific points in the city. Each of these stalls was assigned a precise location so that there were no quarrels between the owners. After all, fights in public places were terrible for doing business. Nonetheless, it wasn''t uncommon to see stall owners standing in each other''s way in order to acquire a better area to do business.


    After ordering food, Hei brought out Ye and Xing, and together, all four of them ate their meals. The stall owner made an angry face at the sight of two animals eating where only humans were supposed to eat. However, he made no complaints due to the high number of orders Hei was making.


    "Are you satisfied, or would you like to order again?" Hei asked Lian and his two little sisters.


    The three of them replied with a negative nod. Although it wasn''t strange for Lian, it was surprising that the two little divine beasts hadn''t asked for more to eat. But there was a valid reason - the Blue Lobster City was one of the cities where the influence of the Red Devil Jin-Sang was strong. It wasn''t strange, in fact, to see men belonging to his crew or affiliated crews walking on the street. So it was understandable that they were somewhat tense since they were in enemy territory.


    The reason Hei decided to venture into a city so linked to their enemy was due to the plan he had set up. To continue with what he had in mind, he had to prove to Ho Ri-Na that he had the strength to support his words, and that meant killing the spirit soldier sent by Jin-Sang. And it wasn''t that he could do it through some sneaky subterfuge. No, he had to defeat and kill that spirit soldier in frontal combat in front of witnesses who could confirm the outcome of the battle to Ho Ri-Na.


    Therefore, Hei chose the Blue Lobster City because of its link with the Red Devil Jin-Sang. Exposing himself to a city under the influence of the General Pirate would have facilitated the task of finding him to his pursuer. In that way, the pirate would not have been forced to wander far and wide to look for them. And as Hei had predicted, the spirit soldier who believed they were the hunter in this hunt caught Hei and Lian''s tracks up to Blue Lobster City. The pirate was now able to complete the task assigned by the Red Devil.


    Screech!


    While Hei and his family were drinking tea to digest after that big meal, a strange noise began to be formed, becoming more and more intense.


    Bang! Crash!


    The stall was torn apart, sending everywhere sharp pieces of wood while a half-meter deep crater was formed on the ground. At the center of this crater stood a man with a height of 1 meter and 90 cm and an athletic build. He had short purple hair and a fair complexion. He had no so distinctive features except for a pair of metallic gauntlets that emitted a dazzling sparkle.


    This pair of gauntlets was different from the usual models exhibited in the forges - normally, these protections ended at the height of the wrist or up to the forearm at most; however, those possessed by this individual came to cover the entire arm. Furthermore, instead of leaving the fingers uncovered or giving them a sole piece of protection, it reproduced with accuracy the shapes of the fingers so that the user could move them freely, ending in a pointed claw-like way.


    "Excellent reflexes, not bad kids," said the man plunged from the sky, not worried about what he had just done.


    "Thank you, but it is you who have chosen a too flashy method. The next time you want to take someone by surprise, I recommend a quieter method." Hei replied as he landed on the ground.


    Thanks to Xing''s sensitivity to the sound, Hei and the others had managed to avoid the attack in time. They also brought with them the stall owner, who was disoriented by what was happening.


    "My stall! Why the hell did you-" the owner began to rail against the man in the crater.


    "Sir, I advise you to go away. These are for the damage of the stall, but if you care about your life, you should better disappear from here as if you were being chased by wild beasts." Hei interrupted the poor man and handed him a bag with enough money to buy a new stall.


    The owner looked in amazement at the young client who was serving till just now. After calming down a bit, he realized that he had been put into something dangerous, so the owner decided to follow Hei''s advice and ran away as fast as he could. It wasn''t just him though, the people who were in the vicinity of that part of the city began to run away. Some went to find a safe place, others to look for guards to quell that conflict. Even though they didn''t know the details, they weren''t stupid - what was happening was an affair between martial artists, and they didn''t appear to be weak. There was no way they could intervene directly. It was better to look for the city authorities


    "Are they gone? Better this way. Sorry about that, I was curious about what your abilities. After all, I heard so much about the two of you. My name is Mok Tong-Hyon, and I am a spirit soldier serving the Pirate General, Red Devil, Jin-Sang. My captain demands your presence before him - he wants you to join the crew. However, that is after bringing with you what you stole to Ho Ri-Na." Mok Tong-Hyon dismissively smiled as if he didn''t care at all what Hei and Lian thought about that proposition.


    "Jin-Sang, you say? And does he want to invite us into his crew? What would happen if we were to refuse his invitation?" Hei asked as he looked around to see if there were actually no innocents bystanders around.


    "Unfortunately, it is an invitation to which you aren''t allowed to say no, and I don''t even recommend to do so. I have been ordered to bring you to him, whether with your consent or not."


    "I understand, then I fear you will have to force us because I have no intention of following your orders as if nothing had happened."


    "Boy, don''t get strange ideas. I advise you to think again because you are not up to my level."


    Instead of continuing the discussion, Hei replied to Mok Tong-Hyon with his actions. He activated his spirit power by releasing the aura of a first-stage spirit soldier. At his side, Lian also did the same while releasing the silk ribbons wrapped around her body. Xing and Ye remained hidden in Hei''s body, for now, ready to unleash their power at any time.


    "Oh! Not bad. You have reached the second rank. I don''t know how old you are, but it''s amazing that brats like you have reached such a milestone so early. However, talent is not all in the world of us martial artists. It would have been better for you to stay hidden until you got stronger instead of getting cocky because of your talent."


    Mok Tong-Hyon gave another mocking smile as he put his left arm and leg forward, entering the position of combat. Although he had an overwhelming advantage of cultivation, the target he had to capture wasn''t alone.


    "Lian, let''s go," Hei said as he started to charge, holding his spear with both his hands. The young blue-haired woman replied with a nod following behind him.


    Peng!


    Hei infused his spirit power into his spear and attempted a lunge against Mok Tong-Hyon. Jin-Sang''s spirit soldier stretched his left arm forward to capture the tip of the spear as he tried with his right hand a violent punch against Hei''s face.


    Seeing that his spear was about to be caught, Hei restrained his charge and lowered his body. With a rapid rotation of his legs, keeping his position down, he turned around Mok Tong-Hyon. As soon as he got behind the latter, Hei rose to his feet again. Meanwhile, Lian had arrived in front of Mok Tong-Hyon and swung one of her ribbons like a whip while she hardened it.


    Swoosh!


    With quick footwork, Mok Tong-Hyon avoided the combined attack of the two as he moved a few meters apart. He could have attacked one between Hei and Lian, taking advantage of the interval between their attacks, but he decided not to. With the advantage of cultivation, he wasn''t worried about facing two newly advanced first-stage spirit soldiers. Mok Tong-Hyon was still euphoric after the battle against the Storm Lightning''s crew, Kan Na-Kim, and therefore decided to enjoy this clash. Playing with these brats for a while wouldn''t have compromised his mission, or so he thought.

 Chapter 133 - Hunting the Hunter - 2

    Watching Mok Tong-Hyon avoid their combined attack and then distance himself without attacking, Hei smiled. Typically, being underestimated by their opponent in that way would have provoked the majority of martial artists. After all, each martial artist was a person who had dedicated their lives to gain power after countless hardships. Being looked down upon was therefore unbearable for them. And this was even truer the more the person had talent. Even those who were mild-tempered, though they wouldn''t have lost their minds, wouldn''t also have been happy with such a gesture that poured mud on their efforts.


    But Hei was different. He didn''t care about that at all, quite the opposite. If Mok Tong-Hyon was looking down on them, it was only positive for him. Not even Lian reacted to that provocation. Her emotions only came out when it was something related to Hei, Ye, and Xing; otherwise, she would have kept a calm attitude all the time.


    Mok Tong-Hyon, who expected a reaction of some kind, looked at the two young martial artists with a surprised expression. He didn''t expect such calm from two of them; after all, they had an unbelievable degree of talent, even superior to the top geniuses of the islands'' big sects. However, he didn''t pay much attention to it and let it go. He had a distinct cultivation advantage, why should he worry?


    "Lian, let''s speed up the pace. Ye, Xing, get ready to attack." Hei said quietly to the other three.


    Lian and the two little divine beasts nodded their heads. Then the young blue-haired woman ran forward toward Mok Tong-Hyon, attacking alone.


    "Intent of the Ribbon, Law of Water, Wave Ribbon!" Lian exclaimed loudly as the amount of spirit power emitted in her two ribbons increased.


    The two silk ribbons began to shake violently as a celestial glow began to emanate from them. It was as if they had become two living streams of water, swaying at high speed in the air. Lian, therefore, began to dance, spinning quickly on herself and waving her arms. Since they were connected to her, each time Lian waved her arms, the two silky ribbons would move accordingly. The faster she danced, and the smoother the dance movements, the more speed, and elasticity the ribbons would have.


    Mok Tong-Hyon sneered at that sight. For him, dancing was a useless activity, and he couldn''t understand what that girl was thinking by starting dancing and waving her two ribbons. The ribbon was a capturing weapon, but you could only capture the enemy if you were stronger than them, if they were injured, or if you had the numerical advantage. Not to mention that he certainly wouldn''t have let himself be captured by such a ridiculous technique. However, Mok Tong-Hyon had to change his mind immediately.


    When one of the two ribbons hurled at him from above, Mok Tong-Hyon used his right arm to tear this annoying object to pieces. His metal gauntlet was infused with his spirit power, increasing the damage of his claws. But when the ribbon and gauntlet made contact, instead of tearing the ribbon, a deafening metallic noise was produced.


    Mok Tong-Hyon looked surprised because he didn''t think such a ribbon was so hard. He knew that such a weapon could be hardened with spirit power, but he had the advantage of spirit power in this struggle. So he should have been able to tear the ribbon apart, yet that hadn''t happened. But it wasn''t the time for reasoning because the second ribbon arrived quickly, taking advantage of that moment of hesitation.


    Lian began to take command of the fight by dictating the pace. With the length of her two ribbons, she could attack from afar and defend herself at the same time if needed. Furthermore, her constant dancing made it difficult to catch her off guard since she didn''t remain in a fixed position.


    Seeing Lian set her pace, Hei smiled as he threw himself into the raging storm of those two ribbons. The spirit pact that united him, Lian, Ye, and Xing allowed the two young martial artists to be able to feel the presence of the other more clearly than normal.


    Using the Spider Run, Four-legged Mode, while holding his spear with his hair, Hei skillfully moved between the ribbons. As soon as he got close to Mok Tong-Hyon, he switched from the Four-legged Mode to the Two-legged one.


    "Intent of the Spear!"


    Infusing even more spirit power, Hei began to deliver quick and precise blows against Mok Tong-Hyon. Jin-Sang''s spirit soldier intercepted each attack using his two metal gauntlets. Sparks flew every time they collided against the ribbons or Hei''s spear. However, Mok Tong-Hyon was unable to take command of the fight. Whenever he wanted to use his footwork technique to go straight to Lian, Hei would stop him by blocking his way. And when he went to attack Hei directly, Lian would intrude, using her ribbons as a shield and allowing Hei to attack undisturbed. It could be said that theirs was an incredible combination, and there weren''t many martial artists capable of fighting together in such unison.


    ''How does he do it? The hardness of the ribbons is due to the material, and I can understand this. Yet how does a boy with lesser cultivation than mine move as quickly as I do?'' Mok Tong-Hyon gritted his teeth as the situation became increasingly unfavorable for him. Even though Hei and Lian were only first-stage spirit soldiers, he didn''t believe they could put him under such pressure.


    It should be known that with each advancement of both stage and rank would have led to an improvement in the physical attributes of the martial artist''s body. It wasn''t strange that high-ranking martial artists, even if they didn''t possess the Metal Lawl, could be able to resist attacks from weaker enemies even without spirit power, although that was true only in the event of an absolute power gap.


    But what most martial artists were interested in was the increase in speed they would gain. Although with the footwork techniques, it was possible to increase their speed even more, with similar techniques, it was the rank, and the stage of cultivation reached that counted. Yet Hei moved like Mok Tong-Hyon; on the contrary, he was even faster, even if slightly, and his speed increased, even more, assuming the four-legged position.


    "That''s enough, brats. Intent of the Gauntlet!" Mok Tong-Hyon shouted with annoyance. He couldn''t believe that he had to be serious against two weaker martial artists.


    Quickly, his spirit power rose, and his pair of metallic gauntlets shone even more as their power increased. Now, not even Lian''s two ribbons joined together could stop one of his punches. It needed Hei''s contribution to block the attack. But Mok Tong-Hyon possessed two arms; therefore, in an instant, he regained control of the situation, pushing Hei and Lian to retreat more and more.


    ''Now!'' Hei communicated to his two little sisters still hidden on his body. Despite the difficult situation he and Lian were in, Hei wasn''t worried at all. After all, he hadn''t played his winning cards yet.


    Ye came out of Hei''s robe, to be precise from the collar, and lunged forward with her mouth open, exposing her fangs. Mok Tong-Hyon was surprised to see a snake come out of his opponent''s body, but he didn''t get agitated. With a swift reaction, he threw a punch with his left hand against Ye, making her fly several meters in the air. But the assault wasn''t over yet.


    Xing immediately came out of Hei''s head and swung her front legs, sharp as blades. Mok Tong-Hyon had to use his other hand to defend himself, throwing away the deadly spider that attempted to his life. However, this gesture did nothing but leave him out in the open without a guard.


    "Law of Poison, Poisonous Spider Thrust."


    Without missing such an opportunity, Hei launched the attack. Although he was angry with Mok Tong-Hyon for hitting his little sisters, he knew they were both fine. Ye possessed the Law of Metal, and her body was the hardest of all of them, while Xing had a strong exoskeleton capable of protecting her as well as Ye''s hard skin. So all Hei had to do was to focus on his enemy.


    Stab! Screech!


    The point of the spear impacted Mok Tong-Hyon''s defense of spirit power at the level of the heart. The spirit soldier snapped his tongue as he was pushed back. Hei''s way of fighting was more insidious than expected. Instead of immediately using his spirit beasts, he had used himself as bait to create that precise moment of opportunity.


    "That''s enough. Don''t get too cocky, brat! Poison Law, Flow of Feathers." Mok Tong-Hyon screamed again, even more, angry than before, as he poured even more spirit power into his metal gauntlets.


    Suddenly, from such gauntlets, more similar to a metal arm, tiny slits were formed. The instant later, Mok Tong-Hyon''s spirit power was violently thrown forward from these slits like small purple bird feathers.


    Hei, sensing the danger, stopped attacking and stepped back while using Snake Hair to create a shield in front of him. Lian also was quick to move and waved her two ribbons to cover Hei and give him an additional line of defense against those feathers. From her worried expression, it was clear that she sensed the gravity of the attack Hei was about to receive.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Like hail falling on the roofs of buildings, the feathers created by the spirit power of Mok Tong-Hyon collided against Lian''s ribbons. The two ribbons, although not damaged in the least, were pushed aside due to the difference in strength between the two fighters. Lian knelt on the ground with the blood coming out of her mouth. The momentary destruction of the spirit power inside the ribbons had caused her an internal wound. Although it wasn''t too serious, it prevented her from being able to help Hei right now.


    Hei, therefore, had to face it alone against Mok Tong-Hyon''s attack. Fortunately, Lian''s ribbons had diminished the number and strength of the feathers. However, the difference in cultivation was still enough to make him fly about ten meters and make him spit blood from the clash of spirit power between the two techniques.


    Mok Tong-Hyon didn''t miss this opportunity. Taking advantage that the two spirit beasts and Lian were far away, he moved at high speed, following the path that Hei was following after being thrown backward. He wanted to put an end to this fighting farce that had lasted far too long for his taste.


    Even though he had just been hit, Hei could notice the movement of his enemy thanks to Spider Hair. He could hear the sound of Mok Tong-Hyon''s footsteps getting closer. Therefore, using Snake Hair to hit the ground below him, Hei stopped his forced advance and got up in the air. Then, he flew down to intercept the enemy who had now come.


    Mok Tong-Hyon smiled at that sight. He was surprised that Hei had such quick reflexes to notice his follow-up attack instead of running away, Hei was heading towards him like a fish that hooks on the hook. Without thinking too much about that, he also flew up while waving his claws against Hei.


    "Law of Darkness, Chameleon Tongue, Ink Saliva."


    Before the two could make contact in midair, Hei''s throat began to contract as a vast amount of pitch-black saliva came out of his mouth. Rather than a simple spit, it seemed more like he was vomiting his saliva.


    Blargh! Splash!


    Mok Tong-Hyon''s sight was obscured by such vomiting of black saliva. His instinctive, and more than natural reaction was to stop his attack and clean his face. But unexpectedly, this black liquid had a very unusual sticky property that it was impossible to remove it quickly.


    "NOW!" Stopping himself in midair, Hei screamed as he recovered his breath due to the technique he had just used. From his mouth, there was black drool that descended downwards.


    Usually, Hei would use an average amount of saliva and aim precisely in the eyes of the enemy. With the poison law, he could have made his attacks even more insidious. However, this was a variant that he had recently developed, and it possessed an even more powerful diversion effect than the usual Chameleon Tongue Spit Mode.


    Acmella Oleracea, also called toothache plant, was a species of flowering plant that was used for cooking thanks to its strong and particular flavor. It was also used as a medicine to treat some mouth-related ailments, including toothache. The bud of this plant produced a sense of tingling or numbness after ingestion, which gave rise to another name to the Acmella Oleracea as the tingling plant. However, the effect following this tingling sensation was an increase in saliva production. Not surprisingly, the tingling plant was classified by the alchemists among the substances known as sialogogue that induced an increase in saliva production.


    Hei had fed Ye that plant. Thanks to her Concept of Digestion, the small snake, using the tingling plant as its basis, created a poison with sialogogic properties. During the fight, before sending her to the attack, Hei had ordered Ye to inject him with the poison. In that way, he could now produce more saliva than usual in an instant, appearing more like vomiting. Then, combining it with the Law of Darkness, he had created a substance similar to ink but with a stickiness rate out of the norm.


    At Hei''s signal, Ye and Xing, who had been hit by Mok Tong-Hyon''s fists, got up from the ground. With a lightning-fast sprint, they attacked the spirit soldier, still with his sight blocked by the strange liquid produced by Hei.


    ''Law of Metal, Concept of Digestion, Metal Alloy - Steel.''


    ''Law of Poison, Concept of Toxicity, Acid Poison.''


    The two little divine beasts activated their elemental laws and their concepts. Ye further increased the hardness of her body, in particular of the tail, thanks to the quantities of ingested metals. That technique allowed her to create a basic hardness equal to that of steel, to which was added the amplification effects of her spirit power. Xing instead used her Concept of Toxicity to increase the power of her Poison Law. Instead of opting for a deadly poison, the little spider opted for a poison with acidic properties so that it could dissolve the enemy''s spirit power protection.


    Peng! Slash! Screech!


    Mok Tong-Hyo was struck to the front by Xing''s sharp legs and to the back by Ye''s tough tail. Both blows were violent because the two little divine beasts had had time to charge their attacks and had taken the enemy off guard. But after their turn, it was Lian''s turn who moved her ribbons like whips to strike Mok Tong-Hyo from above. She sent the pirate spirit soldier to adhere to the ground. Hei''s turn had now come.


    Swooping down from the top as fast as he could, Hei used the accelerating factor of his falling weight to increase the power of his attack. In a few moments, his spear would reach Mok Tong-Hyo to pierce him at the height of his chest.

 Chapter 134 - Hunting the Hunter - 3

    Hei was falling from the sky to impale with his spear Mok Tong-Hyo who was on the ground. The enemy had his eyesight blocked due to Hei''s darkness law technique. Furthermore, thanks to the successive hits of Xing, Ye, and Lian, the spirit power layer of Mok Tong-Hyo had been temporarily reduced to the point that allowed Hei to be able to overcome the cultivation gap.


    But Mok Tong-Hyo was still a third-stage spirit soldier. He had served the Red Devil Jin-Sang for years and had years of battle experience with him. The number of spirit soldiers killed by him wasn''t at all low. So, even in such a situation, he wouldn''t let two kids and their spirit beasts take him out.


    With his eyesight still blocked, Mok Tong-Hyo tried to use his other senses to understand the situation. He could sense that something was coming from the other towards him. So he repeated the same move. The only difference was that the width covered by his feathers increased, however reducing the density since the feathers had to cover a larger area.


    Seeing this, Hei stopped his advance, taken by surprise. Fortunately, Lian, who was always watching him, used her ribbons that were still close to that position to pull Hei backward, bringing him next to her. In doing so, she allowed Hei to dodge Mok Tong-Hyo''s attack.


    Mok Tong-Hyo then got up. He angrily peeled off the black liquid that Hei had emitted, which had become more like sticky black slime. From the slight blood coming out of his mouth and head, it was clear that he had been injured during the scuffle against the flurry of attacks from before.


    "Damn brats. Enough. You pissed me off. I don''t give a damn about the Captain''s order any more. I swear on my name that I will tear you to pieces. Zhenniao Bloodline, Activate!"


    Bringing all the spirit power available to him, the aura around Mok Tong-Hyo began to glow as it took on a purple-green color. His eyes changed to the same color as the blood coming out of his mouth stopped. The next instant, the shoes, and part of the pants that the spirit soldier was wearing exploded, revealing a pair of metal greaves. These greaves differ from regular models since they were connected to a couple of sollerets, resulting in a single piece rather than two separate pieces. Like with the gauntlets, the sollerets had a pointed end similar to claws.


    "Now, I''m going to show you the true power of a spirit soldier!"


    Mok Tong-Hyo screamed as he condensed his spirit power into both gauntlets and greaves. In an instant, a whistle was produced by these metal protectors as small cracks in the metal were opened.


    "Law of Poison, Explosion of Poisonous Feathers!"


    Boom!


    With a loud roar, the greaves and gauntlets poured out a shower of poisonous feathers created with the spirit power of Mok Tong-Hyo. The quantity, density, power, and number of feathers produced by the technique were by no means comparable to before. It was true even though it was only a variant of the same technique.


    "Ye, Xing!"


    Noticing Mok Tong-Hyo''s change in spirit power flow, Hei yelled at his two little sisters, implicitly urging them to reach him. Having reached the second rank, he could now use the spirit sense technique. However, this technique wasn''t only useful in locating enemies from afar but could also be used to observe changes in the enemy''s flow even though you weren''t always able to react promptly.


    Ye and Xing joined their big brother in the blink of an eye and climbed over his shoulders. Hei then pulled Lian to him, squeezing her tightly to his chest and quickly covered all four with his hair. At the same time, Lian maneuvered her two ribbons to create an additional barrier layer.


    "Not enough, Battle Formation!" Hei exclaimed, knowing that just with those two techniques, it was impossible to stop Mok Tong-Hyo''s attack.


    Quickly, the spirit power of the four united, elevating their outflow. The exact moment they did this, the rain of feathers arrived. Since he didn''t want them to avoid his attack as they had done before, Mok Tong-Hyo enormously enlarged the affected area. Although it would decrease the density of the feathers, he didn''t care since the number of feathers of spirit power was immense.


    Peng! Crash! Boom!


    Everything these feathers touched would have been destroyed. Roads, buildings, and other objects, regardless of the material, were torn apart. The entire commercial area where they were fighting took on a desolate look as if a violent gust had destroyed everything. Amid that destruction, only the dome created with Lian''s two silk ribbons resisted. The spirit power of the four had been raised through the Battle Formation, allowing them to resist the impact of that power entirely.


    From a distance, the guards called by the fleeing citizens were watching this scene in horror. With one glance they could understand that the situation was something they absolutely couldn''t do anything about. They were third to fourth stage spirit apprentices, with someone reaching the fifth stage. How could they be able to intervene in a confrontation of this magnitude? The Captain of the guards, a sixth stage spirit apprentice, also observed the scene, trembling nervously. It wasn''t only because of the destruction he was witnessing, but above all because of a particular detail.


    "Lord Mok Tong-Hyo!"


    The Captain of the guards recognized the man in the sky who had produced this destruction. As Captain of the guards of the Blue Lobster City, a city with thick ties to the Red Devil Jin-Sang, how would he not have been able to recognize one of the spirit soldiers under the service of the Pirate General?


    Mok Tong-Hyo meanwhile let out a deep sigh. The technique he had used had consumed much of his available spirit power. Not only had he utilized the four metal pieces he used as weapons in unison, but he had activated his bloodline to increase the power of his Poison Law. But despite his efforts, he had incredibly failed to annihilate the enemy.


    The dome of silk ribbons was still standing, and the four that were hidden inside were still alive. It was nothing but a deep stain for the honor of Mok Tong-Hyo, who didn''t expect two early first-stage spirit soldiers to be able to resist his full power. And although they had two spirit beasts at their disposal, these spirit beasts were comparable only to two first-stage spirit soldiers. Therefore, it shouldn''t have been possible for them to remain unharmed at all.


    "The bloodline you activated... you said Zhenniao, right?" Hei asked while the defense of ribbons and hair dissolved, revealing the young brown-skinned man.


    "Yes, and then? What''s up? Are you scared?"


    "No. I just wanted to know if you knew the history of the bloodline you carry."


    Zhenniao, also called Poisonfeather Birds, was a bird species of divine beast. Their main feature was the poison they possessed, especially in their feathers. That poison was called Zhendu, or Zhen poison. It was a first-rate poison even among the divine beasts; birds that ate poisonous vipers in large quantities and reached the sixth level had the opportunity to transform into Zhenniao birds. However, that poison had a strong wild smell, causing these birds to use it as little as possible. Furthermore, their excrement was also poisonous and could even dissolve stones.


    It should be known that Bao Bei when she was still alive, didn''t only give lessons concerning the world of humans or combat techniques. No, as the Queen of the Divine Beasts, she spent a lot of time teaching her children about the different species of animals and spirit beasts. In addition to them, she also taught about the species of divine beasts that had existed a hundred thousand years ago. As the only bearer of the divine beasts'' history, she wanted Hei to be aware of the various specimens that had fought for their cause.


    ''Zhenniao... it''s the first time I face a bloodline owner. I don''t know if there are other owners with this particular bloodline. But even if it is present in this aspect, it is still a living trace of this specimen of divine beast. If possible, I wish I didn''t have to erase it from this world. However, I can''t afford such thoughts. Even if that bloodline disappears forever today, the memory of such creatures will remain with me.''


    "History? And what the fuck am I doing with knowing such a thing? It''s just a useful item that my family left me, that''s all."


    "I understand. Alright. Did you know, though? There are species of spiders that can fly even without spirit power, and at the same time, there are spiders that hunt birds."


    With a big smile, Hei thought briefly about his mother. Bao Bei, the most important being in his life. Her memory and her teachings would live forever in him, and the concrete proof of the bond was the bloodline that she had left him.


    "Bloodline, Nightmare Spider, Activate!" Hei said as he activated his mother''s legacy. At his side, Lian also did the same while Ye and Xing, in turn, came down from his body.


    "Lotus of Love Bloodline, Activate!


    ''Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate!''


    ''Snake of Darkness Bloodline, Activate!''


    Suddenly, the spirit power of the four, united by the Battle Formation, increased even more. Ye and Xing took on their real appearance and size as they uncovered their fangs against the enemy. Hei''s pupils became dark purple while Lian''s hair took on a mixed coloring of green and pink. Their expression was determined and full of energy.


    Mok Tong-Hyo in the sky couldn''t help but be amazed. He didn''t expect such brats to have a bloodline. Furthermore, the two already dangerous spirit beasts had become even more frightening; their appearance was so terrifying that even someone like Mok Tong-Hyo, with his years of experience, was nervous. The spirit soldier of Jin-Sang noticed that the target he had been sent to capture posed a serious threat to him, and a feeling of fear began to form in his heart.


    Hei flew up, his gaze fixed on Mok Tong-Hyo. Lian from behind also rose in altitude while Ye and Xing remained on the ground. The Battle Formation was still active, though it would have broken if they had spaced too far from each other. Hei didn''t want his enemy to know that his little sisters could fly; after all, the second level whale was only able to do it for a few moments, and Hei didn''t know if this was the norm or was due to the size of that spirit beast. So Ye and Xing would follow from the ground and launch attacks from below while Hei and Lian would attempt to force Mok Tong-Hyo to descend.


    "Let''s end this fight."


    At those words, all four of them advanced forward - Hei and Lian from above and Ye and Xing from the ground. Hei dived first against Mok Tong-Hyo, his spear held straight by his hair so as to have his hands free, assuming the Total Combat Mode. Mok Tong-Hyo prepared to receive Hei''s attack, but before he could react, a series of spiderwebs flew towards him in a threatening manner. It was Xing who was throwing her spiderwebs from the ground to block Mok Tong-Hyo and stop him from fighting back.


    The pirate spirit soldier had no choice but to opt to dodge rather than respond to the attack of the young martial artist who was coming towards him. Being trapped for even a few seconds was a more unfavorable situation than losing the opportunity to fight back. Quickly dodging into the sky, Mok Tong-Hyo avoided the spiderwebs exactly just before Hei came to stand beside him.


    Peng!


    When Hei''s spear was about to reach him, Mok Tong-Hyo used his left arm to deflect the blade of the spear''s head. However, since his concentration was all directed towards Hei now, he didn''t notice the stealth movement from below. Ye had, in fact, used her long tail, like a spring, to launch herself up. Using her tail, she hit Mok Tong-Hyo in the left flank since the enemy''s hand was already occupied on that side.


    Mok Tong-Hyo was out of breath for a few seconds. Although he had the protection of the spirit power''s layer around his body, it wasn''t that he didn''t feel the repercussions of the attacks at all. Although there were no apparent injuries, that attack still hurt him. Hei, meanwhile, had been rejected back from the previous contact; the difference in spirit power, though bridged by the Battle Formation, was still felt as the four of them weren''t perfectly aligned to unify their spirit powers. But it was a damage that he had budgeted while ordering the attack. Lian used her ribbon to pick him up as he was being pushed back. Then, spinning the ribbon, she pushed Hei back against Mok Tong-Hyo for another attack.


    Peng!


    Another exchange and the former situation occurred again. Xing continued to disturb from above with her spiderwebs, preventing the pirate from catching his breath and thinking clearly. Hei would act as the main attack and attract the enemy''s attention. Although Mok Tong-Hyo was on the alert against Ye''s attack, blocking it was a completely different matter, given the power of Ye''s tail, increased by her Metal Law.


    Mok Tong-Hyo found himself in a passive position as he needed time to load his feather attack, which he didn''t have. But it wasn''t as if he was entirely hopeless. With each exchange, Hei would have suffered an internal wound, and the strength of his attack would have gradually diminished. Furthermore, Mok Tong-Hyo was becoming more and more familiar with the attack rate of that combination of martial artists and spirit beasts.


    While Hei attempted a lunge once again, Mok Tong-Hyo condensed his spirit power into his right arm. He didn''t have time to use an elemental type technique, but he could still condense his spirit power and crash it against that of the enemy. In this way, he would have suffered Ye''s tail attack again but would have caused even more significant injuries to Hei, hoping that such an attack would be enough to knock out the young martial artist.


    Lian immediately realized the danger and, since Hei was unable to brake in time, pulled him back again. Mok Tong-Hyo failed to hit Hei; however, the fact that Hei was no longer present, allowed the pirate to parry Ye''s attack and free himself from that situation. He was now free to attack again at full power. However, he hadn''t taken into account the blue-haired young woman who had been supporting the others all this time.


    Lian had indeed sprung forward, breaking the Battle Formation. She knew that the situation was delicate, and they couldn''t give Mok Tong-Hyo time to load his techniques. Even at the cost of being seriously injured, she had to stop him.

 Chapter 135 - Hunting the Hunter - 4

    Lian launched herself against Mok Tong-Hyo. Her right fist had been placed back while charging power.


    "Vibrating Fist."


    Lian''s fist went forward, colliding against the enemy''s gauntlet. Unfortunately, the difference in power was too vast, and Lian suffered damage from the collision of the two techniques. Mok Tong-Hyo didn''t miss the opportunity for a follow-up attack and moved his right arm forward at the level of Lian''s stomach.


    "Law of Poison, Poison Bird Talon."


    "Law of Wood, Coating Bark."


    Thump! Swoosh!


    Lian was thrown down. The blue-haired young woman heavily spat blood from her mouth as she momentarily stopped breathing. The attack received had been extremely violent, and it wouldn''t have been strange if she was on the brink of death. However, Lian had always been a careful though silent person. Shortly before receiving Mok Tong-Hyo''s attack, she had wrapped one of her ribbons around her body. Using also a defensive technique of the Wood Law, Lian had further hardened the ribbon, giving it a brownish color similar to tree bark. In doing so, Lian was able to avoid fatal damage but was unknown if she was still able to continue fighting.


    Tug!


    Suddenly, Mok Tong-Hyo felt himself being pulled, and, after looking down, he realized that Lian''s other ribbon was tied around his ankles. He was utterly amazed at the thinking process of the young blue-haired woman. For all the fight, she had limited herself to support, but her reading of the battle''s flow was monstrous. Not only had she noticed the danger her partner was facing and saved him, but she had moved decisively not to let him breathe. Mok Tong-Hyo thought it was a move driven by despair but found that he was wrong. Everything had been calculated in detail, including getting a severe injury in the process. Just one wrong calculation or one wrong movement and Lian would have laid lifeless on the ground.


    "YE! XING!" Hei screamed at his little sisters as he landed.


    Ye and Xing also had an exceptional understanding of the battle''s flow. So they quickly understood what their big brother meant. Ye reached out her tail and took Lian to the ground. Then she wrapped her tail on the ribbon tied to the enemy and began to pull with all her might. As for brute force, Ye was definitely the best of the four of them. Even Mok Tong-Hyo was unable to resist and was dragged by force downward.


    When the pirate''s body was crushed to the ground, Xing let out all the spiderwebs that she had managed to accumulate up until now. The divine beast spider had mainly two ways to weave - one was the normal production of spiderweb from the spinneret; the other was through her spirit power. By condensing spirit power in the spinneret, she was able to generate more silk in less time than her normal production. However, that process was exhausting for her if carried out continuously. So it was something she preferred not to use if possible. Unfortunately, it was now one of those occasions.


    Xing''s silk clumped into a finely crafted spiderweb dome. It wasn''t very thick, so much so that Mok Tong-Hyo could still see outside. But Xing''s goal wasn''t to lock the pirate into a thick cage from which he couldn''t get out. No. she had something else in her mind.


    ''Law of Illusions, Psychedelic Game of Lights.''


    Using something that Mok Tong-Hyo never expected, Xing activated an Illusion Law technique. It was an external illusory technique that continually showed the enemy a series of lights of all possible colors and shapes that varied at every moment. Xing wasn''t yet able enough to produce such an illusion only with her knowledge of the Illusion Law. Therefore, she devised a way to remedy her inexperience - use her own spiderweb as a medium and reflect the sunlight to create a game of lights. It was for this reason that she didn''t generate a thick spiderweb but left it thin.


    Mok Tong-Hyo was attacked by this storm of lights and put his hands to his eyes to obscure the view and protect himself from such a dazzling assault. But no matter how hard he tried to repair himself, the lights continued to be projected so intensely to result visible even though he was covering his eyes. Mok Tong-Hyo screamed wholeheartedly, but he couldn''t move from there. Ye was still continuing to tighten the ribbon while Lian was conscious enough to hold the grip of her ribbon with her spirit power. Lastly, Xing''s illusion didn''t allow the enemy to use any of his techniques.


    Left with no other alternative, Mok Tong-Hyo began to throw punches at random in front of him like a madman as he slowly advanced with his eyes closed. The psychedelic lights were still being projected, but he tried to resist and reached the layer of spiderweb that was keeping him locked up. Realizing that he had reached the spiderweb dome''s structure, he railed even more forcefully against that prison. Had he continued like this, he would have been able to free himself before long.


    ''Big brother, he''ll be able to get out soon. I can''t make spiderwebs while I''m focused on keeping the illusion active.'' Xing warned in an alarmed voice. Since the enemy was stronger than her, regarding the cultivation, it was normal for her to struggle to keep him under the illusion.


    "Don''t worry. I''m ready." Hei confidently replied, reassuring his little sister.


    Ever since Lian had pulled Mok Tong-Hyo to land, Hei had stopped to condense all his spirit power left over for one last final attack. An attack that would end the fight. But to do this, he needed time to prepare and charge the necessary power.


    ''Law of Poison + Snake Coiling + Beast Claws + Spider Lance, Poison Piercing Lance.''


    Poisonous Piercing Spear. A variant of Spider Lance, derived from the fusion of three of the techniques learned by his mother with the Law of Poison. If Spider Lance was already a move with extreme lethal power, Poison Piercing Lance took that power to a higher level. Hei had no doubts that although his spirit power was no longer amplified and there was a cultivation gap between him and the enemy, Mok Tong-Hyo couldn''t possibly survive his attack.


    When Mok Tong-Hyo was about to split the spiderweb that enclosed him, Hei sprinted forward using Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode. As soon as Mok Tong-Hyo emerged from the spiderweb dome, Hei reached out his left arm, the dominant one, and finally released the technique he had loaded.


    Stab!


    Hei''s arm sharply broke Mok Tong-Hyo''s layer of spirit power and stuck into the flesh at the level of his heart. The spirit soldier pirate had no escape - his heart was crushed as Hei''s arm came out of his back. He didn''t even have time to think about anything. As soon as he emerged from the spiderweb dome and the psychedelic lights dimmed, Mok Tong-Hyo heard a rustling sound near him. The next moment, however, it was all over, and he stopped hearing anything else. He was now lifeless and was only standing because his body was being supported by the Hei''s left arm stuck inside.


    Hei pulled his left arm back. Pieces of the heart he had crushed had been stuck on his nails while his hand had turned crimson red. Suddenly he felt dizzy as he staggered backward, ending up sitting on the ground. The battle this time had been truly demanding and had consumed all his strength. Furthermore, the damage reported was undoubtedly not minor. But all this didn''t matter. He had succeeded in his intent - to show Ho Ri-Na their power and decrease the fighting power of Pirate General, the Red Devil, Jin-Sang. Now all that was missing was Ho Ri-Na''s response to his proposal.


    Xing came to his side. The eight eyes of the divine beast spider were all focused on him as she observed his condition. Xing was worried about her big brother.


    "I''m fine. It''s just an effect of having exhausted my spirit power. With a little rest, I will recover. But now we have to get out of here. Here it isn''t safe." Hei consoled her little sister as he crawled to reach out and take Mok Tong-Hyo''s space ring. Obviously, he wouldn''t let go of his war booty.


    Xing then lowered herself to allow Hei to climb onto her back. Ye instead picked up Lian with her tail. At that point, the two little divine beasts started running toward the port, where Old Tohyon was looking forward to their return. The news that Mok Tong-Hyo, one of Jin-Sang''s spirit soldiers, was fighting against someone had spread like wildfire, and people anxiously awaited the outcome of the clash.


    As soon as the hustle and bustle of the fighting ended, the guards went to the site of the fight. To their horror, what they found in the middle of that destruction was the corpse of Mok Tong-Hyo. On the chest, at the height of the heart, there was a huge hole, large enough to insert an entire arm inside. But the guards could only take a look when screams started spreading across the city.


    The inhabitants of the city panicked as they ran away as far as possible. A spider and a snake three meters long each were running through the streets of Blue Lobster City. No one paid any attention to the two humans transported by those two beasts because they were all too busy running away and saved themselves.


    Ye and Xing rushed into the city streets without worrying about the panic they were generating. In any case, they had already created a lot of fuss in the fight against Mok Tong-Hyo. There was no reason to be stealthy, not to mention that they were more concerned about bringing Hei and Lian to a safe place to rest and heal.


    Old Tohyon noticed the crowd of people leaving the port. From a distance, he recognized the bodies of the spirit beasts that Hei treated as if they were his family, Ye, and Xing. Old Tohyon, therefore, began to prepare the artifact ship, and by the time Ye and Xing finally arrived at their destination, the ship was ready to sail instantly.


    With gentle movements, they passed Hei and Lian to Old Tohyon, who helped them lie on the ship''s deck. Ye and Xing, therefore, reduced their size, returning to their normal state. Old Tohyon then set off at full speed, moving away from the Blue Lobster City, which was full of chaos.


    *


    Steam City, Ho Ri-Na''s Office.


    "Big sister, what do you want to do?" Ho Yeon-Hong asked her sister Ho Ri-Na.


    The implication behind her question was clear. Hei had ended up killing the spirit soldier sent by Jin-Sang to retrieve the map fragments. And the spirit soldier killed was none other than Mok Tong-Hyo, the third most powerful after Jin-Sang himself and the Pirate General''s right arm. The fact that they killed Mok Tong-Hyo had created a massive hole in the fighting power of the Red Devil''s crew.


    "In the battle against Kan Na-Kim, Jin-Sang lost one of his spirit soldiers. Kan Na-Kim attempted a suicide attack before dying, trying to bring the Red Devil with him, but he failed, only ending up involving one of his enemy''s subordinates. Jin-Sang tried to hide that fact, but even he doesn''t have the power to hide such a thing forever. We received confirmation a little while ago from our communications network." Ho Ri-Na revealed as she sighed. A furious battle was unfolding within her.


    "Big sister, then does that mean-?"


    "It means that with the death of Mok Tong-Hyo, the spirit soldiers in Jin-Sang''s service fell to three. That is, we are now on a par with the number of spirit soldiers available on both sides."


    "However, even if we are on par with the number of spirit soldiers, unfortunately, it doesn''t mean we are on par regarding the battle power. Jin-Sang has more troops than ours, and if only one of the four of us were to lose their fight, the irreparable would happen, Lady Yeon." Won? ?Byung-Chul? intervened, explaining the situation to Ho Yeon-Hong. As Ho Ri-Na''s right arm, he was the only one who could speak freely without having to ask first to Ho Ri-Na.


    Ho Ri-Na gave him an appreciative look because she was currently in the midst of an internal war. She had to choose the answer to provide to Hei. Inside her, she was still angry about how Hei had threatened her little sister; she couldn''t forgive such an act as if nothing had happened. Furthermore, she couldn''t deny that the treasure of the Pirate King Hae Seong aroused a strong appeal in her. Getting hold of it meant securing an inheritance for her and her men. But, on the other hand, she couldn''t ignore the threat posed by Jin-Sang. The Red Devil wasn''t the type to share power with others - he wanted everything or nothing; there were no half ways. No doubt, he wouldn''t stop until he destroyed her or submitted her to him.


    Ho Ri-Na would certainly have preferred death to become his slave. However, she couldn''t act selfishly. She carried the weight of hundreds and hundreds of men who had died for her and were living to take her to the top of piracy''s scene. Becoming the Pirate Queen was also a way to repay her debt to them. For this reason, Hei''s offer was so tempting. And it had become even more so after the pair of young martial artists, along with their two spirit beasts, had managed to kill Mok Tong-Hyo, a third-stage spirit soldier. Without a doubt, it was a battle force that could turn the tables.


    In the end, after many and many second thoughts, Ho Ri-Na made her decision. Such a decision would forever change the power game that has existed so far in the piracy''s scene of the Forgotten Ocean.


    "Call me the various groups listed on this list. Also, give our men every resource in stock unreservedly. Even if it is only a small advancement, we must do everything to increase our battle force. We will sail in a week - the destination will be the base of Jin-Sang. We will attack the Red Devil straight into his lair."


    Ho Yeon-Hong smiled instinctively at the news but recomposed herself. Inside, she didn''t know if she was happy because her sister would have a real chance of victory or because Hei''s proposal had been accepted. Meanwhile, Won? Byung-Chul? asked a question. Since he had learned to recognize Ho Ri-Na''s thoughts, it wasn''t difficult for him to guess what her younger sister, Ho Yeon-Hong, was thinking.


    "What about Hei and Lian? Should we warn them? "


    "No, there is no need. People''s eyes are on us now. They will immediately notice our advance when we set sail. Hei will surely understand my answer and how he should act." Ho Ri-Na said confidently. Although she didn''t want to admit it, the bastard who had threatened her little sister was really a shrewd guy.

 Chapter 136 - Blood Steam Battle - 1

    Blood Steam Battle. Thus was called the great battle that would decide the outcome of the conflict between the Four Pirate Generals. Only two left, the Steam Goddess, Ho Ri-Na, would challenge the Red Devil Jin-Sang in one last attempt to reverse the situation and dominate the pirate scene of the Forgotten Ocean.


    Incredibly for everyone who was waiting for this confrontation with trepidation, Ho Ri-Na''s chances of victory had shot up within a couple of days. First of all, it became known that one of Jin-Sang''s spirit soldiers had died in the clash against the Storm Lightning, Kan Na-Kim. This news amazed everyone, but it wasn''t enough to question the absolute advantage that the Red Devil possessed. However, the news of Mok Tong-Hyo''s loss, third in command in Jin-Sang crew, caused a considerable sensation.


    Mok Tong-Hyo had been taken down in public, in the middle of a city under the Red Devil''s control. As if that wasn''t enough, his opponents were just a couple of young martial artists and their two spirit beasts. Typically, it was unthinkable that two of the younger generation would have reached the rank of spirit soldier. But not only had they succeeded, but they had even killed a third stage spirit soldier.


    Furthermore, from the reports of the people present that day, it seemed that Mok Tong-Hyo had explicitly come looking for them, attacking suddenly without warning. Consequently, the conjecture that these young martial artists had a severe conflict against the Red Devil became widespread; it was so severe that the latter had sent one of his best men to catch those young martial artists.


    All this seemed very strange to those who listened without having a complete vision of the facts. By putting the various news together, it was easy to understand that that pair of young martial artists were none other than those responsible for blackmailing Ho Ri-Na. After all, that fact alone had previously created a great uproar. Yet, instead of the Steam Goddess'' men, Mok Tong-Hyo had been sent. A crazy idea was therefore formulated - Ho Ri-Na had staged a fake blackmail attempt so as to bring one of Jin-Sang''s best men into the open and thus reduce his power. And from the actions of the Steam Goddess, it seemed to be the case.


    Ho Ri-Na had, in fact, summoned various pirate groups that weren''t directly affiliated to the Four Pirate Generals. By promising them various rewards and part of the territories owned by the other Pirate Generals, Ho Ri-Na managed to convince them to join her crew against the battle against Jin-Sang, thereby increasing her strength.


    If it had been before, these pirate groups would have said no without thinking about Ho Ri-Na''s proposal. As tempting as it was, they weren''t stupid enough to embark on a suicide war; the power of the Red Devil was too high after all. But now things were different - the number of spirit soldiers on both sides had become the same. No, on the contrary, the balance needle was hanging from the side of Ho Ri-Na thanks to the variable known as Hei and Lian.


    Not wanting to waste the momentum she had unexpectedly gained, Ho Ri-Na immediately gave orders to prepare for battle. Although it was hasty as a maneuver, doing so would have denied the various groups to rethink with a clear mind about her proposal and withdraw their promise of support. Also, she wanted to prevent the Red Devil from gathering reinforcements, or otherwise, she would end up losing the advantage obtained.


    So, Ho Ri-Na, in command of her crew and allies, sailed toward the base of Jin-Sang to end the conflict once and for all.


    *


    Red Skull Island, Pirate General Jin-Sang''s Base


    In the waters in front of the island that served as the main camp of the Red Devil, there were two fleets, each having dozens and dozens of ships in tow. They were the ships of the two Pirate Generals left alive - Ho Ri-Na and Jin-Sang. The Steam Goddess had a total of 500 men, while the Red Devil possessed 800 men instead. Numerically, the Red Devil was clearly ahead. However, victory wouldn''t be determined so much by the battle between these pirates who were only at the level of spirit apprentice. Instead, the outcome would be decided by the eight spirit soldiers in play. The first who won their fight would get the advantage.


    "Can''t you see anything yet?" Asked a female voice.


    It was Ho Yeon-Hong. She was leading the ship that was usually commanded by Ho Ri-Na. After Hei and Lian''s betrayal, Ho Yeon-Hong had become more diligent in her training and became more determined. Ho Ri-Na herself witnessed the maturation of her little sister and therefore decided to let her participate in the battle, even if initially she had decided to exclude her.


    At the moment, the young gray-haired woman was asking the lookout men if they could see movements in the waters around them. Even after what had happened, her thoughts were still fixed on Hei, although the meaning of her feelings had changed.


    "Don''t worry, Yeon. He''ll definitely come." Beside her, Ho Ri-Na said confidently.


    The Steam Goddess, although she didn''t like Hei, knew that he wouldn''t give up such an opportunity. Without a doubt, he would soon show up and do everything he could to get the most out of the conflict between the two crews.


    "Alright. Tell all ships to start moving forward. Let this conflict end. The victory will be ours!"


    With the official order of Ho Ri-Na, all the ships under her command began to advance. Even the ships in the service of the Red Devil began to move, ready to intercept those of Ho Ri-Na. The eight spirit soldiers, including the two Pirate Generals, slowly began to rise high into the sky as their eyes locked on their respective opponents.


    But as the battle was about to begin, the figure of a ship became increasingly clear from afar. All the fighters, in particular, the spirit soldiers on both sides, carefully watched the approach of the ship.


    "They are arriving! The secret card of Ho Ri-Na! "


    "Back then, it was really an orchestrated plan. No wonder the Steam Goddess is worshiped so highly."


    "Don''t be frightened. The power of Captain Jin-Sang is absolute. Even with those two bratty spirit soldiers, the victory is still ours."


    Everywhere there were murmurs and screams of excitement and nervousness. Ho Ri-Na''s troops were reinvigorated by the arrival of the artifact ship carrying Hei and Lian. At the same time, Jin-Sang''s pirates were seized with agitation at the real possibility of their defeat. However, even with the appearance of the two new arrivals, it was still too early to be sure of the outcome.


    "Give me here."


    Ho Yeon-Hong took a telescope from one of the lookouts and pointed it at the artifact ship. Thanks to the visual instrument, she could see Hei standing on the parapet at the bow of the ship. His long pitch-black hair slowly swayed, following the wind currents, while his dark brown eyes were fixed forward; he was uncaring of the gaze of hundreds and hundreds of people who were watching him.


    Ho Yeon-Hong''s heart began to beat quickly, but she tried to calm down by taking large mouthfuls of air. She then looked away from the telescope, returning it to the lookout man from whom she had taken it. It wasn''t the time to get caught up in feelings; she had an important task to perform now.


    The artifact ship continued to advance, aiming at Jin-Sang''s ships. However, it didn''t seem that Hei intended to go up to the sky and fight against the spirit soldiers gathered there. Instead, he was aiming for small fries aboard on the ships. The meaning of these actions was clear - he won''t intervene in the struggle between spirit soldiers. At least not yet.


    "BASTARD! I''ll kill you!" Sok Yeong-Gi roared and gritted his teeth.


    Because of his actions against Ho Ri-Na, in order to avoid attacks by the Steam Goddess men, Hei wouldn''t have helped them immediately. He would wait until they were in conditions that no longer posed a threat to him. And this didn''t apply only to just the spirit soldiers in the service of Ho Ri-Na, but to the Steam Goddess herself. It meant that Ho Ri-Na was going to have to deal with Jin-Sang alone for an indefinite period of time.


    "It''s okay. It was something that was part of our calculations anyway." Ho Ri-Na exclaimed without getting angry. As a pirate, she couldn''t blame Hei for his prudent actions. She, too, would have done the same if she had been in him.


    Thus, Ho Ri-Na, in command of her spirit soldiers, began to clash against Jin-Sang and his spirit soldiers. However, unexpectedly, the actions of the Red Devil weren''t as violent as they usually were during his fights. Jin-Sang knew the truth - that Hei and Lian were not on the side of Ho Ri-Na. How could they be on the same side when a loot like the Pirate King Hae Seong''s treasure was at stake? No, the brat known as Hei would surely use Ho Ri-Na to weaken him, even at the cost of sacrificing the Steam Goddess herself.


    Jin-Sang would usually attack at full power, but with the real danger posed by Hei and Lian, he couldn''t afford to overexpose himself. Yet he couldn''t even go down into a passive situation, at least not against Ho Ri-Na, whose fighting power was by no means low. Ho Ri-Na was amazed at Jin-Sang''s actions, reluctantly having to praise once again Hei''s ability to use their relationship to put pressure against such a dangerous enemy.


    Meanwhile, Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye had each boarded a different ship. Although victory would have been decided by the clash between spirit soldiers on both sides, it wasn''t as if the conflict between the spirit apprentice pirates on the ships was meaningless. The pirates in the ships represented the power of influence of their respective Pirate Generals and the backbone of their dominion. Losing too many of them was a severe blow despite being just spirit apprentices. But there was another even more important reason.


    In case of need, these spirit apprentice pirates could have joined forces to attack one of the enemy spirit soldiers. The union of hundreds of techniques, although coming from weaker martial artists, was such as to worry even the Pirate Generals themselves. Besides, they could also be used literally as human shields to protect their commanders.


    The battles in the four ships chosen by Hei and his family immediately took a sharp turn in favor of Ho Ri-Na''s pirates. To keep his spirit power as much as possible, Hei simply used Snake Fist, reducing his spirit power to a minimum, depending on the enemy. His swift and precise hits, despite not causing severe damage, blocked the enemy pirates just enough to allow Ho Ri-Na''s pirates to attack freely.


    Instead, Lian was maneuvering her ribbons and throwing the enemy pirates, one by one, off the ship''s deck. None of these were able to fly or walk in the water. So, every time they fell into the water, they had to swim if they wanted to return to their ships. But unfortunately for them, Old Tohyon would be waiting for them. By exploiting the propulsion mechanism of the artifact ship and the shield function, the old sailor would literally trample the poor unfortunates, crushing them under the weight of the artifact ship. It was similar to being swept away by the charge of a huge elephant, and not even possessing spirit power was enough to emerge unscathed from that attack.


    But the most unfortunate ones were the enemies aboard the ships on which Ye and Xing had boarded. The two little divine beasts were spreading terror everywhere. Not even the most experienced pirates were able to resist fear when they faced these two huge scary creatures. The few brave ones, who dared to challenge them, ended up being cut into pieces or crushed until they became a pulp. Upon seeing the macabre end of their comrades, the survivors threw themselves off the ships in search of safety, only to be crushed by the artifact ship driven by Old Tohyon.


    Undoubtedly, although they weren''t participating in the clash between the spirit soldiers, the impact provoked by Hei and the others wasn''t at all low. Furthermore, the continued decline of their subordinates was putting the spirit soldiers of Jin-Sang and the Red Devil himself more and more in difficulty.

 Chapter 137 - Blood Steam Battle - 2

    Hei and his family were generating panic among the enemy ranks; no one could resist them. They soon caught all the attention on them and quickly wiped out tens and tens of pirates belonging to Jin-Sang''s crew. The total number of their victims had surely now exceeded one hundred, if not more.


    With each ship they cleaned up, the pirates of Ho Ri-Na would gain more and more advantage, significantly increasing their morale. The pirates'' shouts of joy were ringing out clearly in the ears of the eight spirit soldiers who were fighting in the sky as if they were aboard the ships. They had all a stern expression on their faces because they had to fight while remaining alert at the same time against any possible actions by Hei and his group.


    From the main war galleon of Ho Ri-Na''s fleet, Ho Yeon-Hong was leading the pirates in the clash. However, she couldn''t help but glance from time to time at where Hei was fighting. Inside herself, she was wondering what she should have done if Hei had boarded his ship.


    But Hei didn''t get on the war galleon on which Ho Yeon-Hong was standing. He continued to attack smaller boats together with the crews affiliated with the Steam Goddess and reducing their burden. This situation continued for a while until Hei judged that the time had come - it was time to intervene in the battle seriously.


    Giving himself a strong momentum by kicking the ship deck with his feet, Hei began to rise to the sky. Everyone in the naval battlefield, whether on the side of the Steam Goddess or the Red Devil, was looking forward to this moment. It was as if everyone there was waiting for that precise moment. In particular, it was the eight spirit soldiers to feel worried, especially those under Jin-Sang''s command.


    Lian also went up to the sky. The young blue-haired woman flew in the direction of Xing and Ye, who climbed on her two ribbons, after reducing their size. Together, the three of them reached the position where Hei had stopped mid-air.


    Won Byung-Chul, the right arm of the Steam Goddess, fourth stage spirit soldier. From what Ho Yeon-Hong revealed long ago, he was the owner of a pseudo bloodline. Hei didn''t know which one was, but he knew that Won Byung-Chul was stronger than regular martial artists with his own stage and rank of cultivation. So, for this reason, Hei decided to start with him.


    During the waiting and recovery period after the victory over Mok Tong-Hyo, Hei and Lian had discussed how to act during the battle. Their Battle Formation allowed them to raise their spirit power by a lot. It was so much that they could fight enemies with higher cultivation than them. However, Jin-Sang was a sixth-stage spirit soldier; even under the amplification of their Battle Formation, it was dangerous to face someone like that. Therefore, they decided to focus first on eliminating the spirit soldiers in the service of the Red Devil.


    But there was another variable to take into account - Ho Ri-Na and his men. Theirs was a verbal agreement due to the circumstances of that moment, but Hei wasn''t naive to think that there was no way that Ho Ri-Na could take back the word. Or, even if Ho Ri-Na were to accept their conditions, there was still the risk that one of her men might have some second thoughts. So it was for this reason that they didn''t act immediately after arriving and concentrated on the small fries - to avoid that they could be used as cannon fodder and to secure they were instead the ones holding the reins of the fight.


    "Won Byung-Chul. We will help you take this one down. After killing him, go help Ho Ri-Na." Hei communicated to the spirit soldiers with a few words and a voice unwilling to hear complaints.


    Won Byung-Chul closed his eyes for a moment. In reality, he wished they would go to help Ho Ri-Na rather than him. But it was also true that if they had really gone to the rescue of the Steam Goddess, Won Byung-Chul would have been worried all the time for yet another betrayal. If that happened, it was possible he could have lost the fight. So, he accepted the proposal launched by Hei without making any fuss.


    "Okay, kid. But let''s end it immediately, I have no time to waste. Huo Shu Bloodline, Activate!" Won Byung-Chul replied firmly.


    He quickly began to unleash his full power while activating his bloodline. Huo Shu, a kind of rat-type divine beast. It was known in particular for its ability to manipulate fire, so much so that it was also known as the fire rat.


    Watching this, Hei smiled as Ye and Xing positioned themselves on his shoulders and Lian behind him. In an instant, they immediately activated their Battle Formation and their bloodlines. The moment they set foot in the sky, the course of the battle was bound to accelerate.


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate!"


    "Lotus of Love Bloodline, Activate!"


    ''Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate!''


    ''Snake of Darkness Bloodline, Activate!''


    With the spirit power of the four rising, Hei charged forward, followed by Lian. Won Byung-Chul, in turn, charged against the enemy, wrapped in a bright red aura similar to the color of a fire flame. A pair of mouse mustaches formed by spirit power had manifested on his face.


    Kang Ruogang, this was the name of the second in command of the Red Devil''s crew, his right arm. Like Won Byung-Chul, he was a fourth-stage spirit soldier but didn''t have a bloodline. Instead, it had absorbed an elemental essence, a fire type one. So, his strength with the Fire Law wasn''t pale in comparison with the fire rat pseudo bloodline.


    Fire vs. Fire!


    Crackle! Blaze!


    The two spirit soldiers of the fourth stage were exchanging fierce fists, one after the other. Their speed in striking was impressive, and the heat produced by their spirit power was such as to prevent weaker martial artists from approaching without being affected by repercussions. Typically such a fight, where both sides had similar cultivation and used the same Elemental Law, would have lasted for quite a while, provided one of the two didn''t commit serious carelessness. But a deathly predator was lurking in their clash.


    By joining their spirit powers and thanks to the protection of Lian''s Water Law, Hei and the others weren''t much affected by the heat shown by the two fighters. Analyzing the situation well, they slipped into the moments of pause between the attacks of Won Byung-Chul, leaving Kang Ruogang zero chance to breathe.


    Jin-Sang''s spirit soldier began to enter an increasingly passive position. In particular, it was Lian, thanks to her Water Law, who posed the most danger. The two silver ribbons of the blue-haired young woman were capable of breaking Kang Ruogang''s flames as they were being empowered not only by her spirit power but by the entire Battle Formation''s amplification effect. Even Won Byung-Chul was receiving protection from those two ribbons and didn''t have to worry about defending himself.


    Slash! Crunch!


    It was during a moment of inattention that it happened. Won Byung-Chul had just momentarily broken through the spirit power defensive layer of Kang Ruogang, who attempted to retreat and seek shelter. But Hei prevented it - stretching his hair, he increased the range of his spear, and the tip of the spear pierced the left arm of the best man under the Red Devil. However, what Kang Ruogang didn''t realize was that the spearhead carried something far more lethal than a simple cutting wound.


    The two little divine beasts had, in fact, clung to the spear''s shaft until they landed on the head. As soon as the spear stuck into the flesh, creating a bloody wound, Ye and Xing bit the two sides of the injury and poured their poison into it. In less than an instant, Kang Ruogang felt his head spinning as his breathing became increasingly labored. Even maintaining flight was difficult, not to mention keeping his spirit power active.


    Won Byung-Chul didn''t lose the occasion and threw a storm of fiery punches at the defenseless Kang Ruogang. With each blow that landed, the sound of the unfortunate spirit soldier''s bones could be heard breaking and becoming dust. In a few moments, all that remained of Kang Ruogang was nothing but something resembling a charred human corpse crushed by something massive.


    Won Byung-Chul sighed after this effort. Since activating his bloodline, he had used his total strength but, even so, he didn''t believe it would end so soon. Deep inside, he couldn''t help but glance at that pair of young martial artists and their two spirit beasts. He couldn''t understand where they came from, but he was sure that without them he wouldn''t have won so easily.


    After a moment of recovery, Won Byung-Chul looked away and headed toward Ho Ri-Na, the woman he had sworn eternal allegiance to. The Red Devil, as soon as Hei and Lian set foot on the battlefield in the sky, had lost all his inhibitions and was doing everything to finish Ho Ri-Na in the shortest time possible. But the Steam Goddess had already calculated this. She had, in fact, prepared a battle plan aimed at gaining as much time as possible. And now her betting was proving successful - Won Byung-Chul had won his fight and was going to help her. And it wouldn''t take long for the others to come to her rescue.


    After Ye and Xing injected poison into Kang Ruogang, Hei didn''t stay there to confirm the outcome. He knew very well how it would end. He briefly recovered his two little sisters while Won Byung-Chul was preparing to give the enemy the coup de grace and headed towards Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su, the third in strength after Ho Ri-Na and Won Byung-Chul.


    Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su was also the owner of a pseudo bloodline. To be precise, the bloodline of the Flying Carp. It was a kind of fish-type divine beast. The flying carps were particular because of their ability to transform themselves into dragons, but it wasn''t as if all the carps would do this. Although in the eyes of humans, dragons were among the noblest creatures that ever existed; for divine beasts, dragons weren''t that different from other divine beasts. Therefore, most of them chose to keep their original shape, becoming Flying Carps. At least that was what Bao Bei explained to Hei.


    Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su and his opponent were both second-stage spirit soldiers. However, the man under the command of the Red Devil was a regular spirit soldier with no bloodline or elemental essence. When Hei came to help Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su, the battle ended even faster than Won Byung-Chul''s. After all, Hei and his family had killed Mok Tong-Hyo alone, a third-stage spirit soldier. With the help of another spirit soldier, killing a second spirit soldier stage was no problem at all.


    Now Ryuk? yeGyeong-Su also became free to move and went to help Ho Ri-Na. The number of opponents the Red Devil was simultaneously facing had risen to three. The pressure on him was getting heavier as he began to feel an imaginary noose tightening around his neck. Unexpectedly, for the first time in his life, he was terrified of the possibility of dying and began to fight even more desperately, making use of all his strength. Ho Ri-Na and her men instantly took a defensive stance; even with the numerical advantage, it wasn''t easy to face the Red Devil. They could only wear him down and stalling for time while Hei ended the battle between Sok Yeong-Gi and the last of Jin-Sang''s men.


    This one was a second-stage spirit soldier and therefore had a cultivation advantage against Sok Yeong-Gi, who was in a difficult situation. Ironically, Hei had now become Sok Yeong-Gi''s last hope of winning and surviving from that clash. Although it cost him dearly and he regretted it harshly afterward, he couldn''t help but rejoice when he saw Hei and Lian, together with those two diabolical spirit beasts, approaching his position.

 Chapter 138 - Blood Steam Battle - 3

    Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing went where Sok Yeong-Gi was fighting. Jin-Sang''s last remaining spirit soldier looked nervously at the approach of that pair of young martial artists who had completely reversed the situation. If his other two companions hadn''t had a chance to survive, he too wouldn''t have been able to.


    Plunging from the sky, Hei blocked the way for the enemy spirit soldier. On the other side, Sok Yeong-Gi smiled as he prepared to savor revenge against the enemy who had overpowered him so far.


    "Nice job, Hei. Keep him busy so that I can deal the final blow." Sok Yeong-Gi grinned wickedly at the enemy who instead had a look full of terror and despair. It was over now. There was no escape.


    Upon hearing the words of Sok Yeong-Gi, Hei smiled and replied, "Of course, I will do as you say."


    Hei then launched a series of attacks against the poor unfortunate who had remained without allies. With the amplifying effect of spirit power resulting from the Battle Formation, it wasn''t a problem to face the second stage spirit soldier, considering that the enemy had spent part of his energies against Sok Yeong-Gi.


    Sok Yeong-Gi charged his spirit power left in his sword and made his final move. The metal blade flashed in the air with a hissing sound as it cut towards the enemy. The spirit soldier of Jin-Sang tried to defend himself with his weapon; however, Hei prevented it by intercepting the trajectory of the weapon.


    Slash!


    Jin-Sang''s sword tore the enemy''s chest with an oblique wound from the right shoulder to the left hip. The spirit soldier who had just been cut could only curse his bad luck as he closed his eyes and fell to the ground.


    Swoosh! Clench!


    It was at that moment when the enemy''s corpse had just begun its descent, and Sok Yeong-Gi still had his sword lowered from the movement previously performed. Lian''s two ribbons furtively moved and went to wrap the two fighters forcefully. Sok Yeong-Gi, currently without strength, was taken aback as he was tied to the still-hot corpse of his enemy.


    "HEY! What the fuck are you thinking of doing?!" Sok Yeong-Gi roared angrily, not understanding Hei''s intentions.


    So far, Hei had helped Won Byung-Chul and Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su so that they could go to help Ho Ri-Na. Sok Yeong-Gi thought Hei would do the same with him too, but apparently, he was wrong. Hei didn''t think of reserving the same favorable treatment at all.


    "A simple showdown," Hei replied as he lowered himself to the same height as Sok Yeong-Gi and looked him in the eye. "If you think I haven''t understood your hostility towards me, you''re wrong. Not to mention the whale episode - you didn''t give the order because you were confident in our abilities; you just wanted to use us as a shield."


    Hearing this, Sok Yeong-Gi turned white. Swallowing a bitter bite, he tried to reply, "But no... what are you saying? I have never had any hostility towards you. Besides, the order of that time with the whale was because you and your partner were the only ones in the seventh stage capable of stalling a second-level spirit beast. You have to believe me."


    "Although what you say is true, and I doubt it. However, I can''t let you go. I can''t afford to put my family''s life at risk. Goodbye, Sok Yeong-Gi."


    "No, no... wait. Wait I told you-!" While Sok Yeong-Gi pleaded to be spared, Hei twisted the neck of Ho Ri-Na''s spirit soldier. Then, to make sure he was dead, he took his head off and threw it into the sea with his body, after recovering his space ring and the killed spirit soldier of Jin-Sang''s one.


    From a distance, Jin-Sang laughed madly at that scene. "Ho Ri-Na! Ho Ri-Na! Haha! You make me laugh. You like putting on airs with that stupid name of Steam Goddess, but in reality, you are just a stupid woman who is being manipulated by two kids."


    Hearing the Red Devil''s provocation, Ho Ri-Na snorted before replying, "You don''t have the qualifications to scold me Jin-Sang. Weren''t you also made fun of all the time by them?"


    At Ho Ri-Na''s reply, Jin-Sang''s smile faded. It was true. He couldn''t deny it. Those who had considered two small insects had ended up destroying his plans. But the last word had yet to be said.


    "Ho Ri-Na. I propose an agreement. With these two spirit soldiers who are fighting with you, you have the strength to defeat me. But for what purpose? We''ll just end up killing each other, and those kids will have won effortlessly. Join me and kill those brats. After that, we''ll end our fight."


    Jin-Sang''s plan was simple - to appeal to the dislike Ho Ri-Na felt towards Hei and Lian after Ho Yeon-Hong''s kidnapping and forcing her to hand over the map fragments. But his proposal didn''t go as well as he hoped.


    "Haha! Red Devil, how low have you fallen?. With your contemptuous behavior deriving from your trust in your Red Shark Bloodline, you have dominated so far with an iron fist. And now you want to propose an alliance instead? Do not make me laugh. Since you like to define women as objects that are only good at heating men''s beds, then as a man, you should behave as such."


    "Bitch! Don''t get your head up. Even so, don''t think you can handle my strength. I will kill you three and then those two brats and become the Pirate King!"


    The fight between Jin-Sang and the group formed by Ho Ri-Na, Won Byung-Chul, and Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su continued. The reason Hei had killed Sok Yeong-Gi was to avoid giving too much advantage to the Steam Goddess. Not only against the Red Devil but also himself. By doing this, the fight would have consumed almost all the forces of both sides. At that point then, it would have been easy to kill the Red Devil and make Ho Ri-Na obey their agreement, even by force, if necessary.


    And so, Hei and Lian waited as they meditated in midair to recover their lost spirit power. Xing and Ye began to look lazily at the clash between the four spirit soldiers. Sparks and metallic noise spread from all sides - the Red Devil was using his blood swords created by his Blood Law to torment Ho Ri-Na and his with a myriad of attacks. The group of Ho Ri-Na parried as they could, filling their gaps between them and making sure not to be injured under the blows of the Red Devil. However, it was easier said than done due to the power of the enemy.


    Jin-Sang knew he couldn''t escape - he was the Red Devil, the most feared of the Pirate Generals. Even before acquiring his fame, he had always been a contemptuous and self-confident person. Throughout his life, he had concentrated on martial arts offensive techniques since he was only interested in killing and annihilating his enemy. He had never bothered to study distraction techniques to use during an escape. After all, never before had he thought inside his head about escaping. However, now that the time had come, he didn''t have the ability.


    Jin-Sang''s speed was faster than Ho Ri-Na, but the Goddess of Steam had the Gas Law - Steam, on her side. The Steam part of the Gas Law allowed martial artists, in addition to having insidious attacks, to increase their speed significantly, thanks to the characteristics of this Elemental Law. Therefore, regarding the speed, it could be said that the Steam Goddess and the Red Devil were equal. But Ho Ri-Na wasn''t alone, so escaping was something impossible. Jin-Sang could only make his way by force as he always had - and his efforts paid off.


    Ryuk? ?Gyeong-Su was seriously injured, and with the expenditure of energy resulting from the previous clash and his cultivation as a second stage spirit soldier, he was the first to have to leave the battlefield. The situation seemed unfavorable for Ho Ri-Na and Won Byung-Chul. Fortunately for them, Ryuk Gyeong-Su''s withdrawal was also the signal that Hei and Lian were waiting for.


    From the section in the sky where they were meditating, the two youths got up and headed at high speed towards where the last remaining spirit soldiers, Won Byung-Chul and Ho Ri-Na, were fighting Jin-Sang.


    The expression of the Red Devil, who had regained confidence after knocking out one of his opponents, darkened again when he saw Hei and Lian approaching.


    "Brats! You will pay me for everything you have done. For destroying my dream!" Jin-Sang screamed angrily as his eyes turned crimson red.


    In an instant, he passed over Ho Ri-Na and Won Byung-Chul to head up against Hei and Lian. Since this move was too sudden, Ho Ri-Na was taken aback but recovered quickly and went in pursuit, followed by her right arm, Won Byung-Chul. However, before she could reach Jin-Sang, the Red Devil would have had time to launch his attack against the young couple of martial artists.


    The attack of a sixth stage spirit soldier!


    Although weakened and injured, Jin-Sang remained a sixth stage spirit soldier. It wasn''t something Hei, Lian, Xing, and Ye could receive without problems since the pirate was using all the power he could generate. But Hei also predicted that situation.


    "Xing, Ye. It''s up to you, my two little sisters."


    ''Leave it to us!'' (Xing)


    ''That bad dude will surely remain with his mouth open wide when he sees that his attack has been in vain.'' (Ye)


    The two little divine beasts weren''t merely watching the fight while Hei and Lian were meditating. Xing had started making silk within her spinneret while Ye was concentrating on hardening her body as much as possible with the Law of Metal. The same act of meditation by Hei and Lian was to maximize their survival chances from a direct attack by the Red Devil.


    Xing spat out all the stored silk and created a silk cocoon around her and the others. Lian quickly moved her ribbons and created a further layer of the cocoon followed by another layer formed by Hei''s hair. To top it off, Ye increased her size just enough to cover almost the rest of the area inside the cocoon and cover Hei, Lian, and Xing with her body.


    Peng! Screech!


    The blades of Jin-Sang''s blood came down like a guillotine preparing to execute the evildoers. However, this time there would be no execution.


    Xing''s silk layer received the full impact of the technique and was the first to break. Having more space, Hei then moved his hair forward, embracing Lian''s ribbons, and the two layers together ended up dispersing the physical power of the attack. However, there was still the damage resulting from the transmission of Jin-Sang''s spirit power.


    The users of the Law of Blood could, in fact, transmit their spirit power, as if it was a liquid, inside objects and people. When parrying the blow of a martial artist having the Blood Law, one had to always pay attention not only to external wounds but above all to the internal ones. In a sense, the Law of Blood represented similarities to the Law of Water, but the effects of lethality in the latter were less.


    Ye, therefore, acted as a metallic shield and assumed the violent charge of Jin-Sang''s spirit power. The divine beast snake had prepared herself enough to resist the impact and, although it was more violent than she had anticipated, it was still not enough to intimidate her. After all, most of the technique had been nullified by the previous protective layers. As the daughter of the Spider of Nightmare and the Snake of Darkness, there was no way the remnant of a technique could defeat her.


    When the layers of ribbons and hair dissolved, revealing what was inside, Jin-Sang''s evil grin became frozen. He couldn''t believe it, even if he was seeing it now with his own eyes. His strongest attack, the move with which he had killed his strongest enemies. Although he was weakened and had lost much of his power, it should have been enough to cut those first-stage brats into slices. Yet the reality before him was very different.


    From inside the now flaked cocoon, Hei smiled, revealing a series of sparkling blue teeth. Jin-Sang wanted to scream against him, but before he could do anything else, he was reached by the Steam Goddess. Ho Ri-Na took advantage that Jin-Sang had just launched an attack and was temporarily exposed to end the fight.


    "Steam Kiss!"


    As with Hong Shin, the Steam Goddess put her lips against those of the Red Devil. Won Byung-Chul instead came from behind Jin-Sang to prevent him from waving his arms and hitting Ho Ri-Na during his attack. The Red Devil realized that he had screwed himself and tried to free. But everything he did was in vain. Won Byung-Chul blocked him from behind while Ho Ri-Na was attacking him from the front. Even his feet were being blocked by Lian''s ribbons as Hei attempted to skewer him in the stomach and reduce his defensive layer of spirit power.


    And it was in that strange tangle of people that the Red Devil finally lost his life. The most feared of all four Pirate Generals, as well as the pirate martial artist most highly rated to become the next Pirate King. He was said to be a descendant of the Pirate King Hae Seong and to have inherited his talent. But despite all these appellations, the final truth was that the Red Devil had ended up losing.


    The great battle of piracy was over. The winner was the one and only Steam Goddess - Ho Ri-Na. The last remaining of the Four Pirate Generals. No, from now on, she had fully and deservedly assumed the title of Pirate Queen. The Age of the Steam Queen was about to begin. However, how long would she manage to retain her power, it was something that only time could know. The fact is that from today she was the one who commanded the pirate scene of the Forgotten Ocean.

 Chapter 139 - Blood Steam Battle - 4

    Pant! Pant! Pant!


    Ho Ri-Na''s chest was swaying back and forth, highlighting the soft shapes that could be glimpsed from her robe. Her spirit power was now completely exhausted, and she had various wounds on her body, although none was fatal. Her hands began to tremble as Jin-Sang''s body became hotter and hotter until it smelled of burnt flesh. Inside her, she still couldn''t believe her eyes even though she had been the one to give the final blow.


    "I did it? Is it really over?" Ho Ri-Na wondered in a low voice with a silent murmur addressed to no one in particular.


    "Yes, captain. You did it. From now on, you are in charge of all the Forgotten Ocean''s waters. You are the Pirate Queen." Won Byung-Chul reassured Ho Ri-Na of her victory.


    The Steam Goddess, the first Pirate Queen in the history of piracy in the Forgotten Ocean, looked incredulously at the man next to her - Won Byung-Chul, her right arm.


    He was the son of one of the elders of a medium sect and was considered one of the most exceptional geniuses, especially because he had awakened the bloodline of the fire mouse. However, Won Byung-Chul didn''t like the life of the sect, preferring a freer and less duty-oriented lifestyle. So one day, he fled secretly and embarked on one of the many unknown pirate groups. Whether it was fate or not, it happened that Ho Ri-Na was also in the ship he embarked on.


    Won Byung-Chul quickly became attracted to Ho Ri-Na''s beauty, especially her serious expression combined with her long gray hair. It could be said that it was love at first sight. Since that day, Won Byung-Chul had never stopped staying by her side for a day. Despite his talent and bloodline, he rejected any proposal from various groups, including his sect of origin. He renounced his past, his family, his name of birth, all to stay with the one who had decided to serve for the rest of his life.


    Ho Ri-Na had always felt guilty because, even if involuntarily, she was the reason why Won Byung-Chul had given up honor and fame for himself in order to help her achieve her dream. But now her dream had finally come true, and for the first time, she no longer felt guilty but was happy that Won Byung-Chul had chosen to stay with her.


    Ho Ri-Na took Jin-Sang''s body, still held by Won Byung-Chul, and threw it to the side. Then she rushed over to the man who had never left her in his life and gave him an intense kiss on the lips. She had kissed many men in her life, but this was the first time she kissed for love and not to kill the other person.


    Won Byung-Chul was caught off guard. He didn''t expect such a reaction from Ho Ri-Na but did not hold back. Putting his hands behind her back, he squeezed her against him and responded to her kiss with as much passion as he could give off. He wanted to convey all the emotions he had repressed all these years at her side.


    Watching the two main leaders of their crew exchange effusions with such passion, Ho Ri-Na''s pirates launched whistles of approval. All around, there were shouts of triumph for the miraculously obtained victory. The survivors of Jin-Sang''s crew instead fell to their knees in despair. With the death of the Red Devil, it was now over for them; they could only hope for the clemency of the Steam Goddess.


    From the deck of the main war galleon, Ho Yeon-Hong looked up at her sister with a beaming smile as Won Byung-Chul was holding Ho Ri-Na. She knew that the silent and always faithful right arm had strong feelings for her older sister, and she had always hoped that one day they would be free to be together. Unconsciously, her gaze was drawn to the figure of another man standing in midair.


    Hei was not far from where Ho Ri-Na and Won Byung-Chul were. He didn''t pay much attention to the affections exchanged by the two pirates, concentrating instead on recovering the space ring from Jin-Sang''s corpse. However, his little sisters and Lian didn''t seem to share his disinterest. In fact, they were carefully staring at that exchange of affection with extreme curiosity.


    Although they were divine beasts, ''women'' tended to reach maturity faster on certain subjects than men. It was no wonder then that the two little divine beasts were watching this scene amused, making comments in a low voice. Lian also watched the scene, maintaining her usual silence. From time to time, however, she would cast fleeting glances at Hei as her cheeks became slightly red.


    ''Jin-Sang''s ring. As I thought, the fragments are inside. Now I have the complete map.'' Hei thought to himself as he clenched his left fist tightly to express satisfaction in his heart. This long treasure hunt would finally come to an end.


    Ho Ri-Na and Won Byung-Chul broke free from their passionate kiss. Evidently, after the first moments of complete transport, they had resumed part of their self-control and separated from each other, a little embarrassed. After all, they kissed in front of hundreds and hundreds of people.


    "The new Pirate Queen should say something. Your men are waiting for you to proclaim victory." Hei, with a composed face, turned to Ho Ri-Na, who was still red in the face.


    "What? Ah, yes... of course... How did I forget it?" Ho Ri-Na stammered as she tried to catch her breath and resumed her usual pragmatic attitude.


    "SILENCE! Let''s listen to what our captain has to say!" At her side, Won Byung-Chul shouted loudly, amplifying his voice with spirit power. Immediately, the underlying pirates fell silent and stood up to hear their captain''s proclamation.


    Ho Ri-Na took one last deep breath and began her speech, "Today, I, we, have accomplished a great feat. Together we have defeated the fearsome Red Devil who threatened our lives. Today we have emerged victorious from this clash. As the last of the Pirate Generals, from now on, I will assume the title of Pirate Queen. The whole Forgotten Ocean will be my domain. No, it''s not correct. It will be the domain of my entire crew. If anyone has something to say, then they will have to deal with me!" Ho Ri-Na raised her sword triumphantly.


    The pirates in the ships broke out in loud applause as they shouted the name of the woman who led them to victory, "HO RI-NA! HO RI-NA! HO RI-NA!"


    Ho Ri-Na replied with another gesture of celebration as she continued to wave her sword. There was a beaming smile on her face. After years of tension, nervousness, and preparations, her efforts had been fulfilled, and her dream had come true. She had even finally accepted Won Byung-Chul''s love in public. What else could she wish for?


    As the rejoicing cries of her subordinates continued, Ho Ri-Na noticed a detail. A particular person, no, two people, and their two spirit beasts were still there.


    "I thought you were already gone. Didn''t you get Jin-Sang''s ring?" Ho Ri-Na asked, turning toward Hei. Her smile was still bright with the victory she had achieved.


    "Would you let us go? Even if I possess all the map fragments?" Hei replied without giving a precise answer.


    "We had an agreement if I''m not mistaken. You would have helped me to defeat Jin-Sang and become the Pirate Queen. In return, I would have given you the parts of the map he owns."


    "We both know that these promises can always be broken. You and I are alike, Ho Ri-Na. For your crew, you would be willing to fight on the front lines, even at the cost of your life. The same goes for me; for my family, I would be willing to do anything, even to get my hands dirty with the most heinous crimes." Hei looked at Ho Ri-Na with a cold look as he transmitted a feeling of darkness from his body. "If I wanted, I could take out both you and the rest of the pirates at your service. In that way, I should not worry you could go on your word.


    Hearing those words, Byung-Chul Won moved directly in front of I Na-Ri, stretching his arms as if he wanted to be her shield.


    "Bastard! Was that your intention-?" As Won Byung-Chul railed against Hei, Ho Ri-Na laid a hand on her most trusted man''s shoulder.


    "Ri-Na?" He asked, perplexed.


    "Don''t worry. If Hei wanted to do it, he would have done it already. Tell me, Hei, what do you want?" Ho Ri-Na cracked a half-smile. She had begun to understand this young martial artist who came from nowhere.


    "I will be honest with you. Before long, Lian and I, together with my spirit beasts, will leave the Forgotten Ocean. Our destination during all this time has always been one - to reach the Sun Empire."


    "Impossible! You can''t enter the empire-" Won Byung-Chul replied, but he stopped when he realized that it wasn''t the time for him to speak.


    "For the others, it may be impossible, but Lian and I have the qualifications. I won''t go into detail, but it is so. We will first reach the Dream Island, and from there, we will try to reach the Continent. However, our helmsman, Old Tohyon, will remain here. In exchange for your lives, I want you to promise that you will not harm him; instead, you will welcome him as one of yours. I will leave the artifact ship to him, so it''s only good for you to make him your subordinate." Hei explained in a calm voice while examining Ho Ri-Na''s reactions.


    From below, the various pirates were still prey to the euphoria of the victory to realize that something was wrong. However, Ho Yeon-Hong, whose eyes had always been fixed on Hei, noticed that strange interaction with her older sister and doubt arose in her heart.


    ''To reach the continent? To enter the territories of the Sun Empire? They say they have qualifications but is it really so? I know that sects have special formations left by the empire and that there is indeed a trial that grants the permission to the Continent. However, I have never heard of anyone who has made it. There is no way that one of the sects of the islands won''t bask in the glory that one of his disciples has passed the trial deemed impossible.''


    Ho Ri-Na was doubtful. All Hei had said was absurd, but the constant miracles he had generated were tangible proof of his talent. If there was someone with a chance of being accepted, then Ho Ri-Na would definitely have named Hei. But it was so difficult to accept all this.


    "Ri-Na. I believe him." Won Byung-Chul sensed the doubt of the woman he loved and expressed his opinion.


    Ho Ri-Na looked at her trusty subordinate, and her mind cleared. "Yeah, me too. If you wanted to lie to me, you would have used something better. All the more reason, if there is a possibility that you have the qualifications, then I should stay on good terms with you. Maybe someday I could use your strength." Ho Ri-Na smiled as she stepped forward to Hei. "I guess as cautious as you are, you won''t be relaxed without a pact of blood, right?"


    "Ri-Na?"


    "No, let me do, Byung. I have no intention of attacking them as they recover Hae Seong''s treasure, and honestly, I wouldn''t mind having that artifact ship in my ranks. Making a blood pact doesn''t change anything in the end."


    "No, that''s okay. I will trust you. I hope you won''t disappoint my expectations." With words that left a hidden meaning, Hei turned around, and with Lian, he started to head to the artifact ship. "Say hello to Ho Yeon-Hong and apologize to her for the events of the other time."


    "It would be better if you told her yourself. But I suppose it''s your way to protect her. You, men, are really stupid when it''s about understanding the thoughts of us women." Ho Ri-Na replied bitterly to Hei''s last request, but by now, he was too far away to hear it.


    Ho Yeon-Hong watched Hei and Lian landing on the deck of the artifact ship and going away. Within her, something broke again, but it didn''t hurt as much as the first time. Hei''s words were right - they belonged to two different worlds, and their paths were meant to travel separate roads. With bitter tears running down their eyes, Ho Yeon-Hong smiled and shouted to the rest of the pirates, "What are you waiting for? Tie up the prisoners and get ready to sail. We still have to give the good news to everyone!"


    *


    On a hidden island in the Forgotten Ocean, Hei was standing in front of a stone wall with strange symbols. By his side, Lian was examining the formation on the wall to find out how to access it inside; after all, it wasn''t advisable to enter by force, or they would run the risk of destroying what was inside.


    They had been there for almost a day, and the blue-haired young woman, aided by Xing, had now almost wholly deciphered the opening mechanism. It wasn''t long before they could enter.


    ''Finished!'' Xing exclaimed happily after tens of hours of work without stopping. The little spider was visibly tired, even though it was more tiredness due to hunger than physical or mental effort.


    "Nice job, Xing, Lian. Have a little patience, I''ll cook something later, and we''ll be able to rest." Hei complimented the two of them. It had indeed been wise from his mother to have Lian and Xing study formations. But in the end, none of Bao Bei''s actions had been done by accident.


    ''Yup!!! I want to do three helpings of everything today. ''(Ye)


    ''But you have done nothing but sleep until now, haven''t you? If anything, you should fast and give me your share of the dinner.'' (Xing)


    As the two little divine beasts entered a struggle to grab the largest amount of food, Hei entered the crevice that had been created in the center of the stone wall. Lian followed behind him with light and silent steps.


    The interior of the room beyond the stone wall could be called a real treasure room. Treasure chests of all sizes were piled up everywhere, and the floor was covered with gold coins and jewels. It was the spoils that Pirate King Hae Seong had amassed during his lifetime.


    However, Hei wasn''t enchanted by the gold or precious gems. In the end, they were objects that interested ordinary people and not martial artists. Had they had particular characteristics to the cultivation, then his opinion could have changed, but this time it wasn''t the case. Hei and Lian went deeper into the treasure room. As they went further, the value of the objects increased.


    Hei recognized chests containing pills and medicines for spirit apprentices as well as first and second level spirit stones. But for someone of his level, this no longer possessed the attractiveness they had when he began the path of cultivation. Fortunately, it wasn''t that there was nothing exciting.


    Further down the room, he began to find spirit stones similar to those within the Secret Dimension and plants and pills of unknown origins. He knew they were used to aid the cultivation of spirit soldiers, but he didn''t know their precise effects. Fortunately for him, Hae Seong was a provident man and had provided each chest with a guide, including the effects of the objects inside.


    But if that had aroused his interest, what he saw afterward completely surprised him - a sack full of third-level spirit cores. Meaning, third level spirit beasts'' spirit cores. Hei was amazed by that as he had never met such creatures. The strongest ones he had encountered were second-level spirit beasts. Also, there were pills and plants designed for the cultivation of spirit masters, the rank following that of a spirit soldier. There were also weapons of all kinds created with metals whose provenance wasn''t well known. And it was a metal that was the centerpiece of this treasure - to be precise, a series of glittering metal ingots of transparent color, almost like a glass.


    "Spirit Metal." Hei read the name written on the jade tablet next to the metal ingots.


    The jade tablet contained a letter from Hae Seong for the one who would find his treasure and thus recited.


    ''To the one who has found my treasure. I congratulate you for having gathered all the fragments. I bet there are many things whose effects are unknown to you; I left the descriptions of the effects, but it''s up to you to decide whether to trust me or not. As for these metal ingots, I advise you to keep them hidden, especially if you ever have to reach the Continent for some strange reason. These metal ingots are the reason why I had to run away. It is only for some abstruse reason that I didn''t die like my companions and managed to carry this loot with me. But after that day, I never had the courage to touch them again, and I left them buried here. I hope you will find a better use for them, something that can justify the value of my actions during my life.''


    That thus ended Hae Seong''s letter. It didn''t say anything in detail, but Hei was sure that these metal ingots should have great value. Her mother had also said something about the particular characteristics that certain materials had. But what they really were, it was something he could only discover after reaching the Continent.


    "It didn''t go wrong; there are many useful things. But for some items, I think we should wait until we get to the Continent." Hei said with a smile to Lian. She, in turn, replied with another smile and a nod.


    "Well, then. Lian, Xing, Ye. It''s time to reach the Dream Island! "

 Chapter 140 - Leaving the Forgotten Ocean

    Dream Island, the closest island to the Continent as well as the destination of Hei''s journey on the artifact ship. The island, unlike other inhabited islands, was quite small so that there was only one city. However, it would have been a mistake to think that its influence was low or that weak people lived there.


    Since it was the closest island to the continent, it was also the one with the most contacts with the Sun Empire. It was necessary to know that, although there was a ban for the islands'' martial artists, it wasn''t that there was no communication at all.


    The Empire had numerous commercial relations with the islands, which took place in Dream City, the only city on the Dream Island, thus becoming a nerve center for these exchanges. The territories of the islands produced certain species of plants and other materials, which, although they were of little value, were indispensable for the creation of more advanced pills. So the Empire had maintained a commercial relationship with the sole purpose of acquiring these goods and getting rid of other material of which it had an unsold surplus.


    It was also the reason for the Empire''s ban - if free transit had been allowed, any talented martial artist would have tried his luck on the Continent, destabilizing the political and commercial situation in the islands. It would have ended up affecting the production quotas that the Empire needed to supply its armies. In a sense, it could be said that the entire ecosystem of the islands was nothing more than immense cultivation fields belonging to the empire left in management to the martial artists of the islands. It wasn''t so different from slavery, only that the Empire didn''t interfere too much in the affairs of the islands so as to leave a semblance of freedom and not risk producing riots that were harmful to business.


    The various sects and organizations of the islands were aware of this, but with the overwhelming power of the Empire, it wasn''t something they could rebel against. The ideal solution would be that only a few young elites were accepted, but unfortunately, the Empire''s standards were too high. It was, therefore, better to keep their fake freedom than to lose their lives unnecessarily.


    Besides, it wasn''t as if there were no benefits. The exchange with the Empire allowed the islands to stock up on materials not found elsewhere; however, it was the protection of the Empire itself that represented the greatest gain. If they hadn''t had the Sun Empire behind them, the islands of the Forgotten Ocean would have ended up under the control of the Moon Empire, the empire of the demons.


    It was known that in addition to the Forgotten Ocean, there was another Ocean. It was called the Evil Ocean, although that was the name humans gave to that ocean. The Evil Ocean represented the other side of the coin compared to the Forgotten Ocean, and inside there was another ecosystem of islands. However, those islands, instead of being under the Sun Empire''s influence, were under the rule of the Moon Empire.


    The two oceans were bordering, and there was no precise edge that delimited the contours. Fortunately, however, the distance between the closest islands of the Two Oceans was practically so big that the neighboring section between the two oceans was an area of ??nobody, an area forgotten in itself and proclaimed by the spirit beasts.


    "Well, we have come to an end. I conclude that this concludes my journey with you, Master Hei." Old Tohyon said in a low voice as he sighed. After years of inactivity, this strange and impetuous adventure had been like sailing in a stormy sea. His heart had been on the point of giving up several times for the events in which he had been involved. But now that it was all over, he ached at the impossibility of being able to feel something similar.


    "Yes, it is. It was a nice journey, though." Hei answered with a smile as he thought about the various vicissitudes that had followed one after another. When he started his journey, he was still a spirit apprentice scarred by the death of his mother. Now, however, he had reached the rank of spirit soldier. Although the wound of the loss of his mother still hurt, he had found the spirit and determination that he had before.


    "As promised, the artifact ship is yours, Old Tohyon. Take this too. It''s a space ring; there''s a lot of gold and jewels inside." Hei handed one of the space rings with the smallest capacity he had to the old helmsman. After killing several spirit soldiers and recovering their better quality space rings, he could get rid of those with less carrying capacity.


    "No, no. Master Hei, I can''t accept. Only the artifact ship is more than enough. Besides, you, Lian, and those two strange little spirit beasts have given me something much more fulfilling. I can''t." Old Tohyon tried to refuse Hei''s gesture. It was true that they had agreed on an economical sum as a reward for the work done, but now the old man thought he didn''t deserve it.


    "Accept it; it''s an order. You''ve earned it. Old Tohyon, find a young wife, and start a family. Or adopt some child without parents. Teach them the art of navigation and continue to sail these waters. That money is for that as well." Hei didn''t accept Old Tohyon''s refusal and forcefully slipped the space ring in his hand.


    Old Tohyon could only accept as he bowed deeply to express his thanks. Inside, he blessed the day he received the visit of that strange and mysterious young man with a cautious attitude.


    Thus, Old Tohyon separated from Hei and the others. His journey with them had now come to an end, but he would bring their memory with him. When he returned to lead the artifact ship, he swore that he would never touch the sail depicting a giant spider or the pirate flag attached to the top of the mast.


    Hei then brought Lian and his little sisters to the city center to eat and visit the place. Since they were here, they could take advantage to ask questions about the Empire''s situation and buy/sell useful resources for their future. Although it was the only city on the island, the City of Dreams was huge and full of commercial activities of all kinds. Hei gave his family and himself a few days off as he prepared preparations for reaching the Continent.


    *


    It should be known that the Sun Empire had been notified of the death of the Artifact Spirit as it was an episode involving all the islands, including the Dream Island. However, until the material production wasn''t affected, the Empire would have little concern for the islands. So they dismissed the matter as a trivial matter. This reaction was also due to another reason - the disappearance of the family head of the Sh¨¦ Family, one of the Eight Big Families of the Sun Empire.


    The Sun Empire was ruled by the so-called Imperial Family, led by the Emperor of the Sun Empire. Nevertheless, it wasn''t as if the Imperial Family had absolute control of power within the Empire. In order to deal with the threat known as demons and their Moon Empire, the Imperial Family of the Sun Empire had to grant territories and privileges to eight families who acquired the name of Eight Big Families.


    Each of the Eight Big Families, in addition to the Imperial Family, had a very pure bloodline, also called Royal Bloodlines. Their power was so enormous that various spirit emperors per family were available. Together with the Imperial Family, they were the foundation of resistance against the demons. As a result, the loss of the family head of the Sh¨¦ family, a sixth-rank martial artist, was a massive blow to the Sun Empire, mainly because it happened so mysteriously.


    Some proposed a correlation between the disappearance of the Artifact Spirit and the family head of the Sh¨¦ Family. But that hypothesis was immediately discarded. Why on earth would such a person go to the islands, considering he was a spirit emperor? And even if he had gone there, there was no one on the islands capable of injuring such a powerful martial artist, let alone kill him. The investigations continued to wander into thin air until they had to give up.


    To avoid citizens'' concerns and keep the Moon Empire in the dark, the Sh¨¦ Family only communicated that the head of the family was in a closed-door cultivation period because he was close to making a breakthrough. It wasn''t specified how long it would last, but by their movements, the demons were able to understand that there was something wrong. The situation, therefore, began to overheat as it was only a matter of time for the event that both Empires had been waiting for since their foundations.


    These movements in the activity of their rivals consequently led the human Imperial Family to issue a solution for the disappearance of the Artifact Spirit, who managed the island formations. Training hundreds and hundreds of insects would have been a waste of time. However, among those insects that crawled on the ground, there might have been diamonds worth cultivating. Thus, an outpost of the Sun Empire was created on Dream Island, designed to evaluate the talent of martial artists of the younger generation.


    In a sense, Hei and the others'' pirate adventure had come at the right time. If they had gone straight to the Dream Island, they would have had to remain still without alternatives for a long time, losing time and experience that were fundamental for the development of a martial artist, especially when they were young.


    "Welcome, everyone. We will shortly examine you one by one. When you are called by name, all you have to do is get into the formation here and not resist. The formation will read your age and your degree of cultivation. If you fall within the minimum acceptable threshold, you will be boarded in one of the ships of the Empire, and you will be taken to a city with a War Academy. Depending on your level of talent, an appropriate War Academy will be assigned."


    One of the emissaries sent by the Empire to manage the outpost spoke. Although it was the closest island, the distance between the Dream Island and the nearest city of the Sun Empire was still enormous. It took several weeks of sailing to reach the Continent. It also meant that the amount of spirit power in the environment on the Dream Island was roughly equal to that of the other islands, only a slightly more abandoned notch.


    Furthermore, it wasn''t as if everyone could put a ship in the water and sail to the Continent. The section of ocean that separated the Dream Island from the Continent was dominated by powerful spirit beasts that went up to the fifth level. The martial artists of the islands who could only reach the rank of spirit soldier would have been crushed by a single third-level spirit beast, let alone a fifth-level one. The same was true for the sky, which was inhabited by countless species of flying type spirit beasts.


    The only way to cross that section of the ocean unharmed was through a corridor of water bordered by metal blocks in which peculiar formations had been carved. The spirit beasts of those waters had learned not to touch this corridor at their own expense, and they didn''t dare to bother the ships of the Empire. Of course, only ships with direct permission from the Empire were allowed to use that corridor.


    "Well, now it''s Hei''s turn." The emissary meanwhile had continued in the evaluation of the young martial artists brought by their families and sects. Unfortunately, none of them had hitherto proved suitable by empire standards.


    "I''m coming," Hei replied as he gave Ye and Xing to Lian. Then he headed inside the formation. Suddenly a warm sensation enveloped him as he felt his body tingling. It seemed as if something was looking at him up until the bones.


    "What?!" The person in charge of analyzing the results of the formation exclaimed loudly. His reaction intrigued the emissary who had spoken so far that he went to check himself. But he too was amazed and had his mouth wide open.


    "This data... is it possible? Isn''t that an error? "


    "No, no. The formation is brand new. There can''t be any mistakes. "


    "Does that mean then ...? "


    The attendant and the emissary looked at Hei with a nervous look. Within them, they couldn''t conceive the result just displayed. Since Hei had come with Lian, they also analyzed her and were shocked once again. In both cases, the data collected were as follows - 14 years old, early first stage spirit soldier.


    "Call the commander." Said the emissary as he chased away all the other participants, including those who had not yet been examined. They tried to protest but to no avail. After all, the outpost was commanded by the direct men of the Empire. Even the simple guy reading the formation''s data could kill most of the martial artists on the islands.


    The commander sent to watch that outpost was quickly called. He was a Spirit Master, a third rank martial artist, the same rank achieved by the Pirate King Hae Seong. The man asked Hei and Lian some questions about their origins. Hei replied for both by giving not exactly clear answers and hinting that they were wandering martial artists. The commander frowned at it but did nothing else. It wasn''t that he was interested in their origins. As long as they weren''t demons, regardless of their past, if they had the ability, they were more than welcome to the Sun Empire. Especially now with the climate of tension that was breathed in the air.


    "Listen to me well. I will be frank with you. The talent you demonstrate is equal to that of the geniuses of the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Family. As a result, assigning you to a regular War Academy is a waste. You have to know that between the War Academies, there are differences, according to the talent of the martial artists that are being raised. With your talent, you can enter one of the Four Royal War Academies. There you will find people with your same talent or even superior; after all, the members of the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Family all study in one of the Four Royal War Academies."


    ''The Four Royal War Academies. Eight Big Families. Imperial family. Certainly, the best thing is to study in one of those four academies, but this also represents a risk. However, it is something that absolutely must be done.'' Hei meditated briefly to himself as he accepted the commander''s proposal.


    Having received their approval, the commander immediately began preparing to sail. Although there was an indefinite number of geniuses with that kind of talent level, it was still true that Hei and Lian had been the first-ever since the Empire had created the Continent Trial. The two geniuses from the Forgotten Ocean Islands. It sounded good as a slogan. They would no doubt have rewarded the commander for this result, and he would also have gotten bonuses if the two young martial artists had done well in the War Academy.


    Soon, the ship was ready, and Hei and Lian were boarded. From then on, they would sail for several weeks without stopping, but the two young humans and the two little divine beasts didn''t care. The four of them sat in the corner of the ship''s deck as they watched the Dream City getting more and more distant. They had already had a similar experience when they left the Rainbow Island, but this time there was no bitter farewell.


    The wound, due to Bao Bei''s death, remained but was now sufficiently healed so that they could concentrate on their future. The continent. The new chapter of their life. The unknown of tomorrow awaited them, but together they were confident that they could face anything.


    What they didn''t know, however, was that the events that would happen from then on would drastically mark the future of the whole world and of the people who lived there.

 Chapter 141 - Beginning Of A New Adventure

    Hei and Lian had been boarded on one of the imperial ships bound for the Sun Empire. After that, they left shortly after, leaving the Forgotten Ocean Islands behind, heading for their new destination.


    The trip would last several weeks, but for Hei, it wasn''t a problem - they would spend time cultivating waiting for their destination. Despite being calm, he couldn''t hide a hint of trepidation and uneasiness for the unknown that awaited him and his family.


    Fortunately, the magnificent ocean panorama distracted him from his thoughts. Protected by that corridor of stone blocks called the ''Imperial Corridor,'' the ship they were embarked on could travel at full speed regardless of the dangers inside those waters. From the deck of the ship, therefore, Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing could see the fantastic water creatures that lived there.


    Fish of all colors and shapes dominated the ocean section near the surface. They traveled in groups of hundreds or thousands of specimens, forming multicolored clouds under the water. Obviously, there weren''t only them, but an indeterminate number of other species.


    However, Hei knew that true wonders were hidden in the darkness of the ocean floor. His mother had explained to him that in the aquatic areas, whether they were lakes, seas, or oceans, as they descended, they would see bizarre-looking spirit beasts, nowhere to be found on the surface or in the higher underwater areas. Hei was curious if he would be able to find out which life forms were hidden in the bottom, but he wasn''t strong enough to dive into such low depths.


    ''What a beautiful fish... why don''t we catch one? I bet they taste great.''


    ''Ye! Be careful. You''re drooling on my blanket. I won''t share it with you next time.''


    The two little divine beasts were above the parapet, while they were covered by one of the many silk blankets created by Xing. Since the ship was going at high speed, the wind blowing on the deck was intense, causing chills of cold to those who were standing there. Hei and Lian, too, were standing next to the two small divine beasts, and they were admiring the surrounding landscape. Several days had gone by now, and the ship had never stopped so far, not even during the night.


    "Do not argue. Unfortunately, Ye, the ship goes too fast to catch some fish, you will have to be content with watching them from afar."


    ''Oh, no! Sob... and I wanted a little fish. Can we get one as soon as we stop?''


    ''Ah, I want one too. Take two then.''


    "Ahah, of course. All you want. For now, be satisfied with the supplies I bought. And don''t overeat it, or else you''ll have to eat the food served here."


    Lian then laughed in a low voice for that comic sibling''s scene. Usually, Hei would have had a serious attitude, but it was nice to see him so carefree while interacting with Ye and Xing. Seeing Lian laughing, the three siblings also began to laugh, placing their concern for the unknown of the empire in the corner of their mind. And it was while they were laughing that they noticed a detail.


    Hei suddenly stopped laughing, followed by the others. The young martial artist and beast tamer repeatedly began to inhale as he tried to understand what had changed. Ye and Xing also had a similar response - Xing''s body hair was swaying furiously left and right like a pendulum; Ye instead had pulled out her tongue and was waving it in the air. Lian, on the other hand, who had no particular detection moves, still tried to concentrate and observe her surroundings.


    Soon, the four of them realized what had caused their reaction - the air they were breathing. It was difficult to describe it accurately since air had no color or shape, yet it was as if the more Hei and the others went on, the richer the air would get. As if until then, what they had breathed wasn''t air but only something vaguely similar.


    The two humans and the two small divine beasts began to breathe by ingesting large mouthfuls of air to regularize their heart rhythm. When they recovered, they understood why the air had become richer - spirit power. The air itself contained spirit power, and martial artists would absorb the spirit power of the environment for cultivation. However, the spirit power in the air was becoming more concentrated, thus causing that strange reaction.


    "It''s incredible. The amount of spirit power I feel around my body is almost a fifth larger than that in the islands, and we are still far from the Continent. As we get closer, that amount should go up." Hei said in amazement as he looked at his hands and examined the internal flow of spirit power.


    "Yes, you are right. For now, however, it isn''t convenient for us to cultivate. During cultivation, we need the internal and external exchange flow to be constant and homogeneous. With the speed of the ship, there is a risk that the amount of spirit power in the air will change rapidly. It would only lead to internal injuries." Lian was also amazed but maintained her rationality and quickly examined the unexpected inconvenience of such a discovery.


    "Okay, then. Until we reach our destination, we will refrain from cultivating. But we can''t even stay without doing anything. We will train without using our spirit power to keep us active." Hei announced, deciding for everyone.


    Hei and his family, therefore, spent days training their bodies with normal exercises as they once did before awakening their spirit power. In a way, it was like going back to their origins. An avalanche of memories of their period in the Multicolored Forest awoke in their hearts. Lian, who wasn''t yet with them at the time, wasn''t excluded; Hei, Xing, and Ye told her about the days spent among the vegetation of that beautiful and unforgettable forest that had once been their home.


    *


    Time flew quickly, and the days became weeks. By now, they had almost reached their destination. To their amazement, as they progressed on their journey, they began to see several ramifications that arose from the Imperial Corridor, like the trees of a tree that stretched sideways from the trunk.


    It should be known that with the disappearance of the divine beasts, humans and demons had the go-ahead in modifying the territories to their liking, including the ocean. The Sun Empire had, therefore, spent a lot of resources on a large system of oceanic roads where its imperial ships could travel safely without the danger of being attacked by spirit beasts. Thus, the name Imperial Corridor was unsuitable since the whole system was more like a road network that reached all the territories of the Sun Empire bordering the ocean.


    It should also be stressed that although martial artists were able to fly once they reached the second rank, transport by sea and by land hadn''t gone into disuse at all, to the detriment of how slower and annoying they could be. And the reason was very simple and straightforward.


    Despite the empire''s power, it wasn''t uncommon to come across groups of malicious martial artists. Assassins, brigands, thieves ... every type of scum was present, as they were present in any other territory inhabited by humans. Flying would have consumed part of a person''s spirit power. The higher the distance and speed with which you traveled, the higher the amount spent. If the person or group in charge of carrying a load were to be attacked while flying, there was a real possibility that they would be too tired even to fight or flee.


    But it wasn''t just the humans that needed to be guarded against. Spirit beasts were also a significant source of trouble. Many accidents occurred with spirit beasts attacking human settlements, and the reasons were varied - lack of food, overpopulation, trespassing of territory by martial artists, or to protect themselves from the human threat.


    So it became essential that there was a safe transportation system. So the Empire created this oceanic road network for ships. At the same time, for land transports, the Empire established various outposts and arranged the cities according to a precise scheme so as to guarantee an equitable distribution of the inhabitants.


    At the same time, although they posed a danger, the value of the spirit beasts used as transport was raised. This practice also allowed air travels through a flying spirit beast, as well as terrestrial or oceanic ones. Using a spirit beast as a means of transportation wouldn''t have wasted any spirit power, even letting the martial artist be able to cultivate while traveling. However, this method was more suitable for those traveling alone or with a small group and not for an entire convoy.


    "We''ll be soon arriving in the Southern Imperial Capital." The ship''s captain said to Hei and Lian. He was a third-rank martial artist and had been commissioned to transport the two young martial artists of the islands to the city with the nearest Royal War Academy.


    "The Southern Imperial Capital?" Hei doubtfully asked as he didn''t know the division of the empire''s territories.


    "Right, you are from the islands of the Forgotten Ocean. I will give you a brief explanation of the subdivision of the Sun Empire so that you can understand roughly."


    The captain of the ship, therefore, started his explanation. The Sun Empire occupied the western side of the Continent, bordering on the east with the Moon Empire. However, the space between the two Empires was no-man''s area because it was nothing more than the battlefield used a hundred thousand years ago in the Final War. In that place, there was a huge crater, and the once lush soil had become arid and desert. It made no sense to colonize such an inhospitable land so close to the enemy.


    In addition to that desert area between the two Empires, there was another portion of territory that was no-man''s land - the Wild Region of the Continent. There, lived numerous fifth-level spirit beasts, and if it weren''t for the strange curse that struck all the spirit beasts, by this time, they would have already become sixth-level spirit beasts, meaning divine beasts. Since various Spirit Emperors of the Empire would have had to be mobilized to clean up that region, such a procedure was unworkable. Even one less Spirit Emperor was a massive blow to the Empire''s military power against demons.


    Nonetheless, the portion of the Continent occupied by the Sun Empire was still gigantic. It was so large that many areas weren''t inhabited and were mainly used as training grounds for martial artists in search of fortune, and they had been left as dens for spirit beasts.


    Returning to the division of the territories, the Sun Empire was divided into five regions. The central region was controlled directly by the Emperor and the royal family and housed the capital of the empire - the Imperial Capital of the Sun. The other four regions were instead divided according to an X-shaped scheme and left to the Eight Big Families'' administration for account of the Sun Emperor.


    The region where Hei was traveling to was the Southern Region. To be more precise, they were headed for the capital of that region - the Southern Imperial Capital. There, it could be found one of the four Royal War Academies - the Southern Royal War Academy.


    "I would like to thank you, captain, for your explanation. It was very useful." Hei thanked the ship captain with a slight bow of the head. Although it had been a quick summary, it still gave him a better understanding of the internal division of the empire.


    "Do not mention it. However, there shouldn''t be much left. So you should prepare yourself." The captain then turned away from Hei and Lian to resume his duties. And as he said, it only took another couple of hours of sailing to reach the Southern Imperial Capital.


    From afar, Hei and Lian could see the port of the city getting closer and closer, and when they were at a sufficient distance to distinguish the shapes of the objects from afar, they remained open-mouthed.


    Immense.


    It was the thought that passed through both of them. From afar stood an unknown number of buildings in large quantities. Usually, when you looked at something from a distance, the objects would appear smaller than what they were. So it was appropriate to remember this phenomenon before assessing the exact size. For this reason, Hei and Lian were struck when they noticed the section of inhabited land that was widening visibly and the height reached by certain buildings. Even the two little divine beasts were amazed by this demonstration of human civilization. It was a work of art of human ingeniousness.


    In the past, the four of them had seen the capital of the Forest Kingdom on the Rainbow Island. Furthermore, during their pirate adventure, they had visited many other cities with a high number of inhabitants. But none of those were comparable in size to the city they had before their eyes. As they approached, they could notice more and more how large the Southern Imperial Capital was.

 Chapter 142 - Arriving At The Southern Imperial Capital

    The ship finally arrived at the port. It docked in one of the spaces designated for the ships along one of the many piers. There was an incredible amount of boats of all different sizes. The smaller ones weren''t so different from the war galleons used by Ho Ri-Na, while the larger ones were like giant horizontal buildings that traveled in water.


    As soon as the ship lined up on the pier, the ship''s crew began mooring, tying the ship to the dock with robust ropes. In this way, they wouldn''t run the risk that the ship would be carried away by the current or crashed with the other ships moored nearby.


    Meanwhile, a group of officials working at the port came to the ship and started talking to the captain. They had a duty to check the ship''s travel documents and information on the type of cargo and passengers carried on board. When the captain mentioned the officials of Hei and Lian, the port officials were incredibly surprised. They never expected that a martial artist from the islands would come to the Continent legally, not to mention a couple of young youths, clearly belonging to the younger generation.


    When the officials finished checking that everything was in order, Hei and Lian were finally allowed to go ashore. Instinctively, they began to stretch their bodies as soon as they touched the ground after weeks of sailing.


    "Well, my job is done. It''s a cover letter signed by the commander of the outpost on Dream Island. Don''t miss it. I remind you that flying in the city is forbidden. If you follow the directions of passersby, though, you should be able to find the Royal War Academy with ease. I would accompany you, but I have various things to do, and I am already late." The captain of the ship turned to Hei and Lian while delivering a letter with a scarlet seal.


    "No, that''s okay. We thank you again, captain, for bringing us this far." Hei said goodbye to the captain, and with Lian and his little sisters, he left the pier heading for the central area of ??the port. At first glance, what immediately entered the eye was the number of people and the careful disposition with which the city had been built.


    Being an oceanfront city and one of the imperial capitals, the Southern Imperial Capital was undoubtedly one of the most important cities in the entire empire. It was the center of the economic activities of the whole Southern Region and therefore attracted all kinds of people interested in doing business or looking for rare objects.


    The port of this city, therefore, assumed priority importance since almost half of the travelers used the Oceanic Road Network of the Sun Empire to reach the Southern Imperial Capital safely. Full tides of people came and went from all sides. Yet despite all those people, although the port activity was lively, it wasn''t chaotic.


    The Sun Empire had built the Southern Imperial Capital conscious of all the implications that the increase in citizens would bring with time. The buildings had therefore been arranged according to a block grid, alternating neatly with a simple but elegant geometry. The various blocks were separated by an intricate system of roads that intersected precisely and were divided into secondary and primary roads.


    All the buildings featured an architecture designed for the functionality rather than appearing gorgeous and intriguing to the eye. After all, the empire''s policy was more focused on maximizing the efficiency of all its resources to avoid any waste, whether they were buildings and cities or human beings.


    "Incredible!" Hei exclaimed, amazed at that sight.


    ''Big brother, look over there!'' Ye said as she pulled a lock of his hair using her slender tail.


    In addition to humans, there were also quite a large number of spirit beasts walking along the streets. They were used as a means of transportation for goods and people. The incredible thing was that the weakest of them were second-level spirit beasts. But it wasn''t only the spirit beasts that encountered this phenomenon. Looking closely, Hei realized that even the simplest of the imperial officials was a martial artist.


    The peak of society in the Forgotten Ocean Islands, the spirit soldiers, made up the largest portion of the number of people in the port. There were also spirit apprentices and people without spirit power, but they were a minority. In addition to them, there were a lot of martial artists of the higher ranks.


    Hei and Lian were genuinely impressed by this. Once again, the strength of the Empire had shocked them. In the Forgotten Ocean, they could be said to be sovereigns in the martial artist''s society, so much so that they could even found their own sect. But here, they were on the same level as a mere paperwork official. How could this not leave them speechless?


    ''A martial artist can understand even without using his spirit sense, the rank reached by a person but without knowing their precise stage. Obviously, that was true only if the person being examined wasn''t actively using a concealment technique and is weaker. As for those stronger, it isn''t possible to understand that. I was already surprised by the strength of the ship''s crew, but I thought it was normal since they were traveling in dangerous waters. But what I have before me is on a whole other scale.'' Hei meditated to himself as he clenched his fists.


    He had promised his mother that he would protect his family, and a part of him, after the successes in the Forgotten Ocean, believed that he was going better than expected. However, seeing all this led him to downsize the ratings on himself and the strength achieved.


    "It is not enough. I have to work harder. Even harder and more intensely." He murmured as he took a deep breath. His tumulting heart calmed down, and he returned to his usual calm.


    "Everything will be fine. Together we will go ahead step by step. You don''t have to hurry at all costs." At his side, Lian laid her hands on his tight fists. She also had a surprised expression because of the strength of the empire''s inhabitants, but she took courage like Hei and reassured him.


    ''Yes, don''t worry, big brother. You will see that in no time we will become stronger and beat everyone.'' (Ye)


    ''Lian is right. Mother would also tell us to proceed with calm and do things right. The important thing is always to stay together and face things a little at a time.'' (Xing)


    Listening to the reassuring words full of love from the three ''women'' of his life, Hei smiled. Caressing their heads one by one, Hei reassured them in turn. "You are right. I lost my clarity for a moment. One step at a time then. What is most important is the journey between the starting point and the destination - how you deal with life''s difficulties."


    Ye, Xing, Lian smiled at Hei''s words. They were glad that they had been able to reassure him and ease his worries. Together, all four began to follow the road that led from the port to the heart of the city. Fortunately, in anticipation of the large number of foreign visitors, the city was equipped with various signs indicating the precise point where one was located and the map of the city. Also, each street had its name written in a sign hanging on the walls. So, even without asking passersby, Hei could find his way around that intricate road system.


    Regarding the Southern Royal War Academy, although it was one of the crown jewels of the Southern Imperial Capital, it wasn''t located in the middle of the city. Instead, it was located on the outskirts, far from the daily frenzy that dwelled in the streets. The reason for this was that in that way, the various students could concentrate undisturbed on their studies as martial artists.


    It must be known that the Sun Empire''s War Academies were of extraordinary importance. In these structures, the young promises of the empire were trained to become soldiers. And not just simple soldiers used as cannon fodder but soldiers capable of commanding other soldiers and bringing the empire to victory. In particular, the Royal War Academies were the most important of all because they trained what would be the future generals of the Empire''s army - the military backbone for a possible war against demons.


    So the preparation of these talents was something that had to be carefully planned. At the same time, they also had to be protected from possible dangers, at least as long as they were within the academy''s walls. The Empire then chose to build the war academy of the Southern Imperial Capital in a corner of the city outskirts. In that way, it would be able to close all that area under quarantine and monitor the academy continually.


    After an unspecified period of wandering through the city streets, Hei and Lian, together with Ye and Xing, arrived in the suburbs, outside the entrance of the Southern Royal War Academy. On the way, they had been tempted to take an exploratory tour but refrained from doing so. It was better to proceed immediately with the registration to the war academy. After all, they were just miserable first stage spirit soldiers. If something had happened, they wouldn''t have had a chance to react since they didn''t know anyone.


    The entrance to the Southern Royal War Academy was a large metal door that opened in the middle. At its sides, a boundlessly long stone wall began and stretched for kilometers. From where Hei and Lian were, it wasn''t possible to define how far it extended.


    "They aren''t normal walls. I see an intricate system of symbols drawn all over the stone walls, but I really can''t understand how it is possible to create such an immense formation." Lian revealed as she carefully examined the walls. As a scholar of formations, she could understand some points here and there of the used symbols. But the formation was too complicated for her, at least for the moment.


    "The empire places a lot of importance here. It is good because we won''t have to fear external attacks. Furthermore, from the length of the walls, it can be understood that the territories inside aren''t at all small. The Flower Sect already occupied a large section of land, so it isn''t strange that one of the most important war academies of the empire is so impressive." Hei rationally analyzed the information he could perceive only by looking at the external walls.


    After a few moments looking at the walls, Hei and Lian approached the metal door. There, in a kind of small wooden house, a group of guards was stationed, and they were chatting carefree and drinking alcohol. From their behavior, it didn''t seem like it was the first time they had been doing this. When Hei and Lian approached, one of them noticed them and ordered them to stop.


    "Who are you? Hic... what business do you have at the Southern Royal War Academy?"


    "My name is Hei while she is Lian. We come from one of the islands of the Forgotten Ocean. We took the test in the outpost of the empire on Dream Island, and we were deemed suitable. The commander of that outpost had us brought here to register for the Southern Royal War Academy. We have a cover letter attesting to this."


    Despite the unprofessional attitude of the guard, Hei maintained his respectful behavior. He couldn''t read the cultivation of the guard although the latter was quite drunk. The guard took several seconds before Hei''s words were recorded and understood in his brain.


    "Forgotten Ocean? From there? It is the first time that I hear that someone has been accepted from there. Hey, you guys, do you know anything about someone accepted from the Forgotten Ocean?" The guard seemed doubtful about the veracity of Hei''s words and called his colleagues who were drinking.


    "Ocean? Do you mean the islands far from the Continent? I haven''t heard of anyone who has ever come from there. Besides, the martial artists of the islands hadn''t always proved to be trash? How did two of them get this far? Not to mention that they even want to enroll in the Southern Royal War Academy. Bah... just a simple war academy is too much for them."


    "They said they have a letter of introduction, didn''t they? Check it and confirm the authenticity of the facts."


    Following the advice of one of his colleagues, the guard took the cover letter that Hei handed. He quickly read the contents and flowed his spirit power. The scarlet seal on the letter glowed red bright as the guard''s eyes lightened slightly.


    "Apparently, that''s true. There is the signature of one of the imperial scouters. Well, considering that they sent him to the islands of the Forgotten Ocean, it''s no wonder that they named him a scouter. All right, you can come in. Let''s go. I lead you."


    The guard motioned for his companions to open the door. Quickly, they started a formation, and the large metal door opened by itself just enough to get a small group of people in. The guard then began to lead them along a straight road that started from the entrance. The road pavement had been built with polished stone tiles and arranged according to a rectangular geometry to create a smooth path.


    "You said the word ''scouters'' before, what did you mean by that?" Hei asked as he followed the guard along with Lian.


    "What? The scouters are martial artists chosen by the empire. Each of them has the task of traveling to remote areas of the empire and assessing the strength of young martial artists from common families. If they have acceptable talent, they are selected to be enrolled in one of the various war academies. For every talented young person they bring, the scouters receive rewards, and if this young person does particularly well, the scouter will receive extra rewards."


    "So you can only enter if chosen by a scouter? Are there no other ways? For example, as an entrance test or something?"


    "The scouters are only pinned for remote areas far from big cities, but they aren''t indispensable. They only serve to find those few talents hidden in rural towns. The people from those areas are unable to analyze the potential of a talented martial artist. But in general, as long as you have the minimum requirements, an indeterminate number of martial artists can enter. However, do not think that everyone wants to enter the war academies. It''s no surprise that the number of dropouts is greater than you might think, haha. You will find out very soon."


    "I understand. And what are these minimum requirements?"


    "To enroll in the Southern Royal War Academy, you must be a spirit soldier and not be older than sixteen. The same goes for the other royal academies. The course of your training is approximately three years. But as I said, a large chunk of people don''t hold out for all three years. And this also happens in the royal academies and not only in the normal ones. Now, enough questions that I am coming to vomit. I have to look clear when we get there, do you understand?" The guard glanced intently at Hei as if he wanted to warn him not to reveal that they were drinking on duty or otherwise it would have been trouble.


    Hei nodded and continued to follow the guard in silence along that smooth stone road that stretched for miles. They continued to walk that way for a long time until it was possible to glimpse a gigantic building from afar.

 Chapter 143 - Enrolling At The Southern Royal War Academy

    The building they came across was a very high nine-story pagoda, excluding the ground floor, which was considered the zero story. The structure had been built with golden-colored bricks that shone with bright flashes in the sunlight. A series of lanterns called sky lanterns had been posted on the walls. These were nothing more than paper balloons with an opening at the bottom where a small flame hung and made the lantern float. All this gave a touch of mysticism and tranquility while also transmitting a pleasant smell.


    The structure of the entire pagoda was octagonal, so not only the floors but also the roofs between one story and another had this shape. The roofs, in fact, ended with an arched tip upwards at the exact points of the octagon used as the base of the pagoda. However, there were slight differences between each floor.


    The floors of the pagoda weren''t perfectly the same. Each subsequent story was slightly smaller than the previous one, giving a feeling of upward momentum. In this way, the pagoda acquired a lean and elegant line to which also contributed the vertical white rod fixed on the top floor and stood proudly towards the skies.


    "This is the Main Building. We call it that. Here all bureaucratic formalities such as the registration of new students are completed. There is also the Library where the various technical manuals are kept and the Exchange Center where you can buy any object. More details will be given to you later. One important thing, though - you must not fight in the Main Building for any reason. Inside are the various teachers and officials commissioned by the empire to manage this place. So it''s best to avoid pissing one of them off." The guard who had accompanied Hei and Lian spoke as he warned the two young martial artists.


    From the clear tone he had assumed, and how he had settled in one piece, it was clear that he too feared the fury of those who were in that pagoda. Hei and Lian nodded to make it clear that they had understood. They certainly wouldn''t have created problems in a place like that.


    The guard seemed happy with their response and the silent tone they had assumed. So he led them inside, entering the open doors of the ground floor of the pagoda. The interior was bright thanks to a system of long horizontal windows placed just below the height of the ceiling. The walls were enriched with huge frescoes that depicted linear geometries that intersected according to an orderly pattern. Apparently, the Sun Empire loved to use precise and methodical forms for its buildings.


    Hei and Lian followed the guard across the ground floor and stopped in front of a polished black wooden desk. Behind the desk sat one of the officers assigned to manage the data of enrolled students. The guard briefly explained the situation. Then he handed to the official the letter of introduction from the commander of the outpost on the Dream Island. After a few minutes of checking, the official turned to Hei and Lian.


    "Hei, Lian. 14-year-old and first-stage spirit soldier both of you. It is an incredible achievement for someone from the islands. You meet the requirements of the Southern Royal War Academy without problems. We will soon assign you to your dormitories, wait a moment." The official began to deal with various paperwork. From the massive pile of paper he had, it seemed that there were a lot of students at the academy, despite being one of the most exclusive. Normally, it should have had fewer accepted candidates than other academies, but the number was still massive.


    The guard who accompanied Hei and Lian left to return to his station. His assignment ended there. The two young martial artists bowed their heads again to show their appreciation and turned back to the official who had finished checking the availability of the rooms.


    "Listen carefully. Before I assign you the rooms, I will quickly tell you about the rules of the academy. First of all, you will have to follow the compulsory classes during the day. The classes'' time will be assigned later. You aren''t allowed to be absent for any reason unless you are really physically unable to participate. The punishment will come from the teacher in charge of the missed class. For the rest, you are free to decide how to use your time. You can enroll in one of the secondary classes if you practice a secondary activity or choose to cultivate or rest.


    Second, it is forbidden to kill or severely damage one of your companions. If you have problems, you can solve them through a challenge. You can emit just one challenge once per month, and if the challenged person refuses the fight three times in a row, they will be called upon to pay a colossal price depending on the type of hostility that unites the two of you. It is also possible for you to call one of your fellow students as a substitute to fight for you. Although it isn''t well regarded as a thing, it is still a strength to know how to use one''s resources, including one''s subordinates or acquaintances.


    For the rest, there are no other rules. All the martial artist students of the academy are part of the younger generation. Therefore, no one, not even teachers, can interfere with student relationships. The only cases where this is possible is when the rules I mentioned earlier aren''t followed."


    The official finished his speech as if he was reading it before his eyes. He had repeated it so many times that he knew it by heart, and even his intonation had a kind of mechanical as if it were a recorded voice. When hearing his words, Hei frowned. It was quite permissive as an academy.


    ''The fact that the older generation cannot interfere, including teachers, is good, but it means that this gives the go-ahead to bullying those who are weaker by the stronger ones.'' Hei thought to himself before asking a question in turn.


    "What if we are attacked by someone who aims to kill us or seriously injure us? Is it possible to respond seriously to this threat, or do I have to take time until the teachers arrive?"


    The official raised his head for a moment and replied, "It would be better if you stall for time. But we understand that accidents can happen, so in such cases, you are allowed to kill the person attacking you. You''d better be aiming to pass out, though, instead of killing, especially if it''s someone important. As long as you are an academy student, you cannot be touched easily, but you cannot stay here forever. Remember this. Incidentally, violent acts such as **** attempts are strictly prohibited. However, should this happen, you must have concrete proof of this crime. Otherwise, it would only be your word against that of the alleged assailant."


    Saying this, the officer quickly shifted his gaze from Hei to Lian. His meaning was clear. Lian was a beautiful girl with slender and well-proportioned shapes. Since martial artists tended to grow faster than ordinary people, Lian''s physique was more like that of a young woman than a 14-year-old girl. Her chest that was growing larger was a clear sign of that phenomenon.


    Therefore there would undoubtedly be many people enchanted by the mysterious charm of that young blue-haired woman. Some of them inevitably could cause the situation to deteriorate in case their court was refused, which was very certain as it was Lian. As a result, the official was warning Hei about that danger as he had mistaken the two of them for a loving couple.


    Hei looked at Lian and nodded to her as if to say not to worry. Lian also nodded but to make him understand that there was no need to worry. She alone was capable of looking after herself. However, she was glad that Hei was worried about her.


    "Okay. I checked the availability. We have no prohibitions on sexual practices among students. So there would be no problem giving you a room all to yourself. Unfortunately, you came at the end of the enrollment period for the new academic year. There are single places in dormitories to share with other people."


    "Isn''t there any other room available? Anything is fine."


    Because of the secrets they were hiding, Hei preferred not to deal with strangers on the night when he would be vulnerable while meditating. He had grown accustomed to sleeping with Lian and his little sisters and didn''t want to give up on that. No matter where they slept, where it was outdoors, he didn''t want to part with any of the three.


    The official looked a little displeased at Hei''s reaction. He thought that Hei was asking for him not to be separated from his woman. Although he was mistaken in the relationship between Hei and Lian, the general idea wasn''t wrong.


    "There are no free rooms. But if all goes well for you, I can give you one of the underground stores on the lowest floor. It has been in disuse for years so you will have to do by yourselves the cleaning and to provide the beds and such things. If it doesn''t suit you, you can always move out of here. This is not a holiday resort."


    "No, it''s fine. It''s perfect." Hei hurriedly said. It was absolutely the ideal place for Hei and the others. A quiet place away from people''s eyes.


    The official finished writing Hei and Lian''s names on the acceptance sheets and confirming their room. Then he gave them two tokens engraved with a white dragon with open jaws - the symbol of the Imperial Family of the Sun Empire.


    "These are personal recognition tokens. Inside you will find your information. Don''t miss them, and always remember to take them with you. If you wait a moment, I see if there is someone available willing to guide you. For now, sit on those sofas and wait. They shouldn''t be long in answering." The official pointed to a corner of the ground floor set up for visitors. So he returned to focus on his work.


    Hei and Lian went to sit where they had been directed. From inside Hei''s clothes, Ye and Xing were casting fleeting, curious glances at the new place. However, Hei forbade them to go out for the moment. He wanted to keep them hidden until he had a more precise idea of ??the academy.


    They waited a quarter of an hour when someone approached them. It was a young man, about 1.9 meters tall, slightly taller than Hei. He had a well-structured body, and from how the clothes were filled, one could see how well trained his physique was. However, they weren''t even too developed so as to distort his athletic figure, and the leg muscles were also well proportioned with the upper ones.


    "Are you guys, Hei and Lian?" Asked the newcomer. He had a calm but firm voice for those who listened to him.


    "Yes, it''s us. I guess you''re the guide we''ve been waiting for."


    "Exactly. You can call me Leon, nice to meet you, Hei, Lian." The young man called Leon held out his right hand as a friendly gesture. Hei returned the handshake and Lian immediately after him.


    After that brief exchange of pleasantries, Leon led Hei and Lian out of the pagoda and began his introduction, addressing Hei and Lian. "Okay, so. They explained the Main Building to you before you got in, I guess?"


    "Yes, generally only," Hei replied.


    "The Library and Exchange Center are currently closed for new arrivals. Enrollment should end next week, and the new academic year should begin shortly after that. For information, I will also be in the new first-year class; therefore, we will be companions." Leon smiled brightly. It was bizarre to see a man with such a developed body emitting such a smile. Even Hei and Lian were impressed.


    "Can I ask you when the registrations started? Earlier the official told us that there are no free rooms but only single places in shared dormitories. So I deduce that they have been going on for quite some time. Yet they sent a freshman like us as a guide instead of an older student. It only makes sense if you''ve been here at the academy for a long time."


    At Hei''s witty question, Leon''s face darkened as his eyes lost their bright light. Hei''s question had inadvertently hit some sore button to provoke such a reaction.

 Chapter 144 - Visiting The Academy

    "Regarding this ..." Leon seemed to be in difficulty about how to answer. He knew that Hei''s question was legitimate, but inside of him, he couldn''t help feeling awkward. It was a question that touched a sore point.


    "If you don''t want to tell me, it''s okay. I didn''t want to get involved in your private life. I apologize. You can freely answer without revealing your situation." He who had noticed that reaction hastened to remedy the indiscreet question he had asked. They had just arrived, and he wanted to avoid making enmities, not to mention that Leon seemed to be an approachable person. After all, he had been the only one to propose himself as their guide. As a result, it was the least Hei could do to respect his spaces and his secrets.


    Leon seemed touched by the apologies of Hei, and his mood improved. Inside he thought that he would have to overcome that inner demon that tormented him, but he wasn''t yet capable of it. Returning to his usual warm smile, Leon answered Hei''s question.


    "Don''t worry; it''s not your fault. However, to answer your question, registrations have been running for almost a month. Those with external connections accelerated the application form and have been registered even before the registration period began. Therefore they took all the best rooms. But it''s not something that we martial artists from nowhere can prevent or change. In the end, even if it isn''t the maximum of luxury, the important thing is to have a place to sleep."


    ''So it comes from a normal family. Although Lian and I don''t have an important background either, our strength is due solely to Mother''s teachings. The fact that Leon managed to enter the academy is proof of his determination as a martial artist.'' Hei thought to himself. Unconsciously, he who was suspicious of others felt an instinctive sympathy towards that future fellow student.


    "Walking from the entrance to the academy, I guess it took you a long time to get here. As you can see, the territories of the academy are immense. If you continue to walk sideways from the path you have followed previously, on both sides, you will find a series of structures. Those are the training grounds assigned by the academy. They are gigantic square-shaped structures divided into smaller cells. Each cell can accommodate up to ten people. There, you can freely train whenever you want. You just need to show your personal recognition token. You can set a temporary code and close the cell to any spectators or let inside only the people you want. The cost is free, but it is also possible to temporarily join more cells to include more people or have a larger battlefield. However, that has a cost that can only be paid with contribution points. You guys know the contribution point system, don''t you?"


    Hei nodded yes with his head while he and Lian followed Leon to the training grounds. The young man with the warm smile then continued with his explanation.


    "Each month, the academy awards us a total of contribution points based on the personal evaluation of the teachers. It applies not only to compulsory but also secondary lessons. It is no coincidence that martial artists who focus only on fighting are mainly those from the most important families as they can reduce their expenses to a minimum. Incidentally, I am a blacksmith. Do you and Lian practice any secondary activities?"


    "I am an alchemist while Lian is a formation scholar. We were educated in one of the big sects on an island in the Forgotten Ocean. However, I think our knowledge of the subject lacks compared to what is taught at the academy." Hei answered sincerely.


    In truth, he had always been curious about the blacksmith''s trade and how they managed to create weapons capable of hurting martial artists. However, Bao Bei had advised him on his career as an alchemist. Therefore he hadn''t paid much attention to it after that. The reason for this choice was, in addition to the fact that Hei was a plant scholar, that Bao Bei had already prepared a weapon capable of accompanying Hei throughout his journey. She, therefore, deemed it useless to make her son learn the blacksmith''s work, and the same applies to Lian, who, however, was more suited to the study of formations.


    ''If I asked him, I could make him tell me about the peculiarities of a weapon created with the remains of a divine beast or what is the spirit metal found in the treasure of Hae Seong. However, it is certainly not something I could ask about when we just met.''


    With the death of his mother, there was no longer anyone trusted to answer Hei''s intense curiosity for new things. Now he had to find the answers on his own, paying attention to the dangers that arose from asking too many uncomfortable or unusual questions. For now, he decided to follow the part of the martial artist who came from afar, with almost no knowledge of the Sun Empire customs.


    "You said that teachers assign us contribution points based on our results in the classes. Is this the only way to get contribution points? Aren''t there no others?" Lian from behind the two young men spoke her doubt. It was a legitimate question that Hei hadn''t thought of right away.


    "No, it isn''t the only way. If you go around the Main Building, you will notice that the long road from where you came continues from behind. Going further, always on the sides, you will find other structures. They are the structures designed for secondary activities: alchemy, formation, blacksmithing, cooking, music. As with the training camps, you can use these facilities whenever you want, and you can book a workshop just for yourself if you pay. If you produce well-made items, you can sell them to the Exchange Center for contribution points.


    Follow me; I''ll show you. One thing, though. I don''t know if they told you, but the sky above is actually closed by a protective system. So, you''d better avoid flying too high, or you''ll get into trouble. Remember that this only applies to the academy''s airspace; outside the walls, it is better that you refrain from flying; it is the law that imposes it."


    Leon, at that point, began to ascend high up to five meters from the ground. Hei and Lian also did the same, and together they started to head beyond the Main Building. As Leon had said, on the other side of the big pagoda, the long road stretched again for miles and miles. While flying at a continuous but not too fast speed, Hei turned to their guide.


    "Leon, you first included cooking and music among the secondary activities. What did you mean? In the Forgotten Ocean, there are only alchemy, formations, and blacksmithing."


    "I see, then you have never met a Martial Artist Chef or a Martial Artist Musician."


    "No, they are new terms for the two of us."


    "To explain it briefly, they are two types of martial artists; mainly play the supporting role. Martial artist chefs are similar to alchemists in a sense; only, instead of making pills and potions, they produce spirit food. Through their cooking skills, they can mix the various ingredients and create dishes capable of giving multiple effects that affect the internal flow of spirit power. Although it seems easy to see and many think it''s just a matter of cooking, it''s a very complex process. The higher the skill of the martial artist and the stronger the effects of amplifying or restoring spirit power after or during a battle. It goes without saying that their presence in war is more vital than the life of ordinary attacking martial artists.


    Martial artist musicians cause similar support effects, but they use music. By playing instruments or only with their voice, they can also calm the hearts of allies or increase their courage. At the same time, they can also influence enemies. However, the greatest threat is when they are together. Martial artist musicians are the only ones who can manage to create a group battle formation with strangers. Their union is centered on the music and musical score that they follow. It is no coincidence that their battle formation is called the Battle Concert. Their value is also superior to the lives of ordinary attacking martial artists."


    When Leon finished his explanation, Hei was speechless. In the Forgotten Ocean, he had fought in some large-scale battles, but they were more than other chaotic conflicts where everyone attacked simultaneously. There had never been a precise division of roles between the battle forces, and there was no reason to do so. Yet, the Empire had built a system based on creating a division into the roles of martial artists so as to be able to implement diversified strategies.


    "You talked about attacking martial artists, what do you mean?" Hei continued to ask another question as the three of them landed. Leon made them make a general visit to the secondary activities buildings while answering Hei''s question.


    "Generally, we martial artists are divided into three categories: attack, defense, support. Classic martial artists fall into the attack category; I am also part of it. Those in the defense category are distinguished by their preference for defense techniques. Defensive martial artists focus primarily on protecting the rear where there are the supporting martial artists. Even if they do not have a specific formation such as the Battle Concert, they can temporarily combine their defense techniques and create protective barriers capable of resisting for a long time. They are indispensable when it comes to withdrawing the army and avoiding further losses. Supporting martial artists are everything else. In addition to the martial artist chefs and musicians, there are explorers and those in charge of communicating messages or transporting supplies. Usually, they are among the fastest martial artists as they mainly concentrate on footwork and running techniques."


    "What about the beast tamers? What category do they fall into?" Hei asked since no mention had been made of spirit beasts.


    "It depends on the type of spirit beast that the tamer possesses. They can fall between all three. Although not as numerous as other groups, in the academy, you will find several martial artists beast tamers with their spirit beasts. However, most of them are quite reserved toward other people, which doesn''t surprise me at all, though."


    "What do you mean by that?" Hei frowned at Leon''s strange statement.


    "The Sun Empire glorifies as a god the martial artist who led humans to salvation about a hundred thousand years ago, the man known as The Hero. It is no coincidence that the Imperial Family are the descendants of that individual. Although raising spirit beasts is tolerated, many people don''t see them favorably, especially if it concerns high-level spirit beasts. The return of the divine beasts and the return of the war - this is what the inhabitants of the Sun Empire fear most. The Hero is seen as a God, but even he perished against the fury of the Snake of Darkness, leading to the division of part of the continent. Since beast tamers are directly responsible for the actions of their spirit beasts, in the past, there have been various incidents of people attacking spirit beasts left alone so as to then blame the tamers for any injuries sustained. Now, these things haven''t happened for some time, but beast tamers are now accustomed to keeping a certain distance from others to protect their spirit beasts and themselves."


    Hearing all this, Hei clenched his fists with all his strength while his nails pierced the skin. With anger that gripped his heart, he asked Leon about his personal opinion on the matter.


    "What do you think of all this, Leon? Spirit beasts and the attitude of the inhabitants of the Sun Empire?"


    Leon seemed surprised by the question but, seeing Hei''s serious expression, he understood that that young man with brown skin and long pitch-black hair also carried heavy burdens. Since Hei had been respectful of his situation, Leon decided to answer sincerely without investigating too much. Meanwhile, Lian was silently observing this interaction between the two; likewise, the two little divine beasts hidden in their big brother''s clothes were eager to know the response of the new human before them.


    "I was born and raised in the Sun Empire, so I can''t say I haven''t been influenced. I consider The Hero to be a great person - he alone managed to prevent demons from annihilating humanity and gave us the foundation for building a united society. Just for that result, it is worthy of my respect. He is also said to be the strongest human martial artist ever. This statement is true considering that in ancient texts, he is said to have perceived the existence of the seventh rank and wasn''t far from reaching it. However, I find this whole matter of hatred against spirit beasts ridiculous. Like how we fight and strive for survival, they, too, do the same. In reality, this world is large enough for everyone - humans, demons, and spirit beasts. But the ego of certain individuals pushes us ordinary beings to embark on roads that we would rather not choose."


    Leon looked upwards, reaching out his right hand and closing it with a fist. He was looking back on something from his past. Upon hearing his response and seeing his actions, Hei loosened his fists and calmed down. Even though many people hated and feared spirit beasts or treated them as objects, it wasn''t as if there were no people capable of understanding that they were nothing but living beings with their own personalities and personal dreams.


    "Accompany us to see the accommodations," Hei said to break that atmosphere of silence. There was a sincere smile on his face. He was happy that the first academy student he had met was Leon.


    "All right, then follow me. Just keep going straight ahead, and we''ll get to the lodgings."


    Leon then began to lead them back to the main road and guided them deeper into the territories of the academy.

 Chapter 145 - Academys Castle

    The structure designed to house the various students of the academy was a huge white stone castle that stood magnificently. While Hei, Lian, and Leon walked along that long straight road that seemed to cover the entire grounds of the academy, many young martial artists could be seen relaxing in the external courtyards of the castle, lying on the fresh grass and warmed by the light of the sun.


    Each of them was a spirit soldier, ranging from the first stage to the seventh stage. There was even some spirit master in their third and last year. Such an agglomeration of people would have made the martial artists of the islands widen their eyes, especially those who had across seas and mountains to reach the second rank.


    The group went unnoticed through the outside courtyard and headed to the entrance. In the Forgotten Ocean, Hei and Lian had left their name in history, but now they were just two ordinary students. Quickly, they passed the large opened doors at the entrance and entered a room that even the word enormous wasn''t enough to describe. Hei didn''t know how long it was; it probably covered the entire front of the castle, though.


    The ceiling was studded with crystal chandeliers, but instead of carrying candles, there was a kind of yellow-green moss. It was a strange plant that Hei didn''t know and was immediately interested in it. On the front facade, there were numerous windows made in a way that it was possible to see the outside from inside but not the inside from outside. In fact, Hei and Lian hadn''t been able to see anything from the windows when they had been just outside the entrance.


    The walls instead were rather simple and bare. There were no frescoes or other similar decorations except for some sign indicating the various sections of the castle. However, the floor had some quirks. At different points, according to a circle arrangement, numerous circular stone platforms were lined up. They weren''t parts of the floor but were instead placed on top.


    Seeing the curious glances of Hei and Lian, to which were added those of Ye and Xing still hidden in Hei''s clothes, Leon hastened to explain, "What you see in the chandeliers are called Sun Musses. On the ceiling of the castle, there are mirrors made with a unique crystal called the Sun Crystal. The sun crystal is capable of absorbing light from the sun during the day. At night, through particular formations, the sunlight stored in the mirrors is then directed onto the sun mosses. These specific plants then emit the received light, making light for us inhabitants of the castle.


    The platforms you see on the floor are called Spirit Elevators. If you see, there are symbols around each of the circular platforms. By activating the formation below, you can decide whether to make the platform descend or ascend. The part of the floor above or below the platform, depending on where you go, will open, letting the spirit elevator pass. It''s a quick way to go up or down. There are stairs too, but it is more uncomfortable as a method, although it is also the least used."


    Leon then led them on one of these spirit elevators. Indeed, most people were using these elevators, thus creating waiting lines for them to be next. Fortunately, it wasn''t yet the starting period of the lessons, and therefore the three didn''t have to wait long.


    "Select the plan." a flat-tone voice rang out on the platform.


    "Is it by chance a Spirit Artifact?" Hei asked while surprised. Only once had such a thing happened, and it was with the Spirit Artifact that ruled the Continent Trials on the islands.


    "Yes, but it''s not a very advanced Spirit Artifact. They say it''s an old model and that it can only handle simple things." Leon replied as he selected the top floor, also called the Abandoned Floor. The official in charge had told him where the new accommodation for Hei and Lian was. Thus, the platform on which the three had climbed on began to descend rapidly as the floor opened below them.


    It didn''t take them to get there. As Leon said, using the elevators was convenient, and it was worth queuing up to wait for your turn. As for the floor called Abandoned Floor, it was very different from the welcoming and elegant entrance hall. It was enormous, but this last floor of the castle was full of various rectangular structures similar to brick warehouses arranged side by side. As a view, it would also have been enjoyable, had it not been for the dirt that reigned everywhere. It was also pitch dark as there were no windows nor those chandeliers containing sun mosses.


    "At first, it may seem ugly, but it isn''t that bad if you get used to it. I don''t live here, but I often go because nobody comes. The great forge is certainly better as a workplace, but I should share it with others. If I wanted to have a laboratory just for me, I would have to pay with contribution points, but at that point, I wouldn''t be able to purchase the resources I need. Here I can instead practice as much as I want on the prototypes, and only when I am sure of the final work, then do I use the great forge." Leon continued to explain with that smile and attitude that made anyone feel comfortable. So he began to guide them through those dark streets after lighting a torch.


    After a bit of walking, they came to a corner of the floor. There, the situation improved significantly, and no trace of dirt could be seen. There were even small lanterns containing sun mosses that illuminated that section of the floor.


    "This is where I put my lab. The sun mosses last for a long time, so I have to charge them occasionally, and I can have the light I need. The other warehouses on the floor are all empty, so you can freely choose where to live. If you want, you can also choose the one in front of mine so that you save yourself the trouble of having to clean the floor outside and look for light sources."


    "Are you sure? Isn''t it a problem for you since you have your laboratory?" Hei asked questioningly. Leon refused to use the forge assigned to the blacksmiths of the academy because he didn''t want to work surrounded by others. Yet now he was offering them, of his own free will, to move near where his warehouse was. It was certainly strange.


    Leon scratched his head, a little embarrassed, "Do you promise not to laugh?"


    Hei and Lian, who also became curious, nodded and invited him to continue.


    "Have you ever had the feeling that although you have only recently known a person, somehow you know you can trust them? You two give me that feeling, I don''t know why. But I feel like a kind of instinct that tells me that by being with you, something good can happen. I know I am weak, and I have my limits, and I was actually about to give up. Yet now, I feel that I am about to be near a turning point. Sorry, it''s a rather stupid and strange thought. Forget what I said."


    "It''s not stupid at all, and it''s not strange." Lian unexpectedly answered Leon''s confession. Her sapphire blue eyes looked Leon in the eye to give more power to the words she had just said. Hei was surprised by that reaction but didn''t ask her any questions. Inside him, he knew what Lian was thinking.


    ''Although I was broken in the soul and forgot what it meant to live, a part of me immediately felt safe when Hei grabbed me the first time. And this is the feeling I feel every time by being by his side.''


    Lian closed her eyes, keeping her intimate thoughts to herself as she clasped her hands to her chest. Her heart was beating intensely. Hei put a hand on her shoulder and intervened.


    "We will take the warehouse in front of you. It will be convenient to have someone we know and to whom we can ask when we need it."


    Hearing Hei''s response, Leon was happy. It was as if he had been accepted by the two youths that came from so far away. Hei looked at Lian, who seemed to want to apologize for speaking instinctively without reasoning. After all, the warehouse on the last floor was accepted so as to be away from prying eyes and ears.


    ''If you feel we can trust him, that''s fine. I trust your judgment, more than I trust mine.'' Hei sent a spirit message straight to Lian''s mind. The blue-haired young woman was moved by his words even though she kept her usual indifferent expression.


    So, helped by Leon, they started cleaning up the warehouse that would soon become Hei and Lian''s home. It took a while, but in the end, they did an excellent job, and now the interior of the warehouse was clean and shiny. However, it was devoid of any furniture, even basic ones such as the bed.


    "Even if we have cleaned, I think it is still too extreme to live there. Are you sure of your choice?"


    "Yes, we are also used to sleeping in worse conditions. Do not worry."


    Hei liked that place. As for the decorations, with Xing''s silk, they could make beds, sheets, and pillows more comfortable than any other. As for the bathroom, there were shared bathrooms placed on each floor. Fortunately, one was also placed on that last floor, although it had been in disuse for some time and needed a good wash.


    "Why don''t we go to eat? It is now lunchtime. We will continue cleaning later." Leon proposed to Hei and Lian as he stretched his body after that morning effort.


    "Alright. Then lead the way." Hei replied promptly. He was starting to feel hungry, and so was Lian. Fortunately, his little sisters had collapsed into a deep sleep now as they were deeply bored. He would take the opportunity to store some food in one of his space rings to give them later.


    The three then got on the spirit elevator, and the circular platform brought them back up to the ground floor. As for the subdivision of the floors, the underground floors were for student housing, according to their social hierarchy. The lower you stayed, the more you came from an ordinary family.


    The ground floor served mainly as a link between the underground and elevated floors, hosting the various spirit elevators. In addition to those, the ground floor was important because it housed the canteen where students would eat meals together at specific times.


    Lastly, the upper floors were equipped with various classrooms that were used not only for lessons but also as a place to cultivate or as a simple meeting point. In addition to the classrooms, on the highest floor, there were also the rooms used by the teachers and various officials sent by the Empire. However, access to these plans was prohibited, or there would be severe consequences.


    Hei, Lian, and Leon arrived at the castle canteen. It was a large hall with large tables that stretched for meters and meters. A Hei came to mind when they gathered the tables at the Leaf Village during the party in which his stay with Lei Lei and Lei Bai ended. A pinch of nostalgia crept into his heart but ended up not lasting long. However, the noise made by people sitting on the tables brought him back to reality.


    The canteen of the castle was divided into three floors. Third-year students ate on the top floor. All of them were spirit soldiers of the highest stages at least; the most talented had even reached the rank of spirit master. It was obvious, therefore, that they had preferential treatment and could enjoy more luxuries. The third floor was smaller among the three but also the most comfortable given the presence of comfy sofas and the possibility to order the dishes of your choice.


    The lower floor housed the second-year students. They were mostly spirit soldiers between the third-fourth-fifth stages and also enjoyed some luxuries, although not comparable to those of the third floor. On the second floor, large circular tables were set up where the various groups could sit and eat carefreely. They had no choice about what to eat, but they had the right to skip the line to be served on the ground floor.


    The ground floor was connected directly to the kitchens. There, the various castle''s attendants, who took care of the cleaning of that place, were serving the students of the first and second years. The students of the first year had to line up to fill their trays and had to sit in one of the free places on those large tables. Since the first year also represented the course with the highest number of students, it was difficult to find a place that accommodated large groups. Therefore, they were often forced to have lunch next to anyone, even people who they didn''t know or had little sympathy for.


    The number of members for the first year of this year was 5000 people. So it was natural not to know everyone, especially when the new academic year was yet to begin. However, it wasn''t even necessary to make an effort to get to know everyone. After all, not all 5,000 would resist the pressure and fatigue that the Southern Royal War Academy imposed on them.


    Hei, Lian, and Leon were lucky and found three vacant places, next to each other, and sat there. Leon had filled a tray with two bowls full of rice and a whole chicken. Hei and Lian had chosen to take a mix of the types of dishes that were served that day. So they filled their tray to the brim. Even if they were hungry, part of their lunch would still be destined for the two little divine beasts still in their deep sleep.


    Hei took the wooden chopsticks that had been given to him and bit into a chicken leg. Soon, an explosion of flavors occurred in his mouth as he devoured the meat.


    ''Wow ... it''s amazing. It is definitely a chicken spirit beast, I have cooked it too in the past, but it never tasted like this when I ate it. It is not just the cooking of the meat or the rich play of flavors of spices and marinades. No, it''s something deeper. I feel the spirit power in turmoil as if it is enjoying what I am eating.''


    While Hei reflected on that strange reaction, Lian was also experiencing the same emotions on his side. At the moment, she was drinking a bowl of soup with vegetables, pieces of meat, and spaghetti.


    "Wow. Hei, you have to try it. The soup has a rich flavor and warms you up to the bone. The meat is also well cooked, but the spaghetti is the highlight. They are incredible."


    Contrary to her impassive and always refined image, Lian now had an expression more similar to a carefree young girl. In an innocent way, she offered the bowl to Hei and held out her chopsticks so he could taste the spaghetti. Hei was amazed by Lian''s reaction; he certainly didn''t expect such a gesture from her. However, he smiled at that sight as it was a good thing that she had been able to express herself in public in that way. He then tasted the spaghetti, taking Lian''s hand so as to bring the chopsticks closer to his mouth.


    Slurp!


    Another even more intense explosion occurred within him. This time, the turmoil in its internal flow had become even more impetuous. It was genuinely sensational how something so ordinary could have such an effect despite Hei having also cooked meat from spirit beasts and spirit herbs.


    "You are right. The soup is good, but the spaghetti is on a completely different level. It is delicious."


    Beside them, Leon laughed and commented, "I was also like this when I tasted the canteen kitchen for the first time. I think I don''t know how to do it once I get out of here. Talented martial artist chefs are hired by the army or open their restaurants, which are expensive even for us martial artists. I don''t think I could afford such luxury every day."


    "Hehe!"


    Suddenly, from the seat on the other side of the table, precisely in front of Hei, a young man laughed at the sincere comments of the three people in front of him.

 Chapter 146 - Incident At The Canteen

    "Hehe!"


    Suddenly, from the seat on the other side of the table, precisely in front of Hei, a young man laughed at the sincere comments of the three in front of him.


    "Is there anything funny in our comments?" Leon asked resentfully. Evidently, he didn''t like that he had been made fun of in front of the two new arrivals. Or was it because that person was laughing at Hei and Lian as well as at him?


    The young man, still with a smile printed on his face, said no with his head. He had blond hair long up until his shoulders, parted in the center with a hairstyle towards the sides. In the front, a fringe protruded, which descended downwards, reaching just above the eyebrows. He had light-blue eyes similar to the color of the sky, and like the sky itself had a peculiar clarity in his gaze. He was tall, although not like Hei or Leon, he was rather slender, which accentuated that feeling of clarity.


    Beside him, there was another young man. He had short orange hair that wasn''t combed but ruffled as if he had just woken up. His orange eyes, which were almost entirely half-closed, also seemed to convey that sensation. It appeared as if he was looking at something very distant rather than reality before him. And it was the latter who answered for his blond-haired companion.


    "You must excuse him. It wasn''t his intention to offend you or make fun of you." The orange-haired young man''s voice was sweet and bright as if he was whispering into the ears of those who were listening. Yet he had used a low tone of voice that was barely noticeable.


    This pair of young martial artists alerted Hei. Since they were sitting at the table with them on the ground floor, they had to be first-year students, that is, future fellow students of Hei and Lian.


    "It''s like he says, sorry. It''s just that I got excited when I heard your compliments. You must know that it was I who prepared that spaghetti while another made the broth. I introduce myself, my name is Omura Haruno, but you can call me just with Haruno. I''m a martial artist chef."


    Omura Haruno, this was the name of the young man who laughed at Hei and the others'' comments. Unexpectedly it was the martial artist chef who had cooked the spaghetti in the soup that Hei and Lian had tasted. It was, therefore, reasonable that he had felt amused by such positive comments. After all, who wouldn''t have been happy to hear praise for the fruit of their work?


    "My name is Ige Mareo instead, but you can call me Mareo. I am a martial artist musician." Haruno''s companion, who had defended him earlier, introduced himself. Ige Mareo, this was his name.


    Upon hearing this, Hei was amazed. He didn''t expect to immediately meet someone who was part of those types of martial artists. Since they didn''t seem to have any bad intentions, Hei made introductions for him and Lian.


    "My name is Hei while she is Lian. We just signed up today." Hei replied. The young blue-haired woman bowed her head as a sign of greeting to the two martial artists on the other side of the table.


    "My name is Leon, nice to meet you, Haruno, Mareo." Leon''s initial annoyance seemed to have subsided, so he returned to his usual friendly attitude.


    After that brief exchange of introductions, the five of them returned to focus on their meal. There was a bit of embarrassment in the air since they didn''t know how to start a conversation between them. So they were silent for some time when suddenly there was a noise of something being broken. Turning their heads, they could see in the table behind them a young man with short fire red hair standing while at his feet, there was a ceramic bowl with food inside. It was the soup Hei and Lian had tasted.


    "Who the fuck is that prepared this? It sucks. The soup is good, but with this spaghetti, it is inedible. Who is that trash who prepared them?"


    The voice of that young man with fiery red hair and very light complexion echoed on the first floor of the canteen. However, nobody seemed to give us much importance. Even those on the upper floors weren''t interested and didn''t look at what was going on. However, not everyone remained impassive. Haruno, as he was the martial artist chef who had cooked that spaghetti, couldn''t help but stand up. For a martial artist chef, what they cooked was the sublimation of their efforts. Each of the dishes they prepared carried with them the pride of the chef who had cooked it.


    "It was I who prepared it. You said the spaghetti are inedible. I would like to know what makes you think so."


    Haruno''s voice was calm, but you could see the anger contained in seeing his creation thrown on the ground like garbage. At his side, Mareo seemed to have intentions to calm him down but refrained from doing so. As a musician, he could understand the frustration of seeing his efforts and dedication treated like waste paper.


    The fire red-haired young man turned his head to look at Haruno, and when he saw him, he seemed to recognize him. Then he made a malicious grin as if he had found something fun to play with.


    "Now, I understand. So it was you. Well, I''m not surprised that a shitty homosexual like you produced shitty food. Next time refrain from cooking your lousy shit. If you really want to cook, I guess your boyfriend is willing to eat that stuff. You can also invite your other gay friends. Don''t you like to get together to have orgies like dogs in heat?"


    When listening to the words of the fiery red-haired young man, Haruno''s face darkened as he clenched his fists with force. His spirit power seemed on the verge of being activated when Mareo reached out to grab Haruno''s. He said no with his head and invited him to sit down. However, Hei could see Mareo''s other hand clenched in a fist while visibly trembling with anger. The ''boyfriend'' the young red-haired boy spoke of was none other than Mareo himself.


    "What''s up? Are you so embarrassed about revealing your secret to everyone that you have lost your tongue? Your boyfriend is right, sit down and don''t say a word. I don''t even understand how they could accept you two. Those of your race are just a disease and disgust for the eyes."


    As these offensive words continued, the people around had been slowly conquered by curiosity. Some shared the stance of the fire red-haired young man and didn''t see well these relationships, both romantic and sexual, between members of the same gender. Many people regarded these relationships as a kind of disease that needed to be eradicated. But these people were just a minority of the empire inhabitants and the people on the canteen''s ground floor.


    However, the rest of the students, despite not sharing this line of thought, certainly wouldn''t have come forward to protect that poor unfortunate couple. This was a society made up of martial artists; the one who had the strength was also the one who had the last word. If something wasn''t right for you, you had to use your fists and beat your opponent until he gave up.


    Haruno certainly wanted to come forward, but he was a martial artist chef. His fighting skills were minimal despite being a spirit soldier. He certainly couldn''t compete with an attacking martial artist. The same was true of Mareo, but there was another reason why he had stopped Haruno from attacking.


    "What does being homosexual have to do with belonging to another race? Aren''t they human? Don''t they have two hands, two eyes, a heart? How should they be different from you?"


    While the fire red-haired young man was enjoying that moment, a voice interrupted the strange silence that dwelled in the canteen. All the various spectators, who thought the show was over, looked amazed in the direction of the voice. So they noticed a young man with brown skin and pitch-black hair sitting right in front of the accused couple. The person who spoke was Hei.


    "Eh?! What the fuck? Did I correctly hear what you said? How dare you compare me to garbage like them? Turn around and have the courage to say it to my face."


    The fire red-haired young man ordered Hei to turn as he made more and more noise. His grin vanished from his face as a disgruntled expression formed on his face. Hei didn''t reply immediately but finished taking a sip of water and wiping his mouth. Then he stood up. He motioned for Lian and Leon to stay there and advanced towards the fire red-haired young man. Once he arrived in front of him, he knelt down.


    The fire red-haired young man thought Hei wanted to fight, but when he saw him kneeling, he laughed heartily. "Yes, good. I see you have common sense. You''d better apologize properly, or it will be bad for you."


    At that threat, a group of four people near him stood up. Apparently, he wasn''t alone, but he had henchmen. They were rubbing their hands as if to signal that they would give Hei a lesson if he refused. But Hei wasn''t taking them into consideration at all. His gaze was fixed on the ground.


    Grab! Slurp!


    With an unexpected gesture, he reached out and started eating the spaghetti that had fallen on the ground. This scene caused a wave of contempt for Hei, and many thought he was crazy. He was eating food that had fallen on the ground in a place where thousands and thousands of people passed. Hei paid no attention and continued to eat until the last spaghetti. Then he got up and said to the fire red-haired young man.


    "Food shouldn''t be wasted. You should thank those who prepare you to eat, not to mention that the spaghetti was delicious. Don''t blame others for your messed up sense of taste."


    Once that was said, Hei turned around and started walking back to his place. What he said left all spectators dumbfounded; they didn''t expect such words. Haruno and Mareo had wide eyes. They couldn''t believe that Hei, who they had met only moments ago, had come forward to protect them. Lian had an impassive look, but her eyes were bright, and inside her, she fully shared what Hei had previously said. Leon also looked astonished, but he had a smile on his face as he didn''t like the statements made by the young fire red-haired man too.


    "How dare you turn your back on me and treat me like that? Do you know who I am?" the fire red-haired young man had a red face as if he could explode with anger at any moment. He wasn''t used to being made fun of in front of so many people.


    Hei had sensed that he could have come from a distinguished family and had refrained from attacking. Only with his gestures and his words, he wanted to diverge the attention from Haruno and Mareo on him. He usually wasn''t a guy who acted instinctively for someone who barely knew. But the discrimination Haruno and Mareo suffered was similar to the way some people viewed spirit beasts - like a plague to be eradicated and erased from the world. At that point, he couldn''t stop himself from coming forward.


    "I am Feng Gengxin. I am part of one of the Eight Big Families, the Feng Family. How dare a nobody like you to show such impertinence. Give him a lesson."


    Hearing the name of one of the Eight Big Families, those who hadn''t paid any attention to the incident so far, quickly turned their heads. Even those on the upper floors leaned over to look at what was going on. Many even stepped on the air and stopped in midair to watch the spectacle. Only by this reaction, it was possible to understand the influence and weight that the name of the Eight Big Families had. It was also for this reason that Mareo had prevented Haruno from reacting; it wasn''t wise to make someone with a similar background an enemy. However, Hei''s reaction had been too fast for Mareo to stop him.


    Feng Gengxin''s four henchmen advanced and activated their spirit power. Although killing or seriously injuring other students were prohibited, as long as they respected these two rules, there would be no problem with their actions. Fights between members of the younger generation were a regular thing.


    Noticing their movements, Hei activated his spirit power, and a strong murderous intent rose into the air. Almost all the martial artists there had killed in their life. But even then, Hei''s murderous intent density was so high that the four assailants stopped their run. They could instinctively perceive that the young man in front of them wasn''t someone to be taken lightly. But while they hesitated, Lian and Leon advanced and stopped beside Hei.


    Lian had untied the knot of her ribbons, and they were swaying in the air. Leon, instead, had a two-meter-long metal greatsword. The length of this weapon added even more grandeur to his figure. Hei, after glancing at the two, pulled out his spear and grabbed it with both hands.


    The four henchmen were undecided about how to act and looked to Feng Gengxin for orders. This time it seemed that the fish they wanted to catch was bigger than expected.


    "What are you waiting for? We are five against three. Attack." Feng Gengxin ordered his men to advance, but someone else answered him.


    Mareo had started singing. His melodious voice had a bright tone as he recited words in an unknown language. He had activated his spirit power, and his internal flow was growing. Suddenly Hei, Lian, and Leon felt their spirit power flow faster and easier and were surprised. It was as if it was no longer their body but had instead been improved.


    "A martial artist musician. And what''s more, a singer. It''s rare to meet one."


    "Yeah, usually most people use an instrument instead of vocals. Even if it isn''t a real weapon, they can use it as such if they want to."


    "Rather, the one by his side is a martial artist chef, isn''t he? He has talent. I tasted the soup, but the spaghetti was the best part. "


    "You say? What was the amplification effect like?"


    "The child of the Feng Family seems rather deficient to be part of one of the Eight Big Families."


    "Yes, I expected better. I bet he is just one of the many children of some ordinary members. If it weren''t for his last name, he wouldn''t be anything special.


    From various parts of the canteen, whether it was the ground floor or the upper floors, people were murmuring to each other. They were all openly discussing what was happening, careless about whether or not they were heard. After all, it was difficult to understand who said what in that sea of ??people.


    Feng Gengxin, who heard negative comments against him, became even more pissed. He activated his spirit power and drew his weapon - a standard length sword with a scarlet red blade.


    "You will now learn the power of the Eight Big Families on your skin. Phoenix Bloodline-"


    Peng!


    A metallic noise rang in the air, stopping the activation of Feng Gengxin''s bloodline. Everyone looked away and noticed a group of five not far from where the battle was about to happen. One of them had dropped his metal tray on the ground.


    "Ah ... it slipped. I apologize for the clumsiness, boss."


    The one who had dropped the metal tray was apologizing to a young man in the middle of the group. From how he addressed that person, the latter was to be the leader of that group.


    The boss raised his hand and told his subordinate not to worry. He didn''t seem disturbed at all. After that, as soon as his subordinate picked up the metal tray from the ground, the boss continued to guide his four subordinates forward between the space that separated Hei''s group from Feng Gengxin''s. But it didn''t seem as if he intended to intervene. His eyes were looking forward with no interest, not even looking at that clash that was about to explode.


    However, his actions weren''t ignored because Feng Gengxin''s face turned white as his lips pronounced the words, "Imperial Prince, Long Tian..."

 Chapter 147 - Making New Friends

    Imperial Prince, Long Tian. It was the identity of the newcomer. He had an athletic build, a height similar to that of Hei, short sandy-colored hair and eyes of the same color. He wore an embroidered gold robe depicting a dragon with open jaws, the same symbol carved on the jade tokens given to each student of the academy - the symbol of the Imperial Family.


    When this individual made his appearance, the various murmurs of the people disappeared. Not even those on the upper floors dared to speak. After all, although he was a first-year student, he was still part of the family that governed the entire Sun Empire. Furthermore, Long Tian wasn''t an ordinary member of the Imperial Family but was one of the direct sons of the Sun Emperor.


    Feng Gengxin bowed his head in respect as he laid his hands forward, the palm of the left hand touching the right clenched fist of his right hand. Meanwhile, his henchmen had retreated behind him and bowed to the ground on their knees.


    "Feng Gengxin greets Imperial Prince Long Tian."


    Long Tian, ??who had so far looked forward all the time, slowly turned his gaze to the member of the Feng Family. "Feng Gengxin? Aren''t you one of Feng Chen''s cousins?"


    "I am honored that you remember me, Imperial Prince."


    "It is nothing special. Rather, hasn''t Feng Chen arrived yet? I heard that he also enrolled in the Southern Royal War Academy. The same goes for Hu Jie. But I haven''t seen either of them here."


    Calm and elegance. These were the characteristics that stood out in every movement of Long Tian. As if it were engraved in his own body, in the gestures and expressions he made, his belonging to the Sun Empire Imperial Family. As if there was an abysmal gap even with the Eight Big Families.


    Upon hearing the name of his cousin, Feng Chen, Feng Gengxin''s expression darkened. His hands began to tremble, but he did nothing else. Instead, he politely responded to the Imperial Prince.


    "Not yet ... but he should arrive soon without a doubt."


    "Alright. Tell Feng Chen to come over and say hello when you see him. I salute you, Feng Gengxin." Long Tian, along with his men, passed over both groups that were about to clash until a moment ago. However, he took a few steps before stopping, "Ah, before I forget, I wish at least during meals I could eat in peace. Also, even if you don''t like it, you shouldn''t waste the resources given by the empire, be it precious treasures or a simple bowl of soup. Let it never happen again."


    Without giving Feng Gengxin time to reply, Long Tian started walking again. The four companions who were with him, naturally arranged themselves to cover his back and sides. More than companions, they were as if they were his bodyguards.


    When Long Tian and his men left the cafeteria, the time that seemed to have stopped began to flow again. Various murmurs rang out even more. All of the spectators had, in fact, been able to hear the words exchanged between Long Tian and Feng Gengxin, including the names of the two people mentioned by the Imperial Prince.


    "Let''s leave. We''re done here." Feng Gengxin ordered his subordinates to remove the curtains and leave that place. He had already lost too much face today, and with the warning from the Imperial Prince, he certainly wouldn''t have continued to mess around.


    With Feng Gengxin out of the way, Hei, Lian, and Leon laid down their weapons and went back to sit down. Haruno and Mareo did the same. However, everyone''s eyes were directed towards them.


    "Why don''t you come to our room? Haruno can prepare you to eat there. Also, I think someone else here is very hungry." Mareo suddenly proposed a solution, and with his eyes, he glanced at Hei.


    "How-?"


    Hei was surprised. Indeed, during the previous confrontation, Ye and Xing had awakened from their deep sleep. Feeling the spirit power of their big brother activating, they were ready to enter combat mode at any time. However, the arrival of the Imperial Prince had interrupted this conflict, and the two little divine beasts who were awake had their bellies rumbling with hunger.


    Mareo reached out his right hand and touched his right ear with his forefinger, "The sound. From the beginning, I perceived the sound of the breath of the two of them. Either way, come. At least we will have privacy to discuss."


    With a wary attitude, Hei accepted the proposal. Lian and Leon, who was confused by that exchange of words, would also come with him. Haruno and Mareo, therefore, led the three out of the canteen. In the entrance hall, they took one of the spirit elevators and went down to a floor a few floors above the one where Hei and Lian lived.


    The floor on which they arrived could be called similar to what you would find in a hotel. Rows and rows of rooms alternated next to each other. These rooms were huge, though, so much so that they looked like an apartment in size. But considering the actual size of the flat interior, it didn''t appear so strange.


    Haruno and Mareo''s room was near the spirit elevator and was inhabited only by the two of them. The interior was neat and looked elegant. Mareo made Hei and the others sit on a comfortable sofa while he sat on another one in front of them. Separating them, there was a circular table of shiny wood. In the meantime, Haruno had gone to the small kitchen that was present next door to prepare something to eat.


    "Normally, the rooms do not have a kitchen; the only exception is we, martial artist chefs. This way, we can cook whenever we want; after all, cooking is the only way we can improve our support skills. Every martial artist chef has a specialty. In my case, it is the flour and, specifically, the pasta. What you ate is one of my many dishes. You must know that there are countless ways to prepare it, and without practice, it is impossible to achieve the perfect flavor."


    Haruno launched into a brief explanation as he began to fiddle in the kitchen. He was mixing the flour with the water to create the dough that he would then cut to shape the desired type of pasta. Mareo watched him kneading with a smile in his eyes; you could notice a deep affection in that look.


    Realizing that Hei, Lian, and Leon''s eyes were on him, Mareo blushed and cleared his throat before turning to them. "First of all, I have to thank you for what you have done before. You weren''t required to do it, but you did it anyway. Thank you very much."


    "You don''t have to thank me¡­ I''m ashamed to admit it, but in reality, in the beginning, I didn''t think to intervene. I didn''t want to risk being caught in something above me. But seeing Hei''s actions, I felt disgusted with myself, and so I intervened."


    Leon openly confessed what he had felt during that canteen episode. He was ashamed of himself and his weakness and therefore didn''t think he deserved Mareo''s gratitude at all. However, Mareo shook his head.


    "It''s not just you who pretended as nothing was happening. However, instead of keeping like that up until the end, you intervened. This is what matters."


    Leon was speechless and gave a simple smile while scratching his head. Inside he felt he had not behaved as he should have, but Mareo''s words had cheered him up.


    "You don''t have to thank me either. I only acted to protect Hei." Lian said with an emotionless voice.


    Unlike Lion, she didn''t feel uncomfortable because she didn''t intervene immediately. More than a specific indifference against the abuses of those who had a different sexual orientation, Lian was interested only in the good of Hei and his sisters. But it wasn''t as if she didn''t understand the pain of those who were unjustly persecuted. As long as Hei decided to protect them, she too would.


    "Hahaha, it looks like the two of them don''t like being thanked. You should then thank the person who pushed them to act, even if my instinct tells me that he too will refuse our thanks."


    From the kitchen, Haruno''s voice could be heard, seeming amused by Lian and Leon''s reactions. Mareo also smiled and turned to Hei. "I hope at least you will accept our thanks."


    But as Haruno had predicted, Hei refused them. "In truth, I wasn''t planning to intervene. The only reason I did it was the two of them." Then, he reached out his hand, and a small dark purple spider with silver patterns and a small black snake with gold patterns emerged from his robe. It was Xing and Ye who came out of their big brother''s robe before the eyes of everyone present.


    Leon, sitting next to Hei, seemed very surprised because he hadn''t noticed all this time that Hei was carrying these two spirit beasts. Now he could understand why Hei asked him that question earlier. Haruno stopped kneading the flour and looked at the pair of small spirit beasts. Mareo instead smiled because he had noticed from the beginning of their presence. It was also for this reason that Hei judged it no longer made sense to hide the presence of his little sisters.


    "Nice to meet you then. My name is Mareo. In my name and my companion Haruno''s, we thank you for pushing Hei to intervene."


    Mareo bowed respectfully to the two small spirit beasts that sat on Hei''s arm. Ye and Xing looked confused and looked questioningly at Hei. He briefly explained to them what had happened, and the two little divine beasts seemed to understand the situation.


    ''No need to thank us.''


    Like their big brother, the two little divine beasts also had the same answer. However, what the others heard was just a series of incomprehensible sounds. Except for Hei, only Lian, who was linked to them by a spirit pact, was able to understand what they meant. But Mareo, despite not knowing the meaning, was able to realize that they probably meant something similar to what had been said by their tamer.


    "You said you heard them through the sound, what do you mean?" Hei asked as he placed Ye and Xing on his knees. The two little divine beasts stood still in that position even though they were starving.


    "We martial artists musicians must be able to hear the music of all the components of the Battle Concert even in the midst of a battle. It is essential that each member stays on time, or disharmony will occur. That is why we train ourselves in being able to perceive even the slightest of sounds. Whether it''s the breathing of a small sleeping creature or the sound of its heart''s beating."


    Mareo answered Hei''s question as he pulled out a bag of biscuits and placed it on the wooden table. Opening the bag, he invited the two small spirit beasts on Hei''s lap to eat without compliments. Ye and Xing looked at Hei, who reached out and ate a cookie. Making sure they were edible and not harmful, he permitted his little sisters to go forward. Ye and Xing sprinted to the bag and began to devour the contents. This view aroused the hilarity of everyone, establishing a climate of happiness.


    "Why did that Feng Gengxin target you two? Did you know each other?"


    In that cheerful atmosphere, Leon asked a question about the events before. It was strange how Feng Gengxin knew of the relationship between Haruno and Mareo, especially when the school year had yet to begin. Mareo heaved a deep sigh and answered.


    "No, we didn''t know each other in person. I knew about him because I had heard around that there was someone from the Eight Big Families, and I was curious. But other than that, neither Haruno nor I have ever had anything to do with him. I guess that one of his henchmen must have seen us kissing each other, and he reported it to Feng Gengxin, who thought it would be fun to mock us in front of everyone. Unfortunately, many people in the empire think that homosexuality is something wrong. Some also claim it is a curse brought by demons to weaken us humans since same-gender couples cannot procreate. It is absurd even to think it is, but it is useless to try to reason with that type of person. They do nothing but scream and turn off their brains in order not to look at the true reality of the facts."


    Mareo let out another disconsolate sigh. It wasn''t the first time such a thing had happened, but it was the first time he had received such treatment from someone with an important background like Feng Gengxin. As he was proud and full of himself, it was taken for granted that the Feng Family member wouldn''t stop with his harassment.


    "But it''s not as if everyone is like this. Fortunately, those people are a minority. And even if everyone else pretends not to see, in the end, there are always those who decide to come forward to help those like us."


    Haruno had arrived from the kitchen, bringing with him a large pot filled to the brim with spaghetti. Noticing the discomfort of his partner for that harsh truth, he tried to cheer him up with another but more comforting truth.


    "You are right, Haruno. Luckily, there are people like the ones you described." Mareo seemed to recover and settled the table for everyone. Since they didn''t have enough plates and cutlery for Xing and Ye as well, Hei said the two of them would eat directly from his plate.


    Usually, the typical reaction to hearing something like that was that of disgust. But no one between Haruno, Mareo, and Leon had such a response. Only from this, Hei felt he could be comfortable with them. His mother had told him to find trusted companions, but honestly, he didn''t think that he would have the impulse to get emotionally closer to someone other than Lian. Yet now he had found three people he felt he could trust. However, it was still early to evaluate that for real. One step at a time, as Lian and his little sisters, had said.


    ''It''s only day one, but I''ve already met some interesting people. Of course, there are despicable people like Feng Gengxin, and surely I will meet others like that. Yet at the same time, I may find other interesting people. I thought that only with my little sisters and Lian could I make it, but as usual, Mother was right. I need to gather trusted companions who accept spirit beasts and can help me accomplish what I have to do.''


    Hei smiled as he watched the lively scene. Unconsciously, he turned his head and noticed Lian looking at him. The two exchanged a knowing look and went back to eating the delicious dish prepared by Haruno. Lian had always been sensitive in understanding Hei''s mood, and his happiness was also her happiness.

 Chapter 148 - Important Request

    As the delicious meal continued, Hei returned to the previous matter. There was something that interested him, but he hadn''t asked yet.


    "Before, that Feng Gengxin called the sand-haired young man as the imperial prince. Is that really what I think?"


    Mareo, who at the moment had a free mouth, replied, "Yes. The only ones called by that name are the direct children of the Sun Emperor, meaning, he is one of the candidates as future emperor."


    "I see. I didn''t think the emperor''s son would join the academy. It may seem strange, but can you explain better the situation of the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families?" Hei asked curiously.


    Noticing the strange reaction of Haruno and Mareo, Leon hastened to explain, "You must know that both Hei and Lian aren''t from here. They come from the islands of the Forgotten Ocean. "


    Upon hearing this, Haruno and Mareo were visibly surprised. They didn''t think anyone from the islands had been selected as suitable. After all, it was something that had never happened before. Quickly, however, they returned to their normal state, and Mareo, who had more knowledge on the subject, replied.


    "It''s a little tricky to explain, but I''ll try to do my best. If there are parts that aren''t clear to you, tell me, and I will explain them again. "


    Thus began the explanation of the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families.


    The Imperial Family was also known as the Long Family, that was the family surname. They were said to be descendants of the Hero, and it was true, although their ancestors were the brothers and sisters of the Hero rather than the Hero himself. The man revered as a God and who had saved humanity had no direct descendants. As a result, his White Dragon Bloodline wasn''t preserved.


    The Imperial Family was divided into five branches with five dragon-type bloodlines but of different elemental law:


    - Red Dragon Bloodline, Fire Law;


    - Blue Dragon Bloodline, Water Law;


    - Green Dragon Bloodline, Wind Law;


    - Blue Dragon Bloodline, Lightning Law;


    - Yellow Dragon Bloodline, Earth Law.


    Each of these branches could be considered a family in its own right. The First Sun Emperor, Dragon One, had collected all martial artists with dragon-type bloodlines and founded the Imperial Family. By procreating children with the daughters of the family heads of all five families, Dragon One had created a system that would later become the one used for the choice of the future emperor.


    Each new Sun Emperor would be given five of the most talented and beautiful women, one for each of the five branches. The children created by this union would have been called Imperial Princes or Princesses and would have been candidates to be the next emperor. Usually, there would have been a test for the candidates to pass, but if one of the emperor''s children showed clearly superior skills to the other candidates, it was possible to go directly to the choice.


    As far as the Eight Big Families were concerned, these were the following:


    - Que Family, Vermilion Bird Bloodline, Fire Law;


    - Hu Family, White Tiger Bloodline, Metal Law;


    - Xuan Family, Black Turtle Bloodline, Water Law;


    - Lin Family, Kirin''s Bloodline, Lightning Law;


    - Rukh Family, Roc Bloodline, Wind Law;


    - Feng Family, Phoenix Bloodline, Fire Law;


    - She Family, Ba Serpent Bloodline, Poison Law;


    - Mu Family, Penghou Bloodline, Wood Law.


    These were the Eight Big Families that helped the Imperial Family rule the continent''s territories, as well as the main force against the Moon Empire. Listening to the various names of families, their bloodlines, and their elemental laws, Hei''s heart accelerated. His mother''s stories about each of those magnificent specimens echoed within him. But when it came to the turn of the She Family, a murderous chill crept into his heart. The image of his mother fighting until she exhausted all her strength was still etched in his pupils.


    ''Calm down. It''s not even the fault of the She Family what happened. After all, the householder had been manipulated by the One Hiding Behind the Curtains. They aren''t my enemy.''


    Nobody seemed to perceive the change in Hei''s mood. No one except Lian, Ye, and Xing who had gone through the same nightmare at the Crossroad Lake. However, all four were soon brought back to reality by Mareo''s voice.


    "And this closes the summary on the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families. However, there is an important detail I have to mention - you must never mention the name of the Black Dragon Bloodline, especially before members of the Imperial Family."


    Hearing this, Lian asked in surprise, "Why? Is it a family with a dragon-type bloodline that has been destroyed?"


    At Lian''s question, Mareo sighed and replied, "No, I wish it was that. In a sense, it is destroyed, but that''s not the point. If the White Dragon Bloodline and its Light Law are what distinguish the Hero, then the Black Dragon Bloodline and its Darkness Law are what distinguishes the then Demon Emperor. According to ancient texts, humans had managed to grab the monopoly of dragon-type bloodlines. But unexpectedly, the son of the previous'' Demon Emperor managed to get the rare Black Dragon Bloodline. Like the White Dragon Bloodline, that of the Black Dragon is unique. Fortunately, however, as for the Hero, the Demon Emperor left no direct heirs, thus not transmitting that bloodline.


    Nowadays, the Hero is considered as the figure to which all of us humans must inspire. Many idealize him as a god and dislike what led to his defeat - the Snake of Darkness and the Demon Emperor. So never mention that particular bloodline. Also, I advise you to always pay attention to where your spirit beasts are, especially your Ye. Although it is absolutely impossible, some fanatics may think it is connected to the Serpent of Darkness."


    Feeling drawn into the matter, Ye raised her head and uncovered her fangs as if she wanted to say ''they just have to try and I''ll bite them to their death.'' Xing did the same too, and the meaning she conveyed was more or less the same. Hei looked deeply at his little sisters before caressing both of them and reassuring them. The two little divine beasts resumed chewing the spaghetti.


    "Thanks for the warning. I''ll keep that in mind. "


    Just as Hei finished speaking, suddenly there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside and then a series of violent blows to the door. A female voice rang loudly, "Haruno! Mareo! Open up! Quickly!"


    "Oh no, it''s her. With the presence of Hei and the others, it didn''t occur to me that she would certainly come."


    With a grim face on his face, Haruno got up from the sofa and went to open the door. But before he could do it, the door itself flew off its hinges and ended up on him. Totally taken aback, Haruno fell to the ground with the door above him.


    "It takes you time to open a stupid door. I came immediately after hearing about the accident in the canteen, but you didn''t send me a message. What bad friends!"


    The female voice belonged to a tall woman with a little accentuated breast, which wasn''t helped by the male dress she was wearing. She had long red hair, more fuchsia than pure red, and light brown eyes. She had a beautiful face, and her body was slender and well proportioned. However, it did not inspire even the slightest trace of feminine grace, giving more the feeling of having to deal with a man.


    "Lilian, why did you run so suddenly leaving me behind?"


    From outside the now broken door, another graceful female voice was heard. If the first woman didn''t have even the slightest trace of grace, the second that arrived shortly afterward was instead the total opposite. A slender figure with a height of 1.60 meters and a very abundant chest. She was wearing a purple ribbon that tied her hair into a ponytail. Her hair had the same purple hue while her eyes were blue, although not as intense as Lian''s.


    "It is you who are slow, Mia. I told you to hurry up first."


    The woman named Lillian realized just now that Haruno was on the ground with the door above him. Incidentally, she had stood above the door, meaning above the same Haruno as well.


    "Haruno, what are you doing down there? Have you taken a liking for new hobbies?"


    "Lilian, I think you should get out of there, or Haruno can''t get up." The woman called Mia slowly pushed Lilian''s back so that she moved from above the door, and the poor Haruno could get up.


    "Damn it, stupid woman! What do you think to do by breaking through someone else''s room door and entering without an invitation?" raged Haruno against Lilian. His face was tight, but Hei noticed that it wasn''t a real anger.


    "Eh? And this is how you welcome a friend of yours who came as soon as she heard about your accident? Poor me, I had already imagined the scene - you in tears and me who come and have a good drink all together while you do my nails and hair. After that, I would go to that asshole of the Feng Family and let him know that you shouldn''t mess around with a woman''s gay friend."


    Each word of Lilian was accompanied by rather colorful facial and body movements. It was like a hurricane inside a person. Mia, on the other hand, was calmer and tried to calm Lilian and avoid that she could destroy something else.


    "I already told you that we aren''t all like that... how many times do I have to say you say that? Bah, your conception about us gays is equally wrong, but for some reason, I can''t get pissed at you."


    As if it had happened before, Haruno gave in to Lilian''s ways and went to fix the door. Fortunately for him, Leon stood up to help him since he was a blacksmith. That action, therefore, left a vacant seat on the sofa near Hei. Lilian immediately dashed over and pulled Mia by the hand, who was forced to sit on the knees of that impetuous woman.


    "Do you want anything to drink? Lilian, Mia?"


    "Hahaha, bring out some alcohol. The more, the better."


    "Ah, yes, thank you. Simple tea will be more than enough."


    Mareo also seemed quite familiar with the two women and stood up to a kitchen cupboard for drinks. Meanwhile, Lilian turned to Hei and Lian, although she lingered for a moment on Ye and Xing, who were continuing to eat regardless of the noise.


    "So you are the ones who helped my friends Haruno and Mareo. I thank you for having helped them. My name is Lilian, and I am a lesbian. She is Mia, my partner, and my future wife!"


    "Lilian! Why do you say these things so suddenly?"


    Mia flushed utterly on her face. It was red as a tomato. From her attitude, however, she didn''t seem embarrassed that Lilian had said they were a lesbian couple, but rather because she said they would get married. It was a decision they had recently decided and hadn''t told anyone. Yet Lilian was saying all this so openly in front of the presence of people they didn''t know.


    Lilian''s eyes lingered vigorously on Hei''s. The impetuous young woman brought her face close to Hei''s until there were only a few centimeters to separate them. Lian watched alongside Hei but didn''t appear willing to act. As a woman, she could instinctively sense if anyone had a particular interest in Hei, but Lilian wasn''t that case.


    "Nice to meet you, Lilian. The same goes for you, Mia. My name is Hei, while she is Lian. The one at the door over there is Leon."


    Lilian continued to stare at Hei in that position, not at all heedless of the response she had just received. "Do you understand what I told you? I am a lesbian, and I intend to marry a woman. Don''t you have any reaction against it? "


    At Lilian''s question, Hei didn''t know how to answer. He honestly didn''t understand if he should have some kind of particular reaction. But then he thought about the matter in the canteen and hurried to say the words suitable for such a revelation.


    "Congratulations. I hope you can get married soon and be happy forever. "


    At Hei''s response, Mareo burst out laughing as he served a glass of tequila for Lilian and a glass of cold tea for Mia. However, Lilian ignored the alcohol she had ordered and continued to stare Hei in the eye. Mia instead smiled, thanking Mareo, and then replied to Hei. "Nice to meet all of you, Hei, Lian, and Leon. Thanks for the good wishes, Hei, but it''s still early in reality. We haven''t decided anything, not even the date."


    Meanwhile, Lilian had finally moved her gaze from Hei but was watching Ye and Xing intensely. The two little divine beasts, feeling observed, stopped eating, and looked with curiosity at the newly arrived woman. They couldn''t understand why they were being looked at that way. As a precaution, they left the table and went up Hei''s leg, stopping on his knees.


    "Are these spirit beasts yours?"


    "Yes, they are mine. Why?"


    "And do you love your spirit beasts?"


    At Lilian''s question, Hei was surprised. It was the first time someone had asked him such a question, especially considering that it was a human being who was asking him. After a few moments of initial amazement, Hei looked down at Ye and Xing and stroked them gently. His gaze was full of love for that little spider and little snake that colored his life with joy.


    "Yes. I care for them more than my own life."


    That was Hei''s answer. His dark browns, despite their almost black color, had a brightness that intensely shone when you looked him in the eyes. This reaction was impossible to obtain normally. Only when it came to his family, Hei would have shown such passion.


    "Hahaha, I told myself that making an attempt wasn''t a bad idea but who would have said that the results would be so amazing. You said your name is Hei, right? I have a favor to ask you. It''s a really important request."


    Mia, being Lilian''s partner, understood her intentions quickly and lowered her head towards Hei, "Please listen to us. It is significant for both of us. In the whole academy, only you can perhaps help us."


    Hei was stunned to hear this. Even Mareo, who knew the two young women lovers seemed surprised, especially about Lilian. It was the first time he had seen her so serious as if she was desperate in a certain sense. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Mareo intervened in their rescue.


    "I also ask you to listen to them Hei, I don''t know what it is, but they are good people. I know it is rude to ask you this when we have already disturbed you so much, but please forgive my brazenness."

 Chapter 149 - End of the 1st Day

    Feeling the sincere plea of Mareo as well as those of Lilian and Mia, Hei then decided to listen to the two young women. So he nodded and waited for Lilian and Mia to speak about their request.


    At the nod of Hei''s head, Mia gave a bright smile full of joy. She was delighted that Hei had agreed to listen to them. Lilian was also happy but knew that it wasn''t over yet. Hei still hadn''t decided to help them with their problem.


    "We need your help. But it''s not for us, but for another person." Lilian revealed as she took a few moments to think about how to formulate the question.


    "Another person?" Hei repeated curiously. Their pleadings were sincere, so Hei was surprised to hear that they were doing all this, not for them but for someone else.


    "Yes, she is our roommate. His name is Lang, and like you, she is a beast tamer. She has a second level wolf-type spirit beast. The request we ask you is simple - become friends with her and help us not let her isolate herself from the others."


    It was what Lilian asked. It was a simple request to do, but Hei couldn''t understand why they had asked him.


    "Isn''t she your roommate? Have you not made a friendship? Also, if the reason I was chosen, despite having just arrived today, is because I''m a beast tamer, wouldn''t choosing one of the many other tamers at the academy have been enough?" Hei asked, explaining his doubts as to why he had been chosen.


    The one who replied to him was Mia as she anticipated that Hei could ask for something like this, "Because she is special. She is part of the Renegade Families."


    Renegade Families. When Leon, Mareo, and Haruno heard the word Renegade Families, they immediately assumed expressions of amazement. Only with that term, they quickly understood the delicate situation and why Lilian and Mia had such serious faces. However, Hei and Lian weren''t born in the Sun Empire. The words Renegade Families had no meaning for them.


    Mia, who thought it was enough to reveal this to make herself understood, was struck by the lack of surprise reaction from Hei and Lian. Quickly, Mareo explained the situation to the two new arrivals.


    "Hei and Lian aren''t from here. They came from the islands of the Forgotten Ocean. Since they only arrived today, they still lack the basic knowledge we have about the history of the empire."


    "Forgotten Ocean Islands? From so far? Wow." Mia was surprised but quickly recovered. Lilian instead came out with a thunderous laugh and commented in turn. "Maybe that''s why they look different? Or is it just a personal feature?"


    Leaving aside the surprise comments from the two, Mareo explained what was meant by the term Renegade Families. "By Renegade Families, we mean the families who, about a hundred thousand years ago, participated in the final battle. Not to support the cause of humans or that of the demons, but that of the spirit beasts led by the divine beasts. Renegade Families are the families of beast tamers who denied their human origins to protect their spirit beasts."


    When Hei heard this, his heart began to beat faster. Even her little sisters who were eating stopped and listened attentively; they too were interested in the subject. This time it was Mia who spoke.


    "After the disappearance of various territories of the Continent as well as all the forces sent to the final battle, human society was on the verge of collapse. With the disappearance of the Hero and the major exponents of the various clans and sects, an unprecedented power vacuum was created. And as typical of when a position of power becomes vacant, the battle to grab all that power began. A civil war, therefore, took place - the Human Civil War. If it weren''t for the fact that even in the then Night Empire of the demons such a thing had occurred, perhaps humanity would have been destroyed despite the sacrifice of the Hero.


    The First Sun Emperor, Dragon One, summoned all the families with dragon-type bloodlines; however, they weren''t enough to quell the situation. The Eight Big Families. This was his plan, and through various agreements, he got their help. But even so, they were still not strong enough to win the civil war. Dragon One, therefore, had an idea - to ask the Renegade Families for help in exchange for forgiveness. With the disappearance of the divine beasts, the Renegade Families could only accept to avoid being destroyed. With their support and the Eight Big Families, Dragon One founded the Sun Empire. In the same period, the Moon Empire, which replaced the previous Night Empire, was created."


    At that point, Mia stopped and let Lilian continue to explain about their partner Lang''s delicate situation. "But like for other matters, the people of the empire can be foolish. Since, in the past, they had helped divine beasts instead of humans, the hatred was also spread against the Renegade Families, although it was also thanks to them that the civil war was over. The Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families at the same time were wary of them because it was rumored that the Snake of Darkness might have left behind secret techniques devised for the Renegade Families. Dragon One, in any case, kept the word given but never let the Renegade Families integrate into imperial society and segregated them in remote regions, far from the centers of power of the empire. So the Renegade Families had no way of being able to prove their worth and change the idea the empire citizens had about them.


    Our roommate, Lang, is a good girl. Like you, she had no reaction of disgust in knowing the relationship between Mia and me. She treats us as people, no different from others. But the weight she carries is enormous - she is the heir to one of the Renegade Families, the Ice Wolf Family. Because of this burden, she avoids having contact with other people except with us. But we can''t help her because we don''t understand her circumstances well. However, you can. You are a beast tamer who considers his spirit beasts more important than his own life. The other tamers, born and raised in the empire, aren''t capable of this. Plus, you even come from a region far from direct control of the empire. Please, help us stop her from closing in on herself. As she accepted us, we want her to understand that other people can accept her as well."


    As soon as Lilian finished speaking, she and Mia got up from the sofa and knelt on the ground with their heads resting on the floor. Mareo and Haruno were flabbergasted and didn''t know what to think. Leon didn''t know the two women, so such an action didn''t have such a significant impact on him. However, he remained silent in respect for such a delicate moment.


    Lian, Ye, and Xing moved their eyes to Hei. It was he who decided, and whatever his choice was, they would support him. But since they were so close to Hei, they already knew how he would respond.


    ''Renegade Families are those who fought alongside Mother. Not just humans but demons. Probably a similar thing happened in the Moon Empire. I can''t do anything for those on the demon side, but I can do something for those on the human side instead. As the son of the Nightmare Spider, on behalf of the divine beasts, I will repay the debt to those who sacrificed everything to fight on our side.''


    "All right, I''ll help you."


    It didn''t take long for Hei to make a decision. The choice was effortless. He couldn''t back off in any way; it was related to his pride about being the son of Bao Bei, the Nightmare Spider and the companion of the Snake of Darkness.


    Hearing Hei''s positive response, Lilian and Mia raised their heads. On their faces, there was a smile so radiant that it could illuminate the room. Taken from the enthusiasm, Lilian turned to Mia and, grabbing her head, gave her a quick but intense kiss. Mia blushed a little but didn''t shy away. The kiss lasted just a few seconds, and then both women got up to go and sit up again. Meanwhile, Haruno and Leon had finished fixing the door.


    "Wow, it''s the first time I''ve seen you in that way. You are usually nothing but a violent woman who doesn''t reflect on her actions. Just to see you like this, it was worth it to suffer today''s accident." Haruno commented jokingly, however, provoking Lilian''s ire.


    "What do you mean?! I am an elegant and refined woman. I think the clash with the first door made you hit your head hard."


    To prevent Lilian and Haruno from delivering zingers, as usual, Mia then turned to Hei and Lian. "Thanks again for everything. But why don''t you tell us a little bit about yourself, we just met each other and it makes me strange to have asked you for such a favor without knowing anything. Do you practice any secondary activities?"


    "I am an alchemist, while Lian is a formation scholar," Hei replied briefly.


    "I see. Too bad then. Lilian and I are martial artist medics. Do you know what it means, or do you want me to explain it to you?"


    At Mia''s revelation, Hei and Lian instinctively looked at Leon, who seemed very embarrassed. Previously he had explained the various types of secondary activity but had not mentioned the martial artist medics.


    "Oh, yes. Sorry, I forgot to explain it to you on tour." Leon tried to apologize in an awkward way.


    "EH? How could you forget such a thing? It''s always like that with you attacking martial artists. You all make the scene of the beautiful and strong ones, but then when you are with a step in the pit, you are all there to pray to us. Ahhh... poor us doctors. We work so hard, and yet our work is considered so little that we aren''t even remembered." Lilian complained, and she didn''t let herself be held back by the fact that she had recently met Leon.


    Leon became even redder from the shame. Fortunately for him, however, Mia appeased her impetuous companion and went to his rescue. "Well, it''s not that strange in the end. Our structures are in the castle, on the higher floors. They aren''t on the grounds of the academy as for the others; it isn''t strange that he forgot them when he made you tour the academy there."


    With Mia''s statement, Leon seemed calmer but still looked a little nervous. Hei then intervened to reassure him, "Don''t worry, Leon. It can happen to forget something. Just the fact you have offered to guide us is more than enough. We certainly don''t hold a grudge for something like this." Hei said as Lian by his side nodded to express her approval of what had been said.


    Leon felt better and returned to his normal state. Now, however, the question of what martial artist medics were, remained, so Hei directly asked Lilian and Mia. "Could you explain what is meant by a martial artist medic? We know what the term medic means in the world of ordinary people, but how does it change in the world of us, martial artists?"


    "Simple. Regular doctors use medicines to help their patients fight disease symptoms. We martial artist medics instead use our spirit power to stimulate the regenerative capacity of those we are healing. We also use plants and other alchemical products, but mainly it is our spirit power that does the job. You attacking martial artists, if you have excellent control of your spirit power, you can block the various wounds on your body, but you cannot heal them. We martial artists medics can do it instead.


    Depending on our ability, we can also reattach cut parts of the body or recreate a lost limb from scratch. It is possible to do this even though peculiar formations and alchemical products. Still, the regenerated limb will always have a disharmony with the rest of the body, causing many problems during the fight and will never be as powerful as before. We martial artists medics are instead able to reduce this disharmony to the point that the best doctors can reduce the feeling of estrangement to zero and restore the full power. It is as if the limb wasn''t lost in the first place. The only ones who are excluded from this rule are those who have a strong Wood Law''s comprehension. The characteristic of the Wood Law is the strong vitality that its users possess, especially if they have a bloodline of that element.


    As for our role in the war, you must know the risk of troops being injured is very high. Furthermore, the soldiers often have to fight for days and days in a row, without a moment of rest. We martial artist medics must, therefore, be able to heal other martial artists quickly so that they can resume fighting immediately, and our spirit power must only be used to heal. Consequently, it is as if we completely entrust our lives to our companions. It''s a kind of give and take relationship."


    "I see. Indeed it is really so. Thanks for your explanation, Mia. It was really helpful." sincerely thanked Hei, who had collected so much new information. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at Lian beside him. The young blue-haired woman looked right back at him.


    Lian had the Lotus of Love Bloodline, a bloodline of the Wood Law. She, therefore, fell within the criteria described by Mia, and this made Hei happy. If Lia possessed a higher vitality than other martial artists, it meant that her chances of being injured would decrease. With the various trials awaiting the two in the future, it was positive that she could have something more to count on.


    So the day went on like that. Hei and Lian told of their experiences in the Forgotten Ocean, obviously avoiding any mention of the divine beasts. Since it was a place they knew nothing about, the other people in the room were curious to find out more. In turn, Hei and Lian were interested to know other details of the Sun Empire and the Southern Royal War Academy.


    The group, therefore, remained chatting for hours and hours so that it became evening, and it was time for dinner. That day they managed to find a place for seven people in the canteen and dined together in joy. Hei and even Lian, who usually had an indifferent attitude, laughed jokingly with everyone else. Ye and Xing also joined them, eating together with everyone else without anyone coming to disturb them. It was indeed a happy and warm atmosphere.


    After dinner, the group finally separated to go each to their own rooms. In any case, they would see each other the next day. Back on the top floor, in their bare warehouse, Hei lay down on the cold floor. Lian also lay next to him while in the space between the two, Ye and Xing were huddled on each other.


    "What do you think, Lian? It was a pretty intense first day, don''t you think?"


    "Yes, unexpectedly, we made a lot of acquaintances."


    "You know, at first I didn''t think it was possible. However, perhaps we can find trustworthy companions. We can''t reveal our true origin, but that doesn''t mean we have to lie all the time. Throughout my life, I have always kept secrets from other families outside my family. I''m not going to reveal anything that could endanger us, yet at the same time, I want to give other people a chance. A chance to get closer and make them understand how we really are."


    "I also think so. For me, you, Ye, and Xing are the most important beings in my life that I have left. But after today, I think it might not be bad to expand our circle of friendship. Bao Bei also told us that we need companions. If you''ve decided to give them a chance, I''ll do the same too."


    "Thanks, Lian. I appreciate it. Ye, Xing, what do you think? "


    ''They aren''t bad. They fed us ''(Ye)


    ''Yeah, and then they didn''t make any fuss about eating with you, big brother. I like them.'' (Xing)


    "Haha, okay then. You, too, are free to behave as you wish. The only thing you need to remember, though, is never to activate your bloodlines or your elemental laws in public. They think that you are normal spirit beasts, a little more intelligent than normal but still spirit beasts. Besides, there are many other people in the academy whom we don''t know or who have too close ties to the empire. We can''t take the risk. Other than that, there are no other rules. All right?"


    ''Yes, as you want, big brother.'' The two little divine beasts answered together as they closed their eyes to go to sleep.


    "Okay. Goodnight then, my sweet little sisters. Goodnight Lian. "


    "Goodnight, Hei, sleep well."


    Thus ended the first day of Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing at the Southern Royal War Academy. Many things had happened, and they had met several people. In the future, they would know more and more, and Hei hoped to find among these trusted companions who could help him in his mission. But for the moment, it was still early. They would place the things of tomorrow in a corner of their mind and focus on the present. Their goal was always to get stronger, and the Southern Royal War Academy was the place where they would do it.

 Chapter 150 - Beginning of the Lessons

    About a week had passed since Hei and Lian first arrived at the Southern Royal War Academy. Although the teaching year hadn''t yet begun, they used this period to become familiar with the academy''s territories and deepen their bond with the people they had met. By now, it had become customary to eat together with Leon, Mareo, and Haruno. Sometimes even Lilian and Mia would join.


    Fortunately, there were no other incidents like the one on the first day. The Feng Family member who had caused that mess in the canteen, Feng Gengxin, didn''t cause any further problems, at least during mealtime. And it wasn''t just him, all the students of the academy, regardless of the year they belonged, behaved peacefully during meals. This was the strength of the Imperial Family and the authority they had.


    In the meantime, more students arrived, going to increase the already large ranks of first-year students. Of these, two, in particular, attracted the attention - son of the Feng Family''s head, Feng Chen; son of the Hu Family head, Hu Jie. They were the direct children of the leaders of their respective families. Therefore they were also the ones most likely to become the next family heads, and their talent and fighting strength were said to be first-rate even in the younger generation of the Sun Empire.


    But Hei didn''t pay much attention to that. As long as he could, he wanted to avoid having to deal with the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Family. He would concentrate on lessons and cultivation without thinking about other things. Thus, the first day of lessons came, which also marked the beginning of the academic year.


    "Ye, Xing, wake up, we have to go." Hei urged his little sisters to get up from the silk bed they had created. The two little divine beasts opened their eyes and then closed them lazily; yesterday, they had been playing late and had become so excited that they couldn''t sleep immediately.


    Hei let out a small sigh as he took them in his arms and hid them in his clothes. In any case, it wasn''t so important that they were awake. If they wanted to continue sleeping, it was fine; the important thing was that they were always with him. Meanwhile, Lian had gone to the shared bathroom on the floor and returned at that moment.


    "Were you able to wake them up?" Lian asked, even though she already knew the answer.


    "No, but that''s okay. In any case, we must first go to breakfast in the canteen. The smell of food will wake them up." Hei said, smiling. Lian returned his smile, and together they went to the canteen.


    There, on one of the many tables, there were already Leon, Haruno, and Mareo. Lilian, MIa, and another young woman Hei had never seen before were also with them. However, he could figure out who she was because, behind the young woman, a two-meter-sized ice-white wolf was lying on the ground.


    It should be known that the rules of the academy didn''t forbid the spirit beasts of the various beast tamers present at the academy to enter the canteen. After all, spirit beasts were regarded as war assets and in direct relation to the force of the tamer. It was therefore unthinkable to apply rules of no entry to such creatures. However, even so, only a few people chose to bring their spirit beasts with them, preferring to feed them later in a more peaceful place.


    As for the beast tamer of the ice-white wolf, she was a young woman with pale white skin and long white hair. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts were well pronounced and perfectly in line with the figure of her body. In a sense, it was as if she was a sculpture made of white jade. She had, in fact, an ethereal atmosphere around her as if she didn''t belong to this world. However, amid that snow-white, some details made her more human, reflecting her true nature.


    Her hairstyle was very different from the classic long hair typical of women. Her long hair was moved to the right side while the left one was shaved, being just a few centimeters long. Only with that cut, the ethereal sensation that she emanated was transformed into something wilder. Two blood-red pupils who seemed to belong to a beast rather than a human contributed to that sensation as well.


    Hei was surprised to see her. It wasn''t for her beauty. After all, he had Lian by his side every day, so he had become immune to the charm of female attraction. No, what attracted him was the feeling of wildness that he felt coming from the young woman. If he had to make a comparison, it was like having a wolf in human form.


    "Hei, Lian, this way!" Lilian said aloud, waving her arms so that she could be seen. Hei and Lian then went to the place kept for them by the others and joined the group for breakfast.


    "Hei, Lian, this is our roommate, Lang. Lang, they are Hei and Lian, two new acquaintances that we have made these days. We talked about them, do you remember?" Mia, between Lilian and Lang, made introductions immediately.


    The wolf woman Lang slowly turned her gaze to Hei and Lian and, with the same calm bowed her head to greet them, after that, she returned to her meal. Just with that gesture, it could be understood that she wasn''t interested in the two new arrivals at all. However, as Hei and Lian approached, the two-meter white wolf behind Lang began waving his nose in the air. Then, it brought its head close to that of its mistress and began to lick her ear.


    Lang quickly turned her head to look at Hei and Lian again. No, just Hei, and precisely the sleeve where Ye and Xing were hiding. Feeling the presence of a spirit beast in the immediate vicinity, the little spider and the little snake awoke from their sleep. They came out of Hei''s clothes to land next to the various dishes on the table.


    To welcome them was the sight of a pair of blood-red human eyes that were looking intensely at them. Another couple of blood-red eyes were also facing them and belonged to the white-haired wolf.


    ''Big brother, what should we do?'' Xing asked as she felt uncomfortable being watched so carefully.


    At the question of his little sisters, Hei reached out his left hand and motioned for Ye and Xing to come above. Then he brought his hand close to the face of the blood-red-eyed white wolf. The wolf began to sniff Ye and Xing for several minutes. The funny thing was that Lang also did the same, bringing her nose close to the little snake and the little spider who were speechless about that strange situation.


    After both Lang and her wolf sniffed Ye and Xing as much as they wanted, Hei withdrew his hand, bringing his little sisters back to him. During this unusual exchange of pleasantries, Lian and all the others remained silent to watch. In particular, Lilian and Mia were the ones most anxious about the result.


    "What are your spirit beasts called?"


    Suddenly, a voice as delicate as the whisper of the wind rang out. Lang had spoken. Lilian and Mia then exchanged a smile as they grabbed each other''s hands. The presence of Ye and Xing had captured Lang''s interest. The fact that they had kept hidden the existence of the little spider and little snake from Lang had been a good move for their plan.


    "Her name is Xing; she is Ye instead. They are both females. Your wolf is a male instead. Can I know what he''s called?" Hei replied just as calmly, trying to shift the conversation to the things they had in common, namely their spirit beasts.


    "Fenrir, this is the name I gave him at birth."


    "Nice to meet you, Fenrir. My name is Hei. I hope I can get along with you, and the same goes for Ye and Xing."


    The white wolf named Fenrir gave a quick howl to indicate his approval. Lang then gave a slightly hinted smile that was almost unnoticeable. Then she went back to eating without uttering any more words. But occasionally, she would take fleeting glances at Ye and Xing. Sitting next to Lang, Lilian and Mia were smiling as never before. Although it didn''t seem that way, the first meeting had been a great success.


    Hei then went on to have breakfast with everyone else. All of them needed to have a big meal to face the morning''s academic activities, considering that they still had no precise idea of ??what would await them.


    *


    Main Classroom - First Year


    The site for the first lesson was a large classroom, capable of holding together the 5,000 people who made up the first year of the Southern Royal War Academy. The classroom had long counters arranged horizontally in three sections. Behind each counter, there would have been another one placed slightly higher, and so on to follow. In this way, even those who sat at the bottom would have a good vision of the teacher.


    Hei and the others went to settle in one of the last counters. The beast tamers could bring their spirit beasts with them. However, they had to put themselves in the last seats to avoid nuisances for the other students. For those who owned them, there was the possibility of temporarily storing their spirit beast in a bag for spirit beasts, but Lang wasn''t the type to do that. So, in order not to leave her alone, the group chose to settle in the back of the classroom.


    When Hei sat down, all he could see around him was a sea of ??disparate people. There were a higher number of men, but the number of women reached thousands as well. There were lots of people seated in groups while chatting happily, awaiting the teacher''s arrival; those who were alone instead were waiting in silence in their seats.


    Once everyone was settled, the teacher finally entered. He was a fair-skinned man with short black hair and a short, well-groomed beard. From his expression and his way of walking, it could be understood that he was part of the army of the Southern Empire. He emanated that feeling of authority and strength that only those who had seen countless battles had.


    Suddenly, some of the students began to whisper to each other because the teacher assigned by the empire wasn''t just any person but was rather famous.


    "Spirit King Song Yazhu? What''s one of his rank doing here?"


    "Song Yazhu? Is it really him? I can''t believe it!"


    Noting the various murmurs, Hei asked the others who the teacher who had just arrived was, "Is he a famous person?"


    Leon, who sat to his left, replied, "Yes. You should know that even if there is no official war going on, it isn''t uncommon for battles against the Moon Empire to happen. These clashes, however, impose the absence of both spirit emperors and spirit kings; instead, they send only the weaker martial artists. However, for some reason, spirit kings were also sent in the last battle. If the Sun Empire won the battle, it is certainly thanks to the actions of that person, Song Yazhu. He is also said to have the potential to become a spirit emperor."


    Lian, sitting to Hei''s right, followed with a comment, "I doubt the empire sends one of his best men here, excluding the various spirit emperors, to be a teacher. There must be a particular reason if he''s here."


    "Maybe it''s related to why there is one of the emperor''s children in the academy," Hei concluded as he moved his gaze to the front row where Imperial Prince Long Tian and his four guards sat.


    Over the week, Hei had tried to fill his gaps about the society of the empire. Among the many things he had discovered, there was also the fact that the Imperial Family would study mainly in the central region in the Imperial Palace. It was the only family that had such permission. Not even the Eight Big Families could escape that rule; they had to send their sons and daughters to one of the many war academies in the empire.


    Still, a member of the Imperial Family, who was also one of the Imperial Princes, was at the Southern Royal War Academy. This fact surprised an indeterminate number of people, but apart from those directly concerned, nobody knew the reason for his presence there.


    The Teacher Song Yazhu let out a cough that rumbled vigorously throughout the classroom. More than a cough, it looked as if thunder had fallen inside the classroom.


    "Welcome to all of you in the first academic year of the Southern Royal War Academy. My name is Song Yazhu, and I was sent from the Empire to teach you. Unlike before, this academic year will have only one teacher who will be me. It only applies to compulsory classes, while the secondary ones will remain at the discretion of the various structures. Therefore, this means that the more you piss me off, the worse it will be for you."


    Song Yazhu''s voice was full of authority and vigor. As a spirit king, one move could have killed any of the spirit soldiers in the classroom. So even though several students wanted to comment on such a sudden change, they didn''t dare say a word for fear of incurring his anger.


    "Excellent, I see that there are no hot heads for the moment. The stupidest thing you can do is not to notice the circ.u.mstances in which you are and the gap that separates you from the enemy. However, returning to the lessons, the morning classes are divided into three - war theory, hand-to-hand combat, and weapon combat. In the afternoon, after the lunch break, you must instead train in your elemental techniques in groups. In the evening, after dinner, you will have secondary classes for those who want while others can retire to their rooms. If any of you are asking yourself when you can have the time to cultivate, the answer is simple. We martial artists can very well cultivate instead of sleeping. However, since not sleeping at all is detrimental in the long run, after every three days of lessons, there will be one day off to use as you wish. Obviously, you can ignore that and sleep on the other days, but if you aren''t capable of following such a regime, I advise you to disappear from here. The Royal War Academies aren''t places where simple soldiers are produced. Here only those who will shape the future era are forged. That is to say that only the best of the best. If there are shits that are for some reason have happened here, I advise you to disappear instantly, or else I will badly beat you for every day you have wasted here at the academy."


    With that threat, Song Yazhu ended his speech. His authoritarian way put a lot of pressure on all of the students. Even Hei felt himself a little influenced by his strength, but that was all. He and Lian had witnessed much more intense pressure, the peak of this world - spirit emperor and sixth level divine beast. So it was normal they weren''t so in awe of Song Yazhu like others. Of course, they weren''t the only ones; several other of their fellow students had such characteristics, and they didn''t seem intimidated by the spirit king Song Yazhu.

 Chapter 151 - Rank Division

    Chapter 151 - Rank Division


    Seeing everyone still in their seats, Song Yazhu then went on to explain.


    "I see that nobody got up, well. But surely there is trash among you; it is only a matter of time for me to identify them and make their life a hell. In any case, to begin with, let''s start with the war theory. I will now go on to ill.u.s.trate the division into ranks that we martial artists have adopted."


    Song Yazhu then activated part of his spirit power on the large blackboard behind him. It wasn''t a simple blackboard, but a unique device that could reproduce a broader view of the sheets inserted inside. Quickly, the blackboard lit up as it projected a kind of list on which various names were written.


    - First Rank - Spirit Apprentice;


    - Second Rank - Spirit Soldier;


    - Third Rank - Spirit Master;


    - Fourth Rank - Spirit Grand Master;


    - Fifth Rank - Spirit King;


    - Sixth Rank - Spirit Emperor;


    - Seventh Rank - Divine Rank - Spirit God.


    "These are the seven ranks into which all martial artists are divided, whether they are human or demons. Spirit beasts also have a similar subdivision only that they are divided into levels rather than ranks. Moreover, the spirit beasts that advanced to the sixth level could once become divine beasts, capable of manipulating the elemental laws. However, you must remember that, although there are no more divine beasts, you must not underestimate the spirit beasts. Unlike us humans, they have more resistant bodies and a higher amount of spirit power. Not surprisingly, when there were still the divine beasts, it required the collaboration of multiple spirit emperors to bring down a single divine beast. And the same goes for the other levels too. Although their lack of elemental laws, ordinary spirit beasts can pose a serious risk if you do not pay attention.


    Returning to the division of ranks, each rank is divided into seven stages. Each stage, in turn, is divided into six phases - beginning, early, medium, high, peak, half step. To pass from one phase to another of the same stage, you have to overcome a block called a minor bottleneck. When we go from one stage to another of the same rank, we speak of a standard bottleneck. When we pass from one rank to another, we speak of a major bottleneck. Minor bottlenecks are the easiest to overcome; after those, regarding the difficulty, there are the standard ones and finally the major ones. The simplest but most difficult way to do this is through cultivation. By cultivating, you can increase the spirit power in your body until you can overcome the various bottlenecks. However, cultivation itself isn''t enough. Each rank has its particularities; now, I will show you which ones."


    Song Yazhu moved the sheet placed in the device and replaced it with another. The image on the blackboard was replaced with another. The same division was repeated as before, but there were other details.


    - First Rank - Spirit Apprentice - Spirit Power Awakening, Body Conversion Process, Opening Meridians, and Spirit Seed Formation;


    - Second Rank - Spirit Soldier - Transformation of the Spirit Seed into a Spirit Root;


    - Third Rank - Spirit Master - Refining Process, Vapour, and Liquid;


    - Fourth Rank - Spirit Grand Master - Condensation Process, Solid, and Crystallization Process of the Spirit Root;


    - Fifth Rank - Spirit King - Process of Acc.u.mulation, Explosion and Divine Tribulation;


    - Sixth Rank - Spirit Emperor - Spirit Tree Formation, Supreme Divine Tribulation;


    - Seventh Rank - Divine Rank - Spirit God.


    "As you well know, after awakening your spirit power, you started to increase in stages according to the Body Conversion Process, empowering the various parts of your body so that they could generate spirit power. With the opening of the Meridians, you have discovered your Elemental Laws and formed your Spirit Seeds. What not many people know is that understanding the laws is closely related to advancing from one rank to another. For example, without having formed one''s Spirit Seed, one cannot advance to the second rank. What I have written to you are, therefore, the conditions for advancing from one rank to another.


    The second rank involves the transformation of your Spirit Seed into a Spirit Root. To do this, you must improve your understanding of the Elemental Laws in which you specialize. It isn''t necessary to train it now, but the sooner you do it, the better it will be. In fact, it is always advisable to carry out each process simultaneously with the progress of the stages in the same rank. If you don''t form the Spirit Root, it will be impossible for you to advance to the rank of Spirit Master.


    As for the other ranks, more details will be given later. For now, you must be content with a quick summary. Concerning the third rank, this one requires the Refining Process, divided into Vapour and Liquid. This process leads to an increase in the quality of your spirit. It means that you will consume less spirit while using your elemental techniques. The fourth rank is a continuation of the third rank, and instead of increasing the quality, it will significantly increase the quantity that your body can store. In the fifth rank, however, you won''t have any increase except those generated by the breakthrough from one stage to another. Yet, if you manage to advance to the rank of spirit emperor, any upgrades that haven''t occurred in the fifth rank will be received altogether.


    By becoming a Spirit Emperor, your Spirit Root will transform into a Spirit Tree. The martial artist''s Elemental Laws will be engraved on the Spirit Tree. According to the testimony left by the Hero, reaching the Seventh Rank or Divine Rank is closely related to the Spirit Tree and the understanding of the Laws of Space and Time. Unfortunately, there are no more precise indications and, although over the years some have reached the seventh stage spirit emperor, none of the human or demon martial artists has managed to advance. Nobody has succeeded except the Divine Beast known as the Snake of Darkness, as well as the one responsible for the death of the leading exponents of the human race and the race of demons and the one who provoked the situation that started the Human Civil War and the Demon Civil War."


    Hearing the words of Song Yazhu, Hei was experiencing mixed feelings. He didn''t like hearing about his father, the Snake of Darkness, in that way. Although it was true that Hei An had decreed the end of the most significant members of humanity and the demon race, he had nothing to do with the civil wars that had occurred later. It was illogical to blame someone else for something that originated from the thirst for power and greed possessed by humans and demons. However, Hei had to repress those feelings at the moment under a veil of indifference. Perhaps in the future, he would be able to change this opinion about spirit beasts and divine beasts. Fortunately, Song Yazhu''s critique was swift, and beyond that, he had said many other interesting things.


    ''Turning your spirit seed into a spirit root, huh? Considering that spirit beasts can advance in level as long as they acc.u.mulate enough energies without specific conditions, it is logical not to include them in the division into ranks, creating instead the one in levels. Ye and Xing formed their spirit seed because they are divine beasts at birth. According to Mother, they should be able to breakthrough without problems even without forming the spirit root. But surely their elemental attacks will suffer. To avoid this, they have to go through the same process. However, I have to find the time when they can train without anyone else around.''


    Hei immediately began to ponder how to handle the secrets he and his family brought along with the academy''s lecture hours. Meanwhile, Song Yazhu announced the start of the next lesson.


    Well, this is just an introduction. We will have the opportunity to talk about the long path of cultivation and its characteristics. As well as regarding war strategies and how to optimize your way of fighting. Now, quickly and without making a mess, follow me to the training grounds. It''s time for the hand-to-hand combat lesson."


    *


    Song Yazhu led all first-year students out of the castle and down the broad road that runs through the entire academy. They reached the training grounds that Hei and Lian had visited from outside on the first day of their arrival. This time the facility was open, and everyone entered.


    Usually, once you entered, you would have crossed a long corridor that acted as a watershed between the various cells that housed the different groups that wanted to train. However, since it was a single class and there was only one teacher, through the formation engraved on the structure itself, the walls of each cell had been removed. As a result, what awaited the students of the first academic year of the Southern Royal War Academy was a gigantic expanse of grass that stretched for miles and miles.


    "The hand-to-hand combat lesson begins now. Divide into groups and fight among yourselves. It is possible to use your spirit power, but you cannot use any technique that uses elemental laws. Contradict my orders, and you will pay a visit to the infirmary for a whole week."


    Song Yazhu quickly gave his orders. However, unlike before, many didn''t understand the reason for this command. Suddenly, one of the students raised his hand and expressed his doubt.


    "Sorry, Teacher Song Yazhu. It isn''t my intention to contradict you, but why do we have to train in close combat? I have been asking myself this question since before. My main way of attack is through elemental laws and my sword. I think this also applies to almost everyone. Furthermore, even if I couldn''t avoid a hit, I could still use the defensive layer of my spirit power to avoid damage. Why then does the Southern Royal War Academy, one of the best war academies, place so much importance on something so superfluous?"


    When Song Yazhu listened to that student, he smirked and replied, "I guess many of you are asking yourself the same question. Rather than explaining it to you, it''s easier to make you see with your own eyes. You! Come forward! Attack me however you want, whether with the sword or with your elemental attacks. I will adapt to the same level of your strength."


    Hearing the words of Song Yazhu, the student who asked the question turned white. Inside him, he was cursing himself for his stubbornness in asking such a question. However, he had no choice but to do as Song Yazhu asked. Thus, he activated his spirit power and charged against the teacher spirit king.


    Song Yazhu remained in place and waited for the student to arrive. He was so relaxed that he didn''t even activate his spirit power. Seeing this, the student thought that Song Yazhu was underestimating him enormously. He knew that the bodies of high-ranking martial artists, after prolonged exposure to spirit power, hardened enough to counteract the techniques of weaker martial artists, despite not possessing the Law of Metal. However, suffering such indifference in the first person was still irritating.


    "You wanted it, Teacher Song Yazhu. Law of Fire, Thread of-! "


    Just as the student was about to launch his technique, Song Yazhu moved quickly. Their distance was only a few meters. However, in order not to bully his student too much, Song Yazhu used a speed comparable to a spirit soldier. But even so, he was able to reach the young student before completing his technique.


    Thud! Thud!


    It all happened so quickly. Song Yazhu punched the student in the face. Then he stepped back and dodged the sword attack. The student had resisted the blow well thanks to his defensive layer of spirit power but was clearly pissed. Unfortunately for him, as soon as Song Yazhu dodged the sword, he kicked the student''s stomach, making the student flying for several meters. Again, however, the defensive layer of spirit power prevented the attack from causing damage.


    When the student got up from the ground, he had a hideous face, livid with anger. He forgot that he had before him a spirit king and very famous as well. He just wanted to take revenge for the bad impression he was making before the eyes of all his companions.


    "Final Move, Law of Fire-!"


    But he didn''t stand a chance. Song Yazhu was beside him before he could complete his final technique. And it was there that he realized the problem for the first time.


    Crash!


    Song Yazhu, with a fake, had positioned himself behind the poor student''s back. Then, wrapping his arms around the student''s h.i.p.s, Song Yazhu pulled the student backward, crashing him loudly against the ground. All around reigned the silence of amazement of the various spectators. Even though Song Yazhu was a spirit king, he hadn''t activated his spirit power. He also limited himself to using a speed similar to theirs. Still, he had crushed a spirit soldier from start to finish. All of them had seen that in the last attack, their fellow student was serious, but it was all in vain and only ended up with his head against the ground.


    "Now, do you understand? Attacks with the Elemental Laws take time, especially in your rank, as you aren''t very skilled. The higher your control, the shorter the loading time. However, you won''t always be able to charge your attack. There will be occasions when you have absolutely no opportunity, just like now. And even if you have a weapon, it doesn''t mean you can only rely on it. You must have techniques and knowledge in knowing how to protect yourself using only your body. If you manage to do this, you will have multiple variations of attack and defense, and all this would contribute to increasing your survival rate in war.


    Obviously, nobody asks you to become an all-rounder. It isn''t possible to learn every single art of combat. Whoever thinks like this is only an expert in everything but a master in nothing. No, what is required from you is to know the basics of the various ways of fighting. Even if you specialize in a specific style, by studying other styles, you can understand your weaknesses and incorporate these elements into your way of fighting. Learn and assimilate all kinds of useful things at any time, be it a lesson, a fight, or in war. If you want to reach the top of this world, you must always be hungry for knowledge. To know how to get stronger and how to improve yourself."


    When Song Yazhu finished speaking, everyone was genuinely amazed. Even those who thought hand-to-hand combat was a waste changed their mind. Everything Song Yazhu had said had a solid and truthful foundation. If to say this was a spirit king, then it was trustworthy, considering that Song Yazhu wasn''t a member of a distinguished family, but he had started out of nowhere as many of them. Therefore, he shouldn''t have had large quantities of resources available, but undoubtedly he must have struggled enormously to reach the position he had now.


    Quickly, the students, now conquered by the previous demonstration, arranged themselves in groups. Even the spirit beasts of the various beast tamers would participate in the lesson; after all, they too had to gain battle experience. Hei''s group included eight people, eleven if you counted the three spirit beasts. They, therefore, decided to split themselves in couples while one would have been on the sidelines to rest while waiting for their turn.


    However, as the couples were being decided, a boy with short green hair with multiple red spots and milky white eyes approached Hei, asking.


    "Since you guys are odd, can you be my sparring companion for the lesson?"

 Chapter 152 - Challenge

    "Since you''re odd, can you be my sparring companion for the lesson?"


    When Hei heard that question, he was surprised. Hei didn''t imagine that someone he didn''t know would approach him and ask him to do as a sparring companion for the lesson.


    ''He didn''t approach our group by addressing everyone. He pointed directly to me, which means he deliberately chose me as his sparring partner. The problem is, why? I don''t know him, and I don''t seem to have ever interacted with him this week. The only reason I can think of is the episode in the canteen a week ago. Only that. Could it be that he is affiliated with Feng Gengxin?''


    While Hei was thinking, Lian at his side asked in a wary voice, "Why should he be your sparring partner?"


    The blue-haired young woman had stood next to Hei; Ye and Xing had also come out as they uncovered their teeth toward the newcomer. They, too, like Hei, had come to the hypothesis that it was someone affiliated with Feng Gengxin who had come to bother them.


    The young green-haired man with red spots laughed and replied, "It isn''t for the reason you think, even though it is related to it. Let me introduce myself; my name is He Fen. The reason I''m asking this request is that I want to fight you. Look there."


    He Fen, therefore, indicated a specific point on the whole of the training grounds. There, Teacher Song Yazhu was fighting with a bald, black-skinned young man. They were exchanging blows after blows using only hand-to-hand combat techniques. Incredibly, the young man, who was a student like all of them, was keeping up with Song Yazhu. It must be said, however, that Song Yazhu had limited his power to that of an ordinary spirit soldier. However, it was still a challenge for anybody to keep up with Song Yazhu even in those circ.u.mstances.


    "He is Hu Jie, son of the Jie Family head, one of the Eight Big Families and the owner of the White Tiger Bloodline. Members of the Jie Family are adept in the Law of Metal; however, even among them, Hu Jie is a genius among geniuses. His talent is said to be the highest ever in the family. The particular thing about Hu Jie is that he doesn''t use weapons. Despite the hardness of their bodies, users of the Law of Metal use weapons to overcome their lack of long-range attacks. But Hu Jie no. He only fights with hand-to-hand combat techniques without using weapons. The reason why Teacher Song Yazhu is fighting with him isn''t that he is making preferences. There is simply no one in here who can sparring him in hand-to-hand combat at his full strength, not even the Imperial Prince Long Tian or the son of the Feng Family head, Feng Chen."


    Listening to He Fen''s words, Hei replied promptly. "Nice to meet you, He Fen; my name is Hei. From how you speak, you know the Eight Big Families very well. However, I still don''t understand why you chose me."


    "My surname is He, that''s the surname of my family. We are a family that owns a bloodline - the Bifang Bird Bloodline. Families with pure bloodlines, although they aren''t part of the Eight Big Families, have very close relationsh.i.p.s with them. Since I was a child, I have dealt with Hu Jie and Feng Chen, although they have never paid me much attention. Therefore, I have seen many people who considered themselves geniuses, and I can recognize who is the real deal and who is just a braggart. The murderous intent you emitted in the canteen, your bearing, and your aura. You are someone who has tremendous talent, perhaps comparable to that of Hu Jie and Feng Chen. Right now, I can''t ask them to make me sparring companions; they wouldn''t calculate me at all. You are the best solution I have found."


    Hearing these words, Hei began to understand a little the reasons that led He Fen to propose that request, although there were some details that he didn''t understand. "Do you have any grudges against those two?"


    "No, I don''t have anything against them. In fact, I even admire them a lot for their strength. But I have my reasons for doing what I''m doing. I need to reach a level that allows me to fight them on equal terms. No, not like them, I have to be stronger than them. So please, be my sparring companion, and don''t spare your strength."


    "Alright. If this is what you want. Lian, Ye, Xing, go with the others. Rest assured, everything will be fine." Hei, therefore, reassured Lian and his little sisters before moving away from the group a bit with He Fen.


    "Thanks, Hei, for accepting my request."


    "You don''t have to thank me. After all, fighting with someone, I don''t know is a good workout."


    The two young men then activated their spirit power. Quickly, they snapped towards each other and began to exchange a series of blows. He Fen''s style used quick punches that roared through the air, but Hei was dodging them all without difficulty with Snake Run. The techniques that Bao Bei taught in Hei weren''t elemental techniques but could be defined as hand-to-hand techniques to which the Elemental Laws could subsequently be applied.


    Although the use of Elemental Laws was prohibited for the hand-to-hand combat lessons, spider-style and snake-style techniques were still dangerous to deal with. He Fen was soon thrown to the ground after receiving a flurry of Snake Fists from Hei.


    "As I thought. You are strong. But you''re still limiting yourself. Don''t do it, please. Use your true power over me."


    "Some of the techniques I know have been designed to kill, not to be used in training. If I use them, there is a risk that I won''t be able to brake at the last moment. It means that I could end up killing you or seriously injuring you."


    "Do it. I''ll take the blame. Don''t worry, I swear. "


    Hei thought about it for a moment. He Fen was a first stage spirit soldier like him; his hand-to-hand combat techniques could be defined at the amateur level at the most. Yet, during the fight, Hei had noticed that He Fen was improving little by little. Therefore he thought it was better to start gradually, but He Fen wanted him to use all his techniques immediately.


    ''Spider Lance is too powerful. Even if he says he''ll take the blame, I can''t risk it. I don''t trust someone I just met. But I can use other techniques. While I''m in it, I could see if I can invent some new variation to use in combat.''


    After making his decision, Hei and He Fen resumed fighting. This time Hei used Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode, to run around He Fen, who was surprised by the speed reached by Hei. However, the He Family''s member wasn''t intimidated. He also used a footwork technique, starting to move quickly to intercept Hei. However, it was clear that there was a clear gap between the two techniques.


    "Vibrating Fist! Vibrating Kick! "


    Peng! Peng!


    Hei used his dominant left arm to punch He Fen''s face. The young man was taken aback, but his defensive layer of spirit power cushioned the blow. Unfortunately for him, Hei''s offensive wasn''t over. Taking advantage of the momentary sense of disorientation due to Vibrating Fist, Hei used the variation of this technique through a kick toward He Fen''s spleen, making He Fen fly several meters until he landed abruptly on the ground.


    Cough!


    He Fen stood up, spitting out the saliva that had built up in his mouth as he took a breath of air. Vibrating Fist and, therefore, Vibrating Kick were simple techniques. They consisted of sending one''s spirit power forward against the enemy. With the same spirit power, even if they had encountered the enemy''s defensive layer of spirit power, part of the technique power would have been transmitted as a wave. In a sense, it resembled the characteristics of specific techniques of the Water and Blood Laws. But since Hei didn''t possess such laws, he was unable to use this technique perfectly. In this regard, Lian was decidedly more adept than he in using Vibrating Fist or Vibrating Kick. However, it was still a suitable technique in these sparring situations.


    After getting up, He Fen smiled. Inside him, his blood was boiling as he relaunched his attack. Unlike Hei, He Fen''s main techniques were based on his Elemental Law from a distance, enhanced by his bloodline. He didn''t have many close combat techniques. So he was in extreme difficulty against someone like Hei, yet he didn''t seem to be discouraged at all every time he was thrown several meters to the ground. Every time he went down, he would get up full of energy and more and more determined.


    From a distant point in the training grounds'' complex, Teacher Song Yazhu was high in the sky. After sparring with Hu Jie for a while, he left him to rest on the ground so he could check on the situation of the other students. Moving his eyes to every occupied training ground, he saw numerous interesting students that had potential. At one point, his eyes stopped on Hei and He Fen.


    ''That boy... has experience in hand-to-hand combat. It can be seen from its fluid movements. It is an unusual thing seen nowadays; everyone focuses more on the laws and the use of weapons. It isn''t at Hu Jie''s level who has mastered a high number of different fighting styles, but the few styles he knows have been trained to a very high level. That other green-haired boy with red spots is just an amateur in hand-to-hand combat. But he has the spirit and, above all, a great determination. If this continues, he will improve by leaps and bounds.''


    Song Yazhu looked away to observe the other students. Although several students intrigued him, his job was to train all of them without giving preferences. Regardless of their background, he had to make sure that even the least talented of them could have the means to improve themselves. Coming from a zero background, he much appreciated those who worked hard until they sweated blood to become stronger. After all, it was only through his continuous training that he had reached the rank of spirit king.


    *


    Thud!


    He Fen fell disastrously to the ground. Small streaks of blood came out of his lips and were falling drop by drop to the ground. Hei had by now lost count of how many times He Fen himself had. Yet, each time, He Fen would have risen, prompting Hei to continue and hit harder.


    Hei was very surprised by his determination. He understood that there was an important reason that was supporting He Fen. "He Fen, can I ask you why you are doing all this? It isn''t just to overcome Feng Chen and Hu Jie. I feel there is something else, no, someone else who is motivating you to move forward."


    Hei''s eyes focused intently on He Fen''s. The young man from the He Family returned his gaze and sighed intensely. Sudden streaks of fire came out of his mouth and then mysteriously vanished.


    "Do you know the difference between a Pure Bloodline and a Royal Bloodline?" He Fen asked as he clenched his fists.


    "No, I know the difference between a Pseudo Bloodline and a Pure Bloodline, but I don''t know the details of the Royal Bloodlines," Hei sincerely answered as he became even more curious.


    "Regarding the increase in power and understanding of the laws, the difference is zero. So why such a distinction? Simple, the Royal Bloodlines are those that have the purest concentration and, therefore, a higher probability of transmitting the bloodline to one''s descendants. My family hadn''t produced a member with a pure bloodline for dozens of years. Then suddenly, my older sister was born and then me. Except that my sister''s bloodline isn''t very pure, it''s almost at the pseudo-bloodline level. However, since she is very beautiful, the elders of the family have agreed to give her as a bride to the son of one of the elders of the Que Family, the Vermilion Bird Family, one of the Eight Big Families.


    My sister is still young; she is only twenty years old. She has a whole life ahead of her, yet she has been denied the opportunity to fall in love and live her life as she wishes. If it were possible, I would take her and run away with her, but there are our parents and my other brothers and sisters who cannot survive without the help of the family. For them, my sister would be willing to sacrifice herself and live a life locked up in a building as a prize to be displayed when guests come. I can''t let that happen.


    The elders of my family say there is still time for the actual wedding. Three years. Within this period, I have to beat in an official one vs. one challenge one of the members of the Que Family. Obviously, he will be a martial artist belonging to the younger generation, but if he were someone with talent equal to Hu Jie and Feng Chen, my chances of winning are practically zero. This is why I desperately need to get stronger at all costs. You''re the only one who gave me a feeling similar to the geniuses of the Eight Big Families. And after receiving your blows, I know you''re still hiding your strength. Please, I beg you, without going through the wrath of hell, I will never be able to reach the power I desperately need."


    At He Fen''s plea, Hei closed his eyes. He could understand his despair. Hei also had sisters, after all, Ye and Xing. He would do anything for them to make them happy. If they had been forced into a life of unhappiness as if they were a bargaining chip, he would have been inundated with anger.


    "Alright. Since I perfectly understand how you feel, I will no longer restrain myself. Don''t die, He Fen. Not now that I''m starting to feel sympathy for you."


    Hei then began to rotate his left arm with Snake Coiling as he prepared to use Spider Lance. With Spider Run, he moved around He Fen to confuse him. However, the latter chased him and began to launch a series of attacks to prevent him from attacking. Seeing this, Hei smiled, though. Then, while pretending to be overwhelmed, he received a kick from He Fen, who pushed him backward.


    ''Now!''


    Forcefully thrusting his toes into the ground, he braked the backward momentum and launched his technique.


    ''Snake Whip + Snake Coiling + Beast Claws + Spider Lance, Piercing Lance Javelin.''


    Dislocating all the bones of the left arm and shoulder to increase the radius of action, the lethal hand like the tip of a spear came against the defensive layer of He Fen''s spirit power. The young man, totally taken aback, had no way of parrying. Hei''s technique broke his defensive layer of spirit power and penetrated him into the flesh. But before he could reach even more in-depth, He Fen heard a dry sound, and Hei''s claw-sharp nails were pulled back.


    To avoid seriously injuring He Fen, Hei had asked Lian to stop him using her ribbons. The young blue-haired woman carried out the order, and as soon as He Fen''s defensive layer broke, she used her ribbons to push Hei''s arm back. However, since Hei''s spirit power was all about attacking, the only way to stop him was to break his arm while performing his attack.


    Clenching his teeth to suppress the pain, Hei was now standing as he looked at his dangling arm, tilted at a strange angle. Promptly, he turned to Lian.


    "Lian, nice job. Don''t worry; you did what I asked you to do. Don''t be sad because you think you''ve hurt me. I am the one who is sorry for asking you to do such a thing."


    "I know, but even so, I don''t like to see you hurting yourself, even more so if I''m the one doing it."


    Hei then approached Lian and stroked her head as usual with the other arm. Quickly, their other companions approached them, surprised by Hei''s injury.


    "Hei, lie down. We will medicate you immediately." Mia said worriedly.


    "Okay. Wait a minute, though."


    Hei clenched his teeth again and, using his spirit power, folded his arm back to its original position. The others looked at him in surprise because Hei was doing all this without batting an eyelid. Eventually, Hei sat up while Mia and Lilian used their healing techniques.

 Chapter 153 - Acquiring New Companions

    "Lightning Law, Local Anesthesia!"


    Lilian used one of her healing techniques. Suitable for her impetuous and roaring behavior, Lilian possessed the Lightning Law. Hei, who had deactivated his spirit power to get medicated, lost the sensitivity on his left arm as if it wasn''t connected to his body. He tried to raise it, but there was no way.


    "Law of Light, Thread of Light!"


    On the other hand, a very thin, bright white thread formed in Mia''s hands. Quickly, through the spirit power of the young woman, that thread penetrated Hei''s skin until it reached the fractures between the bones. After that, it started to fix the bones properly while releasing part of its body where the bone fractures were evident.


    "Okay, finished. The parts of my thread of light left behind serve only as a temporary remedy. The more you use your arm, the more they will disappear. It is a temporary solution, but it should last for the end of the day; you shouldn''t have any problems for now. Since we are still in class, you will have to deal with this, but during the lunch break, Lilian and I will heal you completely, okay?"


    Hei didn''t reply immediately; his gaze was fixed on his arm. He was moving it here and there to check the result. Indeed, as Mia had said, there was no problem. It was as if it hadn''t broken in the first place. But from the words of the young martial artist medic, it didn''t seem that it was completely healed.


    "It''s all right, thank you, Mia, Lilian. Go back to your sparring session. I don''t want the teacher to scold you because of me."


    Hei then got up from the ground just in time to receive He Fen''s question, who had silently observed the whole healing process.


    "Why? Why did you go so far? You weren''t obliged. If you did it because you feel pity for me, then-"


    "It''s not for that. If you want to know, the reason is that I felt like giving you a hand in achieving your goal. I also have two sisters, even if they are younger than me. So I understand your feelings well." Hei, therefore, reached out a hand to indicate Ye and Xing before continuing. "Although to others, they may seem like just two simple spirit beasts, they are my irreplaceable little sisters, and I would do anything to protect them. It doesn''t matter if I am a human, and they are spirit beasts, we are united by something that goes beyond the concept of race. That''s also true for Lian, isn''t it?"


    Lian, who was close to him, smiled and replied, "Love is a feeling that manifests its full power when it comes to protecting someone important. But to protect the person you care about, you can''t treat your life so lightly. You have to survive and continue to protect your important person."


    The words of Hei and Lian rang in He Fen. It was as if he was staggering in the dark until he received Hei''s outstretched arm. The same arm that Hei had decided to sacrifice so as not to inflict a severe injury on him.


    "I understand. My instincts were right. Please, I don''t ask you much, but let me stay in your group. If I''m with you, I think I can have the chance I was looking to get stronger. To protect my sister and give her the future they want to deprive them of."


    "You don''t need to beg me. I am not the boss, nor are they my subordinates. If you want to stay with us, it''s fine. But act like one of our companions." Hei answered calmly. Even if he denied it, his character and his way of doing had unconsciously attracted everyone else so much that he had actually become the leader of that strange group.


    Mareo, Haruno, Lilian, Mia, and Leon, all of them looked towards He Fen and nodded to support Hei''s words. He Fen felt as if the knot in his chest broke as a feeling of comfort flooded his body. Now he felt he could do it.


    "If you''re done sparring, I''ll take your place."


    Suddenly, a female voice rang near He Fen. The green-haired young man with red spots looked around in surprise. He quickly discovered that behind him was a beautiful woman with white hair and blood-red eyes. The ethereal beauty of this young woman left him breathless.


    Lang paid no attention to He Fen''s reaction, taking that as a yes. Then she advanced toward Hei with her wolf Fenrir.


    "It will soon be the end of the lesson. Before it ends, I want to fight you. Beast tamer vs. beast tamer. However, like this guy, I want you to use your true power, and by this, I mean the true power of Ye and Xing and their true form."


    Lang challenged Hei, who was surprised at the young woman''s words. It was because she unexpectedly understood that Ye and Xing were using a technique to conceal their real appearance.


    "How did you know?" Hei asked a little worried.


    ''The technique that Mother taught Ye and Xing was known only to her and Father. There should be no way for others to know about it. It was also something they used with caution. Therefore it cannot be related to being divine beasts. If I am forced, I can say that it is a family technique, which would correspond to the truth in any case.''


    "Their aura. Not what is formed when you activate spirit power. But the aura that derives from the soul of a being. In a way, it''s like when you feel awe in front of a creature of enormous size, but you don''t notice the ant walking under you. It''s the same kind of feeling. Your Ye and Xing give me the feeling of being a bigger predator than what they appear. The same has been said to me by my Fenrir."


    "I understand... is it a technique of the imperial tamers? Or is it a technique of you, Renegade Families?"


    At Hei''s question, Lang bared her teeth, and so did her wolf Fenrir. She had been annoyed by the derogatory term used to indicate the family she belonged to.


    "I had no intention of offending you. Actually, I don''t care about the hatred someone can feel towards your family. I am not from some territory of the empire but the islands of the Forgotten Ocean. I honestly think your ancestors only did what they thought was right - protect their companions. I would have done the same too, Ye and Xing are worth more than my own life. If you want to see their true forms, I have no objections, but first, answer my question."


    At Hei''s words, Lang eased her anger slightly. Lilian and Mia had mentioned something like this, but she hadn''t paid attention at that time. Yet now, after discovering that Hei was a beast tamer and had openly expressed his support for the cause her ancestors had supported, Lang couldn''t help but drop her guard. Her Fenrir also showed no sign of picking up falsehood in Hei''s words.


    "We don''t use the name Renegade Families. If you have to call us together, use the term Beast Families. In any case, we of the Beast Families are linked from birth with spirit beasts, being trained in uncommon ways. This is why we can perceive instinctive, almost animalistic, sensations. I cannot tell you that there are no beast tamers of the empire capable of this. Still, as for me, even among the members of my family or other Beast Families, I am considered to have one of the most sensitive instincts that ever existed. It was difficult for me to notice the particularity of your little sisters, and I doubt that anyone else besides me could perceive it."


    Lang''s response was sincere. She was the closest person to Hei in a certain way. From birth, she had grown up in an environment full of spirit beasts, developing a more beast-like nature than a human one. For this reason, Hei felt that she could be trusted.


    "Okay. We will fight, but not now and not in front of everyone. I don''t want to reveal the true form of my little sisters. Not for now. Is it okay for you?"


    "All right. Provided that you keep your word. But what about others? "


    At Lang''s question, Hei turned around and saw everyone else standing there, listening to their conversation. Caught on the facts, everyone laughed embarrassed. Fortunately, Leon, who had previously found himself in a similar situation, intervened.


    "If you don''t want to reveal it to us, it''s fine. However, rest assured that we will certainly not share it with someone else. We''ve only known each other for a week, but after years of meeting people worth less than trash, I''ve learned to distinguish people who are worth not to betray. I think I can speak for all of us when I tell you that whatever you are hiding, we will keep the secret."


    Hearing Leon''s words, Hei didn''t know how to respond. He had spent a good week with all of them, but it was certainly not enough to have such a degree of trust in them. In fact, he didn''t know how they could trust him so much. However, it was worth a try.


    "Alright. Then, when I have to keep my word, you will come too. So you will see the true form of Ye and Xing."


    Hei smiled as he took his little sisters off the ground. They had given their big brother the okay to show themselves in their true form. Obviously, they would avoid using the Elemental Laws and their Bloodlines. Perhaps in the future, however, they would reveal them as well to these comrades.


    The hand-to-hand sparring lesson ended like this. Song Yazhu declared the end of the lesson and went directly to the one with the weapons. The modalities were similar to before, where the various students would face each other in pairs, this time using their weapons instead. The spirit beasts of the various beast tamers would also participate. After all, if they wanted to support their tamers, they had to be able not only to face other spirit beasts but, above all, the weapons of the opposing martial artists.


    As for Hei''s group, no newcomers showed up this time, bringing their number to twelve, including the three spirit beasts. Aside from the latter, the other nine members had the following weapons.


    - Hei, spear;


    - Lian, pair of ribbons;


    - Leon, greatsword;


    - Haruno, kitchen knife;


    - Mareo, pan flute;


    - Lilian, pair of scissors;


    - Mia, scalpel;


    - Lang, standard length sword;


    - He Fen, wheels of wind and fire.


    As a martial artist chef, Haruno''s weapon was his kitchen knife created with a very resistant but, at the same time, flexible metal. Mareo, on the other hand, in addition to his voice, as a martial artist musician, used a musical instrument called pan flute. Even though it wasn''t a real weapon, it could still ward off the blows as the pan flute''s material had been hardened with metal powder.


    Lilian and Mia, instead, as they were martial artists medics, used tools generally used by doctors. They were small in size and therefore weren''t suitable for blocking. However, being small weapons made them easy and quick to handle. If one wasn''t careful, although Lilian and Mia weren''t specialized in combat, they could have easily killed or injured the enemy.


    Leon instead drew his greatsword that Hei had seen in the canteen''s accident. It was amazing how he managed to maneuver such a c.u.mbersome weapon with such skill. It was clear that he had trained a lot. Lang instead drew a sword of standard length. However, the icy white color of the blade gave Hei a strange sensation, although he couldn''t decipher well what it was. The most singular weapon was the one owned by He Fen.


    The Wheels of Wind and Fire.


    It was the name of his weapons that were similar to two metallic circles. Each wheel consisted of a flat metal ring with 40 cm in diameter. A quarter of a segment had a padded handle with a guard for hand protection; the other three segments instead had blades protruding in the shape of a flame. With one wheel in each hand, He Fen was able to cut, stab, parry or disarm his opponent.


    Hei decided to continue the day by challenging him. He was intrigued by the unusual appearance of those weapons he had never seen before. He Fen turned out to be more dangerous than before. He skillfully parried Hei''s insidious spear hits while counterattacking at the same time. It was no longer like before, where it was a one-sided fight, but they were on par.


    Hei was amazed at He Fen''s skill with the wheels of wind and fire. Honestly, Hei could have gotten the upper hand by using the Full Combat Mode, but the goal wasn''t to win. He had to remedy his shortcomings and improve in each field separately so as to increase his overall strength.


    After He Fen, he challenged Leon, who was the second one with whom Hei most wanted to exchange blows. In the Forgotten Ocean, most martial artists would have used standard length one-hand swords. It was difficult to meet other kinds of weapons. In the Sun Empire, however, it was different. Already in his group, none of them used the same type of weapon. And looking around, he could see weapons of various types, including even some he had never seen.


    That way, they finished the lesson with weapons. Song Yazhu declared the start of the lunch break, recommending all students to show up before the beginning of the Elemental Laws class, or they would have bitterly paid for the consequences.


    "Well, then. It''s better to go to the canteen. We have a couple of hours before the other lesson begins. We, therefore, have time to eat and rest a bit on the grass. How about it?" Haruno proposed to everyone in his group in a lively tone.


    The proposal was accepted unanimously, and everyone, including the reticent Lang and the newcomer He Fen, followed him to go to the canteen. Their group could be called unusual since it brought together people with different personalities and backgrounds. Still, strangely it was a combination of martial artists that could be called almost perfect.

 Chapter 154 - Finishing the First Day of Lessons

    The first morning of lessons had proceeded without any problems. Hei and the others went to the canteen to have lunch, and then they rested for a couple of hours to digest. After their lunch break, all of them returned to the training grounds where Song Yazhu was waiting for them.


    "Excellent, you all arrived on time. It will now begin the lesson on the Elemental Laws. However, unlike before, it won''t be conducted with the whole class. But it will be performed individually or in groups of two at most. As for the beast tamers, you can bring along your spirit beasts inside, but you will still be considered as a single entity. So if two tamers want to team up with their spirit beasts, that is possible.


    Earlier I told you that hand-to-hand techniques and dexterity in using your weapons are essential for us martial artists. But even more important than those are the knowledge and ability to use the Laws. Laws are the essential characteristic of a martial artist, regardless of what type they belong to or what style of combat they use. You may even be a spirit emperor, but if you don''t have a strong knowledge of the Laws, you will be nothing but trash for those of your own rank.


    The spirit power you have fortifies your body, but it still represents only the amount of power you can exercise in combat. It is evident that the more spirit power you put in, the more powerful your attacks are. However, the damage amplification effect will never be as much as that derived from the Elemental Laws. For the same amount of spirit power, the techniques that use pure spirit power won''t be up to those that have been imbued with the Elemental Laws.


    Precisely for these reasons, you must exercise maximum discretion when it comes to training in the Elemental Laws. Remember, you are all academy companions here, but at the same time, you are rivals. There will be tests in the future during these three years, and in each test, you will be rewarded according to the results obtained. The stronger will get better resources while the weaker will get inferior resources. So the Elemental Laws represent your secret card to play on those occasions.


    In war, the search for information is essential for victory. If you know the main characteristics of a martial artist, with proper preparation, you can increase your chances of winning. So this is also a test for when you will have to fight for real. Hide your secret cards and, at the same time, discover those of your opponents. You can use any tactic you want as long as you always respect the rules imposed by the academy.


    Lastly, as for the supporting martial artists, chef, musician, and medic categories, they will come with me. Given your unique characteristics, you will practice in a more suitable environment than a simple training ground."


    Then Song Yazhu clapped with both hands to signal students to start moving. Quickly, the martial artists who didn''t fall into the categories mentioned by Song Yazhu entered the training grounds'' complex.


    "Apparently, we have to split up. Actually, I expected such a thing." Mareo commented, a little disappointed.


    "Well, our main task is to support the troops from the rear. More than improving in combat, we must practice improving the use of our laws according to our techniques." Haruno commented as well. But he too was a little sad for not being able to stay with everyone else.


    "Oh well, it''s not a big deal. Why make those long faces? Classes end late afternoon. So we can meet for dinner anyway, can''t we?" Lilian said thoughtlessly, bringing good humor back to everyone.


    "For me, there are no problems. So we will all meet for dinner, okay?" Mia intervened immediately afterward in order to seal Lilian''s proposal.


    To that proposal, all the others accepted willingly. Then, Lilian, Mia, Mareo, and Haruno followed Song Yazhu to the structures where they would train.


    "What are you going to do? Will you train separately or in pairs?" At one point, Leon asked who was left of their group.


    Hei, Lian, Leon, Lang, He Fen. Besides them, there were also Ye, Xing, and Fenrir. Since spirit beasts were considered one with their tamer, there were currently only two couples while one person should have been left alone.


    "Lian and I will enter together, and we''ll bring Ye and Xing," Hei answered quickly.


    "I will train alone with Fenrir." Lang, in turn, gave her answer. Now only He Fen and Leon remained.


    He Fen was silent for a moment and replied, "If you want to train with me, it''s okay. But Song Yazhu''s words are correct. Even if we are companions, we are also adversaries."


    At He Fen''s words, Leon thought for a while before giving his answer. "No, it''s okay. Maybe it''s better to train each one on our own. Then, I''ll see you directly at the end of the lesson, I suppose."


    With this, the five of them and the three spirit beasts following them entered the training grounds'' complex according to the arrangement they had previously agreed. Hei and Lian, therefore, entered with Xing and Ye into one of the various fields there.


    The training ground, which was also called the cell, was like a vast bare room. There was nothing inside except the walls that bordered the cell. The only unusual thing there was the ceiling, which was transparent and allowed outside light to illuminate the entire cell.


    "Lian, can you take a look at the cell''s formation? Leon said it was possible to create a personal code. Also, did you figure out if there are hidden monitoring features?"


    "There are none. Unlike the external walls, the formations used here are simple, although the structure of their whole is complex. However, there are only two functions - managing the cell walls and damage resistance. There are no other hidden functions, at least from what I managed to analyze. What do you want to do?"


    So Lian turned to look at Hei. Over the week, Hei had asked Lian to begin studying the formations used in the various structures of the academy, including the training grounds. Unfortunately for them, the formations used in the castle were too complicated for Lian, and she couldn''t analyze them. Those of the external structures were simpler, especially the training grounds. However, the internal part was still missing, and only today, Lian was finally able to finish her analysis.


    "All right. I trust your skills. If you say that there are no monitoring functions, that''s fine. So... Ye, Xing!" Hei turned to his little sisters who were rolling on the ground. "It''s time to train seriously. Lian and I will be your opponents. But be careful because we won''t go easy. You have to do the same, okay?"


    ''Hehehe, the big brother and Lian want to challenge us? If we win, however, you will have to allow us to sleep more tomorrow morning.'' Ye and Xing brightly said as they took on their true size.


    "Okay, but if you lose, then you will eat less tonight. Keep one thing in mind, though - you don''t just have to use your physical attacks. Since we can fight at will for several hours, you have to use your elemental techniques to the full, or else it won''t make sense what we are doing."


    At that point, Hei and Lian headed against Ye and Xing at full speed. As Hei had said, he and Lian decided to get serious from the start, and to avoid losing their loved food, Ye and Xing adapted accordingly, fighting to the maximum of their strength.


    *


    Hei didn''t know exactly how long they had been fighting, but in the end, they heard a kind of metallic sound ringing everywhere - it was the alarm that signaled the end of the lessons. Hearing this, Hei got up from the ground battered - all his clothes were tattered, and his spirit power was practically running out. The same was true of Lian, who pulled new clothes for her and Hei from her space ring.


    Regarding the two small divine beasts, instead, Ye and Xing were lying on the ground and had returned to their petite form. A rumbling sound was coming from their bellies. Fortunately, however, they had won the challenge against Hei and Lian, and for that evening, they would be able to eat without limitations.


    "Get up. It''s time. We have to go." Hei said to his little sisters as he put on the robe Lian had given to him.


    ''I don''t want to. I am tired and hungry. ''(Ye)


    ''Yes. We have won the challenge, so the big brother should reward our hard work by carrying us on his arms.'' (Xing)


    At the words of his little sisters, Hei smiled and spoiled them as they asked. After taking them in his arms, Hei motioned for Lian to come out of their cell. Once out, from the long central corridor that divided the cells into two sections, they could see their classmates coming out one by one. Only a few people had chosen to train in pairs.


    "Hei, Lian!"


    When they left the training grounds'' complex, Hei and Lian were called from afar by Leon. Beside him were Lang and He Fen. Although they didn''t show it, Hei could notice the tiredness in their looks. Together, the group of five people and three spirit beasts went to the canteen where they met with their other companions.


    Once the dinner was over, the group had to separate again. There were secondary lessons for anyone practicing a secondary activity. Of Hei''s group, only He Fen and Lang were pure attack martial artists, concentrating all their efforts in combat. Therefore He Fen asked Lang to do a night sparring session, and after the high insistence from Lilian and Mia, Lang finally decided to accept He Fen''s proposal, bringing Fenrir with her as well. The others, however, each went to the structure set up for their secondary activity.


    "I''ll leave Xing with you then. Don''t forget; always remain careful, okay?" Hei was recommended to Lian as he handed over the little spider who had regained some of her energy.


    ''Don''t worry, big brother. Lian and I can take care of ourselves. ''Xing confidently replied as she climbed Lian''s head until she landed on top.


    "Xing is right, don''t worry about the two of us. Instead, focus on your alchemy lesson. We will wait for you here, in any case, to get back together. Ye, pay attention to Hei, can you do it for me?"


    ''Hehe, don''t worry, Lian. With me around, nobody will dare disturb Hei.'' Ye said, showing confidence equal to that of her sister.


    Hei smiled at these comments and separated from Lian and Xing to go to the alchemist facility. Fortunately, Ye would accompany him.


    ''Lian is becoming more and more expressive. I am happy, and certainly, Mother would have been too. I am glad that we didn''t go immediately to Dream Island. Without spending time with Old Tohyon and Ho Yeon-Hong and interacting with Ho Ri-Na and her pirates, I might not have been able to be willing to interact with others. Maybe that''s why I instinctively agreed to make friends with Leon and everyone else.''


    ''Big brother, are you okay? What are you thinking about?''


    ''No, it''s nothing. Just thoughts that came to mind. Instead, are you ready to take notes? I trust you for this important task.''


    ''Hahaha, leave it to me. I''ll show you how my handwriting has improved during this period.''


    ''Really? And when did you practice? Let''s see if you can surprise me!''


    So, Hei and Ye entered the facility for alchemists that was nothing but a large laboratory. There were numerous workstations to conduct experiments and prepare pills and potions.


    "Take a seat quickly on any workstation. Wherever you want."


    A female voice rang out somewhere in the lab, but wherever Hei turned his head, he couldn''t see the owner of the voice. The same was true of all the other alchemists of the first academic year.


    "I''m here in front of you."


    Eventually, a woman mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Upon seeing this, Hei was surprised because the woman didn''t use a footwork technique that was too fast for his eyes. No, the woman had slowly appeared as if an invisible veil was hiding her body and, only when she took it off, she became visible again.


    "As I thought. You are so tired that you haven''t even realized that there is an active formation of light''s distortion inside the laboratory. This isn''t good. As alchemists, war represents an opportunity to collect rare material from enemy space rings. There will be battles that last a few hours and others that last for days, months, or even years. If you want to survive, you have to get stronger and stronger as you continue to fight. And that also means creating pills even if you are exhausted. During these lessons, I will push you to the maximum of your energies until you dry up any residual spirit power left. If you are unable to bear this, then you may as well not take my course.


    As for today''s lesson, if you notice in the lockers under your workstation, you will find various containers with the blood of several spirit beasts inside. Each container contains a mixture of multiple different blood types and in different percentages. Furthermore, in some, there are external elements that I added myself. Your job is to divide every kind of blood from the mixture and purify them if they are contaminated. We will start with the blend number one. At the end of the lesson, I will review your work, and you will be assigned a certain amount of contribution points depending on my assessment. Well, get started."


    The woman who hadn''t introduced herself, started to rise from the ground, sitting with her legs crossed in mid-air. However, when she was about to close her eyes, she saw out of the corner of her eye, a young man with brown skin and long pitch-black hair approaching her.


    "Sorry, teacher-" Hei began to say before being interrupted.


    "Alchemist Liuxian. If you want to address me, call me like this. "


    "Alchemist Liuxian. I wanted to ask if it was possible to use the mixtures of an unoccupied position."


    To Hei''s question, Liuxian replied in an annoyed tone, "Do you think it''s easy enough to ask for two? If you want to show off, go somewhere else. I won''t give you a better score just because you did two mixes. Now go back to your desk and don''t bother me, or I''ll kick you out myself."


    Since Liuxian''s voice was loud, all the other alchemists on the course heard her words and glanced contemptuously at Hei, thinking he was trying to ingratiate himself with the teacher of the course.


    "It wasn''t my intention to bother you, Alchemist Liuxian. Nor do I want to show off. The reason for asking you to use other mixes is for my spirit beast. She is a rare type of snake with strong acidic capacity in her stomach due to the poison of gastric juices. I, therefore, wanted to train her in this ability by making her swallow different blood mixtures. I hope that the Alchemist Liuxian will accept my request."


    Hei bowed his head respectfully. He honestly wanted to avoid putting himself in the spotlight like that, but he had to do it. It was an excellent opportunity to train Ye''s Concept of Digestion further, and he didn''t want to give up that opportunity. Fortunately, the Concept of Xing was tied to her Law of Poison, and therefore the little spider could train it during the fighting.


    The alchemist Liuxian looked towards the small snake wrapped around that student''s neck. As an expert alchemist, she knew of alchemists who used the strong digestive capacity of certain spirit beasts to create special blends. Obviously, she didn''t even think that this wasn''t due to Ye''s natural digestive function but to the Concept of Digestion that Ye had awakened.


    "Alright. Let''s see what your snake can do. But you won''t get a better rating anyway."


    After receiving Liuxian''s permission, Hei returned to his station and started to work. By his side, Ye, lying on the counter, had swallowed the mixture entirely and was trying to separate the various components using her Concept of Digestion.


    The lesson then continued with that atmosphere of silence interrupted only by the noise produced by the various alchemists who were carrying out the separation process. As the alchemist Liuxian had said, the practical process was more difficult than expected. It wasn''t only because it was a mixture with unknown components, but above all, it was their low amount of spirit power that placed an enormous burden on them.


    At the end of the lesson, Hei was even more exhausted than before. The energies recovered with dinner had all been consumed. However, he was able to separate the various types of blood, although the final result couldn''t be defined as error-free since he had lost part of the components during the multiple separations. Ye instead got a better outcome thanks to her Concept of Digestion, but she too was far from a perfect result. In any case, however, this was true not only for them but also for everyone else.


    The alchemist Liuxian got everyone out of the lab while examining their results. Once she reached Hei''s post, she was surprised not so much by the result of the young martial artist but the one achieved by the little snake.


    ''Not bad for being a spirit beast. Even its master isn''t doing badly.''


    Meanwhile, Hei and Ye had reunited with Lian and Xing and headed towards the castle. Along the way, they met with their other companions, but they were too exhausted to chat with each other. So they headed each one towards their rooms. It had been a hard day, and all they wanted was a long rest. However, their training wasn''t over yet.


    Reluctantly, the two humans and the two little divine beasts got on the bed and started cultivating. As Song Yazhu had said, martial artists could replace sleep with cultivation. However, by doing so, mental fatigue would acc.u.mulate gradually. But if they wanted to get stronger as quickly as possible, such a grueling training program was mandatory.

 Chapter 155 - Spirit Metal

    At the Southern Royal War Academy, the days all looked the same. The tremendous physical and mental pressure imposed on students by the tight rhythm of lessons was felt from the first days. If it hadn''t been for the restoration of spirit power donated by the exceptional meals served in the canteen, it was in doubt whether the students could have continued in that way. Soon, Hei and the others began to lose track of time.


    Fortunately, there would be a day off every three days to recover from previous labors. But even so, it wasn''t like there were no people to train. In fact, very few people decided to relax all day. After all, they weren''t there to go on vacation, and every minute, every second more of training was a determining factor in their future. The same was true for Hei as well.


    During the days off, Hei would have kept the morning without training sessions to go to the Library instead. As the name suggested, that place contained books of all kinds regarding the world of martial artists and information on the Sun Empire. There, Hei, in the company of his little sisters and Lian, would have spent hours and hours on the books to deepen their knowledge of alchemy and formations and other facts about the empire.


    The structure of the Library was simple - long shelves containing an infinite number of books that students could take and read in one of the many desks set up for the structure. The books without contribution points provided general information on the selected topic. As for the combat techniques manuals, including elemental techniques, these could be required through a payment of contribution points. It should be said, however, that buying the manuals didn''t ensure the immediate learning of the technique, they only served as a reference during training. It was, in fact, to the understanding of the martial artist to reproduce what was written there.


    In addition to the manuals and books, the Library also contained another interesting object - Spirit Registration Spheres. It was the name given to the circular object created with a special crystal. Their function was to be able to record what happened around the crystal at 360¡ã while it was active. They were mainly used by the Martial Artists Historians, which was a subclass of a less widespread martial artist category who delighted themselves in recording the various events they witnessed. It was necessary to know that in addition to secondary activities, there were tertiary activities that had no direct use in war but were still relevant in the education of new martial artists.


    The Spirit Registration Spheres contained recordings of battles between martial artists of various ranks, ranging from spirit soldiers to fights between spirit emperors. The price of the Spirit Registration Spheres was high, but those who could afford it would be able to witness the battles of the geniuses of the past and have the opportunity to gather insights on how to improve. Hei was also interested, but since he had to depend entirely on himself for everything, he had to be thrifty with his contribution points.


    Fortunately, he possessed the Secret Dimension within the Heart. Although he couldn''t cultivate inside, for now, he could still use it as a place to plant rare plant seeds. Being a terrain in its own right and practically fueled with spirit power provided by the Heart, the soil had an extreme degree of purity. So growing plants there was therefore feasible. In that way, he could collect contribution points for acquiring manuals of combat techniques. After all, he also had Ye and Xing to think about, and they needed to learn moves based on their Elemental Laws.


    As for the afternoon of the days off, Hei would have had a group training session with Lian, Leon, and everyone else. As promised to them, Hei had revealed the true form of his little sisters to his companions, who were very surprised at that sight. The most astonished amid all of them was Lang; anyway, all of them accepted Ye and Xing without problems. Gradually, therefore, they got used to the real form of Ye and Xing and the contrast with their cute petite form.


    So the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. Except for the accident on the first day he arrived, Hei didn''t encounter any other accidents, devoting himself entirely to his training. Unexpectedly, the difficulty of advancing after reaching the rank of spirit soldier had increased dramatically. Although he had the cultivation method taught by Bao Bei and a large number of spirit stones and other resources, and although there was a higher amount of spirit power on the Continent, his speed was no longer as before. It wasn''t only true for him but all the other students as well, including the members of the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Prince.


    After six months at the academy, the cultivation level reached by Hei and his companions was the following.


    Hei, early third stage spirit soldier;


    Lian, early third stage spirit soldier;


    Leon, middle third stage spirit soldier;


    Haruno, middle second stage spirit soldier;


    Mareo, middle second stage spirit soldier;


    Lilian, high second stage spirit soldier;


    Mia, high second stage spirit soldier;


    Lang, early third stage spirit soldier;


    He Fen, early third stage spirit soldier.


    As for the three spirit beasts, Ye, Xing, and Fenrir, they had a strength comparable to that of their tamers, that is to say, early third stage spirit soldier. And since six months had passed, it was finally time for one of the tests assigned by the Southern Royal War Academy to evaluate the results achieved by its students.


    "As you well know, two assessment tests are scheduled for the first year. These aren''t only important because they will decide whether you have the qualifications to remain here or not but above all for the contribution points rewards that will be provided to you. As you know, at the Exchange Center, you have the opportunity to exchange your contribution points for any object you want. The rarer the object, the higher the cost."


    Song Yazhu was standing in front of the class of nearly five thousand people who made up the first year. In these six months, the teacher assigned by the Sun Empire for the first academic year of the Southern Royal War Academy had been uncompromising, severely punishing those who dared to laze during lessons. And although the lessons on the Elemental Laws were individual or in pairs without the supervision of a teacher, Song Yazhu could see with a glance who had trained seriously and who hadn''t. As a result, the number of retreats that could no longer withstand the extreme pressure of academic life had exceeded one hundred.


    "The objects displayed in the Exchange Centers are quite common in general; there aren''t extremely valuable resources. However, in view of the academic tests, the Empire provides materials from its own treasury, which cannot be purchased elsewhere, thus making them very rare. And the Empire this year has decided to supply spirit metal ingots in addition to other resources. Therefore, whoever has the required number of contribution points can have a weapon created with spirit metal."


    After listening to the words'' spirit metal'', most students widened their eyes and mouths as if they couldn''t believe it. An incredible excitement could be seen in their faces.


    "Regarding the spirit metal, for those who don''t know, it is the most precious metal existing in nature. The Sun Empire directly controls every mine of spirit metal, and whoever is caught stealing even a single fragment is punished with death. The reason for the spirit metal''s value isn''t so much for its strength or flexibility or another important characteristic for blacksmiths. If you are looking for these parameters, there are more suitable metals to use as a basis for your weapons. However, spirit metal is the only metal capable of growing.


    Weapon Materialization, or the materialization of a weapon-type Artifact Spirit. As you well know, Artifact Spirits differ in two types - formation and weapon. Those belonging to the formation type are Artifact Spirits created naturally, over time. They have their own consciousness and can act independently.


    The Artifact Spirits of weapon type are instead devoid of conscience but follow the instruction of the user. They are created from the division of part of your own soul that would be put inside the weapon. In that way, they can mirror and amplify your Elemental Laws by creating a being of spirit power that reflects your very essence. Your combat power will enormously increase if you manage to reach the stage of materialization, but even before that, your attacks will suffer from a sharp increase in power.


    The spirit metal, therefore, represents the only material at present for which all this is possible. Hence its importance and the strict control imposed by the Sun Empire. However, there is one detail to remember. To reach the stage of materialization, you must continuously infuse your weapon with your spirit power, and this is done through cultivation.


    However, after dividing part of your soul to begin the process of forming the Weapon Artifact Spirit, every time you cultivate, part of the spirit power that should have gone into you will go to the weapon, consequently slowing your speed of cultivation. Not surprisingly, despite the attractiveness it possesses, only very few martial artists choose to take that path. But, whoever has the strength to persevere will become a dragon among men, dominating all the other martial artists with equal cultivation.


    There is a point, however, that I must specify. The spirit metal is the only material presently capable of receiving part of the soul of a martial artist. However, whoever has weapons created with the body and bloodline of a divine beast is, in turn, able to reach the stage of materialization."


    When Song Yazhu finished his lengthy explanation, the students all had different reactions. Some were excited about the possibility of being able to get their hands on the spirit metal since only the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families had free access to that resource. Others were hesitant because of the slowdown in cultivation that they would experience. Others instead had already firmly decided not to target the spirit metal as the asking price would be too high for them. And amid this flow of thoughts, Hei was reliving memories of the past in his mind.


    "Weapon Materialization - N¨¡gar¨¡ja!"


    A fifteen-meter half-human and half-snake figure appeared in the sky behind a man suspended in the air.


    "Yes, Sh¨¦, meaning Snake! Ba Serpent Bloodline, Activate!"


    The man''s eyes became two vertical slits as the skin took on a greenish color.


    "Then, Secret Technique of the Sh¨¦ Family, Hydra Mode!


    Nine long snake heads created with spirit power were generated from the man''s back


    "And finally, the final blow! Poison Domain - Snake Storm! "


    The spirit power of man expanded outside to create a gigantic sphere. Inside there was an infinity of small green snakes created with spirit power.


    As he lived the clash between his mother and the family head of the Sh¨¦ family, commanded by the One Who Hides Behind the Curtains, Hei''s spirit power began to fluctuate threateningly as his face contracted with anger. But before he could unleash his tumultuous spirit power outside, Hei felt something warm touching his face. Turning around, he saw that Lian had stretched out her hand to caress his face. The young woman''s gaze was fixed on Hei.


    "Bao Bei left us your spear and my ribbons for a purpose. Even if it is the same technique, what is important is the use you make of it. Besides, if the materialization of the weapon reflects our essence, then I think I know what your Artifact Spirit will be."


    As Lian spoke, Leon and all the other companions near them looked at them more surprised than when Song Yazhu had mentioned the spirit metal. In these six months, they had learned about Hei and Lian, but it was the first time they saw Hei almost losing his control in that way. Fortunately, Lian''s intervention brought the situation back to normal.


    "Thanks, Lian. Sorry if I made you worry," said Hei as he took a deep breath and calmed his anger. He thought he had become better at managing his emotions regarding that day, but as soon as he heard about the Weapon Materialization, the memories of that fight emerged back into him.


    From his position, Song Yazhu took a quick look at Hei. He noticed the slight agitation of the young man''s spirit power, but since nothing had happened, he feigned ignorance and continued.


    "The test you will have to face consists of going to a region in the territories of the Empire, which is inhabited exclusively by spirit beasts. It is one of the many areas left as training grounds for young martial artists. Your task is to limit the population of spirit beasts existing there and gather their spirit cores. You must collect five second-level spirit cores to avoid being expelled, while from the sixth onwards, you will be given a certain number of contribution points based on the spirit power contained within each spirit core.


    The region where you will go to is a vast forest with lakes and rivers inside. For security reasons, any spirit beast that has reached the third level and above will be cleaned up by a team of spirit master and spirit grandmasters. Therefore, inside, you will find only second and lower level spirit beasts. But don''t think that just because you have to face second-level spirit beasts at most, the test would be easy. The mortality rate is very high, and I expect that at least one hundred of you will not return to the academy alive.


    I''m not kidding, I really think so. I have carefully examined your every improvement over the past few months, and I am well aware of your strengths and your limitations. This even without having witnessed your understanding of the Elemental Laws. At best, a hundred of you will die, becoming food for the spirit beasts there. However, the number of victims is more likely to exceed that number.


    If you don''t feel confident in your abilities, then it is better that you withdraw from the Southern Royal War Academy. How others have done it previously, if you cannot bear the rhythm and difficulties of the academy, you aren''t cut to stay here. Find something else to do for a living, or you can join a minor war academy where you will be nothing but a big fish in a small lake. As I said on the first day of the course, only the best of the best are accepted here, and those who don''t have the ability should retire, or they will risk dying. This is true, regardless of whether you come from an ordinary family or an influential family.


    Wars aren''t won if you have the highest number of spirit soldiers, but are won with the number of spirit emperors at your disposal. And to create even a single Spirit Emperor, the Sun Empire is willing to sacrifice hundreds, thousands, or even millions of young martial artists. And this also applies to the children of the Eight Big Families'' family heads or the Sun Emperor''s direct children


    To protect humanity from the danger represented by the demons, the Empire is willing to do anything it can do. If you don''t dare to put your life at risk, get out of here!"

 Chapter 156 - Making a Team

    "To protect humanity from the danger represented by the demons, the Empire is willing to do anything it can do. If you don''t dare to put your life at risk, get out of here!"


    When Song Yazhu said those words, Hei could feel a strong belief in his eyes as if it were some sort of creed. It could be called fanaticism in a certain way, yet it was this belief that kept humans together and prevented them from biting each other. The mere presence of the demons was what prevented the collapse of human society, but at the same time, it was also the threat that could lead to the extinction of humanity. The same could also be said of the humans regarding the situation in the demon society.


    Over these six months, Hei had seen such fanaticism in the eyes of other first-year students. But it was mainly in the teachers that this belief was present since each of them had participated in at least one battle against the Moon Empire. Hei, who wasn''t born in the Sun Empire, wondered if the war could change people that much.


    "Teacher Song Yazhu, is it really as dangerous as you say? Aren''t they second-level spirit beasts in the end? We are all spirit soldiers, so killing five second-level spirit beasts and recovering their spirit cores shouldn''t be a problem. Why then, do you think at least a hundred of us will die?"


    At one point, one of the students raised a question to Song Yazhu. The spirit king teacher observed this student as if expecting something like this and quickly replied, "When you came here, most had just advanced to the rank of spirit soldier. After six months, your cultivation mainly oscillates between the second and third stages, with someone who is even approaching the fourth one. Considering the effects of your Elemental Laws and your other available cards, you may be able to kill second-level spirit beasts comparable to a fourth stage, perhaps even fifth-stage ones, if you act in a group. However, in the forest, there will also be spirit beasts comparable to a seventh stage, although they are only a few."


    "Teacher Song Yazhu, then wouldn''t it be enough to avoid the strong spirit beasts that we cannot defeat? If they represent the minority, I don''t see the problem at all." The student kept pressing on with his questions. He really couldn''t understand why Song Yazhu had previously said so.


    "Do you know the theory about the effects of spirit power on fertility?" Song Yazhu asked, but seeing that only a few had nodded their heads, he went on to explain, "When a couple of martial artists get married and try to have children, the higher their rank, the more difficult it is to conceive a child. It is no coincidence that the newborns in the most important families are always few. However, the newborn child will most often possess a talent comparable to that of the parents if not even superior.


    The reason for this is because of the body''s exposure to spirit power. The strengthening of the body due to spirit power causes a decrease in fertility in individuals, making conception difficult. It''s the price we high-ranking martial artists pay for our strength. However, rest assured that there have never been cases of total sterility throughout history. It could take days, months, even years, but the various couples of high-rank martial artists in the end always manage to conceive at least one child.


    Experiments have been done by pairing martial artists of both genders with people with a low rank or even without having awakened their spirit power. An increase in newborns'' numbers has been noted in these couples, but due to the weak parent, these children generally end up with a low degree of talent. Of course, there are always exceptions to such cases.


    This theory can be applied to both demons and spirit beasts. However, in spirit beasts, this infertility process is slightly different. In spirit beasts from level 0, meaning simple animals, up to level 3, spirit power causes a vertiginous increase of fertility in them. From level 4, instead, their fertility starts to drop. It means that every female specimen of spirit beast can generate dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of cubs throughout its life. Therefore, even if you avoid the strongest spirit beasts, the number of spirit beasts you can hunt still reaches an absurd amount. If you make a false move without reasoning, you may end up facing an entire colony or herd of spirit beasts."


    When Song Yazhu finished explaining the theory of fertility and other related implications, all the students of the first academic year of the Southern Royal War Academy understood the reason for his words. Indeed, just facing a dozen spirit beasts simultaneously alone was impossible for them, let alone a hundred or a thousand.


    "It is for this reason that the various War Academies are used to reduce the population of these territories so as to avoid that the spirit beasts become too numerous and end up invading the surrounding territories. At the same time, it represents an excellent opportunity for you young martial artists to grow.


    As I said before, the test will take place inside a forest. However, inside, you will find various ecosystems, since there are areas with rivers and lakes. You will be there for seven days, and it will be possible for you to form teams with any number of companions that you consider valid. Keep in mind one thing, though. Being inside a group is undoubtedly safer than wandering alone. However, it also means that the number of spirit cores will have to be divided by the number of people. Also, you are prohibited from killing or permanently injuring your other companions. If you find out about this crime, you will be severely punished. I hope this is clear to each of you.


    Well, the lesson is over. The other lessons are now suspended. You will leave in three days, so I strongly advise you to start your preparations."


    Song Yazhu then left the classroom, leaving the students who started talking to each other. With the danger posed by the native spirit beasts of the forest, everyone wanted to team up with talented people who could help with the test. However, there was also the problem of trust and if they could learn to cooperate well in this short period of time given to them.


    "Let''s get out of here. Come to our room so we can talk freely." Haruno proposed to their group, watching some groups leave the classroom.


    "Yes, it is better to discuss how to move between us first." Mareo supported his partner''s proposal.


    Since it was a reasonable proposition, Hei and the others quickly accepted and followed them to their room. Once settled inside, they began to discuss how they should move.


    "Before I started, I wanted to ask if everyone was okay with grouping between us. Previously, I asked you to come here, but I don''t know if maybe some of you would prefer to be alone." Haruno said with a little uncertainty. As a martial artist chef, to pass the test, he had to team up with other martial artists.


    Seeing that none of them refused to such an idea, Mareo added, "Then we will make a team. But there are a few points that I think are best clarified, especially with Hei and Lang. You two are beast tamers and have an even closer connection with spirit beasts than other tamers. Are you okay with this test?"


    To Mareo''s question, Lang was the first to answer. "We of the Beast Families consider spirit beasts as intelligent and worthy creatures to live. However, we aren''t against killing spirit beasts, as long as it is done for a meaningful purpose."


    "The same is true for me as well. In my life, I have killed many spirit beasts to get the necessary food for my family. I always tried to keep the number as low as possible. Nonetheless, sometimes I was forced to kill the spirit beasts that threatened us. If it''s about killing some spirit beast for food or self-defense, that''s fine. But I''m not going to kill spirit beasts just to get contribution points."


    Hei replied after Lang, and his words intensified the idea of ??how spirit beasts were intelligent and worthy of being treated with respect.


    As if he had foreseen it, Mareo let out a sigh. "I thought you would have said such a thing. In fact, after these six months spent together, I started to appreciate the spirit beasts more thanks to Ye, Xing, and Fenrir. I guess the same goes for everyone else."


    "Yes, at first, I got a little scared, especially when Ye and Xing revealed their true form. After that initial fright, I found that they are indeed very cute and affectionate. The same goes for Fenrir. At first, I was worried about sharing the room with a beast tamer who had a wolf of this size, but Fenrir has always been good and calm and has never created problems." Mia confessed her thoughts in a small voice.


    Hearing it, Lilian laughed and expressed her version, "The only problem is that Fenrir doesn''t let himself be caressed while Ye and Xing are too gluttonous. I don''t know how you did it before. They eat double or triple than each of us, and we cannot say that we are types who eat little. After all, the intense regime of the academy causes great hunger."


    "I, too, have become attached to them. But there is always the problem of gathering the spirit cores. Even taking away the spirit beasts killed as a daily food requirement, we must collect at least five of them each to avoid expulsion. And since we are nine, as the tamers and their spirit beasts are considered as a single entity, we must collect 45 if we want to pass the test." Leon said in a disconsolate tone. They were really at a crossroads.


    "Actually, there is a way, just think about the last things that the teacher Song Yazhu told us." All of a sudden, He Fen, who had remained silent so far, spoke and surprised his companions.


    At He Fen''s words, Hei understood immediately. "Are you talking about attacking other groups and stealing their spirit cores?"


    "Yup. Song Yazhu only said that we are forbidden to kill. He didn''t tell us that fighting between us is prohibited. Given the danger of the forest and the prizes set up by the empire, the competition will be tight. I doubt that we are the only ones who have understood this, and surely someone else will try to take advantage of it to chase away as many people as possible. The less of us there are, the less intense the competition, especially in consideration of future tests."


    After He Fen finished his analysis, everyone else meditated on his words. What he said made sense, and surely there would be such groups. The only problem was the grudge that would ensue if they tried to do such a thing. Before they could decide, Hei expressed his opinion.


    "Look, I''m not going to force any of you to do it if you don''t want to. Attacking other groups means making other classmates as enemies. So I can understand if you don''t feel up to it. I won''t judge you for that alone or treat you differently if you decide to join other groups to hunt spirit beasts. But I will follow He Fen''s suggestion, even if I end up being alone."


    At his side, Lian supported his idea, "You won''t be alone, there will be me, Ye, and Xing too. But Hei is right; the test is about your future as a martial artist. So it''s something you have to decide for yourselves."


    "For me, there are no problems. Initially, I had no other friends here, and the only ones I have are you. Making the other classmates enemies doesn''t worry me."


    "For me, too, there are no problems. Fenrir and I are more than glad about this proposal."


    "Since I suggested it, you can count on me as well."


    Quickly, Leon, Lang, and He Fen gave their answers. There was no hesitation in their voice. Now only Haruno, Mareo, Lilian, and Mia remained. As supporting martial artists, if they applied to other groups, they would be immediately accepted. After all, besides the beast tamers who had a strong knowledge of spirit beasts, these categories of supporting martial artists were indispensable for ensuring survival and efficient performance. Hei would have liked to have them with him, but he couldn''t force their decision.


    "What''s the problem? Most of our year are stuffed shirts. If we give them a few blows, maybe it''s the right time that they become better people. Count Mia and me in the group."


    "Lilian is right. And then, with the matter of Feng Gengxin, I doubt that I in Mareo will be able to find people willing to accept us. Even if he hasn''t created any direct problems, for now, I doubt that such a guy has forgotten about the accident in the canteen. He will likely try to stand in our way if he learns that we are looking for groups. So I''ll do it; I think for you too, Mareo, it is okay, isn''t it? "


    "Yes, it''s okay. Honestly, I''m still not totally convinced of this idea. But I''m not going to abandon my comrades if they need me. "


    Listening to everyone''s answers, Hei bowed his head and thanked them. "Thanks for accepting and sorry for my selfishness. I will definitely pay you back."


    "What are you saying? We have to thank you. Without you and Lian, this group would probably never have formed." Leon replied to Hei for all of them as he smiled.


    At that point, after deciding how they would act during the test, Hei and the others went on to organize everything that could be useful for them. Since they were already twelve, counting the three spirit beasts, they decided not to include anyone else. There were various reasons for this decision.


    First, a too-large group would have had more difficulty moving and was easier to spot. Second, each of them was a martial artist with their own specialty, and therefore they were covered in all fields. Their only weakness was perhaps the lack of a purely defensive martial artist, but Hei estimated that with Xing''s silk and Lian''s ribbons, they could easily make up for that lack.


    Therefore, during these days, they divide to take care of each of their tasks. Hei was assisted by Lilian and Mia in creating potions and pills useful for emergencies. Leon began to manufacture various metal structures to be used as temporary shelters, and Lian supported him by carving formations in the metal that was used. Haruno instead closed himself in the kitchen to prepare the dough for pasta in sufficient quantities for the whole week. Mareo, He Fen, and Lang instead closed in their rooms to reach their peak condition.


    In this way, the three days passed quickly, and the first-year students of the Southern Royal War Academy were transferred to the place where they would take their test.

 Chapter 157 - Fighting the Jaguars

    As Song Yazhu described, the place where they would take their test was a vast forest. This type of habitat was widespread in the territories of the empire because it could host numerous types of spirit beasts, including aquatic ones due to the presence of rivers and lakes that were inside. There were also other types of habitats, some very unfriendly, but the Southern Royal War Academy decided to opt for something simple as a first test for the first year.


    "We are at the outer edge of the forest. Since an internal ranking hasn''t yet been made among you, first-year students, you will all enter in unison this time. Once inside, you can go where you want, as long as you stay inside the forest. As I said, the period of stay is one week. I hope you have used these days well to adjust accordingly. Well then. Begin!"


    At the same time, as Song Yazhu gave his signal, all the first-year students of the Southern Royal War Academy sprinted into the forest. Speed ??in these early stages was an indispensable element. After all, the first group to finish exploring the forest would also be the first to choose their hunting spot. Finding a place full of spirit beasts that weren''t too dangerous was what they were aiming for.


    As for Hei, he was currently in front of his group and was leading them into the forest. With a unanimous decision, it had been decided that he would be in charge of the group. Besides his strength, it was because of his knowledge about the spirit beasts that the others had chosen him as a leader. Lang would have been a good candidate as well, but her even more reserved character than Hei made her unsuitable for leading a group.


    "For the moment, we will go a few kilometers inside, starting from the outer limit. We will keep the disposition we have designed these days. I will stand in front with Ye and Xing on me. Leon and He Fen on the sides while Lang and Fenrir in the rear. Behind me, there will be Lilian, Mia, Mareo, and Haruno, while Lian will be among them, ready to protect them in case of danger. If you have questions and doubts about how to act, remember not to go on your own. And more importantly, do not attack spirit beasts for no reason, especially if they don''t pose a threat to us. It isn''t just for morality, but more for our survival. At the moment, nearly five thousand intruders have infiltrated this territory. There is no doubt that this will piss off the strongest spirit beasts. If we start leaving blood trails everywhere, we will soon end up being surrounded."


    Hei immediately issued his orders. From the confident way in which he was proceeding in those unknown territories, and the foresight even in the smallest movements made others understand that they had made the right choice in appointing him as the leader. However, since they didn''t possess his knowledge in the habitats inhabited by spirit beasts, there were still those who had questions.


    "Hey, isn''t it better to pick up the pace? I understand that it is better to avoid flying because of flying spirit beasts, but we can still run. The other groups have now distanced us a lot. In these initial stages, the first to finish the exploration will be in an advantageous position." He Fen asked as he looked around to see if there were any other first-year classmates.


    It should be known that, except for the first dash inside the forest, Hei had ordered his group to proceed walking. Of all the groups, they were the only ones to have adopted such a method. Even the other beast tamers had preferred to run at full speed rather than walk.


    "If we run, we will soon be spotted." Lang gave a concise answer from behind.


    "Lang is right. The spirit beasts of the forest are examining the groups that are running. As soon as these groups start attacking, the spirit beasts will respond to the attack. Our goal isn''t the spirit beasts, but our classmates. Therefore, we should save our strength in these early stages and let others weaken themselves. At that point, we will start moving. Before I continue, though, I want you to rub this on yourself. Lang, you prepared what I asked for, right?"


    At Hei''s question, Lang pulled glass containers, with a strange liquid inside, out of her space ring. In addition to the containers, there were also a series of bags with what looked like excrement inside. At the sight of this, all of them, excluding Hei, Lian, and Lang, were disgusted by that view.


    "Spirit beasts have very high senses, superior to human ones. Even if we don''t make noise, they can still identify us with their sense of smell. It is, therefore, important to mask our smell." Hei explained as he took the bags from Lang and started spreading the contents on his little sisters.


    Seeing how serious Hei was about it, Lilian tried an alternative. "Can''t we use anything else? I don''t know, soil and foliage, for example? Not that I have something against Fenrir, but isn''t this perhaps a little too much?"


    "It could also be done in that way. However, before I used the term masking, not hiding. As they level up, the spirit beasts become more intelligent. If they notice the smell of earth and moving foliage, they could be suspicious since I don''t know how many plant or tree type spirit beasts are present and above all which species. Therefore, it is better to use the smell of something that is already moving in itself. Besides, using all the same smell of Fenrir, meaning a wolf, we can mask ourselves for a pack. Unfortunately, spiders and snakes are more solitary creatures, and consequently, we cannot use the feces and urine of Ye and Xing."


    "Well, considering we all elected him unanimously, it''s too late to back down. Lang, give me one of those bags. Since we''ve gone this far, we might as well keep walking all the way." Leon said resignedly. However, there was a faint smile on his face as if he were amused about that situation.


    Seeing that Leon had also given up, everyone else soon followed him and started to sprinkle themselves with Fenrir''s urine and feces, which didn''t seem very happy that his wastes were exposed to everyone. However, he also understood that it was the best method for their hunt and gave no other complaints.


    ''How about Fenrir? Who is more wolf-like, in your opinion? Me or Xing?''


    ''Don''t say nonsense, Ye. Of course, it''s me who looks more like a wolf. You only have fangs, but I also have claws.''


    ''But yours aren''t claws; they are legs. And if you want to play like this, then I own a tail which you don''t have.''


    Ye and Xing, still in their petite form, began to quarrel over who looked more like a wolf. Even though they were arguing, it was more like one of the many sister bickering they had all the time. Unfortunately for Fenrir, though, he too had been pulled in the middle.


    As for the three of them, their relationship had strangely settled despite their differences. Unlike Ye and Xing, who were lively and expansive, Fenrir was quite similar to his mistress. In fact, he had a calm and cold character and carried on himself a dignity and pride typical of his species. But facing the cheerfulness of that little spider and that little snake, even his wall of ice was melted, and he could only surrender and participate in the games of Ye and Xing.


    The main reason for his surrender, however, concerned Lang, who loved to sit and observe for hours the interaction between the three spirit beasts. Seeing his mistress, who had been carrying a tremendous burden on herself since she was a child, becoming happy and carefree, made Fenrir want to do more to bring her a smile. So, soon, he too unconsciously rediscovered the happiness of playing, which he had long forgotten.


    Once they had finished masking their smell, Hei and the others kept going inside. Occasionally they saw some spirit beasts, but because they were still in the outskirts, they were mostly first-level spirit beasts. These spirit beasts ran away as soon as they came into contact with that unusual group that carried the smell of wolves. Only a few reckless spirit beasts tried to show hostility towards them, but it was enough for Fenrir to uncover his teeth with a growl to chase away even the bravest of the spirit beasts.


    However, things didn''t go so smoothly forever. When they had walked for several kilometers, suddenly they heard the sound of hooves ringing around them.


    "Be careful; it''s coming," Hei whispered to his companions, who tightened the formation even more. On his shoulders, Ye and Xing were making the most of their detection capabilities to understand the noise''s origin.


    Suddenly, a spirit beast about a meter and a half came out of the thick foliage of the forest. It had a long neck and large ears while its fur had a reddish-brown color that contrasted with the horizontal white stripes on the four legs of the creature.


    "It''s an okapi," Lang exclaimed, slightly surprised as she immediately recognized the spirit beast in front of her.


    Hei had recognized the okapi as well. However, his gaze was fixed on the point from which this spirit beast had come out. In fact, his little sisters had warned him that there was a whole herd of spirit beasts approaching. Even Fenrir noticed it and began to growl and howl fiercely to alert the approaching herd of spirit beasts to move away. But his warning went unheeded.


    From the foliage of the forest, there was a loud roar, and a black spirit beast came out from the same direction of the okapi. It was a fierce creature of nearly three meters long.


    "Black Jaguar, also known as the Black Panther," Hei commented in a guarded voice. He could easily guess the danger of such a spirit beast by merely looking.


    "Is that a jaguar? Weren''t they of a different color?" Haruno asked as he stood motionless in the center, awaiting instructions.


    "Certain types of spirit beasts can end up developing melanism, meaning an excess of black pigmentation, including jaguars," Hei replied briefly while not taking his eyes off the black jaguar.


    In the meantime, the okapi, realizing that its pursuer was stationary, used that opportunity to return into the foliage. Thanks to the particular color of its fur, the okapi could take advantage of the sun''s filtered light to blend in. Quickly, it became impossible to follow it with the sight, and its smell was becoming weaker.


    The black jaguar, left without his prey, turned its attention to that strange group that had the smell of wolves and yet only one of them was really a wolf.


    ''Filthy humans. What are you doing here? Because of you, I lost my prey.'' The jaguar let out a series of roars that were understood only by Hei and Lang, who knew how to talk to the spirit beasts. Because she was bound by the spirit pact with Ye and Xing, Lian also understood what the black jaguar said after the translation of the two little divine beasts.


    "We didn''t mean to offend you or disturb your hunting session. We were passing here by chance. I ask you to let us go without making a fuss; we have no bad intentions against you. However, if you don''t leave us other alternatives, we will respond by force if necessary." Hei replied, while with his hair, he wrote the following phrase behind his back ''get ready to fight.''


    The black jaguar was surprised because the brown-skinned human answered him immediately without the interlude of a spirit beast. Furthermore, the language used was that of spiders, a language infrequent to listen to, at least by the jaguars. However, Hei''s calm but firm tone irritated him, mainly because he showed no fear of it.


    ''Insolent! Do you think that only because you are numerous can you beat me? Then let me show you the true strength of us jaguars.''


    Emitting another roar, eleven other jaguars suddenly emerged and formed a circle around Hei''s group. One of them was holding by the neck, the unfortunate okapi who had tried to escape. Ten of them had the classic bronze yellow color that varied towards the reddish-brown with dark spots in the shape of a rose; the last specimen instead had a pure white color and went to position itself near the black jaguar, rubbing its head against the black jaguar


    "White, albinism. A female. The black one is a male. They are a couple." Lang revealed as Fenrir stood in front of her.


    "Hei, give the signal. We''re ready." Lian communicated to Hei confidently. She wasn''t afraid even in this situation in which they had suddenly been surrounded. The others, instead, including Lang, had a worried look because they didn''t think they had to fight immediately against so many spirit beasts. However, noting Lian''s full of confidence tone, their concern eased, and they reestablished their fighting spirit.


    Hei took a quick look at the jaguar pack and murmured to himself.


    ''Aside from the groups of mothers with their cubs, jaguars are typically solitary creatures. But this applies in normal conditions. In a forest full of spirit beasts and, therefore, possible predators, variations to this rule may occur. I had to be more careful. It is my fault now if we have been surrounded.''


    "Jaguar pack leader. Please calm your anger and listen to the reason. This is a clash that you don''t want. Don''t force me to react. I don''t want to kill specimens as beautiful as you. Your companions have taken okapi, so I kindly ask you to let us go."


    ''Poor fool. Do you really think we will let go of the prey when it is right in front of our eyes? That miserable okapi isn''t enough to satisfy us. But I have heard rumors of how delicious the flesh of you human is, especially that of martial artists.''


    At that point, Hei sighed. The black jaguar had no intention of reasoning and letting them go. Even if he didn''t want to, at the same time, he certainly wouldn''t pull back from the fight.


    "You wanted it. The only fault of it what''s going to happen now is only yours, remember that. However, I will at least make sure that all your teammates will follow you. Ye, Xing, fighting mode. For today, we eat jaguar meat!"


    The little spider and the small snake jumped from Hei''s shoulders, and in midair, they turned into gigantic creatures of three meters in length. Seeing this, everyone pulled out their weapons and activated their spirit power. Soon the pressure of nine spirit soldiers and three second-level spirit beasts spread over the jaguars.


    Nevertheless, the herd of jaguars didn''t appear at all worried. They also roared and activated their spirit power, showing their strength as second-level spirit beasts. However, the biggest pressure was being emanated by the black jaguar who locked its gaze towards Hei. As the leader of its pack, it was reasonable to aim the leader of the other group.


    Hei noticed its gaze and answered it with a smile. His long pitch-black hair had stood up in the air and were swaying threateningly while holding the purple spear with red veins. At the same time, Hei showed his blue teeth and green fingernails and assumed the Full Combat Mode. His target was the black jaguar.


    "Do not hesitate. Kill them as fast as possible. This is the result of their own actions."


    After saying this, Hei quickly sprang forward, followed by Ye and Xing, who were happy to finally be able to fight against someone they could kill and against whom they didn''t have to limit themselves.

 Chapter 158 - Fighting the Jaguars - 2

    Roar!!!


    Hiss!!!


    Wooo!!!


    In that section of forest, the peace that has been dwelling up to now was broken by the loud battle cries of the spirit beasts involved.


    "Do not hesitate. Kill them as fast as possible. This is the result of their own actions."


    Hei snapped forward, followed by Ye and Xing. His target was the black jaguar who led the pack of jaguars. Quickly, his spirit power came out, creating the protective layer that had become more resistant due to the increase of cultivation.


    Peng!


    The nearly three-meter black jaguar charged him with incredible power and ferocity. Its eyes were filled with the desire to tear apart the human who had dared to show so much irreverence and threaten him. Its legs that ended in a series of claws sharp as blades rose threateningly into the air and descended towards Hei. However, the latter was quick to maneuver his hair and interpose his spear horizontally to parry the attack. Even so, however, Hei had to support his spear with both hands so as not to be swept back by the momentum of his enemy.


    ''Spider Lance + Beast Claws, Penetrating Kick!''


    As soon as he stopped being pushed back, Hei took advantage of pause after that violent charge to perform his counterattack. By concentrating spirit power on his left foot, Hei blew up the boot he had on his foot.


    A series of green claws were present at the end of the toes. Raising his foot vertically upwards, Hei kicked at the throat of the creature that was attacking him. But, as expected by a second-level spirit beast, accustomed to fighting every day to survive, it wasn''t easy to catch it off guard despite the anger in its eyes.


    The black jaguar dodged with agility by jumping backward and returning to a distance of a few meters. From the way it opened its mouth, exposing the long string of sharp teeth, it seemed to be mocking Hei for his naivety in thinking that such an attack would work.


    Indeed, Hei had developed this fighting tactic to surprise opponents. Against those who didn''t know his moves, it was easy to catch them off guard since their attention would be concentrated on his hands. Nonetheless, his opponent wasn''t a human but a spirit beast with more developed and sensitive senses. But despite failing in his attack, Hei didn''t seem worried at all.


    As soon as the jaguar dodged backward, Hei chased him and waved his hair to direct his spear against the black jaguar. The spirit beast responded by waving its strong legs and repulsed every spear blow.


    ''Stupid human! Do you think you can win against me against these tricks?'' the black jaguar said in a tone that suggested it wasn''t taking Hei seriously even though Hei was fighting against it.


    Hei didn''t reply and continued his assault. He had no intention of taking the bait launched by the black jaguar. And his decision proved correct because the black jaguar got even more angry, thus creating an imprecision in its hitherto perfect defense.


    ''Snake Fist!''


    Like a snake waiting for his prey, Hei reached out his left hand to target one of the jaguar''s eyes. Among the techniques available to him, Snake Fist was by far one of the fastest and had a short execution time, so much that it was almost instantaneous.


    Scratch!


    Hei''s hand, which depicted the mouth of a snake, scratched part of the face of his prey, which at the end managed to avoid being hit in the eyes. The sturdy body of the black jaguar allowed it to come out with only a very slight hint of scratch, but the mere fact of being hit by someone whom it had been mocking a little while ago was a shame on the pride of the black jaguar.


    Roar! Slash!


    The black jaguar opened its mouth and attempted to respond by biting Hei in turn. But before it could even move its head to direct its attack, something sharp came toward it. The black jaguar was then hit at the base of the jaw and sent flying sideways.


    ''Spider Style, Spider Leg!''


    Spider Leg. A technique created by Hei by imitating his little sister Xing''s way of fighting. As expected by the son of the Nightmare Spider, Hei wasn''t only able to modify the techniques of the spider and snake style given to him by Bao Bei; he also had the ability to create further techniques, increasing the danger of his styles.


    Taking advantage of the elasticity of his muscles and bones combined with the sharpness of his claws, Hei could move his arms horizontally, vertically, and obliquely as if they were a sort of blade, consequently causing a cutting wound. Furthermore, what made this move even more dangerous was the fact that its execution speed was as fast as Snake Fist, making it difficult to avoid in close combat.


    ''Intent of the Spear, Spider Thrust!''


    Being able to land an attack didn''t lead to the victory of the fight. It wasn''t a friendly competition, but a struggle for survival. Therefore, until the black jaguar stopped breathing, Hei wouldn''t stop attacking.


    So, Hei threw forward his spear supported by his hair. The weapon stuck on the stomach of the black jaguar that had been sent flying, nailing the creature to the ground. However, the tip of the spear was still stuck on the outer layer of the spirit beast''s fur and couldn''t go any further. After all, the bodies of spirit beasts weren''t so easy to scratch with just a couple of hits.


    ''YOU! BASTARD HUMAN! I''LL KILL YOU!''


    From its position nailed to the ground, the black jaguar roared against Hei. It was trying desperately to free itself, but the pressure exerted by Hei''s hair that was manipulating the spear was such as to prevent it from getting up. Unlike before, the black jaguar hadn''t loaded any momentum and could only use its body strength to try to deflect the weapon that was keeping it immobilized.


    ''Snake Style, Snake Tail Blow!''


    Hei joined the fingers of his hands and carried them behind his head as he jumped up so he could descend right where his opponent was. Snake Tail Blow was another technique he had devised using his little sister Ye as a base this time. As the name suggested, it went to recreate the movements of a snake''s tail.


    Bringing his arms forward, Hei aimed straight at the black jaguar''s skull. The spirit beast attempted to bite Hei while he was going down, but strands of hair rose from the head of the young human martial artist. These strands of hair separated themselves from those that were holding the spear and tied around the black jaguar''s mouth to close it. The black jaguar tried to resist, but the obstruction of those strands of hair made it lose vital seconds that could have reversed the situation.


    Peng!


    Attacking with all the power he could emit, Hei put his hands down against the skull of the black jaguar. The second level spirit beast had to suffer the full impact of that devastating move. Snake Tail Blow had a long execution time, as for Spider Lance. But, since it required a long loading time, the power emitted was incredibly high. Furthermore, the damage caused wasn''t a piercing damage like the one for Spider Lance, but it belonged to the blunt type. As a result, Snake Tail Strike was ideal for smashing the enemy''s bones to pieces, especially for those with a sturdy body.


    Watching their boss being hit that way, the other jaguars began to worry while their concentration started to drop. It should be known that Xing and Ye had respectively taken the female albino jaguar and the second male in command in the herd as their opponents, thus leaving the other jaguars without an effective guide.


    Nevertheless, the other jaguars had long since learned how to attack in packs. Therefore they hadn''t paid much attention to the fact that their commanders had been separated from the rest of them. Instead, they concentrated on attacking Lian and the others who were, in turn, separated from Hei, Ye, and Xing.


    Hei''s group possessed four supporting martial artists. Consequently, since the jaguar was a fierce species that preferred to attack, it was reasonable for the pack of spirit beasts to be prevailing in the group fight. However, even though they were in a favorable situation, the jaguars weren''t still able to end the battle. And the reason was precisely the four supporting martial artists who theoretically had to be a hindrance during a frontal confrontation.


    With Lian in the center protecting all of them with her two long silk ribbons, Leon, He Fen, and Lang with Fenrir had arranged themselves in a triangle formation, and each of them was facing three jaguars each. The pressure on the three fighters should, therefore, have been immense. Yet it wasn''t the case for them. Or rather, this pressure was being erased from the support of the four supporting martial artists.


    With his voice, Mareo was assisting Leon, He Fen, and Lang, increasing their flow of spirit power. At the moment, the number of people he could power up in unison was three. Fortunately, Lian had a more defensive fighting style and was, therefore, merely shielding all of them without directly engaging the enemies. Hei instead had left the group, but given his skills, Mareo was confident that he wouldn''t need his help.


    Haruno had instead pulled out buns stuffed with a particular type of pasta-based dish, the yakisoba. These yakisoba buns were easy to eat in a fight and brought an explosive increase in spirit power to the detriment of extreme muscle strain. It was a type of food typically consumed by those who preferred a fighting style based on using the Elemental Laws from a distance rather than close barehanded combat or fighting with weapons.


    However, except for He Fen, Leon and Lang were martial artists specialized in close combat. He Fen commanded from a distance his Wheels of Wind and Fire powered by the Laws of Fire and Wind. As the owner of a bloodline, the Bloodline of the Bifang Bird, he had two Elemental Laws. Lang preferred to fight alongside Fenrir side by side. Her sword flashed with extreme speed as the temperature around her dropped due to her Ice Law. The jaguars that were fighting against her were suffering from that sudden change in temperature while Fenrir was immune to it thanks to his thick fur. Finally, Leon, rather than using attacks based on Elemental Laws, was spinning his big sword with impressive speed and precision despite the length of the weapon. And thanks to his weapon Leon was able to keep up with He Fen and Lang even if he hadn''t yet shown his Elemental Laws.


    As for Lilian and Mia, the two young women were using their medical techniques to treat the harmful effects of Haruno''s yakisoba buns. In this way, the three fighters in their group could fight without reservations. Furthermore, as soon as any of the three fighters suffered an injury, Lilian and Mia were ready to heal them. It could be said that unless one between Leon, He Fen, and Lang was killed before the two medical martial artists could cure them, the three attacking martial artists could fight while maintaining their optimal condition for a long time.


    Thus, the clash became a battle of attrition in which the jaguars were destined to lose. And the fact that their leader was about to be defeated contributed even more to the sense of unease in the jaguars. These spirit beasts couldn''t understand how they could be losing.


    Panicked, some jaguars started looking for a way to escape while others wanted to go and help their boss. But as soon as these jaguars attempted to make their move, Lian immediately stopped them using her Law of Wood.


    "Root Binding!"


    By manipulating the vegetation already present in that territory, Lian brought out small tree roots that went to tie around the legs of the jaguars who wanted to escape or help their leader. The spirit beasts were taken aback and stumbled on the ground. Instinctively, they attempted to break the root that was holding them tied with their claws or teeth. But that moment of distraction cost them dearly.


    "Intent of the Greatsword, Dividing Sky Slash!"


    "Intent of the Wheels of Wind and Fire, Bifang Bird Bloodline, Flame Rotating Discs!"


    "Intent of the Sword, Frost Transmission!"


    ''Death Claws of the Wolf!''


    Leon, He Fen, Lang, and Fenrir launched their attacks on four of the trapped jaguars. Their blows, which until now had been reduced in power in order to reduce their spirit power''s consumption, this time unleashed all their power. The poor four jaguars were killed in the impact, causing to tip the balance in favor of Hei''s group, which now had gained the upper hand.


    The remaining jaguars were frightened at the death of four of their companions, but they tried to repress their fear with anger. Thirsty for revenge, they slung over the group of martial artists who remained uncovered at the center. They realized that as long as they killed the humans who supported the three fighters, they could reverse the outcome of the battle.


    "Cascade Wall!"


    Lian spun her two ribbons while a wall of water was generated at the same time. In addition to the Law of Wood derived from the Lotus of Love Bloodline, Lian also possessed the Law of Water, that had strong defensive capabilities. Her water and silk barrier covered herself and the four supporting martial artists next to her, locking them in an impenetrable fortress for the jaguars which could only beat their teeth and claws in vain.


    Leon, He Fen, Lang, and Fenrir arrived quickly and put an end to four other jaguars. Now there was only one left alive of the group of nine jaguars that had attacked Lian and the others. That number didn''t count the three strongest specimens that were fighting against Hei, Ye, and Xing. But now, even on that front, the fight could be considered ended.


    Even without using their Elemental Laws or their Bloodlines, Ye and Xing managed to kill their enemy. However, since they were limited in their attack methods and forced into close combat, they ended up suffering multiple injuries. In any case, they weren''t so severely injured, and the two divine beasts weren''t worried at all.


    As for Hei, after inflicting his Snake Tail Blow, the fight could be called over. The black jaguar tried to react after suffering the impact of Hei''s move, but by now, his movements weren''t as fast and powerful as before. Hei, therefore, waited for the black jaguar to make another distraction error to finish him off with another Snake Tail Blow. The poor spirit beast had no escape this time and fell on the ground with his skull destroyed.

 Chapter 159 - Finding the First Group

    When the last jaguar was killed, the conflict finally came to an end. The winners were Hei and his companions. They had suffered no casualties, and apart from a few injuries and the fatigue from using spirit power, none of them were in severe conditions. It could be said that their victory was a good result considering the jaguar pack had ambushed them.


    "Nice job, everyone. I''m sorry I didn''t notice before the approaching pack. We would have spared ourselves a futile fight." Hei said when he reunited with the others. Behind him, Ye and Xing, still in their true form, were carrying the carcasses of the three jaguars killed by them.


    "You don''t have to apologize. It wasn''t something you could have foreseen. Instead, you have shown that you have the qualities of a leader despite the situation." Leon replied quickly, expressing his opinion.


    The others also expressed similar thoughts and praised Hei''s work. Despite their praise, however, Hei wasn''t at all convinced. Inside himself, he knew that things could have gone differently. But in the end, none of his companions had died, and that was what mattered most. He then decided to ignore his self-criticism thoughts for the moment and return to focus on their trial.


    "Okay. Now we have to decide how to move since the plans have changed. Staying outdoors here is dangerous. The ideal would be to go somewhere sheltered where we can rest and heal our wounds." Hei communicated to the group as his little sisters finished collecting the rest of the jaguar corpses.


    "We can see if we find any cave in the surrounding area, wouldn''t it be okay?" He Fen proposed. However, his proposal was immediately rejected by Lang.


    "No. If we went to any cave, we would likely have to fight again with those who live inside. In the whole forest, there is only one sheltered place which isn''t occupied¡ªthe lair of this pack of jaguars. My Fenrir can follow their smell and trace their path backward. But..."


    At that point, Lang''s voice died away. Her usual icy expression now contained a trace of hesitation but, above all, remorse. The others were surprised by her reaction, in particular Lilian and Mia, who were the closest to her.


    "But it is likely that the jaguar pack''s cubs occupy that lair along with some a.d.u.l.ts left as guards. Considering the number of their pack which is already unusually numerous for their species, this hypothesis is very feasible."


    The person to conclude Lang''s sentence was Hei, who could understand the state of the young female beast tamer. Hei knew that taking the life of even the tiniest living thing had its consequences. So, when he gave the order to attack, he was conscious that there would be cubs who wouldn''t see their parents come back that day. It was the law of survival.


    Leon and everyone else didn''t know how to react. It was the first time that they seriously thought about all this. Inside them, they felt disgusted when they understood what they had done. Having spent so much time with Ye, Xing, and Fenrir, they had learned to appreciate spirit beasts. At the same time, though, it meant that it became increasingly difficult for them to take the life of these creatures considered as enemies or, at most, beings to be exploited for the good of humanity. Yet, despite what they felt, they hadn''t given any weight to the implications that would come from killing the jaguars.


    Within the group, leaving out the two beast tamers who knew this rule well, the only one who wasn''t shocked by the news was Lian. She had been living with Hei for a long time, and she had been educated with the same ideals with which the young beast tamer had grown up. However, she also had human education and was well aware of what it felt like to discover the extraordinary nature of spirit beasts despite being taught that they were nothing more than creatures dedicated to killing and destroying. Hence, she decided to intervene to restore her companions to their normal state and alleviate their guilt.


    "I know very well what is going on in your mind. Honestly, I don''t feel proud to have killed this pack of jaguars. However, at the same time, I don''t regret it. Hei has given them several opportunities to withdraw without consequences, yet they have chosen to continue. If we hadn''t killed them, we would have died. What we can do is to honor and give these corpses a purpose so that their deaths weren''t in vain. Generate life from death, that''s what she taught us, right Hei?"


    Lian smiled brightly at Hei. Hei was stunned by the view. He could count with the fingers of his hands the few times he had seen such a smile from Lian. With the filtered sun rays illuminating her shiny blue hair and her warm smile, Lian looked like a forest goddess who had come to console the poor martial artists after the fight. Everyone, even the other young women in the group, was amazed by the majesty that flashed around Lian for a few moments.


    ''The feeling I feel is similar to what I felt when I saw Gaiya the first time. Is it the influence of the Lotus of Love Bloodline?'' Hei thought to himself but then left it alone. Regardless of whether it was due to the influence of the Lotus of Love Bloodline or was intrinsic to Lian, this wasn''t important.


    "Lian is right. I won''t tell you to celebrate or not to feel sad; just don''t regret your decision. You have defended yourself and your companions, that''s all. As for the jaguars'' den, let''s leave it alone. We will find another place."


    After saying this, Hei began leading his group even deeper into the forest. On his shoulders, Ye and Xing, who had returned to their petite sizes, were working hard to pick up every sound and smell within the range that their techniques allowed them to perceive. Fenrir also stayed alert, sniffing out any possible dangerous odors.


    At the moment, they were still on the outskirts, although they were getting closer and closer in the inner layer of the forest. Consequently, the strength of the spirit beasts wasn''t so high. The meeting with the jaguar pack could be called unexpected. Fortunately, after almost half an hour of walking, they managed to find a large underground hole dug under a tree.


    "Fenrir says the smell inside is almost nonexistent. Evidently, those who lived here left this hole." Lang informed Hei. Since he was the leader, it was up to Hei to decide if the hole was fine as a temporary refuge.


    "The hole is large, but it isn''t enough to hold nine people and three spirit beasts. We need to enlarge it a little. Ye, Xing. Come, there is to dig. You guys stay on guard, okay? Lian, you help us move the earth we dig."


    Receiving his orders, Lian nodded as the others stood around the large tree with their senses alert. Hei and his sisters went down to the hole instead and began to dig at high speed. Given their experience of digging the ground when they were still on Rainbow Island, it didn''t take them long to get the space they needed to accommodate the whole group.


    "Okay. We finished. You can come. "Hei called the others from inside the underground hole.


    His companions entered the hole and were surprised because Hei, with Ye and Xing, had managed to dig so much space in a short time.


    "Wow! I didn''t think you were so good at digging." Mia confessed as she took a seat inside, near Lilian.


    "It''s nothing. The credit goes to Ye and Xing as well. Alright, now that we have our refuge, it doesn''t mean we are out of danger. Mia, Lilian, heal anyone who has wounds, even the most minor ones. You others rest and cultivate to recover your lost spirit power. Haruno, can you make some pasta in the meantime?"


    "Yes, there are no problems."


    "Good. He Fen, you are the only one who knows the Law of Fire among us. I need your help to cook the jaguar meat."


    "As you wish Hei. I am at your disposal."


    Hei, therefore, began to work to skin one of the jaguars they had captured. The bodies of the killed spirit beasts had been kept in the group''s space rings and could be taken out whenever they wanted. Thus, the group took a couple of hours to regain strength and make a big meal.


    *


    After cultivating and resting for a couple of hours, Hei ordered the others to continue the march. It was essential to regain strength, but they couldn''t stay in the same position for too long.


    "We have to go even further. The forest is large, so it is difficult to meet our other classmates if we stay here. But first-"


    In the middle of his speech, Hei paused. Without warning, he activated Spider Hair and Snake Tongue and ordered his little sisters to do the same. The others were amazed to see Hei''s body hair swinging and his saliva drooling down on his exposed tongue.


    "They are detection techniques that Hei has. They allow him to perceive the sound and smell of what is around him." Lian, beside Hei, explained for everyone else.


    "They are techniques based on the detection system of spiders and snakes, aren''t they?" Lang asked as she looked closely at Hei. From her expression, it was clear that she was amazed.


    "Yes, they are. Don''t you Beast Families have sensing techniques based on the senses of your spirit beasts?" Hei asked in turn, surprised by Lang''s reaction.


    "No, we don''t have techniques like that. But..." At that point, Lang stopped and widened her eyes. However, she quickly put herself together again and continued." It''s nothing. "


    Hei looked at her for a few moments with intensity.


    ''Could she have understood something? Since there is an infinite number of techniques, normal martial artists don''t think of anything strange when they observe me using Spider Hair and Snake Tongue. But Lang is part of the Beast Families. I have to be more careful when dealing with any of those families.''


    Leaving aside his doubts as to what Lang might have perceived, Hei went on to reveal what he had found. "I was wrong. There is a group that has just passed the limit of my detection range. They masked their smell with earth and leaves, but as they are moving so fast, they can''t be plants. Fenrir, you can smell their smell from here, can''t you? That way."


    Hei pointed to the spirit beast wolf the direction in which he had perceived the sound of movements. The wolf immediately moved his nose to sniff in that direction and sensed the smell of earth and foliage that was getting lighter.


    "Woof!" Fenrir barked quickly to confirm what Hei had said.


    "Let''s go then. Lang, go ahead with Fenrir and guide us. We will go in pursuit of that group, but remember not to use your Spirit Sense. We must not be detected for any reason." Hei immediately gave the order to go after him. After all, he had already decided to attack the other groups from the beginning.


    Lang was surprised by Hei''s orders and asked, "How come you want me to go first? Isn''t it better for you to be the pathfinder?"


    "My detecting techniques have a limited range. I can perceive sounds and smells within a maximum of twenty meters. The same goes for Xing and Ye. Even if we ignored all sorts of stealth, our Spirit Sense Techniques don''t go beyond about five meters for now. Your Fenrir''s nose, however, covers a much greater distance. If we have to chase the prey at full speed, then you and your Fenrir are the most suitable to guide us." Hei explained, without hiding the truth.


    Lang thought that his explanation was reasonable, and she did what Hei asked. So the group, under the leadership of Lang and Fenrir, ran at full speed into the forest. Their target was the other group of their classmates who didn''t know about the danger they had behind them.

 Chapter 160 - Kalaripayattu Style

    Whoosh!


    A group of five people was chasing a spirit beast at full speed. The chased creature was a 1.5 meters high caracal. It was a feline characterized by a robust build, a short face, and long tufted ears; its fur had a sandy color instead, while the ventral area had a lighter color.


    "Henry, are you sure is it a good idea to continue? I have a bad feeling about it." One of the pursuers asked the person in front of the group.


    "Sergio, what are you saying? Right now, that the caracal is about to run out of energy? We are five, while that is just a stupid spirit beast. If it weren''t for its speed and agility in its movements, we would have already killed him. Don''t overthink things; I''ve already told you."


    "Henry is right. We have to hunt as many second-level spirit beasts, or we won''t get anything good. I''m not satisfied with just passing the test."


    "Okay. I am sorry about my doubts. Let''s proceed then."


    Once the quick discussion was resolved, the group speeded up even further. They had been chasing that spirit beast for more than half an hour at full speed and were beginning to lose their patience. However, they couldn''t give up their prey, especially not one that was so easy, and it was right in front of their eyes.


    Fortunately for them, the caracal collapsed shortly after that on the ground. The upper part of its body was descending and rising as it tried to catch its breath. The caracal was by now exhausted from the long chase, and it could no longer continue. The only thing it could do was to lay on the ground waiting for its end. In its eyes, one could read regret and hatred for those two-legged creatures who had chased it so obsessively up until now.


    "Excellent! It''s exhausted now. Let''s finish it quickly and recover the spirit core. We don''t need the rest."


    The team leader Henry warned his teammates, who simultaneously pulled out their weapons. On their faces, one could see expressions of happiness and relief because their long pursuit was about to end.


    Whoosh!


    The team leader Henry had extracted from his ring space his weapons - a normal-length sword and a round-shaped shield. As he was in front of his companions, he was also the one who would reach the caracal first. However, when his sword was about to descend on the spirit beast''s neck, a purple glow suddenly flashed from his left side. Instinctively, he raised the shield he was holding with his left arm to block that glow as he suspended his attack on the caracal.


    Peng!


    The tip of a purple spear with red veins crashed on the metal shield making a loud noise. The impetus of the spear was so strong that Henry, despite having blocked the blow, was pushed backward by a half meter.


    "What!?" Henry exclaimed as his eyes widened. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    In front of him, there was a young man with brown skin who was holding the purple spear that had pushed him backward. Even more incredible was that the person wasn''t alone, but other people were keeping at bay his companions.


    *


    A few minutes before


    "They are chasing a spirit beast, but as the smell gets closer and closer, it is evident that the spirit beast is running out of energy," Lang informed the rest of her companions.


    "I understand. Previously, I heard the sound of five people. Do you confirm that there are still five?" Hei asked while formulating the plan of action.


    "Yes. Fenrir only senses the smell of five humans plus that smell of the chased spirit beast. He says that according to him, the spirit beast should be a caracal, a type of feline with long pointed ears."


    "Oh, yes. I know what kind of spirit beast it is. It is a gorgeous creature." Mia added briefly before realizing that it wasn''t the right time, and she remained silent, waiting for orders.


    Hei took a quick look at his companions and communicated his decision. "There are five of them, so I, Lian, Leon, He Fen, and Lang with Fenrir will take care of them. Ye and Xing will remain in their petite form while Mia, Lilian, Mareo, and Haruno will remain hidden nearby. Make sure not to be identified and do not activate your spirit power."


    "Aren''t we going to fight? Is it because we are supporting martial artists? I advise you not to underestimate us so much. We aren''t at the same level, but we can fight without problems." Lilian intervened resentfully because of the orders issued by Hei.


    "It isn''t for that reason. You know very well that I value your skills a lot, and I know that you are strong. And it is precisely for this reason that I cannot risk revealing all the cards available to us, especially if they are cards that can affect the flow of battle itself."


    "Hei is right. We are martial support artists. Our task is not to fight but to support our companions. We will do as you say then. But if things should get ugly for you, we will still act, regardless of your orders. Is it okay for you?"


    At Mareo''s question, who always managed to maintain his rationality, Hei smiled and replied, "Okay. It seems reasonable to me."


    ''Big brother, what about us? Xing and I want to fight too. ''


    ''Yup. It''s not fair that Fenrir can play, and we can''t.''


    "Hahaha, it''s not like we''re going to play. You know this, don''t you? Fenrir is Lang''s partner. I can''t give orders to him. Furthermore, I think he wants to stay with Lang to protect her all the time. As for you two, I can''t reveal my best cards in front of the rest of the first-year students, can I? We have worked so hard to keep your transformative ability hidden. Unless it is necessary, you will remain hidden when confronting other humans. If we are in trouble, you can go out and fight. All right?"


    ''Okay, big brother. Remember, though, that if you are in danger, we will go out and fight seriously.''


    When Hei had finished making arrangements for the group, the caracal had collapsed on the ground, exhausted by the long chase. Mareo led Haruno, Mia, and Lilian to a tree not far away from there. From that position, they could observe the progress of the clash. Instead, Hei led his remaining companions to surprise the group of five humans who were slashing against the caracal.


    Hei aimed for the first person in the row who also seemed to be the group leader. He drew his spear and activated Spider Run - Two Legged Mode, to increase his speed. Then he directed his spear against the shield that person held on his left arm.


    ''We are not here to kill but only to prevent them from hunting an excessive number of spirit beasts. If it is possible, I would like to resolve things through dialogue, but this is almost impossible. Besides, I can''t impose that they don''t kill any spirit beast. After all, there is expulsion if you haven''t enough spirit cores. It''s really a thorny situation.''


    "You! You are part of our first-year class. Why are you attacking me?" asked the group leader Henry while he couldn''t understand why a human had just stopped him from killing a spirit beast. He could understand if it was a rare spirit beast, but the caracal slumped to the ground was just an ordinary second-level spirit beast. There was no reason why others should push themselves in for such a meager loot.


    "My name is Hei. We have no bad intentions. Leave the caracal there and show us your space rings. If you have more than five spirit cores each, we will take the excess part with us. Obviously, any of your other objects will remain with you. We aren''t interested in stealing your things."


    Hearing what Hei said, Henry became even more disoriented and furious at the same time. "Yet you do not hesitate to steal our prey and our spirit cores. You come out of nowhere and impose orders on us as if nothing had happened. How dare you? Who do you think you are? You said you had no bad intentions, but for us, it is quite the opposite. Sergio, Felipe, Joseph, Tyson! Let''s show them that we aren''t guys who let themselves be intimidated by threats. You made a big mistake if you thought that just because we don''t come from famous families, we are easy to manipulate at your convenience."


    "Never thought of such a thing. If you have no intention of collaborating, then I will use my force."


    When Hei and Henry didn''t find an agreement, all the martial artists activated their spirit power and prepared themselves for the clash. Except for Fenrir, there were five martial artists on both sides. However, Lang''s second-level wolf was undoubtedly not a presence that could be ignored. To this, it should also be added that the four people in Henry''s group were still all in the second stage; only Henry had reached the third stage, beginner phase.


    Hei and his companions instead had all reached the third initial stage, with Leon, that was even a medium third stage. Therefore, regarding their fighters'' numbers and the cultivation achieved, Hei''s group had the advantage of both.


    "Don''t be demoralized. Cultivation speed isn''t everything. What really matters is one''s fighting ability. Show them what you can do."


    Realizing the power gap, Henry urged his companions not to lose morale. But just as he said his words of encouragement, Hei made a sudden sprint with his spear grabbed by both hands.


    "Intent of the Spear, Thrust Rain!"


    With the spirit power concentrated on the head, Hei made a series of thrusts with his spear forward. The speed behind those attacks was such as to leave residual images in the air. Yet despite the speed with which the spear was moving, Henry parried all the blows with his shield.


    "Intent of the Shield, Strengthening!"


    Hardening the thickness of spirit power on his shield, Henry moved his arm, precisely following the movements of Hei''s spear. His gaze was confident and full of determination, despite being one phase behind Hei as far as cultivation was concerned.


    "Spear Sweep!"


    As soon as Hei finished his thrust rain, he spun his spear to make a follow-up horizontal sweep at his opponent''s calves. The move had been performed so smoothly that it seemed to be part of the first technique instead of being two different spear techniques. But even so, Henry was able to dodge by jumping quickly upwards as his legs opened sideways, doing a split in the air.


    "Intent of the Sword, Kalaripayattu Style, Descending Heavenly Sword!"


    Henry began to spin his right hand, the one that was holding the sword, at an impressive speed. The rotation was performed by the wrist, placing that part of the body under extreme pressure. However, this rotation wasn''t being done for nothing. As soon as Henry finished rotating his wrist, he lowered his sword, which had gained an incredible momentum due to the previous rotation.


    Peng!


    The sword that was falling on Hei was blocked by a bundle of pitch-black hair that hardened to block the cutting blade. Seeing this, Henry''s eyes widened again. He didn''t expect such a reaction.


    "Snake Hair, Enveloping Vise!"


    Hei''s hair moved as if it were alive. Quickly, several pitch-black strands of hair rose and attempted to wrap around Henry and his weapons.


    "Tsk! As if I will allow it!"


    As he expressed his resentment against Hei, Henry kicked the pommel of the sword to throw his weapon forward. In that way, he prevented that his sword was wrapped by that live-looking hair. After that, he flew to back away from where he was.


    ''If you think it''s over here, you''re wrong. An imprint is etched on my sword; it allows me to control my sword remotely.'' Henry thought as he closed the fist of his free hand to retrieve his sword.


    "Spider Lance, Palm Mode!" Regardless of what the enemy was doing, Hei executed a variant of Spider Lance that he had devised. The target was the flat end of his spear.


    ''By applying the same force loading method, I was able to devise a palm and fist technique suitable for me. They don''t have the same lethality as the normal Spider Lance, but I can still generate more power than with Vibrating Fist.''


    Hei''s spear was then thrown forward as Henry had done with his sword. Only, Hei''s spear had assumed a higher speed than the sword had taken. As he flew backward, Henry found that he didn''t have time to dodge.


    "Shit! Intent of the Shield, Immovable Wall!" Henry put his shield in front of him as he stiffened his arm to prepare for the impact.


    Peng!!!


    A violent outburst rang in the air as Hei raised his left hand. The purple spear, once its impact was stopped, flew through the air to return to its master''s hand. As with Henry, Hei''s spear also had a personal imprint through which Hei could recall his spear from afar.


    ''I did well to have Lian etched an imprint on the spear. In that way, I can have multiple attack variations.''


    Meanwhile, Henry had also recovered his weapon, but he didn''t seem as calm as before. Although he had suffered no damage, the amount of spirit power he had to use to block the spear hit had been considerable.


    "Shit. I admit it. You are strong. But don''t think you have the victory in your pocket. I am a user of the Kalaripayattu Style, one of the deadliest styles in the Sun Empire. The imperial guards who protect the Imperial Family and the Imperial Palace are all users of the Kalaripayattu Style. There is no way I can lose against you!"


    Despite the cultivation disadvantage and Hei''s show of strength, Henry still had no intention of giving up. Even his companions, who were even more in trouble than he was, were still fighting with all their strength. As their leader, therefore, Henry couldn''t afford to be the first to surrender. No, precisely because he was their leader, he had to fight to the end.


    "Kalaripayattu Style, you say?" Hei asked between himself as he gave a quick smile in the direction of his opponent. Then he spread his legs apart, placing the left one forward and the right one backward. He also lowered the center of gravity of his body as he arched his straight back forward. The right hand was closed on the spear shaft, just above the flat end, while the left hand was open with the palm touching the spear shaft, just below the beginning of the pointed head.


    Seeing this position, Henry was more shocked than he had been before. In a choked voice, he whispered, "Kalaripayattu Style, Spear Form!"

 Chapter 161 - Disturbing Discovery

    "Kalaripayattu Style, Spear Form!"


    Henry recognized with one glance the position taken by Hei, who held his purple spear. Although he practiced the form of the sword and shield, also called Val Parija, as a user of the Kalaripayattu Style, he knew the positions of the other forms.


    "How can you know the Kuntham Form? In the Southern Royal War Academy, only the guards of the Imperial Prince and few others know the Kalaripayattu Style. And I know everyone who practices it!"


    "You know that in the Library there are manuals also concerning fighting styles, don''t you? If you are willing to pay the corresponding price of contribution points, you can read them easily. Why are you so surprised that I know the Kalaripayattu?"


    Listening to Hei''s response to his bewilderment, Henry calmed down and started laughing out loud. "For a moment, I panicked. So, you''re just an imitator. There is nothing to fear. Before continuing, I must warn you of one thing. If you think it is enough to read a simple manual to master the Kalaripayattu Style, you are wrong. If it weren''t for the constant monitoring of my grandfather, who was an imperial guard in the past, I would never have been able to learn the Val Parija Form. I will make you bitterly regret having dishonored my fighting style."


    "Look, there is an error of understanding in your speech. I never intended to imitate the Kalaripayattu Style. I was just curious to know the various fighting styles of the empire and to integrate some movements into my way of fighting. I will not fight you using the Kalaripayattu, but I will use my personal style. Spider Style - Spider Lancer!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Hei got down on all fours with his limbs as far apart as possible. Part of his hair instead took the spear and pointed it against Henry, who couldn''t understand what was going on.


    ''What the hell is he doing?! How does he plan on fighting that way?''


    But Hei gave Henry the answer to his question in the next instant. With even faster speeds than before, Hei sprinted forward using both his hands and his feet. With four limbs generating momentum instead of two, it was normal for him to be faster than before.


    ''Spider Lancer. The combination I came up with to maximize the speed of Spider Run and my spear techniques. Besides, the Four-legged Mode is more suitable than the Two-Legged if it is about aiming for weapon-focused combat.''


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    In a moment, Hei found himself in front of Henry, and his hair moved his spear as if it were his arms. Henry parried all attacks with his shield, but as soon as he wanted to fight back, Hei had already moved elsewhere. And this continued for several exchanges.


    As much as he tried, Henry was unable to keep up with Hei. The only thing that was keeping him in the game was his shield. However, his attention was diminishing every second that passed due to the pressure exerted by Hei. At the same time, his arm began to ache from the repercussions he suffered in rejecting the spear blows.


    "Nonsense! How can I lose against an unknown style?! Wind Law, Intent of the Sword, Whirlwind of Wind Blades!"


    Despite his difficult situation, Henry managed to channel enough spirit power to use an elemental attack. Only from this, one could understand that the young man possessed a strong fighting sense. But unfortunately, his ability to sense the flow of battle and his techniques were not on par with Hei''s.


    "Snake Style - Snake Lancer!"


    As soon as Henry spawned the blades of wind, Hei switched from the four-legged mode to the two-legged one. Then he activated Snake Coiling along with Snake Run, and he sprinted in the direction of the wind blades.


    ''Snake Run focuses on the flexibility of the movements that I can increase even more with Snake Coiling. Furthermore, thanks to Lian, I learned some dance steps to harmonize the movements and unify the rhythm.''


    As if his body had become liquid, Hei twisted his body to pass through the spaces between the wind blades. His legs, his arms, his back, and even his neck stretched and flexed at angles which for ordinary people were impossible. Even martial artists were unable to reproduce these movements without using special techniques. However, the fact was that there were no techniques that could replicate such a high degree of flexibility as the Snake Style left by Bao Bei.


    "I can''t believe it..." Henry remained motionless like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He could understand if Hei had blocked his attack or had dodged using his speed. Yet none of this had happened, but something completely unexpected had happened.


    "Eight Slashes of the Spider!"


    When Hei was in front of Henry, he began to rotate his spear and made eight consecutive hits against his enemy. Henry, who was still in shock, received the full impact of those eight slashes and fell to his knees while vomiting blood from his mouth.


    "Cough!"


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Hei manipulated his hair to grab his opponent''s shield and sword so that they couldn''t be used. Then he pointed the tip of his spear at Henry''s throat.


    "You lost. Your injuries aren''t so severe. With a little rest and the help of some medicine, you will recover without problems in less than a day. Give me your space ring now and don''t resist. Even if I can''t kill you, nothing prevents me from hurting you enough to make you fail the test."


    Hei''s voice was firm and ice-cold. Regardless of the wounded opponent who had just been defeated, he immediately imposed his orders. Henry, with the blood still coming out of his mouth, resentfully looked at Hei. However, he knew well that that young man with the spear had gone easy on him.


    "Okay."


    Without uttering any more words, Henry dissolved his spirit power and allowed Hei to take the space ring he wore on his finger. The space ring contained the resources and techniques acc.u.mulated in his career as a martial artist, including the notes of his grandfather''s about the Kalaripayattu Style.


    "Here. You can take it back."


    In a flat voice, Hei threw the space ring back to Henry. Since it was only the first day, there were only a couple of second-level spirit cores inside. The rest of the objects didn''t interest Hei instead.


    ''It''s only the first day, and it''s not finished yet. It''s not surprising that they don''t have so many spirit cores. At least we managed to save the caracal.''


    Leaving Henry on his knees on the ground, who was amazed that his assailant had kept his word, Hei headed for the caracal. The poor creature had also been taken aback and, despite having recovered some strength, it remained in its place.


    "You can go. I am not going to hurt you or follow you. I just want to advise you to be careful in the next seven days. Warn the other spirit beasts too. Tell them to hide in the outskirts. There, it is less likely that you will meet humans. Just hold on for seven days, and then we will go away. It''s up to you whether or not to believe what I told you."


    After giving his warning to the caracal, Hei returned to his companions. With the advantage of cultivation over their enemies and their battle skills that had significantly increased after six months of intense training, Lian and the others successfully won their clashes. They quickly reported what they had found in the space rings of the defeated enemies. Like their group leader, the rest of Henry''s companions had at most a couple of spirit cores.


    "It''s the first day. It''s normal that they only have so little. Yet, although they are only five people, they have already acc.u.mulated almost two spirit cores each. I have underestimated the hunting speed of our classmates. For this time, we will be happy to have saved the caracal. In any case, good job to everyone. The important thing is to have won without injuring. Let''s go now. We still have a way to go before night falls."


    Without wasting any more time there, Hei led Lian and the rest of his companions to go even deeper into the forest. From their hidden position, Mareo led Haruno, Lilian, and Mia to reunite with Hei.


    *


    The first day in the forest was over. With the setting of the sun and the rising of the night, the various groups began to prepare for camping. After all, fighting at night was disadvantageous to them, especially if the enemy were the spirit beasts.


    During the day, Hei and his companions met another couple of groups chasing spirit beasts. As with the caracal accident, Hei led Lian, Leon, He Fen, Lang, and Fenrir into battle. With support from Haruno, Lilian, and Mia, the fighters of Hei''s group could fight as much as they wanted, regardless of the expenditure of spirit power and the injuries they suffered. During the fight, they also had Mareo, who could help them by increasing their spirit power''s flow.


    On the second day, however, things didn''t go as smoothly as expected. In fact, while moving in the forest, Hei and his companions made a disturbing discovery.


    "Hei, there is a strong smell of human blood. Fenrir says the smell is fresh." Lang warned Hei as Fenrir smelled the surroundings with his superfine sense of smell.


    "Human blood? How fresh?" Hei asked as he darkened. The presence of such intense human blood wasn''t a good sign.


    "It is quite recent. A couple of hours at most, not more. The conflict probably happened at dawn."


    "What do you want to do, Hei? Do you want to go and see?" Beside him, Lian asked Hei. Since she knew Hei well, the young blue-haired woman already knew the answer.


    "Let''s go and see. But the situation could be dangerous. So I''ll go with Ye and Xing. Lian will also come with me. All the rest of you will be hiding somewhere nearby. When I am not present, the orders will be given by Leon. Did you understand?"


    With stern eyes, Hei looked at the rest of his companions who nodded in unison. They could perceive that the situation was certainly not to be underestimated. But Leon, who had found himself appointed to take the place of Hei, appeared unsure of his new position.


    "Are you sure it''s a good idea for me to give orders? Isn''t Lang a better choice, or am I wrong? You gave her the command first."


    "Leon. Before it was a different situation, Lang and Fenrir must focus on perceiving the smells of other living beings. They also have the highest mobility among you. In case of need, they can act as explorers or messengers. It is necessary that they can move independently. In addition, I have full confidence in your leadership skills. Don''t doubt yourself. "


    "Hei, but-"


    "Enough. It''s an order. I''ve already made up my mind. You decided that during the whole test, you would do as I said. So keep your word now."


    After saying this, Hei led Lian to the place where the blood smell was coming. Fenrir had told him the direction to take, and as soon as he was at a sufficient distance, Hei himself could smell the blood thanks to his Snake Tongue.


    When he arrived there, what he discovered there was what he most feared to find - the corpse of three humans together with the remains of a spirit beast. The particular thing was that the spirit beast had the same cutting wounds that the three human corpses presented.


    "A beast tamer? These wounds then-"


    "They were wounded by edged weapons." concluded the phrase Lian for Hei. The young woman''s expression had darkened at the sight of these bodies. "To kill a person, you don''t need so many cuts. Whoever did it must have had a deep grudge against these people."


    "Yes. But it is the state of the spirit beast that worries me most. The number of cuts is greater than that of the three humans put together. Furthermore, the spirit core hasn''t even been extracted. Can you see it? It''s still inside." Hei said as he indicated a slight twinkle between the guts of the poor slain creature.


    ''Big Brother. Approaching people.'' (Ye)


    ''There are five of them. What do you want to do?'' (Xing)


    "Hei?"


    "It wouldn''t make sense to go back to the crime scene now. However, this possibility cannot be excluded either. Let''s wait. In the case of the smallest hint of danger, we can run away or buy time until Leon, and the others arrive."


    "As you want. We are here with you, anyway. Always." Ye, Xing, and Lian responded in unison as they placed their senses on high alert.

 Chapter 162 - Bait

    Hei, together with Lian and his sisters, remained on the spot waiting for the arrival of the five people who showed up shortly after. However, when Hei was finally able to see who it was, he was amazed to see the Imperial Prince Long Tian leading his four subordinates.


    The Imperial Prince frowned when he saw Hei and Lian and the miserable condition in which the bodies of the victims were. Immediately, his four subordinates positioned themselves in front of Long Tian and prepared to draw their weapons at the slightest hint of hostility from the young couple caught on the scene of the massacre.


    "My name is Long Tian. I would like to know what happened here."


    The voice of the Imperial Prince was calm but contained an authority that only those with exceptional leadership skills possessed. His gaze contained no trace of disgust or apprehension for the crime committed there. And this was true even when there were two possible suspects in front of him.


    "My name is Hei while she is Lian. We don''t know what happened. One of my companions is a beast tamer and has a spirit beast with a great sense of smell. Concerned about the smell of human blood, we came to investigate and found this scene."


    Hei replied with a calm, equal to that of the Imperial Prince. Although he was facing one of the sons of the Sun Emperor and one of the possible candidates as the next emperor, he wasn''t at all intimidated. This reaction surprised Long Tian as he didn''t expect such calm.


    "One of your companions, you say? So it''s not just you two. Do you mind staying still while I examine bodies? If it were for me, there would be no problems, but my companions are very protective of me. If you were to move even a few centimeters, they could consider it as an attempt to attack me."


    Imperial Prince Long Tian approached the bodies without waiting for Hei and Lian''s response. His subordinates moved accordingly but continued to keep their gaze fixed on the young couple.


    ''The bodies have stab wounds. It is certainly the work of humans, but the state of the bodies makes it seem like a crime dictated by feelings, probably a strong hatred. It isn''t yet possible to exclude that it is the work of a hired assassin among the students. However, the victims are all from common origins; it wouldn''t make sense for the hired assassin to risk his life just to kill people he could easily kill outside the academy.''


    When Long Tian finished analyzing the state of the victims, he turned back to Hei.


    "You said that you two came across this scene only because the smell of blood drew you. Considering that you didn''t run away even though you knew we were coming and the spirit core of the spirit beast is still inside, I want to believe you. Nonetheless, I cannot completely exclude you from the list of suspects. Therefore I would like you to cooperate with my men and me to find the real culprit."


    "Cooperate? What do you mean by that?"


    "You are a beast tamer as well, aren''t you? If it were hatred against a specific person, then only one of the bodies would have numerous stab wounds. Yet all the victims were tortured, especially the spirit beast. Whoever is responsible is likely to possess a strong hatred for the spirit beasts and anyone who deals with them."


    When the Imperial Prince finished speaking, Hei was surprised. Ye and Xing were hidden in his long, thick hair and were concealing their spirit power. Therefore it wasn''t possible to notice them from the position in which the Imperial Prince was. The only explanation was that.


    "You already knew who we were. Isn''t that right, Imperial Prince Long Tian?"


    Seeing that Hei possessed a strong intellect and quickly came to the right conclusion, Long Tian smiled and didn''t deny the fact. "Call me, Long Tian. In any case, yes, it''s true. The first two martial artists from the Forgotten Ocean. Just this inspires a strong curiosity in others. If it weren''t for the incident with Feng Gengxin, you probably would have been approached by many people. But apparently, most of our classmates are afraid of offending a member of one of the Eight Big Families, although Feng Gengxin is not at all to be feared."


    "I understand. But you still haven''t answered my question. What exactly do you mean by collaborating with the investigation? "


    "Simple. Be the bait to attract the real culprits and, at the same time, prove your innocence. As a member of the Imperial Family, I cannot let the murder crime go unpunished when the Academy itself has banned it. After all, the orders given by the Academy are orders imposed by the Empire. To transgress them means to throw mud on the authority of the Imperial Family. Besides, I think, as a beast tamer, it is in your best interest to collaborate, isn''t it?"


    To Long Tian''s question, Hei didn''t answer right away but pulled out Xing and Ye first, placing them on the ground. "Alright. But I''d like to bury these people first. The Academy hasn''t imposed rules regarding the recovery of dead students, and I think nobody would like to keep the bodies of people they don''t know in their space ring. Consequently, I think a burial, even if it is far from their homes, is appropriate."


    This time it was Hei who didn''t give the Imperial Prince time to respond and proceeded with the excavation operations with Ye and Xing. Lian instead remained close to them, ready to act if needed.


    As Hei proceeded to bury the bodies of the victims, Long Tian remained in respectful silence as he watched the burial operations. It was when Hei was done that he started talking again. "You are a strange person. You are certainly interesting. We will follow you from afar, and I advise you to advise your other companions to do the same. After all, if we want to lure the culprit out, the bait can''t be too big and risky."


    At that point, Long Tian turned and started guiding his companions away from there. However, shortly afterward, the sound of something being launched resounded. Without batting an eyelid, Long Tian reached out behind him. When he grabbed the object, he realized what it was.


    "You forgot this. I hope it will convince you to kill one less spirit beast for the trial." Hei said before leaving that place with his little sisters and Lian.


    When the Imperial Prince was alone with his four companions, he burst out laughing. "Really, really interesting. I''m curious to see his fighting skills."


    *


    It was late afternoon, and the sun had already started to set. All around dwelled a state of apparent calm. The diurnal creatures were returning to their lairs to make room for the nocturnal ones who instead were ready to start their day. At an unspecified point in the immense forest, a young couple was strolling through the thick vegetation.


    ''Big Brother.'' (Xing)


    ''Yes, I know. We are being followed.''


    ''They are getting closer. I''m counting fifteen. No, it''s twenty.'' (Ye)


    Hearing that number, Hei''s expression darkened. The number of enemies was higher than he had expected. Although he didn''t know the strength of the enemies or that of the Imperial Prince and his entourage, he was still numerically at a disadvantage.


    ''Lian, get ready. We still don''t know if the Imperial Prince will come to help us. If this happens, we will run away at full speed. Even if they are more than us, we are in the middle of a forest. I am confident in being able to outrun them.'' Hei sent a spirit message to Lian to prevent the conversation from being heard.


    ''As you wish Hei. I''m ready to fight anyway. ''


    Suddenly, twenty shadows emerged from different points in the forest, forming a circle around them. They were all dressed in long black clothes and even had their faces covered in a thin black veil. They had no good intentions as they blocked every escape route to Hei and Lian.


    "Hei and Lian from the Forgotten Ocean, right? We have nothing against you. Leave the two spirit beasts you bring with you here, and nothing will happen to you." A woman''s voice rang out among the group of twenty people. From the tone of voice, it seemed that she was in command of that team dressed in black.


    "Nothing will happen to us? Aren''t you going to kill us like the other group you killed this morning? Or like the one you killed a little just now?" Hei replied without showing any sign of panic or fear. Furthermore, thanks to Ye''s sense of smell, Hei could perceive the presence of fresh human blood, a sign that they had killed other people recently.


    "That you know of this morning is one thing, but the fact that you know that we killed other people a little while ago... as I imagined, it is thanks to the spirit beasts that you hide, right? You also knew we were coming." The woman hidden in the black veil didn''t appear upset from that news. Although Hei had been caught off guard voluntarily, it wasn''t a problem


    for her and her companions at all.


    "Why did you kill those people? How come all this hate towards them?" Lian broke into the discussion, turning to the woman in charge. In doing so, she was giving Leon and the others enough time to get ready to act.


    "Why? Is there really a need to ask? Spirit beasts are filthy creatures. All they do is spread death and destruction. They are an evil that must be eradicated from the roots until there isn''t even a single spirit beast alive."


    The woman''s voice took on a hateful tone that could be perceived despite her hidden face. From how her body was shaking, it was also evident Lian''s question had awakened her anger.


    "Give up those two spirit beasts immediately. Or else you will have the same fate that has touched others. Anyone who tries to protect spirit beasts is nothing but a traitor to the human race!"


    Seeing that there was absolutely no way to talk, Hei gave his answer. "I decline. I don''t know why you have all this hatred for spirit beasts, but I certainly can''t let you hurt my little sisters. "


    At Hei''s response, the woman''s spirit power exploded outside as she removed the veil from her face. A young white-skinned woman with long pink hair. She had a beautiful appearance and a graceful look, however, the hatred inside her had deformed all that beauty, making her take on an unpleasant appearance.


    "Little Sisters? Little Sisters? Do you consider filthy spirit beasts as part of your family? Do you know how many people the spirit beasts killed? How many people are the spirit beasts still killing? In the big cities, there aren''t any incidents, but in the small villages, the inhabitants are left to deal with these creatures alone. Many people have their loved ones, their homes, their families destroyed because of those abominable creatures. And you instead treat them as if they were your family? Are you willing to protect them even by risking your life? You are crazy, crazy! You deserve to die! It is because of people like you that we have lost everything."


    "And that''s why you''re killing anyone who refuses to deliver their spirit beasts? For vengeance?"


    Suddenly, the voice of the Imperial Prince could be heard by everyone. When he and his four companions showed up, the group of twenty people gasped in fear. After all, one thing was to kill people with unimportant origins; another was to attack the direct son of the Sun Emperor.


    "Imperial Prince Long Tian. I advise you not to interfere. Pretend as nothing happened and get out of here." The woman was the only one who seemed not to be concerned about the arrival of the Imperial Prince. Instead, she used a threatening tone to suggest that he should not interfere.


    "I am afraid this is not possible. You have ignored the rules of the Academy. As a representative of the Imperial Family, I can''t pretend nothing is happening. You should know it, don''t you? Killing the students of the Academy equates not only to a crime against the Empire but against the entire human race. Every talented young martial artist is a possible candidate to become a Spirit Emperor. Since we don''t know when there will be a total war against the demons, we can''t let the students kill each other."


    "Crime against the human race? No, you are the true traitors of the human race: the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families. You stay in your palaces to enjoy the resources you take by force from us poor citizens. How many villages have had to suffer losses because of your negligence? Because the only thing that worries you is a stupid war that knows when will happen while you let your people die. It doesn''t matter if you are the emperor''s son. If you dare stop me, I will kill you. I will kill anyone who tries to stop me."


    "Really? Do you think that we of the Eight Great Families take the resources of citizens by force? "Another voice came out of nowhere. The owner was a young man with short fire red hair while at his side, there was a young woman with long fire-red hair.


    "Feng Chen of the Feng Family?" The woman immediately recognized who the newcomer was. But Feng Chen wasn''t the only one of the Eight Big Families present there.


    "Twenty people who attack small groups in groups. Cowards. You said you are going to kill anyone who interferes, right? So try to kill me, HU JIE! As a representative of the Hu Family, I will carry out the punishment for your crime!"


    At that point, the woman''s expression began to wrinkle not out of hatred but out of concern. She was confident that with the numerical advantage at her disposal, she could kill the Imperial Prince. But now there were also two geniuses from the Eight Big Families. They were also said to possess a talent incomparable to the geniuses of the past of their respective families.


    "Hu Jie, Feng Chen. I see you arrived on time, excellent." Long Tian said before turning to the woman possessed by the hatred for the spirit beasts. "What you said is partly true. The misfortunes that have happened to you are the fault of the bad management of the Imperial Family. However, it isn''t a good reason to kill innocent people who have nothing to do with it. I will repeat it the last time. Surrender without making a fuss, or it will be the end for you."


    Hearing the Imperial Prince''s ultimatum, some of those people with hidden faces began to have doubts. They thought they had an easy target in front of them, and it would take just a few minutes to kill them. But unexpectedly, they had hooked not only two of the greatest geniuses of the Eight Big Families, but also the Imperial Prince and his bodyguards.


    "Emilia, what do we do? The situation has become more complicated than expected. We should retreat." One of the people with hidden faces tried to talk some sense into the woman who was also their leader. However, Emilia had no intention of giving up.


    "Retreat? If you are afraid just because of the presence of the Imperial Prince or Feng Chen and Hu Jie, you must know that if they stay alive, your life will be over anyway. Besides, hadn''t you already decided? Is your hatred so small? The blame for the loss of your loved ones also lies on their shoulders. If you are going to run away, go ahead. But I will avenge my family. Whatever it takes!"


    Emilia''s hateful voice erased doubts in the hearts of her companions. Suddenly, the other nineteen people activated their spirit power. As their group leader Emilia had said, they couldn''t hold back now. The time had come to go all out.


    "Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, Hu Jie. Leave that woman to me, please." Hei asked as he locked his eyes toward Emilia. If Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, and Hu Jie were all fighting as representatives of their families, then he too would fight as a representative of the spirit beasts.


    At Hei''s request, Feng Chen and Hu Jie frowned because they too wanted to face the female group leader. But with a gesture from Long Tian, ??they let Hei deal with the woman in charge.


    "Ye, Xing. You can take your true form, but remember not to use your Elemental Laws. Lian, focus on protecting Mareo and the others as during the fight against the jaguars." Hei whispered to Ye, Xing, and Lian. The three females replied with a nod to indicate to Hei that they understood.


    "Let''s go then!"

 Chapter 163 - Unusual Weapons

    "Let''s go then!"


    Hei screamed as his allies also prepared for battle. Suddenly the spirit power of all the spirit soldiers activated as flashes of light illuminated that section of forest. The die was now cast, and there was no going back.


    "Snake Whip, Launch Mode!"


    Quickly concentrating his spirit power in both his arms, Hei hurled his little sisters against the two closest enemies to the female group leader. Ye and Xing, still in their petite form, were fired through the air at high-speed towards their respective targets.


    Hiss! Screech!


    While the two enemies laughed inside themselves because they didn''t fear such small creatures, although they were of the second level, the two little divine beasts expanded to the amazement of all those who didn''t know their ability to change the size of their body at will.


    In no time, a purple spider with silver patterns and a black snake with golden patterns, both three meters large, appeared before the two men dressed in black. Their expression of scorn turned into one of fear. In their true form, Ye and Xing were, in fact, anything but cute, although for Hei, they remained such whether they were in their petite form or their true form.


    "Spirit beasts who can change their size? Interesting." The Imperial Prince Long Tian commented full of curiosity about the strange ability shown by Ye and Xing.


    "Not bad, but you have to see how capable the master is to make a judgment." Feng Che said his opinion before returning to his opponent.


    "Hahaha! Do you command two second-level spirit beasts? It would be fun to challenge those creatures." Hu Jie said, amused; among the fighters in that clash, he was the only one to have a joyful and happy mood.


    "Disgusting creatures! Kill them! Tear them up!" On the other hand, Emilia instead felt hate and disgust at seeing Ye and Xing''s transformation. With a swift movement of the hand, she pulled her weapon from her space ring. It was a kusarigama.


    The kusarigama was a very peculiar weapon, and it was difficult to predict its movements if the user used it correctly. Its body consisted of a small sickle with a long chain attached, which ended with a metallic weight. It was a weapon whose lethality was ranked among the highest ranks; however, the difficulty in mastering it was equally high.


    "Die!"


    Emilia poured her spirit power into her weapon. Thanks to this, she could command with her thought the whole weapon, including the long-chain and the metallic weight placed at the end. Her target was Xing, who was closest to her position.


    Peng!


    A metallic noise rang out as the sharp part of the kusarigama sickle was rejected by a purple spear with reddish veins. That spear rose in midair and was imbued with a spirit power so full of murderous intent that the spear itself seemed to be alive.


    "I will make you pay bitterly for trying to take the life of my little sisters. Extreme Full Combat Mode!"


    Extreme Full Combat Mode, a more advanced version of Full Combat Mode. It consisted of using Hei''s hair to attack instead of maneuvering his spear, which would instead be commanded through the imprint etched on the weapon. In this way, his offensive capacity would increase, but this would also reduce his defense. In fact, Hei had to divide his conscience in maneuvering not only his body and his hair but his spear as well. It meant that a single error of distraction could cost him dearly.


    "Then I''ll kill you first, you lousy traitor!" Emilia angrily uttered as she commanded her kusarigama to return to her. After that, she started to rotate her weapon before throwing the end containing the metallic weight against Hei.


    Boom! Crack!


    When that small metallic weight crashed into the ground where Hei was a little while ago, it made a bursting noise as it formed a small crater. This action alone demonstrated the heaviness that was contained in that seemingly not lethal blow.


    ''I have to avoid direct contact with that part. However, the end with the sickle also represents a danger not to be overlooked.'' Hei thought as he advanced. He had avoided the first attack, but his enemy had the range advantage, which is quite unusual for Hei, who used to have this advantage thanks to his spear. However, it wasn''t as if he had no experience fighting in that disadvantaged situation.


    ''Although the kusarigama chain allows for a range advantage, it will never be like He Fen''s wind and fire wheels that can fly independently. The right choice is to fight by keeping myself at an intermediate distance where I can read the movements of the chain and react accordingly until the most appropriate moment.''


    Despite having activated Extreme Full Combat Mode, Hei didn''t charge frontally without worrying about the defense. As his mother had taught him, proper preparation was essential to winning, and in the academy library, he had studied the various types of weapons. He knew that the kusarigama''s weak point wasn''t close combat as the sickle could easily counter the blades while the chain would be free to attack from behind.


    Therefore, Hei chose an attrition approach while waiting for his chance. With Snake Whip, he launched medium-range attacks from one meter and a half away while his hair parried the blows of the chain and the metallic weight. His spear was instead controlled by his mind to try to surprise from behind the woman dressed in black.


    Emilia, with the hatred that still made her blood boil, soon realized that the enemy ahead was anything but an impetuous person. He was cold and calculating, and despite the range disadvantage, he was fighting as if nothing had happened while placing her in a passive situation.


    "Impossibile! You are evil, and evil must be eradicated! Intent of the Kusarigama! Death Slash Rush!"


    Seeing that her range advantage was getting thinner and thinner, Emilia decided to try another kind of approach, preferring to bring the fight to a close contest. Activating the intent of her weapon, she charged forward towards Hei while the hand holding the sickle of the kusarigama stirred like a maddened whirlpool creating flashes of light and making the blade of the scythe disappear.


    "Carapace Spider, Arms!"


    Quickly, Hei created two membranes of spirit power similar to an exoskeleton on his arms. This move served to significantly increase his defensive ability and, therefore, his ability to take hits. Emilia''s move had left him slightly surprised because he didn''t expect the woman to give up the advantage provided by her weapon so quickly. So he wasn''t in a position to dodge the attack, also because Emilia had activated a speed technique to increase the impetus of her charge.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Metallic noises rang in succession as Hei put his arms forward to cover his chest and face from that storm of sharp slashes. The power behind each hit was tremendous, and suffering the whole combo would have left internal damage even with the defense of spirit power around his body. However, the Spider Carapace technique was something left by Bao Bei, a sixth-level divine beast. So how could it be broken so easily?


    When Emilia finished her series of attacks, her eyes, for the first time, expressed a feeling of pure wonder, not contaminated by hatred. She was an early third stage spirit soldier, and her opponent also had a level of cultivation equal to her. As a result, even if she hadn''t killed him, her attack would still have had to hurt him. Yet before her incredulous eyes, Hei was unscathed. Only, he had consumed some of his spirit power.


    ''Now it''s my turn!'' Hei thought to himself.


    As was his custom, he avoided speaking directly in the middle of the fight. If he had spoken, his voice would have made Emilia wake up from her amazement, allowing her to react at the last minute to his attack. But Hei didn''t do that, and consequently, his blow landed on his enemy.


    Whop!


    A single kick. Although it seemed like a simple kick, it wasn''t like that at all. Hei had expected to suffer the blow and therefore had prepared himself accordingly. His left leg had begun to acc.u.mulate spirit power, and when Emilia finished her attack, Hei used Spider Lance with that leg and hit the woman in the chest with the sole of his foot.


    Emilia was sent to fly for meters and meters while her body spun in the air and heavily landed on the ground. The woman began to gasp with difficulty as she felt her breath being cut off by that kick.


    ''Using the soles of the feet reduces the lethality as I can''t connect my sharp nails. But in doing so, I can expand the damage. Since we are still at the beginning, I should reduce her layer of spirit power first, or my claws won''t be able to penetrate the flesh.''


    Meanwhile, in the other battles, the situation was going in favor of Hei''s allies. As in the fight against the jaguars, Lian acted as the pivot of the entire group protecting the three direct fighters (Leon, Lang with Fenrir, He Fen) and the support fighters (Mareo, Haruno, Lilian, Mia). Her two ribbons were like lotus petals that parried every kind of attack, and at the right time, it could be insidious as snakes waiting for prey.


    Leon, Lang, and He Fen were being empowered by Mareo''s song, and thanks to the advantage of cultivation, they were utterly crushing their enemies. This time Fenrir was sent to fight alone because of the numerical disadvantage in which they found themselves. However, the second level wolf wasn''t a spirit beast raised in cotton wool. He knew perfectly well how to fight even without the direct orders of his mistress Lang.


    Haruno, Lilian, and Mia, on the other hand, were fighting this time. The numerical disadvantage didn''t allow them to focus exclusively on supporting the others, and therefore the three of them were assigned one opponent each. Although they had been assigned the weaker enemies, as supporting martial artists, they weren''t as proficient in combat as pure attack martial artists. In any case, thanks to Lian''s constant support, they were holding up without problems.


    As for the other allies, namely the Imperial Prince''s group, the duo composed of the Feng Family member, Feng Chen, and the young woman by his side and Hu Jie, they were dominating their enemies.


    The subordinates of the Imperial Prince Long Tian were the personal guards assigned to him from an early age. As personal guards of one the sons of the Sun Emperor and therefore one of the candidates as the next Emperor, the four men had been trained to be Long Tian''s shield and sword in any situation. They called each other like brothers, assigning each one a number based on who was born first.


    Guard number 1 was called Dae-Won. He had short brown and desaturated hair and faded hazel eyes. He had no bloodline and possessed the Law of Illusions. His weapon was a Trident.


    Guard number 2 was called Hide. He had straight pink hair that reached the back of his neck and eyes with a shade of color between blue and aqua green. He had no bloodline and possessed the Ghost Law. His weapon was a type of spiked mace, called the Morning Star.


    Guard number 3 was called Xinya. He had golden eyes and long purple hair tied in a ponytail. He had no bloodline and possessed the Law of Poison. His weapon was a pair of Urumi. Urumi was a particular weapon of the Kalaripayattu style, and it was a sword made of flexible steel, making the weapon maneuverable like a whip.


    Guard number 4 was called William. He had long loose brown hair and dark blue eyes. He had no bloodline and possessed the Law of Blood. His weapon was a pair of Katars, a type of dagger characterized by its H-handle, which placed the blade of the dagger over the knuckles of the hand.


    Imperial Prince Long Tian instead used a pair of twin swords called Hook Swords. They were swords of ordinary length, but their peculiarity was in the hooked form with which the blade ended. In addition to the hooked shape of the blade, the hilt ended in a sharp point while the guard protruded outside with a crescent shape. As a member of the Imperial Family, he owned a dragon-type bloodline - the Yellow Dragon Bloodline which was centered on the Law of Earth.


    As for the duo man and woman with fire red hair, the young woman was named Huli Xieren, part of the Huli Family that possessed the Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline. Although it wasn''t a royal bloodline, as a pure bloodline of the Fire Law, the Huli Family had close ties to the Feng Family.


    Huli Xieren, therefore, possessed the Law of Fire given to her by her bloodline and the Law of Ice that she had awakened once she reached the sixth stage spirit apprentice. Her weapon was an ordinary-sized single sword that she wielded with both hands. Feng Che also used a sword which he held alternately with one or two hands. Like his partner, he possessed both the Law of Fire and the Law of Ice. However, his bloodline was peculiar because it had undergone a variation, allowing the passive effect of the Phoenix Bloodline also to be applicable to the Law of Ice. As a result, the power of his two elements was practically equal.


    Hu Jie was part of the Hu Family, who possessed the White Tiger Bloodline that enhanced the Law of Metal. As the owner of a metal law bloodline, the hardness of his body outclassed any of his classmates. Hu Jie was considered the greatest genius in the entire history of the Hu Family because the material chosen as the basis for his body was the diamond, the hardest material in nature. Therefore he was stronger than the users of the Law of Metal with his level of cultivation. Hu Jie used no weapons, but he fought with his bare hands using the hand-to-hand combat techniques that he had refined since he was a child.


    Thus, with an overwhelming advantage on both cultivation and techniques, Hei and his allies now had victory in hand. Or so it was what they thought. To their surprise, they discovered that the group dressed in black had more aces up their sleeve than they thought, and these aces up their sleeve weren''t to be underestimated.

 Chapter 164 - Poison Kiss

    After making Emilia fly with his fist, Hei wasted no time contemplating the success of his attack. Instead, he ran to where the woman had landed and prepared to continue attacking.


    Give no respite to the prey unless it was necessary to induce it into a false sense of security.


    One of the many teachings of Bao Bei when Hei was young. Of course, even after all these years, Hei continued to keep his mother''s words in his heart. He would do so until the rest of his life.


    ''Snake Tail Blow!''


    Loading his spirit power on both arms, Hei prepared his attack. He then jumped into the air to dive on Emilia, who was still gasping on the ground due to Hei''s punch. But the woman was by no means a beginner in combat. After all, despite being part of an ordinary family, she had been admitted to the Southern Royal War Academy.


    "Law of Darkness, Shadow Blade!"


    Suddenly, a black blade appeared in her right hand. It was half a meter long and about ten centimeters wide. Although it didn''t look threatening or majestic, its power was not to be underestimated. However, Hei chose to continue his attack, regardless of his opponent''s move.


    ''Spider Carapace is still active. If I hold this blow, I can then launch another attack. If I avoid it because I''m afraid of being hurt, I will miss this attack opportunity.''


    Sizzle! Crash!


    The dark blade collided against the exoskeleton on Hei''s arms. Since they had previously been weakened, this time, the protections created with his spirit power didn''t come out intact. Signs of rupture were evident with the n.a.k.e.d eye, and there was no doubt that another attack would definitively break his exoskeleton. In any case, the exoskeleton in his arms had allowed Hei to break the dark blade generated by the black-dressed woman''s Law of Darkness.


    "Embrace of Death!" Emilia shouted with all her might as she felt the backlash from the breakdown of her technique.


    The kusarigama that was in her free hand quickly twisted around Hei''s position. Both the metallic weight and the sickle attacked in unison as the chain wound around Hei so as not to let him escape.


    "I won''t let you beat me! Not by one who protects the spirit beasts!"


    Despite the injuries received, Emilia wasn''t in a severe condition. Her layer of spirit power had cushioned much of the damage. However, it was true at the same time that much of her spirit power had been consumed. But it didn''t matter; the important thing was to take out the enemy in front of her.


    But Hei had foreseen this as well. As an experienced hunter, he knew that he shouldn''t underestimate his prey, especially during the moment it appeared the weakest. After all, the danger of death brought out all the potential, and even the smallest creatures were capable of unexpected things.


    "Cocoon Hair!"


    Unable to rely on Spider Carapace that was on the verge of collapse, Hei left the defense of his body to his hair, which was able to harden until it became hard as metal. That unusual protective barrier repelled the sickle blade, the metallic weight, and the kusarigama chain.


    Emilia frowned in frustration seeing her attack fail, but although she wanted to continue the attack, she was forced to do the opposite. In fact, at the same time that he commanded his hair to protect his body, Hei commanded his spear to dive down on the spot where Emilia lay.


    Stab!


    Emilia was quick to avoid the blow, but in doing so, she lost her opportunity to continue her attack. In that moment of Emilia''s distraction, Hei concentrated his spirit power in his hair and forcefully broke the binding of the kusarigama chain that was sent to fly. So he picked up his spear with his mind, and with it, he pounced towards Emilia, who was currently unarmed.


    "Shit!" the woman in black swore. Even if she attempted to recall her kusarigama, the weapon wouldn''t have had time to reach it. Left with no other alternatives, Emilia unleashed the ace up her sleeve. An ace that, in theory, she shouldn''t have to possess.


    A small rectangular sheet of paper appeared in her delicate little hand. The sheet had a reddish color while multiple geometric symbols that were engraved on it. Quickly, the young woman infused her spirit power into the piece of paper and threw it at Hei, who had now almost reached her position.


    Boom!


    Unexpectedly, a deafening boom resounded from that small piece of paper, while furious flames and smoke were generated by the explosion resulting from the contact with Hei''s body.


    When that boom was heard in that section of forest, all the fighters turned their gaze to where Hei and Emilia were fighting. In everyone''s eyes, there was enormous amazement since they didn''t expect such a twist.


    "HEI"


    A female cry broke that silence of amazement. The one who had shouted was Lian. Even from where she was fighting, she could sense the power behind that explosion. Since Lei was the only one, along with Ye and Xing, who knew Hei''s real power, she also knew what his current limits were at the same time. And that explosion wasn''t something Hei could get out of it unscathed. In the worst case, it could have even been fatal.


    ''Big Brother!'' (Ye)


    ''Please answer!'' (Xing)


    Ye and Xing also felt a sense of horror when they realized the gravity of the situation. With an incredibly strong murderous intent, their eyes narrowed to become two very thin slits. The two divine beasts then began to attack more savagely than before, regardless of being injured. The two humans fighting against them were on the verge of succ.u.mbing, but they were doing everything they could to buy time for their boss so that she could finish her enemy.


    "Boss, is that?" Asked guard number 1, Dae-Won, who was also the chief among the four subordinates of the Imperial Prince.


    The gaze of the Imperial Prince Long Tian had become serious, and he answered in a grim voice to his subordinate. "It is an elemental talisman. There are no doubts. It is something that we in the first year shouldn''t be able to get our hands on, especially for those who come from an ordinary family. Yet the reality before our eyes is completely different. If so, it is possible that..." At that point, Long Tian paused before commanding aloud to the rest of the fighters. "Kill them now! Don''t let them use the talismans!"


    The shout of the Imperial Prince echoed on the battlefield. Hei''s companions, who had been shocked by this unexpected event, returned with their minds to the fight. The Imperial Prince had communicated to them that others might also possess such items. And this corresponded to reality.


    The men dressed in black were, in fact, each endowed with such a talisman. But since they only owned one for each of them, Emilia had ordered them not to use them unless she had ordered otherwise. And now that Emilia herself had used her talisman, there was no reason why they couldn''t use them. Thus, the remaining nineteen men began rummaging in their space ring to retrieve that object with a mighty power.


    Lian, still worried by Hei''s condition, was currently in desperation. She wanted to go and see what Hei''s conditions were, but the danger of these talismans was a real threat. As the pivot of the defense of their team, she couldn''t leave her teammates at the mercy of such a danger. Especially not with four supporting martial artists who wouldn''t have resisted such an attack at all.


    "Complete your mission! Don''t think about me!"


    As if it was reading her thoughts, a voice reached Lian''s ears. The blue-haired young woman gasped with emotion when she heard who the voice belonged to. Living every day next to him, how could she be wrong?!


    "HEI!"


    Yes, the one who spoke was Hei. At the moment, he was kneeling on the ground while trying to focus on the enemy in front of him. The top of his robe was gone, and there were gruesome burn wounds on his back and arms. But other than that, they didn''t look like they were life-threatening.


    ''Fortunately, I was able to use Snake Coiling to curl my body. Furthermore, Snake Hair has cushioned part of the power of the explosion. But apparently, my defense wasn''t enough to completely isolate the heat of the explosion.''


    Hei had managed to reduce the damage thanks to his promptness and the speed of execution of his techniques. Quickly, he had twisted his limbs as if he were a sphere while his hair suffered the impact of the explosion. However, despite his hair being intact, they hadn''t been able to prevent the heat and power of that move from being transmitted to Hei''s body. Hence the burn wounds on his back and arms.


    "You''re still alive?? How is it possible?" Emilia murmured as she looked at him in horror as if she had a monster before her.


    Hei looked up and replied to the young woman in black, "It''s because you want to hurt my little sisters. Of course, I can''t let you kill me. I have to keep protecting them."


    "Why do you persist? Don''t you understand that it''s useless? Even if you protect them now, nothing will change. They are spirit beasts. Humans and spirit beasts cannot live together. The only reason they weren''t exterminated is just because the divine beasts went extinct. So, the big shots think they can tame them and use them for their purposes. But the day when the divine beasts were to return, it will also be the day that humanity will finally get rid of the spirit beasts. They won''t run the risk of having another Snake of Darkness threatening the world."


    "Then that day, I will fight alongside them until the end. And if I fail, it will only be with my death. It is the promise I made myself a long time ago. I have no intention of breaking it for any reason. I fully understand the suffering you feel in your heart, but I cannot let you hurt them or any other innocent spirit beast."


    After his speech, Hei lay down on the ground with all four limbs ready to snap. The back injuries hurt and prevented him from fighting when he was up. Even the burns in the arms made their weight be felt, but they were less painful. Therefore, it was still possible for Hei to fight using Spider Run, Four Legged Mode.


    Seeing Hei''s relentless fighting spirit, Emilia''s hatred vanished for a moment, replaced by admiration. Although she hated to admit it, she hadn''t met anyone so willing to risk his life to protect the spirit beasts. But that didn''t change anything in the end. She would kill that young brown-skinned man. No, precisely because of his sympathies towards the spirit beasts, she had to kill him at all costs.


    Releasing the last flashes of spirit power, consumed almost entirely due to the use of that particular talisman, Emilia held her kusarigama with both arms. Slowly, she started to spin it while her eyes were fixed on Hei. She was building momentum to maximize the damage.


    Hei was also doing the same. He was concentrating his spirit power to use the technique he thought most could lead him to victory. If his choice was the right one, it would be revealed in a few moments.


    One shot. It was the fraction of time they both had to win. The first who failed to kill the enemy would be the person who lost.


    Whoosh!


    Hei jumped forward with all the force his body could generate. The burns in his arms and back were painful, but he suppressed the pain with pure willpower. A moment''s hesitation would have decreed its end. Emilia also sprinted forward using a footwork technique to increase her speed. Her kusarigama threateningly circled as she approached Hei.


    Stab!


    It all happens in a matter of seconds. Hei easily avoided the metallic weight at the end of the chain with a lateral movement. But this lateral movement had stopped Hei''s advance for a moment. Emilia took the opportunity to target the throat of her enemy with the blade of the kusarigama''s sickle.


    However, in the same way, Emilia was ready, Hei was prepared as well. Quickly, he reached out his left hand, which grabbed the blade of the sickle. On his hand, there was a layer of the exoskeleton, which was just enough to block the sickle blade for a few seconds. But that fraction of time was all Hei needed.


    Using all his strength, he rose to his feet as an excruciating pain pervaded his back and resounded all over his body. Seeing him in pain, Emilia used the part of the chain tied under the end of the sickle to immobilize Hei''s free right hand. In fact, she had noticed this detail and knew that Hei had in mind to attack her using that arm. Or at least that was what she had thought.


    Hei had no intention of using his right hand. Indeed, he had planned to use it as a bait to trick his enemy into thinking it was. With one last movement, he pushed his body forward as his face moved closer to Emilia''s.


    Smack!


    Hei''s lips landed on Emilia''s. The young woman dressed in black was taken aback as her mind stopped working. Total amazement. It was what she was feeling. But unfortunately for her, this wasn''t a simple kiss.


    "Poison Kiss!"


    A few moments earlier, while Hei was on all fours concentrating his spirit power, the image of a gray-haired woman appeared in his mind. Suddenly he remembered how the Pirate Queen Ho Ri-Na used a kissing technique to boil the organs of her enemies from the inside. Hei didn''t know why this had occurred to him at the time, but he trusted his instincts.


    Although he didn''t know exactly how this technique works, he managed to create a variant based on his techniques. As he was preparing for the last confrontation, he started generating saliva and making it poisonous. So as soon as his lips touched Emilia''s, Hei poured his poisonous saliva into the woman''s mouth. Such saliva began to flow inward as it descended down Emilia''s throat and expanded throughout the body.


    Emilia soon noticed the danger and tried to free herself. However, Hei prevented it. Hei''s tongue, snapping as if it were alive, twisted around Emilia''s and didn''t let go. At the same time, his long pitch-black hair had tied the two in a tight grip. There was no way for Emilia to free herself with the brute force of her body.


    ''LET ME GO!'' Unable to speak in that position, Emilia sent a spirit message to Hei, but he obviously didn''t listen to the request of his enemy and continued to pour out the poison.


    Emilia desperately tried one last solution and commanded her kusarigama with her mind. The sickle was still blocked by Hei''s hand, so the only free end was the one with the metallic weight. Hei''s hair was busy tying the two of them together in that tight grip, and therefore it couldn''t stop her attack.


    ''DIE!''


    In a voice that bordered on madness mixed with desperation, Emilia attempted her last attack. The metallic weight moved as fast as a dart fired from a bow and aimed at Hei''s head. A blow behind the back of the neck, or a potentially fatal blow, especially now that most of Hei''s spirit power was concentrated on attacking.


    Peng!


    Unfortunately for Emilia, Hei still had an ace up his sleeve. Something he had hidden with his actions for this latest attack - his spear.


    The spear given to him by his mother hissed through the air, and the tip of the weapon collided with the metallic weight. The metallic noise that followed from the contact between the two weapons marked the end of the clash and the defeat of the young woman full of hatred for the spirit beasts.

 Chapter 165 - Fear

    Pant! Pant!


    Hei was barely standing as he took a breath of air. His face was ashen, and it was only thanks to his willpower that he could stay on his feet. But his enormous effort had been rewarded - the victory was his.


    When he saw Emilia''s body stop moving, only then did he look away from the woman. The poison had now run its course, poisoning the woman to the point of taking her life. Usually, the attack of a user of the Poison Law, with similar cultivation, wasn''t so powerful as to be able to take the life of one''s opponent with a single contact. In fact, the enemy could use their spirit power to block the advance of the poison.


    However, Emilia had exhausted most of her spirit power in using that explosive talisman from before. The power of that object was undeniable, and it was, therefore, reasonable that the cost of spirit power was just as high, not to mention that she had consumed a lot of spirit power in the early stages of the fight.


    Furthermore, it had to be said that blocking the advance of a poison poured directly inside was more difficult to perform. It was even more true if the user of the Poison Law had some degree of understanding towards that Elemental Law. As the owner of the Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Hei''s Law of Poison was very powerful for those at his rank and stage of cultivation.


    Meanwhile, his companions and allies had finished their respective fights. Spurred on by the cry of the Imperial Prince, all of them unleashed their finishing moves to end the battle quickly. At the time, in that section of the forest, there were twenty lifeless bodies that once housed the soul and spirit of young martial artists who only wanted to avenge their loved ones.


    "HEI"


    ''Big Brother!''


    The voices of Lian, Ye, and Xing quickly came. The three of them had been traumatized when Hei was engulfed by the explosion. Even now that the fight was over and Hei had won, concern and relief could be read on their face. As soon as they finished their enemy, they ran directly to Hei.


    Groan!


    Lian, in the throes of her emotions, threw herself on Hei, embracing him with all her strength. Brilliant tears like pearls ran down her cheeks. The sudden hug made Hei fall to the ground, groaning in pain. However, he didn''t care; his focus was on the blue-haired young woman who had her face pressed to his chest.


    "I''m sorry I made you worry. It won''t happen again. I''ll pay more attention next time."


    Ye and Xing arrived shortly after that. Without hesitation, they returned to their petite form and approached their big brother''s face.


    ''Are you okay?'' (Ye)


    ''Please don''t make us worry like that.'' (Xing)


    "I''m fine. I''m just hurt a bit, but it''s not that bad. I''m sorry I made you worry as well."


    Meanwhile, the rest of his team had rushed to Hei. Mia and Lilian immediately proceeded to medicate him while the others guarded the procedure. Before long, Hei could feel the pain in his back ease as the burns became less noticeable. It must be said that having two martial artists medics with him was useful in cases like these.


    "I didn''t think the enemy had such a card. You did well by protecting yourself at the last minute. Not many spirit soldiers of the younger generation would have been able to do so, including those who have a higher cultivation stage."


    In addition to Hei''s group, the Imperial Prince Long Tian''s group had also arrived with Feng Chen and the fiery-haired woman by his side and Hu Jie. The Imperial Prince and the two members of the Eight Big Families were looking at Hei in a whole new light. Before, they were intrigued by Ye and Xing''s transformation technique, but now they had been able to observe Hei''s skill and had been impressed by it.


    "Thanks, but I would have liked to do without it if I could," Hei commented with a note of sarcasm. He certainly would have preferred to avoid making Lian and his sisters worried like that.


    "There is one thing that doesn''t convince me. It''s how the hell they got those talismans. From their structure, they look like talismans created by a spirit grandmaster." Feng Chen broke into the conversation, bringing attention to an important detail.


    "It is so. In all, there is engraved a technique of the Law of Fire, and the power reaches the spirit grandmaster rank," added Lian. As a scholar of formations, she managed to recognize from the symbols the properties of the technique engraved and the degree of power it could achieve.


    Hei, who knew nothing of these talismans, asked, "Do you know what kind of weapons are Lian?"


    Lian nodded before explaining, "The Masters of Formations can infuse the spirit power tied to an Elemental Law technique into particular materials. Among these, there are specific materials that can be modeled as paper. Depending on the type of material used, there is a power limit that the technique engraved inside can reach.


    Once the talisman is finished, anyone can use the engraved technique, even if you don''t have that particular Elemental Law. Only the expenditure of spirit power will be higher. Furthermore, the power generated is also linked to the rank of cultivation achieved by the user. Even though they are talismans created by a spirit grandmaster, a spirit soldier is unable to bring out all the power. Instead, it will be inferior even to the power of a spirit master. For example, the power that can be generated by a third-stage spirit soldier will be able to at most reach the final stages of the spirit soldier rank, depending on the amount of spirit power infused within."


    When Lian finished explaining, Long Tian kept saying, "What you said is right. But these talismans are not something that can be commonly found. The Empire keeps the talisman market under control, and only the soldiers affiliated to the Army of the Sun can buy them. There are indeed black markets where elemental talismans are sold, but they aren''t a place that can be entered without the right connections. There are talismans being sold in the Southern Royal War Academy, but only for those who are in their third year, not earlier. Considering that these people were all from common origins, it is difficult to understand where they obtained such objects, not to mention that they were made by a spirit grandmaster."


    "You have something in your head, right, Long Tian?" said Feng Chen as he looked the Imperial Prince in the eye. As the son of the head of the Feng Family, one of the Eight Big Families, he didn''t have to be formal in front of Long Tian.


    "Yes, but they are only thoughts. Dae-Won, Hide, Xinya, William. Collect the enemy space rings and bring them to me. The things inside will go to who killed that particular person, but as by the empire law, I can''t let you have access to such objects before you reach your third academic year. It is also in consideration of the test that we are conducting now. I ask you to understand it."


    Since the request was from the Imperial Prince, no one objected. In any case, it was only the talismans; the rest of the objects would go to their respective new owners. While the Long Tian guards carried out their boss''s order, Hei had finished the healing process. His body, although tired by combat, was woundless.


    "We are finally done! I recommend, even if the wounds have healed, it is better that you avoid sudden movements for a few hours." Mia said as she wiped her forehead from the strain.


    "You owe one to us. Treating such burns in a short time consumes a lot of spirit power. You are fortunate to have both of us." Lilian came out with her straightforward manner.


    "Well, since you''ve all consumed a lot of your spirit power, I''d say it''s time for a nice meal. Come here; I''ll make something good." Haruno, who was the one who had consumed the least spirit power of all of them, began to bring out his kitchen tools to prepare something that could restore part of the spirit power of his companions.


    By seeing this, Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, and Hu Jie couldn''t help praising the foresight in the choice of this group. They were covered in every field, and despite the lack of a purely defensive martial artist, they had techniques that could cover that lack.


    ''Are you okay, Xing?'' Hei asked, noticing that his little sister had moved a little apart to observe the corpse of the woman dressed in black who had almost killed her big brother before.


    ''Yes, it''s just that I was wondering if we had to kill her. I know she tried to kill you, and that''s why I can''t forgive her. But the origin of her hatred is us spirit beasts. I feel partly responsible because I''m part of the same species.'' the little spider revealed her tumultuous thoughts as she continued to stare at the woman.


    ''What are you saying, Xing? It was she who attacked us and killed innocent spirit beasts. There was no way we could leave her alive.'' Ye replied. She wasn''t at all pitied by Emilia''s story. Her character was simple and straightforward. If you attack me, then you are my enemy!


    Hearing the opinion of his little sisters, Hei took them both in his arms and gave his version, "I understand what you are feeling both, and they are both right arguments. The story of these people is undoubtedly a tragedy, and it is right that they have their revenge. But revenge on those who have nothing to do is unfair. If they had killed the spirit beasts responsible for the death of their loved ones, I wouldn''t have intervened. However, there is also to be seen why such spirit beasts attacked the human villages. It may be that the loved ones of these people were on the wrong side. Despite that, the reason I killed this woman is that I was afraid."


    ''Afraid?'' the two little divine beasts asked in unison.


    "Yes, afraid. If I had left her alive, perhaps there would have been a chance to save her from the hatred that was destroying her. Perhaps we could have become friends or allies, and one day she could have forgiven the spirit beasts. But I didn''t have the courage to risk everything for this slight possibility. What would have happened if I left her alive, and she hadn''t been able to forgive the spirit beasts? What if she came to hurt the two of you? What if I wasn''t able to protect you that day like I did today? Just because I was afraid that I didn''t want to take that risk. I decided on my own initiative to take her life. If that was the right choice, I don''t know it. I only know that for me, it was the option with the most possibilities to protect you."


    Ye and Xing went silent after listening to Hei''s speech. At his side, the others listened in silence; after all, they had just killed those who, until recently, were classmates. Even if they didn''t know them directly, it was true that there was a possibility that in the future they could become comrades in arms.


    "We shouldn''t dwell on it too much. They made their choices, and we made ours; end of the story. The path of us martial artists is like this. Two factions collide, each one putting its future at stake. Whoever wins will live, whoever loses will die. This is how it has always been, and this is how it will always be." said Hu Jie, who didn''t like to think about such things. After all, however much they discussed it, they could never go back in time. What was done was already done.


    After that discussion, the martial artists present there decided to camp in that area. The fighting had exhausted them, and they had to recover their spirit power. Since Hei''s team possessed two martial artist medics and a martial artist chef, Long Tian and his guards, Feng Chen and Huli Xieren, and Hu Jie took advantage of the thing and stayed with them. Hei decided to let them remain as thanks for their help. Furthermore, it was true that having such allies was comforting, given the danger of this forest.


    Unfortunately, however, the much desired and deserved rest didn''t come. When that clash between humans ended and night descended, it was at that moment that the curtain rose for a battle that no one had imagined would happen.

 Chapter 166 - C.o.c.kroach Assault

    Hei, his companions, and his other allies positioned themselves in front of a fire to have dinner together. Although it wasn''t advisable to keep a fire in the forest in the evening, they were still a rather large and powerful group. Unless it had been a group of many spirit beasts, the latter wouldn''t have dared to attack them. And even in that case, it was in doubt as to whether such spirit beasts would have dared to risk deaths among their numbers; after all, the best prey was what you could have with minimal effort.


    Thus, Hei and the others had the opportunity to get to know each other and chat. For people raised in ordinary families, it was unimaginable even to think that they could interact with someone important from the Eight Big Families. Yet now, Hei and his other companions were sharing the same food with the family heads'' sons of two of the Eight Big Families and the Sun Emperor''s son.


    Unexpectedly from what might be thought, Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, and Hu Jie weren''t arrogant or disdainful people toward whom didn''t come from an influential family. Hu Jie was a very expansive person and said what he thought without dwelling too much on whether it was appropriate or not. He was a free and pure-minded person. Feng Chen was more calm and quiet and mostly preferred to interact with his partner Huli Xieren. But in any case, if he were asked a question, he would kindly answer.


    As for Long Tian, ??he didn''t appear to belong to the Imperial Family at all. He had a friendly way of doing things and didn''t want to make its origins weigh on others. In fact, he expressed that he didn''t want to be called ''Imperial Prince.'' In addition to that, although they were his guards, rather than a relationship between boss and subordinate, Long Tian had a relationship between comrades with the four young men assigned to protect him. Dae-Won, Hide, Xinya, and William could indeed openly express their thoughts and suggestions that would be welcomed by Long Tian. Nonetheless, even though Long Tian wanted to appear like an ordinary martial artist, he couldn''t hide his origins. There was a feeling hidden in his way of doing and moving that Hei had difficulty describing.


    ''I can''t explain it, but I feel that this person has something special. Even though I only met him today, my instincts tell me that I can trust him.'' Hei thought to himself that he was amazed at this fact. Usually, he would feel mistrust of new people until he got to know them to a level he could trust them. But with Long Tian, it was different, even if he didn''t know exactly why.


    "I really needed a nice meal like this. I have to admit your food, Haruno, was delicious. It wouldn''t hurt the White Tiger Family to have a talented cook like you." Hu Jie complimented Haruno after tasting his cuisine.


    Haruno was speechless at this compliment. He didn''t expect someone important like Hu Jie to say these words to him, let alone make such an offer. "Thanks, Hu Jie, about the offer..."


    Haruno had been taken aback and looked with Mareo to understand what he had to do. From the little time spent with Hu Jie, he could see that he was a sincere and direct person. Considering that he was the son of the family head, it wasn''t unlikely that he could nominate someone for a role within the White Tiger Family. But Mareo, too, was left taken aback and didn''t know what words to suggest to Haruno. Fortunately, another person intervened to support them.


    "You shouldn''t be making such awkward offers Hu Jie," said Feng Chen, who, despite appearing uninterested, had listened to the conversation from the beginning.


    "Awkward? What do you mean, Feng Chen?" Hu Jie asked that he didn''t understand what was wrong in his offer.


    At that point, Long Tian stepped in to explain what was wrong with the offer made to Haruno. "Even if you have good intentions Hu Jie, you should learn to weigh your words first. Haruno is a talented martial artist chef. The pasta he prepares is exceptional, considering he is only to the rank of spirit soldier. Therefore, in the future, his fame is likely to grow. To hook him up now using your family name is a little sneaky. Besides, he is currently part of Hei''s team. If Haruno accepted your offer, you would involuntarily force him to have him follow you for this test and the rest of the period at the Academy."


    Hearing Long Tian''s explanation, Hu Jie finally understood and put his hand on his head. "Ah! Now I understand. I am sorry, Haruno, I didn''t want to put you in such an awkward position. The same goes for you, Hei. I didn''t want to try to steal one of your comrades."


    Listening to the apologies of someone like Hu Jie seemed decidedly strange for those unfamiliar with the young man of the White Tiger Family. Feng Chen, Huli Xieren, Long Tian, and his four guards smiled instead because they knew well Hu Jie''s character. In the same way that he wouldn''t have thought of certain aspects in interacting with others, at the same time, he would have had no problem apologizing and making amends if it was his fault, even if it was someone with common origins.


    "Don''t worry; you didn''t do it with bad intentions," Hei responded by looking up for a few moments to answer Hu Jie. He could understand a person''s character thanks to his instincts, and they told him that Hu Jie was sincere. Then he returned to focus on his little sisters waiting for Hei to cut the meat of one of the jaguars they killed on the first day of the trial.


    But unfortunately for the two little divine beasts, their time to taste that meat didn''t come. Suddenly, an almost imperceptible buzz could be heard from every corner of the forest. However, this buzz was slowly increasing in intensity as a bad atmosphere began to spread throughout the forest.


    "What is happening?" asked Leon, who started to feel uncomfortable all of a sudden. However, it wasn''t just him; everyone else had stood up as well as they looked around.


    "Fenrir, do you smell anything?" Lang asked Fenrir, who began to sniff to the right and the left.


    "Ye, Xing, you too. Warn me if you perceive something." Hei commanded his little sisters as he began to investigate his surroundings with his eyes.


    Unfortunately, Fenrir, Ye, and Xing couldn''t find anything. Even if there were sounds, Xing couldn''t perceive them nearby, and as far as smells were concerned, there were only those of the spirit beasts that lived nearby. However, none of them was responsible for that strange buzz.


    ''They can''t find the source? How is it possible? Fenrir''s nose is highly developed as well as the senses of Ye and Xing. As the buzz gets louder and louder, they should be able to perceive who is causing this sound.'' Hei meditated to himself as he began to mull over how to act.


    "Wait, maybe I have an idea. You just have to remain silent." Mareo said before putting his face on the ground, his ear resting on the ground.


    Hei nodded to everyone else to do, as Mareo requested. He trusted in Mareo and his hearing skills. Mareo probably had an intuition and wanted to verify it before explaining it to others.


    Suddenly though, Mareo got up and screamed aloud, "Fly high. NOW!"


    Without warning, Mareo rose into the air with a shocked face. Hei and his companions followed him without asking questions. Only from Mareo''s face could they see that the situation had to be more severe than expected.


    Seeing Hei and his team members flying high, Long Tian and the others who weren''t part of Hei''s team decided to trust Mareo''s order anyway. During their brief interaction, they had been able to see that the group contained talented people who knew what to do in battle.


    Crack!


    In the ground beneath them, cracks suddenly formed and widened more and more. From these splits, large creatures ranging from one meter in length to three to four meters, came out. Even though it was night, thanks to the light produced by the moon and the fire still lit, Hei could see what creatures they were.


    "C.o.c.kroaches!" Mia screamed as she felt a sense of vomit when she saw a multitude of c.o.c.kroaches like that. After all, c.o.c.kroaches were a species poorly seen by humans who killed such insects as soon as they saw them.


    "How many are there? Are they more than a hundred?" Leon asked that he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "Hahaha, fortunately, Mareo told us to fly. Or else we would have found ourselves surrounded." Lilian laughed but, although she tried not to show it, she too was disgusted by that sight.


    But when Lilian said those words, something lit up in Hei''s mind as he thought of something his mother had said long ago.


    ''Now let''s get to the c.o.c.kroaches. You must know that these are very resistant creatures, and you must not underestimate them. They have incredible running speed, they can swim, but above all, some of them can fly. Some types of c.o.c.kroaches have wings, but unless they are forced, they don''t use them since they can only fly for a certain amount of time. However, for that short period, they can be formidable adversaries for birds as well.''


    "Be careful! Some c.o.c.kroaches have wings and can fly." Hei promptly communicated as he hoped that the c.o.c.kroaches beneath them were of a wingless species. But things didn''t go as he wished.


    The c.o.c.kroaches began to open their wings on their back and began to fly. Quickly, the sky in that section of the forest filled with black spots that darkened the blue of the night sky. Seeing this, all the martial artists there became speechless as a sense of extreme danger descended upon them.


    It was to be known that although martial artists and non-flying spirit beasts could fly once they reached the rank of spirit soldier or the second level, their flight ability wasn''t comparable to their movements on the ground. In fact, they could only fly for short periods, and their speed would have been significantly reduced. Only by advancing in rank or level would their flight ability improve. It meant that it was dangerous for low-rank martial artists to fight flying spirit beasts in the sky.


    At the time, Hei and the others were all in midair. Ye and Xing were on his back in their petite form while Fenrir was also suspended in midair. However, they couldn''t stay there forever, and with all those c.o.c.kroaches that had taken flight, it was impossible to think of running away by flying. C.o.c.kroaches, although they weren''t on a par with other flying creatures since they possessed wings, they were more adept than them in air combat.


    "We cannot stay in the sky. We have to go down at any cost." Hei communicated as his mind struggled to think of a solution. If it were only he, Lian, and his little sisters, he would have had a way to escape from this situation. But now he didn''t just have three of them; he couldn''t abandon his companions nor the others who had come to their aid in the fight before.


    As the situation deteriorated visibly, Long Tian promptly gave his orders. In that desperate situation, his incredible command ability appeared like a beacon in the middle of the night.


    "Feng Chen create a space for us to land. My subordinates will clean up your aerial view. Once we land, we have to fight using all our power. The enemies are too numerous to attempt an escape now. We have to reduce their numbers so that we can try to break through and escape from here."


    Without wasting time, the four subordinates of Long Tian moved. Their spirit power was released into the night sky as a bright aura showed itself outside illuminating the night.


    "Intent of Urumi, Law of Poison, Poisonous Cutting Dance!" Xinya shouted as he waved his flexible swords. When guard number 3 began to wave his weapons, a thundering roar was soon heard echoing in the air. The affected c.o.c.kroaches were mutilated by small cutting wounds all over the body, but the dangerous thing was the poison associated with the tiny blades of the urumi.


    "Intent of the Morning Star, Ghost Law, Spectral Thorn Spinner!" Hide shouted as he began to rotate and push himself towards other c.o.c.kroaches. The spiked mace took on an extreme speed and smashed the bodies of those c.o.c.kroaches. The strangest thing was that every time a c.o.c.kroach tried to hit Hide from behind, the body of the guard number 2 would become intangible for a few moments, thus avoiding the attack.


    "Intent of the Katars, Law of Blood, Sting Stab!" William, guard number 4, pulled out his Katar daggers as he shattered a glass flask extracted from his space ring. The glass bottle contained his own blood, which was extracted every month. Such blood clung to the blades of his weapon. After that, William flew to one c.o.c.kroach, and one of his two Katar daggers entered the body of the spirit beast. Suddenly, the blood attached to the blade became alive as it condensed into small solid needles, which were expelled 180 degrees inside the c.o.c.kroach''s body.


    "Intent of the Trident, Law of Illusion, Twin Bodies!" Finally, Dae-Won, guard number 1, created two other identical figures and charged towards other c.o.c.kroaches. The c.o.c.kroaches attacked the copies but to no avail because they weren''t real. This consequently left Dae-Won the chance to attack without being disturbed.


    Watching this, Hei and the other members of his team looked amazed at the power of those four guards. During the first fight, everyone was too focused on their own battle to pay attention to what the others were doing. As a result, it was the first time they saw the real power of the guards in the service of the Imperial Prince Long Tian.


    "Xieren! Let''s go!" Feng Chen shouted at the fiery-haired woman by his side.


    "I am ready. Follow my rhythm." Huli Xieren replied as she took a breath of air.


    "Phoenix Bloodline! Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline! Activate!"


    Feng Chen and Huli Xieren joined their hands as they activated their fire law bloodlines. Suddenly, a single wing, half flame, and half ice, formed behind Feng Chen''s back. It wasn''t a real wing but was made up of his spirit power. Huli Xieren also underwent a similar transformation; on the lumbar area of ??her back, just above the height of the bottom, a long tail of fire made of spirit power appeared.


    "Battle Formation, Joint Sphere!" the two shouted in unison as their spirit power was condensed together to form a sphere two meters in diameter. This sphere contained an incredible strength and a high quantity of flames.


    "BURN!"


    With that cry, the sphere of flame was pushed down. The c.o.c.kroaches in the trajectory of the sphere were entirely devoured by the flames as a smell of burnt flesh spread all around.


    "NOW! Go down!" commanded Long Tian aloud before continuing, "Yellow Dragon Bloodline, Activate!"


    When he activated his bloodline, small gold-colored scales formed around the edges of his face as his spirit power began to swirl in his body as he drew out his hook swords.


    "Let''s go! Lian, full power! "Hei communicated to his teammates before he also activated his bloodline with Lian.


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline! Activate!"


    "Lotus of Love Bloodline, Activate!"


    In Hei and Lian, too, their spirit power surged as they drew their weapons. For the time being, Ye and Xing wouldn''t activate their bloodlines. Even if the situation was serious, they hadn''t reached such a desperate point. Unconsciously, Hei felt that by following Long Tian''s orders, they could all get out of that dangerous situation. Therefore, he commanded his little sisters not to activate their bloodlines or their elemental laws. However, he left them free rein in using all their spirit power to fight and not to spare themselves.


    "White Tiger Bloodline, Activate! Law of Metal, Diamond Body!" Hu Jie also activated his bloodline as his body turned bright white with black streaks. Once his bloodline was activated, he swooped down at full speed. He was the first to land, and with a roar, his fist went to destroy the head of a c.o.c.kroach, scattering the fluids of the spirit beast on the ground.


    Once the first c.o.c.kroach was killed, Hu Jie turned to target another c.o.c.kroach. However, unbeknownst to him, the c.o.c.kroach that had had its head destroyed by his fist wasn''t dead. It was still alive and rushed towards Hu Jie, catching him off guard.

 Chapter 167 - Beginning of the Collaboration

    "HE FEN!" Hei exclaimed as he noticed the danger that Hu Jie was facing.


    He Fen immediately understood what Hei meant and threw one of his two wheels of wind and fire towards the headless c.o.c.kroach.


    Sizzle!


    The disc-like weapon vertically cut the c.o.c.kroach in half. The bodily fluids of the spirit beast fell on the diamond-skinned young man.


    "Scram!" Hu Jie said, irritated as he didn''t like to be covered by that sticky liquid. Then he nodded to thank Hei and He Fen. Although his diamond skin would surely protect him, it wasn''t indestructible. There was a limit of endurance, and in front of all these enemies, it was essential to keep the received damage at a minimum.


    "C.o.c.kroaches are resistant creatures. Don''t aim at the head because they can remain active even without it. Aim for the legs or destroy their abdomen. Don''t think about killing them but focus on incapacitating them." Hei suggested. After all, he knew the general characteristics of c.o.c.kroaches.


    At that point, Hei and the others also landed on the ground. With their weapons in their hands, they charged against the c.o.c.kroaches. Even though they were surrounded, their luck was that most of the c.o.c.kroaches were only first level spirit beasts. The few second-level specimens were comparable to the early stages of the spirit soldier rank. If they had all been on the second level, the situation would have taken on an even more desperate tone. But although they were mostly first-level spirit beasts, the number of c.o.c.kroaches easily exceeded hundreds, so their situation remained serious. Thus, soon the clash became pure chaos as humans and spirit beasts challenged that group of c.o.c.kroaches.


    "Snake Whip + Spider Leg, Spider Cut!"


    Hei combined two of his techniques to create a move that allowed him to attack while maintaining the position he was. Snake Whip allowed him to displace the bones of his shoulders to increase the range of action of his arms. Joining him with Spider Leg, Hei''s arms had become like two sharp blades that cut everything they came in contact with.


    "Intent of the Ribbon, Law of Wood, Whip Attack!"


    Lian, who was beside Hei, was no different. This time instead of focusing on defense, she was attacking too. Her ribbons had hardened to such an extent that it was difficult to think they were made of silk. A further layer of bark created by her spirit power covered the two ribbons, increasing the heaviness of her blows.


    Slam! Crack!


    Each c.o.c.kroach hit by ribbons similar to heavy metal wh.i.p.s was crushed, and their abdomen destroyed until all body fluids were released to the ground. Some specimens, however, when their abdomens were destroyed, would let out the eggs they contained inside, thus freeing c.o.c.kroach babies.


    "C.o.c.kroaches put their eggs in a special egg sack called ootheca. Some specimens leave the ootheca outside before hatching, while others prefer to keep the ootheca inside them and let the young ones out once fully developed. Being newly born, they don''t pose a danger to us, but don''t let you be distracted if you see this. Just focus on the a.d.u.l.t c.o.c.kroaches." Lang said while she cut the legs of a c.o.c.kroach.


    As a member of one of the Beast Families, she, too, was well informed about the characteristics of the various species of spirit beasts. Beside her, Fenrir was rampaging like never before, unleashing the ferocity of the wolves. Each blow of his claw would cut off the legs or heads of the c.o.c.kroaches while his fangs would instantly destroy the hard exoskeleton.


    "Understood!" Leon replied while waving his sword with all his might. The weapon cut through the air as if it weighed nothing. However, the roar that it emanated when crashing into c.o.c.kroaches was a sign of the weight the weapon had. Beside him was He Fen, who was spinning his wind and fire wheels left and right without resting for a moment.


    As for the four supporting martial artists of Hei''s team, Mareo, Haruno, Lilian, and Mia, they were engaged in fighting c.o.c.kroaches as well. The number of enemies was too high to leave even one of them to support the others. Furthermore, the goal of their plan was to thin out the numbers and then create a gap in that black sea.


    ''Make space! The c.o.c.kroach hunter YE has arrived!''


    ''It isn''t true that you are a hunter of c.o.c.kroaches. Besides, when we were little, you had difficulty eating them.''


    The two divine beasts, Ye and Xing, were raging near where the four supporting martial artists were fighting. Since their body had reached three meters in length, they could block the flow of enemies with their bulk and make the fight easier for Mareo and the others who weren''t adept in fighting like the others.


    "Tongues of Fire!"


    "Ice Daggers!"


    On another side of their line-up, Feng Chen and Huli Xieren were combining their powers. Their harmony was so perfect that they didn''t need to communicate with each other at all. They could always understand what to do to help the other.


    "Tiger Jab"


    Hu Jie was fighting alone instead. His muscular body was as graceful as a feather as he hopped on his toes. Quickly he approached his target before punching him. Each time his punch landed, a hole would be created in the body of the c.o.c.kroach.


    As for the four Long Tian''s guards, Dae-Won, Hide, Xinya, and William, they were still in the air to prevent the c.o.c.kroaches in the sky from swooping against Long Tian and all the others. As bodyguards selected from a young age, their coordination was perfect, and so no one else was with them in the sky. In this way, there would be no disharmony in their formation.


    The Imperial Prince was, therefore, fighting on the ground with everyone else. His two twin hook swords crossed the air with high speed. Yet each of his blows contained a heaviness similar to the blow produced by Leon''s greatsword. And this was true despite Long Tian''s hook swords not having a third of the weight of Leon''s sword.


    "Repel!"


    A second-level c.o.c.kroach tried to hit Long Tian from behind. However, it was enough for the Imperial Prince to point one of his swords at the enemy. The c.o.c.kroach that attempted to hit him was thrown back meters away.


    "Crush!"


    Another c.o.c.kroach that was about to hit him by surprise was suddenly crushed to the ground by an enormous pressure. Such pressure was so intense that the c.o.c.kroach''s exoskeleton was destroyed.


    The clash lasted for almost half an hour. The use of spirit power from earlier began to affect Hei and the others. The energies provided by Haruno''s meal had now been exhausted, and even the restored quantity by cultivation was being consumed at high speed. Fortunately, however, the c.o.c.kroaches, realizing the number of fallen comrades reached, chose to retire. As it had come, that black sea of ??insects went away from that place.


    ''Yes, never come back, or the huntress Ye will come to visit you.''


    ''I don''t think they''ll give up attacking just to keep you from visiting them.''


    Ye and Xing, happy for the victory, started fighting each other. Although it could not seem so, they were just playing.


    "It''s finally over." Leon sighed as he sat on the ground to catch his breath. The others were also visibly exhausted.


    "Indeed. Thanks for your help, Long Tian. Without you and the others, we wouldn''t have been able to push them away." Hei said as he appeared rather pale from the consumption of spirit power.


    "You don''t need to thank me. We fought together to survive. Without you, we wouldn''t have been able to do it either." Long Tian replied as he pulled out a waterskin to quench the thirst that such a confrontation had caused in him.


    However, while Hei and the others finally became able to relax their nerves after repelling that mass attack, their face soon darkened even more than before. From multiple points in the forest, black moving clouds could be observed going towards a specific point more in-depth in the forest than where they were.


    "What?!" they all exclaimed, unable to conceive what their eyes were seeing.


    The number of specimens in the sky was far higher than the group that attacked them. This number reached thousands or perhaps tens of thousands.


    "What the hell is going on?" Hei cursed as he couldn''t understand the behavior of the c.o.c.kroaches.


    "What do you mean?" Long Tian asked, realizing that there was something wrong with the way Hei pronounced his curse.


    Hei sighed deeply before reporting what he knew, "C.o.c.kroaches are creatures that live in groups, but they don''t have a structure as advanced as other spirit beasts. They don''t have a king or queen or any kind of leader. Their actions are based on a sort of collective consciousness that guides the group''s actions. It isn''t strange to find cases of c.o.c.kroach colonies that separate themselves in order to have more food and space. However, the behavior of these c.o.c.kroaches is unusual. If they really had the good of the group in mind, they wouldn''t divide their numbers like that.


    Furthermore, the c.o.c.kroaches we dealt with are of a different species than those in the sky. No, each group is different from each other. It isn''t impossible to find two groups of different c.o.c.kroaches living together, but there would always be competition. Instead, all of them are acting by mutual agreement, as if they were following a specific order given by someone or something."


    When Hei finished speaking, silence fell. Nobody knew what to answer because they didn''t know the behavior of c.o.c.kroaches. The only one who knew the matter was Lang, but she too found herself without an answer to provide. The behavior of c.o.c.kroaches was outside the standard behavioral patterns.


    Long Tian eventually made his decision and communicated it to the others, "Dae-Won, go with Hide, Xinya, and William. Each takes a different direction, but be careful."


    "Boss, you don''t want to..." Dae-Won tried to ask with a surprised expression. He knew what Long Tian was going to ask him, but he didn''t think that the situation had deteriorated up to that point.


    "Yes. We will activate the Imperial Horns."


    Long Tian''s voice was steady and left no room for second thoughts. At hearing his words, even Feng Chen and Hu Jie seemed utterly amazed.


    "Long Tian, ??are you sure?" asked Hu Jie, who couldn''t refrain himself.


    "Normally, I wouldn''t rely on reasoning without proof. But you have all seen Hei''s skill and knowledge. I, therefore, want to trust his feelings. If there is someone or something which is commanding all those c.o.c.kroaches, then it isn''t just us who are in danger. We have to gather as many people as possible. Next time it could be an entire army of second-level c.o.c.kroaches, and if they should attack in waves, even we won''t get out alive."


    Hearing what Long Tian said, Hu Jie understood the extent of the danger they could face. If it had happened something like that, then, no matter how hard his body was, not even he would have left this forest alive.


    Without wasting any more time, Dae-Won led the other three to carry out the order of their leader. In their hands, they each had a small wooden horn engraved with strange symbols. As soon as they blew in these horns, a kind of specific noise was emitted outside.


    "What are those?" Hei asked. He didn''t know the function of these instruments but knew that they had to be something important.


    To Hei''s question, Feng Chen replied, "They are Imperial Horns. They are musical instruments, but their purpose is not to produce music. They serve as signals of communication for the army during a battle. Each order corresponds to a specific sound. In this case, it is an assembly order. Every child of the Empire learns to recognize these sounds as a child. But I guess that coming from the Forgotten Ocean is normal that you don''t know them."


    "Assembly? You mean...?"


    "Yes," Long Tian replied before continuing, "I am summoning our other classmates. In total, nearly five thousand people have entered. If we want to have even some semblance of possibility, we must reach at least a thousand people. I know that you are tired, but I ask all of you to collaborate. Especially you Hei and your spirit beasts. We must build an emergency fort while the others gather the rest of our classmates."


    When the others heard Long Tian''s plan, each of them had different thoughts. Some agreed while others weren''t so convinced. As for Hei, he thought within himself that it wasn''t a senseless plan.


    ''Building a fort means becoming an easy target, but it also has its advantages. We will be able to defend ourselves more easily. If I want to take my family out of this forest alive, I have to collaborate with Long Tian. Being an Imperial Prince, the others will follow him without a doubt. And in this situation, having a leader who has a firm grip on the soldiers is essential.''


    "All right, Long Tian. We will follow your plan. But remember that my priority is the survival of my companions."


    "Sure. I promise you that I will do everything to get us out of this damned forest."


    At that point, Hei and Long Tian exchanged a handshake to seal their collaboration towards that mortal danger. It was no longer possible to retrace their steps. They had to proceed with Long Tian''s plan and hope that it was the right choice to survive.

 Chapter 168 - Preparations Completed! Battle of Fort Begins!

    Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!


    An imposing sound that echoed for miles was perceived from four different directions. They were the Imperial Horns used by the four guards in the service of Imperial Prince Long Tian. The sound was so loud and clear that anyone within the sound range could hear it.


    "Hey! Is this not by chance-? "


    "It''s an Imperial Horn! It''s the gathering sign! "


    "How is it possible? Only army officers own one, and even then, it is only for the battle. They can''t keep it for themselves."


    "But it is unmistakably an Imperial Horn. The only one who can have them among us students is- "


    "The Imperial Prince!"


    "But why is he calling us?"


    "I don''t know, but I think it''s about the swarms of c.o.c.kroaches we''ve seen. Honestly, they put me in a lot of turmoil."


    "I will go. What will you do? "


    "Wait, we''ll come too."


    Such discussions were taking place in multiple sections of the immense forest. The various groups had been shocked when the c.o.c.kroaches carried out their attack. Some had even died surrounded by so many spirit beasts. Those survivors were all injured, and their spirit power was running out. Hearing the sound of the Imperial Horn was, therefore, as a godsend. Without delay, whoever listened to the sound of the horn ran with all the speed they could produce towards the meeting point.


    Meanwhile, at the meeting point, Long Tian had given instructions on the construction of the fort. First of all, they had to create the perimeter, and the only material available to them in quantities that could accommodate thousands of people were the trees of the forest. So Ye and Xing, followed by the others, began to uproot the adjacent trees so as to also create enough space to house emergency accommodations.


    Hei, instead, was commissioned to gather the spirit cores of each c.o.c.kroach and move their carcasses out of the fort area. Although most were first-level spirit cores and therefore not usable to pass the test, it was undeniable that they still had their value. Therefore, considering that he didn''t like to waste the carcasses of those whom he killed, Hei carried out Long Tian''s order without complaints.


    ''Long Tian is likely to want to use the monetary attractiveness of the spirit cores to win the trust of our other classmates. Indeed, having multiple common goals in addition to survival ensures the cohesion of the whole group.'' Hei thought as he pulled out the spirit core of one of the c.o.c.kroaches covered in body fluids. But as he did this, he noticed an unusual detail¡ªsomething he hadn''t paid attention to so far.


    ''Is the soil excavated there? Why? Wait. Isn''t that spot-? ''


    Hei quickly ran to where the soil had been dug, creating a hole without a specific shape. When he realized what had happened, Hei''s face darkened.


    ''It is the hole we dug for those men in black who attacked us. The bodies are gone. Does that mean that the c.o.c.kroaches took the trouble to exhume them during the battle? Do they want to eat those bodies?''


    Unfortunately, Hei had no way of finding an answer. He knew that spirit beasts ate humans, especially martial artists, as it was a nutritious source of food. But that c.o.c.kroaches had worried about digging, and recovering the bodies of several human beings during the clash was unusual.


    ''It isn''t time to think about it. I have to do my job.''


    Hei continued with his work, and so did the others. Occasionally groups of people would come attracted by the call of the Imperial Horns. Long Tian would welcome them and, after listening to their reports about the c.o.c.kroaches, he would assign each of them a task.


    Within a couple of hours, about 3,500 people had gathered in that section of forest. Although not all first-year students were present, this number was far higher than Long Tian hoped for. Therefore, he made his four guards return and prepared to explain the situation.


    Fortunately, with the help of the new arrivals, the fort was quickly completed. Even though it was only made up of wooden logs stacked on top of each other, having something to act as a barrier against those infernal creatures was a little reassuring.


    "Silence!" shouted Feng Chen, attracting everyone''s attention. Then he made a sign with his head to Long Tian to indicate that he could start talking.


    Long Tian took a long breath and looked toward the crowd of people he had gathered.


    "I guess many of you are wondering why I gave the order to play the Imperial Horns. As you know, several groups of c.o.c.kroaches were seen moving and flying a few hours ago. Someone even experienced first-hand the fury of these creatures. The beast tamer of my team informed me that the c.o.c.kroaches follow a collective conscience, and the various groups compete with each other. Yet despite that, the reality before our eyes was very different.


    It is likely to have been an anomaly in the society of such insects. One specimen may have become strong enough to dominate the collective consciences of each group. After examining the reports you have given me, it is reasonable to assume that this entity is coming after us, although I don''t know why.


    This first attack served to probe the waters and understand our numbers and our strength. There are high chances that the c.o.c.kroaches will try to attack again, and this time there will be not just a few second-level specimens. We may have to face thousands of second-level specimens together with who knows how many first level specimens. As you can see, the situation is dangerous."


    Long Tian then paused to point out how dangerous the situation was for everyone. There was no need to explain why it was so. Thousands of second-level spirit beasts joined together. Just by hearing this, most first-year spirit soldiers had become pale as they trembled in horror at that vision.


    "However, even if we are in danger, it isn''t that there are no positive aspects. In the course of our life as martial artists, we will find ourselves faced with numerous opportunities. Some will die in an attempt to overcome them, and some will give up even before trying. But for those who can resist to the end, they will be able to take another step towards the top of the martial path.


    Each spirit core is worth contribution points, and the Academy has made available resources usually not available at other times of the year. If we can get out of it, if we can kill the thousands and thousands of c.o.c.kroaches we''ve seen, how many contribution points can we get? There would be enough for all of us to pass the test and get a large number of contribution points.


    Regardless if you come from influential families or common origins, this is the chance that Heavens has given you to evolve as martial artists and reach the summit.


    However, you must keep one thing in your mind. This isn''t a simple challenge like those in the Academy. This is a real battle. A war battle. Many of you are likely to die, which cannot be prevented. But for those who survive, I, Long Tian, one of the ??Imperial Princes, promise further rewards in the name of the Imperial Family!"


    When Long Tian said those words, a roar broke loose in the ranks of first-year students. The fear and hesitation of before had been replaced by the desire for glory and power. As the Imperial Prince had said, this was an opportunity that had been given to them by the Heavens.


    Long Tian didn''t continue immediately. He waited for the others to finish cheering and charging their spirits. Then he went on, "As a member of the Imperial Family, I will be the one commanding. My generals will be Feng Chen, Hu Jie, and Hei. "


    Long Tian then motioned for the three to come forward so that the others could watch them. Hei was surprised to have been chosen, but he didn''t show it. In a situation like this, he couldn''t show doubts or disagreements with Long Tian''s choices.


    Hearing the names of the three, many were perplexed. They knew Feng Chen and Hu Jie and didn''t dispute this choice. But who was this Hei? Why had they never heard of that name?


    "I am sure you all know who Feng Chen and Hu Jie are. As for Hei, he is a skilled beast tamer, and his battle prowess is not inferior to that of the other two. It was he who formulated the hypothesis of the unknown entity."


    Upon hearing this, the others were skeptical. Did he have power similar to the children of the Eight Big Families? But even if they had doubts, they didn''t dare to contradict the Imperial Prince. They could only hope that the Prince''s assessment was correct.


    "Alright, now. We don''t know when the c.o.c.kroaches will attack, but we can''t be caught unprepared. I want formation scholars to create a single formation on the perimeter of the fort. No complex functions are needed. We just need that the walls hold up to limit the charge of the enemies. Martial artist chefs must cook now and prepare as many meals as possible. Those who are injured go to visit the martial artist medics. The beast tamers with flying type spirit beasts will form a team and will take care of keeping the airspace above the fort clean. Those who have nothing to do now start cultivating. Even a single drop of extra spirit power is essential."


    At that point, Long Tian ended his speech. His orders had been given, and the generals decided. All that was missing was waiting. Wait for the enemy to come while they finish the final preparations.


    "Why did you name me as your general?" Hei asked when the attention of those present had turned away from Long Tian.


    "I said it before. Your battle power is first class. You also have a strong sense of battle. Just think of how you built your team or how you avoided the attack of the talisman at the end. You don''t need to give precise orders. I''m there for that. But I need men with great power who can lift the hearts of those who are weaker. Having someone strong by your side is a strong dose of courage and a deterrent against fear. Unfortunately, the enemy is too numerous, so I must ask you to support me in this choice."


    "Okay. I will do as you ask." Hei then turned and went to Lian and his little sisters. Since they had nothing to do, they went to cultivate together to restore their spirit power.


    ''I have to admit it. Long Tian''s command abilities are exceptional. He was able to use his family name and martial artists'' greed to gain their trust. Even in this desperate situation, he was able to give precise orders in no time. Now I understand why he has the total trust of his guards and the respect of Feng Chen and Hu Jie. Are all Imperial Princes like this? Or is it his own characteristic?''


    The hours continued to flow, and the night began to lighten to make room for dawn. Preparations had been completed, and the fighters inside the fort were all cultivating to restore their strength. Only a few lookout men were awake while examining the surroundings in case of c.o.c.kroach sighting.


    Buzz! Shikka!


    In the forest that was beginning to be illuminated by dawn, the sound of footsteps and flapping wings rang out. The spirit beasts that were in the path of such sounds fled away elsewhere, creating even more chaos.


    The lookout guards noticed this change and rang the alarm bell they had set up as an emergency signal. Quickly, the sound of the bell made everyone wake up from their cultivation state.


    "All in their places! Archers on the walls! The flying team prepares to ascend. Martial master musicians start your preparations for the Battle Concert. Martial artist medics and chefs position themselves in the center of the fort; focus on treating the others. Those who are injured or have consumed more than half of their spirit power withdraw immediately. Don''t try to show off or play the hero. You have to stay alive. One less man is one more chance of dying for your comrades."


    Long Tian quickly gave his battle orders and assigned one side of the rectangle fort to Hei, Feng Chen, and Hu Jie each. Each of them was assigned a certain number of people to lead in battle.


    "Are you ready?" Hei asked Lian, his little sisters, and his other teammates.


    "Yes, we are ready." they all answered as they drew their weapons. As for Mareo, Haruno, Lilian, and Mia, they had been assigned to their divisions as they were supporting martial artists. So, Hei''s team only contained attacking martial artists at the moment.


    Shikka! Buzz! Shikka! Buzz!


    The sounds were getting closer, and in the end, they could see the c.o.c.kroaches. A wave that was even blacker and thicker than the one that had attacked them the night before. Almost ten thousand specimens. This was the number of enemies, and many of them were second level spirit beasts.


    Seeing this, the faces of the spirit soldiers blanched as they tried to regain their courage. This was the opportunity of their life. They couldn''t escape with their tails between their legs; besides, they would surely die if they try ran alone. They could only fight to the end.


    "This is a battle of life and death. If you don''t want to die, follow my orders. In the name of the Imperial Family, I promise to bring you to victory. Future Soldiers of the Sun Empire, let''s show these infernal creatures our strength!"


    With the battle cry of Long Tian, ??the mood of the soldiers was raised again. Determination and fighting spirit arose in the hearts of each of the fighters. Fight! Fight with all of yourself to not die!

 Chapter 169 - Battle of the Fort

    The battle was about to begin. The c.o.c.kroaches had arrived, and from how they had gathered their companions, they didn''t seem to have any intention of friendly dialogue. But not even the first-year students of the Southern Royal War Academy were willing to give up without fighting. They were ready to put themselves at risk and become one of the next heroes who would mark the future era.


    "Archers! Prepare to hit!" ordered Long Tian, who was in charge of that improvised army on the spot. Nobody contested that choice. It wasn''t just for his title as Imperial Prince. All present were geniuses of their generation and knew when someone was worthy of commanding.


    The archers stationed on the walls began to position themselves with their bows. Generally, those who used the bow as their primary weapon would be divided into two categories: material archers and spirit archers.


    The material archers would use arrows made by a resistant material capable of absorbing spirit power. Their power would, therefore, depend not only on the amount of spirit power infused but on the maximum amount that the base material could absorb. Therefore, as their ranks rose, material archers would have to buy more and more valuable arrows. Although it was a constant expenditure, using existing arrows would reduce their consumption of spirit power.


    Spirit archers instead used their spirit power to create an arrow. This arrow had no absorption limits and depended directly on the quantity infused by the martial artist. Since spirit archers created their arrows directly from their spirit power, they didn''t have to buy new arrows continually. However, their expenditure on spirit power in battle would be faster than material archers.


    "Shoot!"


    Long Tian''s order was followed by a series of arrow sounds that were fired from the bows. The arrows flew at high speed cutting through the air until they reached their respective targets. Each c.o.c.kroach struck was pierced in depth by the arrows, yet they didn''t stop. Despite the hole in their bodies, the c.o.c.kroaches continued to advance.


    "Shoot!"


    Long Tian continued to order to shoot arrows as the c.o.c.kroaches approached the fort. Since there were still tens of meters away, he wanted to take advantage of the distance to deal as much damage as possible.


    "Archers, back off! Position yourselves in the center with the supporting martial artists. Support the air unit to keep our airspace free. Attack unit, move forward!"


    The archers on the walls immediately descended and went to the center of the fort. Emergency tents had been set up there so that martial artist medics and chefs could assist those in need. At that point, there were also martial artist musicians who were waiting to start their Battle Concert.


    As for the attack unit, Long Tian had divided all the martial fighting artists into two teams. The first would fight in the beginning while the second would enter when he gave the order. Those who fought in the first team would go to the center of the fort to get medicated or recover their energy. After that, the first and second teams would swap places again. That would continue until the c.o.c.kroaches stopped attacking, or all of them were annihilated.


    By doing so, Long Tian would ensure that each side of the fort had fighters with fresh forces, decreasing the chances of c.o.c.kroaches breaking through their fort. Furthermore, although the internal area of ??the fort could accommodate all 3,500 people, it wasn''t so large as to allow everyone to fight so many c.o.c.kroaches at the same time. As a result, the division into two teams was also to ensure that the fighters had sufficient room for maneuver and not hinder each other.


    The only ones who would have no rest, however, would be Long Tian and the three people named generals: Feng Chen, Hu Jie, and Hei. As the pivot of their respective side, they couldn''t afford the luxury of resting and leaving their companions deprived of a leading figure. For this reason, the generals were chosen according to their fighting skills and abilities.


    "Air unit, take off! First attack team, unleash your weapons! The second team will be waiting for the replacement order! Don''t die! Survive so you can redeem your rewards!"


    "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"


    The fighters gathered there began to scream with all their strength a battle cry as they released their spirit powers. The time had come.


    Clash!


    The c.o.c.kroaches arrived like a madding crowd and crashed into the walls of the fort. The crash was violent, but thanks to the long formation etched by the formation scholars, the walls resisted such violence. Flying c.o.c.kroaches filled the airspace above the fort, but the beast tamers with their flying-type spirit beasts were awaiting them. Below them were the archer unit attacking from the ground.


    Soon, streams of blood began to pour from above onto the people on the ground. Yet no one cared about this; they didn''t have time to worry or feel disgusted with such a thing. Their lives were at stake.


    The non-flying c.o.c.kroaches that were blocked by the fort walls began to climb them using the bodies of their companions as a ladder. However, the first c.o.c.kroaches that managed to set foot inside the fort were mercilessly slaughtered instantly. But as their numbers grew, it was difficult for the humans inside to get rid of c.o.c.kroaches as soon as they descended the walls. Soon, therefore, a chaotic battle began.


    Thumm! Ding! Boom! Tootle! Fling!


    Sounds of musical instruments began to resonate across the fort as a chorus of melodious voices rose in that dawn of blood. It was the Battle Concert created by the martial artist musicians. At their cultivation level, each martial artist musician could at most enhance up to three people at a time. But now that they were inside the Battle Concert, that limit had gone up to 5. It meant that every martial artist musician could empower up to 5 of their companions.


    Suddenly, the battle power of the people affected by the Battle Concert''s music increased as their senses became more acute, and their nervousness vanished to be replaced by a glacial calm. It was the power of the Battle Concert, a large-scale battle formation capable of empowering entire armies.


    Peng! Stab! Crash!


    The sound of weapons clashing against the c.o.c.kroaches'' resistant exoskeleton began to ring as fighting martial artists shouted their battle moves. Nonetheless, despite how noisy it was, it couldn''t dominate the music of the Battle Concert.


    "Full Combat Mode! Snake Fist! "


    Hei, leading the unit in charge of protecting the east side, was moving quickly with Spider Run, Two-legged Mode. At the same time, he was using Snake Fist to deliver quick blows while his hair was manipulating his spear.


    "Don''t try to take their heads off. Aim for the abdomen! Stay at the edges of their field of vision; they tend to see less well in those points. Alternatively, target the eyes, the antennae, and the cerci, which are small appendages near the butt. They are how c.o.c.kroaches can see beyond the eyes. If you have the Law of Fire, burn their hair too. Whoever possesses the Law of Light, create dazzling lights while whoever possesses the Law of Illusions can create red lights."


    While Hei was fighting, he was advising on how to fight c.o.c.kroaches. During his cultivation session, Hei had brought up his memories to find out if there were other important details about the c.o.c.kroaches. And as he had hoped, after a long afterthought, he managed to remember other information that his mother had taught him years ago.


    The other students who were under his leadership appeared amazed by such accurate information. Even the other beast tamers were impressed. Each of them knew in depth the species of spirit beasts they possessed, but very few bothered to study the other species carefully, except for some general information. Meanwhile, those pieces of information were circulating on the different sides of the fort as well, through Long Tian''s four guards. In this battle, they served as spokespersons between Long Tian and the three generals.


    With the information provided by Hei, the situation improved dramatically. The c.o.c.kroaches were falling one by one, and since the walls were still holding up, they couldn''t use the numerical factor to their advantage.


    "Change! First Team back off! Second Team Forward! "


    Long Tian gave the replacement order. The fighters of the first team, despite having fought for just ten minutes, could already feel the fatigue acc.u.mulating in their bodies. Some had been injured while some had even died.


    Long Tian and the three generals drew back the line of combat to facilitate the replacement between the fighters. Once the maneuver was complete, the four led their respective units to return the fighting line to where they left off earlier.


    In the meantime, the martial artist chefs and medics began to take care of the injured so that they could go back to fighting. The odds of success on this plan depended on how quickly they healed their companions and restored their spirit power.


    The battle lasted for about half an hour. Fatigue was present in all of them, especially the respective commanders of the four sides of the fort. To last as long as possible, Hei had avoided energy-consuming moves such as Spider Lance or those based on his Elemental Laws. He had limited himself to using his spear and Snake Fist, which was one of his techniques with the lowest consumption. Yet as he was fighting all the time relentlessly, his reserve of spirit power was also decreasing gradually.


    ''If this continues, I don''t think we can do it. The amount of c.o.c.kroaches seems to be endless, and each body acc.u.mulated on the ground makes it more difficult to fight on foot. But if we were to move the combat into the sky, our expenditure of energy would become bigger and faster.''


    The situation didn''t seem to turn in their favor. The fighters of the fort had lost count of the number of c.o.c.kroaches killed, but each time they killed one, two more would pop up. It was like a sequence that never ended.


    Fortunately, the flow of c.o.c.kroaches began to decrease, and the fighters inside finally had a few moments to breathe. However, this wasn''t the end. From afar, twenty black spots, five on each side, could be seen advancing at high speed. They were c.o.c.kroaches.


    These specimens of c.o.c.kroaches, however, were not like all the others. They were about two meters long, so they weren''t among the largest specimens. But that wasn''t the unique feature that distinguished them. No, it was something else.


    These twenty c.o.c.kroaches had a more massive body, and instead of running with the abdomen facing the ground, they were running using only the two hind legs. And unexpectedly from what one might think, they had an even higher speed than the other specimens that used all three pairs of legs to move. Furthermore, their cultivation was almost comparable to a fifth/sixth stage spirit soldier.


    "Bipedal c.o.c.kroaches!" Hei exclaimed that he couldn''t believe his eyes. Suddenly another fragment of memories bloomed in his mind.


    ''Pay particular attention because variations in certain species may occur in the wild. For example, some spirit beasts that run using all their limbs may develop the ability to run on two legs just like you. Although it may seem strange, since they use fewer limbs to run, for some spirit beasts, it is a method of further increasing their speeds. Remember that if you have to deal with several specimens at the same time.''


    Bao Bei had warned him of this danger, but since Hei was only a child at the time, it was reasonable that he couldn''t remember every single piece of information he received. Swearing between himself, he summoned William, who was the guard assigned to him by Long Tian.


    "Warn Long Tian that we have to stop them. Those specimens that run on two legs. If we let them do it, they could gain enough momentum to generate enough strength and break through the walls of the fort."


    William nodded immediately and went to report to Long Tian. It only took a minute for him to return with a space ring, which he handed over to Hei.


    "Here are four of the talismans we seized earlier. Entrust them to people with skill and take down those creatures. However, my lord said that one you have to stop the last one by force. We need to keep some talismans in reserve for future dangers."


    "Okay. All right. Call me Lian, Leon, He Fen and Lang. Quick. "


    "It will be done."


    William ran like the wind and returned soon after with the three people chosen by Hei.


    "Listen carefully. There is no time for questions. Take one and throw it at those two-legged c.o.c.kroaches. Use all your spirit power without reservation. Then go to the rear."


    "Understood!" Lian, Leon, He Fen, and Lang shouted in unison. The four trusted Hei and did as he asked. The situation was serious, and as soldiers, they could only blindly obey their general so as not to waste precious time.


    ''Don''t worry about them. I will make sure they return to the rear safe and sound.'' said Fenrir, who sensed Hei''s concern for Lian. After all, whoever used those talismans would almost completely exhaust their spirit power. And in such a situation, this almost equated to dying.


    "Thanks, Fenrir. I entrust it to you." thanked Hei before addressing his little sisters. "Ye, Xing. Would you like to take down a strong one?"


    ''A strong enemy? Who?'' (Xing)


    ''Hooray! I got tired of these weak c.o.c.kroaches.'' (Ye)


    Hei smiled at the light-heartedness of his little sisters and found his courage. As a general, the task of blocking the advance of those bipedal c.o.c.kroaches was up to him. On the other sides of the fort, Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, and Hu Jie were preparing themselves to do the same.


    "Well, then. Fire!" Hei shouted to his four companions.


    Suddenly, four talismans flew through the air in the direction of the two-legged c.o.c.kroaches that were now a few meters away. In an instant, as soon as the talisman and c.o.c.kroaches came into contact, four intense explosions were generated. The same happened on the other sides of the fort. The affected bipedal c.o.c.kroaches stopped their advance; there were severe burns on their bodies, and they were no longer able to continue. However, there was still a c.o.c.kroach for each side alive. It was up to Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, Hu Jie, and Hei to take them down personally.


    "Ye, Xing. Lock his sides. I only need a few moments to aim."


    ''Sure big brother, leave it to us.'' (Xing)


    ''We won''t just block him. We will make him regret attacking. ''(Ye)


    Even though their opponent was comparable to a fifth stage spirit stage, the two divine beasts weren''t worried at all. In these months, they had improved a lot and didn''t fear the spirit beasts that were only a couple of stages higher than them. After all, they weren''t mere spirit beasts but divine beasts. How could they be so easily outclassed by other spirit beasts?


    "Well said. I rely on you." Hei said with a smile as he charged his finishing move.

 Chapter 170 - Perilous Mission

    The bipedal c.o.c.kroach gave a kind of roar as its eyes focused on Hei, Ye, and Xing. The c.o.c.kroach was surprised to see a spider and a snake next to a human, but seeing the number of different spirit beasts among the ranks of humans, it thought it wasn''t that unusual.


    The c.o.c.kroach increased its pace even further and prepared to sweep away the three enemies on its way. It and its companions had been given orders to kill all the humans in the forest and bring the bodies to the nest. If it had failed, it would have been the death of all of them. Therefore it couldn''t fail.


    "NOW!" Hei shouted as Ye and Xing hissed a war cry and charged against the bipedal c.o.c.kroach.


    Xing''s front legs went to block the c.o.c.kroach''s right flank while her other legs sank into the ground for more support. Ye instead bit the c.o.c.kroach''s left hip and stabbed her tail into the ground like her sister to create as much friction as possible.


    The c.o.c.kroach suddenly felt a tremendous force blocking him, but it didn''t give up. The momentum it had acc.u.mulated earlier wasn''t so weak that it would be canceled just like that. However, it was also true that with every passing second, that momentum would lose power.


    In all of this, Hei had finished building up his spirit power and was ready to release his lethal technique. Using Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode, he ran forward toward the c.o.c.kroach held by his little sisters.


    "DOUBLE SPIDER LANCE!"


    With all the spirit power left in his body, Hei performed Spider Lance with both arms. A single Spider Lance already contained an incredible lethal power in itself, let alone two together. In an instant, the c.o.c.kroach felt a sharp twinge of pain in the abdomen. Looking down, it could see the hands of the brown-skinned human being stuck entirely inside its body.


    The bodily fluids of the c.o.c.kroach began to pour out on the ground. The c.o.c.kroach made a series of strange noises as it tried to use the front and middle pairs of legs to hit the human who had penetrated its sturdy body.


    Ye and Xing were quick to understand its intentions, and with their bodies, they blocked the c.o.c.kroach''s attack. Hei meanwhile, with his arms still inside the c.o.c.kroach''s abdomen, began to scratch from the inside using his sharp claws. The c.o.c.kroach tried to wriggle free like a madman, but the grasp of the two divine beasts became tighter. In the end, the bipedal c.o.c.kroach had no choice but to surrender. Its strength faded until it completely lost its life.


    Seeing his enemy stop moving, Hei didn''t stop. He knew that some spirit beasts were smart enough to fake death. So he kept attacking for another couple of minutes. It was when he was sure of the c.o.c.kroach''s death that he stopped attacking and pulled his arms from the body of the killed spirit beast.


    "Well done, Ye, Xing. I am proud of you." Hei said while smiling. The instant later, he fell to the ground on his back. He was still conscious, but he no longer had any strength left, even just to stand.


    ''Great job to you too, big brother. But now we have to get you out of here.'' Xing said as she looked around. The other c.o.c.kroaches had made room for the charge of their bipedal companions. But now that these were dead, they could go back to attack as before. Therefore, Hei, who was devoid of means to defend himself, was in danger.


    ''Alright! You think about our big brother. I''ll take care of clearing the way.'' Ye happily exclaimed as she charged towards the walls. Behind her was Xing, who held Hei with her front legs.


    The c.o.c.kroaches near the walls tried to obstruct them, but a single blow of Ye''s tail was enough to send them into the air like leaves in the wind. The few who managed to escape Ye''s fury were cut into pieces by Xing''s sharp legs. Quickly, they came to the walls of the fort and climbed them, bringing their big brother back to safety.


    Seeing all this, the fighters of Hei''s unit let out a cry of joy. Now they could see why the Imperial Prince Long Tian had given such a high rating of Hei. After all, only a few thought they had a chance of being able to stop the charge of that c.o.c.kroach. But they weren''t so sure they would have succeeded.


    Meanwhile, something similar was happening on the other sides. Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, and Hu Jie had successfully stopped their respective targets and returned inside the fort to rest. However, even though he was devoid of spirit power, Long Tian continued to issue orders while recovering his spirit power.


    Fortunately for all of them, after the death of the twenty bipedal specimens, the collective consciousness of c.o.c.kroaches began to function again, coming into conflict with the order received. The survival instinct emerged, and the surviving c.o.c.kroaches started to run away. Even if that was a risk too, they could only go and report what had happened to those in duty, hoping for clemency.


    "VICTORY! WE WON!" Long Tian made a loud cry. Now that the c.o.c.kroaches were retreating, it was vital to proclaim victory in order not to lose the morale of the soldiers.


    "VICTORY!" The first-year students gathered in the fort burst into a euphoric cry. No matter how exhausted or injured they were, this was erased by the adrenaline rush of victory. The victory cry went on for about a whole minute and then waned. Everyone was now silent, waiting for Long Tian''s orders.


    "Even if we have won, we still cannot relax. We have wasted many of our energies, many of you have been injured and some even killed. This is war. It''s something we can''t stop, but we can limit its damage. First of all, those who have serious injuries go immediately to be medicated. For those who suffer from minor injuries, I ask you to wait patiently for your turn. Martial artist medics are in the minority compared to you fighters, and their spirit power is not infinite. Use this time to cultivate.


    For those who still have energies left, I ask to start with cleaning the fort. Collect the bodies of our fallen comrades and retrieve the spirit cores of the c.o.c.kroaches while throwing their carcasses out of the fort. I think it isn''t necessary to say this, because after this battle we became comrades in arms, but I will say it the same. Every single spirit core will be preserved and guarded by myself and my other direct subordinates. As Imperial Prince, I have given the word that you will be rewarded, and I will do so. However, if someone decides to be smart and take advantage of the chaos to pocket more than they owe, know that my blades are always ready."


    At Long Tian''s words, the few smart ones who had thought about doing something like this jumped in fear. In the battle, they had seen what the Imperial Prince was capable of, and his four guards were equally dangerous. Besides, Long Tian boasted of the trust of Feng Chen, Hu Jie, and Hei, the three generals who had distinguished themselves in this battle. Although they had consumed much of their spirit power, this also applied to all the other fighters. No one, therefore, dared to do what they thought in their heads anymore.


    The recovery and healing operations followed at a steady pace under the guidance of the four guards of the Imperial Prince. Meanwhile, Long Tian had brought together the three generals appointed by him in his tent. In addition to those three, there were also Huli Xieren and Lian, who respectively accompanied Feng Chen and Hei. Ye and Xing were instead hidden in Hei''s robe, taking a nap to recover their energies.


    "First of all, I wanted to thank you for the effort shown in battle, especially against those last c.o.c.kroaches. However, the situation is not so rosy despite the victory. From the estimated data, we have lost about a hundred men, and this was despite being the first clash. I don''t know when the c.o.c.kroaches will come back to attack, but at this rate, we will run out of energy before we get to the end of the week."


    Long Tian''s voice was dark. As commander of that newly assembled army, he had responsibility for the lives of everybody. It was by his order that they had built a fort and remained inside. Although this was undoubtedly a better solution than fighting c.o.c.kroaches in isolated groups, it was equally true that those people had died by his orders.


    "Do we have to stay here? If we went to the edge of the forest and ran away? Even if it goes against the rules, the situation went beyond a normal test." Lian suggested.


    "No, it''s not possible. The forest is currently blocked by a gigantic formation that prevents anyone from entering and leaving." Huli Xieren answered her.


    "What do you mean?" Hei asked surprised, but from the expressions of the others, only he and Lian were unaware of this fact.


    Long Tian heaved a long sigh and explained, "As you know, these areas are under the control of the Empire but are left unchanged for most of the year. Only when it is the test period, they are used as a training place. Before each test, a cleaning team is sent to investigate the site chosen as the test site. The cleaning team kills any dangerous spirit beasts above the maximum level the students can manage. However, spirit beasts are not stupid. As these places are continuously used as training sites, they learned to calculate the time when the trial could happen. Therefore, in many areas, there have been cases of mass migration, causing chaos across the Empire. The Sun Emperor of the time gave instructions on how to prevent this. So it was decided to use a formation that blocks the entry and exit of every living being for the duration of the test. This is also to force students to fight and survive. After all, the Empire needs soldiers, not cowards."


    "I understand. Then it is as if we are caged birds," commented Hei.


    "Yes, only that we aren''t alone. We have many predators with us. Long Tian, ??what if instead of staying here, we went straight to the c.o.c.kroaches nest? Hei said there is likely to be something in charge of them. You were convinced of that idea as well. If so, rather than waiting until we run out of energy, it is better to attack now." Hu Jie, who had remained silent until now, intervened.


    "Although I don''t like it as an idea, I think it''s the one most likely to get us out of here. However, there is the unknown factor of that mysterious entity." Feng Chen was also in favor of the plan, but as he said, the problem of the unknown entity leading the c.o.c.kroaches remained.


    "I also thought about the same thing, but we can''t blindly throw ourselves. A single mistake could lead to the destruction of all of us. The plan of the fort gives us some chance of being able to survive for the duration of the test. However, once out, we will be exposed to 360¡ã at the mercy of those creatures'' fury. I need more information. I can''t formulate the most appropriate action plan if I don''t know the details of the enemy."


    "Long Tian, ??you don''t mean to-" Feng Chen and Hu Jie said in unison that they understood what Long Tian meant.


    "Someone has to infiltrate the c.o.c.kroaches nest and understand the situation," Hei concluded the sentence before continuing. "That''s what you meant, right, Long Tian?"


    "Yes. Anyone who goes, however, will have a high chance of dying. I cannot hide this from you." The Imperial Prince didn''t deny it.


    Hei thought about it for a few seconds and glanced at Lian. The young blue-haired woman knew what he was thinking. Reluctantly, she nodded yes. Even though she hated the idea, she knew that Hei had already made his decision.


    "I''ll go."


    When Hei proposed to go, everyone in the tent stared at him in amazement, except for Lian, who had already guessed this. Long Tian, ??however, didn''t agree immediately and asked him, "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. Of all the people inside the fort, I think I am the most suitable person for this task. I am a beast tamer, and I have two second-level spirit beasts. Ye and Xing are capable of perceiving the smell and sound of everything around me. I can trace the c.o.c.kroaches'' nest without being noticed. Besides, I was born and raised in a forest. Although this isn''t the forest of my childhood, it is equally true that I have experience in such areas. Orientation is, therefore, not a problem at all. Lastly, I have a good reason to return and not fail." Hei explained as he glanced at Lian.


    The people inside the tent were surprised; they didn''t expect Hei to have such a background. To be born and raised in a forest? It was difficult to think that there was someone born and raised in such an environment, but in such a situation, it was a considerable detail.


    "Alright. Then I''ll let you go. Try to come back as soon as possible. Everyone''s lives depend on how quickly you get back. "Long Tian eventually agreed to let Hei go.


    "I know," Hei replied as he left the tent to prepare for his mission.


    "Are you sure of your choice?" Feng Chen asked Long Tian. Inside the tent were the two of them, Hu Jie, and Huli Xieren.


    "Yes. I don''t know why, but somehow I feel I can trust Hei. It goes beyond a matter of skill. It''s like the feeling of being with a special person, someone capable- "Long Tian then stopped his speech and became silent with various thoughts that swirled in his mind.


    Seeing him this way, Feng Chen didn''t investigate further and only said, "I just hope you are not wrong. I will go to cultivate now. If you need, call me."


    Feng Chen and Huli Xieren left the tent, followed by Hu Jie. Long Tian was now the only one left inside.


    "It is still early to decide. But if it really is what I think, then Hei is the person I need for my plan. I hope you will not disappoint me because time is running out and I need to know what pieces are available to me as soon as possible. "

 Chapter 171 - Mysterious Entity

    In another tent inside the fort


    Hei was sitting in a chair while all his teammates were gathered in front of him. The four supporting martial artists, Mareo, Haruno, Lilian, and Mia, were also there. After hours and hours of work, they had finally gotten their well-deserved break.


    "The reason I brought you here is because I have important announcements to make. We are currently considering a plan to attack the c.o.c.kroach nest, but we need information. Therefore, I will go ahead to find out what is actually going on in there."


    When Hei finished saying his words, the others were shocked. They couldn''t believe their ears. Staying at the fort already represented a considerable danger, but Hei even wanted to go to the nest of those infernal creatures?


    "Isn''t there another way? Can''t we stay here at the fort?" Leon asked, even though he already knew the answer.


    "No, staying here has its drawbacks. It is a temporary solution that allowed us to repel the first c.o.c.kroaches'' attack. However, it isn''t a foolproof solution. We have already lost about a hundred of our comrades, and it was only the first attack. How long will we hold out if they keep attacking? You saw their behavior at the end of the fight. They don''t resent us, but they are just following orders. If we can get rid of those in charge, then the attacks will cease."


    Hei''s explanation was reasonable, and none of them could refute these words. They had all seen the sense of fear the c.o.c.kroaches had shown when they retired. If there really was a way to avoid fighting them, then they had to take risks. However, the person selected for such a dangerous mission, which could be considered suicidal, was none other than Hei.


    "Listen to me well. In the time that I am out, you will follow Lian''s orders. She will replace me as a general. Long Tian has already given consent. Mareo, Haruno, Mia, and Lilian will continue their duties in their respective divisions. Please, whatever happens, stay alive. Hold on until I get back. I promise to return with the information we need to get out of this forest."


    Hearing Hei''s words, Leon and everyone else could only accept his decision. It didn''t seem that he had been forced into this choice. If Hei himself had decided so, they had no way of stopping him. Not when Lian herself had let him go.


    Therefore, each of them gave their encouragement to Hei. Then, they went out to the tent to return to prepare for the next attack. Inside were only Hei, Lian, and the two little divine beasts that had woken up after a long sleep.


    "Please, be careful. Don''t risk more than necessary. You have to come back, you promised it. "Lian said as she gazed at Hei''s eyes.


    "Don''t worry. I promised you. I will pay attention and return safely. In the meantime, you too should pay attention and take care of our comrades."


    "I will do it. For safety, take this." Lian then pulled out the telescope they had used during their pirate carrier in the Forgotten Ocean. "I modified it with various formations. Just insert some spirit stone powder into this slot, and the visual ability of the tool will be increased. It also has a function of being able to see in the dark if it should serve you."


    Hei looked at this gift in surprise; having a visual tool from afar that didn''t use its spirit power was ideal for this mission.


    "Thanks, Lian, then I''m going. I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    Hei left the tent and approached the walls of the fort. He easily climbed them and landed on the other side. After that, he took a deep breath and turned to his two little sisters.


    "Ye, Xing, I rely on you. My spirit power has not yet fully recovered, and the same goes for you too. We will, therefore, take turns. It will start Ye, then to Xing, and lastly to me. Thus we will have the opportunity to cultivate and rest while we continue to move. When all this ends, I will make Long Tian take out the finest food from the empire."


    ''Yup! Hurray!'' The two little divine beasts were happy with this news and started hopping.


    Hei let her have fun for a few minutes and then took Xing in her arms. "Well, now Ye. Let''s go."


    ''Yes, big brother.'' Ye replied as she assumed her true dimensions.


    Hei climbed onto the head of his little sister. He let her carry him towards the interior of the forest in the direction of the c.o.c.kroaches'' nest. Fortunately, since the army of c.o.c.kroaches was numerous, they had left multiple traces, and calculating their path wasn''t difficult at all. The hard part would come when they approached the nest to find out who was the mysterious entity.


    *


    Almost an entire day had passed. The last attack of the c.o.c.kroaches had taken place at dawn, and Hei had left late in the morning. Thanks to Spider Hair and Snake Tongue, in combination with the senses of his little sisters, Hei had followed the tracks of the c.o.c.kroaches without being noticed. After all, the spirit beasts in those areas had moved away because of the c.o.c.kroaches, leaving the field open to Hei.


    ''We have arrived. The tracks get more chaotic from here on out. Ye, Xing, try not to say a word for any reason. We will slowly crawl closer. We have concealed our smell as far as possible. Now we just have to hope it is enough to confuse the c.o.c.kroaches. However, always keep your senses on the alert. If they find out, we should run away and review a new approach plan.''


    ''Okay, big brother.'' said the two divine beasts that had returned to their minute size. At the time, they were hidden in Hei''s hair, and although they didn''t show it, they were quite anxious. The nest was near, and a false move would pose a mortal danger to all three.


    ''Beast Concealment.'' Hei whispered those words in a low voice while activating his concealment technique.


    ''During this period at the Academy, I examined various concealment techniques, perfecting the original Demon Concealment that I learned at the Flower Sect. I am confident of going unnoticed, but unexpected events can always happen.''


    Hei slowly crawled on the soil. His clothes had already been drenched in blood and c.o.c.kroach body fluids. Hei had even sprinkled his n.a.k.e.d body in such fluids to decrease the chances of being noticed, and he did the same with his little sisters. Furthermore, Beast Concealment had lowered vital functions to a minimum. His breathing was practically imperceptible, and the heat of his body had dropped drastically.


    With Ye and Xing using their body detection features, Hei went through the block of c.o.c.kroaches without being seen. The c.o.c.kroaches were, in fact, worried about bringing corpses of spirit beasts and humans to a specific point, not to mention that they would never have thought that there was a human so insane as to invade their nest alone.


    Approaching enough to be able to see with his telescope, Hei rose slightly to lean his back against the trunk of a tree. His chest swayed up and down at a fast pace. Although it was only a tiny fraction of the distance he had traveled to get here, this distance under the action of Beast Concealment had nevertheless represented a great effort for his heart and his body. Beast Concealment was a technique that was recommended to be used while being still and in case of movement only for short periods.


    ''I still don''t have a perfect control over Beast Concealment, that''s why I''m in this state. But I still managed to get close. It should be enough to see the center of the nest from here.''


    Hei pulled out the telescope that Lian had modified for him. By crushing a spirit stone and inserting the dust inside, Hei activated the instrument''s enhanced vision function. Thus he was finally able to take a look at what was really going on. But what he saw left him speechless.


    Seven bugs about three meters long were in a circle as they watched the c.o.c.kroaches carrying the carcasses collected in the forest with a watchful eye. From how the c.o.c.kroaches behaved warily, it was confident that the strength of such creatures was higher than the bipedal c.o.c.kroaches, probably around the power of a sixth-seventh stage spirit soldier. Some may even be close to breaking through to the third level.


    However, it wasn''t their power that surprised Hei. No, it was a completely different thing. These seven insects were not c.o.c.kroaches but termites. And they weren''t the only ones present. The seven termites were, in fact, nothing more than guards to protect the other two specimens in the center.


    ''A king and queen! What are they doing here? Mother said that c.o.c.kroaches and termites are creatures that can be considered similar. But even so, that group of termites shouldn''t be able to command such a large number of c.o.c.kroaches. Not even with the strength of those guards. Unless...''


    A terrifying thought began to form in Hei''s mind. Thinking back on the bipedal c.o.c.kroaches they had faced, it was sure that the strongest specimens of c.o.c.kroaches were to be around the fifth stage spirit soldier''s power. So, it made sense their behavior against the seven termite guards was cautious. However, the expression of the c.o.c.kroaches when they approached the king and queen was of absolute terror. And that could only mean one thing.


    ''Third level spirit beasts. How is it possible?! The Academy has ensured the cleansing of spirit beasts beyond what we can manage. There should be no spirit beast going beyond the second level. Yet there are two. Wait, maybe?''


    Hei moved the telescope to look at the carcasses of humans and spirit beasts that were being carried by the c.o.c.kroaches. And finally, he understood what had happened.


    ''Necrofagia! Termites usually feed on wood, but the awakening of spirit power has made them more like c.o.c.kroaches with regards to feeding. Did they use the bodies of the forest''s spirit beasts to level up? And why are they gathering other corpses if they have already advanced a level?''


    Suddenly Hei noticed another detail - the termite queen was pregnant, and from her appearance, it didn''t seem to be long before she gave birth. In light of this truth, Hei''s face darkened because he understood why he and all the other humans were being attacked.


    ''They don''t resent us. We are only food to feed their future offspring.''


    As Hei thought about it, the termite king suddenly turned his head where Hei was. The young human felt as if he were right in front of the termite king and instantly took eye contact away.


    ''That''s no good! Did he notice me? Xing, get us out of here. Fast!''


    Without a second to lose, Xing took on her real form. Hei jumped onto his little sister''s back while holding Ye. The purple spider with silver patterns began to move her eight legs at full speed. The unevenness of the ground was not a problem for her at all.


    A few moments after starting their escape, the sounds of c.o.c.kroaches could be heard all around them. It was evident that the termite king had noticed it was being watched and sent a team of c.o.c.kroaches to investigate. Luckily Hei had acted instantly, or otherwise, he would have been surrounded with no escape.


    "Xing, don''t stop for any reason. Just think about running. Ye and I will focus on guiding you instead. We have to reach Long Tian and the others."


    ''Alright big brother, leave it to me.'' Xing replied as she jumped in the air. Her body began to bounce as Xing used her legs to push herself using the trunk of the trees. In that way, her speed underwent another surge, leaving the c.o.c.kroaches behind.


    "Did we lose them? Ye, can you smell them?"


    ''I think so. There are no more c.o.c.kroaches nearby.''


    "Excellent, then let''s go back-"


    ''BIG BROTHER! Enemy coming!'' Ye suddenly shouted, surprising both Hei and Xing.


    From the surrounding vegetation came a huge bear with brown fur, slightly larger than Ye and Xing. On the claws of its paws, there were remains of c.o.c.kroaches. Emitting a mighty roar, he charged at full speed against Xing while its expression contained an immense sense of ferocity and anger.

 Chapter 172 - Report

    Roar!


    The brown fur bear charged against Hei and his little sisters using its body weight as a weapon. Xing, however, thanks to Ye''s warning, had those few seconds to prepare herself. Shortly before the impact, she took off, and as if she were walking in the air, she avoided the bear''s charge and continued forward.


    The bear, angry at having been dodged so easily, turned his body and resumed the chase. Despite the size, its speed was incredible, and in a short time, it had almost reached Xing.


    "Shit, it''s too fast. We won''t be able to lose it this way."


    ''What do we do, big brother? Do we fight?''


    "If we fight, I don''t know how long it could take. If c.o.c.kroaches were to reach us, it would be the end for us. No, I have to reason with it."


    As Xing kept running and Ye being the navigator, Hei turned to the bear chasing them. "I don''t know why you''re chasing us, but we don''t have bad intentions. We are just running away from the c.o.c.kroaches. Please let us go."


    The second level bear looked astonished when it heard the language of spiders being emanated from the mouth of a human. However, it didn''t stop chasing Hei, Ye, and Xing, although its pace had slightly slowed because it decided to respond to Hei''s words.


    ''Let you go? Filthy human, who do you think is to blame? If it weren''t for your stupid rules, we inhabitants of this forest would not be in such danger now. You lock us in specific boundaries without the possibility of going out and kill us if someone tries to get to the third level. As if that wasn''t enough, you filthy human brats come here to kill us for some stupid prizes. Do you think I would leave a human alone because he asks me? When have you ever done the same for us? And you filthy traitors. Do you think you are safe just because you sign a stupid contract? One day humans will stop considering yourselves useful, and when that day comes, you will be massacred like the rest of us.''


    The bear''s words were harsh and full of anger and resentment. It was evident that it must have spent a long time with humans. From those words, Hei sensed that it must have been one of the most powerful spirit beasts in the forest, probably one of its lords.


    "Xing, stop. It won''t let us go for any reason, but we can''t waste too much time with him. Let me try to persuade him." Hei proposed to his little sisters.


    However, the two divine beasts shook their heads, trying to stop their big brother.''Are you crazy, big brother? Don''t you see that it isn''t in the mood for dialogue at all?''''Ye is right. It will attack us as soon as we stop. How are you going to make it change its mind?''


    "I have a plan. Ye, Xing. Activate your bloodlines and your Elemental Laws. Don''t aim to kill him. Just tried to stop its attack, okay?"


    When Ye and Xing heard Hei''s plan, they had many doubts in their minds. Nonetheless, they did as their big brother requested. After all, they had total trust in Hei. If he thought this could convince the bear to stop chasing them, then they would follow his command without hesitation.


    ''Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate! Law of Poison, Poisonous Spider Web! Law of Illusion, Tinnitus!''''Serpent of Darkness Bloodline, Activate! Law of Darkness, Dark Fog! Law of Metal, Alloy - Steel + Chrome!''


    Within moments, Ye and Xing launched their attacks. A black fog obstructed the sight of the bear while a loud whistling sound began to ring in its ears, making it impossible to locate the enemies with its hearing. The sense of smell was still functional, but the attacks of the two divine beasts weren''t over.


    Peng!


    A metallic noise rang out as Ye stopped the charge of the bear with her body. Soon after, a sticky spider web with a potent poison was launched by Xing. The brown fur bear, which had lost the power of its momentum, found itself caught in this spider web. Fortunately, its spirit power was acting as a barrier against the insidious poison. However, every second that passed, it could feel its body''s spirit power getting thinner because of the poison.


    The second level spirit beast, however, paid no attention to this. Chaos was reigning inside him at the moment. Having endured such techniques on its own body, the bear could perceive it.


    ''Divine Beasts! No way! How is it possible?! Answer me!'' the bear exclaimed towards Hei, not even bothering to get rid of the spider web.


    "I will explain it to you, but I want your word that you will listen to what I have to say without attacking."


    The bear nodded yes with its head. Hei ordered Xing to free it from the spider web and watched the bear''s movements with attentive eyes. However, the spirit beast kept its word and sat on the ground, waiting for Hei to begin speaking.


    "My name is Hei. I can''t reveal much to you; it''s a delicate matter as you can imagine. These you see are my little sisters, Ye and Xing. I was raised by a divine beast who is our mother. Unfortunately, she died some time ago, so only Ye and Xing remain as specimens of the divine beasts. What you said about the conditions of you, forest inhabitants, is true. It''s not just you, but all the other spirit beasts forced to live that way.


    Our mother gave me the task of protecting my little sisters. The only way to do it is to create a place where they can live free without having to fear being hunted by humans. At the moment, I''m weak. I don''t have the strength to do this. But when I get it, you will see that I will change things and make sure that the spirit beasts no longer have to live like this.


    However, right now, we have a more immediate problem. The c.o.c.kroaches and the group of termites that are sowing death and destruction in the forest. You too, spirit beasts of the forest, have been attacked, right?"


    At Hei''s question, the bear sighed and replied, ''Yes, it is so. We five lords of the forest went to teach them a lesson, but the enemy was stronger than we expected. The seven termite guards aren''t too big of a problem. The five of us could have done it somehow, along with our subordinates. However, the problem is the king and queen termites¡ªtwo third level spirit beasts. I don''t know what they have in mind when doing such a thing since humans will kill them once the barrier dissolves. But if this continues, we may not be able to resist to witness this. Hei, right? Let me ask you something. What you said before, was it the truth? Are you really aiming for this?''


    Hei got off Xing''s back and approached the bear until he was right in front of it. So he gave his answer, "Yes. It is the promise I made to my mother and myself. I will definitely keep it. Whatever it takes.


    For this reason, I ask for your help. No, not just yours. Even the other lords of the forest and other spirit beasts. Help us defeat the c.o.c.kroaches and the group of termites. With the combined effort of you, spirit beasts of the forest, and the other humans, we can assemble a force to thwart the c.o.c.kroaches and the termite king and queen."


    Upon hearing Hei''s proposal, the hairs of the bear''s fur fluctuated with the disgust of that idea. But even if it was nonsense to propose it, it was also the plan most likely to succeed. The problem was the hatred and contempt that many spirit beasts felt against humans.


    ''Impossible! Collaborate with humans? For what? Might as well become c.o.c.kroach dung than helping humans.''


    "Are you sure? If you let all humans be killed, it will be the end of all the spirit beasts that live here. In the group of humans, there are children of important families. Even if the Empire is willing to accept the risk of losing them, it doesn''t mean they won''t take revenge, especially if even one of the Emperor''s sons is present. Is your hatred against humans so great that you are willing to jeopardize the forest where you live? The life of all the spirit beasts here?"


    ''ROAR!!! HUMAN! The fact that a divine beast raised you doesn''t change anything. I won''t let you use that tone with me. Who do you think I am? I am one of the lords of the forest. Don''t you dare to judge me with the same parameters as your dirty race.


    So be it. I will help. I will gather the other lords of the forest and the other strong fighters. However, we won''t do it for free. We want guarantees. We want to deal with that son of the Emperor. If the conditions offered are acceptable, we will cooperate.


    Disappear now. We will come to find you at the camp you have created. Don''t worry about the c.o.c.kroaches; I''ll take care of getting rid of the swarm that''s chasing you.''


    "Alright. Thanks. One question, though, before we go. What''s your name?"


    ''You don''t have to know. If you prove yourself truly worthy, I will tell you. Maybe.''


    The bear rose from the ground and disappeared into the vegetation. As there was no longer any reason to stay there, Hei climbed over Xing and continued to march towards the fort. He had to arrive as quickly as possible and inform Long Tian of everything he had discovered.


    *


    To return to the camp as quickly as possible, Hei traveled at night without stopping, alternating with Ye and Xing. All three of them were suffering from lack of sleep and mental exhaustion for the fights of the previous days. Nonetheless, they didn''t stop and continued to advance. Thanks to their stubbornness, they managed to get to the fort at dawn.


    The situation at the fort was calm, although there was a veil of concern and anxiety. None of the first-year students in the fort knew when the c.o.c.kroaches would attack. Therefore, all of them struggled to relax and indulge in sleep for even an hour.


    The lookout guards noticed the figure of a black snake with golden patterns approaching at high speed. Since the particular colors of Ye and Xing were unique among the spirit beasts, the guards immediately recognized who the snake belonged to. In an instant, they sent a message to Long Tian and the other generals to warn them that Hei had returned.


    In an instant, the false sense of calm and silence broke. Word had spread in the fort that Hei had gone on a scouting mission to find out more about the situation. Considering that the longer they stayed there, the more likely they were to die, it was normal for everyone to be waiting for some news that could change their desperate situation.


    Hei quickly climbed the walls of the fort, bringing with him Ye and Xing, who had returned to their petite form. Without delay, he made his way to the Long Tian''s tent, where he and the other generals had already gathered to await Hei''s arrival.


    "Hei!" Lian said as she ran towards him to examine his conditions. There were traces of concern and relief in the bewitching sapphire blue eyes of the beautiful young woman. She had been worried all this time thinking about what could have happened to Hei, Ye, and Xing.


    "I''m back," Hei replied as he stroked her head. Then he gave her Ye and Xing, who had fallen into a deep sleep from the effort they had taken to run all night.


    "From your tone, it seems that you have not returned empty-handed." Long Tian commented. He waited for Hei and Lian to finish greeting each other before returning to the main topic.


    "Yes, the situation is worse than we thought."


    Without wasting any more time, Hei explained everything he had seen at the c.o.c.kroaches nest. He also added his encounter with the bear who had proclaimed itself one of the lords of the forest.


    "Third level spirit beast. And there are two." bitterly commented Feng Chen. As Hei said, the situation had gotten worse than expected.


    "Well, now we know who the enemy is. It is already something. We can try to formulate a plan." Hu Jie tried to find positivity in Hei''s words.


    "Hu Jie is right. Now we can formulate a plan. But there is still an unknown factor to be clarified. Hei, I''m not a beast tamer, and I know little about spirit beasts. Therefore I am not able to make an adequate judgment on the truthfulness of the words of such creatures. However, you are a beast tamer, and you have proven yourself worthy of my trust. If we were to find an agreement, can we rely on the help of these spirit beasts? Won''t they attack us by surprise just to kill us? Remember that it''s not just your life or that of your teammates that are at risk. More than 3000 lives, including the spirit beasts of the various beast tamers, are at stake."


    Long Tian''s tone was as cold as if he was trying to put pressure on Hei and test what the young beast tamer really thought about it. Without stepping back, Hei gave his answer.


    "If you offer conditions that satisfy them, then yes. They, too, are threatened by these attacks. They are carrying carcasses of spirit beasts in addition to human ones. They are also not stupid to allow all the people present here to die. They know that the Empire will try to take revenge, especially if something happens to you."


    At Hei''s response, Long Tian sighed and shook his head as he was incredulous with himself for the words he was about to say. "Alright. Let''s organize this meeting. I will try to satisfy their requests as much as possible. But you will have to come with me as a translator and intermediary. However, remember that I can''t promise anything. I am just one of the Imperial Princes; my powers are limited."


    Hei nodded his head to indicate that he understood the meaning hidden behind these words.''Freeing them is impossible, and the same goes for declaring this forest outside the empire''s jurisdiction. A truce. It is what Long Tian, ??as the Imperial Prince, can promise at most.''

 Chapter 173 - Meeting with the Forest Lords

    Morning of the fourth day, three days still at the end of the test


    The situation inside the fort was tense. The first-year students of the Southern Royal War Academy were concerned about the unknown attack of c.o.c.kroaches. About 100 people had already died, and none knew how many would die next time. But now there was a scene, outside of their understanding, that was happening before their eyes.


    A meeting with the spirit beasts of the forest.


    Long Tian had ordered the sentries on the walls to warn if they saw any approaching spirit beasts. However, if they had been different species other than c.o.c.kroaches, the sentries should not have sounded the alarm. Instead, they should have let these spirit beasts approach without being obstructed. Other than that, no other details were given, but it was clear that Long Tian''s orders were correlated with the exploration that Hei had accomplished.


    Five spirit beasts arrived near the fort. They were a bear, an owl, a dragonfly, a tiger, and a zebra. All five were comparable in size to the bipedal c.o.c.kroaches; however, their power was at the peak of the second level. It would have taken little to advance to the third level, but in order not to be killed by the human cleaning team, they had repressed their cultivation.


    Without worrying about the looks of humans arriving from the front, the five spirit beasts settled about a hundred meters from the fort and didn''t move. They were waiting for humans to send their representatives so that negotiations could begin.


    The bear in the group of five spirit beasts was the same bear that Hei had encountered the day before. Since the problem of termites and c.o.c.kroaches threatened the entire forest, the bear had been busy all night to gather the other lords of the forest and tell them what Hei had suggested. Obviously, they didn''t take it well to collaborate with humans, but each of them wasn''t one of the forest lords for nothing. They knew when to repress their pride for the sake of those who followed them.


    Representatives from the human side were led by the Imperial Prince Long Tian. His four guards would accompany him to protect him in case of need. Although they knew that the spirit beasts grew in intellect as they advanced, they didn''t trust them enough to let their boss go unescorted. Indeed, precisely because these spirit beasts had intelligence that they were even more dangerous.


    In addition to Long Tian and his guards, there was also Hei, who had brought Lian and his little sisters with him. As a beast tamer, his presence was indispensable. Furthermore, it was he who had brought the information about the termites. Therefore, there was no candidate better than him.


    Finally, to conclude the human delegation group, there were Feng Chen, accompanied by Huli Xieren, and Hu Jie. Being two of the generals appointed by Long Tian, ??they too had to be present at the meeting. Moreover, since they were the sons of the family heads of two of the Eight Big Families, their words had a considerable influence on what kind of concessions could be granted.


    ''You are late humans. I don''t like waiting, and all the more reason, we have no time to waste.'' The spirit beast tiger complained as soon as Hei and the others arrived at the meeting point.


    Long Tian, ??who received Hei''s translation, replied, "I apologize for the delay. Let''s start the negotiations. Tell me the information you have and your requests. Then I will give you our proposal."


    Without dwelling on unnecessary pleasantries, Long Tian came to the point of the situation. Hei quickly reported to the five lords of the forest what the Imperial Prince had said. The five spirit beasts were slightly affected by the attitude of the human representative. They thought that, as a member of the Imperial Family, Long Tian would have a disdainful attitude towards them. Instead, he took on a cordial and polite demeanor, while maintaining secure the position of humans at the same time. Undoubtedly, he was a born leader.


    The five spirit beasts took a look at Hei before answering. In particular, their eyes fell on Ye and Xing, who were covered almost entirely by Hei''s hair. Only their faces were visible. Evidently, the bear must have told the other lords of the forest about them.


    ''Okay. We will tell you what we know.'' The spirit beast dragonfly broke that silence and ill.u.s.trated what they knew. ''We don''t know exactly from where that pair of termites and those seven guards came. If there had been some spirit beasts advancing quickly in cultivation, we would have known. Yet, they appeared out of nowhere about a week ago. Shortly after, the human cleaning team had finished their work.''


    ''As if humans weren''t already an unpleasant problem, now we must also face the invasion of spirit beasts from elsewhere who knows where.'' the tiger complained once again.


    ''Guanting, stop it. Your comments are useless. You''re just making us waste time.'' commented the zebra who became irritated at the misplaced intervention of its temporary companion.


    It should be known that the lords of the forest were longtime rivals. Each of them yearned to become the supreme ruler of the entire forest. However, a fight between each of them would have left the winner in a precarious state. The other lords of the forest or even other spirit beasts slightly below them could have taken advantage of the situation. Therefore, a stalemate had arisen, with the five of them sharing the forest. But now the termites, leading the c.o.c.kroaches, were trying to oust them and take over the whole territory. Thus, they had no choice but to collaborate. Though, this was easier said than done.


    ''What''s up, herbivore? Is the herb you eat giving you a stomachache? Do you want to taste my fangs? It wouldn''t be bad to use you as food and level up. So I could deal with those dirty termites myself.''


    ''As expected from a carnivore. You have a strong appetite, but you are certainly strongly stupid.''


    ROARRR!!!


    As the situation between the zebra and tiger became tense, the bear that had remained so far emitted a roar to silence the two of them. At this roar, the two quarrels continued to glare at each other, but they didn''t continue with their feud.


    ''I am sorry for their attitude. Zezi, go ahead.'' the bear turned to the dragonfly to continue with its patrol.


    Zezi, the second-level dragonfly, pointed to itself and the owl, ''Qiu and I flew over their nest from above. The pair of king and queen termites are third-level spirit beasts. They have recently advanced, but they undoubtedly reached the third level. The seven guards have a power similar to ours, probably slightly less. Considering their numbers, they represent a strong enemy. But if we were to attack with the spirit beasts at our command, it wouldn''t be an impossible task to accomplish.''


    ''The problem, though,'' said the second-tier owl, ''is that those termites have taken control of the colonies of c.o.c.kroaches and termites in the forest. In addition to them, they also subdued numerous mantises. So their total combat strength is something we forest lords can''t handle alone. Even if we don''t like it, we have no choice but to collaborate with you. ''


    At that point, the bear revealed what they wanted as a reward, ''Since we are giving up our pride as spirit beasts, we want your word as a member of the Imperial Family that you will ban the access to any human. In return, we promise to stay within the confines of the forest without going beyond them.''


    Hearing their request, Hei sighed to himself. He imagined that the five lords of the forest would attempt to ask for this. But he already knew that Long Tian couldn''t consent their proposition.


    "No, I''m sorry. It isn''t possible."


    As expected, Long Tian instantly denied their request. However, instead of closing the deal there, he said something to which Hei attributed a hidden hint, but he didn''t investigate further.


    "Even though I''m a member of the Imperial Family and one of the Sun Emperor''s sons, I don''t have that power. Only the emperor can order such a thing. All I can offer you is an alternative - a truce."


    ''A truce? What do you mean by that? Explain yourself, human!'' replied the tiger who preferred to go straight to the point.


    "Trial grounds are indispensable for training martial artists. There is no way that the Empire can renounce even one of them. Not until a total war with demons is still a more than concrete possibility. What I can propose is to modify the degree of difficulty of this trial ground. To move the limit that you, spirit beasts, can reach from the second level to the fourth level. It is the maximum that can be granted to you. And since it will take time for your forest to become a territory suitable for spirit grandmasters, you won''t receive attacks from humans for many years. I don''t know exactly by how much. It will depend on your speed of development and the needs of the empire. However, I can promise you twenty years, at least."


    When Long Tian proposed his solution, the five lords of the forest entered into a heated debate among themselves. They knew since the beginning that their first request would be refused. They weren''t so foolish to believe that despite the situation, they could receive grace from the Sun Empire. Therefore, Long Tian''s offer represented a real possibility to develop and grow in power.


    In the process of discussion, the bear looked up at Hei and asked him a question, ''Don''t translate. 20 years. Are you able to reach the top in that amount of time?''


    Hei was surprised at this question. However, he instantly understood what the spirit beast bear was referring to. "I do not know. As you progress through cultivation, the advancement process becomes slower and slower. I will do everything to advance as fast as possible, but I cannot promise you I will reach the top of the cultivation path in twenty years."


    Hei''s honest answer made the bear smile. Usually, it wouldn''t have been strange to promise something impossible to obtain an agreement. Humans were in a delicate situation and needed the strength of the forest spirit beasts. Yet Hei had said that he wasn''t sure and was unable to promise to succeed. Doing so could have blown up the negotiations; this is why the bear appreciated Hei''s sincerity.


    The other lords of the forest listened to this exchange and made their decision. The bear had informed them of the presence of two divine beasts and what Hei wanted to accomplish. Nonetheless, they hadn''t believed its words. But now, seeing the living proof before their eyes, they could finally feel a spark of hope for the future. If so, the decision was easy.


    ''We will cooperate.'' the five lords of the forest said in unison.


    "They will cooperate. It is what they said." Hei translated their decision to Long Tian and the other people present.


    Long Tian looked at Hei for a few moments. Up to now, Hei had translated every word, except for the last exchanges before the final decision.


    ''I don''t know what they said, but I feel it''s about why the lords of the forest accepted my terms. If so, it must be something important. You are a real mystery, Hei. But now is not the time to investigate it.''


    "Great. Now we have to decide how to move and the sharing of the spoils of war. I promised my men that they would be valiantly rewarded for their courage. So I wish you to leave the spirit cores of the enemies to us."


    ''Do you want to take all the spirit cores of the enemies? And the part that belongs to us? Our subordinates also need spirit cores to grow.'' replied the second level tiger annoyingly. This time, however, the other lords of the forest also supported its cause.


    Long Tian didn''t blink and exposed his point of view, "I made this proposal for two reasons. First of all, you need us more than the other way around. If we wanted, we could reinforce the fort and wait for the end of the test. Although it''s not a foolproof plan, there are real chances of success. Secondly, I only mentioned the enemy spirit cores and not their bodies. Not to mention the twenty years of development without human intervention. As lords of the forest, I doubt that you don''t have stocks of spirit cores in case there was an opportunity to level up. As a result, my request doesn''t harm you at all. "


    Long Tian''s tone was calm and polite, but the listeners could immediately understand who had the knife on the handle side in that negotiation. Long Tian had granted great benefits, based on their desire to become third level spirit beasts. All this, however, was in anticipation of his request - to be able to take possession of the spirit cores of the enemies.


    The lords of the forest discussed among themselves. This time Hei wasn''t consulted. They knew that the boy, raised by a divine beast, would support the other human. If Hei wanted to reach the summit as soon as possible, then he needed as many resources as possible.


    ''Alright. But on two conditions. First, the spirit cores of the invading termite group are not included. Whoever kills its prey gets everything. The second one is that you will take care of the termite king. The queen is pregnant, so she is unable to fight. So your opponent will be one newly advanced third-level spirit beast. It should be feasible for you if you fight like a group, right?''


    Listening to the conditions of the lords of the forest, the humans present there frowned. It was clear what they had in mind. Although they wouldn''t let any of the humans chosen as delegates die, if they used them as cannon fodder to weaken the termite king, they could obtain both the cores of the guards and the termite king.


    "Okay. I''m in. We will take care of the termite king while you take care of the guards. My other companions and I will leave in an hour. In the meantime, I recommend that you gather your subordinates and prepare yourselves."


    This concluded the negotiations between the humans belonging to the Southern Royal War Academy and the spirit beasts of the forest. But when Long Tian motioned to return toward the fort, the spirit beast tiger chuckled.


    ''Not so fast. Although we have decided to cooperate, we cannot trust you. We require tangible evidence!''


    "What evidence could satisfy you?" asked Long Tian, who sensed where the spirit beast was getting at.


    ''A blood pact! We want you to sign a blood pact.''

 Chapter 174 - Termite Battle

    "Do you want to ask our boss to sign a blood pact? How dare you? We won''t let you do it." Dae-Won, the leader of the guard group serving Long Tian, ??exclaimed in a quivering voice of anger. Soon after, he and Hide, Xinya, and William drew their weapons. As bodyguards, they couldn''t allow anyone to impose themselves on their boss that way, regardless of whether it was a spirit beast or a human being.


    "Stop." Long Tian raised a hand, gesturing for his four guards not to attack. Then he turned to the five lords of the forest. "What exactly do you want from this blood pact?"


    ''A warranty. That you will keep your word about everything you promised today.'' the second level bear replied to the Imperial Prince.


    "Okay. In any case, it was my intention to keep the word. Signing a spirit pact changes nothing. It''s just that I cannot promise you that there will be no human raids at all. After all, not all humans who live on the continent respect the laws of the empire. I hope you understand this."


    ''We understand. Good, since you''ve accepted, let''s proceed then.''


    "Wait. I haven''t finished yet. Since we are making a blood pact, I would like you to respect what you promised as well. Furthermore, since you are the five lords of the forest, all five of you will have to sign the blood pact. Otherwise, I should consider the contractor the true lord of the forest and the others his subordinates."


    At Long Tian''s words, the five second-level spirit beasts showed signs of anger and disgust. All of them had long been rivals, and their pride prevented them from even imagining themselves subordinates to one of the other four. Therefore, Long Tian''s words forced all five of them to sign the blood pact.


    To the side, Feng Chen and Hu Jie had a slight smile on their lips. They knew Long Tian well and knew of his ability to take advantage of his interlocutor''s pride to get what he wanted.


    ''So, his every move, every word he said, it was all in order to obtain a blood pact with all the five lords of the forest. In this way, he obtained an assurance from all the parties involved.'' Hei reflected as he watched the blood pact process between Long Tian and the five spirit beasts.


    Signing a blood pact was no trifle. You had to be very careful with the terms of the pact, or you would have risked death in the event of a break. In addition to that, the signing process itself was considered to be a dishonorable gesture because it meant having fallen into a desperate situation so as to require a blood pact.


    After the blood pact was signed, the five lords of the forest left to prepare for battle. Hei, Long Tian, and everyone else returned to camp, where their classmates were waiting for news.


    "I bet you are impatient to know what happened a little while ago. As you know, I sent Hei forward to find out about the c.o.c.kroaches. He was able to bring useful information. Our real enemy is not the c.o.c.kroaches but a pair of termites who have taken control of the c.o.c.kroach colonies. From the information we have, the termite king is a newly advanced third-level spirit beast."


    When Long Tian uttered the words'' third level'' terror and despair spread through the fort, after all, the first year students were just spirit soldiers; those with the highest cultivation didn''t go over the third stage. How then could they face a third level spirit beast that was comparable to a spirit master?


    "I know. A third level spirit beast is not something that each of us can face alone. However, you aren''t alone. You have your comrades. In any case, your opponents will only be second-level spirit beasts. I will be the one to take care of the termite king. Besides, we managed to make an agreement with the five lords of the forest. They, together with their subordinates, will help us destroy the termites once and for all.


    Just one little clarification. The raid mission will be very dangerous, and many of you are unlikely to survive. If you want to stay here, there will be no repercussions. You aren''t yet a soldier, and therefore you aren''t imputable of desertion according to martial law. But be aware that if you decide to stay here, you will be immediately given the number of spirit cores that correspond to you but nothing more. Not even the prize from me. After all, this prize is for anyone who is willing to give me all his strength to the end.


    Furthermore, your safety will no longer be my concern. Therefore, you will have to think for yourselves if you get attacked, and I''m not just talking about c.o.c.kroaches. The agreement with the forest lords concerns only the troops who will come with us to attack the c.o.c.kroaches nest. You have an hour to think about it. After that hour, we will leave."


    Without pausing to explain further, Long Tian went to his tent, followed by his guards and all the others who had accompanied him before.


    Once inside, Feng Chen finally asked what he had been keeping inside all this time. "Long Tian, ??you said that you would take care of the third level termite king. Are you going to use it?"


    Long Tian nodded yes, "Yes. There is no other way. The Battle Formation of the Imperial Family is our trump card. Even if I don''t like to use it, I am forced this time. With the enhancement of the Battle Concert, I should be able to acquire a power comparable to the termite king."


    Hearing this, Hei was amazed and asked. "Can you reach the termite king''s power level?"


    Long Tian turned to him, "If it''s a newly advanced spirit beast, yes. The Battle Formation of the Imperial Family is an atypical battle formation. Instead of making the users fight according to a precise pattern, this formation takes away the spirit power of those who use it to channel it into a single person. Dae-Won and the others can perform it, and thanks to them, I can momentarily reach the seventh stage spirit soldier. With the enhancement of the Battle Concert, I would reach the level of a spirit teacher who is just advanced. However, the problem is that I don''t know how much the termite king consolidated his cultivation. I need someone who can fight with me."


    "I doubt anyone is capable of reaching that level of power at the moment. Xieren and I can use a pair battle formation. But at best, we could reach the fifth spirit soldier stage. But if there are no better candidates, you can count on us." Feng Chen said as Huli Xieren confirmed with a nod of their heads.


    "The same goes for me. Even if I don''t have a battle formation, as you know, my skin is rather hard. I should be able to hold on for a while without dying." Hu Jie also proposed to fight together in Long Tian.


    "In that case, I think the best candidates are Lian and me." All of a sudden, Hei said these words.


    "What do you mean?" Long Tian turned to him.


    "Lian and I are able to enter a battle formation with Ye and Xing, my two spirit beasts. With the enhancement of the Battle Concert, we should achieve a power similar to yours."


    This time it was Long Tian''s turn to be surprised. He didn''t expect such a card from Hei. Even if he came from a remote place like the Forgotten Ocean, Hei once again proved to have techniques not inferior to the Eight Big Families, and to the Imperial Family.


    "Okay, then. If you say you can do it, you, Lian, and your spirit beasts will fight alongside me. Feng Chen, Hu Jie. You take care of the termite guards instead. Even if the lords of the forest said they could handle the guards on their own, I don''t trust them enough to leave entirely such a task to them. And that even if they are under the influence of the blood pact. We can''t afford any of the guards to interfere in the fight against the termite king."


    At that point, Long Tian made the final arrangements and dismissed everyone so that they could go to get ready. There wasn''t much time left, and every second was vital to reach the best conditions.


    *


    The allotted time was over. The time had come. Of the 3,500 first-year students gathered in the fort, about 3,400 remained. However, that number was expected to decrease. As for the other 1400 that made up the remainder of the first year, their status was unknown. But it wasn''t the time to worry about the others. Each of the first-year students would have to fight to the end to stay alive.


    Thanks to Long Tian''s speech, none of the fort''s fighters chose to stay. Long Tian was a fire in the night represented by the c.o.c.kroaches and termites. Without his command and the power shown by those who fought under his service, the other students felt that they wouldn''t last by themselves.


    "Let''s move! Keep a steady pace, but don''t consume your spirit power unnecessarily! "


    The mass of students began to move. Given their number and distance from the c.o.c.kroaches'' nest, Long Tian calculated about a full day''s walk with a short stop of a few hours during the night. Their goal was to get to the nest the next day in the afternoon. It was vital for them to fight with the favor of the light rather than with the blindness of the darkness.


    The journey was silent. Each of the spirit soldiers assembled there had a myriad of thoughts in their heads, and they weren''t in the mood to speak. Hei felt that way too. Although he had experience in fighting a far stronger enemy, this time, things weren''t as favorable as against the Red Devil. He wouldn''t fight against a weary and tired opponent. Instead, he would have to face an opponent at full strength.


    "Whatever happens, stay close to me. Together we will do it." Hei said to Lian, who was beside him and his little sisters who were on his shoulder.


    The three of them were also quite nervous. They knew that this time the danger was far from being comparable to previous fights. However, like Hei, they felt that together they could overcome anything.


    "Sure. Always." Lian replied with a smile as she took Hei''s hand.


    When he felt the warmth of Lian''s hand, Hei calmed down and continued to march, holding the hand of the blue-haired young woman who had never left his side since the day he met her.


    And so, after a full day of walking, they finally reached the border of the c.o.c.kroaches'' territory. The latter, aware of an unusual number of movements in their territories, had gone to report to the termite king. The third-level spirit beast immediately connected the fact to the accident of the other day when someone was spying on it from afar. It quickly ordered all the c.o.c.kroaches to gather around the nest and recall who was in other areas of the forest.


    In the meantime, the five lords of the forest and their subordinates had also arrived. By using their names and the prospect of being able to level up without consequence, the five lords of the forest had managed to gather more spirit beasts than they had initially planned. It was a good thing as they didn''t entirely know the exact number of soldiers that the termite king had managed to gather.


    "It''s time. Let''s begin!" Long Tian shouted with one of his swords up toward the sky.


    At his battle cry, the four Imperial Horns rang out, marking the beginning of the charge. Since it was a direct assault on the enemy base, there was no need to be stealthy. So, he chose this approach to improve everyone''s mood.


    The battle strategy chosen was rather simple - charge towards the heart of the enemy base and engaging its commander. In the meantime, everyone else had to buy time while Hei and Long Tian killed the termite king. However, not everyone would charge against the spirit beasts under the termites'' influence. The supporting martial artist would remain in the rear to heal the wounded and restore their spirit power.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    The sound of human footsteps and spirit beasts merged into a disordered melody of death, which was greeted by an equally ferocious and destructive melody. C.o.c.kroaches, termites, and mantises. These were the units available to the termite king. Their numbers were incalculable for the fighters involved, but it didn''t matter. What they could do was continue waving their weapons until all their enemies died.


    Long Tian, ????leading the army of spirit soldiers, began to make his way through the huge number of enemies. Behind him were Hei, Lian, Leon, Lang with Fenrir, He Fen, Feng Chen, Huli Xieren, Hu Jie, and his four guards. In addition to them, the silhouettes of the five lords of the forest could be seen not far from them.


    The termite king had seven guards who were near the peak of the second level. The five lords of the forest would face five of them, leaving the remaining two to the human spirit soldiers chosen by Long Tian. Leon, Lang, Fenrir, and He Fen would face one while Feng Chen, Huli Xieren, and Hu Jie would face the other. Hei, Lian, Ye, Xing, and Long Tian would have to deal with the termite king instead.


    "Charge! Don''t let them stop you!" Long Tian continued to spur on his companions who were blocked one by one by the enemy spirit beasts. But, in the end, they arrived at the center of the enemy base.


    There, the termite king, together with its queen, was waiting for the arrival of the enemies. The seven termite guards had formed a circle guard and were swinging their jaws threateningly. They were visibly enraged because some dirty humans had dared to attack their king.


    ''Stop.'' the termite king said to its guards before turning its gaze to the group of humans and the five lords of the forest who had arrived at its nest. Apparently, the prey has stopped wanting to hide and has come here to be eaten. How generous on your part to avoid the trouble of chasing you one by one.''


    ''Chase us? Bring it on! We will see how generous I am when I will stick my claws into your ass.'' The second level tiger exploded in anger at the words of the termite king but didn''t attack. Although it was a spirit beast who preferred to act rather than speak, it knew the danger of taking a misstep in combat.


    ''Termite King! Why did you do all this? You know that even if you were to survive and win, you would still die at the hands of humans. What is the meaning of your actions.'' asked the second level bear.


    ''I am a king. I don''t need to explain my actions. If I have decided so, then there is no way for you to change your future. Enough with the chatter, let''s start. My lady is hungry. Therefore, as a king and her companion, it is now up to me to bring her some food.''


    With this, the termite king indicated to the termite queen to go to a cave a little further. Evidently, despite the words of contempt it had just uttered, it didn''t feel so sure it could fight and protect its queen at the same time.


    "Long Tian, ??we are about to begin," informed Hei that had closely followed the exchange between the termite king and the lords of the forest. Long Tian nodded that he understood and indicated to his four guards to come closer. It was the time of the Battle Formation of the Imperial Family.

 Chapter 175 - Termite Battle 2

    "Dae-Won!" "Hide!" "Xinya" "William!"


    """" Our strength and our life are at the service of the one to whom we have sworn eternal loyalty! Battle Formation! Transfer of Power! """"


    With the four guards of Long Tian shouting this, there was a great glow of light that illuminated the surroundings. The spirit power of the four men was released, but unexpectedly, instead of condensing on their bodies, it was flowing back into Long Tian. Soon, the spirit power in the body of the Imperial Prince increased at an incredible rate for a third stage spirit soldier.


    "Lian! Ye! Xing! Let''s go!" Hei said to Lian and his little sisters. Although their battle formation was different, their amplifying effect was far from being inferior.


    ''''"Yes!"''''


    Ye and Xing climbed onto their big brother''s shoulders, keeping their petite form, while Lian positioned herself behind Hei. One of her silk ribbons tied to the waist of the young beast tamer, connecting her to the trio of siblings. Their spirit power underwent a surge comparable to that of Long Tian.


    Vroom!


    From a distance, the sound of drums and other musical instruments was heard. It was the Battle Concert created by martial artist musicians. Once again, the spirit power of Long Tian and Hei underwent a further increase, which led them to reach a power that was currently unattainable on their own.


    ''What?'' The termite king was utterly taken aback because the pressure released by the two humans was comparable to its. It couldn''t believe its eyes. Just a moment ago, those humans were like leaves that it could sweep away with a simple movement of its legs. Now, however, they were more like a sturdy tree that would require all its power to be cut down.


    Woosh! Clang!


    The seven termite guards moved as if they were united by one mind. In an instant, they charged against Hei and Long Tian. They immediately recognized the potential danger to their king, and they didn''t take even a second to move and eliminate the threat. After all, the instinct dictated by their species forced them to protect the king and queen at all costs.


    Unfortunately for them, Long Tian had already foreseen such a possibility. The five lords of the forest, together with the other spirit soldiers gathered there, engaged the guards, thus leaving the king termite alone.


    ''Foolish humans! Do you think that just because you increased your spirit power and separated me from my guards, do you have a chance against me?! Alright. I will show you my true power and the despair that awaits you!''


    Without delay, the termite king released its spirit power. Its body was smaller than the termite queen, and it didn''t have jaws as large and threatening as its guards. However, there was no doubt that it represented the most significant danger there.


    "Go back and recover your spirit power. Then help the others clean up the area." Long Tian turned to his four guards, who were slightly pale in the face. The battle formation they had used had almost dried up all their spirit power. Staying a second longer on such a battlefield was deadly dangerous for them.


    "It will be made, boss."


    When Dae-Won led the other three toward the rear, Long Tian sighed. "I don''t like using this move at all because it exposes them to great danger. As the boss, I should be the one protecting them and not vice versa. Either way, this isn''t the time to mull over it. We have a disinfestation to do, don''t you think Hei?"


    "Yes. Let''s finish it once and for all." Hei replied that his eyes were glued to the enemy.


    After saying that, it was finally about to start the fight. Hei and Long Tian charged against the termite king, who, in turn, ran at full speed against them.


    Peng! Crash!


    The spirit power of Hei and Long Tian crashed against the termite king''s spirit power. Even though they were in numerical superiority, the combined attack of the two didn''t hurt the termite king. However, they managed to stop the charge and remain unharmed.


    "Lian, tie the other ribbon around Long Tian''s waist. Long Tian, ??even if we aren''t united by a battle formation, follow our rhythm. You will need Lian''s ribbon to keep up and help you evade."


    "Okay. Go ahead." Long Tian agreed to that proposition. He had seen the young blue-haired woman''s fighting prowess. If Hei himself were confident of letting Lian lead his body, Long Tian would do the same because he trusted in the strength of the two youths from the Forgotten Ocean.


    So Lian connected her second ribbon to Long Tian. Now, she was left without defenses, but since her job was purely supportive, she wasn''t in imminent danger. The only thing she should pay attention to was a surprise attack from behind. But fortunately, all the enemies in the area had already been engaged by their other comrades, canceling that concern.


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate! Intent of the Spear, Poison Law, Poisonous Spider Thrust!"


    "Yellow Dragon Bloodline, Activate! Earth Law, Overwhelming Pressure!"


    "Love Lotus Bloodline, Activate! Wood Law, Binding Roots!"


    In an instant, an invisible pressure crashed from above against the termite king. The third-level spirit beast felt its body grow heavier while the roots of trees and flowers tied its body to the ground with incredible strength.


    ''Miserable tricks! DON''T THINK YOU CAN STOP ME!''


    The termite king let out even more spirit power, and its body started moving again. However, Long Tian and Lian had gained enough time to allow Hei''s attack to land.


    Stab!


    Hei aimed directly at the termite king''s head. The creature wasn''t by chance a third level spirit beast. With just a few seconds of maneuver, it managed to interpose its jaws in the trajectory of Hei''s spear and parry the blow. However, not everything went as the termite king had foreseen.


    Fizz!


    The poison at the tip of Hei''s spear had crept deep into one of the jaws, so much so that the jaw itself had started to erode from the amount of poison soaked in that attack. However, the affected part wasn''t so fragile to be broken with just a single attack. In fact, in the struck point, there were only traces of fracture, but the structure still held up.


    ''Damn human!'' swore the termite king that didn''t expect to be hurt so easily. After all, for the spirit beasts, their body was also a symbol of their pride. The stronger and more robust it was, the more proud they were.


    So, with a murderous fury in its eyes, the termite king spread its wings on its back and took off. This time, Long Tian''s technique could no longer contain the termite king, and neither did the roots of Lian that were instantly broken.


    With extreme speed, the termite king charged with its whole body against Hei, who was pulled backward by Lian''s ribbon, thus dodging the attack. However, the third level spirit beast had just to turn around, and it continued to charge.


    "Hei!" "Long Tian!"


    Reunited again by the ribbons of Lian, Hei and Long Tian prepared to receive the impact of the termite king''s charge. The speed of the third level spirit beast was faster than theirs. After all, all they had increased was just the amount of spirit power they could use. Their other characteristics had remained unchanged.


    Boom! Crack!


    The termite king''s charge pushed Hei and Long Tian backward, taking Lian with them as well. The three of them heavily crashed against the trunk of a tree that cracked from the impact. On their faces, you could see light streaks of blood coming out of their lips. It was evident that the attack had injured them.


    "It looks like it will take much longer to knock it down. Hei, you know better than me the characteristics of this spirit beast. If you have any suggestions, I''m all ears."


    "I have a plan in mind. We have to tire it out. To do it, we need the sun. Termites suffer from sunlight. It won''t kill him; however, it will be enough to hinder him."


    "Okay. Then we have to cut down the trees in the area as we attract it. Otherwise, it will use those as cover."


    Thus, Hei and Long continued to bait and force the termite king to charge against the surrounding trees. The power generated by the termite king was enough to root out any tree instantly. It was a risky tactic, but it was the only thing they could do at the moment.


    Several times Hei, Lian, and Long Tian had to make improbable dodges and sometimes had no choice but to suffer the full impact. But despite the pain they felt in each exchange, they continued with their plan. In the meantime, Hei had assigned his little sisters another task.


    ''Big brother, we''re ready.'' (Xing)''Tell us when to start.'' (Ye)"Excellent. Wait a little longer."


    It was when the termite king uprooted the last nearby tree that Hei declared the beginning of his plan. "Lian, hold it! Long Tian, ??prepare to attack! "


    Without delay, Lian once again recalled the roots from the ground while Long Tian charged his spirit power to attack the termite king.


    "NOW!"


    Xing and Ye jumped from Hei''s shoulders and assumed their true form. The purple spider with silver patterns fired multiple spiderwebs. These went to tie the wings of the termite king together, making the third level spirit beast unable to maintain its flight. In addition to this, there was the downward thrust of the roots. So the termite king crashed to the ground with a deafening sound.


    "YE!"''I am ready big brother!''"Great! Poisonous Spider Thrust! "


    Hei aimed at the head of the termite king. This time, the third-level spirit beast had no way of dodging or parrying. Furthermore, the sunlight had reached an unbearable degreee, thus lowering its ability to reason. Even in those conditions, however, the termite king was lucid enough to condense its spirit power in its head. It was ready to take the hit in full and relied on its spirit power to minimize the damage. However, its choice turned out to be a double-edged sword.


    Screech!


    An excruciating screech of pain was emitted by the termite king, who began to squirm on the ground. Shortly before the impact, Hei had changed the trajectory of his spear. Instead of the head, he aimed for the jaw that had previously cracked. So he went on to create an open wound in which Ye injected a particular poison. No, calling it poison wasn''t exactly correct, but it was a poisonous substance for termites and even for humans if used in high and undiluted quantities. It was vinegar.


    Thanks to Ye''s Concept of Digestion, creating a substance like vinegar wasn''t complicated. But the vinegar produced by Ye wasn''t at all edible for humans, given the high concentration and traces of poison inside. However, in this case, it was the perfect weapon. The termites were, in fact, weak to vinegar, and although the termite king was a third-level spirit beast, this vinegar liquid had been produced by a divine beast that had awakened her concept.


    "Attack, Long Tian!" Hei shouted to the Imperial Prince, who was already ready.


    "Intent of Double Swords, Whirlpool of Blades!"


    Long Tian''s swords moved at incredible speeds so as to leave residual images all around him. The heaviness of the Earth Law was added to each of its blows, appearing like hammering rather than sword cuts. The termite king''s defense of spirit power became weaker with each sword stroke received until it broke completely in the abdominal part.


    "Time to end it! Imperial Slash!" Long Tian exclaimed as he prepared to perform his final technique.


    ''And with that, the clash is over.'' Hei thought as he continued to stab the termite king''s head with his spear. Although the coup de grace would be inflicted by Long Tian, ??as long as the termite king was still moving, Hei wouldn''t have stopped attacking in turn.


    However, when Long Tian was ready, something that nobody expected happened. Something that they hadn''t considered in their plan and that could nullify all the efforts made so far.

 Chapter 176 - Termite Battle 3

    From above, a second-level spirit beast termite was swooping towards its king. Apparently, the guards protecting the termite king and queen couple weren''t seven but eight. And this eighth guard termite was an imminent danger because it could upset the battle balance that Hei and the others had struggled to achieve.


    "Shit! Leon! Block it at any cost." He Fen shouted as he waved his two wheels of wind and fire against the guard termite he was facing. At the moment, he, Lang, Fenrir, and Leon were facing one of the seven guards who had now become eight.


    "Roger. I will definitely block it." Leon replied as he took off.


    Among the three, he was the one with the highest cultivation, and his attacks were also the heaviest, ideal for blocking the advance of the newly arrived termite. Fortunately, it wasn''t just the three of them who saw the danger.


    "Hu Jie! Block that termite, leave this to Xieren and me." Feng Chen said as he emanated tongues of fire to restrain his opponent.


    Hu Jie nodded with his head, and he too took off as well. A smile full of fighting intent was printed on his face. "Fist of the White Tiger!"


    Peng!


    The flying termite guard suffered the full impact of Hu Jie''s punch. A large hollow was created on the body of the spirit beast. However, despite the power behind this attack, the second-level termite continued its advance, making Hu Jie fly to the side after a head-on collision.


    "Intent of the Greatsword, Blade of Heavens!"


    Leon concentrated all his spirit power on his weapon. Hu Jie''s intervention had given him enough time to charge his ultimate attack. On the young man''s face, there was a confident expression that he could stop the advance of the termite. But despair and the desire to protect its king had given the guard termite a new strength.


    Peng!


    Leon''s large broadsword collided against the jaws of the guard termite. The spirit power of the two collided with each other as the two fighters tried with each fiber of their body to resist.


    ''I can''t win, but I don''t have to. I just have to block the first charge, and the victory will be ours.'' Leon thought as he had carefully evaluated the odds of success before attacking. Unfortunately, however, his calculations shattered.


    Crack!


    Under the pressure of the jaws of the second-level termite and also because of the large amount of spirit power inside, Leon''s greatsword broke. The young man stared blankly at his shattered weapon before being blown away by the termite charge.


    "Imperial Slash!"


    Long Tian had finished loading his technique and was about to lower his two hooked swords on the termite king. His blow would put an end to the clash, decreeing their victory. But the arrival of the new guard termite completely overturned his plans.


    Slash!


    The guard termite intervened in the trajectory of the blade of spirit power thrown by Long Tian. Although it was one of the guards to protect the king and queen, the eighth termite was also the weakest of the guards. For this reason, it was usually assigned other tasks instead of staying on guard for the royal couple. Yet, this time, this termite showed its king all the courage it possessed and its honor as a guard.


    Splat!


    A deep cut wound was created on the body of the eighth guard termite. Previously it had suffered the attacks of Hu Jie and Leon, but this time it had to endure the impact of the Long Tian''s technique. At the moment, the Imperial Prince had a spirit power equal to a newly advanced spirit master, and consequently, his techniques also contained more power. The guard termite died on the impact, but in the mind of the second-level spirit beast, this didn''t matter. It was just happy to have managed to protect its king.


    "Screech!"


    The termite king was struck by the gesture of that young termite to which it had never given so much credit. Despite the indifference''s treatment it suffered, the guard termite had sacrificed itself for it without hesitation. As a king, how could it remain impassive to such an act of loyalty?


    Regardless of its wounds, the termite king released every bit of spirit power that remained in its body. It knew it wouldn''t come out alive, but at least it would bring as many humans as possible with it.


    "HEI," Lian shouted as she pulled the ribbon that tied her to the brown-skinned young man. But it was too late.


    Crash!


    Hei was blown away by the termite king''s attack. The young man lost consciousness in mid-air as he was dragged towards Lian by the silk ribbon that linked him to her.


    "Hei, wake up!" cried Lian, who tried to stop the blood from Hei''s wounds. Unfortunately, Ye and Xing were also in bad shape. If it hadn''t been that they were together, the termite king''s blow could have killed one of them if taken alone.


    "Wake up, Hei. I know you''re not the type to be beaten for such an attack." Long Tian said as he barely stood. His finishing move had been charged with the intent to end the fight. As a result, he hadn''t spared himself in the attack, leaving only a small amount of spirit power within him.


    The termite king noted with amazement that Hei and the two spirit beasts, Ye and Xing, were still alive. It wanted to get rid of Long Tian, ??but it knew that Long Tian wasn''t able to threaten it now. Therefore, it would finish Hei first as he was the most dangerous at the moment.


    ''Big brother, wake up. Please.'' (Xing)''We have to fight. We can still do it, big brother. ''(Ye)"Hei, wake up!"


    Hearing the cries of Ye, Xing, and Lian trying to bring him to consciousness, Hei slowly opened his eyes. The blow had stunned him, but inside him, he knew that the situation was more dangerous than ever.


    "It''s coming, isn''t it?" Hei asked. He was lying on the ground and, therefore, couldn''t see the termite king approaching their position.


    "Yes." Lian replied before continuing, "I will take you out of here. I can''t let you get killed."


    "No, Lian. If you take me out of here, it will be the end for the others. Do me a favor, support my body with your ribbons. I can''t move, but if you''re in charge of my body, then I can attack." After saying this, Hei screamed at Long Tian, ??"Long Tian, ??block it. I just need a minute, and we''ll win."


    The Imperial Prince smiled at those words and replied, "I wasn''t expecting anything else. Kill the termite king and put an end to this fight." After that, he used his last strength to use his real secret weapon. A weapon that he would have preferred to keep hidden but which he now had to release.


    "Concept of Authority, Law of Earth, Authority of the Earth - Embrace of Mother Earth!"


    Blood began to flow out of Long Tian''s mouth and eyes. However, the Imperial Prince paid no attention and continued with his attack. A massive pressure of spirit power rose above the termite king, pushing him towards the ground. At the same time, the earth beneath the feet of the third-level spirit beast began to crumble as it made the termite king sink.


    ''Damn human. You again?! I will kill you! I will kill you all!''


    The termite king tried to free itself, but Long Tian''s technique was stronger and more intricate than the ones he had previously used. There was no way for the termite king to free itself quickly. And so, the minute that Hei needed was finally created.


    "Law of Poison, Intent of the Spear, Triple Poison Spider Lance!"


    Hei, without sparing a drop of his spirit power, used everything he had available as well. His two arms, in combination with his spear, were infused with all the spirit power he possessed thanks to the Battle Formation to which he added the Law of Poison. Lian, meanwhile, had removed the ribbon tied to Long Tian, and with both her ribbons, she was holding up Hei''s body, holding his arms still at the same time so that they could target the enemy.


    Stab!


    Lian pushed Hei forward. The young man just had to worry about focusing his spirit power and attacking. His triple attack generated three deep holes on the head of the termite king, and from these holes quickly spread Hei''s poison throughout the body of the spirit beast.


    Screech!!!


    The termite king stirred like a wild beast, rolling on the ground. Long Tian was finally unable to maintain his technique, thus letting go of the spirit beast. But it no longer mattered. The three wounds left by Hei were too deep, and even without the poison, the termite king would have died anyway. And, after almost a full minute of agony, the termite king took its last breath.


    "We made it. Pant ... Pant..." Long Tian said before falling to the ground, exhausted. His body was full of wounds, both external and internal. Despite the Battle Formation of the Imperial Family, he remained a spirit soldier. It was a miracle that he had managed to resist so far without losing consciousness.


    "Yes. We made it." Hei was also exhausted. Fortunately, there were Lian''s ribbons to support him, or he would have fallen to the ground too.


    With the fall of the termite king, the other battlefields also ended. The five lords of the forest killed their respective opponents, and so did Feng Chen, Huli Xieren, Hu Jie, He Fen, Lang, Fenrir, and Leon. The latter, however, even if they had won, didn''t have a happy expression. Within them, they were rethinking everything that had happened and their mistakes. If it weren''t for the battle talent of Hei and Long Tian, ??things could have gone very differently.


    At the same time, even in the main battlefield, where the bulk of the first-year students and the subordinates of the forest lords were facing the armies of the termite king, the situation was now about to end. The death of the termite king had been felt by all the spirit beasts of the area. With no longer, the fear for that terrifying being, the creatures forced to submit to it were freed from its control. Therefore, they had no more reason to fight and ran away in the most remote corners of the forest.


    The battle was over, and the victory belonged to the coalition of humans and native spirit beasts of the forest. The number of lives lost was impressive, at least for the humans who had participated in the conflict. Most of them had battle experience, but they were just not noteworthy clashes, at most against a small group of enemies. Never before had they participated in such a large-scale battle and certainly seen so many people die all at once.


    However, the excitement and euphoria of the victory had made everyone forget a little detail. No, to call it a little detail was a euphemism. After all, the third-level spirit beasts weren''t one but two. The termite queen was still alive and was now full of sadness and resentment over the death of its partner.


    ''Oh, my king. You left me alone even though you promised to stay with me. Stay assured. I''ll join you right away. But I will avenge your death. No, I will let our children do it. Oh my king, thank you for choosing me as your queen.''


    These were the queen''s last words before she resorted to a desperate measure. A barbaric practice that was considered extreme even for most spirit beasts.


    From the cave not far from the fighting site, an unusual buzz was becoming increasingly loud. At the same time, an incredible amount of spirit power was spreading outside.


    When humans and spirit beasts who had fought against the termite king and its guards watched this scene, they were initially confused. The termite queen was pregnant and was in the late stages of pregnancy. Therefore, it wasn''t in a position to fight even if it wanted to. Yet something was happening inside that cave, and soon Hei and the five lords of the forest understood what.


    "Overeating," Hei whispered as he paled at the thought of such a scene.

 Chapter 177 - End of the Trial

    "Overeating? What do you mean?" Long Tian asked.


    Hei didn''t reply immediately but swallowed the saliva that had stuck in his throat before replying," spirit beasts can increase their cultivation by eating the spirit cores of other spirit beasts. Even eating the carcasses helps, although the increase is significantly reduced. However, it is not that they can eat any species of spirit beast indiscriminately. After all, they must digest the assimilated energy afterward. For example, a second-level spirit beast will never be able to absorb the energy of a fourth-level spirit beast. However, there is one exception - overeating."


    "Are you saying that spirit beasts can assimilate cores and carcasses of other spirit beasts far superior to them?"


    "Yes, but the price to pay is one''s life. It consists of a temporary instant power-up. However, when that power-up ends, it is also the moment when the spirit beast perishes. The terrifying thing, however, is that overeating is not being carried out by the termite queen. The termite queen''s children are the ones devouring the mother from the inside and acquiring her energy. They won''t live long, but in the period in which they are alive, they will have the strength of a second-level spirit beast."


    At Hei''s words, Long Tian bit his lip. Dealing with second-level spirit beasts wasn''t so worrying. They did it until recently, after all. The problem was that by now, all the fighters, whether they were humans or spirit beasts, were almost completely drained of spirit power.


    "How fast is this overeating? How many children can the termite queen produce? If we are still in time, we can stop it, or we can fight the termites if there are not many."


    "A termite queen of that size can produce up to 30,000 specimens at one time. It means 30,000 second-level spirit beasts. The process of overeating is fast; it is now too late. Even if we retire, we will end up being divided and overwhelmed. We have to fight. Even if they are second-level spirit beasts, since the process started a little while ago, they shouldn''t have absorbed all the mother''s power yet. It is the best solution. But it''s up to you to decide Long Tian. You are the commander."


    When Hei finished explaining the situation, Long Tian looked back to make his decision. His first-year classmates were exhausted, and even though they were receiving treatment, they weren''t in a condition to fight.


    "I trust you, Hei. If what you say is true, then we can only resist. Our only hope is that the termites are not really all second-level spirit beasts and that their power hasn''t yet developed. Furthermore, if it is a temporary power-up, we just have to resist until the end of that power up."


    Long Tian had made his decision. Without panicking, he had analyzed the information provided by Hei, an expert when it came to spirit beasts. As he lacked on the subject, Long Tian judged it wiser to trust the evaluation of an expert instead of blindly giving orders. Soon, the four imperial horns were played once again. The various surviving humans listened with horror to that sound.


    "Isn''t it over yet? How is that possible?"


    "Hadn''t the termite king been defeated?"


    "No! Stop! I don''t want to fight anymore."


    "This isn''t the time to ask questions. Immediately close the ranks, get into formation. Martial artist musicians, prepare yourselves for the Battle Concert. Medic and chef units, heal those with more serious injuries in the rear and prepare to enter the battle at any time.


    Companions of the first year of the Southern Royal War Academy. I ask you one more effort. One last effort and all this will end. Victory is almost at hand. Don''t give up now that we have reached this point."


    Long Tian''s voice rang out across the battlefield. His confident tone infused courage in his companions who had lost the will to fight. One last effort and they could get out of this nightmare. They had survived so far, and they would survive this final clash as well.


    As Long Tian rearranged his troops and coordinated with the lords of the forest, thousands and thousands of termites began to emerge from the cave humming a chant of death.


    ''For our father, for our mother. Kill those who threaten us.''


    Looking at that sea of ??angry termites, everyone trembled but took courage. A shield known as Long Tian stood before them. The prestige and authority of the Imperial Family was a powerful tool, especially in desperate situations like this.


    "We men and women of the Sun Empire will not be defeated without fighting! "


    "WELL SAID!"


    All of a sudden, a voice echoed throughout the forest. The sound was unmistakably that of a human. Unconsciously all the living creatures gathered there, be they the termites, or the coalition of humans and spirit beasts of the forest looked up in the sky.


    Standing at a hundred meters above them was suspended a handsome man, like a hero of some ballad. The first-year students of the Southern Royal War Academy recognized him instantly.


    "Teacher Song Yazhu! "


    "It seems that things have fallen into a bizarre turn. We will have the opportunity to clarify what happened, but first-" Song Yazhu released his spirit power. "Law of Light, Holy Light Fist!"


    Song Yazhu moved his arm down in the direction of the army of termites. A white light was emitted from his hand, and it completely enveloped every single termite. This light was so bright that no one was able to see what happened. But only being there, all the spectators could feel the power behind that attack.


    A monster. That human is a monster.


    It was the thought of many of the first-year students, and the spirit beasts gathered there. It was unusual to witness the power of someone who had attained the rank of spirit king; after all, such individuals showed their power only in battle.


    When the light dissipated, there was no trace of termites left. There was only a gigantic crater that stretched hundreds of meters underground. Song Yazhu''s fist had utterly obliterated the 30,000 termites in an instant.


    "I am not aware of the details, but I sense that you have collaborated with my students. For this reason, I won''t do anything against you. However, I invite you to move away now. I wish to have a word in private with them."


    After arranging the termites, Song Yazhu then turned to the five lords of the forest and the other native spirit beasts who had gathered to fight the group of termites and the armies under their control.


    Until now, the five lords of the forest had shown a confident and cheeky attitude at times. Even in front of Long Tian, ??one of the Imperial Princes, they hadn''t experienced any fear. But now, in front of that man, the five lords of the forest could only obey. Without delay, they ordered their subordinates to gather their fallen comrades and retire to their respective territories. However, they didn''t forget the reward promised by Long Tian and also brought five corpses of the eight termite guards.


    Long Tian let them do it. In any case, it was part of the established agreements, and they had earned their reward. Even without the blood pact forcing him, he was a person who kept his word. If he retraced his steps, his credibility would have been damaged. In order to have the respect and loyalty of a person, reputation was an important factor.


    In that way, the gruesome trial in that forest of horrors ended. With the arrival of Song Yazhu, the situation was brought to a calm. Every single surviving student who hadn''t joined Long Tian but had remained hidden in some corner of the forest was recovered. The bodies of the fallen were also collected so as to deliver them to the families. However, many of these had gone missing, probably devoured by the spirit beasts of the forest.


    Of the approximately initial 4900 students, only 3400 remained. Three thousand were those who had fought under the orders of Long Tian, while the other 400 were the various martial artists hidden in the maze of the forest. One thousand five hundred victims, this was the final toll.


    The War Academies were also known as the Death Academies due to the high mortality during the three years of study. Still, it was the first time that such a high death toll had occurred in a single trial. And this had happened even though it was the Southern Royal War Academy, one of the most prestigious War Academies, where only the best of the best were gathered.


    The academy investigated what had happened but ultimately dismissed it as a mere accident. An unfortunate accident but still an accident. To compensate for the lost numbers, the Southern Royal War Academy proclaimed an extraordinary enrollment, going to recruit even many of the most talented geniuses of less prestigious academies. However, the actual transfer would only happen within a month.


    Meanwhile, the survivors of the terrible ordeal had returned to the academy. For this month, there would be no lessons so everyone could recover and focus on their cultivation. After all, a great opportunity had occurred in the misfortune - the rewards arranged by the academy and the empire.


    The forest incident had taken many young lives, but those who remained alive and fought alongside the Imperial Prince Long Tian had gained an impressive number of spirit cores - 35 spirit cores each.


    Although it may have seemed little, it was known that on average, one person managed to hunt two spirit beasts per day, three if they were lucky. It was because the spirit beasts were very shrewd and made the most of the house advantage. Besides, students were forced to act slowly and cautiously to avoid being attacked by whole packs.


    This time, however, each of them had gained 35 spirit cores to which were added those they had previously earned, not to mention a higher quantity of first-level spirit cores. If you add up everything, the number of contribution points per person reached an astonishing number.


    Hei and Lian had, therefore, gained 35 spirit cores. Of these, five were used as evidence of passing the trial, leaving only 30 spirit cores to them. But that number was more than enough for them to buy resources for them and Ye and Xing as well. It was because Hei and Lian didn''t need to purchase weapons because they had those created by Bao Bai. Besides, their fighting style was more or less consolidated, so they didn''t need to buy a large number of technique manuals, thus being able to limit their expenses.


    In addition to those cores, however, another core shouldn''t be forgotten - the third-level spirit core of the termite king. Since the two youths had contributed enormously to achieving the victory, the core value was split into two - one part went to Hei and Lian, the other part to Long Tian. Unfortunately, the third level spirit core of the termite queen had been lost, devoured by its own children. But even if it was a shame, it wasn''t such a significant loss considering the total amount.


    *


    One week after the end of the test, Hei and Lian


    Hei''s room was sitting on the bed, meditating. On his legs, his little sisters were peacefully sleeping. Lian, on the other hand, was intent on reading a thick book about formations. Since they returned, the young blue-haired woman had immersed herself in books. She wanted to avoid finding herself unprepared against weapons such as talismans in the future and therefore began to study their functioning.


    Knock!


    There was a knock on their door. Hei opened his eyes and asked, "Who is it?"


    "It''s me, Leon." it was heard from the other side of the door.


    "Leon? Come in, do you need something?" Hei waved his hair with his spirit power, and with them, opened the door handle.


    Leon''s figure was revealed when the door was opened. The young man unusually looked gloomy, as if there was something that tormented him.


    ''It''s been since we came back that he is like this. I thought it was perhaps due to the stress of everything that happened in the forest. But it seems not to be so.''


    "Come in, don''t stand still in the doorway." Hei again urged Leon to enter.


    Leon nodded and entered the room. Lian quickly handed him an empty chair, and she went to sit next to Hei. In order not to disturb the two young men, she removed Ye and Xing from Hei''s legs.


    "From your expression, it seems that it is something you want to tell me. Don''t hold back. You can talk to me." Hei proclaimed. He wanted to understand what was troubling his companion.


    "Hei, Lian, Ye, Xing. I owe you an apology. Because of me, you all took a big risk, it was my job to block that termite, but I couldn''t."


    Finally, Leon said what he had hidden in his heart for all the week. Of all Hei''s companions, he was the one who most felt a sense of helplessness for what had happened. His failure had endangered not only all his classmates but also all the other first-year students. Hei had done a lot for him, and it was only thanks to him if Leon had made so much progress. However, when it came time to pay him back, Leon had failed in his task.


    "Is this what torments you? If so, don''t worry. Neither I nor Lian or my sisters hold a grudge against you. Instead, we are grateful to you. Without you, Lang, Fenrir, He Fen, Mareo, Haruno, Mia, and Lillian, we would have been really in danger. So don''t worry and calm down." Hei said, trying to comfort Leon, who didn''t seem relieved at all by Hei''s words.


    "There is also another thing I have to talk to you about. No, I have to talk to all of you. For now, I will tell you and Lian, but soon I will tell the others as well. I have tried many times to reveal it, but I was ashamed. Maybe you don''t realize it, but you have a charisma comparable to that of Long Tian. Maybe for those who don''t know you, it''s hard to notice. But for us who are near you, it is as clear as the existence of the sun or moon. I didn''t want to say anything because I feared that I would no longer have the qualifications to be with you. But I can no longer hide it, not if it puts my companions in danger."


    "What are you talking about, Leon? I can''t understand your train of thought." Hei stopped sitting on the bed and got up. He could sense that there was something essential that Leon wanted to tell him.


    "The truth is that ... the truth ... the truth is that I don''t possess an Elemental Law."

 Chapter 178 - Leons Secret

    "The truth is that ... the truth ... the truth is that I don''t possess an Elemental Law."


    When Leon said those words, Hei and Lian were speechless. They couldn''t understand what he meant by such a statement. After all, how was it possible not to possess an Elemental Law?


    "What do you mean?" Hei asked in amazement.


    "What I said," Leon replied as he clenched his fists.


    Seeing the severe expression of his companion, Hei sighed. ''He doesn''t seem to be lying. Although this is absurd, Mother taught me never to take things for granted. If something has never happened, it doesn''t mean it can''t happen. I have to listen to everything Leon has to say before I make a judgment.'' Hei thought to himself before asking again.


    "Leon, explain to me in detail what you mean. If you don''t, I can''t understand you. What you say doesn''t make sense, but I also know you''re not lying."


    At Hei''s words, Leon calmed down a bit. He took a light breath and prepared to tell his story. A story he hadn''t told anyone since he came to the academy.


    "The truth is that I have never formed a spirit seed within me. But before that, I have to tell myself about my situation. I come from a common family, made up of my parents, my brothers, and sisters. In the history of my family, none has ever managed to awaken their spirit power before me. Therefore, my parents were positioned on the edge of society, forced into the most humble jobs. Even though it was a difficult life, my parents never stopped working and smiling at their children, trying to give us a happy life. Do you understand what I mean?"


    "Yes. It means that you haven''t had access to cultivation resources such as pills and other alchemical items."


    "Correct. I awakened my spirit power at a young age. I was almost 13 when it happened. My parents couldn''t believe their eyes. One of their children had indeed been able to awaken his spirit power. My parents immediately sought information, excited that I could break the chains that imprisoned them and my siblings on the fringes of society. But unfortunately, the path of cultivation is a path that requires a lot of money. Without connections with influential people, I could do nothing but resign myself to the reality of the facts - the social condition of my family would have prevented me from realizing the opportunity that had been given to me.


    For a time, I felt frustrated and hated my family. If I had been born into a different family, then perhaps I could have received cultivation resources and lived a very different life. But my parents showed themselves to be breathtaking people once again. They decided to focus their fate and that of my siblings on me. They bought some cultivation resources with the money set aside for a lifetime. Sure, they were objects of poor value for me now, but then it was like a high price to pay.


    I was moved by them and felt disgusted with my behavior. My family was not to blame for being in the margins of society, and despite my behavior, they were risking everything to help me as much as they could. I realized that perhaps the fact that I had awakened my spirit power was a sign from the heavens. The chance to redeem my family''s condition so that they could have a better fate. And so I made a promise - even without precious resources, I would have committed myself wholeheartedly to cultivation.


    I started cultivating day and night non-stop. I didn''t have a cultivation manual, so I had to go according to my intuition, and the results seemed so slow to mine. However, the more I tried, the more I could take a step forward. Although it should have been impossible because of the risk of internal injuries, when I cultivated, I could clearly feel the flow of spirit power within my body. It was as if it was talking to me as if it showed me how to make it flow in order to get what I wanted. Thus, after enormous and painful efforts, I reached the sixth stage spirit apprentice.


    It was then that my parents brought me here to this city. They didn''t know much about martial artists and cultivation. However, they sensed that my result was something that could interest some important family and convince them to bet on me. So I took the elemental affinity test, and my result astounded the examiner - I had no affinity with any of the known Elemental Laws.


    The examiner thought of a problem in the instrument and conducted another test. Again, I got the same result. Left speechless, the examiner went to call his superiors. It happened that there was also one of the teachers of the Southern Royal War Academy that day. He was a spirit grandmaster and a spirit power''s researcher. He even wrote some of the cultivation manuals in the Library. He was fascinated by my condition and proposed to my parents that he would take care of me at the academy.


    My parents were hesitant; they didn''t trust me to leave me in the hands of a stranger, but they knew that such an opportunity was difficult to obtain. So I decided to take the ball and made an agreement - I would come with him, but in return, he would have to give my family a nice home and enough money for my family.


    The grandmaster accepted. The coins used by ordinary people were insignificant in his eyes, and he did as I asked. At that point, I became fully affiliated with the Southern Royal War Academy. In a sense, I became their property. It is for this reason that I know the academy well. I have lived here longer than all the other first-year students.


    Once at the academy, I was subjected to an endless amount of experiments. The medical section was the one responsible for carrying them out. It is also for this reason that on the day I took you to visit the academy, I didn''t mention martial artist medics. For me, it was a painful memory. However, at the end of these experiments, they concluded one thing - the Law of Energy. That was why I had no affinity for any of the other elements."


    Then Leon paused. He slowly closed his eyes as he thought about what had happened in his life. Hei and Lian, on the other hand, had been amazed by his every word. But the real bomb was when Leon mentioned the Law of Energy.


    ''The Law of Energy is particular instead. Initially, it should be bound together with the other elemental laws, but the fact is that there was only one being that had such elemental law: a divine beast, Bai Ze. He was your father''s advisor.''


    Bao Bei''s words rang in Hei''s mind. How could he forget that night under the stars? The night his mother told him about the Elemental Laws, the Bloodlines, but above all about his father, the Serpent of Darkness. In the meantime, Leon resumed his story.


    "The top of the academy were delighted. There were no clues to the Energy Law. The only evidence came from ancient texts. One of the companions of the Serpent of Darkness was said to possess this Elemental Law. But none of the humans or demons managed to kill this divine beast, thus making it impossible to research about it.


    So, they started investing resources on me, hoping that I would be able to form a spirit seed of energy. From then on, they would have monitored my every progress until they had known the secret of the Energy Law.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t succeed. I was unable to form a spirit seed of energy, and the academy eventually lost interest in me. They considered me a defective product that showed some features of the Energy Law. But without being able to use it actively, my value was nil. However, they decided to keep me at the academy just in case of unexpected development, but by now, they have no more hope for me.


    When this happened, I felt my world being torn apart. How should I go on? I didn''t have an important legacy to rely on, and even if I had tried hard, in the end, I wouldn''t have been able to reach the pinnacle of the martial path. Soon I would have been left behind because I couldn''t use the Elemental Laws.


    It was at that moment that I met you. I was unsure of my future. But, knowing you, Hei, and you as well Lian, brought me new joy. Each new day in your company and all our companions made me forget the desperation for my inability. I began to dream that maybe I could somehow make something good. If I stayed by your side, then I would undoubtedly have succeeded. However, the forest episode taught me one thing. Even if I have higher cultivation than yours right now, in the end, I will only become a burden that could end up killing you. And this I cannot allow.


    I don''t know what to do. I don''t want to risk my companions'' lives. But at the same time, I can''t help behaving selfishly. I don''t want to part with all of you now that I''ve met you."


    Burning tears ran down Leon''s eyes down his cheeks. All the pain and frustration he had held within him exploded in unison. He had revealed all his secrets and was now feeling intense fear. He was anxious about Hei''s response. He wanted to know if he could still walk beside him and the others or was destined to remain an old reminder of their youth.


    Hei went to Leon and put his hands on his shoulders. He could understand precisely how Leon felt. That sense of frustration and helplessness that was felt in front of the cruelty of reality. The inability to accomplish your goals or protect those you loved.


    "Listen to me carefully, Leon. I''m glad you confided in me. That''s why I want to make you a promise. As long as you wish so, you can stay with me and all the others. And you don''t have to worry about not having Elemental Laws. Can''t you see it? Even without Elemental Laws, based only on your strength and your hard work, you have developed your own fighting style. In my eyes, you aren''t weak at all. If I wanted to defeat you, I''d have to be serious."


    When Leon heard what Hei said, a burst of heat spread through his body. The fear of being rejected and be abandoned by his companions disappeared while a crazy desire formed inside his hearth - reaching the pinnacle of the martial path together with his companions.


    "Thanks, Hei. Really. You don''t know how much it means to me." Leon said with difficulty. His eyes were still red from crying. However, his expression was now full of determination.


    "You don''t have to thank me. And regarding your situation, we can work on it together." Hei replied as he smiled. Leon was finally able to calm down.


    "There would be a way to make yourself capable of facing the users of Elemental Laws and using long-range attacks."


    Suddenly Lian came out with that sentence. Hearing this, both Leon and Hei opened their eyes wide, unable to believe their ears.


    "What do you mean?!" Leon shouted. He barely held back from rushing to Lian. During this time, he had got to know Lian and knew that the young blue-haired woman was a person who only spoke when she wanted to say something important.


    "What I said," Lian replied calmly.


    "Explain yourself, Lian. What''s on your mind?" Hei asked. As the person who knew Lian the most, he knew she had something on her mind.


    "You said that the medical section has concluded that your Elemental Law is the Energy Law. It is because you didn''t show elemental affinity in the test and managed to reach the sixth stage spirit apprentice alone, even though it should generally have been impossible for someone of your status.


    But nobody really knows the Law of Energy. What if the Law of Energy doesn''t need to form a spirit seed? What if your whole body was your spirit seed?"


    "My whole body?" Leon stammered, unable to understand what Lian meant.


    "Hei, do you remember? Bao Bei told us about the Baize, the only divine beast to have awakened the Law of Energy. What is the most important thing about a divine beast or a spirit beast in general besides the core?" Lian asked, turning to Hei.


    It was as if a light had lit in Hei''s mind. He quickly understood what Lian meant, "The body."


    "Exact. I don''t know the Law of Energy; however, there must be a reason if only the divine beasts managed to awaken it. And the reason must be in the body. Spirit power is contained within your body, but your body cannot contain all your energy. That''s why you chose the greatsword as a weapon, didn''t you? To channel your energy."


    "How do you know?" Leon asked with a surprised expression.


    "Your weapon. It didn''t just break because of the termite jaws. Your own spirit power was the cause. Your weapon was unable to bear your spirit power. But what if you had a weapon capable of doing it? What if instead of having only one weapon, you had a whole armor?"


    Then, Lian smiled and opened a book, showing the two young men a series of drawings. "Qiu Jianhong. A famous formation scholar who lived long ago. He dedicated his life to applying formations during combat. He, therefore, created many formations capable of interacting with the battlefield and influencing the fight. But what he really wanted was to make something that could be used on the people themselves. Something other than beast tattoos and that provided more complex functions instead of a simple enhancement. The problem was the rejection between the materials of the formations and the martial artist''s body itself. So he thought, why don''t we use an armor where to place the formations? This would have solved the problem of rejection and provided an additional defense to the user.


    The problem was that the only metal capable of not causing rejection was Spirit Metal. And to exploit the full power of the formations, the materialization process of the Spirit Artifact Weapon was necessary. Consequently, the user would have had to sacrifice a great deal of his time to resonate with the armor and his weapon. And it is for this reason that the idea was discarded.


    We martial artists have limited time since we awaken our spirit power. To reach the top, we have to make choices. Choices on which elemental techniques to focus, whether or not to carry out the materialization process of the weapon. Precisely because we have a limited time, martial artists have become accustomed to not using armor and using Spirit Metal only for weapons.


    But you are different. You don''t have to concentrate on converting your spirit power into something else. Your spirit power is already energy. If so, then you have plenty of time to accomplish what Qiu Jianhong dreamed of. With the formations he left behind, you will get a body comparable to the users of the Law of Metal, and you can also improve the effectiveness of your long and short-range attacks, eliminating your shortage."


    When Lian finished explaining, Leon didn''t know what to say. He seemed to be dreaming, but his beating heart told him otherwise. But he soon realized an underlying problem. Something that couldn''t be resolved.


    "To create a greatsword and an entire armor requires a crazy amount of Spirit Metal. The Sun Empire scrupulously controls the amount of Spirit Metal. There is no way to buy such an amount, and even if there was, I don''t have enough money for such an expense. Not even if I had to spend all the contribution points, I earned from the test. Not even if I add everyone else''s. Thanks, Lian, but it''s not possible. But you have been of help to me anyway. With my points, I can buy some Spirit Metal and make a normal length sword. It won''t be like my greatsword, but there will be no risk of it breaking in the middle of the fight."


    At that point, Hei intervened, "What if I told you it could be done instead? That there is a way to get enough Spirit Metal to make a large greatsword and an entire armor?"

 Chapter 179 - Long Tians Request

    At that point, Hei intervened, "What if I told you it could be done instead? That there is a way to get enough Spirit Metal to make a large greatsword and an entire armor?"


    When Leon heard this, his brain stopped working. He couldn''t understand where Hei and Lian were getting at. A method of obtaining enough Spirit Metal to make a greatsword and an entire armor? Even the children of the Eight Big Families would have had difficulties if they wanted to get so much Spirit Metal, let alone them from an ordinary background.


    "What Hei said is true. There is this opportunity, but it isn''t something that you can get for free. The price you have to pay can be zero or cost more than anything else in your life, depending on how you perceive it."


    Lian suddenly came out with that, bringing Leon back to reality. The young man looked at that unusual couple who had come from the Forgotten Ocean when no one else had ever made it. Since he had known them, amazing things had happened, and if they said there was a way, then it had to be true.


    "Lian." Hei put a hand on Lian''s shoulder to prevent her from saying too much. But the blue-haired young woman had already finished what she meant and nodded to Hei, telling him to continue.


    "Listen to me carefully, Leon," Hei said, "as Lian said, this opportunity is not free. In the life of us martial artists, nothing is ever completely free. If you really want it, then I will give you all the Spirit Metal you need. But first, I need your word. I need you to promise that you will do one thing for me."


    "One thing for you? Tell me then. Even without the Spirit Metal, you know I won''t hesitate to help you or Lian." Leon replied as he thought in his heart, ''What kind of request is it, enough to give me even such a quantity of Spirit Metal?''


    Hei smiled and revealed his request, "You will have to protect my family. Should anything happen, you will need to protect Lian, Ye, and Xing. At any cost."


    "Hei too. You''ll have to protect Hei as well." Lian added as she slightly glared at Hei. Since she also knew Hei better than anyone else, except perhaps for Ye and Xing, she knew that Hei would mention her and his little sisters but would not mention himself.


    "Protect all of you? Of course, I would run to your aid. Aren''t we companions?" Leon asked, puzzled. He couldn''t understand. Was there really a need to ask for such a thing? After all, Hei and Lian had done a lot for him, and all three were on the same team and were friends. Therefore, helping each other was a foregone conclusion.


    "We are companions, but what I am talking about is not a simple help against some proud son of an important family or some enemy spirit beast. I can''t tell you the details now, but I''ll ask you anyway.


    Leon, would you protect my family and me no matter what happens? Even if you had to face the entire Moon Empire? Even if you have to betray the Sun Empire? Even if you had to face the whole world?"


    When Leon heard those words, a strange sensation enveloped his body. It was as if he were at a crossroads. He didn''t know why, but unconsciously his heart was telling him that the decision he would make there on that day would condition the rest of his life forever.


    Knock! Knock!


    Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Hei then went to open the door and saw Dae-Won, the head of Long Tian''s guards on the threshold.


    "Hi, Dae-Won. Did something happen? "Hei asked as he didn''t expect to see him.


    Dae-Won nodded to greet him and replied, "I have a message from my boss. He needs to talk to you. If you can come to him now, it would be very welcomed."


    "Long Tian wants to see me?"


    Hei was surprised. Why did Long Tian want to see him? Even though the forest accident had brought the two of them closer together, Hei and Long Tian were still strangers. They had respect for the other''s skills and talent, but they weren''t in a relationship like the one that tied Hei to his other companions.


    ''A week has passed since the end of the test. Since then, Long Tian has not shown himself. Yet now he is looking for me. Is this about the forest accident?'' Hei thought to himself.


    Regarding the trial in the forest, the academy had cataloged it as a simple accident. However, several points had not been answered. Was it possible that Long Tian had found something?


    "Leon, you don''t need to answer me now. Think about it and when you are ready, come to me. In any case, whatever your answer is, it won''t change the fact that we are friends. Now I have to go; Lian, stay here with Ye and Xing. "


    "Okay, Hei. Be careful, though." Lian replied as she briefly looked toward Dae-Won.


    "Sure. I have promised you. "Hei smiled and started following Dae-Won out the door and down the corridor to take the elevator.


    "HEI"


    Suddenly, Leon''s scream resounded. He had stepped out of Hei and Lian''s room and had both his fists clenched as if he was gathering his strength. "I promise. What you requested, I will do it. You have my word, and if that''s not enough, I can sign a blood pact."


    Hearing about the blood pact, Dae-Won moved his gaze from Leon toward Hei, wondering what was so important between the two that they required a blood pact. But he decided not to ask questions. As head of the Imperial Prince''s guards, he had learned the value of discretion from an early age. However, he would mention it to the Imperial Prince just in case.


    "You don''t need to go that far. I trust you." Hei smiled before calling Lian, "Lian! Here is my space ring. Take what you know and give it to Leon. The sooner he starts, the better it will be for everyone."


    Hei then launched his space ring. Inside was the Heart and inside the Heart, all the ingots of Spirit Metal that they had found in the treasure of the Pirate King Hae-Seong. This amount was more than enough to make a greatsword and a full armor. And if that wasn''t enough for some reason, they still had many points to buy more Spirit Metal.


    Then Hei followed Dae-Won to the room where the Imperial Prince lived. Due to his status, Long Tian occupied the first underground floor, which was very bright. His room was well furnished and presented a certain elegance, without, however, ending up being lavish. Long Tian sat behind a wooden desk and greeted Hei cheerfully.


    "Hei. I''m glad to see you again. Sorry for the sudden summons, but I need your help." greeted Long Tian as he gestured to Hei to sit down. Dae-Won meanwhile went to stand along the wall, next to his other fellow guards. Even if Long Tian had asked them to sit, as long as there was another person in the room, their discipline as guards required them to assume a formal attitude.


    "What do you need?" Hei asked as he sat down. He wanted to go back as soon as possible to ask Lian for more information on Leon''s issue, but at the same time, he was also curious about why he had been called. After all, although he had met Lon Tian only recently, he knew that the Imperial Prince was not the type of person to call a person for simple pleasantries.


    "Before I start, I''d like to ask you a question, and I need you to sincerely answer me." Long Tian''s expression became more serious, "What do you think of the forest accident? Have you noticed anything unusual? "


    When Long Tian asked that question, Hei thought to himself, ''As I imagined, it has to do with the trial. But why is he asking me only now?''


    "Yes, there are some unusual points. The lords of the forest said that the termites had come from outside. Oddly, a whole group of spirit beasts travels, and by chance, they get to the forest chosen as the place of the trial. The termite king''s behavior was also unusual. It ordered a forced recruitment to exterminate the forest species. It doesn''t make sense; it''s a suicidal move to make, especially during the trial period. If it wanted to conquer the forest, it would have acted once we were gone. Besides, it would have assimilated the territories of the forest little by little while consolidating its strength, considering the queen was also close to giving birth.


    However, the most unusual thing of all is another¡ªthe presence of the teacher Song Yazhu. From what I understand, teachers cannot stay near the forest once the barrier is activated. Yet Song Yazhu was there. For what reason?"


    Hei concluded his analysis while Long Tian slightly smiled. He had an amused expression now as if he found the connections Hei had made interesting.


    "Not bad. As I thought, you are the right person. You have to know that the reason Song Yazhu was there was due to my order. I can''t tell you the details right now but think as if he is working for me. However, I only gave Song Yazhu orders to monitor the surrounding area outside and not to intervene. But he intervened anyway, destroying the barrier. The reason? This."


    Long Tian then pulled out a pair of horns and placed them on the table. Hei examined these horns with curiosity. He didn''t remember that there was a spirit beast that had such a pair of horns, but despite this, they appeared familiar. Then he remembered some mental images that his mother showed him in her explanations.


    "Demon Horns?" Hei asked in surprise as he tested the consistency of these horns.


    "I''m surprised that you can recognize them considering you come from the Forgotten Ocean. In any case, yes. They are demon horns. Song Yazhu found a demon in the outer perimeter outside the barrier. A demon beast tamer."


    At the words'' demon beast tamer'', Hei understood immediately. "Then the termite king was his. Indeed, spirit beasts under a spirit pact can still form colonies and rule other spirit beasts. In this way, the beast tamer virtually acquires control of the colony itself. Are you saying it was a demon attack? But how did they get this far? They even know the exact location of the test when the academy is aware of this information."


    "The answer is in the question." Long Tian answered as he sighed.


    "You mean a professor from the Academy?" Hei frowned at this hypothesis. If this was true, the situation was more serious than he thought.


    "Yes. I already have an idea about who it can be. Do you remember the woman in charge of that group of students who attacked us? I did some research and found that in the past few months, she has had a strong relationship with one of the teachers. Considering that us first-year students can''t have access to objects such as elemental talismans, I can only think that it was him who gave those talismans. But I need proof, and that''s why I need you."


    "Me? Why me? What should I do?" Hei''s expression became more serious. Why him? It was not possible that they had discovered his secret, but then why had Long Tian chosen him?


    "It''s not about you as a person. It''s about your talent. Your performance in the test was, let''s say, too exceptional. Of course, it allowed us to win and survive, but it also consolidated your fame. Have you not noticed how other students look at you? The young man who came from a remote place yet has a talent comparable to the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Family. Even among the teachers, your name and Lian''s have been mentioned several times. And even outside the academy, some rumors have sprung up. I''m sure about it - the longer you go on, the more they will talk about you." Long Tian revealed as he looked into Hei''s eyes.


    Hei looked amazed. He had imagined that someone would keep an eye on him due to his strength, but he didn''t expect such a reaction. Perhaps, as Long Tian had said, he had provided too exceptional a performance. But what was he supposed to do in that situation? It was about the life of his family and his companions. However, there was one thing that was bothering Hei.


    "You talked about talent, but it''s not like I provided a real proof. My adversaries have been spirit beasts; I doubt it is enough to make me talk even outside the academy. Is there another reason?"


    When asked by Hei, Long Tian happily smiled that Hei understood the hidden meaning, "Yes. There is more, but it is not something I can reveal at the moment. It is top-secret, priority-class information. Neither I, the Imperial Prince, can reveal it openly. I can only tell you that it is related to your talent. Anyway, let''s get to the heart of the matter.


    I need you to act as bait. If my assumptions are correct, then that teacher will try to do something to get you and Lian out of the way. After all, you two are unknown factors with first-rate talent. Since you have no background, the enemy will not have to fear consequences from your families. And it will be during that situation that I will make sure of his guilt, and I will be able to catch him. As for your safety and Lian''s, Song Yazhu will take care of the enemy. You just have to keep him distracted."


    "And how should I do it? The teachers of the academy are at least the spirit grandmaster rank. I can''t distract him by facing him in combat."


    "And you won''t have to. Or rather, you will have to face someone else, someone you already know - Feng Gengxin." Long Tian revealed the name of the person whom he wanted Hei to fight.


    "Him?" Hei was perplexed. He remembered Feng Gengxin for the canteen episode with Haruno and Mareo, but months had passed since that day. Since then, Feng Gengxin had done nothing to insult the young gay couple, and Hei had therefore not been forced to intervene. During the trial, Feng Gengxin had been among the people to gather under Long Tian. However, in order to avoid problems, the Imperial Prince had entrusted him to his cousin Feng Chen. Why was Long Tian digging up such a character now?


    "Yes, for what I have in mind, Feng Gengxin is the best candidate. He is impulsive, arrogant, and does not accept defeat well. Our enemy will undoubtedly try to approach him as an excuse to give him some advice, and he will end up giving him something. He will do what he did with that woman. Something that can help Feng Gengxin win against you. We will intervene before Feng Gengxin can use that object. In this way, we will confirm the guilt, and we will be able to capture the responsible.


    Lastly, if possible, I would like to ask for the help of Lian and your other companions. Feng Gengxin has four henchmen, and if you were to take on a group challenge, then there will be more chances of an accident happening, causing our target to act even more. Of course, only if it''s okay with you. I promise to reward you appropriately."


    "A reward?" Hei raised his eyebrows, intrigued by this proposal. A few days ago, Long Tian had kept his word and delivered a significant number of spirit stones to each of the fighters who had fought with him. So Hei had faith that Long Tian would reward him.


    "I guess you know what a Spirit Registration Sphere is. What if I told you I have a sphere containing a record of what happened one hundred thousand years ago? In the great battle that saw the victory and the decline of the divine beasts and the disappearance of part of the Continent."

 Chapter 180 - Challenge

    "I guess you know what a Spirit Registration Sphere is. What if I told you I have a sphere containing a record of what happened one hundred thousand years ago? The great battle that saw the divine beasts'' victory and decline and the disappearance of part of the Continent."


    When Hei heard Long Tian''s words, his heart couldn''t help but jump and start beating fast. Although he was trying not to show it, the news that there was a recording of that event had left him in an agitated state of mind.


    "A recording of what happened a hundred thousand years ago? How do you get such a thing, and why are you giving it to me? Hei asked, maintaining his usual composure.


    Long Tian replied with another question, "You know what historian martial artists are, right?"


    "Yes, I''ve heard of it," Hei replied that he began to understand a little more about the matter.


    "Spirit Emperor Chong Zemin. In addition to being a Spirit Emperor with incredible battle power, he was also a historian martial artist. Historian martial artists are in charge of recording the relevant events that happen on our continent. Therefore, since it was the final battle between humans and demons, it is normal that there were also historian martial artists among the troops. Spirit Emperor Chong Zemin was one of them.


    Unfortunately, any record of what happened was lost or so the general opinion thinks. Chong Zemin managed to preserve some fragments that were then recovered by the rescue teams that arrived after the destruction of the Continent''s central lands. It is for this reason that we know what happened; after all, none of the participants in that fight came out alive."


    Long Tian paused as Hei tried to keep his breathing regular. ''It is not true that nobody came out alive. Mother had survived thanks to Father. However, this only confirms the authenticity of Long Tian''s claims.''


    It was right. How could the Sun Empire and the Moon Empire know the culprit for so much destruction and death? How did they know that the Serpent of Darkness had reached the divine rank if all the witnesses had been wiped out together with part of the Continent?


    "Thanks to the skills of our formation masters, we were able to reconstruct the fragments so that they could show us detailed images. The content inside shows three scenes - Chong Zemin, who fights against a demon Spirit Emperor, the entry into the field of divine beasts followed by the spirit beasts, and lastly, the moment when the Serpent of Darkness reaches the divine rank and the beginning of the destruction.


    Since they are images from Spirit Emperor Chong Zemin''s point of view, we don''t know exactly how the Serpent of Darkness has reached such a level. But, by witnessing the recording, you can perceive its power level. Ever since they came into their possession, the experts of the Sun Empire have tried to study the images contained in those fragments, but to date, there have been no positive results."


    Long Tian sighed as if he was disappointed by that. It wasn''t due to him being one of the Imperial Princes. As a martial artist himself, he couldn''t help feeling disappointed in not being able to observe more closely the scene that had marked the history of the whole continent, leading to today''s situation.


    "You didn''t answer my question. Why are you giving it to me?" Hei asked. Part of him had begun to suspect that Long Tian might know something about his true origins.


    Long Tian, ??however, smiled, replying, "What I''m giving you is a copy, not the original. The Sun Empire no longer needs to maintain secrecy over the events of that day for a long time by now. Therefore, it became a tradition of giving to the most talented children of the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families a copy of this recording. To show them the peak we had once reached and how we lost it, so that next time it would be us humans to reach the divine rank and not someone else.


    Even if you come from a remote place like the Forgotten Ocean, your origins don''t matter. If you have talent, the Sun Empire will be more than willing to raise you. As an Imperial Prince, it is my duty to make sure that talented people like you are not wasted because of senseless values ??such as social status or lack of a noble background. We have already made this mistake in the past, and it has cost us dearly, we cannot commit it again. I can''t let that happen."


    Long Tian then clenched his fists. From his position, Hei could see that Long Tian''s face was contracted by the emotions he was experiencing. Looking at this, Hei was surprised because the Imperial Prince had always maintained a composed and self-confident appearance, without revealing his deepest thoughts. Now, however, he could read in Long Tian a mixture of different emotions - anger, determination, pride, frustration, pain.


    Long Tian realized that he had let himself go too much and put himself together. Then he turned to Hei, "So what do you say? Are you willing to do it? I need an answer now. The sooner we start, the better."


    Hei meditated a moment before answering. The proposal was tempting but hid an unknown danger. However, it was also true that he couldn''t let go of such an opportunity. Her mother had shown no images of that day; she wanted Hei, Ye, and Xing to be more mature before doing that. Unfortunately, however, Bao Bai had died before she could do it.


    "Alright. I accept." Hei announced firmly. He had to know; no, it wasn''t correct. He wanted to know. Know what had happened and see his parents even once again.


    *


    Canteen, Ground Floor


    It was dinner, and the first-year students were all having dinner in the canteen. The atmosphere between the various groups was gloomy. Even if a week had passed, the students still couldn''t shake off the aftermath of the battle against the c.o.c.kroaches and termites. It was not only frustration in seeing their shortcomings and weaknesses, but the death of their companions also weighed heavily. After all, they had spent many months together, helping each other to survive the hard life of the academy.


    At that moment, a group of five people was walking across the tables. Leading them was a young man with brown skin and long pitch-black hair. The other students recognized him in an instant - Hei, the strange martial artist from the Forgotten Ocean.


    Hei was walking between the tables, leading Lian, He Fen, Lang, and Leon with him. His little sisters and the other members of his group were seated a few tables further back to enjoy dinner. Hei instead had another task to perform.


    "Feng Gengxin!" Hei shouted when he finally stopped walking. He had stopped at the table where the person he was looking for sat - Feng Gengxin, a member of the Feng Family, one of the Eight Big Families.


    Hei''s shout drew the attention of all first-year students. Since they were tormented by dark thoughts, any kind of distraction was well received. In a moment, all the tables stopped making noise, creating a glacial silence.


    "Who''s calling me?" replied Feng Gengxin, annoyed. He didn''t like being disturbed while he was eating, but when he noticed who had called him, his face suddenly twitched.


    ''Hei? That beggar from the Forgotten Ocean? What does he want from me?'' Feng Gengxin wondered to himself as he maintained his classic haughty expression.


    "What do you want from me to disturb everyone during dinner?" asked Feng Gengxin, trying to involve other people in his cause. But his tactic didn''t work; no one intervened in support of his claim.


    "Just before the start of academic activities, you dared to insult both of my companions. We were stopped that day by the arrival of the Imperial Prince, but now he is not here." Hei declared as he raised his voice to make sure he was heard by everyone present.


    Feng Gengxin frowned. Initially, he was waiting for the right opportunity to get his revenge. And the trial within the forest happened to be the perfect occasion. However, the sudden attack of c.o.c.kroaches and termites had messed up his plans. Not to mention the fact that he found out how strong Hei really was.


    After witnessing Hei''s true abilities, Feng Gengxin decided to give up revenge. He was arrogant, but he wasn''t stupid enough to provoke people stronger than him. Since Hei himself had not mentioned it so far, Feng Gengxin thought he had left that matter behind. However, it had now come back as a backfire.


    "So? What if Long Tian is here or not? Do you want to fight here in front of everyone? Do you want to violate the rules of the academy?" Feng Gengxin mocked, laughing at Hei''s absurdities.


    "I have no intention of violating the rules of the academy. That''s why I''m here. I, Hei, throw a formal challenge against you, Feng Gengxin. However, as you are weaker than me, this challenge would not be exciting at all. So how about a team challenge? You and your henchmen against my other four companions whom you see with me and me."


    When Feng Gengxin heard the words'' formal challenge'', his face turned white as if he had just seen a fatal omen. The Southern Royal War Academy didn''t prohibit combat, provided that a challenge was first announced.


    "Formal challenge? Why should I accept it? I belong to the Feng Family, one of the Eight Big Families. Why would someone with my heritage lower himself to fight an inferior martial artist with no background like you? No, this makes no sense. I categorically refuse. If you want to come to blows, look for someone else. I have no time to lose."


    At that point, Feng Gengxin got up and gave his henchmen a look to follow him. The earlier they left, the better it was for him. But unfortunately for him, there was someone else at that time in the canteen.


    "Stop there, Feng Gengxin."


    A voice rang in the canteen in an authoritative tone. Feng Gengxin immediately understood who had spoken. His blood began to boil from the agitation that was raging in his body.


    "Cousin Feng Chen. What''s up? I''m busy, I have to go back to my cultivation session." exclaimed Feng Gengxin trying to find a plausible excuse to leave.


    Feng Chen didn''t let himself be distracted and continued, "You can answer the challenge and then go to cultivate."


    "But I''ve already answered. Didn''t you hear, cousin Feng Chen? I refused, why should I challenge someone like him?"


    "Because it''s an order. As the family head''s son and the number one member of the younger generation, you know that I have the power to issue orders to all the family members of the younger generation. Hei has launched a formal challenge. Therefore, as a member of the Feng Family, you must accept the challenge and achieve victory."


    Feng Chen''s voice was hard and relentless, leaving no room for negotiation. His words implied that if Feng Gengxin didn''t want a punishment from the family, he would have to accept the challenge.


    Hei looked at Feng Chen for a few moments. Immediately after accepting Long Tian''s proposal, the two held a meeting on how to plan their moves. Hei had questioned how Feng Chen would react if they challenged Feng Gengxin to a formal challenge. After all, it was about the honor of the Feng Family, not to mention the fact that Feng Chen and Feng Gengxin were cousins. However, Long Tian had assured that there would be no problems, and from how Feng Chen was behaving, it seemed that the Imperial Prince was right.


    ''The relationship between Long Tian and Feng Chen is more complex than it seems. Even if it is an official challenge, if I win against Feng Gengxin, the result will bring dishonor to the Feng Family. As the future family head, I doubt that Feng Chen will allow such a thing. It would be reasonable to assume that he would join the challenge, but he doesn''t seem to have any intention of doing so. Instead, he''s helping us get Feng Gengxin to the fight.'' Hei thought as he returned to observe Feng Gengxin.


    At Feng Chen''s words, Feng Gengxin found himself cornered. As Feng Chen had said, the member of the younger generation with the most potential was permitted to command the other younger generation members. It was a family rule, Feng Gengxin couldn''t refuse, not to mention that Feng Chen was also the son of the current family head. The orders he dictated could be compared to the family head himself.


    "I... hmmm. Yes, I know. Then, since they are challenging the honor of the family, will you help me cousin Feng Chen, right?" asked Feng Gengxin, holding on to the last hope he had left.


    ''If Feng Chen joins, I can have a chance. Furthermore, if he participates, Huli Xieren is also likely to fight alongside him. Even though she is not as strong as Feng Chen, she is more skilled than the trash I have with me.'' Feng Gengxin chuckled to himself, believing that he had found the answer to his problems.


    "No. I won''t help you. It''s a problem that you created because you don''t know when to keep your mouth shut. You have to solve it yourself. Furthermore, it is a formal challenge, and those who have been challenged with you are your four henchmen. I couldn''t intervene even if I wanted to do so."


    Feng Chen, therefore, destroyed Feng Gengxin''s last hope. The haughty and arrogant young man of the Feng Family felt as if he had fallen into a deep abyss with no way out. Only the shame he would feel if he showed weakness was holding him up. Otherwise, it could have already collapsed and passed out on the floor.


    "Three days. Yes, I think it is more than enough time to prepare yourselves. In three days, you and your henchmen will challenge Hei and his companions. It is okay for you. Hei, I assume, right?" Feng Chen accepted the challenge on Feng Gengxin''s behalf.


    "Yes, it''s more than good. It will give us a way to achieve optimal conditions." Hei replied.


    Excitement spread among all the other spectators. They didn''t expect that there would be a formal challenge in this period, not after the events that took place in the forest. But it was a good thing. They could temporarily distract themselves from their dark thoughts.


    "Three days. Okay. Three days." stammered Feng Gengxin. So he headed out of the cafeteria alone. His henchmen, totally displaced at having found themselves in such a mess, followed him shortly after.


    According to the rules of the academy, they could refuse the challenge up to two times in a row. But if they did, they would leave their boss alone. It meant utterly cutting the bridges with Feng Gengxin. As a result, they would no longer receive the benefits they had as a henchman of Feng Gengxin, a member of one of the Eight Big Families.

 Chapter 181 - Berserker Pill

    The challenge between Hei''s group and that of Feng Gengxin immediately became the top topic throughout the academy. The first-year students were more than happy to find a source of distraction while the older ones were interested in observing the skills of the fighters. After all, even if there were no direct competition between the three academic years, once the academy was over, all of them would be on the same level - soldiers of the Sun Empire.


    Within the Sun Army, the competition was fierce, and to stand out from everyone else, not only strong fighting skills were needed. Instead, it was also necessary to have great leadership skills. The Sun Empire divided the martial artists of the academies into various autonomous units that would gain fame as they completed specific missions. Since those from the Four Royal War Academies were generally selected to be team leaders in such units, it was common for older students to be looking for future members to recruit.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The excitement was at its peak¡ªthe mysterious genius from the Forgotten Ocean against one of the sons of the Feng Family. Although first-year students had witnessed Hei''s abilities firsthand, there were still some who weren''t convinced that he was on the same level as the younger generation of the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families. Therefore, even if Feng Gengxin was not Feng Chen since he carried the surname Feng on himself, the result wasn''t so obvious.


    The academy set up a combat stage for the occasion together with the stands for spectators. The teachers were well aware of the mental and emotional stress present in the first-year students. So they decided to do things big to cheer up the atmosphere a bit.


    "The moment has come," Hei said to the four teammates he had chosen for this challenge.


    Lian, Leon, He Fen, and Lang. As for Lang, Fenrir wouldn''t have attended.


    Rather than aiming for a balanced formation by exploiting the presence of support martial artists among his companions, Hei decided to choose attack martial artists only. It would put even more pressure on Feng Gengxin to get him into the trap.


    "I''m ready," Lang replied.


    "Let''s go destroy them." urged He Fen.


    "Three days was too short for completing everything, but at least I finished my weapon. It is the right opportunity to test it." Leon commented.


    "Lead the way. Hei, we''ll be behind you. Let''s quickly finish this so we can collect our reward." Lian lastly said.


    She knew well how Hei had felt during these three days. The young man had had his heart in turmoil all the time, and regardless of how much he tried to hide it, Lian could easily see the excitement and frenzy in his eyes. And the reason for all of this was the reward that Long Tian had promised once this matter was over.


    Incidentally, just like Lian, Leon, He Fen, and Lang decided to participate in this challenge only to help Hei; however, they were curious at the same time to know what this reward was that could have aroused similar emotions in a usually calm person like Hei.


    "Let''s go."


    Hei then began guiding his other four companions on stage. His little sisters were currently on Fenrir''s head, and the three spirit beasts were assisting in the stands in companions of Haruno, Mareo, Lilian, and Mia. Although they were slightly disappointed they weren''t able to fight, they weren''t worried about their masters'' victory.


    In the meantime, Feng Gengxin and his men took the stage too. Feng Gengxin''s usually haughty and mocking face was now replaced by a stern expression. Ironically, this gave him a feeling of power even if he should have to prove it with his actions and not only with the attitude he exhibited.


    "Welcome to all the students of the Southern Royal War Academy. As you know, today we have a team match, 5 vs. 5. Now, a quick explanation of the rules before we begin. I remind fighters that it is forbidden to kill or cripple the opponent, so always keep that in mind if you don''t want to suffer serious consequences. It is allowed to use your weapons, but you are not allowed to use other objects such as potions or pills or any other kind of item that can facilitate you in the battle. Again, the punishment to be paid will be severe. For the rest, you can fight as you prefer. You can start now. "


    One of the academy''s teachers gave a quick introduction before officially announcing the start of the fight. Since it was a challenge among first-year students, it would have been logical to have Song Yazhu as presenter and judge; however, there was another teacher in his place.


    ''Song Yazhu is probably hidden somewhere, although it is obvious that I cannot perceive him. Long Tian has already prepared everything. Now we just have to put them under pressure.'' Hei thought to himself before addressing his companions, "Remember what I said. Put them under pressure, but do not knock them out immediately. They must remain sufficiently conscious."


    Lian and the other three nodded with their heads and drew their weapons. All of them had their usual weapon except Leon. With only three days of work, Leon had spent day and night at the forge to work on his new weapon but had finally completed it. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to create the armor, but this wasn''t a problem for now.


    As for Leon''s greatsword, the weapon had a blade width that was almost as large as a man''s torso. More than a sword, it looked more like a block of metal that had been given the appearance of a sword. At first glance, it could be seen that the weight of this weapon was not at all low. However, Leon was holding it as if it were nothing special. In addition to the unusual shape, numerous symbols intertwined finely on the blade, forming a complex and indecipherable geometry at first glance.


    When viewers saw what the greatsword looked like, most of them struggled to hold back the laughter. How could anyone think they could fight with something so bulky?


    But this wasn''t true for everyone. Those who had attentive eyes could perceive the peculiarity that was emitted by the giant sword. As if it were an inactive volcano, but that could explode at any moment.


    "Phoenix Bloodline, Activate! Law of Fire, Phoenix Feathers!"


    Feng Gengxin wasted no time and immediately activated his bloodline. Then he used a technique of the Fire Law, trying to get Hei out of the games. For Feng Gengxin, Hei was the most dangerous enemy. As long as Hei was defeated, the victory could have been his. Unfortunately for him, Feng Gengxin made wrong calculations about the strength of Hei''s four companions.


    "Heavenly Sweep!" Leon shouted as he poured his spirit power into his greatsword. The formations engraved on the blade lit up with a mysterious and intriguing light. Subsequently, a stream of pure spirit power was fired out of the broadsword blade. This current swept the fire feathers created by Feng Gengxin in an instant.


    "What?!" shouted Feng Gengxin, who dared not believe it. It wasn''t because his attack had been blocked; after all, even if attacked as soon as the fight started, the enemy was still at full strength. The thing that surprised him was that Leon was able to reject his technique with disarming simplicity. He didn''t even have to activate the intent of his weapon or activate his bloodline, although Leon was devoid of one.


    Meanwhile, Hei and the others moved quickly against Feng Gengxin''s henchmen. The latter could be considered geniuses in a general assessment of the younger generation throughout all the Sun Empire. However, within an elite place like the Southern Royal War Academy, they occupied the bottom of the ladder. Therefore, the gap between them and Hei was abysmal. But it wasn''t just Hei, such differences in power also existed with Lian, Leon, He Fen, and Lang.


    Soon Feng Gengxin''s henchmen were cornered. Their every move was futile and would be easily blocked. No matter how hard they tried, it didn''t work. Their only hope, Feng Gengxin, was currently busy fighting against Leon.


    To help him build confidence and familiarize him with his new weapon, Hei had specifically left Leon the strongest enemy. Despite his character, Feng Gengxin was still part of the Feng family. His bloodline was very pure, and the techniques he used were on a different level than his henchmen. On paper, Feng Gengxin was a decent opponent to face, but his immaturity both as a martial artist and as a person was a massive obstacle for himself.


    Nervousness, jealousy, and fear peeked into Feng Gengxin''s heart. During these days, he had consoled himself that if he were to lose to Hei, he could keep his honor if Hei proved to be as strong as Long Tian had said. If Hei was indeed on the same level as the Imperial Prince or his cousin Feng Chen, it wasn''t so strange that he lost.


    Now, however, his opponent was not Hei but a nobody from who knows where. Initially, Feng Gengxin thought he could easily get rid of Leon and thanked Hei in his heart for such a foolish move. Soon, Feng Gengxin realized the reality of the facts, and when he noticed that he wouldn''t be able to beat even an ordinary stranger, his heart could no longer resist.


    "Damn! How is it possible that I cannot win against such garbage? I don''t accept it. I don''t accept it. F.u.c.k. I''ll show you what the price is to underestimate me." Feng Gengxin started laughing obsessively. He seemed to have completely lost his mind. With a large movement of his hands, he summoned flames of fire to keep Leon away. Then he began to rummage inside his space ring.


    At the same time, as if it had previously been agreed, his henchmen also used their moves to drive away opponents while looking for something in their space rings.


    Whoosh!


    Five blurred silhouettes flickered on the stage where the fighters were. These silhouettes fell on Feng Gengxin and his men, nailing them to the ground.


    Rumble!


    Confusion appeared in the spectators'' eyes. Even the teachers were appalled at how the situation had taken such a turn. None of them, however, intervened because they recognized the five silhouettes which had attacked Feng Gengxin and his men.


    Four of them were the four guards in the service of the Imperial Prince while the last was none other than the Imperial Prince himself who effortlessly nailed Feng Gengxin on the ground.


    "Shit!! Who dares to attack me from behind?! I''ll kill him!" shouted Feng Gengxin as he tried to wriggle on the ground. Rather than aiming to break free, he was doing everything he could to get close to his right hand. The same was true for the four henchmen blocked by the guards of the Imperial Prince.


    "Be quiet!"


    Another shout rang on the battlefield. A fiery red-haired young man was approaching Feng Gengxin. When the latter listened to the voice, he immediately knew who it was.


    Feng Chen.


    Feng Gengxin within himself, began to sweat profusely. Normally he should have been happy that Feng Chen had come to his rescue; the problem was that this didn''t seem to be the case. Feng Chen had a furious expression on his face, and a tyrannical pressure like raging flames had replaced his composed attitude.


    "Even if you''re my cousin, how dare you bring dishonor to the family?! I should kill you on the spot instantly for your crime."


    "What do you mean? I don''t know what you are talking about, cousin, please help me. They attacked me from behind, and you take it out on me instead? If you really care about the family''s honor, you should make the offender pay for this affront."


    Feng Chen''s expression became even more livid as his spirit power exploded, ready to burn Feng Gengxin alive.


    "If I were in you, I would shut up." said the one who was holding Feng Gengxin on the ground.


    Feng Gengxin shivered. He recognized the owner''s voice immediately; it was Long Tian. "Imperial Prince Long Tian, ??I don''t understand why you attacked me from behind. Did I accidentally do something wrong?"


    "Yes. Can I ask you to open your hand and show me what''s in your hand? If you refuse, you leave me no choice but to use force. "


    Hearing Long Tian''s answer, Feng Gengxin paled even more. He knew that what he was about to do would break the rules, but he didn''t think that the situation would degenerate in this way.


    "I don''t understand why such a scene. It''s just an enhancement pill. Even if it''s against the rules, there''s no need to treat me like a criminal." Feng Gengxin tried to explain as he opened his hand, revealing the content inside.


    "The problem is, it''s not an enhancement pill. It''s a berserk pill." Long Tian answered coldly.


    Berserk Pill. A special pill that gave the user a strong increase in power. However, the martial artist who ingested him would have been dominated by his murderous impulses becoming a death machine. As long as the martial artist was alive, he would fight unconcerned of his injuries or who was around him, killing both enemies and allies. It was a pill used mainly by those who had been chosen for suicide missions, and it was a ban to use it in the military as the users could end up killing their companions.


    "A berserk pill? No, no. You are wrong. It is a normal enhancement pill; he guaranteed it to me. It is not possible to be a berserk pill." whined Feng Gengxin. He knew the effects and horror of the berserk pill, and the thought of being on the verge of ingesting it froze his heart.


    "Idiot. Not only do you ignore the bans of the academy, but you don''t even check what a stranger offers you. If you don''t want to make it worse, tell us who was to give you such an object." Feng Chen asked as he tried to control his anger.


    "I ... I ..." Feng Gengxin began to grumble. His brain had stopped working.


    "There is no need. The culprit has already shown himself. Feng Chen, I leave you to decide how to manage your cousin. Dae-Won, you and the others take over the other four. Hei instead, how about accompanying me and see who is the real culprit."


    Long Tian gave a series of orders before turning to Hei. From Long Tian''s eyes, Hei could read a feeling of victory. His plan had been successful, and the culprit had been captured.


    "You don''t have to explain what happened to the teachers?" Hei asked as he pointed to the approaching group of teachers.


    "Of course, they will accompany us too. Let''s go now. Song Yazhu is waiting for us."

 Chapter 182 - Culprit

    "Long Tian! What is happening? Explain yourself!" said the teacher in charge as presenter and judge of the match. Despite his status as Imperial Prince, Long Tian was still a student at the time, so the teacher didn''t have to use a formal tone to address Long Tian.


    "We stopped the fight because Feng Gengxin and his four men broke the rules set by the academy." Long Tian calmly said as if he were answering a simple question. Then, he showed the teachers the object that Feng Gengxin was holding until recently.


    "Broke the rules?" asked the teacher as he moved his gaze to the small pill in Long Tian''s hand. A glance was enough to realize what it was. The other teachers also widened their eyes in amazement. They didn''t believe that a first-year student could have such an object on them.


    "Feng Chen! Explain this. How did Feng Gengxin get a berserk pill? No, there are even five pills. Did the Feng Family provide these pills to Feng Gengxin?" This time the teacher looked toward Feng Chen. Feng Gengxin was not in a condition to respond, and therefore they asked Feng Chen who belonged to the same family.


    "Obviously not. As one of the Eight Big Families, the Feng Family cares about its honor and respect for the rules. No one in the family could have given Feng Gengxin the berserk pills, not even his father, who dotes on him so much. After all, using that pill also means targeting Feng Gengxin''s life. If you want to point the finger against someone, it can only be one of you teachers." Feng Chen responded in kind, maintaining his pride as a member of the Feng Family. Although he usually preferred to remain calm and silent, this time, he was showing a bold attitude, accusing the teachers of the academy.


    "Ridiculous! How dare you just think of such a thing. Feng Chen, the Eight Big Families may have strong power within the Empire, but remember, we teachers are the highest authorities in the academy. You''d better retract your accusations and apologize." The teacher was furious. How could one think that one of the teachers was the culprit in giving such an object to an academy student?


    "What Feng Chen says is not wrong. If you come with me, I will give you the proof." Long Tian intervened.


    "Long Tian, ??you-" the teacher was about to become even more furious when another colleague put his hand on his shoulder, saying, "If he says there is evidence, we must see it with our own eyes. If there is not, then we will think about how to punish them for the accusations they made. But the priority is to understand who has been providing similar items to five of our students."


    The other teachers nodded in approval. Although it wasn''t pleasant to admit, the probability that the culprit was a teacher was high. The students were relegated into the academy and were isolated from their respective families for most of the year. So it was hardly feasible that someone from outside had supplied the pills to Feng Gengxin and his men.


    Long Tian started guiding the academy''s teachers. Some of them, however, remained behind to send the spectators back to their accommodation. Long Tian also had brought Hei and Lian along. The blue-haired young woman had insisted on coming too, and Long Tian said there was no problem.


    Long Tian led the group into the academy until they reached the training grounds. After that, they entered one of the rooms. The room was supposed to be empty at the moment, as it was for the others, yet it wasn''t.


    Two men were inside, but there was something strange in that sight. One of the men was standing with his spirit power activated and was blocking the other man on the ground who was unable even to move a muscle.


    ''What a strong pressure.'' Hei thought as he looked at the two people in the room. Although the spirit power of the standing man was restricted to a small area, Hei could still feel his body hair stand up straight. After all, the pressure he felt was generated by a Spirit King.


    "Song Yazhu!" the teachers who had followed Long Tian up to there exclaimed in surprise. They didn''t expect to see him there, much less in that situation.


    "Wait, isn''t that Sin Do-Yeon? Song Yazhu! What are you doing?" shouted another teacher.


    Sin Do-Yeon. One of the academy teachers designated for the second year students. Theoretically, it should have been he who would have instructed the first-year students, but at the last moment, the Empire had sent a notification that Song Yazhu would be sent to teach the first-year students.


    Regarding the relationship between Song Yazhu and the other teachers, it couldn''t be said that there was a bond of friendship. The teachers at the academy were generally in the fourth rank, Spirit Grandmaster; Song Yazhu was instead a fifth rank, a Spirit King, and he was approaching the sixth rank, Spirit Emperor. Considering that he was in his first year of teaching, it was expected that there was no deep connection between him and the other teachers.


    Sin Do-Yeon, on the other hand, had been a teacher for a lot of years by now. The other teachers at the academy knew him well, and it wasn''t unusual for them to spend their free time together. So it was normal that they were upset and even angry when they saw a longtime colleague and friend get stuck on the ground that way.


    "Song Yazhu! What does this mean?" the teachers asked as they barely refrained from using their spirit power. If it weren''t that the gap between them and Song Yazhu was enormous, they would have long since helped their colleague and friend.


    "This is the proof I told you about." Long Tian spoke as he approached Song Yazhu and Sin Do-Yeon.


    "Proof? What are you talking about?"


    "He is the culprit for whom we were looking. He was the one who gave the berserk pills to Feng Gengxin, and he was the one who gave the elemental talismans to another group of students during the trial in the forest."


    "The culprit? Impossible! How can you be so sure? How can this be a proof?"


    "Once Feng Gengxin has recovered, just ask him. But in the meantime, hearing that from the culprit is more than enough, isn''t it?" Long Tian then motioned to Song Yazhu to reduce the spirit power that was holding Sin Do-Yeon to the ground.


    Sin Do-Yeon loudly coughed as the pressure on him eased. His body was still well immobilized on the ground, with zero chance of freeing himself.


    "Sin Do-Yeon teacher. There is no point in trying to hide it. We know it was you." Long Tian said without wasting time on unnecessary rhetoric.


    Sin Do-Yeon shifted his gaze to the Imperial Prince and his fellow teachers and then ended up on Song Yazhu above him. After emitting a sigh, he decided to confess. "It''s useless going around it, so I''ll get to the point. Yes, the things you said about me are true."


    Thud!


    The teachers in the room were incredulous at the words of their colleague. They would never have believed it if they had heard it from someone else, but Sin Do-Yeon himself was pleading guilty.


    "What does this mean? Sin Do-Yeon! Why did you do such a thing?" the teachers asked.


    "The reason is related to the forest trial." Long Tian revealed as he showed the pair of demon horns he had come across.


    Seeing the demon horns, the teachers turned pale. How could they not know what it was? The question was, from where the hell did Long Tian get such an object?


    "This pair of horns were made from the corpse of a beast tamer demon who prowled near the trial site. I trust you are all smart enough to understand what it means, right? "


    Hearing this, the teachers'' face had now completely lost color. Of course, they knew what it meant. A demon! A demon had arrived within the human territories and had even infiltrated an area where the students of the academy were. If this had come to light, none of their teachers could have escaped from paying the consequences.


    "Sin Do-Yeon! Why? Why did you do such a thing? You even went so far as to ally yourself with our enemies!"


    Sin Do-Yeon appeared irritated by this question but finally replied, "Why? For power, what else? We may have power here, but within the empire, we are worthless. We are just pawns replaceable at any time. I don''t want to end like this. I want to become famous and be in the peak of society, revered by everyone like Song Yazhu. But the empire hardly grants precious resources to people like us with limited potential. So I thought, why not get the resources I need myself? I then made a pact with the demons. In exchange for the life of some students, I would have become a Spirit King, and who knows, maybe I could have become a Spirit Emperor as well."


    When Sin Do-Yeon finished speaking, the other teachers nearly assaulted him physically. Ironically, if it weren''t for Song Yazhu, Sin Do-Yeon would have been killed instantly.


    "I wonder if it is really the case," muttered Long Tian with a smile on his face. His voice was low, and only Hei and Lian heard him.


    Long Tian then approached Sin Do-Yeon and whispered something in his ears. This time Sin Do-Yeon whitened utterly, taking on an expression of pure amazement. His lips began to tremble as he tried to find the right words to answer. Long Tian, ??however, placed his index finger on the man''s lips on the ground, telling him to keep quiet.


    Step! Step!


    Footsteps rang across the room. Unbeknownst to everyone, a middle-aged man had suddenly appeared at the entrance and was slowly approaching. Even without activating his spirit power, the pressure the man was exerting was even higher than Song Yazhu''s.


    "Headmaster Long Jing!" The teachers exclaimed together before bowing their heads in greeting.


    Headmaster Long Jing, the principal of the Southern Royal War Academy. As suggested by the name, he was part of the Imperial Family and was a Spirit Emperor.


    "Long Tian greets Uncle Jing." Long Tian respectfully greeted as he motioned for Hei and Lian to bow their heads in turn. The two did as requested while they waited for how the situation would develop.


    "Long Tian. Aside from the first day you arrived, I never saw you again. You seem to have been quite busy. "Long Jing''s voice had a calm tone like that of Long Tian, ??but even the simple sound of his words contained an incredible grandeur.


    "I didn''t want to disturb you, uncle. I apologize if I haven''t warned you." Long Tian excused himself, lowering his head even more.


    "Don''t worry. Considering the delicacy of the matter, it is normal that you have decided to act in secrecy. But you should also know with whom you have to maintain this secrecy and with whom not. Remember this in the future. In any case, you have done an efficient job. I will reward you properly later. Now, however, I ask you to return to your accommodation with your friends. It seems that after a long time, it''s time to go back to my role as the academy headmaster." Long Jing then glanced at the teachers gathered there. They had a worried expression on their faces and didn''t dare look the headmaster in the eyes.


    "As you wish, Uncle Jing. Then Long Tian will return to his quarters. Thanks for coming." Long Tian then accompanied Hei and Lian out of the room to return to the castle. On the way, Long Tian was silent, and both Hei and Lian didn''t ask him any questions. It was only when they reached Long Tian''s room that he spoke.


    "And so this matter has been resolved. Hei, Lian. Thank you for helping me. Without your help and that of your companions, it would have been more difficult to implement my plan." Long Tian thanked while his calm, composed expression relaxed a little, making a glimpse of tiredness visible.


    "You don''t have to thank me; it''s not that we did it for free after all. Long Tian, ??that middle-aged man, he is the headmaster of the academy, right?" Hei asked. He had been intrigued by the arrival of the middle-aged man.


    "Yes. Like me, he, too, is part of the Imperial Family. To be precise, the Yellow Dragon Family. Generally, the children of the Imperial Family are educated in the capital by the teachers hired by the family. But staying there wouldn''t have fulfilled my purposes, and therefore I decided to join one of the Four Royal Academies. If I chose the Southern Academy, it is because of the presence of my uncle as the headmaster. Even though my uncle usually leaves everything in the hands of teachers, in delicate cases like this, it is not bad to have a connection to exploit. Either way, it''s time to reward you for your work. Here, the Spirit Registration Sphere as promised. "


    Long Tian then pulled out a crystal ball like the ones that were on display in the Academy Library. Hei did his best to calm down as he grabbed the sphere and placed it in his space ring.


    "Thanks, Long Tian. If you want to excuse me, then Lian and I will return to our room." thanked Hei, who couldn''t wait to see the content inside the sphere.


    "One moment." Long Tian exclaimed, stopping the two young men, "before you go, I want to tell you something. A warning, to be precise. The content in the sphere is the same as what other geniuses have already viewed in the past. Although the content is the same, the reactions elicited in each of those geniuses are different.


    Some of them were fascinated and found additional motivation to move forward. Others, on the other hand, found insights into what true strength means and how to improve. And others were instead so impressed by so much power they were frightened by it, thinking they didn''t have the qualifications to reach that level.


    I don''t know what kind of reaction you and Lian will have, but the fundamental thing is that you find a meaning that belongs only to you. It would be a shame if your path were to be damaged due to something I gave you, but I don''t think there will be any problems if it is you.


    Ah, one last thing. You are free to show the contents of the sphere to your other companions, but it''s better if you show it to them only. Even if it isn''t top secret information, the sphere I gave you has a sort of symbolic status given only to the geniuses of noble families. So it''s better not to divulge that I gave it to you, okay?" Long Tian asked even though he already knew the answer and wasn''t worried at all.


    "Okay. Thanks again Long Tian." Hei replied with a bow of the head. He was genuinely grateful for Long Tian''s magnanimity. Normally it would have been enough to have them visualize the contents of the sphere on the spot and then take it back. Yet Long Tian had decided to give the sphere to Hei, allowing him to look at it whenever he wanted and to share it with whoever he wanted.


    Hei and Lian then left Long Tian''s room and went looking for their other companions. Together, they would visualize the content for which he so longed.

 Chapter 183 - Spirit Registration Sphere

    "Before I started, I wanted to thank you guys, Leon, He Fen, and Lang, for helping with the today match. Even if nothing happened, the danger you ran was still there." Hei said to his companions that he had gathered in his room.


    Leon, He Fen, Lang, Fenrir, Haruno, Mareo, Lilian, and Mia. The comrades and friends he, Lian, Ye, and Xing had managed to find despite coming from a distant place. When he was in the Flower Sect, he and his family had led a solitary lifestyle, far from the other sect disciples. Therefore, even if he looked favorably on the sect companions who had fought with him in the Secret Dimension, the relationship between them couldn''t be called friendship.


    Now, however, this was different. In the months spent together facing the hard lessons of the academy, Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing had deeply linked with these eight companions that fate had wanted them to meet. Although he had revealed nothing of their origins, Hei decided to share the contents of the Spirit Registration Sphere with them, which he never thought he would have done in the past.


    "You don''t need to thank us, you know," Leon replied, slightly embarrassed. The young man no longer had the dark and disconsolate expression of a few days ago. Instead, he was full of determination and desire to live. Since the cause of his change lay in Hei, there was no need for Leon to receive thanks. He had already sworn to help Hei for all his life.


    The other two, He Fen and Lang, nodded to agree with Leon''s statement. Although they didn''t know of the promise between Hei and Leon, they had learned from the latter about the Spirit Metal donated by Hei. Therefore, their already good opinion of the young man from the Forgotten Ocean improved dramatically. And even though they didn''t need Spirit Metal, it was comforting to know that there was a friend who was willing to go so far to help them.


    "Come on, tell us that Long Tian gave you!" Lilian intervened, destroying the silence in the room.


    "Damn it, woman! You never know how long to keep your mouth shut. Can''t you read the situation?" Mareo complained. He had remained respectfully silent because he had noticed a certain heaviness in the atmosphere.


    "Why? Don''t tell me you''re not curious about the reward Hei received from Long Tian. And then, if Hei called us, it''s because he wants to share it with us, right?" Lilian then turned to Hei.


    Seeing this interaction, Hei laughed. It was a spontaneous laugh, like those he hadn''t done for a long time. Lately, he felt more and more comfortable with his other companions, and not only Lian and his little sisters.


    When Hei started to laugh heartily, Lilian observed in amazement. The others were also quite surprised because they did n''6 expect such a reaction. Lian smiled since Hei was happy. A few tens of seconds passed, but for the observers, it seemed that minutes had passed.


    "Sorry. Anyway, yes. Lilian is right. I called you here to share what Long Tian gave me. It is a Spirit Registration Sphere, and from what he told me, inside there is a recording of the final battle that took place a hundred thousand years ago between humans and demons, in which also the spirit beasts led by the divine beasts appeared."


    Thud!


    As if a boulder had crashed into their bodies, Hei''s eight companions widened their eyes as if they couldn''t believe what they had just heard. A record of the final battle between demons, humans, and spirit beasts? All they knew of that event came from information passed out verbally, often contaminated by untruthful facts. They didn''t know there was any tangible evidence of that day, or rather, they didn''t think it could exist. Yet, now, before their eyes, there was the possibility of observing that legendary event in history, not only of humans, or demons, or spirit beasts but of the whole world.


    Between all eight Hei''s companions, Lang and Fenrir had the most restless heart. Their heads had stopped thinking to make room only for the sphere contained in Hei''s hand. As members of one of the Beast Families who fought a hundred thousand years ago alongside the spirit beasts, that battle had a special meaning for them. It was the living proof of those families'' resolution who decided to turn their backs on their respective races rather than turn their backs on their spirit beasts companions.


    Hei noted their reactions, especially that of Lang and Fenrir. Since they had common circ.u.mstances, he could understand what the couple of beast tamer and spirit beast was feeling.


    "I want to say one thing first, though. Long Tian told me that each of the people who view the contents of this recording has different reactions to each other. There have been some who have been emotionally traumatized because they thought they didn''t have the talent to reach that level. I don''t know what kind of reaction you will have, and honestly speaking, I would be sorry to ruin your future because of something I have shown you. I have faith in you, though, so I decided to call all of you here. But it''s your decision. If you accept the risk, then I will show you the content. If you don''t feel like it, then leave the room. Whatever your decision, our relationship will not change."


    Hei''s words were sincere. Everyone present there could see the concern in his voice. However, none of them decided to leave. In their hearts, despite what Hei had said, they all felt that if they were to go now, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.


    Seeing that none of them had left, Hei smiled and sat on the ground, putting the sphere in the center. Everyone else followed suit and put their hands on the sphere together. Hei, therefore, activated the recording contained inside.


    Fuzz! Fuzz! Fuzz!


    The walls of the room began to distort as a kind of buzzing entered their ears. This sensation lasted for a short time and ended as soon as the surrounding environment stabilized.


    Whoosh! Boom! Clang!


    When Hei and the others returned to display things correctly, all of them were greeted by an explosion of noises and colors. Blades were colliding with each other, bursts of flames and other elements, blood, and corpses that were scattered all over the battlefield. The number of fighters easily exceeded any possible imagination, and Hei calculated at first sight that the number could amount to hundreds of thousands, if not millions.


    As for the Spirit Registration Spheres, unlike the books that told their content through words and ill.u.s.trations, the spheres instead carried the users'' consciousness inside them, projecting the registration in the users'' minds. In a way, it was like being transported to a different reality, only that it was done with the mind rather than the body.


    Therefore, all twelve who were watching that recording could perceive every single detail, from the sound of battle and the sickening smell of blood to the suffocating pressure of spirit power dwelling on the battlefield.


    "Insane. I can''t believe my eyes." Haruno exclaimed, looking in amazement at the furious clash that was happening before his eyes. Humans and demons were fighting with all they had, without sparing even a single drop of their energy. All they wanted was to kill their enemy.


    Peng! Peng!


    Suddenly, the attention of all twelve went to a point near them. A crystal ball floated in mid-air while a golden formation protected it. A little further on the sphere stood a fascinating-looking human man who conveyed a feeling of wisdom. On his hand, he had a sword that sent flashes of yellow light with some shades of black.


    Before the man, there was a male demon. The demon had a pair of horns sticking out from the sides of the head. Unlike the human, the demon had a wild appearance and transmitted ferocity and pure power, totally different from the sensation of majesty from the male human.


    "Chong Zemin! Haha, who thought my opponent would be you. Being a bookworm, you are not so bad. How about keeping me up until a more tempting opponent breaks free?" the demon chuckled as he hurled himself against the human called Chong Zemin.


    "Yuan Cao. If you want to fight me, there is no problem. It''s just that you''re wrong about one thing. You won''t be able to find another opponent because you will fall here. Rejoice, though; my sphere will record the moment of your death." Chong Zemin replied to the demon named Yuan Cao.


    At that point, Chong Zemin''s spirit power exploded from his body, pouring out. Overwhelming pressure spread all around. The other humans and demons who were nearby stopped fighting each other and backed away from being killed by that deadly pressure. Only Yuan Cao remained unperturbed at this sight. He smiled even more and released an amount of spirit power that was not inferior to Chong Zemin''s.


    "Chong Zemin? The historian Spirit Emperor about whom Long Tian was talking? Then his opponent must be a Spirit Emperor as well. "Hei deduced; he remembered the name of the person who made the registration.


    "Earth Law, Sand Waves."


    Quickly, Chong Zemin''s spirit power turned into sand that took on a sinuous appearance like the waves of the sea. While waving his hands, the sand began to move at high speed, rushing against Yuan Cao.


    "Phantom Law, Repeating Fire Bones!"


    Tiny bone fragments were fired from every single pore in his body like a volley of bullets. The barrage of bone bullets crashed into the sand waves, pushing them away. However, the amount of sand was too much, and eventually, it reached the demon. Yuan Cao then proceeded to dodge, continuing relentlessly to shoot his bone bullets toward the enemy this time.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Bone bullets hit the defensive sand barrier conjured up by Chong Zemin, who didn''t appear concerned at all. Instead, the human continued to have his eyes fixed on the demon, trying to overcome his defenses. Eventually, he succeeded, and his sand trapped Yuan Cao, creating a sphere of sand.


    "Crush!" Chong Zemin closed his palm, and the sand that contained Yuan Cao closed on itself to crush the demon that was inside.


    "Incredible!" He Fen exclaimed before that demonstration of control and speed of the human martial artist.


    "It''s not over," he informed Lang that he had noticed movements in the sand sphere.


    A white hand covered in blood-red stripes came out of the sand sphere. Subsequently, a second hand also came out. Together, they began to push outward and easily tore in half the sphere of sand that should have had a high density, and therefore, it was difficult to think that it could be destroyed in that way.


    "Chong Zemin. What''s up? That''s all you can do? You know it takes a lot more to break my bones. How about skipping the pleasantries? We are both Spirit Emperors; there is no need to limit ourselves." Yuan Cao then grinned with pure euphoria while looking at his opponent.


    "Zhuyan Ape Bloodline, Activate! Weapon Materialization, Gashadokuro!"


    A twenty-meter-high skeleton materialized from the mace held by Yuan Cao. The skeleton was composed only of bones but was wrapped in a ghostly light that gave it a feeling of death as if it had just been resurrected from the afterlife to inflict punishment on the living.


    Yuan Cao then slipped between the spaces of the bones of this gigantic skeleton, stopping in the center. "Yuan Family Secret Technique, Bone Armor, Underworld Warrior Skeleton!"


    Incredibly, Yuan Cao''s Spirit power enveloped the entire skeleton, and suddenly, a thick layer of white bones with red stripes, similar to the ones on the demon, also appeared on the giant skeleton. After that, a mace made up of bones appeared in the right hand of the Gashadokuro, identical to the mace held by the demon. The most sensational thing was that every single movement of Yuan Cao was faithfully reproduced by Gashadokuro as if it were a sort of puppet.


    "Desert Worm Bloodline, Activate! Weapon Materialization, Sand Jar!"


    As had happened with Yuan Cao, a projection of spirit power emerged from Chong Zemin''s weapon and materialized in the real world. This time it was a jar made of sand that went to tie behind the back of the human martial artist.


    "Secret Technique, Warriors of the Desert!"


    An immense quantity of sand came out of the jar. The sand was divided into ten equal parts, which began to twist until ten sand soldiers were modeled, each equipped with double-bladed axes and a sand armor.


    "The Desert Puppeteer, right. You honor your name." Yuan Cao congratulated him. Unlike his arrogant and provocative attitude as before, he now had an expression of alertness. While it didn''t seem, Yuan Cao wasn''t a type to take lightly his opponent, especially a Spirit Emperor. His overbearing comments were made to put pressure on the enemy, but since they had no effect, there was no need to behave that way anymore.


    "The Skeleton Ape. The rumors about your account also are true. Well, it would have been a shame otherwise. Do you think your skeleton can keep up with my sand soldiers?" Chong Zemin asked, laughing. His dignified and elegant attitude of before had disappeared, giving way to an overwhelming fighting spirit.


    "Ahaha, I should be the one asking this question. I hope your toys don''t break so easily. Because my bones are much harder than you think! "


    At that point, the scenario began to distort again. Seeing this, the twelve spectators who were watching this scene from the past startled. They wanted to see more, but it wasn''t possible.


    "What happens? It''s already over?" Mia asked. Although she was a supporting martial artist, as a martial artist herself, she couldn''t help but be enchanted by such a show of strength and battle ability. After all, although the general rule was that supporting martial artists had to stay in the rear to support their comrades, it wasn''t like there were exceptions.


    In the past, there had been supporting martial artists who, making use of their knowledge in their respective fields, were even capable of defeating and killing attacking martial artists. And this also happened among those who were at the apex of this world, the Spirit Emperors. As a result, Mia didn''t mind the possibility of having an overwhelming power like the two fighters she had just seen. If she had that power, she could fight alongside her companions and protect them instead of having to stand and watch.


    "Long Tian said these are only fragments. In total, there are three. So I would say this is the end of the first fragment." Hei explained as his heart began to beat faster. It is because the next fragment concerned the entry into the battle of the spirit beasts led by the divine beasts. And at the head of all of them, there was none other than the creature known as the Serpent of Darkness, the legendary entity that had destroyed part of the continent.

 Chapter 184 - The Serpent of Darkness Entrance!

    The images began to stabilize until they became visible again. The scenario had changed, even if the protagonists were still the two Spirit Emperors. However, the majesty of before had disappeared. The battlefield presented craters of various sizes, and the two fighters were no longer in their optimal conditions as they were at the beginning of the fight.


    The giant skeleton had lost most of its armor; some places had even lost part of the bones that formed its very body. Coincidentally, the points where the wounds were deeper corresponded with the wounds on Yuan Cao''s own body. Chong Zemin, on the other hand, didn''t show any injuries, but from his irregular breathing, it could be seen that he was beginning to experience fatigue.


    Despite the state in which they found themselves, however, neither of them intended to give in. After all, it wasn''t a friendly sparring session; this was a bloody battle within the final battle that would end the war. There was no margin for a draw - one of them would die, and the other would live.


    However, when the two finished taking a breath to keep fighting, a buzzing sound began to jingle across the battlefield. The two Spirit Emperors stopped on the spot and moved their heads left and right in search of the point of origin of that noise. But it wasn''t just them, all the fighters still alive heard that buzz, and all of them had the same reaction because the noise seemed too close and loud to each of them.


    Screech! Fizzle!


    The noise intensified as it acquired a more precise origin. All the martial artists gathered there looked up into the sky where they could see a small rift in the sky above them. This rift was absurdly twisting as it got bigger. It was as if someone was tearing apart a layer of fabric, which in this case was none other than the sky itself.


    "What the hell is going on?!" murmured Yuan Cao, who couldn''t believe his eyes. Something like that was impossible even for him.


    "Is the Space Law?" Chong Zemin wondered. In his heart, however, the historian martial artist was doubtful that it was the Space Law even if there was no other possible explanation. It was because the rift in the sky had reached hundreds and hundreds of meters in length and didn''t seem to want to stop.


    Crack! Craaak! CRAAAAK!


    The rift skyrocketed as the sky opened in half. A gigantic figure emerged from the crack in the sky, a pitch-black snake. Immediately after the snake, a huge dark purple spider came out and so other massive figures with a monstrous appearance. There were also smaller figures, but their pressure was by no means inferior to the ones emitted by the more giant creatures.


    In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with these creatures, and their number showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it was increasing with every passing second, although the creatures that appeared later were less massive and produced weaker pressure than those that came out first.


    "The Serpent of Darkness!" shouted Chong Zemin, who immediately recognized the giant pitch-black snake. As a historian martial artist, how could he not recognize the being responsible for countless deaths in the territories inhabited by humans?


    But it wasn''t just him, everyone on the battlefield had recognized or at least sensed who the snake that seemed to be leading those creatures was. Only a fool wouldn''t have connected the figure of that majestic and powerful snake with the countless voices that had spread all over the continent.


    The Beast Emperor had arrived on the battlefield! With him, there were the other divine beasts and high-level spirit beasts. Besides them, there were even a small number of humans and demons - the Beast Families, the traitors of both the human and the demon races.


    When the Serpent of Darkness entered, Leon and the other members of Hei''s group who were watching the recording took a deep breath. Even though they were far away, they could perceive that the Serpent of Darkness was at a different league from the two Spirit Emperors who had fought up until now. Unable to formulate a thought, they could only admire the situation while being astonished.


    Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing instead had different reactions. In Rainbow Island, when Bao Bei used the Concept of Reality to recreate a replica of Hei An, they had been able to witness the power of the entity called the Serpent of Darkness. Therefore, this time, they weren''t in awe of his power. No, there were other sensations within them. In particular, this was true for Hei, Ye, and Xing, who were the children of Bao Bei and therefore Hei An.


    In addition to the Serpent of Darkness, their eyes also settled on the nearby dark purple spider. Bao Bei, their mother. How long had it been since they last saw her? Even though her memories hadn''t faded from their hearts, it was different to see her again with their own eyes.


    Awooooo!


    Fenrir started to howl as loud as he could. As a spirit beast, how could he remain insensitive to such a view? His mistress, Lang, was also experiencing strong emotions. Among the ranks of human and demon beast tamers who had joined the Serpent of Darkness, there were the representatives of her family. Ancestors whose name she only knew but had heard about so many times - the personification of the ideals that the Beast Families had always followed.


    "Comrades! Thanks for coming with me at the end of this journey," The Serpent of Darkness began to speak. However, the language he was using was not human but that of snakes. Only the spirit beasts could understand this. For the humans and demons following the Beast Emperor, the spirit beasts of these tamers were translating his message.


    "I know well how you feel. All of us have lost something over the years. Friends, partners, children, brothers, sisters. We all felt helpless to see the ones we loved being taken away without anything we could do to prevent it. We have been living with the fear of tomorrow, wondering if it would be our last day, or it would be the turn of someone we knew.


    I know well how you feel. The fear and pain that you have experienced and continue to experience. And I also know very well the hatred that is within your hearts. The same hate that I felt, no, that I keep feeling inside me. I won''t tell you not to feel hatred towards humans and demons; it would be hypocritical for me to do so. And I also know that telling you that not all humans and demons are like that can''t dissuade you from getting your revenge.


    If it is true that the fault of some must not fall on the entire race, it is also true that the good actions of some cannot cancel what many of them have done. So even if it is fortunate to have found incredible allies who have renounced their origins to join us, we cannot still forget what happened.


    However, I want to tell you one thing. Even if hatred is what is feeding your hearts and perhaps what keeps you together, preventing you from falling apart, this battle is not a battle to satisfy our thirst for revenge. No, we are here for another reason.


    At home, our children and those of our friends are waiting for us. They are too young to fight and have a whole life to live. But, now I ask you. What life do you want them to live? A life tormented by fear and hatred or a life where they can live peacefully and freely?


    You already know the answer. This battle won''t be remembered as our desperate attempt to take revenge. No, this battle will go down in history as our attempt to protect tomorrow, not only of our species but of the whole world. We will protect the future and create hope for a better future. Let''s make sure we are the last to suffer like this."


    Then the Snake of Darkness, Hei An, paused. Out of the corner of his eyes, he turned to look at the dark purple spider next to him. The spider''s eyes returned the gaze as if to instill courage. The Serpent of Darkness smiled slightly and prepared to order. The last order he would give as Beast Emperor, or so he hoped.


    "The time has come to drop the curtain on this conflict that has tormented the world too long. Not as divine beasts and spirit beasts, not as humans and demons who have denied their race. But as companions fighting for a common purpose. Lend me your strength one last time. It''s time to create hope and save this world!"


    When the Serpent of Darkness finished speaking, all the divine beasts, the spirit beasts, the humans, and the demons under his command uttered battle shouts. Their cry united and spread across the battlefield that stretched for miles and miles. Everyone felt the battle intent within that cry.


    "CHARGE!"


    The Serpent of Darkness gave the order to advance. As a single entity, everyone behind him moved. Suddenly the sky was darkened by the vast number of these new fighters.


    The spirit beasts that made up most of the army assembled by the Beast Emperor swarmed down, heading towards all martial artists under the rank of Spirit Emperor. With them were also the human and demon beast tamers who hadn''t reached the rank of Spirit Emperor.


    Birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and even inanimate objects. All sorts of creatures swooped against the human and demon armies, engaging in a furious struggle, without sparing a shred of their strength. After all, none of those who had followed the Serpent of Darkness had any plans to return alive. They would fight until their body allowed it.


    The divine beasts and Spirit Emperor beast tamers continued to follow the Serpent of Darkness in its advance. Their direction was a definite point in the middle of the immense battlefield. There, the sky was divided into a pure white section and another of a demonic black. It was the place where the Human Hero and the Demon Emperor were fighting.


    "Shit! He''s heading to the Demon Emperor!" Yuan Cao cried alarmed.


    It should be known that both sides had decided to let the two strongest fighters of their respective armies fight each other without anyone disturbing them. After all, the Hero and the Demon Emperor had reached a level of power beyond what normal Spirit Emperors could generate. So it was decided that they would fight undisturbed by everything and everyone.


    For the various parties involved, this was the best decision. There were even those who had pressed for this solution so that they could then kill the winner once the battle was finished by taking advantage of the precarious state in which he would find himself. It is because, when one of the two died, the other would automatically become the strongest martial artist in existence. In practice, he would have become the ruler of the continent, no, of the whole world. There was no way they would allow such an existence to survive.


    However, the entry of the Beast Emperor on the scene had upset their plans. If the giant snake were to kill them both, the ruler of the whole world would have become him. If instead he died but generated an imbalance in the fight, leading to the victory of one of the two contenders, this would have ruined the plans anyway. The winner could have withdrawn, taking advantage of the chaos generated by the spirit beasts. Furthermore, it wasn''t as if everyone was part of the conspirators who wanted to kill the two leaders. Instead, many would have willingly given their lives for the Hero or the Demon Emperor. If the winner were to leave the battlefield alive, it would have been the end for the adverse side and even for those belonging to the same faction but didn''t want someone ruling the whole world.


    Therefore, all the Spirit Emperors gathered there stopped fighting and flew at full speed to curb the advance of the Beast Emperor. However, the divine beasts and the Spirit Emperor beast tamers were ready to receive them.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The group that was following the Beast Emperor began to thin out more and more. Chong Zemin and Yuan Cao were also blocked by a divine beast - a colossal thirty-meter sand-colored worm. This worm had reached the level of divine beast. Therefore it was fully comparable to a Spirit Emperor.


    "I finally found you, human. Now I can avenge my brother." the worm spoke, making its voice resound outside. Worms didn''t have vocal cords; the divine beast worm made his thoughts resonate outside as sound with its spirit power.


    Hearing his words, Chong Zemin frowned. The worm had used the language of humans, and therefore the historian martial artist had understood the message. And precisely because he understood the words of the divine beast, he was more nervous than ever. His bloodline belonged to a worm-like divine beast, that is, the brother of the specimen in front of him.


    Yuan Cao, who was close to him, smiled to himself, thinking that the divine beast would take care of killing Chong Zemin. Therefore, the demon Spirit Emperor began to fly to the place where the Beast Emperor was heading. However, he managed to fly only a few meters when a huge tail crashed against him, causing him to fly backward. Luckily he was still covered by his skeleton and was able to reduce damage.


    "What the f.u.c.k?! Stupid beast. You have a score to settle with him, don''t you? Why are you attacking me? Let me go, and you can avenge your brother undisturbed." Yuan Cao complained as he frowned. He couldn''t understand why the worm attacked him despite saying it wanted to take revenge on Chong Zemin.


    The worm wasn''t enchanted by Yuan Cao''s words and replied, "Although I came here on purpose to get my revenge. I haven''t forgotten my purpose, no, our purpose - we will protect the future and create hope. I, therefore, cannot let you pass. Nobody should disturb the Beast Emperor. NOBODY!"


    The worm, therefore, began to release its spirit power. A crazy amount of spirit power was being poured out of its body. Generally, a spirit beast contained more spirit power than a human being or a demon, but since they were unable to use the Elemental Laws, this gap wasn''t perceived. However, this was different for the divine beasts.


    The divine beasts were able to use the Elemental Laws and possessed a bloodline. Therefore, in the aspect of the laws, they were equal to humans and demons. But unlike the latter, the divine beasts had more spirit power. It wasn''t by chance that the divine beasts were hunted in groups. After all, the rule was that at least two Spirit Emperors were needed for each divine beast.


    Looking at the situation, Chong Zemin had no choice but to turn to Yuan Cao. "Yuan Cao! Fight with me and help me defeat this divine beast. "


    "Huh?! Why should I? I''d rather die than help a human in battle." Yuan Cao replied with a face disgusted by this thought.


    "If you want to die, go ahead. But we both know well the Beast Emperor cannot be allowed to reach the Hero and your Demon Emperor. As despicable as you demons could be, I don''t think you''re stupid enough not to understand the situation."


    Yuan Cao was silent at those words. He didn''t want to die at all, and what Chong Zemin had said was true. They couldn''t allow the Serpent of Darkness to approach the battlefield of the leaders of their respective factions. And to prevent this, he would have to swallow his pride.


    "Okay, let''s do it. Honestly, I''d rather cut my arm than help you. But we are both in a situation where we have no other choice." Yuan Cao eventually gave his consent.


    "I''m glad you listened to the reason. The fight will be difficult; we both spent a lot of our energy. You''d better not die until we knock this divine beast down." Chong Zemin incited as he charged his spirit power.


    "The same goes for you. human." Yuan Cao answered, laughing.


    "Human, demon. Have you finished? Now I will show you the hatred with which we divine beasts have lived together too long." the worm-type divine beast began to prepare for battle. Even though it had two Spirit Emperors against, it wasn''t worried at all. It was full of excitement over the impending battle.

 Chapter 185 - Ending of the Registration

    Desert Worm Bloodline, Activate! Earth Law, Earth Domain, Sandstorm, activate! Earth Law, Earth Domain, Quicksand, activate!"


    Under the amazed eyes of all present, including the two Spirit Emperors, the spirit power of the worm-type divine beast began to cover a thirty-meter radius, creating a sandstorm that enveloped itself and the two enemies Spirit Emperors. In addition to the sandstorm, the underlying soil suddenly became soft until it became a layer of fine sand. If one of the two Spirit Emperors had placed only one foot on it, they would have sunk into the depths of the ground.


    "A Double Domain?! Are they even capable of this? F.u.c.k¡­" Yuan Cao swore as he didn''t expect such a move. Creating a domain was already an arduous undertaking; it wasn''t for nothing considered the materialization of one''s understanding of the Elemental Law. It was the pinnacle of the elemental techniques that could be achieved. Even among the Spirit Emperors, not everyone was able to create one, and in any case, it wasn''t something achievable in a short time.


    Yet, now, before his eyes, a divine beast had managed to create two domains using the same Elemental Law. It was even more absurd than the creation of two Domains based on different Elemental Laws.


    "F.u.c.k, stupid beast. Who cares if you know how to use two domains, you will die anyway. Ghost Law, Bone Domain, Bone Bullet Barrage."


    Yuan Cao''s power began to form an infinite number of bone projectiles within a sphere of 20 meters in radius. These projectiles vibrated with an imperceptible frequency to the eye, acc.u.mulating power every second that passed.


    "Well said, demon! Earth Law, Earth Domain, Army of the Desert!" Chong Zemin, in turn, activated his domain. Other sand soldiers surrounded the ten sand soldiers that had previously been summoned. An army of 100 units was formed. Each of them was equipped with axes and two-handed spears and had sturdy armors. In addition to that, each of the 100 soldiers rode a warhorse, increasing the grandeur of their appearance.


    "KILL!" the three fighters screamed in unison.


    Bone bullets were fired at the divine beast worm. Whenever a bullet came out of the range of Yuan Cao''s Domain, the demon would create a new bullet, basically creating an endless barrage of bullets. Meanwhile, the hundred sand soldiers who made up Chong Zemin''s army advanced as well. The human Spirit Emperor was frantically waving his hands to control every single movement of his soldiers. Although he could typically command them with his mind, there would have been a certain delay in responding when he did this. To avoid this, it was enough for him to create strands of sand tied to the body of each sand soldier as if they were puppets. In doing so, the sand soldiers were not inferior in speed than a normal Spirit Emperor.


    As far as the divine beast worm was concerned, the colossal being was moving as if it were swimming within the sandstorm it created. A thick layer of sand armor shielded it from the bone bullets as it regurgitated liters of sand to wipe out the army of sand soldiers. The most dangerous thing was, however, when it descended, sinking into the quicksand. Once down there, it was practically invulnerable, and when it went back up, its ascent speed was insanely high. The two Spirit Emperors had no way of dodging its attacks, having to resort to using defense techniques to avoid being trampled by the large mass of the worm.


    Leon and the others were looking at the scene in amazement. If the battle skills already shown previously by the two Spirit Emperors were impressive, the techniques and the way they were fighting now was on a completely different level. But the most surprising thing was how the worm was fighting. The divine beast had a superfine ability toward its control over the sand and had a strong sense of battle, managing to fight two opponents of the caliber of Chong Zemin and Yuan Cao without making mistakes. It was evident that because the Spirit Emperors had spent part of their spirit power, they weren''t at their full strength, but it was still an extraordinary achievement for the divine beast.


    However, not everyone was watching that insanely high-level fight. Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing''s gaze was still turned to Hei An and Bao Bei. Their figures were moving further away, but from their position, the four still managed to distinguish the two divine beasts.


    "Mother, Father ..." Hei murmured.


    Bao Bei, the mother who had saved him from certain death and had given him life and love. She would always be a fundamental figure for him all his life. Hei An, the father who had never really known but to whom he was eternally grateful. Without his sacrifice, Hei would never have been able to meet Bao Bei and his little sisters. Now, these two beings were in front of his eyes, at the peak of their strength.


    Lian was also looking at Bao Beautiful, but besides her, the young woman''s beautiful sapphire blue eyes were turned to the small female figure that was almost invisible when compared to the gigantic being by her side. But Lian was sure who she was, her heart and her bloodline were telling her - it was Gaiya. And as expected, she was at Bao Bei''s side.


    The Beast Emperor''s group kept decreasing until there were three of them - Hei An, Bao Bei, and Gaiya, shortly after, Gaiya too had to stop advancing while taking over two incoming Spirit Emperors. Now only Hei An and Bao Bei remained. However, there were still four free Spirit Emperors in their path. Even though they were wounded and lacking in spirit power, they were still four Spirit Emperors.


    The giant pitch-black snake seemed hesitant, but the dark purple spider next to him placed one of the eight legs on the snake''s tail, slowly pushing it forward. After that, Bao Bei snapped against the four approaching Spirit Emperors. Her spirit power was released as a massive dome of spiderweb was formed, trapping herself and the four enemies inside. Now only Hei An remained of the group of divine beasts and Spirit Emperor beast tamer who had advanced up until there.


    But there was no need now for the others. By now, Hei An had arrived where he wanted and had to - the place where the Human Hero and the Demon Emperor were fighting. The place where the future of the world would be decided.


    At that point, the images began to distort again. The second fragment finished as well.


    "NO!" Hei shouted that he wanted to continue seeing more of his parents. His scream startled Leon and the others who were close to him, but seeing how Hei was clenching his fists, they asked no questions. Lian also indicated them no with her head. Fortunately, the images began to stabilize again, and the battlefield appeared once again. As before, the situation was different from what they saw a few moments ago.


    The sandstorm, the barrage of bullets, and the army of sand soldiers had all disappeared. Even the quicksand in the ground had vanished. Of the three fighters, only two could be seen - Chong Zemin and the divine beast worm. Looking closely, though, you could see a body split in half - the lower part that once belonged to Yuan Cao''s body.


    At the moment, Chong Zemin was kneeling on the ground while breathing heavily. His right arm was gone, and the Spirit Emperor was blocking the bleeding with his spirit power. The worm-type divine beast, on the other hand, was lying on the ground while it too was breathing heavily. Its body was torn apart by an insane amount of wounds. It was evident that it was now close to dying.


    Chong Zemin and Yuan Cao had fought with all their strength to win, but even when they burned their blood essence to gain more power, they couldn''t reverse the situation. The force of the worm seemed boundless as the expanses of sand of a desert. Furthermore, the divine beast even went so far as to burn its blood essence for more power. If it hadn''t been for some Spirit King rushing to the aid of the two Spirit Emperors, the winner of the clash would have been the divine beast.


    Yet despite the intervention of other martial artists, Yuan Cao was dead, cut in half by a blade of sand while Chong Zemin had lost his arm. Fortunately, in the end, the worm had collapsed to the ground, exhausted from its wounds and the consumption of spirit power. All that was left was to deal the coup de grace.


    Pant! Pant!


    Chong Zemin looked towards the worm that was in terrible condition. During the fight, he had felt his body boil as if it wanted to refuse to fight the worm - to be precise, it was his bloodline.


    "It is surprising. Although all of its presence should have vanished, the bloodline inside my body has begun to rebel against my command. I always thought that you divine beasts were intelligent, unlike many others, but I would never have imagined that you were capable of experiencing such emotions. Was your bond with your brother so strong that even after his death, part of him still lives?" Chong Zemin asked with difficulty.


    "He wasn''t my brother, or rather, we didn''t have common parents. We worms are insignificant creatures that crawl on the ground, even within the spirit beasts we don''t occupy a prominent position. But he was the first worm to reach divine beast status, changing our being insignificant. He showed that even we who crawl on the ground could aim to touch the sky. Once he became a divine beast, he proceeded to train new young worms, and one day he happened to choose me.


    Even though I call him brother, he was more like a teacher or father to me. But since he was still quite young and had no children, he told us to call him brother. The day we learned of his death was a day that I will never forget. Ignoring the advice of the older worms, my other companions who had been raised by him and I set off to get our revenge.


    But humans proved to be a superior enemy to what we thought. We were easily swept away until it was just me. I should have died that day, but the Beast Emperor came to our rescue. He came too late to save the others, but he was able to save me. He treated me and trained me in the place of my brother, giving me a new purpose to move forward. Yet despite this, I never managed to appease the anger and hatred within me. For this reason, I could not help but come immediately to you, the one who possesses my brother''s bloodline. All this just to kill you."


    Chong Zemin silently listened to the worm''s words, with a look full of mixed feelings. Eventually, he replied, "I understand your pain, but in the end, yours was nothing but a futile desperate attempt. Maybe things could have gone differently if ... no, forget it, it''s too late now. In any case, this attack of yours is useless. The Serpent of Darkness is strong, stronger than any other human or demon Spirit Emperor. But even he is not the opponent of the Hero or the Demon Emperor. No, perhaps it is on par with the Demon Emperor but certainly not the Hero. In the end, it will be the Hero, the winner. He will bring victory and salvation to the human race and the whole world."


    By hearing this, the divine beast worm chuckled as it coughed, "You''re wrong. Your Hero won''t win because the Beast Emperor will win. He is the only one the world has been deemed worthy of being the savior."


    "Worthy? What do you mean?" Chong Zemin asked, unable to understand the worm''s dark words. Before he could get an answer, however, a roar rang in the air while the words of dark language entered his ears.


    "Oh comrades, I promised you that I would bring you victory, and I intend to keep my word. But the enemy turned out to be stronger than I expected. I know it is a lot to ask, but I will still ask you to give me your strength. I ask you to sacrifice the strength of our race for a higher good - protect our world. Please allow me to use our essence."


    A call for help from the one who was the absolute ruler of the divine and spirit beasts. This appeal not only rang in the battlefield where they were fighting but also all over the world. Even the humans and demons who remained in their territories were able to listen to it, although they didn''t understand it.


    The spirit beasts of the whole continent, no, of the entire world, listened to the call of their sovereign, and all gave their consent. As if the cork of a bottle had opened, the spirit power on the battlefield began to condense toward the leaders of the three factions - to be precise, it was condensing on the giant pitch-black snake.


    "My life and future is yours, make use of it, oh my Emperor," said the worm as even the last drops of spirit power left were leaving its body to converge on Hei An, the Beast Emperor. But before it was completely exhausted, it had one last thing to do.


    Stab!


    Chong Zemin''s eyes widened in disbelief. His gaze was directed to the point where the spirit power of the spirit beasts was converging, but suddenly he felt something piercing his stomach. Looking down, he noticed a sand dagger stuck deep in his body.


    "You humans and demons are selfish. You even desire the death of those who are your saviors. But we are different, to allow our Emperor to obtain victory, we are willing to sacrifice everything about ourselves. Thank you, my Emperor, for giving me my revenge in the end."


    The worm then breathed its last breath, leaving Chong Zemin on the point of death. The human Spirit Emperor spat blood but strove to remain conscious. Meanwhile, the spirit power over the Serpent of Darkness had reached the peak and exploded, creating a giant shock wave that covered the entire battlefield. Chong Zemin''s crystal ball shattered instantly as soon as the shock wave hit it as all the other spheres.


    "Divine Rank? How is it possible? Not the Hero but the Beast Emperor? No, I have other things to worry about. I have to pass on today''s events to posterity so that history doesn''t repeat itself a second time."


    With his last strength, Chong Zemin grabbed the remains of his sphere and created a formation to protect them. After that, he, too, took his last breath. At that point, the images began to distort. Still, instead of stabilizing shortly after that as had happened the other two previous times, the twelve spectators returned with their consciousness to the room.


    All of them had clouded eyes as they thought about what they had seen. It was too much information to digest in a short time. A long time passed before the silence in the room was broken.


    "It has been a heavy day, and I know that all of you have many thoughts in your head. It''s better if you all go back to your rooms." Hei said to the rest of his companions. His eyes were red as if he had cried until recently. But his tone of voice was flat as the surface of a lake.


    Leon, He Fen, Lang, Fenrir, Haruno, Mareo, Lilian, and Mia all nodded their heads and returned to their quarters, leaving Hei, Lian, Ye, and Xing alone in the room. None of them were in the mood to speak and had a thousand thoughts in their heads.


    Hei closed the doors of their room and sat on the bed while stroking Ye and Xing. Lian just watched him by his side, remaining silent. They stayed like this for a full hour before Hei spoke, "I''m fine. It was nice to see Mother and Father again and the respect the other spirit beasts felt for him. It was good to have been able to observe this recording. As Chong Zemin said, we cannot let history retake the same course. I don''t know exactly how, but together we will find a way. Leave it to me. As long as you stand by my side, everything will be fine."


    Ye, Xing, and Lian nodded. The two little divine beasts were inundated with various feelings and didn''t want to speak. They simply hid their heads in their big brother''s chest and closed their eyes. Lian also decided to remain silent. Sometimes, it wasn''t necessary to speak to express what was in the heart. In that way, that incredible day ended.


    The headmaster of the academy managed to hide what had happened to public opinion, but he still informed the Imperial Family and the Eight Big Families. This news caused a massive sensation as the demons had managed to infiltrate so deeply into the empire. It led to a deterioration in the relationship between the Sun Empire and the Moon Empire that couldn''t be called good in the first place. However, this was something that had nothing to do with Hei and his family, at least not for now. For now, the four were sleeping soundly next to each other.

 Chapter 186 - Principle of Maximum Elemental Density

    Three months had passed after the terrifying test in the forest. The students of the first academic year had returned to the academy''s activities, overcoming that dark period and focusing on their future. The incident involving Feng Gengxin was also soon forgotten as the circ.u.mstances behind that incident hadn''t been disclosed.


    The students only knew that Feng Gengxin, along with his four subordinates, had been expelled for violating the rules imposed by the academy. After his expulsion, everyone understood that it was better not to joke with the rules since even a member of the Eight Big Families had been punished.


    Either way, things had returned to normal, or so it should have been. The academy had given way to a new recruiting period, welcoming new students to fill the number of first-year students. It was something that had happened before, but usually, it was just about welcoming one or two highly talented students. It was the first time that had occurred on such a large scale, but this wasn''t surprising, considering the high number of deaths among students.


    These new students were all those who at the end of the enrollments hadn''t reached the required cultivation level, although they were within the required age gap, and now had the qualifications. In addition to these, there were also those who had the minimum necessary level of cultivation but exceeded the maximum age for admission by one year.


    The War Academies represented the ideal place for young martial artists to develop themselves, and the Royal War Academies were the best of the best. Although there were differences between the students, some even substantial, it couldn''t be denied that just entering it was a status of one''s talent. Being a small fish in the ocean was better than being the big fish in the pond. After all, the little fish from the ocean had a chance to turn into a dragon, which the big fish from the pond couldn''t even dream of becoming.


    Unfortunately, however, the arrival of new students brought about a tense atmosphere in the first academic year. The new arrivals were eager to show off and show everyone their skills. Even though they hadn''t been admitted the first time, they continued to train non-stop so that they could be accepted next time. Therefore they didn''t believe that there was such an abysmal gap between them and the other students admitted at the beginning.


    However, there was also a sort of contempt towards the old students. The news of the forest trial incident had made its way, although the details had remained obscured. However, since lots of students had died, the new arrivals looked down on the old students who had had so many difficulties against mere second-level spirit beasts.


    Regrettably, very often, it was difficult to realize the gravity of a situation just by hearing about it. You had to look with your own eyes to recognize the danger, and sometimes this wasn''t enough. So the new students considered absurd the idea of ??dying due to some stupid second-level spirit beasts, and the victims were simply just too weak. That was applied to the survivors who hadn''t been able to save their teammates against such enemies.


    The tension between the two groups continued to increase gradually in the following three months of academy lessons. However, there was no quarrel or challenge. It is because the system of challenges was suspended until a date to be determined due to the events with Feng Gengxin. The principal had interrogated every teacher in the academy, and although no one had been punished, none of the teachers wanted to make further mistakes. So they decided to stop the challenges for the time being to avoid that another similar incident could happen. Fortunately, the academy year was drawing to a close, and with it came the opportunity for students to settle their unfinished business and decide who was the strongest.


    "As you know, today there will be the last lesson on combat theory. The other lessons will also end. It doesn''t mean, however, that the academic year is over. At the end of each year, a final test will be assigned to the three academic courses. It allows the academy to evaluate your progress and determine your current battle skills. Therefore, instead of lessons, you will have free time to refine your techniques or advance in cultivation. I think it is obvious, but I will say it anyway. Being the final test, prizes will be awarded to all those who achieve good results." Song Yazhu said as he was about to take the last lesson of his first year as a teacher.


    The students became excited when they heard about it. Although the previous test had been absurdly dangerous, there was no doubt that the gains had been many. And now another opportunity had come to obtain more precious resources, not to mention the fact that they knew that the academy this time would certainly not assign them a test in which it wasn''t possible to guarantee their safety.


    "Be quiet. At the end of the lesson, I will explain the details of the final exam. For now, let''s go back to the topic of the day. What I''m going to ill.u.s.trate is something that can decide between life and death in a fight. I am sure that several of your dead companions could have been saved if they had known these things. But the academy requires that it is explained only at the end to allow you to arrive at these concepts alone. After all, intuition is a fundamental factor for us martial artists. You can''t reach the top just by relying on what others have understood."


    When Song Yazhu said this, many were surprised because they didn''t understand what he was talking about. Was it some secret technique? Some, however, had looks of understanding as if they had sensed what the Spirit King wanted to say. Hei and his companions were part of this second group, but they were still paying close attention to the words of their teacher.


    "Management of Spirit Power in Combat. As you know, once your spirit power is over, you are practically dead. Unless you have already killed every single enemy, you will probably be killed in the next instant. In war, this concept is even more valid, given that the enemies are everywhere. It is why we focus a lot of resources on developing martial artist chefs who can restore spirit power. However, you cannot rely on third parties for every situation. You must know how to manage your spirit power.


    Let''s take a simple example and use numerical values. Let''s say my spirit power is ten points. To create a 1-meter radius sphere of light with the Law of Light, I must spend 1 point. If I wanted to create a sphere with a radius of 2 meters, then I would have to spend 2 points. It means that I can use the 1-meter radius sphere up to ten times and the two-meter radius sphere up to five times. Are you following me here?"


    Song Yazhu paused to make sure everyone was following his speech. The students nodded yes, and the Spirit King continued with his explanation.


    "If we aimed to keep our spirit power as long as possible, it is evident that the best choice is to create the 1-meter sphere of light. But what does this mean? The enemy will have more ease in avoiding our attack as the scale is limited. Does this mean that we must then aim for an offense that doubles or triples the size of the technique used to be sure of hitting the enemy? Wrong again.


    A more extensive sphere of light also means more instability in the structure and difficulty in control. Martial artists with good eyes and observation can notice flaws in your technique and destroy it by attacking the weakest points. Or they can walk away until you lose control of your technique.


    What is the answer then? I guess many of you will be confused right now. And this is where a fundamental principle comes in - Principle of Maximum Elemental Density.


    The Principle of Maximum Elemental Density asserts that in a certain amount of space, it is possible to acc.u.mulate a defined amount of spirit power, and if you want to increase this amount, you have to increase the area.


    As you know, the amount of spirit power is closely related to the power of your attacks. Increasing or decreasing your spirit power affects the damage. It is why it is essential to know how to manage it. However, if you use techniques with little spirit power or that are easy to dodge, you will only needlessly waste it.


    So the solution to your problems is this principle. Condense the maximum amount of spirit power into the maximum amount of space you can manage. I will give you a practical demonstration."


    Song Yazhu raised his right index finger. Suddenly, a small sphere of light condensed on the tip of the index finger. The sphere of light had an insane power, and the students watching it swallowed their saliva. There was no doubt that that small sphere had the power to kill them in one fell swoop.


    "As you have perceived, my sphere is powerful enough to kill you, spirit soldiers, but it is a no brainer in the eyes of a Spirit King. It is because the amount within spirit power is not enough to overcome the spirit power barrier of a Spirit King. If I wanted to cause damage, I would have to increase the size of the sphere."


    Song Yazhu began to widen the sphere gradually. The pressure exerted by the sphere of light increased more and more, and the students in the front row began to feel the pressure unbearable. Even those who sat behind were feeling uncomfortable. Fortunately, Song Yazhu dissolved the sphere, bringing the situation to be normal.


    "At my level, it is easy to use techniques covering dozens of meters. However, the greater is the space occupied by the technique, the less uniform the spirit power inside. That is, the amount of spirit power will be uneven, being more concentrated in the center and sparser on the sides. For this reason, even if they are Spirit Emperors who can cover hundreds of meters, you will never see such giant techniques. Because it would be nothing more than a waste of energy. What good is it if the enemy can break your technique by aiming for the weakest points of the structure?


    The highest amount of spirit power within the space limit you can manage. This is what you need to aim for. Obviously, there will be occasions when using a wider but more unstable technique can be a good move. However, these are specific cases that are not covered by the general rule. Furthermore, techniques that use the body or weapons as a catalyst are not affected by these limitations. Martial artists who specialize in close combat are less prone to management problems due to wasted techniques. Their management problem stems mostly from the continued consumption in maintaining the defensive layer of spirit power as they are more exposed to attacks."


    Song Yazhu, therefore, ended his lengthy explanation. The students were silent. Each of them was reflecting in their minds the implications of what they had just heard.


    ''That''s why Mother''s Domain didn''t go beyond a certain length. Considering her strength, it wouldn''t have been difficult for her to stretch it. The same goes for the head of the She Family or the Spirit Emperors in the Spirit Registration Sphere.'' Hei thought to himself.


    Indeed, Bao Bei had fought using this same principle. As a sixth-level divine beast, there was no way she could make gross mistakes like unnecessarily wasting her spirit power.


    "In any case, you are still spirit soldiers. If you had already sensed it in some way or discovered it only now, it doesn''t matter. But remember that the more you continue on the path of cultivation, the more these rules will be dominant. Think about it and see how to correct your fighting style using what you have learned." Song Yazhu said to move then toward something less heavy, "As I said before, every academic year will have a final test. As for the first academic year, the Empire has decided that the final test will be a tournament to decide who is the strongest among you."

 Chapter 187 - Tournament Announcement

    Tournament.


    A simple word that was enough to make the minds of all the students in the classroom inflame. It wasn''t just about getting rewards for their achievements, their pride as martial artists came into play.


    It was known that even when the challenges were still in place, few people would choose such a method, especially in the first year. It was because it meant revealing your skills to multiple people, which could have penalized them later. After all, even though they were fellow students, they were still rivals. To reach the top, they had to get the best possible result in every trial.


    The students knew that the academy''s official trial had good prizes, and therefore they did their best to keep their ace cards hidden. In this way, conflicts and tensions between students were repressed in view of a bigger goal. In the trial in the forest, there had been some skirmishes between the various groups, but the c.o.c.kroaches attack had changed the cards on the table. But now they finally had the opportunity they so longed for.


    "Usually, the academy doesn''t assign trials as a tournament, but it has been decided that an exception will be made this time," explained Song Yazhu. His gaze quickly passed over the students who were enraptured by the excitement for the tournament, "In addition to the students and teachers of the academy, all the important families in the Southern Region will be invited to the tournament, including representatives of the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Family. Obviously, to better host an event of this magnitude, the academy plans to remodel its land to build a stage suitable for the number of guests."


    At those words, the listeners'' hearts began to beat faster. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only would they settle the outstanding accounts, but they could earn great prizes and, above all, gain the attention of famous families. Many of the students had a common background, and to continue on their cultivation path, they needed to join powerful families. Even those with a noble background were excited; their victory would highlight their families, and the more results they brought, the more their respective families would reward them.


    Suddenly a palpable tension spread in the air. Those who had enmities began to look at each other while others scrutinized the people around them to start battle plans against their future opponents. Numerous glances were directed in particular towards Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, Hu Jie, and Hei. These four were the ones who had most distinguished themselves in the test of the forest and were, therefore, the most feared. However, there were also people whose strength was unknown. Not everyone had joined Long Tian or hid out of fear of c.o.c.kroaches; some had survived by relying solely on their skills. Finally, there were the new arrivals who were eager to show that they had nothing to envy towards the students who had started before them.


    Song Yazhu smiled. He knew his students would react that way but decided not to intervene. That tension would spur them on to give their best, bringing out their potential.


    "It is quite obvious, but considering the modalities of the final test and the status of the guests, it isn''t possible to let all of you fight on the stage set up by the academy. So there will be preliminaries. You will be divided into 32 groups, and the members of each group will fight each other. Those with the most wins in their group will move on to the tournament''s main phase, gaining the right to perform in front of everyone. As for others, they will have to be content with being spectators. However, even if they don''t enter the tournament''s main phase, they can earn rewards based on their achievements. So you should give your best in all the fights of the preliminaries."


    "What about us supporting martial artists?" asked one of the new arrivals. He was a supporting martial artist; therefore, fighting wasn''t his forte. Actually, it wasn''t just him, but all the supporting martial artists would have a handicap if the final test took place in the form of a tournament.


    Song Yazhu quickly replied as if he was expecting such a question, "Unless they expressly state their intention to fight, support-type students are not forced to participate. Instead, they will be able to nominate a teammate to support during the entire tournament, including the preliminaries. The points awarded to the supporting martial artist will be calculated based on the result achieved by the person they support. If you wish, you can nominate up to five people and increase the number of points earned. But I warn you that the preliminaries will take place at the same time, so I advise you to devote yourself to helping only one person per time. In any case, your support is valid only outside the battle and not during its course."


    "Teacher Song Yazhu. But doesn''t that nullify the purpose of finding the strongest? If the tournament serves to decree the number one of our academic year, it is assumed that those most likely to go to the main phase are those with the most fighting skills. But if one has a supporting martial artist, then this difference in strength will become less relevant because it will be possible to be treated and restore one''s spirit power. In practice, there will be a clear difference between who owns a partner to support him from those who do not." Another student raised his hand and expressed his doubt.


    "It''s just like you say," Song Yazhu replied before continuing, "as I said earlier unless you have a force capable of wiping out everything and everyone, the strength of the individual will lose in comparison to the power of a group. You were given nine months to build relationsh.i.p.s between yourselves and the trial in the forest was input to encourage you to work together. If you want to be a simple soldier, then to focus only on your own strength isn''t wrong, but if you''re going to be a leader and command an entire army, then you need more than your power alone. If you don''t have the qualifications to be followed by other people, then it''s just your shortcoming. You have no right to blame the academy and say the test is unfair.


    However, the academy isn''t even that cruel, not to give you solutions to that problem. You can recruit an external martial artist as your support. But there are rules - its cultivation doesn''t have to be superior to yours and, unlike students, it can only support one person. Also, outsiders won''t be entitled to any reward from the academy. If you intend to recruit them, then you will have to pay for it yourself.


    Another thing to add is the conditions regarding the beast tamers. As you know, the beast tamers fight together with their spirit beasts, using only one spirit beast at a time. But you are allowed to make changes if you have multiple spirit beasts. Since the tamer must also be able to handle the fight alone, it is allowed to fight in pairs only for a third of the matches. If you still want to send your spirit beast forward, even after exceeding the permitted number of matches, it will have to fight alone.


    Okay, now. The lesson is over. More information about the preliminaries and the subdivision of the groups will be given later on. You can go now."


    With that, Song Yazhu dismissed the class and left. The students were still excited about everything they heard today, and they were already starting to prepare for the tournament. It was a priority for them to recruit the best supporting martial artists as soon as possible.


    "Let''s go to our room," Hei announced to his companions. Since their group contained four supporting martial artists, they were in a better situation than others. However, they still had to organize for the tournament. After all, they were five offensive martial artists while there were only four supporting ones. One of them would be left without support.


    Once in the room, Hei began to take stock of the situation, "Song Yazhu said that the preliminaries for the 32 groups would be held simultaneously. Consequently, there is no way that you four, Haruno, Mareo, Lilian, and Mia, can take care of each of us. Furthermore, it also adds that we could end up in the same group. I hope this doesn''t happen, but in that case, only one can advance to the main phase."


    Hei''s words brought silence to the room. The five offensive martial artists, Hei, Lian, Leon, He Fen, and Lang, were all determined to advance to the main phase, at least, especially the last two who came from a family with a certain reputation. Their victory would bring honor to their families. And even if they didn''t finish first, as long as they could perform well, they could get recognition from the elders of their respective families.


    "Isn''t it possible to ask Long Tian about it? With his help, we could avoid ending up in the same group. Although it may appear sneaky and a little dirty, it''s not that we''re asking him to move us to the main phase of the tournament." Leon proposed. As Hei''s trusted companions, they had learned about the details of the challenge with Feng Gengxin and the fact that the academy headmaster was Long Tian''s uncle.


    "It''s not a bad idea. And then, I strongly doubt that the academy will leave the combinations to chance. Surely the students with the most potential will be placed in distinct groups to avoid colliding too early. Considering the scale of the tournament, they will try to keep the audience''s excitement at a peak." He Fen supported Leon''s idea, and Lang also gave her consent with a nod. Fenrir made a small howl to say that he too was in favor.


    "Hei, can''t you ask Long Tian to resolve the matter?" Lian asked Hei.


    "I can try, but even if he says it can be done, it doesn''t change the fact that we have to decide how to split up for the preliminaries. Song Yazhu said that supporting martial artists can nominate up to 5 people. Therefore, the four of you," Hei turned to the four supporting martial artists of his group, "will name the five of us. In the main phase, they will likely make us fight one at a time. This way, you will have time to treat each of us. As far as the preliminaries are concerned, each of you will support one of us other than me."


    Hearing this, Leon, He Fen, and Lang frowned. They knew that Hei would come out with such a thing, deciding to be the one at a disadvantage. But before they could reply, Lian explained the reason for this decision.


    "It''s not what you think. Hei''s choice is not due to a feeling of being a hero or because he considers us weak, and therefore we need help while he does not. If you think about it carefully, Hei is the most favored from all of us."


    "More favored?" Lang asked that she couldn''t understand what Lian meant. The same was true of others.


    "Yes. I give you a suggestion. According to Hei''s reasoning, the second most advantaged is none other than you, Lang." the young blue-haired woman replied.


    Lang looked confused for a moment before she understood what Lian meant. Instinctively she looked down to where Fenrir was, the spirit beast wolf who was her faithful companion.


    "Beast tamers, now I understand." Lang murmured.


    "Yes. Normally, beast tamers aren''t very strong in fighting one vs. one, similar to supporting martial artists. But they make up for their shortage by teaming up with their spirit beasts. Now, it is possible to fight with only one spirit beast at a time and only for a third of the matches. However, Song Yazhu also said that spirit beasts could fight alone, overcoming the limit on the matches. Therefore, I am not participating as a single individual but as three. You know how strong Ye and Xing are. They will take care of the preliminaries, while I will mainly just watch. So there''s no point in assigning me a support martial artist right now. "


    Hei''s explanation made sense. Indeed, Ye and Xing, even without being able to use the elemental laws, were spirit beasts capable of defeating most of the first-year students.


    "As for Long Tian, ??leave it to me. Now, all we have to do is focus on getting to the best conditions for the preliminaries. I know the strength of all of you well, and I have no doubt that you can get the top position in your respective groups. So let''s all get to the main phase, okay?" Hei said to incite his companions.


    "Yes!!!" the others answered. Their morale was charged. They had worked so hard to get the progress they had made to date. And finally, they would have the opportunity to show them in front of everyone else.

 Chapter 188 - Start of the Preliminaries

    It was finally the start of the preliminaries. Of the five thousand students who made up the first year, one thousand wouldn''t participate since they were supporting martial artists. Considering that there were 32 groups, for each group, there were a total of 125 people. Only one of these 125 from each group would advance to the main phase of the tournament.


    The students were eager to get started. As the preliminaries approached, their excitement had increased dramatically, and now that the day had finally come, it had reached the peak.


    "Good. You are all present. We can start the preliminaries." Song Yazhu announced. He was responsible for overlooking all the matches. Even if he was a single person, the sight and perception of a Spirit King were such that he could keep an eye on all the fights at the same time.


    "4000 first-year students participate. As I said earlier, there will be 32 groups. Each group will have 125 people. The groups have already been decided, so there is no point in worrying about it. The person with the most wins from each group will move on to the main phase of the tournament. However, the top 500, top 300, top 100, and top 50 will be rewarded with a certain number of contribution points based on the number of your wins. The rewards are c.u.mulative; therefore, if, for example, you should finish in the top 50 positions, in addition to the reward of your positioning bracket, you will also receive the previous ones. For the top 32, the relative prizes will be given once the tournament''s main phase has ended. Therefore you should aim to win each match even if you don''t end up winning your respective group."


    "Teacher Song Yazhu, what if I don''t have to qualify for the main phase of the tournament but get more wins than the winner of another group? How will the calculation of the positions be managed?" asked one of the students.


    "The top 32 equals the winners of each group, regardless of the number of wins. Even if you had to have a number higher of wins than some winners, you would not enter the top 32, and you would be considered in the top 50. At first glance, it will seem unfair, but life is like this; however, many calculations you can do, there will always be the possibility that something will happen that will completely ruin your plans. In a sense, luck is one of the martial artist''s abilities. If you are unlucky, you can only curse yourself for your bad luck.


    However, considering that the academy tends to reward who is willing and show commitment, you will be allowed to challenge the winners with a lower number of wins than yours. If you win, then you will be admitted to the main phase. Otherwise, you will have no excuse for why you weren''t admitted."


    Song Yazhu carefully explained the details of the preliminaries. It was important for the students to understand the dynamics behind the ranking so they could proceed with their strategies. Indeed, these rules made it possible to have a chance even if you were unlucky and ended up in a group like that of the Imperial Prince, Long Tian. Because of this, you could also decide to forfeit specific matches to focus on maximizing the chances of winning over easier matches, giving up wasting energy on the first year''s big shots.


    Song Yazhu finished speaking and motioned for the students to divide into their respective groups. To help him, some older students had come. They wanted to observe potential recruits for their future units in the Sun Army. In particular, they were interested in the strength of the Imperial Prince and the children of the Eight Big Families.


    "Then, we will see each other later. Remember, aim to win but don''t aim at victory at all costs. It doesn''t make sense to use all your energy just to win against a single opponent. The important thing is to acc.u.mulate the most wins." Hei recommended it to his companions.


    "Yes! We will definitely move on to the main phase!" the others confidently answered.


    Leon was assigned to group 24. Mareo was with him as a supporting martial artist. Since Leon possessed the highest amount of spirit power among all, it was decided that Haruno, who was a martial artist chef, would accompany him. Although he couldn''t assist him directly in combat, he could speed up the recovery of his spirit power with fast preparing delicious dishes.


    Lang and Fenrir were assigned to group 25. Mareo would be accompanying them as a musician martial artist. Given Lang and Fenrir''s fighting strength, the tamer and spirit beast duo was the least likely to get hurt. Consequently, Mareo was assigned to them. Although he couldn''t intervene directly in the fight with his music, he could influence their emotions and bring them to their peak battle condition in no time.


    He Fen was assigned to group 16, and Lilian was with him. Fire and Lightning were two Elemental Laws that bonded well together, so it was decided that Lilian was more suitable than Mia as his supporting martial artist.


    Lian instead was placed in group 50, and as a supporting martial artist, she had Mia. The young medic martial artist possessed the Light Law and therefore was better suited to Lian, who owned the Water Law and the Wood Law, two elements known for their peaceful characteristics. However, the Water Law also possessed destructive features.


    Lastly, Hei was added to group 7. He had no supporting martial artists, but it wasn''t a problem. Indeed, he wouldn''t participate alone. As a beast tamer martial artist, he had signed his little sisters with him, and they would fight with him.


    Once the groups were finished, the fighting started. For each group, a stone stage was built as a battlefield. The fights would take place in unison and would see two students from the same group, for a total of 32 battles taking place at the same time. Once the winner was decided, two more contenders would go up until all the students had fought 125 matches.


    Since it was also a test for assessing endurance and their ability to formulate strategies, the preliminaries would take place relentlessly. For this, the presence of supporting martial artists was indispensable. After all, the sooner the attacking martial artists learned that they couldn''t survive without the supporting martial artists, the better it would be.


    "Ye, Xing. There are 125 matches. I''ll leave you 60 matches each, okay? For the other five, instead, I will take care of them. Take advantage of this opportunity to familiarize yourself with fighting other martial artists. Remember, though, that I won''t intervene. Your defeat is equivalent to a defeat for me, have I been clear?" Hei turned to his little sisters.


    ''Hahaha, big brother, you underestimate us. How could we ever lose!? We''ll show you how strong we became.''


    ''Ye is right. For who did you get us?! We will win without problems!''


    The two little divine beasts briskly responded as their fighting spirit awoke. However, calling them little wasn''t the proper adjective since they were now in their original forms. As they had to fight, Hei told them to take away their petite form.


    "Show it to me with the facts then. If you win all the fights, then I will reward you properly." Hei answered, smiling. Although he had warned them to pay attention, he wasn''t so worried. As expected, the academy had divided the students with the most potential into different groups. Although there were several strong students in his group, Hei was confident that his little sisters could beat them even if they were unable to use their Elemental Laws.


    The clashes followed quickly. The various fighters would exchange dozens of blows, and when the strength gap was evident, the weaker would admit their defeat. When considering the modalities of the preliminaries, in this initial phase, it was better to keep one''s strength as much as possible even if they had the help of a supporting martial artist.


    "Group 7, Hei against Jin Norogumi!" one of the older students who supported Song Yazhu in the supervision called out.


    Hearing his name, Hei went on stage. His first fight had finally come. As he walked, the other members of his group unconsciously withdrew from his path. This reaction was due in part to the demonstration of skill shown by Hei months back but was mainly due to the presence of the two terrifying beings next to him - a spider and a snake three and a half meters long. Such spirit beasts gave off such pressure and a sense of uneasiness that it was difficult to think they were mere second-level spirit beasts.


    "As a beast tamer, you are allowed to use only one spirit beast," the older student reminded him.


    "Yes, I know," Hei replied briefly. His gaze then fell on his little sisters at his side, "Have you decided who will go first?"


    ''I! I will go first! ''Ye said happily.


    ''Yes, Ye goes first. She was lucky enough to win rock paper scissors.'' Xing added disconsolately.


    Incidentally, since they didn''t have human hands with which to reproduce the rock-paper-scissors shapes, they played roshambo using their minds, screaming the name of what they wanted to play.


    "Alright. Then you go first, Ye. Xing, and I will wait for you here." Hei said to his little sister, who lively crawled to the ground.


    His opponent, Jin Norogumi, had also taken the stage. Hearing that Hei had been given as his first opponent, he cursed his bad luck. He didn''t want to have such a difficult fight from the beginning, but he decided to try it anyway. As a student of the Southern Royal War Academy, he was still a genius in the total panorama of the empire. So, as a genius, he couldn''t run away without even trying. However, what he saw was happening on stage almost made his eyes drop from his orbits due to anger.


    "What does this mean? What do your actions mean?" Jin asked loudly to Hei.


    "What do you mean? We have to fight, right? As a beast tamer, it is natural for my spirit beast to fight." Hei replied without giving too much weight to his opponent''s words.


    "No, I don''t mean your spirit beast. I want to know what intentions you have? Why aren''t you on stage fighting me?" Jin shouted, spitting saliva from anger.


    Hei had sat on Xing''s head, who was off the stage. In practice, he gave up fighting, sending only his spirit beast in his place. It was an attitude that said that he simply didn''t put his opponent in his eyes, letting someone else handle it for him.


    "Are you sure about your decision? If you don''t go on stage within ten seconds, I will consider your spirit beast as the only fighter. If you try to intervene later, I will consider it an infringement of the rules, and you will be judged instantly defeated. Is it okay for you?" even the older student raised his eyebrows.


    Hei''s behavior was far too arrogant. Although the tournament rules allowed it, it was surprising that there was a beast tamer who was really willing to send their spirit beast alone. After all, spirit beasts didn''t have laws, so the tamers themselves would be a better candidate even if their battle skills weren''t the best.


    "I have no problem with it," Hei replied regardless of the gaze of others. He wasn''t arrogant; he simply had so much confidence in his little sisters that he didn''t feel the need to intervene. He wasn''t even forced to explain it to other people; in any case, they could hardly understand his thoughts.


    "Okay, let the fight begin." the older student announced. While Hei replied, he glanced over at Song Yazhu to ask how he should act. The Spirit King simply nodded to say there was no problem; after all, he had already said that it was allowed. Besides, as the first-year teacher, he knew well the strength of his students and their characters. So he knew that Hei wasn''t an arrogant person at all.


    "I will make you regret making fun of me. The incident with c.o.c.kroaches and termites was different since they were too many, but I won''t lose against a mere spirit beast in a one vs. one fight. Initially, I thought it was unfortunate to have you as an opponent in the first round, but the luck seems to be with me instead." Jin shouted with furious joy as he activated his spirit power. As a young genius, what he hated most was being looked down upon by others, especially those of his age.


    Hei didn''t answer but just fixed his eyes on his little sister. Ye, on the other hand, wasn''t like Hei; during the fight, she liked to taunt the enemy and tease him. In a sense, her playfulness was an excellent psychological weapon that stabilized her opponent''s mental defenses. The problem was that it didn''t work much against humans since humans didn''t understand the language of spirit beasts without the help of an external translator. But Ye still didn''t give up on raging with words.


    ''You cannot lose against a mere spirit beast? I, Ye, your mother, will knock you down in no time. So you will learn not to underestimate the strength of spirit beasts.''


    Ye activated her spirit power and advanced rapidly forward. Despite her long body, her speed of crawling on the ground reached a terrifying speed. Spectators couldn''t help but be surprised because the speed of many of them was even slower than the one shown by the black snake with golden patterns.


    "Don''t underestimate me!" Jin, therefore, used a footwork technique, increasing his speed. His body was zigzagging to confuse Ye so that he could hit her with the next blow.


    ''You''re still too slow!'' Ye replied.


    Whoosh! Peng!


    There was the sound of something whipping the air followed by a dry sound of something being hit. The next instant, Jin was sent to fly to the other end of the stage. If he hadn''t regained his balance at the last minute, he would have fallen out. Although you wouldn''t lose if you were to hit the ground off the stage, it would still be a stain on his honor if that had happened.


    Nonetheless, Jin''s heart was pounding as his ears became hot from the anger he was feeling. A single blow from that snake had swept him away as if he were a mannequin. And the biggest problem was that he hadn''t even seen how he had been attacked.


    ''Fool. The danger of a snake isn''t so much in the bite of their fangs but in their tail speed. Ye''s tail can move faster than her entire body speed.'' Hei thought to himself. Although he trusted Ye, he couldn''t help but be a little worried since he didn''t know the strength of all his classmates. But after this first confrontation, one concept became clear to him - that Jin Norogumi couldn''t beat Ye.


    Jin tried to use various attacks, using his weapon and his Elemental Law, but nothing he used served. Ye was simply too strong, and more tail blows were enough to send the human out of the ring. Blinded by his anger, Jin had ended up using too much spirit power than expected, which would affect his second fight.


    "The winner is Hei." declared the older student who was surprised by the snake''s fighting ability. Now he understood why Hei was so relaxed.


    "You did well, come back now," Hei said to his little sister as she urged Xing to turn around. Ye nodded and followed them from behind.


    As before, the other students unconsciously moved out of their way as they suddenly realized something. Hei was already powerful and dangerous enough, and now that snake was added. However, the spirit beasts he had with him were two. Did it mean that the dark purple spider was as strong as the black snake?


    Thinking about this, everyone took a breath. It meant that there were potentially three strong opponents who fought as one. Consequently, the most likely to win in group 7 was Hei with his spirit beasts.

 Chapter 189 - Destroying a Beauty

    Ye''s performance left group 7 in great turmoil. However, the various martial artists of that group had no time to waste in being stunned in that way. Soon, two more students were called to come on stage and fight.


    After a series of other matches, it was Hei''s turn again. This time it was Xing who fought, and as had happened before, the purple spider with silver patterns quickly overwhelmed the enemy before her. The fear of group 7''s students proved to be well-founded - Hei possessed two spirit beasts with an incredible battle skill, such that they could fight alone and win.


    The matches followed one another. Since there were no scheduled breaks, everyone had to stay nearby in case their name was called. Those who weren''t fighting spent their time cultivating or being medicated by the supporting martial artists whom they had contracted.


    On this point, the number of external support martial artists hired was low. They were just students and had to think first of all about their development. Hiring an external martial artist was expensive, and considering the high number of challenges, it wasn''t worth the risk. Only those who had some background behind them or who were confident of their abilities hired outsiders, but they were nothing but a minority. It meant that a lot of first-year students were unsupported.


    Hei meanwhile continued to gain victories. Ye and Xing were full of energy and were winning their matches one after the other. Even without using their Elemental Laws, as long as they dodged their opponents'' techniques, they wouldn''t have had much trouble. And in any case, their bodies were already naturally resistant. By also adding the protective layer of spirit power, unless you had a strong understanding of the laws, according to the standard of spirit soldiers, you wouldn''t be able to penetrate their defenses.


    *


    It was Hei''s 30th match. This time the opponent was a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and bewitching brown eyes. She wore refined trousers that tightened her thighs, forming an elegant line while the shirt she was wearing well surrounded the abundant chest, accentuating the shapes. She was undoubtedly a beautiful girl who could win the hearts of many men.


    Nan Yoo-Jin, this was the name of the young woman. She was part of the group of students accepted into the academy''s special recruitment to make up for the death toll in the forest trial. Given her beauty, she was considered the number one beauty among the new students and had admirers even among the old students.


    Because of this, Nan Yoo-Jin used this feature to grab a nice slice of the matches. Some decided to forfeit to incur in her favor; in the end, it was only just one defeat, and it wouldn''t change their rank by much. Others, however, failed to fight seriously for fear of hurting her, and at the same time, they didn''t want to be put in the black book of the beautiful young woman.


    It must be said that most young male martial artists were easily swayed when it came to beautiful young women, especially at an early age like theirs. Most were 15-16 years old, and by being in close contact with their female companions continuously, their s.e.x.u.a.l instincts were forming. It wasn''t strange, in fact, to see romantic couples among the students of the academy.


    "Nan Yoo-Jin vs. Hei. Get on stage," announced the older student assigned to group 7. Although he was older than those who were fighting, he was only two years older. So he couldn''t help but place his eyes over the seductive body of the young woman.


    Nan Yoo-Jin noticed it but, as she was smart, she took advantage of it to give the older student a seducing smile. Although he wasn''t the official referee, it wouldn''t be bad to get that student''s favor; there was the possibility that Song Yazhu could ask him for opinions regarding the matches.


    Soon after, however, Nan Yoo-Jin''s smile disappeared. In front of her was a large dark purple spider with silver patterns watching her with its disturbing eight red eyes. It was like being stabbed by eight blades; Nan Yoo-Jin couldn''t help shivering.


    ''No! I can''t be so intimidated by a stupid beast. I''ve already decided what to do when I have to face this Hei.'' Nan Yoo-Jin thought to herself.


    "All right, let''s begin-" the older student was about to announce the start of the fight when a voice as delicate as dew in the morning rang.


    "Wait! Wait, please. I would like to have two words with my opponent, is that possible?" Nan Yoo-Jin implored, turning to the older student.


    The older student scratched his head, unsure about what to do. Nan Yoo-Jin''s pleading face told him to say yes right away, but Song Yazhu''s presence was keeping him down to earth. The student glanced at the Spirit King, sighing once he found that Song Yazhu wasn''t looking at them.


    "Okay, but hurry up." the student replied, trying to be indifferent.


    "Thank you so much. I''ll try to repay you." Nan Yoo-Jin made a small leap as if she were happy with the response received. This reaction put a stupid smile on the face of the older student who felt proud to make such a beautiful young woman happy.


    Nan Yoo-Jin, therefore, tried to get closer to Hei. Her goal was to convince him to take the field and face her. She was confident in her charm and knew that during the confrontation, Hei would be forced to observe her. Before long, he too would fall prey to her beauty. Thinking about it, Nan Yoo-Jin smiled to herself, happy that the men were so stupid as to be duped with simple cute gestures.


    Whoosh!


    Something dark and sharp moved quickly in front of her face. One more step, and it would have pierced her head. Bewildered, Nan Yoo-Jin slowly turned her head and was terrified of what she saw. Xing''s eight red eyes were less than a meter away from her, and they looked intently at her. Her raised leg indicated that Nan Yoo-Jin was forbidden to go further, or she would be pierced like meat on a skewer.


    "Let her speak," Hei said, waking up from his cultivation session. It wasn''t that he was curious about what Nan Yoo-Jin had to say; it was just that the young woman wouldn''t easily give up. The sooner she told what she wanted, the faster they could get back to the fight.


    "Ehmm ... thank you," replied Nan Yoo-Jin in a trembling voice as she distanced herself from Xing. After that, she made a few coughs to clear her throat and asked, "You are Hei, aren''t you? I have heard so many things about you and have always wanted to meet you. I was wondering if you would like to fight with me to give me some advice. Don''t you want to help me improve my fighting style?"


    The young woman''s tone became pleading again as she looked at Hei''s impassive face with fawn eyes. She had used this tactic countless times, and it had always worked.


    "Is that just what you wanted to tell me? All right, I accept." Hei replied flatly.


    Then he jumped from Ye''s head and landed on the stage next to Xing." Rest, for now, the next fight is yours." Hei said to his little sister as he stroked her face at the height of her fangs.


    Seeing how Hei was smoothly stroking such a terrifying creature, Nan Yoo-Jin shivered but repressed her feelings. In any case, her plan had succeeded, and in a short time, she would obtain yet another victory.


    Xing let herself be stroked for a while before stepping off the stage and standing next to Ye. As for a reason behind Hei''s consensus was that he simply had gotten a little tired of cultivating. So he decided it was the perfect opportunity to do some warm-up; after all, he had already decided that he would fight five matches and, considering that they were halfway through, it was okay to take to the pitch now as his first match.


    "Well, then. Let the fight begin." the older student quickly announced. As Hei went on stage, he had felt a gaze settling on group 7, as if something of absolute power was watching him. It didn''t take a genius to understand that Song Yazhu had looked there to know why they weren''t proceeding with the matches.


    Hei and Nan Yoo-Jin went into a fighting stance. The young woman drew her short one-hand sword. The weapon had a thin and light shape, which was perfectly suited to the young woman''s build. Hei instead didn''t draw any weapons; since he wanted to warm up, he decided not to draw his spear out for now.


    Whoosh! Slash!


    Nan Yoo-Jin activated her footwork skill, moving gracefully onto the battlefield. Although she relied on her beauty, she had been still able to enter the Southern Royal War Academy. Her battle skills were by no means to be underestimated.


    "Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode." Hei murmured in response as he activated his speed ability.


    Hei''s body vanished from where he was. With rapid steps, he positioned himself in front of Nan Yoo-Jin''s running trajectory, intercepting the young woman.


    "Snake Fist."


    Hei''s hand quickly moved as he sprinted on the target. Nan Yoo-Jin was surprised that Hei had immediately aimed to attack her instead of studying her movements. However, she didn''t allow herself to be impressed and moved her sword to block the blow.


    Peng!


    The power of Snake Fist made the young woman step back a little, and she let herself be pushed back to regain the distance from Hei. After that, Nan Yoo-Jin used one of her techniques, "Lightning Law, Burst of Electric Needles!"


    The spirit power on the young woman''s sword began to vibrate, and when Nan Yoo-Jin waved her weapon in the direction of Hei, dozens of electric needles were created, which were fired in Hei''s direction.


    "Snake Hair."


    Without losing his temper, Hei activated Snake Hair and easily parried the assault of needles. This left Nan Yoo-Jin amazed that she didn''t expect her attack to be easily blocked. But the young woman was unwilling to surrender.


    "Law of Lightning, Electric Transmission!"


    Nan Yoo-Jin put a hand on the ground. Nothing happened, but from her face, it was clear that her technique hadn''t failed. Hei felt the ground beneath him vibrate. By relying on his instincts, he jumped high just in time to avoid the electric shocks that had suddenly appeared under his feet.


    "You''re done! Intent of the Sword, Circular Slash!"


    Nan Yoo-Jin spun the sword while drawing a circle with the tip of the blade. The point where she was aiming was Hei''s chest, which remained exposed after jumping high.


    "Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode, Aerial Mode."


    Whoosh!


    Hei''s body disappeared again. It left all the spectators incredulous. It was known that at the spirit soldier rank, it was difficult to apply speed techniques to their flight ability. For this reason, most of the fighting was still fought on the ground rather than in the air. Yet Hei had moved quickly in the air as he did when he was still on the ground.


    "Spear Lance, Punch Mode!"


    Peng! Crack!


    Hei''s arm moved as fast as lightning and landed precisely on the young woman''s face. Nan Yoo-Jin''s defensive layer was broken as soon as she received Hei''s punch. Nan Yoo-Jin was a middle fourth-stage spirit soldier while Hei was a beginning fifth-stage spirit soldier. Although the difference in cultivation was small and wasn''t the only determining factor of a fight, it still had its weight.


    Drip. Drip.


    The sound of something dripping echoed in the ears of everyone in group 7. To their amazement, Nan Yoo-Jin''s beautiful face was now spotted with a continuous scarlet red flow. Hei''s fist had not only broken the defensive layer but had also broken the young woman''s nose.


    For Nan Yoo-Jin, it was as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mind had turned white, and she didn''t know what to think. Never in her life had anything like this happened. However, the pain in the nose and the continuous dripping of blood brought her back to reality.


    "You! YOU! YOOOUUU! How dare you! Look at how you ruined my face! Don''t you know that the face is the most delicate and important part of a woman?! How the f.u.c.k did you dare do it!!!" Nan Yoo-Jin yelled in a language not suited to the image she had committed so much to create. But that didn''t matter to her at the moment. She just wanted to tear the person before her eyes to pieces.


    "Yes! Right. How dare you? I will teach you a lesson for hurting Goddess Yoo-Jin." proclaimed one of the students of group 7. For many, especially the new arrivals, Nan Yoo-Jin''s beauty was such as to consider her as a goddess. So, they worshiped her as such, following her and supporting her as good puppies.


    The anger of Nan Yoo-Jin fans began to get more and more impetuous - enough to involve some who weren''t followers of the young woman but considered excessive the use of so much strength by Hei.


    Hei stood on the spot, indifferent to the screams that were falling on him. The only reason why he didn''t keep attacking was that the situation could have escalated. He was waiting for Song Yazhu to intervene and restore the calm.


    "SILENCE!"


    A scream rang out in the place where the preliminaries were taking place. All the fights in the 32 stages that hosted the preliminaries stopped. Surprisingly, it wasn''t Song Yazhu who shouted but Hu Jie.


    It must be known that the 32 stages were divided into two blocks, Block A and Block B. Each block contained 16 stages arranged in a square shape, consequently with four stages in total horizontally and vertically. The stage of group 7 was, therefore, not so far from group 1 where Hu Jie had been placed.


    "Idiots. What are you? Are you martial artists or not? Why the f.u.c.k are you drooling behind a woman and give her the victory without a fight. Is this all your determination? If so, you are worth less than shit. And as for you woman, do you believe that only because you are cute, will you have a guaranteed life? If you think so, what the f.u.c.k did you sign up to do here? Why didn''t you marry the son of some wealthy family? Do you think that once in war, the demons will care that you are a pretty woman? NO! They will attempt to kill you instantly. No, in the worst-case scenario, precisely because of your beauty, they will keep you alive as their toy, raping you until they get tired of you. If you can''t even accept a punch in the face, then disappear.


    The academy is not a playground. It is the place where we can refine our techniques before the actual war. And if you really can''t accept that Hei took his opponent seriously with that punch, then step forward. There''s still some time before my turn, so I have time to spare. Besides, shit like you don''t have the qualifications to damage my skin."


    Hu Jie''s reply was like receiving a bucket of water. Nan Yoo-Jin fans were speechless and looked down. What Hu Jie had said was true; moreover, even if they had valid arguments, they wouldn''t have had the courage to say a word. Hu Jie belonged to one of the Eight Big Families, after all.


    Nan Yoo-Jin also turned white. Although Hei was strong, he was a nobody without any prestigious background. So she didn''t mind offending him and using her fans to get her revenge. But Hu Jie was different. As beautiful as she was, her beauty couldn''t in any way outclass the fame and grandeur of a family like that of the Hu Family, owner of the White Tiger Royal Bloodline.


    "Hei wins the match. Let''s proceed with the other matches."


    Song Yazhu''s voice rang out among all those present. There was a slight irritation in his voice; the show that was staged by Nan Yoo-Jin and her fans wasn''t at all to his liking. If it hadn''t been for Hu Jie, then the consequences could have been more severe than a simple reminder.


    "Hei, Nan Yoo-Jin, get off the stage. Proceed with the next match." said the older student in charge of group 7. His face was bleached because he feared that Song Yazhu might punish him for allowing such a situation to occur.


    Nan Yoo-Jin had no choice but to step off the stage with a blank expression. It was as if they had sucked her soul; she knew that no one else from now on would easily grant her victory. Her chances of winning had dropped dramatically.


    Hei also got out, nodding towards Hu Jie to thank him. Then he returned to Ye and Xing, who had remained alert if any of Nan Yoo-Jin''s fans had decided to go on stage against their big brother.

 Chapter 190 - The Main Phase Begins!

    After Song Yazhu''s reprimand, the fighting resumed as if nothing had happened. The students on stage continued to exchange blows as they tried to win. Those who weren''t fighting acted as spectators or received the care of the supporting martial artists they had chosen for themselves.


    It took a full day to finish the preliminaries. Since 125 fights had to be played, the fighters couldn''t rage on a single battle, thus reducing the time taken by individual fights. Even so, it was still a long and tiring process.


    Hei was the first in his group even though he didn''t get a full score. The students of the academy were all considered geniuses, and therefore it was normal that it would have been easy to obtain victory in every match. Ye and Xing were strong, but they were unable to use their Elemental Laws, thus suffering a couple of defeats each. Although it was frustrating for the two little divine beasts, Hei knew it would benefit their growth as they were very competitive. In any case, since they fought like three, he overtook the other strong contenders of his group with a strategy of attrition. After all, from the hundredth match onwards, the spirit power of fighters had begun running out.


    Even Lian, Leon, He Fen, Lang, and Fenrir get first place in their group. Unlike Hei, they didn''t fight as three entities united in one, but they were still helped by Mareo and the other supporting martial artists of their group. Thanks to their help, they managed to maximize their chances of winning, taking first place in the end.


    In addition to Hei''s party, Imperial Prince Long Tian and his four guards all moved on to the main phase of the tournament. The same was true of Hu Jie, Feng Chen, and Huli Xieren. All of them had a noble background, were extraordinarily talented, and possessed powerful techniques. The fact that they had obtained the first place was, therefore, part of everyone''s expectations.


    "The preliminaries are over. The 32 fighters for the main phase of the tournament, which will take place in a month, have been decided. You have a month to prepare and make the last changes to your fighting style. Later, you will also receive the prizes for your placements.


    During this month, those who have achieved more wins than the winner of another group will be able to launch their challenges. However, it will have to take place within a week before the start of the main phase of the tournament. If you haven''t launched your challenge before then, your right to challenge will be void.


    Now, you are dismissed. Go to rest and restore your wounds. The outsiders who have been brought to the academy will have to leave right now. No exceptions are allowed."


    When he finished speaking, Song Yazhu disappeared from everyone''s sight. However, it was sure he was still around, as there were still people outside the academy. As a first-year teacher, he was also responsible for the safety of the students.


    "Phew, and this is also over. I''m exhausted." Lilian said, yawning loudly. Even though she was a woman, she didn''t conform to the etiquette, and her behavior was always rough. But by now, the others had got used to it.


    "Yeah, but mostly I''m hungry," Mareo added, placing a hand on his stomach. Supporting was just as tiring as fighting. Although they received no injuries, it was still true that their spirit power was depleted.


    "Why don''t we go eat first? We skipped lunch; at least we have to eat dinner." Leon proposed to the rest of the group.


    His proposal was accepted with everyone''s consent. They had spent the whole day in preliminaries, and it was evening now. A generous meal followed by long sleep was the ideal medicine for their bodies and spirits. So they all went to the canteen to refresh themselves and recover their energy.


    *


    A month passed quickly. The academy had completed the massive stage that would be the battleground for this event. Giant stands were also built around the stage, rising for tens and tens of meters and could host tens of thousands of spectators. Therefore it was possible not only to welcome those who were connected to the academy but as well all the other external guests who came to attend the tournament.


    The academy organized things in grand style, sending invitations to all influential families in the Southern Region to attend the event. Since this was a rare event and at the moment no battles were going on with the demons, all the guests decided to participate. After all, since their sons were participating, the family heads of the Feng Family and the Hu Family would also attend. In addition to them, there would also be the Academy Dean, Spirit Emperor Long Jing, belonging to the Imperial Family. As less influential families, this would be an excellent opportunity to make contacts with some of the biggest shots in the Sun Empire.


    Mumble. Mumble.


    An incessant mumble dominated every part of the stadium set up by the academy. The students who didn''t get to participate in the main phase of the tournament were in high spirits. It was the first time they had seen so many important martial artists, and they were excited by the news received not long ago by the academy. Even without being the main show, they could exhibit their skills in front of such a grand audience.


    The prestigious families of the Southern Region had presented themselves in full, bringing the most promising young people of the younger generation, several elders, and even their family heads. But despite being respected and prestigious guests, their presence was overshadowed by the two big shots which showed up to attend the tournament. The eyes of all the spectators were fixed on them.


    Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing. The two heads of the Hu Family and the Feng Family, two of the Eight Big Families. Not only had they reached the rank of Spirit Emperor at a young age, according to the Empire''s standards, but everyone recognized them as two of the most powerful Spirit Emperors. They were practically monstrous weapons in human form, which would unleash their power only in extreme situations. In addition to that, the two families also shared the control of the Southern Region, making them the unofficial lords thanks to the Empire''s concession. Still, they were obliged to report to the Imperial Family about their management.


    "Welcome, it''s a pleasure to have you all as guests. In particular, I didn''t expect to be able to welcome the heads of the Feng and Hu Families." said the dean of the Southern Royal War Academy, Long Jing to all the special guests.


    "Old Jing, enough with formalities. You are older than us; we should be the ones addressing you with reverence. And then, you were even our teacher when we were at the academy, hahaha. It makes me strange that you call me formally. Even though many years have passed, I still consider you the grumpy teacher of the past." said Hu Luoyang plain-spoken.


    As expected by Hu Jie''s father, Hu Luoyang also seemed like an easy-going guy, more inclined to behave as he felt instead pretending to be polite. At the seat next to his, Feng Qing sighed. He seemed to have resigned himself to correct this side of his old classmate. It passed a lot of time from the last time he tried to reprimand Hu Luoyang.


    "Excuse him, Teacher Jing. Even though he became a Spirit Emperor and the head of the family, he didn''t grow up at all. Inside he still thinks he is a young man of the younger generation." Feng Qing calmly apologized.


    "Ahahah, youth is not in the body but the spirit. You''re the one who''s acting too old. All those formalities and repression of desires will make you age earlier than expected." Hu Luoyang replied that he didn''t seem to have heard the criticism of his companion.


    Seeing this interaction between two of the biggest shots in the Sun Empire, the other special guests were all speechless, not knowing how to intervene in such a discussion. Although the heads of the other families had attained the rank of Spirit Emperor themselves, there were substantial differences between them. Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing belonged to the highest class among the Spirit Emperors while they were closer to the lower and intermediate classes.


    "Hahaha, I see that even over the years, you haven''t changed at all. I am pleased about that. I am curious to see your children''s skills. Considering their talent, I''m sure their battle power isn''t low." Long Jing took a seat between the two, in the seat assigned to the most important guest for the event. As dean of the academy, member of the Imperial Family, and Spirit Emperor, how could he not deserve this honor?


    "My Hu Jie is strong. I have full confidence that he can reach the first place." Hu Luoyang boldly announced as if it were something written in stone.


    "My son Feng Chen is also powerful. But there are many other capable fighters here. Your grandson is among the participants, right? If so, Feng Chen will have to commit himself wholeheartedly. We''ll see how he does." Feng Qing replied with a more moderate attitude, worthy of the head of an important family like his.


    "Yes. Long Tian is highly motivated to win. He told me, however, that in addition to your two children, in his year there are many interesting subjects, including one in particular. When I asked him to suggest to me who among the fighters he fears the most, he didn''t mention the name of your two children, but he named another person."


    At the words of Dean Long Jing, Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing raised their eyebrows in surprise. Even though they knew there were strong fighters, inside them, they believed that in the end, the contention for first place would only be between Long Tian, ??Hu Jie, and Feng Chen. The others simply didn''t have the talent and the background to overcome the children of these three prestigious families. But unexpectedly, Long Tian didn''t name Hu Jie or Feng Chen; no, the one whom he most feared was someone else.


    "Is it someone from an important family?" asked Feng Qing.


    "No, he''s someone with a practically zero background. Perhaps even less than zero as he doesn''t come from the Empire''s regions but the Forgotten Ocean." replied the dean.


    "The Forgotten Ocean? Now I remember. Hu Jie had mentioned something about it, but to think that kid was so strong. What is this student called?" Hu Luoyang asked.


    "Hei. A boy who came with a girl named Lian from the Forgotten Ocean. They are both qualified at the main phase of the tournament. I haven''t verified it in person, but it''s the first time I''ve heard Long Tian appreciate someone like that. I''m curious to see what his actual battle skills are."


    Alongside the three powerful Spirit Emperors, the other guests of honor began to murmur among themselves. The conversation between the three hadn''t been hidden at all, and everyone close to them could hear what they had said. Apparently, they had to keep an eye on this Hei.


    So, many of them had become interested in Hei. Not only the Imperial Prince gave a high appraisal, but Hei was someone without a background, that is, he could be recruited into their families. If they had acquired such a talent, they could improve their prestige.


    "Dead Long Jing, we''re ready. We can start when you want."


    Meanwhile, Song Yazhu had arrived at the place where Long Jing was seated. After kneeling reverently, the Spirit King announced that the participants for the tournament and their respective supporting martial artists were ready.


    "Okay, thanks, Yazhu. You can go." the dean raised his hand to dismiss Song Yazhu, then he rose from his seat. He made a small cough to clear his throat and get everyone''s attention.


    The cough hit the ears of all spectators who quickly fell silent when they realized who was about to talk - the principal of the Southern Royal War Academy. It was a character known by all but of whom little was known because he didn''t like to stand out. However, despite his secrecy, the power he could exercise was terrifying.


    "I welcome all our guests. As the dean of the Southern Royal War Academy, I am honored to have you here with me for this great event. I hope you will appreciate the fruits of our work as teachers in raising these promising younglings."


    Long Jing paused. Everyone applauded, and when they finished clapping, the principal went on, "Of the 4000 participants, only 32 were chosen. These 32 students have worked hard to get the possibility to show their skills in front of all of you. All for getting the first place. The rules are simple - we will proceed with one fight at a time, and the winner will be decided by K.O. or surrender by the loser.


    Song Yazhu will act as the referee, and he can intervene at any time. As you know, the academy prohibits killing or causing permanent injury; these rules will also be applied to this event. Song Yazhu also has the opportunity to declare the winner if the result is clear, but none of the fighters want to give in or manage to end the fight.


    The tournament will run over seven days. The first four days will be dedicated to the tournament up to the appointment of the two finalists. The fifth and sixth, instead, the academy will offer various shows with students of all three years to give way to the finalists to rest and recover strength. If any of the esteemed guests want to make some of the promising younglings brought with them fight, they can participate during these two days by submitting their candidacy to Song Yazhu. Lastly, the seventh day will be the final of the tournament in which the winner will be declared. On the evening of the seventh day, there will be a banquet and a celebratory dance where we will deliver the prizes, and you will be able to socialize among yourself. As for your accommodations, they are already settled. As soon as the first day of fighting is over, you will be taken to your residences.


    With that, say it''s time to start with the round of 32. We will begin with Block A, which will see the first sixteen fighters, and then we will move on to Block B. After which, of the 32 participants, only sixteen will pass to tomorrow. And now, let the tournament begin. Everyone enjoy the show!"


    The headmaster''s announcement was greeted by a roar of applause and shouts of excitement. The long-awaited event in the Southern Region was finally about to begin. Which of the 32 participants would come out on top?

 Chapter 191 - Main Phase First Match

    When the dean finished his introductory speech, the word passed to Song Yazhu, who was the official referee of the tournament as he was the first-year teacher and, therefore, the teacher of the fighting students.


    "The winners of Group 1 and 2 of Block A will open the tournament. The first to take the field is Hu Jie, son of the Hu Family''s head, Spirit Emperor Hu Luoyang, whom we have the honor of having among the guests for this occasion."


    Hearing the name of Hu Jie and that of his father Hu Luoyang, a buzz of excitement immediately murmured among the spectators. Hu Jie was undoubtedly one of the strongest fighters among the students of the first year and was also one of the favorites winning the whole tournament. The fact that the academy began immediately with a big shot like him made everyone waiting in anticipation.


    Rumble! Rumble! RUMBLE!


    Suddenly noises of drums were heard from every part of the stadium. At the same time, about twenty students dressed in tiger masks lined up in the open corridor that connected the changing rooms assigned to the fighters with the gigantic stage.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Each of these students started firing fireballs from the hands that burst into the air, emitting sparks. It was as if they were creating fireworks. In addition to the fire, all of them were loudly screaming a single word, "HU! HU! HU! "


    At that point, a masked figure from the locker room began to run along the corridor that separated him from the stage used for the fights. It was Hu Jie, and he also wore a tiger mask. However, unlike the others'' tiger masks, which were yellow-colored with black stripes, his was white with black stripes - the symbol of the White Tiger.


    "Hahaha, he did it again. I wasn''t sure if he would do it or not, but apparently, the temptation was too strong." Long Tian laughed. Hu Jie''s entry had put him in a good mood.


    "Ah, and here I was hoping he wouldn''t have done it. What a disgrace to the Eight Big Families. Why is he getting carried away by his emotions?" Feng Chen regretted by putting his hand on his face, not daring to look at Hu Jie.


    "His emotions? What do his emotions have to do with this so theatrical entry?" Hei asked the two.


    At the moment, Hei and his group were standing near Long Tian and his guards. Besides them, there were also Feng Chen and Huli Xieren. Even though they were opponents for the tournament, they had spent multiple occasions together since the forest trial. Even though there was a firm bond of friendship, they weren''t strangers. You could call them more like colleagues or study companions.


    "Hu Jie has a nerve problem. From what I remember, it has always been this way." Huli Xieren replied, recalling some scenes during the various banquets between the Eight Big Families. Although she wasn''t part of the Big Big Families, as a member of the Huli Family, subject to the Feng family, she was the personal maid of Feng Chen, as well as his bodyguard. However, the relationship between the two was more complex than what should have been established between master and servant.


    "Yeah, but as long as it stays within the Eight Big Families, it''s fine. Yet he is doing it in front of everyone." Feng Chen added. He wasn''t much in favor of that kind of attitude.


    Luckily Long Tian stepped in to provide more detail, "As Huli Xieren said, Hu Jie has a nerve problem. When it comes to fighting in front of an audience, he becomes unusually agitated. For this, he devised these personalized entrances to take courage while on the field. But be careful, the more the entrance is eye-catching and attracts attention, the more his determination goes up. It is like a kind of self-delusion in which he places himself in a ridiculous situation, so the only way to change the memory of his entry is to win at any cost.


    If he has come to make this entrance even in front of such an audience, it means that he desires to win. You can be sure that as the tournament progresses, he will become increasingly combative. I don''t wish anyone to have him as an opponent in the finals because, at that point, it will be more fighting against a spirit beast than against a man."


    Long Tian''s explanation left Hei amazed. He didn''t imagine Hu Jie had such a side. However, it seemed that it wasn''t a bad thing. Long Tian and Chen Feng were composed and calm people, but in front of exuberant ways of Hu Jie, they also tended to loosen up. Indeed, Hei also felt more comfortable after this theatrical entry.


    Meanwhile, Hu Jie had arrived in the ring with a series of somersaults in the air. After landing, he took off the robe that covered him revealing his n.a.k.e.d body except for a pair of shorts. The shorts depicted the image of a white tiger with black streaks.


    "Hu Jie has arrived and is here to win!" Hu Jie screamed as he took off the mask that covered his face.


    The audience that had been stunned up until now recovered. A myriad of applause from spectators followed, who had appreciated the theatrical entry of the Hu Family''s fighter.


    "Group 1 contender has arrived. Now we welcome the contender of group 2, Fukuizumi Kenzo, belonging to the Fukuizumi Family. "Song Yazhu had been blown away by Hu Jie''s entrance, but he decided not to give it too much weight. If this could help Hu Jie in the tournament, the young man had every right to behave as he wished.


    Fukuizumi Kenzo also arrived on the battle stage. Unlike Hu Jie, he had merely walked down the corridor without any theatrical entry. After comparing the two entrances, it was difficult not to experience a sense of disappointment towards that sober entrance.


    "The rules for the matches have already been explained to you. Remember that it is forbidden to kill or permanently injure the opponent. Keep this in mind. To win, you have to either make your opponent give up or make him unconscious. Now, you are free to start."


    Song Yazhu gave the go-ahead for the first match that would open the dances for this tournament. There were many things at stake, and none of the participants were willing to go back empty-handed.


    "Fukuizumi, isn''t that family of Wind Law''s users that stood out in the last battles against the demons?" Feng Qing asked to dean Long Jing.


    "That''s right, Fukuizumi Kenzo belongs to our family." replied another man seated at the back of the skybox reserved for the dean and the other prestigious guests.


    Feng Qing and the other looked back and saw a young-looking man. He didn''t appear to be more than twenty years old, but because spirit power blocked aging, it was normal. Except for those who had passed their flower of the years, the other high-rank martial artists all had youthful faces.


    "A Spirit Grandmaster. Remarkable, considering your age," commented Feng Qing. Even if the appearance didn''t age, attentive and expert eyes knew how to recognize who was young or who instead wasn''t.


    "Thank you very much for your words. I hope my little brother can give you all a satisfying performance. Unfortunately, my father is still in a precarious condition because of his wounds in battle. I was sent to his place as a family representative and to support Kenzo." the young-looking man replied.


    The eyes of those important figures then returned to rest on the battlefield where the two young fighters were. Hu Jie was standing with a smile of excitement on his face as Fukuizumi Kenzo looked quite annoyed. He thought that the antics of before were just a method for Hu Jie to show off.


    "Even if you belong to one of the Eight Big Families, it doesn''t matter. I will defeat you and bring honor to my family. Defeating you will be our calling card to rise in prestige among the families of the empire." said Fukuizumi Kenzo defiantly.


    "Hahaha, then bring it on. Defeat me if you have the skill." Hu Jie replied while he didn''t seem very concerned. No, he seemed not to put his opponent in his eye at all. However, the reality was quite different; Hu Jie was at the peak of concentration and was eager to exchange blows.


    "As you like. Speed ??Technique, Wind Breeze." Fukuizumi Kenzo shouted as he launched himself against Hu Jie. Suddenly his body accelerated forward as if there was an air current that was pushing him. Indeed, rather than running or flying, it was being blown by the wind.


    Whoosh! Slash!


    Fukuizumi Kenzo''s body landed in front of Hu Jie, seemingly catching unprepared the youngster of the Hu family. Soon after, Kenzo attempted to hit Hu Jie with the palm of his hand, but the latter dodged with a lateral movement. Yet, although it was evident that he had avoided the blow, Hu Jie''s defensive layer of spirit power was dented.


    Kenzo smiled and continued to launch other palm attacks with his hands. Hu Jie dodged all of them, but despite dodging, he was continuing to get hit. Those with a low understanding of the laws didn''t know how Fukuizumi Kenzo managed to do such a thing, but others with more understanding recognized the trick behind his attacks.


    ''Wind Law. Thanks to it, he manages to lengthen the range of his attacks as if he had blades tied to his hands. Yet the execution speed is too high, considering he is fighting without using voice command.'' Hei thought to himself as he watched the clash with Lian, his little sisters, and all his other companions.


    It had to be remembered that techniques based on the Elemental Laws could be used in two ways - mentally or by voice command. Using a technique mentally assured stealth in the attack but significantly increase the execution time; the voice command instead canceled the surprise factor since the move had to be said aloud but guaranteed a power bonus and a faster execution. Therefore, only in rare cases would martial artists have preferred mental command rather than vocal.


    Now, however, Fukuizumi Kenzo was using the mental command while maintaining his execution speed. With this, it was difficult to predict whether his next attack would be a simple palm or an attack based on the Wind Law.


    After a series of exchanges, Hu Jie''s defensive layer of spirit power featured various areas of lesser density. It was clear that he had suffered damage, but the young man didn''t seem worried at all.


    "I understand. Initially, I thought you used no weapons, but the truth is you had them on from the beginning. Gloves, huh? They are the ones that allow you to improve your execution speed." Hu Jie revealed.


    "Even if you know it, it changes little. The victory is mine in any case." Fukuizumi Kenzo replied confidently.


    The young man from the Fukuizumi Family used a particular type of battle gloves. These were not made of metal but human skin. The members who wanted to use this secret technique had to cut layers of their skin to create gloves that were like a second skin. Symbols would, therefore, be engraved on the palms of these gloves to improve the wind gathering ability.


    Although this solution was somewhat macabre, it was the most optimal choice for them. After all, it was difficult and dangerous to embed formations on one''s body due to rejection. In the same way, using another type of material wouldn''t have worked because their techniques were based on touching the wind with their own hands. If it weren''t something belonging to them, the most optimal affinity would never have been reached. It took years and years of hard research, but in the end, they had perfected the method of making their weapons.


    "Wind Law, Air Crush!" Kenzo yelled as he clapped his hands quickly in the direction of Hu Jie.


    BOOM!


    A heavy gust of wind rose from his hands and pointed toward Hu Jie from above. The move contained the maximum amount of spirit power that Fukuizumi Kenzo could manage. The young wind manipulator wanted to quickly end the fight without giving chances to his opponent to fight back.


    "Hahaha, now we are talking. Metal Law, Diamond Body!" Hu Jie loudly said as he raised his right fist in the air against that incoming gust of wind. His body began to take on a crystalline white sheen.


    The gust of wind came down on Hu Jie. Inside, the wind had taken the form of small blades with the intent to chop the target''s body. If Hu Jie had been imprisoned inside, he would have been continually attacked from all sides while being torn to shreds.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Unexpectedly, Hu Jie stood motionless in his place, allowing himself to be swallowed up by the opponent''s technique. There was still a determined light in his eyes, and he didn''t seem to have given up. He simply stood there as the wind continued to blow against his body.


    That choice dumbfounded Kenzo; as the user, he knew best of all the terrifying power of his technique. He didn''t think there was anyone among his classmates who could resist his attack unscathed. Not even if it was the son of the Hu Family.


    Whoosh!


    A hand emerged from the gust of wind followed later by the body. Hu Jie broke free from the wind prison that kept him jailed. Although the power behind this technique was impressive for a spirit soldier, Hu Jie''s body presented no wounds. It seemed as if he hadn''t been affected by the technique.


    "Impossible!" Kenzo shouted in amazement. How did Hu Jie not even suffer damage?


    "Hahaha, your wind is pungent, but it isn''t capable of piercing my diamond skin. Now it''s my turn to attack." Hu Jie answered, smiling with confidence. On his face, there was pure rapture for the fight.


    His body began to jump on his toes as he placed his left hand forward and his right hand back, attached to the shoulder.


    "Fighting Style, Boxing. Tiger Assault. "


    Hu Jie began to move quickly around his opponent''s position. Kenzo tried to counterattack using gusts of wind that came from the hands. However, the footwork allowed Hu Jie to dodge every attack and, at the same time, release swift punches. Considering that Hu Jie never stood still for more than a few seconds, just for throwing a couple of punches, for Kenzo, it was challenging to find time to aim and charge his spirit power. It was true even when you consider that he had his special gloves to help him.


    "No, I can''t lose. It''s not over yet!" Kenzo shouted with a bloody face. Hu Jie''s assault had broken his defense. Although he had restored it soon after, he had still been damaged.


    "Secret Technique, Wind Armor."


    A whirlwind began to condense on Kenzo''s arms. It was as if armor bracelets made of wind had formed. The young man, however, had a painful expression as if this technique had repercussions on his body.


    "The wind intensity is still too much for me to handle perfectly. But it doesn''t matter. Now you won''t be able to hit me anymore."


    At Kenzo''s statement, Hu Jie smiled even more and resumed his punches'' dance around his opponent. And, as Kenzo said, Hu Jie''s fists could no longer touch his body. The wind armor bracelets blocked Hu Jie''s fists before they came in contact with the skin and, at the same time, lashed against him. If it hadn''t been for his diamond body, Hu Jie''s arms might have been in tatters by now.


    Hu Jie didn''t give up with his attack and continued to attack while Kenzo concentrated solely on defense. The fight had become a battle of attrition between whom would have given up first.


    ''Now.'' Hu Jie thought to himself.


    It all happened so quickly. In the instant that Hu Jie was preparing for yet another punch, he instead moved behind his opponent. Then he surrounded the latter''s waist with his hands. Kenzo tried to free himself by stretching his hands back and pointing directly at Hu Jie''s face. Although it was risky for him too, Kenzo wanted to take advantage of this closeness to injure Hu Jie in the most delicate area - the head. But Hu Jie remained impassive and let Kenzo''s wind gust hit his face. He, too, was aiming to end the fight.


    "Tiger Suplex!"


    Boom! Crack!


    Hu Jie forcefully pulled Kenzo''s body back. The young wind manipulator crashed into the hard battle stage. The crash had left him momentarily stunned, but he was still not unconscious. The problem was that Hu Jie hadn''t let go of him.


    "Tiger Suplex!"


    Once again, Kenzo was brought backward, colliding against the ground. Hu Jie''s arms continued to put pressure on his h.i.p.s as they increased their grip.


    "Tiger Suplex!"


    "Tiger Suplex!"


    "Tiger Suplex!"


    Hu Jie raged again and again. At each Tiger Suplex, Kenzo lost clarity as his vision clouded. Eventually, at the umpteenth crash against the stage, he could no longer resist and lost consciousness.


    Feeling his opponent''s body go limp, Hu Jie stopped. He checked whether Kenzo had really fainted or was faking. Once he made sure that he had actually passed out, Hu Jie let him go while Song Yazhu proclaimed the winner.


    "The winner of the first fight is Hu Jie!"

 Chapter 192 - Crocodile vs. Soap

    Clap, clap, clap


    When Hu Jie''s victory was declared, the spectators went on a rampage in a myriad of applause so loud to pound one''s eardrums. In particular, the most excited were the martial artists of the younger generation who felt their blood boil in the face of such a fight. They felt the desire to get on that stage and clash with the strongest to demonstrate their skills. At the same time, they were angry with themselves for not having put more effort during the year. If they had done it, maybe they would have fought on that stage in front of all this audience.


    Meanwhile, in the tribune assigned to the guests of honor, the representative of the Fukuizumi Family had a gloomy face, ''You fought well, little brother. But alas, you were too unlucky. Drawing one of the Eight Big Families as the first opponent. Otherwise, you would have had the opportunity to advance to the next turn.''


    "Kenzo has unfortunately lost. I congratulate you, Sir Luoyang, for raising such a talented son." congratulated Fukuizumi Junnosuke, the eldest brother of Fukuizumi Kenzo.


    "I''d like to give myself credit, but Jie''s strength comes only from his continuous training. I only showed him the way. Either way, your younger brother fought well. It ended up as a bad combination because Hu Jie controls the Metal Law. Still, he remains undoubtedly a genius of the younger generation. The empire certainly won''t let one with his potential rot." Hu Luoyang answered. Although he wasn''t a man to follow the etiquette, he knew how to be respectful to those who worked hard on the Cultivation Path.


    "Your words honor my family''s name; thank you." Fukuizumi Junnosuke replied with a bow. Even though he had lost, Kenzo had still made an excellent performance. At least, the family honor hadn''t been tainted.


    In the meantime, Hu Jie had stepped off the stage while students from the supporting class carried the unconscious Kenzo away. Since he lost, there was no longer a ban that only the supporting martial artists contracted by the fighter could intervene.


    "Let''s now proceed with the second match. The first to enter is the winner of Group 3, Wani Garrett, belonging to the Wani Family. "Song Yazhu proclaimed, announcing the first contestant for the second match.


    A bare-chested young man entered while wearing long black trousers. He had a dark complexion, almost like that of Hu Jie, but a little paler. The most peculiar thing was that his body was surrounded by signs similar to a kind of war paint. However, a closer look could see that there wasn''t paint on his body.


    "Scarification." Hei murmured. He had immediately guessed what those symbols were.


    Scarification consisted of making incisions in the skin of those who wanted these symbols. After that, each scar was rubbed several times with powders and coloring products and left open for a long time, until the skin had healed, generating a permanent scar.


    As for the symbols on Wani Garrett''s skin, they had a bright color that stood out on the dark skin of the young man while taking shape similar to the scales of a reptile.


    "Wani Garrett, belonging to the Wani family, owner of the Metal Crocodile Bloodline. If it weren''t for the presence of the Hu Family, they would no doubt be the strongest metal user family in the Southern Region. Apart from Hu Jie, I think that no one has a hard body like his among those of our year." Long Tian said, responding to Hei''s comment about the symbols on Wani Garrett''s body.


    "Then, those symbols must be crocodile scales. I guess they aren''t just for decorations." Hei said.


    "No, they aren''t." Hu Jie answered. He had returned from his fight and had come close to them to observe the next match. "The Wani Family uses body strengthening techniques based on three types of metal - bronze, silver, and gold. Depending on the metal used, they can change their bodies to amplify certain effects. He is undoubtedly a formidable opponent to face."


    Considering that Hu Jie was the most proficient among them in the Metal Law, such an assessment was certainly not to be underestimated. Hei''s interest increased even more.


    "His opponent is Irene Davidson. She comes from a common background, but her skills are certainly first class." Song Yazhu announced the other challenger.


    It was the turn of a young ash-haired girl to take the stage. She walked, showing a proud attitude as if she wasn''t worried at all about who she had as her opponent. Whether it was arrogance or confidence in one''s abilities, it would soon be proved.


    While both sides found themselves at the center of the stage, Song Yazhu declared the beginning of the fight. Irene Davidson started by pulling out her weapon - a light brown circle of one-meter radius. Although it hadn''t a frightening shape, because it was the weapon chosen by one of the winners of the 32 groups, it shouldn''t be underestimated.


    Wani Garrett immediately assumed the fighting stance and charged against the young woman. Unlike Irene, he didn''t have weapons, but he just used his fists, as Hu Jie previously did.


    "Is he also a pure hand to hand fighter? I thought you, Hu Jie, was the only one." He Fen asked as he watched the two challengers exchanging blows.


    "No, he has a weapon. More than one." Hu Jie, who knew Garrett well, answered.


    "So does he keep them hidden? Is he confident that he can win even without using them?"


    "No, you''re wrong. They are already drawn out. It''s just that you haven''t noticed." Hu Jie replied.


    What?


    Hearing this, everyone in Hei''s group observed the movements of the young man from the Wani Family more closely. Indeed, with a closer look, you could see something metallic sparkle where the nails of the hands should have been.


    "Is that Spirit Metal?" Leon asked. He recognized at a glance what material it was. After all the hours spent working on his weapon and armor, both made of spirit metal, he was now familiar with that material.


    "I am surprised that you recognized it immediately. Anyway, yes. It is Spirit Metal. We martial artists of the Metal Law cultivate our body to make it as hard as possible. However, even if we talk about the body, it is only the outermost layer, namely the skin and the flesh. We can strengthen our bones and even organs partially, but we cannot modify them to our liking in the same way we do our skin. For this reason, none of the users of the Metal Law, human or demon, are capable of completely hardening nails or teeth."


    At that point, Hu Jie stopped to take a brief look at Hei. Since their first meeting, he had noticed the unusual color of the nails and teeth of the young man who came from afar. Hu Jie initially thought it was just something artistic, probably related to the origins of Hei''s birthplace. However, in the trial of the forest, he had been able to see firsthand how hard they were those body parts. Regarding hardness, they were even comparable to the body of a Metal Law user.


    ''Honestly, I''d like to ask him for more information, but I doubt he would answer me. In any case, each martial artist has their secrets which they jealously keep.''


    Each martial artist would have had different techniques from another martial artist. Even among members of the same family, this happened. After all, the laws'' understanding and one''s experiences would be different from person to person.


    Of course, Hu Jie could have used his family name to put pressure on Hei and force him to reveal the secret of his technique. But he didn''t intend to do so. First, Hu Jie wasn''t such a person, and he found Hei interesting; secondly, this would have put the Hu Family in a bad light as it would have given birth to a bad precedent.


    If the Hu Family had done something like this, who could have assured that someone else wouldn''t have tried to do such a thing? In the long term, martial artists with no background would become wary of the Eight BigFamilies and the Imperial Family, causing a weakening of the cohesion of the Empire''s forces. This situation would eventually have devastating consequences in the war against demons.


    "Garrett and I can be considered special cases among our families. I decided to specialize only in hand-to-hand fighting techniques without relying on weapons. Instead, he decided to undergo various delicate procedures to have his teeth and nails replaced with Spirit Metal. It is a hazardous process and could cause him a lot of problems in the future due to the rejection, but he has decided to continue on his path anyway. For his stubbornness, I have absolute respect for him."


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the situation had become incandescent. Wani Garrett was unleashing heavy blows in succession using his sharp nails to tear off his opponent''s skin. Irene, however, remained impassive; she merely spun her circle around her body to ward off the blows. Looking from the outside, it seemed that this circle was moving on its own.


    Seeing that this wasn''t going anywhere, Garrett abruptly accelerated using his footwork technique and tried to take Irene by surprise. Rather than aiming to hit using his claws, Garrett dived into space within Irene''s circle. In this way, the young woman couldn''t use the edge of her weapon to ward off the attack.


    However, it seemed that Irene had already foreseen such an eventuality. With a gentle bright smile, she leaped into the air with grace while Garrett was passing through her circle. While this was happening, an unusual thing happened - Garrett''s body was imprisoned inside a sphere of a shiny water sphere. Still, calling it a water sphere wasn''t wholly accurate.


    "Soap bubbles?" Mia asked, who recognized the unusual shape of that sphere. Indeed they remembered the shape and texture of soap bubbles rather than a water sphere.


    As for the four supporting martial artists of Hei''s group, at the time, they were all four with the competitors of the tournament. Since there was a possibility that they should intervene immediately, they were allowed to stay with the fighters. The same was true for the other supporting martial artists hired by other participants.


    "Yes, they are soap bubbles. That circle should have been made with the trunk of trees and plants capable of making soap. If I''m not mistaken, there should be as well a formation that serves to keep alive the plant species used for the construction. In contact with water and air, it forms soap." explained Huli Xieren.


    "So she combined her knowledge of the Water Law with her weapon to maximize the effectiveness of her techniques." Hei analyzed. By his side, Lian was paying particular attention to Irene''s movements. As a user of the Water Law herself, she was interested in seeing this fight to understand how to improve her fighting style further.


    Wani Garrett moved his arms with large movements inside the soap bubble. His metal claws lashed against the soap bubble. Instead of bursting, however, the soap bubble folded as if it were elastic. Irene smiled at her opponent''s futile attempt. Then she took a deep breath of air and blew slowly into the interior space of her weapon.


    Small soap bubbles began to gather on the large bubble that contained Wani Garrett. These tiny bubbles were stored inside the large one and disappeared. However, they reappeared shortly after that within the large bubble.


    Boom!


    The sound of an explosion echoed as water and foam were scattered all over the battlefield. Irene remained motionless while getting soaked by that mixture of soap and water. Her face was serene as if she was sure of her impending victory.


    Clank! Clank!


    Metallic noise sounded as if something metal was moving on stage. At the point where the explosion occurred, and the quantity of soap and water was highest, there was the silhouette of a man. Yet there was something strange, something non-human. The skin of this man was entirely covered by bronze-colored scales as if they formed a protective layer. The man was Wani Garrett.


    "I figured it wouldn''t be that easy," Irene commented with a smile. She didn''t let herself get discouraged when she saw her opponent unscathed after the powerful techniques she had used.


    "Bitch, did you think you could finish me just with such trivial tricks? Mere soap bubbles cannot harm my body. Are you ready to lose?" Wani Garrett said while baring his teeth in a terrifying smile. His teeth were all pointed like an imitation of a ferocious beast''s teeth, or more precisely in imitation of a crocodile.


    Wani Garrett charged again against Irene. This time, he advanced without worrying about a possible counterattack, confident in the hardness of his skin. Therefore, his speed was even higher than before.


    Irene barely dodged the attack by jumping backward. However, Garrett changed the trajectory almost instantly to perform a follow-up attack.


    "Water Law, Soap Prison."


    Irene''s delicate arms spun her circle on the spot. The wooden circle began to spit out large quantities of soap bubbles. Those bubbles didn''t harm Garrett but instead attached themselves to his body. They continued to chase each other until Irene locked Garrett back in an impregnable soap bubble. This time, however, rather than creating explosive bubbles, she concentrated on creating bubbles that had the most exceptional adhesion capacity.


    "If I can''t damage your body, then I just have to trap you to win," Irene said while pouring her spirit power in the soap bubbles'' prison that kept imprisoned her enemy.


    Indeed, no matter how hard Wani Garrett''s skin was, it wouldn''t have helped much in an oxygen-free environment. If he didn''t manage to free himself, in the long run, he would lose consciousness, handing the victory over Irene. But, as one could expect from the member of a family capable of being an opponent even in the eyes of the Eight Big Families, Wani Garrett wasn''t without alternatives.


    ''Shit, I wasn''t going to use it from the first round. F.u.c.k it. I have no choice.'' Garrett thought to himself before turning his technique.


    His body began to emit a golden light. Shortly thereafter, incredibly, his body began to swell until he reached three meters in height. His skin had become at the same time, from copper to shiny gold. It was as if he were a golden statue on which scales symbols were carved.


    Crack!


    The golden giant inside the soap bubble punched. It only took that blow, and the soap bubble collapsed. Irene lost color from her face as she suffered the backlash derived from the destruction of her technique. While trying to suppress the pain, she stepped back, but unfortunately, she was one step slower.


    Another punch of the golden giant came towards her. With no alternatives on how to avoid the attack, she concentrated her spirit power on her weapon to create a bubble-shaped shield.


    Crack!


    Again, the golden giant''s single punch was enough to break Irene''s technique. The young woman was sent to fly for several meters. But the attack wasn''t over yet.


    Wani Garrett, after making Irene fly, transformed his body again, quickly changing to his copper-colored form. His body had returned to normal size. After that, the scale-skinned young man ran at full speed against the young woman who was still under the pushing force of the golden giant''s fist.


    Crunch!


    When Wani Garrett came to Irene, his mouth opened, and his sharp teeth closed on the young woman''s calf. A scream of pain rose from Irene as she felt a stabbing stab of pain pervade her body.


    Garrett''s claws had stuck in her leg, and from how firm his grip was, there seemed to be no way for her to break free. However, Irene tried to keep her calm and started firing explosive bubbles at Garrett. Unfortunately, the copper skin of the young man was too tough, and each passing second, his crocodile teeth closed more and more tightly. If this had continued, there was no doubt that Garrett could have detached Irene''s leg with his bite.


    Yet despite the situation, Irene wasn''t willing to surrender. She continued to attack but couldn''t cause any damage. Seeing this, Song Yazhu decided it was time to intervene and proclaimed the winner, "The winner of this second fight is Wani Garrett."


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 Chapter 193 - Beast Tamer vs. Corpse Manipulator

    Once Song Yazhu proclaimed him the winner, Wani Garrett released his bite on Irene Davidson''s leg. His teeth and even part of his face had turned blood red from the blood dripping from the young woman''s leg. It was a somewhat disturbing sight, but there was no doubt that it was also a demonstration of the young martial artist''s strength.


    The audience cheered again at the end of the fight. Even though they were sorry that such a young girl had been injured like that, it wasn''t as if it were an irreversible wound. With the right care and a little rest, she wouldn''t take long to recover.


    Wani Garrett came down from the stage to return to the place assigned to the fighters, while some supporting martial artists took away Irene to get her cured. The next fight had to continue.


    "The first of our fighters for the third match is a beast tamer, Pablo Cort¨¦s." Song Yazhu announced.


    Screech!


    A cry suddenly rose in the stadium, and a shadowy figure fell from the sky at full speed toward the stage. When there was little left before crashing against the ground, the dark figure stopped, revealing itself in front of the public. Incredibly, it was the figure of a tall 3 meters bird that was carrying on its head a young man. The man was none other than the beast tamer of the spirit beast bird, Pablo Cort¨¦s.


    "A Condor?" Hei was surprised.


    Condors were a type of vulture that was found mainly in places with high altitudes; the higher the height, the better it was. They stand out from most birds for their absurdly wide wingspan. With their size, it wasn''t uncommon to see them hunt prey as big as a buffalo or lion, although condors were more of a scavenger species, preying on carcasses already killed by other spirit beasts.


    As for the condor on the stage, its wingspan was approaching 7-8 meters. The coloring of the plumage was rather dark, tending to black, with a collar of white feathers at the base of the neck and large white spots on the wings. The head was instead n.a.k.e.d and had a dull red color capable of changing intensity according to the creature''s emotions. On the head, there was also a large dark red crest while on the neck, there was a wattle of the same color. The condor also had a pale brown iris, indicating that it was a male. The condor females possessed a reddish iris.


    By seeing the arrival of this spirit beast, the younger spectators were impressed by this scene. The condor had a proud and majestic attitude about it, like a sovereign among birds. Its beak and its sharp claws made them shudder. One could only imagine what sort of pain it was to be cut by the condor.


    "Next fighter is Hyong Yong-Sook, from the Hyong Family." Song Yazhu announced the next contender.


    Unlike Pablo Cort¨¦s, Yong Hyong-Sook made a standard entrance, although he couldn''t be defined like that. Hyong Yong-Sook was a rather tall young man, but what entered the eye most was his pale complexion. This coloring gave the impression of having to do with a walking dead rather than a human being. Not to mention the fact that his face was colored with white skull-shaped paint to make him even more disturbing.


    When the two were on stage, Song Yazhu didn''t immediately start the fight. Instead, he proceeded to explain some things, "According to the rules imposed by the academy, beast tamers can fight together with their spirit beasts, but there are conditions in this regard. One, they can only use one spirit beast per time; two, they can fight in pairs only for half of the matches; in this case, only two.


    However, in the particular case that the challenger is another beast tamer, it is possible to fight using an equal number of spirit beasts on both sides. And the match won''t be counted between the two matches available since it isn''t a one vs. two but of a collision with an equal number of fighters.


    Hyong Yong-Sook is not a beast tamer but a corpse manipulator. As you know, corpses modified by the Ghost Law can be called pseudo spirit beasts. Therefore, Hyong Yong-Sook will be considered on par with a beast tamer.


    Now, Pablo Cort¨¦s, Hyong Yong-Sook. You can choose how many spirit beasts and corpses to send out. Remember that should be the same number, so choose carefully."


    Upon hearing this, the audience became curious. It was unusual to find such a match, and they wanted to see what kind of spirit beasts and corpses the two would bring out for the clash. If they owned two to three spirit beasts or corpses each, the struggle could become a great group challenge.


    "I have four main bodies," said Yong Hyong-Sook. As a body manipulator, he owned dozens of corpses; after all, the tactic of mass attack was a specialty for this type of martial artist. However, in this situation, it was useless to pull out mass-produced corpses, which were like garbage in front of the condor. Therefore, Yong Hyong-Sook decided he would use only the strongest corpses at his disposal.


    "I too have four spirit beasts," replied Pablo Cort¨¦s in a calm voice. He didn''t seem quite concerned about having a corpse manipulator against him.


    Song Yazhu then asked the two challengers, "Since you both have four on each side, do you want to send them all of them?"


    Hyong Yong-Sook and Pablo Cort¨¦s looked at each other. They could see confidence in their opponent''s eyes, a sign that neither of them thought of losing as they had total confidence in the spirit beasts and corpses they had trained.


    "Yes, there are no problems." the two answered in unison.


    Pablo Cort¨¦s then took out three bags for spirit beasts. Because it would have been c.u.mbersome going around with four spirit beasts together, he puts the others in his bags for spirit beasts to have them always available if he needed them.


    Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!


    Three circles of light appeared on the stage as the silhouettes of three spirit beasts emerged from them. The first spirit beast was a massive five-meters high tree; its trunk was larger than an a.d.u.l.t man and had sturdy branches covered with luminescent leaves. The second spirit beast was instead a creature more like an anteater of about two and a half meters, but its body was surrounded by scales that formed a sort of plate armor. The third spirit beast was the smallest, with only a meter and a half long, however, regarding its outward appearance, it was the most terrifying; it looked like a finless eel but had a mouth that could inspire the worst of nightmares.


    "Luciferase Tree, Giant Pangolin, Sea Lamprey," Hei said, amazed at the sight of those spirit beasts. Each of those spirit beasts was species difficult to find in nature, enough to give the impression that they were extinct. Indeed, it was the first time that Hei had seen such spirit beasts in person. If it weren''t for his mother''s teachings, he would hardly have recognized what kind of spirit beasts they were.


    "A giant pangolin? I remember once having challenged such a specimen. It was a long time ago." Hu Luoyang commented.


    "The plant-type spirit beast is a Luciferase Tree. Do you remember? There was some discussion as to whether to plant some specimens in the cities for their luminescence ability at night." Qing Feng added.


    "Ah, yes, right. I remember something like that. What kind of spirit beast is the smaller one?" Hu Luoyang asked.


    "It is an aquatic spirit beast called the Sea Lamprey. From what the teachers told me, the young Pablo Cort¨¦s asked for a special permission to leave for a month just to capture this kind of spirit beast in view of the tournament. It is certainly not to be underestimated. But the young Hyong Yong-Sook also has good chances." Principal Long Jing said.


    "I am honored by your words. I am sure that Yong-Sook will surprise you." a man sitting in the skybox spoke. His appearance was unusual and eye-catching because he was completely covered in gray ash bandages. There was just a small opening at his eyes'' height. He was Hyong Yong-Sook''s father, Hyong Sunghyon, and as his son, he too was a corpse manipulator.


    Meanwhile, on stage, Hyong Yong-Sook pulled out some scrolls with some signs engraved on them. A cloud of black smoke began to escape from these scrolls until four corpses mysteriously appeared.


    Three were about two and a half meters tall and had long arms that touched the ground. Their skin was rotten and squashy as if they had been immersed in water for a long time. Their eyes were white and lifeless as if they didn''t contain life, yet there was still something moving that gave people the feeling of being watched.


    The fourth corpse was smaller. It was barely twenty centimeters tall, and its body was adorned by strange black, red, and white symbols. It stood, with its arms folded, over the head of one of the three bodies evoked alongside it. Rather than a corpse, it looked more like a puppet for children, but something was terrifying in its eyes. Its eyes were, in fact, as lively as those of a human being and contained mysterious malice. In any case, since it had explicitly been summoned for this battle, it shouldn''t be underestimated at all.


    "Come, there''s a guy to sacrifice," said Yong Hyong-Sook to the puppet corpse. The latter smirked and began to screech while covering its mouth with its small hands. Effortlessly, it jumped from the head of the corpse to land on that of his master.


    "Let''s go. You guys destroy his corpses. Don''t spare yourselves." Pablo Cort¨¦s said to his spirit beasts while his Condor took the flight. Since Hyong Yong-Sook had decided to bring a corpse with him, he would keep his Condor close to him.


    Meanwhile, the three spirit beasts, the Luciferase Tree, the Giant Pangolin, and the Sea Lamprey charged towards the three tall corpses which were still motionless awaiting an order from their master.


    "Wake up and tear apart the enemies in front of you. You are free to unleash your power as you see fit."


    RAAAUUUGHHH!


    The three corpses opened their mouths, making grotesque hair-raising sounds. Their dull eyes tinged with blood-red as they gained shine. Large bony spikes emerged from the arms as two black horns came out of their foreheads.


    When seeing this, the audience became stunned. These weren''t human corpses but belonged to demons. The horns on the forehead were more than enough proof of that claim.


    The three corpses, in turn, charged against the approaching three spirit beasts. The Luciferase Tree began to move its roots to try to trap enemies. Unfortunately, the battlefield this time was a stage made of materials so resistant that the fighters'' techniques couldn''t destroy it. As a result, the Luciferase Tree couldn''t put its roots into the soil and use the element of surprise. In any case, its attack was still sufficiently dangerous.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    The roots hit the stage''s section where the three corpses were. These, however, dodged the attack with incredible agility for lifeless bodies, dangerously approaching the Luciferase Tree.


    Boom! Crack!


    It was at that point that the Giant Pangolin came into play. With scales covering its body, this spirit beast wasn''t afraid of receiving attacks. Running at full speed, he crashed against the three bodies. The latter were overwhelmed and were made to fly several meters. However, they got up shortly afterward as if nothing had happened.


    Whoosh!


    A mysterious figure rose behind them. It was the Sea Lamprey. Taking advantage of that moment of distraction, it climbed onto the body of a corpse and bit the neck of the lifeless creature. The Sea Lamprey aimed to chop the dead meat and dig until it reached the other side. At that point, it would devour the lifeless demon body from inside. But the corpses of a corpse manipulator had been modified to be resistant. Therefore the Sea Lamprey failed in its intent and was captured by the corpse''s large hands, capable of strangling an ox.


    While the three spirit beasts and the three corpses were fighting, Hyong Yong-Sook and Pablo Cort¨¦s had moved the battle to the sky. As a result, the match between the two had turned into a double fronts battle. And the result of one front would also determine the other.


    "Go, Shaman Little Soldier!" Hyong Yong-Sook shouted.


    The corpse-puppet heartily laughed and hurled itself from Hyong Yong-Sook''s head towards the approaching Condor. The majestic bird screamed with indignation to this human who dared to challenge it with a miserable little puppet. The spirit power of the Condor condensed on its sharp claws and tore the Shaman Little Soldier to pieces.


    Slash!


    The Shaman Little Soldier was destroyed, and its remnants flew into the air while the Condor continued its advance. There was still an enemy to shoot down.


    "Go, Pasa! Destroy the enemy!"


    Screech!


    The Condor let out another cry and charged more vigorously towards Hyong Yong-Sook. The young corpse manipulator wasn''t intimidated by the approach of that creature but instead smiled as never before. It was as if he lost his mind, or maybe did he really lose it?


    Hyong Yong-Sook reduced his defensive layer of spirit power and let the Condor''s beak pierce his stomach. At this sight, the spectators became confused because they didn''t know what was going on. Why would anyone ever want to receive such an injury on purpose? Although it wasn''t fatal, it was a severe injury, and indeed Hyong Yong-Sook''s chances of victory were now at a minimum. Another blow was more than enough, and Pablo Cort¨¦s would have won.


    Hyong Yong-Sook tried to remain conscious and pushed out the Condor''s beak with his hands to free himself. His body began to fall precipitously to the ground; it was evident that his injury made it difficult for him to fly. Fortunately, one of his other three corpses on the ground caught him as he was falling and safely brought him back to the ground.


    ''I don''t understand. Is he crazy or what? Yet why do I continue to have this feeling of danger? ''Pablo Cort¨¦s wondered as he felt a cramped sense as if the threat was just around the corner.


    The young beast tamer decided to forget about it. Even if it was true, his opponent had received a serious, almost fatal injury, one could say. Another hit and he could have won. Besides, he could also protract the fight, leaving his enemy to bleed. At that point, even if Yong Hyong-Sook didn''t want to surrender, Song Yazhu would declare the end of the fight, giving Pablo the victory.


    Thinking about this, Pablo Cort¨¦s, therefore, decided to think first about the three corpses that were still standing. Now that he had eliminated one of the corpses and seriously injured Hyong Yong-Sook, the balance hung in his favor.


    "Pasa, dive down. Let''s end the fight," ordered Pablo Cort¨¦s.


    His Condor, Pasa, nodded its head and dived at full speed. By taking advantage of its immense wingspan, it could generate a lot of power in the downward movement. However, it was at that point that something unexpected happened.


    The corpse-puppet that should have been destroyed mysteriously reappeared in Hyong Yong-Sook''s hands. The black signs were gone, although the red and white signs remained.


    "It''s time for the sacrifice. Shaman Little Soldier, Stake Through Heart!" Hyong Yong-Sook shouted with wild joy. His white skull painting made just looking at him terrifying.


    The Shaman Little Soldier laughed out loud as it pulled out a metal stake. Then it stuck the stake straight into its heart, tearing its own body apart.


    Stab!


    The Shaman Little Soldier continued to laugh, regardless of the stake stuck in its heart. Its eyes and those of his master were fixed on the scene before them. It wasn''t just them; all the spectators were looking in the same direction.


    Suddenly, the Condor let out a sharp cry of pain as it lost control and crashed on the ground. Splashes of blood could be seen on its body that was tainted by black signs - the same black signs that had been on the Shaman Little Soldier.


    Pablo Cort¨¦s and the rest of the inexperienced viewers watched in amazement at this scene, not knowing what had happened. An instant earlier, the Condor was fine, but the next instant it had crashed to the ground and was spitting blood. Only a part of the spectators knew what had actually happened.


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 Chapter 194 - Hei Enters the Stage

    "What''s happened?" the four supporting martial artists of Hei''s group exclaimed in chorus. They, too, were witnessing the clash but couldn''t understand how the Condor had been so badly injured from one moment to the next.


    "Curses," replied Lian, who recognized Hyong Yong-Sook''s attack method, "They are particular formations with special activation requirements. From what I''ve seen, the curse is activated in two stages; the first is the destruction of the puppet corpse, while the second is to cause a severe injury to the user. Do you see the black marks? They are formation symbols. When the puppet corpse struck itself, the damage was passed on to the Condor through the cursed symbols. "Lian pointed to black symbols suddenly appearing all over the Condor''s body.


    "I understand, so it is a double-edged sword. According to your reasoning, however, then that small corpse still has two types of formations. It means it still has two aces up its sleeve." Lang commented while she was following the fight with particular interest. As a beast tamer, she was particularly interested in how Pablo Cort¨¦s would handle the situation.


    "The white ones should be a healing formation while I''m not sure about the red ones. But certainly, the red color formation should be more terrifying than the black one," answered Lian.


    Meanwhile, on stage, Pablo Cort¨¦s had run toward his spirit beast, "Pasa! Answer me, are you okay?"


    The Condor made a small cry as if to tell him it was fine. Fortunately, the defensive layer of spirit power and the strong intrinsic constitution of the spirit beasts had prevented the bird from dying on the blow. But it was seriously injured, and it was uncertain whether it would be able to resist another blow.


    Kekekekekeke!


    The Shaman Little Soldier didn''t stop laughing. It seemed amused as never before in front of such a view. Hyong Yong-Sook as well had a crazy expression; he was heedless of the pain in his stomach; no, it was as if he was enjoying himself while his blood continued to flow.


    "Shaman Little Soldier, let''s get it over with. It''s time to end the fight." Hyong Yong-Sook said to his puppet corpse.


    The Shaman Little Soldier nodded. It was a rather funny scene, but the spectators experienced everything but humor. The Shaman Little Soldier prepared to stab himself again when suddenly-


    Stab!


    A dagger of flames came upon him. Following the flight path of the dagger, on the other end, was Pablo Cort¨¦s with his arm still outstretched. Small red flames were dwelling around his hand.


    Hyong Yong-Sook then gave an even wider gruesome smile as the Shaman Little Soldier went up in flames. Suddenly, the black marks on the Condor dissolved like ash. Shortly after that, however, they appeared on the body of Pablo Cort¨¦s while the Shaman Little Soldier regenerated his burnt flesh.


    "You stupid! Anyone who hits my Shaman Little Soldier is cursed. Unfortunately, I am not able to manage more than one curse at a time, but who cares. Once you are settled down, the victory will be mine." Hyong Yong-Sook said with excitement.


    "You are wrong. You are the stupid one if you think you can only defeat me with this. Lampry, it''s your turn!" shouted Pablo Cort¨¦s.


    Unbeknownst to Hyong Yong-Sook, the Sea Lamprey had approached its master. When Pablo Cort¨¦s ordered the Sea Lamprey, Lampry, to act, the creature wrapped itself around Pablo''s body and bit his neck. Drops of blood began to flow down Pablo''s body, but he didn''t care. His eyes were still fixed on Hyong Yong-Sook and the Shaman Little Soldier.


    "What are you going to do? You can''t escape my curse once it is impressed." Hyong Yong-Sook said to his opponent.


    "Really? Are you sure?" Pablo Cort¨¦s smiled as he gritted his teeth in pain as his Sea Lamprey continued to tear his flesh. Gradually, the black marks on his body began to become more opaque until they disappeared.


    KEEEEEHHHHH!


    The Shaman Little Soldier screeched as a black liquid sprouted from his body. He seemed in pain, unlike the times he received the attacks without batting an eyelid. His terrifying smile was gone.


    "Shaman Little Soldier!" Hyong Yong-Sook cried in surprise. Incredibly the Sea Lamprey had managed to destroy the marks on Pablo Cort¨¦s'' body, although it should have been impossible.


    "Lampy has a particular ability. It is a parasitic species; therefore, it can absorb the energies of the species to which it attaches, including spirit power. All I did was tell her to eat the spirit power contained in those symbols. The cancellation of the technique caused a backlash on the user, meaning your corpse. But your Shaman Little Soldier is nothing more than a corpse. The real user is none other than you, Hyong Yong-Sook. "


    When Pablo Cort¨¦s said this, Hyong Yong-Sook felt severe pain running through his body. As the beast tamer said, he was the real user. He was simply performing the technique using his Shaman Little Soldier as an intermediary. For this reason, he didn''t immediately suffer the backlash. But now the delay was over, and he was experiencing the pain resulting from the breakdown of his technique.


    "Lucy, Pangu, hold on his remaining corpses. Lampry, attack him. "


    At the command of their master, the Luciferase Tree let out a hoarse roar and moved its mighty branches as it imprisoned two of Hyong Yong-Sook''s three ''still-alive'' corpses. The Giant Pangolin instead attacked the third body; the spirit beast used its size to keep the corpse that was moving with mad movements nailed to the ground.


    The Sea Lamprey instead broke away from Pablo Cort¨¦s and attached itself to Hyong Yong-Sook''s body. The young corpse manipulator felt his spirit power being sucked from his body. Since he was still resisting the pain of the backlash, he was unable to react against the assault of the Sea Lamprey.


    "Surrender or I will destroy your Shaman Little Soldier." threatened Pablo Cort¨¦s with the Shaman Little Soldier in his hand. The dead puppet seemed to have lost his life while remaining inert in the enemy''s hand.


    ''Shit, shit. How did things get this way? If only I had been more careful. No, I don''t have time for remorse. I have to act. The white curse allows me to transfer my wounds to the Shaman Little Soldier, but at the moment, it would be useless. The red curse instead... ''Hyong Yong-Sook thought to himself as he turned his gaze to the tribune of honor.


    There, sitting amid the big shots of the Southern Region, a man covered entirely in bandages was returning his gaze. It was his father, Hyong Sunghyon. He was saying no with his head towards Hyong Yong-Sook.


    "I give up," Hyong Yong-Sook said reluctantly shortly after.


    Thus the third fight ended with the victory of Pablo Cort¨¦s. The young beast tamer let go of the Shaman Little Soldier as he called back his spirit beasts. However, there was no expression of happiness or victory satisfaction on his face. No, his face was wrinkled with anger. He, too, had seen Hyong Yong-Sook address someone on the skybox. Soon after, Hyong Yong-Sook had declared his defeat. Of course, the two things were connected.


    "Why did you give up?" Pablo Cort¨¦s finally asked before Hyong Yong-Sook could get off the stage.


    Hyong Yong-Sook stopped walking and turned around. In his arms, the Shaman Little Soldier had regained part of its mobility even though it was still severely damaged. "Since you won, I will tell you. I lost because I had no alternative, at least according to the rules of the academy. If it had been a battle of life and death, you and your spirit beasts would have died without a doubt."


    That said, Hyong Yong-Sook turned around without explaining further. The red formation on the Shaman Little Soldier was a self-destruction formation strong enough to kill Pablo Cort¨¦s and his spirit beasts at once. Furthermore, the three still functioning corpses had the ability to amplify that function to create an even bigger and more powerful explosion.


    Pablo Cort¨¦s understood that his opponent was serious. He hadn''t said it with the intention of bragging; he sincerely believed that such a move could kill Pablo and his spirit beasts with his technique. However, the academy''s rules categorically prohibited killings, so surrendering was the only solution for Hyong Yong-Sook.


    "Tsk!" Pablo clicked his tongue with frustration as he also got off the stage. He wasn''t satisfied at all, but he couldn''t help it now. The important thing was that he advanced to the next round.


    "It''s time to move on to the next challenge. To take the field, it''s up to Hei, a promising young martial artist from the Forgotten Ocean." Song Yazhu announced to all spectators.


    When the audience heard the words ''Forgotten Ocean,'' their ears became attentive. For those unfamiliar with the academy''s internal dynamics, they didn''t know about the arrival of Hei and Lian. Therefore, hearing someone was from the Forgotten Ocean sounded strange in their ears. It wasn''t only because no one had ever had the qualifications to enter the Continent. It was also because this martial artist, who had come from a remote place, had managed both to enroll at a prestigious war academy such as the Southern Royal War Academy, and as well to qualify for the main phase of the tournament.


    "Is he the one you told us about?" Feng Qing asked Long Jing.


    Headmaster Long Jing nodded. Therefore, the glances of all those present in the skybox became sharp. The person who was about to take the field was a young man feared even by Imperial Prince Long Tian. The Imperial Family was the creme de la creme in the society of human martial artists; the Sun Emperor and the elders of the family were all monsters, or rather dragons among men. As the emperor''s son, Long Tian was a dragon cub destined to fly and dominate the skies. Therefore, only a few had the qualifications to challenge him in terms of talent and background, and all of them belonged to the Eight Big Families.


    "Good luck Hei."


    "Show the audience what you can do."


    "Smash everything out there."


    His companions wished him good luck for his victory. Hei received their cheering with a slight smile and prepared to go out with his sisters. Since he had registered as a beast tamer, he was allowed to take them with him.


    "Be careful, Hei, okay?" Lian recommended. Even though she had full confidence in Hei, she couldn''t help but worry.


    "Yes, I will be careful. I promised you." Hei replied before exiting the places assigned to the fighters towards the open corridor that separated him from the stage.


    When exposed to sunlight, the public was finally able to see who was the young martial artist coming from a remote place like the Forgotten Ocean. And when they were finally able to see Hei, they instead became amazed by the creatures he had with him.


    A dark purple spider with silver patterns and a pitch-black snake with golden patterns. The length of the two spirit beasts reached three and a half meters, and, despite their size, they were very agile in their movements. Although they were two second-level spirit beasts, there was something unusual about them. That something was difficult to explain, but they didn''t seem ordinary spirit beasts.


    Hei motioned for his little sisters to stay on the ringside. He had confidence in their abilities, but he knew that with the ban on using the Elemental Laws, it would be difficult for them to win as they did during the preliminaries. Since it was no longer a matter of getting the most wins, but it was instead knockout matches, Hei decided he would fight alone. Of course, if the opportunity for a group fight like the one before would arise, then he would have no hesitation in bringing them to the field.


    "Taking the field is the winner of Group 8, Chong Hai from the Chong Family. The origins of the Chong Family are not inferior to the Eight Big Families or the Imperial Family, being one of the few families from the period of the great war against demons and divine beasts." Song Yazhu announced.


    A young man with yellow sand-colored hair entered the ring. Seeing him up close, Hei was surprised because the martial artist before him looked incredibly like the spirit Emperor Chong Zemin, the person who created the recording during the Final War.

 Chapter 195 - Sand User

    "Well, what an interesting matching," commented Hu Luoyang amused. The other members of the skybox nodded in agreement.


    Hei was a martial artist highly regarded by the Imperial Prince himself. Although he came from the Forgotten Ocean, he had been able to join a Royal War Academy and enter the main phase of the tournament. It was already an incredible feat for someone without a background and who came from such a remote place, devoid of the presence of high-rank martial artists.


    Chong Hai, on the other hand, was a descendant of the Spirit Emperor Chong Zemin. Although the Chong Family descended to a normal bloodline family, the mere fact that they were descendants of that character made the Chong Family worthy of being treated with respect even by the Eight Big Families and the Imperial Family. After all, if it wasn''t for Chong Zemin, no one could have seen what had happened in the Final Battle between humans, demons, and divine beasts.


    "Let the fight begin," Song Yazhu proclaimed.


    "Hei, right? I have nothing against you, but I have my reasons for winning. So get ready- "Chong Hai said when Hei suddenly sprang forward to his position.


    "Snake Fist."


    Hei''s left fist went in the direction of his opponent. Chong Hai avoided quickly, although his posture was broken because he was caught off guard. However, Hei''s assault wasn''t yet over.


    "Snake Fist."


    Hei''s right fist moved with lightning speed against Chong Hai. Once again, the young man from the Chong Family dodged with disordered movements as he tried to regain his balance. But Hei wouldn''t have allowed it easily. He was bombarding Chong Hai with a series of Snake Fist''s blows, one after the other, cornering his opponent.


    "Not bad. He immediately attacked the instant the start was declared. On this side, it is superior to most of the younger generation who lose the initiative for unnecessary chatter. Unfortunately, my son Hu Jie is also sometimes guilty of that mistake." Hu Luoyang commented, praising Hei''s initiative and speed of reaction.


    "I apologize for my nephew''s behavior. He''s just excited about this event." an old man with a thick white beard answered. This old man was a Spirit Emperor and one of the elders of the Chong Family. In the hierarchy of the Spirit Emperors, he was in the medium-high positions.


    "He is still young; such mistakes can be forgiven. The important thing is to correct them before it''s too late." the principal replied with an amused tone. But his eyes hadn''t left the stage for even an instant.


    Hei''s assault of blows was continuing. Fortunately, Chong Hai had recovered his posture and managed to draw his sword. Thanks to his weapon, he was parrying every blow, and, with each parade, he responded with a sword slash. The problem was that Hei''s movements were too fluid. No matter where he directed his sword, Hei would always find ways to dodge the attack by bending his body at absurd angles. And even in the few cases where Hei didn''t have enough time to dodge, it would be enough for him to parry using the sharp nails he had on his hands.


    ''Shit. How is he doing it? His nails are hard as metal. They can repel the blade of my sword without breaking. Is he a Metal Law user?'' Chong Hai wondered as the expression on his face got ugly.


    ''His sword skills are good, as is his balance. Although I took him by surprise, it didn''t take him long to recover and fight back. Let''s see how it goes if I increase the pace.'' Hei thought to himself while his eyes were fixed on his opponent. He barely blinked as if he had turned into a lurking predator.


    "Snake Fist, Leg Mode."


    After moving Chong Hai''s weapon with the claws of his left hand, Hei kicked very fast against the enemy''s stomach in front.


    Ripple! Cough!


    Hei''s spirit power broke the boot that protected the foot, revealing the sharpened nails like claws of his foot. Combining the power generated by the kick and the penetrating power of Beast Claws, Hei hit his enemy, making him cough slightly.


    Chong Hai was moved back by half a meter, while his layer of spirit power became slightly weaker. The damage had been absorbed, but he had suffered the blow. Meanwhile, Hei continued in his charge, continuing to kick and punch.


    To less careful eyes, they might have seemed trivial blows, yet it wasn''t so. Each move by Hei contained an incredible speed of execution and movement, making it difficult even to block the attacks, let alone dodge them altogether. Furthermore, each hit was given in an intricate sequence that affected every single part of Chong Hai''s body and not just a specific area. It, therefore, required a high reaction rate to keep up with every attack. But incredibly, Chong Hai was succeeding. Even though he was in a passive position, he was keeping up with Hei''s pace.


    ''I won''t go anywhere if I continue like this. He is slowly beginning to understand my rhythm. I have to change gear again.''


    At that point, Hei stopped moving. His raging assault subsided, leaving Chong Hai astonished. Until now, the young man from the Chong Family had remained on the defensive with barely a chance to fight back. From the point of view of the fight''s course, it was undoubtedly a favorable situation for Hei since he had absolute control over the combat rhythm. Why did he renounce such an advantage?


    Chong Hai didn''t think about it. He didn''t care what Hei was thinking or why he stopped attacking. Only one thing mattered, and it was that, at least as far as close combat was concerned, his opponent was superior to him. If so, then he would fight by keeping his distance and using the Elemental Laws.


    "Snake Run."


    Hei''s torso leaned forward as his body zigzagged ahead. Rather than running, it gave the impression of crawling on the ground at high speed. The movements of the arms and legs were difficult to analyze only with the eyes. But undoubtedly he was inexorably moving towards his opponent.


    "You won''t take me by surprise twice in a row. Earth Law, Sand Wave. "Chong Hai shouted while condensing his spirit power on his weapon. The sword took on a yellowish sand color as sand particles gathered around the blade.


    Slash!


    With a movement of the sword, Chong Hai directed a wave of sand against Hei, who was approaching his position. If close combat were Hei''s strong point, Chong Hai would certainly not have allowed Hei to regain that advantage.


    "Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode."


    Hei changed posture in the blink of an eye. His body straightened up, and his advance stopped. The bare toes made contact with the stage, supporting the weight of the whole body. After that, Hei released his technique and projected himself to his right side, dodging Chong Hai''s attack without problems.


    Unfortunately, however, the young sand user hadn''t finished his assault. It was now his turn to attack relentlessly, making it difficult for the opponent even to catch his breath.


    Slash!


    Chong Hai waved his sword again and again. With each stroke of the sword, it would follow a wave of sand, directed against Hei, who was being forced to dodge left and right to avoid being hit.


    "Spider Run, Four Legged Mode."


    Seeing that the sand was getting faster and faster, Hei resorted to his faster speed technique. His arms touched the ground, and he started running on stage using all his four limbs. Seeing this, viewers became stunned.


    "Hey, is it really a speed technique? It is the first time that I see such movements."


    "Yeah, they don''t look human at all. How does he manage to move that way? "


    The people in the stands were commenting on the oddities in Hei''s techniques. Even the guests of the grandstand were surprised. The speed techniques shown by Hei were all first class, comparable to those possessed by the main families of the empire. Not only that, the expert eyes of the various assisting Spirit Emperors and Spirit Kings had noticed how hard Hei''s nails actually were. They didn''t know if the young man was a user of the Metal Law. If he had been so, it was incredible how he managed to empower something like the nails of the hands. But if he hadn''t been, it would have been even more amazing.


    "Shit. Let''s not joke." Chong Hai gritted his teeth in anger. None of his attacks were reaching the target. For a young genius like him, it was something inconceivable. He started to slash right and left without stopping. He had decided by now - even if he were to consume his spirit power and reveal all his cards, he wouldn''t have spared himself. Inside he felt that if he didn''t do so, he would risk losing.


    ''An opening. Finally.'' Hei thought as he left Spider Run and returned to the Snake Run''s stance.


    Although Chong Hai''s previous attacks were less impetuous, they were also more precise and organized. If Hei had attacked at the time, his enemy would have had time to think about a counteroffensive. Now, however, since he was slashing unceasingly, Chong Hai would have a shorter reaction time. If his spirit power were concentrated in throwing waves of sand, he wouldn''t have the opportunity to use other techniques. It meant that as long as Hei dodged the waves of sand, he would have a chance to land a blow.


    Hei, therefore, moved within the waves of sand with indecipherable movements. His body seemed to be a liquid that slipped away from the clutches of the sand, gradually approaching his prey. By now, Hei had almost reached his destination.


    Chong Hai, although he was caught in his rage, noticed his mistake and how he had let his emotions take over. Without even thinking about it, instead of attacking, he changed his technique, using a defensive technique. He knew he wouldn''t be able to dodge and wasn''t sure he could hit Hei since all his previous attacks had missed the target. Therefore, the only solution was to defend himself.


    "Sand Shield."


    "Snake Tail Blow."


    Hei''s hands came together as he crashed into the sand shield summoned by Chong Hai.


    Crack!


    The power behind Hei''s blow destroyed the shield, but that wasn''t the whole thing. His arms continued to advance and deliver a clean shot to Chong Hai. The young sand user flew several meters as he rolled fiercely against the stage.


    Cough!


    Chong Hai spitted blood as he opened his eyes again. He didn''t believe it was possible, but Hei''s blow, even without having activated his Elemental Law, had managed to break his defense. Not only that, but it also caused him so much damage that he was bleeding.


    "Where is he? Where is he?" Chong Hai finally realized that he couldn''t see Hei anywhere. Unconsciously he looked up to the sky and saw Hei diving towards him. If he had received such a blow, with the power shown before, it would probably have been the end for Chong Hai.


    "Sand Wave."


    Chong Hai created another wave of sand. This time, however, the target wasn''t Hei but himself. He attacked himself to move his body and avoid a fatal blow. By doing so, he was able to avoid Hei''s attack.


    Hei slowed down his descent. As there was no target anymore, there was no point in continuing. He would merely hit the hard fighting stage. Instead, he stopped and looked carefully at Chong Hai. His opponent seemed to have decided to reveal all his cards.


    "Desert Worm Bloodline, Activate! Earth Law, Sand Soldiers! "


    When Chong Hai did this, the spectators looked at the creation of three sand figures in amazement. Sand armors covered each figure, and they had long spears of hard sand. These sand soldiers stood in front of Chong Hai with their weapons outstretched against Hei.


    "So young and already capable of creating three sand soldiers?" Feng Qing complimented quite surprised.


    It wasn''t just him; everyone else in the skybox was amazed. Creating sand soldiers was the secret technique of the Chong Family. The then Spirit Emperor Chong Zemin was able to create an entire army of sand soldiers, and this ability had made him famous even if he was a historian martial artist. The fact that Chong Hai, who was only a Spirit Soldier, was capable of creating three sand soldiers was a remarkable achievement.


    From the outside, it may have seemed a trivial technique of little importance, but those who had seen it with their own eyes or experienced it on their own flesh knew the danger behind this technique. Chong Hai''s talent was undoubtedly first-class. Perhaps, there was even the possibility that in the future, it would reach the same level as the Spirit Emperor Chong Zemin, going so far as to create an entire army of sand soldiers. If this happened, the reputation of the Chong Family would raise and acquire the prestige that over the years, they had gradually lost.


    Meanwhile, Hei remained imperturbable before the three sand soldiers. Instead, he merely let his spear out of his spirit ring. He was now at a numerical disadvantage, but the fact that his opponent had resorted to activating his bloodline meant that he was cornered. Furthermore, he had seen the Spirit Registration Sphere several times. As a result, he knew the movement patterns of the sand soldiers. If Chong Hai was following the technique used by Chong Zemin, then there was a strong probability that the movements of the soldiers themselves were also similar.


    Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate. Poison Law, Poison Coating." Hei said as he revealed his bloodline and smeared his spear with poison. Against an opponent like Chong Hai and his three sand soldiers, it made no sense to continue hiding his bloodline and elemental law. In any case, he still had cards hidden in his sleeve. In these months he hadn''t only improved only in cultivation, his techniques had also improved.

 Chapter 196 - Stunning Performance

    "Go, take down the enemy." Chong Hai ordered from the three sand soldiers summoned by him.


    The three sand soldiers nodded their heads and moved towards Hei. Since they had been created directly by Chong Hai''s spirit power, they could move independently, receiving mental orders from their master.


    "Spear Intent."


    Hei condensed his spirit power even more on his weapon. After that, he sprinted forward to welcome the three approaching soldiers. Fortunately, Chong Hai was still injured from the attack before, thus merely controlling the sand soldiers from a safe distance.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Even with the spear in his hands, Hei''s movements were still as fluid as before. No, rather, because he was holding a spear, his body seemed even more flexible and sinuous than before. Just seeing his back, his neck, his shoulders, and every other part of his body bending into strange angles was a marvel to the eyes.


    The purple spear followed the movement of the hands and arms effortlessly, increasing Hei''s attack range. The weapon slid from hand to hand as it was rotated at high speeds. The shaft held up well to the blows of the sand soldiers while the sharp tip hit the weak points in the sand armor of the sand soldiers.


    The latter could be called inanimate constructs; consequently, they didn''t feel pain. Even if a part of their body or the whole body were to be destroyed, Chong Hai would only need to regenerate them by evoking more sand. However, the parts affected by Hei''s spear weren''t closing at all. On the contrary, the wounds were gradually widening. Not even by using further sand, Chong Hai managed to close the wounds. The reason for this was due to the specialty of the Poison Law. The Poison Law consisted not only in poisoning but also in dissolving, having strong acidic abilities.


    Normally Chong Hai wouldn''t have to worry so much since his understanding of the Earth Law was high despite being a mere Spirit Soldier. By adding his Desert Worm Bloodline, he would have to be able to tackle the problem more easily. The problem was that his opponent was Hei, a martial artist with an exceptional understanding of the Poison Law and with a Poison-type Bloodline. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the sand soldiers were no longer able to move.


    ''Shit. Wounds don''t heal. The solution would be to create more sand soldiers again; the problem is that creation itself consumes far more spirit power than repairing them by evoking more sand. And even if I create new ones, they would still end up in the same situation.'' Chong Hai thought as he summoned more sand.


    "Sand Wave."


    A wave of sand was pushed in the direction of Hei; at the same time, the three sand soldiers surrounded Hei''s sides and back, so as to close him in a vice. Despite being ravaged by holes in their bodies, the sand soldiers still managed to move.


    "Sand Trap!"


    At Chong Hai''s cry, the sand soldiers exploded, releasing the sand that made up their bodies. The sand of the three soldiers plus that of the sand wave poured towards Hei creating an imprisoning sphere in which locking him up.


    Watching this, Hei didn''t panic. Instead, he moved his eyes until he found a spot where the sand was less thick as his poison was still circulating. Without thinking twice, he jumped in that direction.


    "I screwed you, Desert Grip!" shouted Chong Hai, expecting such a move.


    A lump of sand broke away from the forming sphere and landed on Hei''s left leg, clinging it firmly. The additional weight of the sand caused Hei to drop to the ground, just ahead of the collapsing sand ball due to the release of the technique.


    "Destroy!"


    Crack!


    The lump of sand closed its grip on Hei''s leg. A sharp noise was heard as if something had been broken. There was no doubt that such an attack had destroyed not only the defensive layer of spirit power but also the bone of the leg itself.


    ''And with this, your mobility is gone. Now you can no longer dodge my attacks. I only need to hit you with one or two Desert Grips, and then the victory will be mine.''


    Chong Hai now thought that he was close to victory and smiled in triumph. There was no way Hei had emerged unscathed from his attack; he knew very well the power of his attack. Although he was slightly inferior to Hei in cultivation - he was a beginner fifth-stage while Hei was an early fifth-stage- he knew that not even seventh-stage spirit soldiers could resist that blow with only their defensive layer of spirit power.


    However, Chong Hai''s smile soon disappeared because Hei''s scream or grimace of pain he was expecting didn''t come. Instead, Hei moved his left leg, kicking away the lump of sand that had stuck to his leg.


    "What?" Chong Hai exclaimed in amazement. He could feel that there was still a remnant of something solid in the sand. Furthermore, he had perceived that his sand had made contact; there was no way he was wrong. Unfortunately for him, Hei had the Spider Carapace defensive technique that prevented his leg from being broken. The thing inside his sand was, in fact, the remnants of the carapace made of spirit power.


    "How the hell did he-" Chong Hai wondered but had to stop mid-sentence. Hei had sprinted at full speed towards him, taking him by surprise.


    "Sand Wave." Chong Hai used the only technique that came to mind at the time. His sand was generated from his hands, using the remnants of spirit power he had kept aside for his plan.


    "Spear Intent, Poison Law, Poisonous Crescent Blade!"


    A blade of purple light was generated by Hei''s spear. This crescent blade crashed into the wave of sand.


    Sizzle!


    The wave of sand seemed to stop the advance of the crescent blade; however, the sizzle of something melting followed soon after. The crescent blade had created a hole inside the wave of sand, dividing it in half. As the crescent blade advanced towards Chong Hai, Hei launched himself into the space created by his technique within the wave of sand. After that, he got up from the ground with a somersault and took off.


    Peng!


    Chong Hai was hit by the crescent blade. Hei''s move had lost most of its power when it clashed with Chong Hai''s technique; however, it was still able to drop the young sand user to the ground.


    Chong Hai felt another pang of pain as he fell to the ground. But that wasn''t enough to knock him out. He raised his head sharply to look around but didn''t find Hei. Thinking about the situation just before, he looked up and saw Hei swooping against him.


    Even though the situation was the same as before, the circ.u.mstances were different. Chong Hai was injured and almost completely exhausted his spirit power. He had enough left to keep his defensive layer active. He had no way of hitting himself as before, not to mention that this time, the time available to react was much less. The only thing he could think of was horizontally interposing his sword to block the spearhead that was plummeting over his head.


    Crack!


    A sharp noise was heard. Hei''s spear didn''t hit but stopped when he touched the blade of Chong Hai''s sword. It was Hei''s foot that went to sink on the stomach of the young sand user, breaking the defensive layer of spirit power and making him unconscious.


    Clang!


    Chong Hai''s sword slid into his hands. Becoming unconscious, the young man no longer had the strength to hold the sword. Hei moved the head of the spear to hit the downhill sword and prevent the weapon from scarring the unconscious master. The sword, therefore, fell to the ground with a metallic noise, declaring the end of the fight.


    "The winner is Hei." Song Yazhu declared while he had expected such a result. As their teacher, he knew roughly how strong his students were. Although Chong Hai was definitely a genius, Hei was a genius among geniuses. Not only that, but Hei was also a person who trained assiduously without sparing himself. Unless it were another super genius like Hu Jie, Feng Chen, or Long Tian, ??Hei would hardly have lost.


    Clap. Clap. Clap.


    The audience applauded Hei''s victory while the supporting martial artists took to the stage to pick up the unconscious Chong Hai. Although he had lost, Chong Hai had undoubtedly performed well. The elder of the Chong Family was satisfied with how Chong Hai had fought. He could only resent their bad luck for giving Chong Hai such a strong opponent in the first round.


    "Hey, am I wrong, or-?" Luoyang asked Feng Qing while using his spirit power to communicate with their minds.


    "Yes, there is no doubt. It is an unknown bloodline. And in addition to that, it is a Royal Bloodline." Feng Qing replied while looking intently at the young man who had just won the fight and was leaving.


    It happened that the spirit power of each martial artist was different from each other. It was as if it were a kind of personal imprint that distinguished one person from another. After spending a lot of time with a person, this imprint became familiar, thus allowing martial artists to recognize the spirit power of their companions even from a distance.


    Among martial artists, bloodline users were particular. When activating one''s bloodline, the imprint of a person''s spirit power would be influenced by the bloodline itself. For this reason, if you came across a user of a known bloodline, it was possible to recognize what type of bloodline it was. Besides, Spirit Emperors with a high purity bloodline could sense the degree of purity of another bloodline.


    Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing were the heads of the Hu Family and the Feng Family, belonging to the Eight Big Families. During the long years of their life, thanks also to their prestigious positions, they had known all the families possessing bloodlines. None of these corresponded to the bloodline used by Hei. Not only that, when Hei activated his bloodline, but they could also feel their bloodlines stirring in their bodies with excitement. It was something they had only felt in front of other Royal Bloodlines.


    Principal Long Jing was also watching Hei closely. As a member of the Imperial Family, he also possessed a Royal Bloodline. He had felt everything Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing had perceived.


    ''Long Tian, ??apparently you found an interesting subject. A Royal Bloodline and a person with no background. The competition will be strong, but if you can do it, then you may have a chance.'' the headmaster thought as he looked away to watch his grandson Long Tian. He knew what Long Tian had in mind and supported him wholeheartedly, yet Long Jing also knew how difficult it was to accomplish what Long Tian wanted to do.


    ''Congratulations big brother.'' (Xing)


    ''You showed it to that guy.'' (Ye)


    "Congratulations on your win. Hei,"


    "Hahaha, that Chong Hai certainly couldn''t believe he would be thrown out in the first round."


    "Hei. Are you okay? You''re not hurt, right? "


    His little sisters and companions congratulated him on his victory. They had joyful expressions on their faces as if they had won themselves. Hei smiled back and let himself be carried away by their enthusiasm.


    "Congratulations on the victory, Hei. I did not doubt that you would win." Long Tian expressed his congratulations along with Feng Chen and Hu Jie, who nodded respectfully. They knew Chong Hai and knew how strong he was. The fact that Hei had maintained absolute dominance during almost the entire fight wasn''t something to be ignored.


    "In the next match, we will see Malcolm Hammond against Feng Chen of the Feng Family." Song Yazhu announced the next two challengers.


    Hearing his name, Feng Chen started to go towards the stage. As a representative of the Feng Family, he intended to bring home a quick victory to show the strength of his family. But above all, it was that Hei''s fight had awakened his fighting spirit.


    ''You are strong, Hei. But are you strong enough to beat Hu Jie too? I hope so, because in that case, if you defeat Hu Jie, you and I will be at the semifinals of Block A.''


    Feng Chen had no doubts that Hu Jie and Hei would win the next round as well, thus coming to challenge each other. And Feng Chen knew he could make it to the semifinals even though there were strong opponents in his way. As a result, in the semifinals of Block A, Feng Chen would find one of the two to challenge him. He had fought many times with Hu Jie, so he knew how strong he was. But he felt that Hei had all the capabilities to defeat him. No, he hoped he would do it so he could fight Hei without limits. He wanted to see how far the strength of this martial artist came from nowhere and if he was able to match the Eight Big Families.

 Chapter 197 - Phoenix vs. Bullet

    Feng Cheng and Malcolm Hammond were face-to-face on the stage. The former was one of the biggest favorites to win the whole tournament, while the other was practically a nobody. He was one of those students who remained in the shadows all year round and then finally revealed his real strength. Although he had no background, he had managed to gain a place in the main phase of the tournament, although it couldn''t even be said that he didn''t have a background.


    "Hey, Old Jing. Isn''t that by accident?" Hu Luoyang asked when he observed the weapon in the hand of the young Malcolm Hammond. Feng Qing also slightly opened his eyes in surprise.


    "Yes, that''s what you are thinking. The weapon prototype we seized from the demons. We, the Royal Southern War Academy, have taken over the research in studying the prototype up to build a working model.


    The young Malcolm is the son of a blacksmith who is working on the project. He has talent, but above all, he has shown an affinity with the new model. For this reason, I decided to have him enrolled in the tournament to test the results of the new weapon. During the preliminaries, he only used his strength, so Malcolm''s fighting strength cannot be doubted. The experiment is to see how much the new weapon can increase our soldiers'' fighting power." Long Jing explained as he carefully watched the stage.


    The weapon in Malcolm Hammond''s hand wasn''t at all a sword or another type of cutting weapon or any other conventional weapon. Instead, it was a strange metal object that the young man was holding with ease with one hand. At the handle of the weapon, it followed a metal body, containing a cylinder that ended in a thin barrel. Looking at this, none of the spectators knew what that object was, except for the high spheres gathered there.


    "Colt Single Action Army Revolver, this is the official name of the model while the base name of the weapon is Gun. Guns are weapons created by demons that enable the user to attack in rapid succession. It is based on creating shells containing spirit powers called bullets that are inserted inside the gun. The user then uses his spirit power to trigger the engraved formation and shoot the bullet. The metal barrel is used to direct the bullet in a precise direction and give it more speed.


    Our tests showed that the activation time is reduced to a minimum, and the power achieved is satisfactory. From that point of view, it is a success. The problem is the creation of the bullets. As you know, the Principle of Maximum Elemental Density places a limit on the amount of spirit power that can be inserted within a given space. We experimented with materials from across the empire to find a combination that could hold large amounts of spirit power in such small objects. Our blacksmiths worked day after day without stopping. In the end, we got a league that can hold up to the early stages of the spirit master rank." said Old Jing as he ill.u.s.trated the characteristics of the new weapon. Although it had been a secret project until recently, as it was going on with the live experimentation, it was no longer necessary to keep it as a secret.


    "I understand, so one of the reasons you organized this tournament is to show us the functionality of the weapon and whether it is worth investing in, right?" commented Feng Qing to his old teacher and now principal of the academy.


    "Hahaha, Old Jing. I didn''t think you were so sneaky. Using our children as bait to force us to witness the demonstration of a new weapon. I like it. It seems that by aging, you have become funnier." Hu Luoyang burst out laughing when he learned one of the truths behind the tournament.


    "Luoyang, don''t be rude. However, Teacher Jing, you said that bullets could hold spirit power right up to the early stages of the spirit master rank. Does that mean that Malcolm Hammond can unleash the power of a spirit master even if he is a spirit soldier?" asked Feng Qing.


    The face of Feng Qing was stern. If that were true, his son, Feng Chen, would practically have no chances of winning. But it wasn''t only that. If a spirit soldier could exhibit the strength of spirit master, then what about higher ranks? Could someone who wasn''t in the Spirit Emperor rank exhibit that kind of power? Based on Long Jing''s answer, the situation of the entire Continent could change in just a moment.


    "Unfortunately, no. We have seen that if you use bullets loaded with a higher rank spirit power than your cultivation rank, the bullets will escape the user''s control, exploding inside the gun. Not only that, if you try to use bullets loaded with the spirit power of another person, even if of the same rank and stage, this danger still exists. So the young Malcolm is using bullets loaded with his spirit power.


    However, the production speed of the bullets is too slow to think of mass production. We would need more capital and resources to produce results. Even though we are part of the Imperial Family, this is a project started by me only, using part of the budget of the Yellow Dragon Faction. Therefore, this is the reason for the need to find additional financiers who want to support the project. As you know, most of the resources of the Imperial Family are dedicated elsewhere."


    At the words of Principal Long Jing, all the honor guests made a concerned expression. They knew well what Principal Long Jing was referring to and what was at stake. And the date of that day was inexorably approaching.


    "Anyway. After several tests, we managed to develop an elemental technique to create bullets resulting from one''s spirit power. Consumption is higher, but by doing so, it should be possible to proceed with the mass production of the guns even without finding suitable materials for the bullets. However, the problem with the gun body itself remains - the bullet also serves as a protective layer to prevent the gun from being unable to withstand the trigger formation. If any of the high-ranking martial artists wanted to use it, they would need a gun made of Spirit Metal. Therefore, to maintain costs and profits, for the moment, it is a weapon designed for low and medium rank martial artists."


    Meanwhile, as the principal Long Jing further explained the details, the fight had begun. Malcolm Hammond was confident about the tournament. Not only was he a talented young martial artist, he had, after all, reached the beginner fifth stage spirit soldier, but he had the full support of the research team behind the Colt Single Action Army Revolver. The team was led by none other than Principal Long Jing, with the support of the Yellow Dragon Faction of the Imperial Family.


    ''With this weapon, I can do it. I can even overcome geniuses like Feng Cheng or Hu Jie. I can do it. I can win.'' Malcolm Hammond said to himself as he activated his spirit power. The revolver he was holding had already been loaded with bullets.


    Six bullets inside the cylinder. Sixty bullets available. A total of ten barrages. More than enough to win the fight.


    It was the number of instant attacks Malcolm could make. Once those 60 bullets were finished, he would have to resort to the technique devised by the research team in generating bullets with his spirit power. Although the bullet-making process was slow within a fight, if he correctly managed the times, he could alternate spirit and material bullets.


    ''Unfortunately, I can''t make spirit bullets in advance since they disappear after a while. But I trained a lot, and I should be able to reproduce them while I am fighting.''


    Bang!


    The first bullet inside the revolver was fired. The small metal object was thrown forward at incredible speed towards Feng Cheng.


    Peng!


    It was enough for Feng Cheng to slash once. The blade intervened in the trajectory of the bullet, blocking it. In the eyes of the audience, it might have seemed like an effortless movement, but it wasn''t like that at all. Feng Chen, in fact, couldn''t help but be amazed by the execution time and the speed with which the strange object had reached him. If it hadn''t been because he was watching his opponent closely from the start, he wouldn''t have had time to react. No, even if he had observed him, if he had been a few meters closer, he wouldn''t have made it in time.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Five more bullets and five more parries to the limit. Although it appeared that Malcolm Hammond''s assault had gone up in smoke, it had been successful. Feng Chen had noticed the speed of those attacks and wouldn''t carelessly advance towards his opponent, restricting himself by attacking from a distance. It was the ideal result for Malcolm because as long as he kept his distance, he had the confidence to beat Feng Chen.


    There was a problem, though. The Revolver could only hold six bullets. As a result, after the first barrage, Malcolm had run out of bullets available in his gun. Obviously, his opponent, Feng Chen, didn''t know it. However, the latter was still the best of the younger generation of the Feng Family; it wouldn''t take long to figure out the maximum number of attacks in the gun.


    "Gas Law, Steam Bullets," Malcolm shouted as he reached out his left hand. His spirit power condensed in his palm as he created six bullets of steam. In the meantime, his right hand opened the gun cylinder, ready to insert new bullets as soon as he finished creating them.


    Whoosh!


    As soon as Feng Chen noticed it, he immediately ran forward. The sword in his hand vibrated with the flames produced by his spirit power, giving it a reddish tinge.


    ''The trick in the speed of his shots is in that strange weapon. It should possess formations that allow it to shoot small metal objects, similar to darts, at high speed. However, given the size of the weapon, it isn''t possible to contain an infinite number of those objects inside.


    Six shots. This is the limit. Although it can be a trap, I have to check it on my body.'' Feng Chen thought when the barrage finished, and he saw his opponent using his elemental technique to create new ammunition.


    Click!


    Malcolm completed his technique in time, just a moment before Feng Chen could cut him with his sword. Quickly, he slung the bullets into the revolver and pointed his gun at Feng Chen.


    ''Get ready for this nice surprise.'' Malcolm thought as he couldn''t wait for his bullet to make contact. The first barrage was all bullets loaded with pure spirit power, without the elemental conversion of the Laws. This time, however, they were bullets created directly by the Gas Law. Its power was certainly not comparable to that of before.


    Feng Chen knew he couldn''t dodge, so he created a thin fire shield in front of him. Since his goal was still to attack Malcolm Hammond, he used a barely enough quantity of spirit power to parry the bullet. In the first exchange, he measured the power behind his opponent''s attack, and now he was adjusting his accordingly. Even though it was a risk, he couldn''t needlessly waste his spirit power. After all, as talented as he was, he still wasn''t able to handle multiple high-level techniques simultaneously. If he wanted to have enough spirit power to perform an immediate attack, then he had to reduce the power of his defense.


    Bang! Boom!


    The steam bullet fired from the revolver crashed into the fire shield, producing a boom. Feng Chen was enveloped in a cloud of steam before quickly moving away from that position. His exquisite robe had holes here and there while his fiery red hair had been messed up by the steam explosion. But for the rest, he had no visible wounds. However, the damage had taken place, and part of his defenses had been weakened.


    ''The power is different, but it is certainly the same execution principle. If something has changed, it is those little objects that he inserts into his strange weapon. Does that mean that material ones have reduced power while those created by his Elemental Law have more destructive power?'' Feng Chen quickly examined the details of the attack just now.


    His calm and analytical mind immediately allowed him to understand the situation and prepare for a counter-offensive. Unlike Hu Jie, who formulated his battle plan on the spot during the fight, depending on how the enemy behaved, Feng Chen was accustomed instead to analyze his opponent''s moves to anticipate them.


    ''He should still have five shots right now, although I am not sure. But I can''t even stay on the defensive while waiting for all the answers. Then, I will act as if there were five shots at his disposal.


    While he is shooting, he can''t generate more bullets, or otherwise, he wouldn''t have taken such a big risk before. A second more and I would have cut him. So, I have to get close to him while dodging his five shots. At that point, he will proceed to use material ammunition because he won''t have time to use his technique.


    At that moment, the previous situation will arise again, but Malcolm''s attack will be weaker. Enough for my fire shield to withstand the impact and allow me to land a hit.''


    After preparing his battle plan, Feng Chen ran forward to his opponent. He even activated his speed technique to generate more momentum. Seeing this, Malcolm was amazed because he couldn''t believe that Feng Chen would try to attack him when he still had five bullets left.


    ''If you get close to me at that speed, there is no way my bullets won''t hit you. I''m sorry, but you signed your condemnation yourself.'' Malcolm rejoiced as he watched Feng Chen''s reckless advance.


    Bang!


    The steam bullet flew from the revolver barrel at high speed. With his target approaching, there was no way he would miss the target. However, unexpectedly, Feng Chen avoided the bullet. He didn''t even have to use his sword. He dodged the bullet using only his body as if he had read its trajectory.


    "What?!" Malcolm couldn''t believe his eyes.


    The speed of his bullets was something that spirit soldier-rank martial artists couldn''t avoid at close range. During the first barrage, there was still some distance between the two of them, and therefore, the fact that Feng Chen had been able to react was understandable. But now it was a whole other story. How did he do it when he was moving forward at full speed? There was no way his senses were able to react so quickly unless he was a martial artist above the rank of the spirit soldier one. Yet Feng Chen was undoubtedly a spirit soldier in all respects.


    "Haha. Your son is as smart as you, Feng Qing. He reminds me of you when you were young. I can''t wait for him and Hu Jie to compete in the tournament." Hu Luoyang congratulated his old companion.


    "It''s only natural that Feng Chen is capable of this. After all, he''s my son." Feng Qing replied proudly. Usually, he kept a calm attitude, but when it came to the honor of his family, he was easily susceptible. This characteristic was also reflected in his son Feng Chen.


    "Young Feng Chen is good. Creating a light layer of fire in front of him to sense the bullets before they even get close to him. But it is still early to declare victory. Young Malcolm still has cards at his disposal." said Principal Long Jing.


    What he said was true. From what Malcolm had done so far, it had been deduced two things - Malcolm Hammond had two types of bullets, material ones, and spirit ones. The material ones were ready-made, and they only needed to be loaded into the revolver. However, they were charged with pure spirit power; consequently, their power was inferior. The spirit ones were created by the Elemental Laws. It took time to create them, but their power was higher.


    But the truth was different. The bullets in Malcolm''s possession were three - material, spirit, and hybrid. Hybrid bullets were nothing more than material bullets loaded with elemental spirit power, combining the advantages of the other two types of bullets in one. It meant that Feng Chen''s strategy was doomed to fail.

 Chapter 198 - Dagger vs. Dagger

    Rip!


    A slight sensation of something being torn.


    It was what Feng Cheng felt every time his opponent''s bullets hit the faint layer of fire created in front of him. Thanks to such a stratagem, it was possible for him to perceive bullets'' arrival without having to rely on his eyes and his speed of reaction. Therefore, knowing the trajectory in advance, dodging them, albeit at close range, was not complicated.


    Bang!


    Another bullet was fired. Once again, Feng Chen dodged it by moving even before the flying object could hit his body. It didn''t take long to reach his opponent, Malcolm Hammond.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Malcolm quickly fired one after the other, the three bullets left in his gun. The bullets flew at high speed, and yet Feng Chen, knowing their trajectory in advance, skillfully dodged the attacks until he was now at a distance where his sword could reach his opponent.


    Slash!


    An oblique cut from top to bottom. Feng Chen''s sword followed this trajectory with lightning speed. However, it wasn''t enough to checkmate Malcolm Hammond as he avoided the sword stroke at the last second while trafficking with his hands.


    Click!


    As he backed away, Malcolm inserted the hybrid bullets into his weapon as fast as he could. Then he aimed the revolver barrel at Feng Chen, who was practically in front of him.


    "Take this!"


    Bang!


    Another blast and another bullet flew from Malcolm''s gun to Feng Chen. This time, the fiery red-haired youngster''s layer of fire wouldn''t help him. Feng Chen was indeed too close to attempt to dodge the blow. The only solution would have been to strengthen his defense and receive the impact of the attack. And as expected, Feng Chen chose to take the attack head-on.


    Boom!


    ''It is time to end this fight. You are probably wondering why your defense was overcome when I used the same attack as before. I''m sorry for you, but your analytical skills have turned against you. Never think you know everything about your opponent.'' Malcolm commented in his head as he prepared to fire another bullet.


    It was at that moment that it happened.


    Whoosh!


    A shadow emerged from the cloud of steam, exploded from the bullet fired by Malcolm. The shadow of a person, or Feng Chen. Incredibly, apart from his tattered clothes, his body was unharmed. There was no trace even that his defensive layer of spirit power had been affected.


    Seeing this, Malcolm couldn''t believe his eyes. How was that possible? He could understand that there were no injuries, but how could Feng Chen''s defenses remain the same as before?


    "No, it''s impossible. It can not be." Malcolm muttered as he fired two more bullets.


    Bang! Bang!


    The two fired bullets moved at high speed towards Feng Chen. However, they didn''t reach him as they stopped a few centimeters before reaching him. Not only that, but the steam bursts from the two bullets were also unable to influence Feng Chen.


    Once again, Feng Chen came out of the clouds of steam. This time, in front of him, there was a crystalline blue screen - an ice screen. It was thanks to this defensive technique that he managed to emerge unscathed from the attacks.


    Crack! Slash!


    The ice screen shattered, scattering ice crystals all around. Feng Chen swung his sword rapidly towards Malcolm''s hand, which held the unusual weapon. Suddenly, the ice crystals that previously formed the ice screen stirred and gathered towards the point indicated by Feng Chen''s sword.


    Freeze!


    A layer of ice landed on the revolver and continued until it covered the whole arm. But unfortunately for the young Malcolm, this wasn''t the end.


    Slash!


    Another sword stroke and other ice crystals were formed. This time, the ice crystals landed on Malcolm''s feet so that he was glued to the ground by the ice.


    "Shit!" Malcolm Hammond swore as he tried to wriggle away. He tried to release his spirit power to the maximum to break the layer of ice that kept him imprisoned, but he didn''t manage to do it. Or rather, it would take time to break it, and time was something he didn''t have at the moment.


    "Law of Fire, Phoenix Wing Strike!"


    With his right arm stretched out to the side and parallel to the ground, Feng Chen ran towards his opponent at full speed. His arm hit Malcolm Hammond in the chest.


    Crack!


    The impact of the move was devastating. Malcolm was still anchored to the ground by the ice layer, so he could not use the rebound of being hit to lessen the damage. Instead, he had to undergo the full power of Feng Chen''s move.


    His protective layer of spirit power was shattered as flames covered his body. More and more severe burns were forming visibly, charring the young man''s skin little by little.


    Slash!


    Another sword movement and the flames on Malcolm''s body went out. Not only that, but even the layer of ice that kept the feet and the arm imprisoned was also destroyed. In this way, Malcolm finally fell to the ground while spitting blood due to the impact received.


    "The winner is Feng Chen!" Song Yazhu said as he called the supporting martial artists on stage to take care of the young Malcolm. Even though he wasn''t life-threatening, his injuries weren''t either light.


    Feng Chen then put his sword back and turned to return to the section where the other fighters were stationed. The audience greeted him with a roar of applause to thank him for the show he had provided.


    "Unfortunately, the young Malcolm lost, but the young Feng Chen''s victory was well deserved. Anyway, what do you think of the weapon we developed?" Principal Jing complimented before asking this question.


    A series of discussions followed among the upper echelons. Feng Chen''s talent and skills were first class, and it wasn''t surprising that he had won. Yet, indeed, if Malcolm hadn''t taken it for granted that his opponent had miscalculated the strength of his bullets, perhaps he could have come out on top. The attack speed was sufficient to overwhelm his opponent when used cunningly.


    "Okay, Teacher Jing. For me, it can be done. In any case, since it was developed by a prototype taken from demons, it wouldn''t surprise me that in the future, we will find ourselves against more users of this type of weapon. If we don''t understand the full functionality of this new type of weapon ourselves, there is a danger of finding ourselves in difficulty in the next battles." Feng Qing seriously replied.


    "I also agree with this. We cannot afford to fall behind, now more than ever. There isn''t much time left, and we have yet to complete a myriad of preparations. We cannot be stingy with our resources, or we will end up with nothing. It affects the fate not only of our families but of the whole human race." Hu Luoyang added. Despite his carefree behavior, he had now taken on a serious and dignified attitude as befits the Hu Family head.


    "So be it. We will talk about the details later. For now, let''s enjoy the tournament." Principal Jing ended this matter. However, even though he was calm, infinite thoughts were swirling in his head.


    "Let''s proceed with the next fight." Song Yazhu meanwhile began to introduce the two new fighters. "The first to take the field is William, one of the guards of Imperial Prince Long Tian. As you all know, imperial guards are all trained by the imperial instructors, so their strength is not to be underestimated."


    When Song Yazhu announced the new fighters'' name, William moved away from Long Tian''s side. The latter nodded to him to encourage him. Since they had been together for a long time, Long Tian knew William and his other guards'' strength well. After all, he had chosen them personally when both he and they were still children.


    "The next one to take the field is Mafeng Rong, belonging to the Mafeng family." Song Yazhu introduced the second fighter for this round.


    "So William has Mafeng Rong as an opponent. I don''t know if it should be considered a fortune or a misfortune," commented Dae-Won, Long Tian''s number one guard.


    "What do you mean?" Hei asked as he didn''t know who this Mafeng Rong was or the Mafeng Family in general.


    "The Mafeng Family is the owner of the Giant Hornet Bloodline. It is a bloodline of the Poison Law. But this isn''t the issue. The Mafeng Family''s favorite weapon is a pair of drill daggers that simulate the sting of the hornet. William uses Katars, which are also considered daggers. As a result, both are familiar with dagger attack patterns." answered Xinya, guard number three.


    "Exact. Also, William uses a close-combat style with his Katar daggers. Therefore, he isn''t very proficient in fighting from a distance, using his Blood Law techniques." added Hide, guard number two.


    "However, even if that''s the case, I''m sure William will come out on top." Long Tian ended the analysis as everyone''s eyes returned to the stage where Song Yazhu was about to kick off the fight.


    "Begin!" Song, Yazhu loudly said.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The two fighters'' figures flickered for an instant, then vanished and reappeared the moment later in the center of the stage. Both fighters wielded a pair of daggers in their own hands, and as soon as they were both within each other''s range, they began to exchange a storm of attacks one after another.


    Peng! Peng! PENG!


    Metallic sounds followed one after the other. No demonstrations of pure strength or displays of flashy techniques. Only pure technique in the use of weapons. The two were exchanging blow for blow at an impressive speed. Their daggers stuck to each other just before they could skewer their opponent''s protective layer of spirit power. However, although their attack patterns might seem the same, they weren''t.


    William''s style came from the Kalaripayattu style; that is, it contained explosive and elastic movements exploiting the whole body. His arms moved according to arched and sinuous trajectories that were difficult to be analyzed correctly, while the legs added further power and momentum to the movements.


    The style of the Mafeng Family also relied on the speed of movement, moving around the enemy like a hornet. However, apart from that constant movement around the enemy, the body remained almost rigid, leaving only the arms to attack. It was used to counterbalance the recoil due to the power of movement of the arms and to throw stabs indefinitely without the risk of falling forward or to the side.


    The two, therefore, continued to fling blow after blow without stopping for several minutes. Despite the absence of elemental techniques, it couldn''t be doubted that it was a high-level clash. Their dagger style techniques were flawless as well as the use of their spirit power to coat their weapons and enhance their penetrating skills.


    ''We''ll never end it in this way.'' William thought as he finally detached himself from the enemy. Mafeng Rong also stepped back, surprised by his opponent''s dagger skill.


    "As expected from one of the imperial guards. Your skill with daggers is incredible. It honors the Kalaripayattu Style. However, my family''s fencing is superior. Now I''ll show you why." Mafeng Rong said before adding, "Giant Hornet Bloodline, Activation!"


    An insect hum began to ring as Mafeng Rong''s daggers were painted purple. It was a sign that the Poison Law was now present in those daggers. If William were to be hit, the poison would enter his body. The most crucial unknown was to understand what kind of poison it was.


    In response to his opponent''s move, William extracted two small glass ampoules containing a red substance - his blood. Then he threw them into the air and crushed them with the blades of his Katar daggers. The blades of the two daggers turned blood red and took on a sinister appearance.


    Dagger vs. Dagger. Poison Law vs. Blood law.


    From an evaluation of the clash so far, William and Mafeng Rong were on par. Both possessed a high mastery of the dagger and possessed first-rate speed techniques. It was no coincidence that they hadn''t gotten an advantage over each other in the previous exchange. Now, however, both had activated their Elemental Laws - for William, it was his Blood Law, for Mafeng Rong his Poison Law.


    Although they were on par with their dagger mastery, this didn''t indicate that their knowledge in their respective Elemental Laws would also be on the same level. In addition to this consideration, Mafeng Rong possessed the Giant Hornet''s Bloodline, which added more power to his elemental techniques; William, on the other hand, didn''t have one, not even a pseudo bloodline.


    Although it didn''t mean that the young man from the Mafeng Family would automatically win, it was undeniable that at the moment, he had a not negligible advantage. Therefore, most of the audience thought that he would be the winner of the fight.


    Whoosh!


    The two moved at high speed again. Their figures trembled and then met again in the center of the stage. Exactly as before, they began to exchange blow for blow but with an even higher intensity.


    Flashes of purple and blood-red light flew each time their blades crossed. Each of the two fighters was trying to land a powerful stab on the opponent but to no avail. Although Mafeng Rong had the advantage over the Elemental Laws, he specialized in techniques that touched the enemy''s body. As long as William deflected Mafeng Rong''s drill daggers, the guard of the Imperial Prince shouldn''t worry about the disadvantage he had by not possessing a bloodline. And it was precisely that evaluation that brought William into a difficult situation so as to risk the defeat.


    While the two were clashing their weapons, Mafeng Rong suddenly rotated the handle with which he held one of his daggers. He made two rapid rotating clockwise movements with his left wrist, and something unexpected happened immediately afterward. The drill dagger''s blade held in his left hand suddenly stretched out during the unstoppable exchange of blows.


    William was completely taken aback because he didn''t expect such a thing. Nonetheless, he managed to bend his body just in time to prevent the blade from hitting him in the chest. However, this movement had disturbed his posture, placing him in a critical situation.


    "Intent of the Dagger, Poison Law, Poisonous Hornet Sting!"


    Mafeng Rong then turned his right wrist counterclockwise. This time the blade of the other drill dagger, instead of stretching, shrank but at the same time began to rotate frantically according to the rotation performed by the wrist. The blade''s outlines vanished to make way for a blurred image of something that was spinning frantically.


    Stab!


    The rotating drill blade made contact with William''s left shoulder. The defensive layer of the young imperial guard, under the rotating attack of the blade and the ability to dissolve by the Poison Law, broke, thus leaving the flesh defenseless. The rotating drill blade, therefore, continued its advance until it entered the flesh, creating a hole of considerable size.


    Stab!


    Just as the rotating drill blade broke the defensive layer of spirit power and entered the flesh, a metallic glow flashed, and the tip of a blade reached Mafeng Rong - it was one of William''s two Katar daggers.


    Since Mafeng Rong was concentrating on the attack, he unconsciously lowered his defenses to focus on increasing power. Therefore William, who knew that he couldn''t avoid being hit, decided to take advantage of this opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the enemy as well. It would have worsened the extent of his injury, but he knew it was the only way to prevent Mafeng Rong from gaining too much of an advantage over him.


    The blade of the Katar dagger broke Mafeng Rong''s defensive layer and touched the flesh. However, William possessed the Blood Law and not Poison one, not to mention that he didn''t have a Bloodline. Therefore, the force of his blow lessened more, and the extent of the injury was inferior. Nonetheless, it was irrefutable that he had landed a direct hit on his opponent.


    Cough!


    Both coughed and spat blood when their weapons touched their respective bodies. William was in a much worse condition than Mafeng Rong, but it was the latter who backed away. He had a stunned look on his face as he didn''t expect William to aim to hit him even if doing so would make his wounds worse.


    Instinctively, he looked at the wound caused by his opponent''s blade. It wasn''t too deep, but it wasn''t a simple cut either. However, it wouldn''t prevent him from continuing the fight, although there was no longer any need for it.


    Yes. Mafeng Rong had not backed away out of fear but simply because it was no longer necessary to expose himself in that way and risk being seriously injured. By now, he had practically won.

 Chapter 199 - Blade vs. Blade

    "You''re done!" Mafeng Rong shouted while showing a triumphant smile. His victory was now certain.


    The reason for his confidence was because the attack before had not only caused a substantial injury to his opponent. No, the most dangerous aspect of his attack was the poison attached to the blade of his dagger. This poison, potentiated by the activation of the Giant Hornet''s Bloodline, had penetrated William''s flesh and, in a short time, would flood his circulatory system, expanding throughout his body.


    In ancient texts, it was said that the Divine Beast Giant Hornet possessed a powerful poison, capable of creating the necrosis of the flesh where it struck. It also increased the perception of the enemy''s pain, making him unable to move correctly. Lastly, if it were to spread through the body reaching the organs, it could have caused their collapse, including the heart.


    Obviously, Mafeng Rong or the other members of the Mafeng Family didn''t have such a brutal poison, or rather the power of their poison was related to their knowledge of the Poison Law. However, since they possessed the Giant Hornet''s Bloodline, when their bloodline was active, they could use some features of the Giant Hornet''s poison.


    Therefore, all Mafeng Rong had to do now was waiting - waiting for his poison to spread to the organs of his opponent. At that point, even if William didn''t want to surrender, Song Yazhu would declare him the winner.


    ''Even if you''re one of the imperial guards, you''re only a guard in the end. The only reason you got this far is because of your relationship with Long Tian. But now the time has come for you to face reality and leave room for the real protagonists.'' Mafeng Rong thought as he waited for his victory to arrive.


    However, unexpectedly, William didn''t seem to be in the throes of pain at all. No, the young imperial guard had stood up now. He was feeling due to the shoulder injury, but other than that, he didn''t seem to be as distressed as Mafeng Rong thought he would be.


    "What?!" Mafeng Rong couldn''t believe his eyes. "No, it''s not possible. Even if I hit you once, my family''s specialty is to concentrate as much poison as possible to wipe out the enemy in one move. Although it isn''t enough to kill you instantly, you should be affected. "


    Listening to Mafeng Rong''s words, William looked up from his wound to look at him. "Before I proceed, I want to ask you - did you forget what my Elemental Law is?"


    A simple question, but it changed everything.


    Suddenly Mafeng Rong realized the mistake he had made. He had been so absorbed in his plan and confidence in his poison that he had neglected the enemy''s abilities. In his eyes, regardless of how strong William was or what techniques he possessed, the fight would end once his poison was injected. But this didn''t happen.


    "The Blood Law! You are manipulating your blood to stem the circulation of the poison. How is it possible? How do you get control like that when you don''t even have a bloodline?!" Mafeng Rong couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He could have accepted it if William had been another bloodline user, but this wasn''t the case. Did that mean that, on equal terms, he was inferior to this imperial guard regarding the understanding of their respective Elemental Laws?


    "I am the imperial guard of Imperial Prince Long Tian. To protect him and make his dream come true, it is only natural that the four of us have this ability. Otherwise, we won''t be able to walk by his side. Either way, it''s time to finish it." William replied as he extended a hand.


    Yes, in the same way that Mafeng Rong left a lethal trap in his attack, William did too. To be precise, instead of being poison, it was his blood.


    "Blood Branching!" William said aloud, activating the technique he had kept hidden. Suddenly, the blood content that had secretly crept into Mafeng Rong''s body exploded 360¡ã, thinning as if it were tree branches.


    Cough!


    Mafeng Rong started coughing blood as his body was devastated from the inside. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t stop the advance of that foreign blood that was tearing his body apart. During his life, Mafeng Rong had never found himself in such a situation. Even against other users of the Poison Law, he would always find a way to strike first. It was the first time he had fought something foreign in his body; as a result, he didn''t have the experience and lucidity necessary to actively manipulate his spirit power and block the advance of blood.


    Whoosh!


    William then moved from his position. In a few moments, he found himself right in front of Mafeng Rong; the blades of his Katar daggers were a few millimeters away from his opponent''s throat.


    "The clash is over. The winner is William!" Song Yazhu announced. Had it been a fatal fight, William certainly wouldn''t have stopped his blades. In that precarious state he was in, Mafeng Rong would not have survived.


    William then moved his hand, and the blood inside Mafeng Rong''s body came out to return to settle in the Katar daggers of the young imperial guard. With Song Yazhu''s awarding his victory, there was no reason to further infer on his opponent.


    William thus left the stage under a shower of applause to return to where the other fighters were while Mafeng Rong was promptly medicated. As Song Yazhu said at the beginning of the clash, the strength of the imperial guards shouldn''t be underestimated at all. Even without a bloodline, they were able to make up for this disadvantage with their skill and hard work.


    "Let us, therefore, proceed with the next battle. The first fighter is Sean Fisher, a talented young man accepted during the second recruiting session. The second fighter is Xinya, another of the Imperial Prince Long Tian''s imperial guards. "


    At the announcement of Song Yazhu, the two fighters came forward. They both had a serious look on their faces as they walked down the open corridor that separated them from the fighting stage.


    The previous clash revealed that Long Tian''s imperial guards hadn''t reached the tournament''s main stage just by luck or by using the Imperial Prince''s authority. Their strength was undoubtedly first-class. As for Sean Fisher, despite being part of the group of newcomers, he had shown with the facts that the gap with the old first-year students wasn''t insurmountable. Indeed, his qualification was a clear sign of his abilities.


    "Let the battle begin!" Song Yazhu started the fight.


    At the start, given by Song Yazhu, Sean Fisher drew his weapon - a pair of twin swords that he held with both hands. The weapon used by Xinya also was a pair of swords, although they were Urumis, a particular type of flexible sword used in the Kalaripayattu Style.


    "Intent of the Sword, Water Law, Burst of Aquatic Blades!"


    Without wasting a moment, Sean Fisher moved first. His spirit power was condensed in his pair of swords, which were shaken at high speed, sending slashes forward, cutting only the air in front of him. Yet with every blow that he threw, a blade of light would come out of the swords to head against his opponent.


    Seeing this, Xinya''s eyes lit up as he, too started waving his Urumi swords. "Intent of Urumi, Poison Law, Poisonous Cutting Dance!" His flexible swords began to move like wh.i.p.s creating thunder noises. It seemed as if he had awakened the storm itself.


    The blades of light created by the Water Law collided against the Urumi''s swords, creating a concert of rumbling noises and splinters of light. Like before, this clash also began with a demonstration of one''s weapon skills. The two fighters, therefore, began this cutting blade dance that quickly caught the public''s eye.


    "Their sword skills are first rate. Swords attacks are being thrown relentlessly, and there is no sign of a drop in the intensity of their attacks." Leon said he was carefully watching the fight. Although he used a broadsword as a weapon, the basic fencing was attributable to that of a standard sword. Observing this exchange of sword strokes had aroused his fighting spirit.


    "Yes. It isn''t surprising that they call him the Slicer. He''s even keeping up with Xinya, and we all know how strong he is." commented He Fen, who had heard of this new student.


    "However, even if they are on par, for now, it won''t last long. Xinya has a longer range thanks to the structure of his Urumi swords. In addition to that, Sean Fisher is using blades created with his spirit power. Its consumption is greater than Xinya''s. If he doesn''t come up with something, then he''s bound to lose." Lang also added her analysis in the confrontation.


    The three, having been part of the Hei group, had had the opportunity to spend some time in the company of the four imperial guards of Long Tian. Therefore, they knew well how strong these imperial guards were ano knew that they would be formidable opponents during the tournament. So they were watching these matches even more closely.


    "If this Sean Fisher is called the Slicer, then Xinya is comparable to a Rain of Blades," said Hide, guard number 2, to respond to the comments of the three of them.


    It was at that moment that it happened. Sean Fisher realized that his flurry of blades would never reach his opponent if he continued like this. His blades of spirit power were being destroyed one by one by those unusual flexible swords. No matter how much he created them, the covered range of the Urumi was simply too much larger than what he could do. He had to come up with something else, and he knew what to do.


    ''I admit. Your Urumis are powerful but have a critical weak point. I just need to take advantage of that, and I will get the opportunity to bring to an end the fight.'' Sean Fisher thought as he sprinted forward.


    ''Are you moving forward? That he became impatient to see his attacks canceled in this way? Or did he understand that he couldn''t continue like this and decided to change tactics?'' Xinya slightly frowned when he saw the enemy moving forward but didn''t get upset. Quickly, he waved his hands to direct the flexible blades of his Urumis against Sean Fisher. He wouldn''t let his opponent even a single place where to escape.


    "NOW! Water Law, Overwhelming Wave! "Sean Fisher shouted as the whip-like blades approached his position.


    His swords generated two large water waves. I.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed with an overwhelming force, they crashed into the flexible blades of the Urumi. This time, it was no longer about aquatic blades, thick just a few centimeters. Instead, the water waves were the thickness of a building pillar, making them difficult to cut with a single blow.


    The flexible blades of the Urumi were therefore pushed out from where Sean Fisher was. The weak point of the Urumi was also what generated their strongest point - the flexibility and lightness of the blades. The Urumis were light, and that characteristic allowed them to move flexible and fast like a whip. But because they were light, they were also easily deflected if a heavy attribute attack were to be used. Therefore, this would have left the user of the Urumi defenseless for a brief moment. And it was precisely this brief moment what Sean Fisher was aiming for.


    "Intent of the Sword, Slicer Blade!"


    The spirit power of Sean Fisher completely condensed on his two swords. He even reduced his defensive layer of spirit power to increase his cutting power further. At the same time, he sprinted at full speed towards the defenseless Xinya.


    ''I can''t hope to use the same tactic twice. I have to end this fight now, in one attack. ''


    Xinya watched Sean Fisher get closer and, incredibly, smiled at the moment. He let go of his two Urumi swords and spread his arms as if he were warmly welcoming the arrival of his opponent.


    The audience was amazed by this. They couldn''t understand the reason for such a gesture. However, it didn''t take long for them to understand. In the next instant, fragments of light rose from the flexible blades of the Urumi. These fragments of light traveled at high speed and formed a cloud around Sean Fisher.


    "Rain of Blades!" Xinya said aloud.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    The cloud of light fragments turned out to be a cloud of small and thin blades made up of spirit power. At Xinya''s command, the cloud exploded, and the blades inside assaulted Sean Fisher, who was taken aback. Having reduced his defensive layer of spirit power to increase his attack power, his defense was weaker than ever. Under the assault of these blades, he had no escape and helplessly suffered the complete damage.


    When the blades of light dissolved, only Sean Fisher''s body remained on the ground. Although the blades were short and hadn''t caused deep injuries, every single area of ??his body had been affected. A pool of blood was already beginning to form where he lay.


    "The fight is over. The winner is Xinya. "Song Yazhu promptly announced the end of the battle. Although Sean Fisher''s condition wasn''t serious, he knew that this wouldn''t change the situation. It would have been enough for Xinya to regain control of his Urumi and attack again to finish the fight.


    Sean Fisher was then transported to be medicated while Xinya got off the stage after achieving an overwhelming victory. Not once had Sean Fisher landed a hit on him, and indeed the young man wasn''t someone without talent. This once again demonstrated the strength of the imperial guards in the service of the Imperial Prince Long Tian.


    "Let''s proceed to the next battle which is also the last of Block A. After this fight, we will have a short pause and then resume with the battles of Block B. For the last clash of Block A, the first challenger is Bao Jong-Su, belonging to the Bao Family. The second challenger is He Fen, belonging to the He Family. "


    When He Fen heard his name called, his body shivered for a moment. He was nervous about having to fight in front of so many people and didn''t know if he would be able to demonstrate the strength he had gained in these months or if that strength was sufficient. And that was the thing that worried him most.


    Even though he hadn''t seen him in person, he unconsciously knew there was someone from his family who had come to see him. He knew that they had certainly not come because of an emotional bond with him but rather not to dishonor the family name by not even sending a representative. However, this didn''t change the reality of the facts.


    ''If I perform well and get good results, I will get a better position in the family. At that point, I could start some negotiations to cancel my sister''s wedding. I can''t let her future be ruined.''


    He Fen clenched his fists tightly as he took a long breath. The stakes were high, and he could not afford mistakes. He had to win, win at any cost.


    Slap!


    A big jolt suddenly aroused him. Turning his head, he saw Leon beside him. The latter had hit him behind the back with the palm.


    "Don''t overthink. Go outside and win. You can do it." Leon said to He Fen.


    Leon perfectly understood how He Fen felt. He knew what it meant to be desperate and constantly looking for more power. Both weren''t super-geniuses like the children of the Eight Big Families or the Imperial Family, yet both had their reasons for gaining more power and reaching the top. At first, they had almost given up, but the meeting with Hei and the others had changed their lives. Now they had a chance¡ªa real opportunity to succeed in their intent.


    Slap!


    Another pat hit his back. Looking toward his side, he realized that this time it was Lang. The young woman said nothing, but she was giving him her own way of encouragement. Fenrir, beside her, nodded to emphasize that further.


    Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!


    Haruno, Mareo, Mia, and Lilian also joined and soon after them, Lian, Ye, and Xing as well. Now only Hei was missing.


    "You trained hard. As long as you don''t underestimate the enemy, you can win." Hei said before extending his right fist, lightly hitting He Fen''s chest, where the heart was.


    He Fen was moved by such a gesture from his companions. His worries vanished as a strong fighting spirit replaced them.


    "I''ll be back soon. I will win."


    So He Fen separated from the others to go on stage. They were right. He trained hard and did everything he could to get stronger. Why should he have to doubt himself and be afraid? He would do his best and win, not only for himself but also for his companions who believed in him.

 Chapter 200 - Bifang vs. Panther

    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As he walked down the open corridor that separated him from the fighting stage, He Fen''s footsteps resounded loud as if something hard was being slammed against the floor. His heart was racing, but the nervousness of before had dissolved to make room for his fighting spirit and his desire for victory.


    Meanwhile, Bao Jong-Su, the young man from the Bao Family, was already standing on the stage with a concentrated but not worried face. He, as for Sean Fisher, was part of the group of new students. However, his status was higher than the former''s. Bao Jong-Su was part of the Bao Family, owner of the Black Panther Bloodline, specialized in the Lightning Law. His attacks contained both incredible speed and impressive destructive power. He certainly wouldn''t be an easy opponent for He Fen.


    "Begin!" Song Yazhu started the fight as soon as He Fen got on stage and took up his fighting stance.


    As soon as that order was issued, He Fen immediately pulled out his Wind and Fire Wheels, holding them with both hands. His circular weapons had a non-cutting part that allowed the user to grasp the two wheels for close combat, as well as the possibility of throwing them. Bao Jong-Su instead didn''t draw any weapons; he stood there, motionless, in the center of the stage. However, his eyes and position alluded that he had no intention of remaining passive.


    Whoosh!


    Bao Jong-Su sprinted forward using his speed technique. His body had begun to release his spirit power, which took on a flickering dark blue tinge.


    "Panther Palm!" Bao Jong-Su shouted as he threw a vigorous palm against He Fen.


    "Wheel of Wind! Vortex Shield!"


    He Fen let go of his Wind Wheel. The circular weapon stopped in mid-air and immediately afterward began to rotate clockwise as it created strong wind streams in front of He Fen like a shield of sharp drafts.


    Slash! Zap!


    Bao Jong-Su''s palm stopped a few inches from He Fen''s Wind Wheel. From that palm, a strong electric discharge was poured out, which crashed against the wind shield. The lightning bolts created by the technique were being cut into small pieces in front of the public''s eyes.


    ''As I imagined, it wasn''t an attack that needed to touch the body.'' He Fen thought as he kept spinning his Wheel of Wind.


    In this regard, He Fen could have simply used his circular weapons to meet his opponent''s palm. After all, in the event of contact, it would have been He Fen to get the better of the confrontation. But, in the same way, he was aware of it, Bao Jong-Su should have been too. There was no way the latter would attack so lightly unless he was a user of the Metal Law, and He Fen knew he wasn''t.


    "Wheel of Fire, Jet of Fire!"


    He Fen stopped his wind shield technique and started to rotate his second weapon, the Wheel of Fire. The metal circle turned red, and the next instant fired a jet of fire at Bao Jong-Su. The latter had lost the momentum gained from his run-up, and even the lightning on his palm had vanished. Therefore, he was now in great vulnerability.


    "Flying Claw, Black Panther Palm!"


    Crash!


    Suddenly, something dark moved from Bao Jong-Su''s back and crashed into He Fen''s jet of fire. The flames of the jet were therefore divided into smaller streams and, since their trajectories were deflected, they missed their target.


    "Hmm!?" He Fen made a surprised cry when he realized that the thing responsible for deflecting his jet of fire was a kind of metallic animal claw. This claw was connected by a metal rope, twisted along Bao Jong-Su''s arm, and continued over the shoulder to his back. Initially, both the claw and the rope were hidden by the young man''s clothes but were now fully visible.


    "Do you like my Flying Claw? Then you will undoubtedly adore the other!" Bao Jong-Su said with a wild smile as his robes began to move again.


    Slash!


    A second metal claw flew from Bao Jong-Su''s sleeve to head at full speed against He Fen''s neck. The latter didn''t expect Bao Jong-Su to possess such a weapon or that he had two of them. Without hesitation, he emitted a jet of fire from his Wheel of Fire to push his body away from the trajectory of the claw.


    "It''s not over here!" Bao Jong-Su shouted as he waved his hands. The two ropes twisted on his body began to loosen up as they increased the range of action of the two claws and, therefore, the range in which he could attack while standing still.


    ''Shit, I can''t dodge. If so ¡­'' He Fen thought before saying aloud, "Intent of the Wheels of Wind and Fire! Wind Rotating Discs!"


    He Fen''s circular weapons rotated even more intensely than before, generating strong gusts of wind as they met Bao Jong-Su''s lightning-covered metal claws.


    Whoosh! Rumble!


    The two pairs of weapons crashed loudly against each other. The flying claws, driven by the previously gained momentum, were trying to make their way between the gusts of wind generated by the Wheels of Wind and Fire. However, the power behind used by He Fen was higher and was currently gaining the upper hand.


    "Intent of the Flying Claws, Black Panther Bloodline, Black Panther Claws!"


    As soon as Bao Jong-Su said this, the spirit power he was sharply emanating increased and went back to his flying claws. The sparks emitted by the metal claws became more intense and were accompanied by rumbling noises as if he were creating a miniature storm within his particular pair of weapons.


    "Bifang Bird Bloodline, Activation! Law of Fire, Bifang Flames! "


    When his opponent resorted to his bloodline, He Fen did the same. Within an instant, the wind generated by his wheels ceased to be replaced by chaotic greenish-red flames accompanied by a bird cry.


    Lightning Law vs. Fire Law! Flying Claws vs. Wheels of Wind and Fire! Black Panther Bloodline vs. Bifang Bird Bloodline!


    As the clash gained became heated, a man, dressed in red and green clothes, was sitting in the VIP seats and was carefully watching the match. He was one of the elders of the He Family and was the only emissary sent to observe He Fen''s results. His name was He Lim, and at the time, he was looking incredulously at the young representative of his own family to whom no one had given importance.


    ''Is he really He Fen? Initially, everyone, including myself, thought it was an error the invitation we received. He Fen had qualified for the main phase of the tournament? No way. But after verifying its authenticity, we simply thought he had been lucky. Yet now, the reality before my eyes is very different. He Fen is fighting on par with the Bao Family representative. Did he manage to improve so much in less than a year? What if he was given more time? Would he be able to succeed in the challenge assigned to him?''


    The Elder He Lim was baffled, which was also quite reasonable. He Fen''s talent was okay and possessed a pure bloodline. However, it wasn''t enough to match the top members of the younger generation of the He Family, not to mention the other bloodline families or the Eight Big Families. It was already quite incredible that He Fen had managed to enroll in one of the Four Royal War Academies. Still, other young martial artists from the He Family had managed to do it, so there was nothing special about it in the end.


    "I have to congratulate you, He Lim. I didn''t know that the He Family had produced a talented young man of the same age as Jong-Su. I thought your last children were all unsuitable for such accomplishment." complimented one of the elders of the Bao Family, who was just as surprised at He Fen''s power.


    It should be known that the bloodline-owner Families knew the top members of the younger generation of the other families. Unless they had a background of zero or minimal influence, it was unusual for a talented young man not to be known among the families residing in the same area. Therefore, He Fen''s performance came like a bird swooping towards the unaware predator who thought he was safe because of its strength.


    "Thanks so much. Young Jong-Su is also talented." He Lim replied briefly to avoid giving any hints that he was equally surprised.


    ''If He Fen had possessed this strength from the beginning, we certainly wouldn''t have relegated him to a marginal role among the younger generation, nor would we have kept him in the dark. Yet without the help of the family, he managed to become so strong. As much as the War Academy is a great place to improve, such a change is unthinkable. Really, what did you do to get so strong, Fen?''


    While He Lim continued to formulate new questions, the clash between Bao Jong-Su and He Fen was continuing. The flying claws full of lightning were facing the bright red-green flames. Dark blue glows mingled with the red-green flames, creating colorful splashes around the two fighters.


    The two had abandoned all sorts of tactics or strategies, changing the course of the clash in a specific tug of war fight in reverse. Both Bao Jong-Su and He Fen were trying to send their elemental technique to the other side, destroying the opponent''s elemental technique. Therefore, they were using only the Lightning Law and the Fire Law, which were their primary Elemental Laws, as well as the Elemental Laws of their bloodlines.


    "You are strong, but there can only be one winner, and it will be me." Bao Jong-Su declared when he realized that the reverse tug of war game wasn''t going to end as quickly as he thought.


    ''I didn''t think I had to use my family''s secret technique against you. Honestly, I didn''t even think I would have to struggle so much.'' Bao Jong-Su thought to himself as he called back his flying claws and dodged the red-green blazes that pushed forward when he withdrew his weapons.


    "Bao Family Secret Technique, Panther Outburst!"


    The metal ropes that tied the flying claws to Bao Jong-Su began to extend to three meters in length. Now, Bao Jong-Su held the ends of the two strings in his hands. At the same time, he started swinging his pair of weapons as if they were a pair of wh.i.p.s.


    Slash! Slash!


    He Fen was forced to retreat as the flying claws continued to hit him. Although they were medium-distance weapons, the feature of being able to lengthen or shorten the length of the rope made it challenging to predict their movements.


    "Bifang Flapping!"


    He Fen quickly shrugged his shoulders, and it was then that two small flame-shaped wings formed behind his back that pushed him backward at high speed. He then shrugged his shoulders forward to stop his movement. Performing that simple movement according to the direction where he wanted to go, his speed underwent a sudden acceleration, which allowed him to dodge the consecutive attacks of the flying claws.


    "Panther Acceleration!"


    Bao Jong-Su responded by introducing more spirit power into his legs while at the same time summoning the Lightning Law to reduce the response time of his legs to his commands. In this way, his speed increased even more than before. Yet despite this, his claws failed to land their attacks.


    ''Why? How do you dodge them? It''s as if he knows in advance where I''m going to hit, but that''s not possible. I am taking care to change my attack patterns continually, yet as the seconds are passing, they become more and more familiar to him. ''


    Bao Jong-Su couldn''t understand. He should have closed this matter once his secret technique was activated, but that hadn''t happened. He had activated his best speed technique and was using the full power of his weapons, and had even activated his bloodline. Although the other side came as him from a family with a bloodline, the Bao Family had a better position than the He Family, not to mention that He Fen was certainly not among the top members of the younger generation of the He Family. Yet, why was all this happening?


    ''Yes, I can read it. I can do it. Just like Lian had said.''


    He Fen thought back to the various simulations of fights carried out with his companions. Of all of them, the person he had the most difficulties against was none other than Lian. The young blue-haired woman used two long silk ribbons as weapons, capable of effortlessly destroying He Fen''s range advantage and his two Wheels of Wind and Fire. In particular, what he had difficulty with was understanding how the ribbons would move since they seemed to have a life of their own and could lengthen and shorten in an instant.


    ''No matter how much your attack patterns change, there will always be a rhythm at the core. That rhythm cannot be changed, unless the person themselves change. The movements of the flying claws are similar to those of Lian''s ribbons. No, on the contrary, they are less insidious since they are shorter. Also, think back to what Hei told me about how to deal with these types of enemies.''


    It didn''t matter if you were in a passive state; there would always be a time to fight back. All that one had to do was wait and seize that moment when it happened. And if you were unable to resist until that moment was generated naturally, then you had to create it.


    Whoosh! Clutch!


    During one of his moves, He Fen was a slower step, and one of the flying claws caught up with him. The metal weapon sank the pointed ends of the claws onto his right calf, clinging to it as if he wanted to tear the young man''s entire leg. Fortunately, the defensive layer temporarily stopped the claws from sinking into the flesh, but they failed to prevent He Fen from being pulled by the flying claw.


    Peng!


    He Fen was crashed into the hard fighting stage and then abruptly pulled up, this time in the direction of Bao Jong-Su. The latter had an expression of ecstasy since he was beginning to lose his temper by seeing his attacks fail one after the other.


    "This is the end. Panther King Claw! "Bao Jong-Su shouted as his second flying claw backed up to rest on his free hand. Like a kind of metal prosthesis, it covered the young martial artist''s hand as the dark blue glow became more and more intense.


    "Fire Law, Bifang Burning Torrent!" shouted He Fen, pointing one of his Wheels of Wind and Fire against the approaching Panther King Claw.


    Peng!


    The two techniques collided, and a stalemate formed as before. This time, however, they weren''t in a situation of alleged parity, but He Fen was utterly disadvantaged. He didn''t have a foothold where he could gain strength and maintain his position, not to mention that the flying claw on his calf was still trying to make his way into his flesh. If it wasn''t that he was resisting the pull of attraction thanks to his flying ability, he might have already lost.


    "There''s no point in struggling. Once my claws grab the enemy, it''s the end for them." mockingly said Bao Jong-Su, who now thought he was one step away from victory.


    "You talk too much, you know? Hei once told me that speaking during a fight can be more dangerous than revealing your secret techniques." He Fen replied as he reached out his right hand. Surprisingly, this was free and didn''t hold any weapons.


    "Bifang Burning Torrent!"


    Suddenly, the second of the two Wheels of Wind and Fire appeared behind Bao Jong-Su''s shoulders. While being slammed to the ground and dragged, He Fen had released the grip on his weapon and manipulated it with his mind, using the imprint engraved in the circular weapon, to direct it exactly where he wanted.


    Blaze!


    The two flames of fire, similar to torrents of flames, poured in unison on Bao Jong-Su, who noticed too late the trap prepared by his opponent. With his claws occupied and his spirit power concentrated in his technique, he had no way to avoid being hit. He could only hope that his defensive layer of spirit power would be enough to absorb the damage enough to leave him still conscious and thus be able to continue the fight.

 Chapter 201 - He Fens Victory

    Blaze!


    He Fen''s flames continued to rage on his opponent. Bao Jong-Su tried to resist, but gradually his defensive layer of spirit power gave way, and with it also his chances of victory. So, he opted for escape even if it would leave him exposed to He Fen''s counterattack. But right now, it was his only option.


    "Aaaahhhh!" with a liberating scream, Bao Jong-Su braced himself and came out of the two fire streams. On his face, you could see signs of pain and fatigue as if he was about to give way.


    "Flame Rotating Discs!"


    He Fen knew he couldn''t let go now that he was so close to victory. Therefore, as soon as Bao Jong-Su came out of his technique, he interrupted the technique and put out the flames. Then he threw the Wheel of Wind and Fire in his hand while manipulating the other with his mind. In an instant, the two weapons moved, cutting through the air in Bao Jong-Su''s direction.


    Blaze!


    The Wheels of Wind and Fire struck Bao Jong-Su in full swing from front and back, reviving the flames that had tormented him a moment ago. Bao Jong-Su then collapsed to the ground exhausted while Song Yazhu declared the end of the fight.


    "The winner of this fight is He Fen."


    The audience welcomed He Fen''s announcement with great applause, and the young man of the He Family put down his flames, freeing his opponent from that fiery torment. Then he went back to his companions, happy to have obtained the victory.


    ''I''ve done it. I won. Have you seen it, Uncle Lim? Report it to the family. I, He Fen, won''t allow my sister''s future to be ruined by your political plans, Elders. If the family needs new strength, then I will become that new force.'' He Fen thought as he glanced at the grandstand where the important figures invited to the tournament sat.


    He Lim noticed He Fen''s gaze and could understand more or less what the young man was thinking. However, he remained impassive as he returned He Fen''s gaze.


    ''You have become strong He Fen, but that doesn''t change anything. We need that alliance, and your sister is the only one who can allow us to have it. We told you, if you want to change her fate, then you must become as strong as the children of the Eight Big Families. If you also win the next round, your opponent will be Feng Chen. If you beat him too, then you will have fulfilled the condition we have imposed on you.''


    While He Fen was returning victorious from Hei and the others, Song Yazhu made a public announcement inside the stadium.


    "Group A fights are over. From the initial 16 fighters, there are only 8 left. We will take a short break now and then begin the Group B fights. "


    *


    "Nice job He Fen. I knew you were going to win." Leon said to He Fen. The others also congratulated him on his victory.


    "Congratulations, He Fen. We will be adversaries in the next round." Xinya said with a sincere smile.


    "Yeah. We will be adversaries. I''ll tell you from now, but I''m not going to lose." He Fen replied, showing his fighting spirit.


    "The same goes for me. As one of His Highness Long Tian''s guards, I can''t be weak."


    The two then exchanged a vigorous handshake. During the academic period, Long Tian and Hei''s groups had spent a lot of time together and knew how strong they were. This tournament would be the right occasion to show their full potential. Meanwhile, two people were approaching the two groups. They were Wani Garret and Pablo Cort¨¦s, respectively, the winners of Group A''s second and third match.


    "HU JIE!" Wani Garret shouted as he uncovered the row of sharp metal teeth whose lethality was shown against the poor Irene Davidson. Pablo Cort¨¦s remained silent while his eyes rested on Hei.


    "Garret. You are noisy. What do you want? "Hu Jie answered defiantly.


    "What do I want? You know it very well. Tomorrow is the day when I will win against you and show everyone that the Metal Crocodile''s Bloodline is superior to the White Tiger. That the Wani Family is the number one Family of Metal Law users."


    "Hahaha. Did you come here to provoke me? We can also not wait until tomorrow and resolve the issue here and now. Or don''t you have balls? Unlike you, I don''t fight for complicated matters like honor and reputation. I fight because I want to be the strongest, that''s all. I don''t need others to tell me I''m strong. I know how strong I am and how much more I need to improve." Hu Jie bluntly replied, showing all his fighting spirit.


    Wani Garret responded by discovering even more sharp teeth in a sort of animal smile. His eyes sparkled with euphoria as he prepared to respond to Hu Jie''s provocation.


    "Hu Jie. Wani Garret."


    Suddenly, Long Tian called the names of the two quarrels who stopped before they could land an attack.


    "Right. The academy prohibits unauthorized combat. Okay." Hu Jie replied casually.


    Wani Garret, on the other hand, appeared less carefree than Hu Jie. The one who had called him was none other than the Imperial Prince Long Tian. It was known that Wani Garret had also tried to make contact with him but in vain. Despite the Wani Family''s influence, this wasn''t enough to stand alongside one of the Imperial Princes.


    "I apologize, His Highness. I got carried away by the heat of the moment. Hu Jie, we will end our business tomorrow once and for all." Wani Garret said before leaving from there with a disgruntled face. He wanted to put pressure on Hu Jie but instead ended up almost losing his patience and being reprimanded by Long Tian.


    Now, only Pablo Cort¨¦s remained. He had remained silent until now, but he also had something to say. "Hei. I can''t wait to face you tomorrow. I will show you the strength of my spirit beasts and show that I am the best beast tamer in the whole academy."


    Hei remained unmoved by such a challenge, merely responding with a flat tone. "You probably are. Besides, I can''t be considered exactly a beast tamer. But on one thing, you can be sure - the power of my spirit beasts is superior to any other beast you can send out. Even if you send all four of the spirit beasts you used before, my Xing and Ye can wipe them out without any problems."


    After hearing this, Pablo Cort¨¦s'' eyebrows furrowed to the point of becoming very thin. "What did you say? Are you saying that in a 4 vs. 2, your spirit beasts would win anyway?"


    It was absurd. His spirit beasts were all first-class spirit beasts. He could understand if Hei said that the two spirit beasts he possessed weren''t inferior to his. But here, Hei was talking about a 4 vs. 2. As strong as Hei''s spirit beasts were, there was no way this was true.


    "Yes, that''s what I said, although there is one thing to specify. It is not a 4 vs. 2 but a 5 vs. 3. As beast tamers, we must take the field alongside our companions instead of looking the fight from the rear."


    "Hahaha. I''m really curious if the words you just said are reality. I hope you won''t change your mind tomorrow. 5 vs. 3 ... I really want to see it."


    Saying this, Pablo Cort¨¦s left while laughing. He didn''t believe Hei''s words at all and strongly doubted that Hei would accept a handicapped fight. No matter how strong he was, Hei couldn''t bridge the gap of two first-class spirit beasts.


    However, when Hei said this, he was serious. He believed every word he said, and tomorrow he would ask Song Yazhu to allow Pablo Cort¨¦s to use all his four spirit beasts. It wasn''t a matter of arrogance or contempt of the opponent; he simply had so much confidence in his little sisters'' abilities.


    ''"The break is over. It''s time to start with Group B fights. The first pair of fighters to take the field are the Imperial Prince Long Tian and Xie Guanyu from the Xie Family."


    Long Tian''s announcement brought Hei and everyone else to mind. Group A fights were over, but Group B fights were still missing. There were still 16 more fighters waiting and 8 winners to be proclaimed. It was still long before the day was over.


    Hearing his name, Long Tian prepared to take the field. He received cheers from his guards as well as those from Hu Ji and Feng Chen. Hei also nodded to him as if he knew that Long Tian would have no problems.


    Long Tian, therefore, walked through the open corridor that some of his companions had already walked before and finally arrived at the fighting stage. Just behind him, there was also Xie Guanyu, who wasn''t showing on the outside the slightest trace of concern, although his opponent was none other than the Imperial Prince.


    "Let the fight begin."


    Without pausing any longer, Song Yazhu proclaimed the start of the match. He knew that the audience was eager as one of the two fighters was Long Tian. After all, the members of the Imperial Family remained to study inside the Capital. Meanwhile, Long Tian had chosen instead to go to the Southern Royal War Academy, which was very unusual, even though the academy''s principal was a member of the Imperial Family. Since the Imperial Princes were also called candidates as the next Sun Emperor, all the people present in the stadium were curious to know the real power of Long Tian.


    "Long Tian, ??I am happy that you are my first opponent. Imperial Prince or not, I will win. You will be my stepping stone to establish myself as the best of this generation. Besides, I know the truth - you ran away from the Capital because of your weakness! In comparison with the other Imperial Princes, you are inferior, and you haven''t been able to stand the comparison."


    Xie Guanyu came out with a somewhat offensive provocation. He didn''t care if Long Tian was one of the Imperial Princes; that title didn''t matter inside the academy. Furthermore, his words came from the rumors he heard after Long Tian unexpectedly decided to enroll at the Southern Royal War Academy rather than staying in the Capital like his other brothers.


    Why would one give up a first-class education from the most powerful family of the Empire? Considering that there was also the matter of the succession to the throne, staying in the Capital was more profitable as you would have had the chance to meet the most influential people of the Empire. As rumors like that circulated, Xie Guanyu thought that Long Tian had come to play the big fish''s role in a small pond rather than staying at home and being an insignificant fish in the ocean.


    "If you really believe what you say, why are you standing there? Come over and defeat me. Don''t you consider me inferior to you? So, take me down. Or are you afraid? Afraid that the rumors about me aren''t real and that you will only end up ridiculing yourself? "Long Tian didn''t give a precise answer, nor did he appear angry at the slander launched by his opponent. He replied with another provocation.


    Hearing this, Xie Guanyu''s relaxed expression went dark. Indeed, despite believing those rumors, the possibility that they weren''t true remained. What if there was another reason behind the choice of Long Tian? But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t guess the reason behind such an irrational action.


    "Death Scorpion Bloodline, Activate!"


    Since he wasn''t sure that the rumors were true, he decided to go all out right away. Therefore, he activated his bloodline while a metal rope, ending with a sharp point of several centimeters long, came out from behind his back. From the outside, it gave the impression of being the tail of a scorpion.


    "Darkness Law, Scorpion Claw!" Two dark masses began to form on Xie Guanyu''s hands to form two black scorpion claws. Now, more than a human, Xie Guanyu gave the feeling of being a scorpion.

 Chapter 202 - Long Tians Resolve

    When Hei saw Xie Guanyu activate his techniques, a feeling of surprise arose within him. Leaving aside the metal tail behind Xie Guanyu''s back, the technique of the Darkness Law used by Xie Guanyu was similar to his Spider Carapace technique. Both consisted of solidifying their spirit power and giving it a precise form.


    "He looks like a scorpion, right?" Lang asked as she had seen the amazement in Hei''s eyes.


    "Yes. Is the Xie Family one of the Beast Families by any chance?" Hei asked in turn.


    "No, they aren''t part of the Beast Families. They are a normal bloodline family that developed techniques based on the scorpions'' attack pattern. The Xie Family territory is close to an area occupied by scorpions, so they have always fought with them for the control of the area. They aren''t very common, but there are still other families who have created techniques based on the spirit beasts'' attack patterns. But, only a few are truly refined while most are so inferior that they cannot even be called imitations." Lang finished her explanation as she returned her gaze to the combat stage.


    The Xie Family was one of the few who had managed to invent an effective technique to reproduce the scorpion attack pattern. Therefore, as a member of the Beast Families, the only ones who had personally received techniques from the divine beasts, she was curious to see the fruit of years of research that this family had made.


    "Take this!" Xie Guanyu shouted as he advanced. Long Tian meanwhile, had drawn his two hook swords.


    Slash!


    One of Xie Guanyu''s black claws stabbed at Long Tian. The latter just responded with a simple lateral movement. However, the next instant, the metal tail''s sharp tip quickly and stealthily moved where Long Tian had moved.


    "Repel."


    Long Tian pointed one of his hooked swords against the metal tail. At his command, a wave of spirit power pushed back the metal tail, pulling it backward.


    "Death Claw Crushing!"


    Xie Guanyu quickly moved his other claw and tried to crush Long Tian''s body. The Imperial Prince then pointed his other sword and repeated the same procedure as before.


    "Repel."


    Again, part of Xie Guanyu''s body was rejected, but that didn''t stop the Xie Family''s young man.


    "Death Stab!"


    The metal tail attached to Xie Guanyu''s waist stopped being pulled back. As soon as the repelling movement stopped, the metal tail snapped forward again. Only, the speed with which it moved had significantly increased.


    Stab!


    The tip of the metal tail stabbed the air, missing Long Tian. The Imperial Prince had activated his movement technique and dodged the attack. But Xie Guanyu''s assault was far from over.


    "Death Dance!"


    As if a murderous raptus had enraptured him, Xie Guanyu started to move his black claws and metallic tail simultaneously. It started moving so fast that it left residual images every time they moved. Incredibly, though, Long Tian was dodging every hit with ease.


    ''His speed technique. Rather than moving his legs, he appears to be slipping through the air. No, it isn''t correct. It seems more like being pushed back or attracted to a specific point.'' Hei came to that conclusion. He didn''t want to miss any second of the fight. He had fought side by side in Long Tian and knew how strong he was. Now he wanted to know how much Long Tian had improved since the last time he saw him in action.


    "Darkness Law, Dark Blade!"


    Xie Guanyu, seeing his Death Dance fail, began to summon black-colored spirit blades that rushed at Long Tian.


    "Intent of the Double Swords, Whirlpool of Swords"


    Long Tian''s hook swords shone with his spirit power before moving at an insane speed. The blades of the two swords cut the darkness law''s technique without any issue.


    "Attract."


    Long Tian pointed one of his swords towards Xie Guanyu. The latter felt a mysterious force pushing him in the direction of Long Tian. He tried to oppose it, but it was in vain; he was pulled towards Long Tian''s blade.


    "Dark Sphere."


    Xie Guanyu created a sphere of darkness that burst a few centimeters away from his opponent''s sword. The sphere''s explosion interrupted the force of attraction imposed on him, freeing him from that forced movement.


    "You''re done!"


    Xie Guanyu pounced on Long Tian with his black claws stretched forward. At that distance, there was no way he could miss the target. The Imperial Prince, however, didn''t get fl.u.s.tered and used his technique again.


    "Repel."


    Xie Guanyu was pushed back one more time, but this time Long Tian decided not to let him rest. After pushing Xie Guanyu back, Long Tian set off in pursuit with his two hook swords, ready to tear his opponent apart.


    ''Yes, so this should go. Thanks for the push, Long Tian.'' Xie Guanyu thought while he didn''t seem to be afraid of his opponent''s moves.


    With his body still pushed back, Xie Guanyu stuck his metal tail into the combat stage, abruptly stopping that backward movement. The metal tail emitted a series of screeching but resisted the pressure. At that point, Xie Guanyu met Long Tian''s hook swords using his two black claws.


    Peng!


    Xie Guanyu''s black claws repelled Long Tian''s hook swords. Although the two swords were made of Spirit Metal, the hardness of the claws produced by the Darkness Law was such as to be able to withstand such exchange.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, the metallic tail stuck in the combat stage rose. Since Xie Guanyu was no longer subjected to the repelling force, he released his weapon. Then, he used it to attack, taking advantage of the fact that Long Tian''s weapons were currently engaged in resisting his black claws.


    "Intent of the Whip, Scorpion Sting!"


    Stab!


    The tail-like metal whip that ended with a sharp point hit Long Tian at the stomach''s height. This time the Imperial Prince was unable to dodge, being hit in full by the technique. Yet, although the tip of that scorpion tail was stuck in his body, Long Tian didn''t seem to have been affected at all.


    "What?!" Xie Guanyu exclaimed in surprise; he didn''t believe his eyes. Even after considering the defensive layer of spirit power, his blow wasn''t such that it could be received without consequences. At least Long Tian''s spirit power''s defensive layer should have diminished.


    "Repel." Long Tian said, pointing the sword upwards.


    Once again, an intense pressure pushed Xie Guanyu''s body, bringing him up several meters. Long Tian also made the metal tail fly along with him, thus freeing his body from the tip that had stuck inside.


    When he did this, the public could see how Long Tian had emerged unscathed from the attack - a layer of rock had formed in the area of ??the Imperial Prince''s body under attack. The metallic tail had only broken the rock layer that served as temporary armor, thus canceling the damage.


    "It is over now, even if there was no doubt," said Feng Chen approaching Hei. "Hei, I want to clarify a point now that Long Tian isn''t present. Dae-Won, Hide, Xinya, William. Don''t worry; I won''t tell anything Long Tian doesn''t want to reveal, so stay calm. But I believe that for the good of Hei and his companions, it is right that they know certain things."


    Hearing those words, the face of the four guards twitched slightly, but they did nothing. Long Tian trusted Feng Chen, and the latter was an intelligent person. Even leaving aside their social position, Feng Chen would hardly have done anything that could have annoyed Long Tian.


    "So be it. Do as you wish. However, if I were to believe that you are going to mention something you shouldn''t, then I will intervene, regardless of the academy''s rules. And this applies to others." replied Dae-Won, who was the leader of the four guards. Hide, Xinya and William nodded to support Dae-Won''s words.


    Feng Chen then made a sign with his head to thank them for their understanding and then said what he wanted to say. "If you continue to stay close to Long Tian, ??it is likely that you will hear many rumors about him. I won''t say anything about the truthfulness of those rumors; that''s something you''ll have to judge for yourself. All I can tell you is that Long Tian is the person I fear the most to face. Not you, not Hu Jie, not one of the other children of the Eight Big Families or one of the other Imperial Princes. I think the same applies to you as well, right, Hu Jie?"


    Being called in question, Hu Jie scratched his head before replying, "Yes. Although it bothers me to admit it, I share your opinion. No matter how fiery my fighting spirit may be, a part of me can''t help but think I can''t beat him."


    As if he had foreseen such an answer, Feng Chen continued to speak, "The reason for this is simple - Long Tian''s belief is practically an endless monster. His goal is so crazy that you can''t help doubting his mental abilities. Yet, it isn''t his goal that matters as much as his belief that he can achieve it.


    Long Tian is convinced that he can achieve it and is willing to do anything to do it. The problem, though, is that to make it happen, he doesn''t have to be defeated. Even being defeated only once would mean the end of his dream; therefore, he isn''t allowed to lose.


    And now, the reason I''m telling you all this. I am not asking you or your teammates to let him win should you meet him in the tournament; however, I warn you. Long Tian cannot be beaten unless you have a belief comparable to his. The weight he has decided to carry is something that I could never think of bearing myself.


    Even if you defeat Hu Jie or me, if you don''t have the characteristics I mentioned earlier, you are bound to lose against Long Tian. Therefore, if you ended up facing him, if you want to win, you have to give over 100% of your strength and overcome your limits. Otherwise, however strong or skillful you may be, you will end up losing.


    Finally, I want to ask you for a personal favor like I asked Hu Jie earlier. If you really ended up against Long Tian in the tournament, do everything to win. This tournament is a test. A test to evaluate if he has the qualifications to support what he is convinced of. Obviously, the same goes for your companions. If you end up fighting Long Tian, ??don''t give up but fight to the end."


    Then Feng Chen ended his speech leaving Hei and the others stunned. They didn''t quite know how to react to such a statement. Fortunately, shortly after that, Hei recovered and replied.


    "I don''t know what Long Tian''s goal is, but after this period spent together, I was able to perceive a strong determination in him. However, even after your words, the situation doesn''t change. I have my reasons for winning, and I''m not going to give up. It is true that in these months, my companions and I have become very close to all of you, but I also have something to accomplish. Even if it means that I will have to shatter Long Tian''s dream, even if it means to ruin the bond that has been established, I don''t intend to back down.


    This is the life we ??chose when we took the path of martial artists. Each of the fighters in this tournament, each of our classmates, each of the people we met in our lives has their own purpose and battle to carry on.


    The stakes are too high, and this world is too cruel to show generosity to others. I don''t know what the weight that Long Tian has to bear is, but I know mine, and it is a weight that I don''t have the confidence to protect unless I become the strongest. And I''m going to defend it even if it means that I have to crush you, Hu Jie, Long Tian, or anyone else in this world."


    Hei''s words rang majestic and full of conviction like an old tree whose roots were too deep into the ground to be moved.


    Upon hearing this, both Feng Chen and Hu Jie couldn''t help but be amazed. The same was true for Huli Xieren and the four guards of the Imperial Prince. Within them, a single thought was being formed in their heads, ''the belief behind his eyes resembles Long Tian''s one.''


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Long Tian had made Xie Guanyu fly in the air. After that, an aerial combo started; calling it monstrous was an understatement. Using two simple moves, repulsion and attraction, Long Tian made Xie Guanyu bounce around in the air. The latter had no way of resisting; whatever he tried, Long Tian would easily block him and then attack him again.


    After a couple of minutes, waiting for Xie Gunayu to free himself, Song Yazhu declared the end of the fight. "The winner is Long Tian."


    At his announcement that ended the fight, the public forgot to applaud. Their eyes were still glued to Long Tian and the demonstration of strength he exhibited. Without even activating his bloodline and relying on just two techniques, he had completely crushed the young man from the Xie Family, who was well known for their lethality.


    Even the VIP spectators were impressed by this performance. They had heard rumors about Long Tian and knew from reliable sources that Long Tian was indeed the weakest of the five imperial prince candidates as the next Sun Emperor. Yet, the level of strength shown now didn''t correspond at all to the information in their possession. Considering Long Tian''s other hidden cards, ??wasn''t he comparable to the other four Imperial Prince Candidates? If this were true, many things could change regarding the future fight for the throne.


    ''Yes. You had to hide your strength for fear of retaliation from other factions of the Imperial Family too long. But now your time has come. Show the world your strength. The fate of the Yellow Dragon Faction resides in you, Long Tian. No, that of the entire human race. Only you, Long Tian, are worthy of being the next emperor and finally bringing peace.''


    Principal Long Jing was in his seat without saying a word, indifferent to the discussions that were taking place next to him. However, he wasn''t at all calm inside. His emotions were wiggling like a raging storm that had been suppressed for too long. The dream he had set for himself but had failed to fulfill - now Long Tian had the real possibility of carrying it out. As an elder who had now lost the chance to move forward, he could only do his best to support the new generation, and therefore he would do all he could to help Long Tian.

 Chapter 203 - Battle of Supporting Martial Artists

    "Now, we will move on to the next match." Song Yazhu announced as he was in charge of keeping the tournament going. "The next two fighters to take the field are Carolina Saez and Mario Rossi of the Rossi Family."


    The two young martial artists called to fight were a young woman with long golden hair and a young man with short black hair and thick mustaches that made him look older than he was.


    The two took the stage at the same time and assumed their battle positions. The young woman, Carolina Saez spread her legs slightly, placing the right one forward of the left one; the hands, with the palms open, assumed a similar position. Apparently, the young woman had no intention of drawing any weapon for the moment, although that didn''t mean that she wouldn''t take it out later as it had already happened in the previous battles.


    Mario Rossi, on the other hand, didn''t take a stance for hand-to-hand combat. Instead, he slightly waved his right hand and pulled an unusual object out of his space ring - it wasn''t a weapon but rather a musical instrument.


    "Is that a musical instrument?" Hei asked Mareo. Hei knew little or nothing about music; he just recognized that the shape of that object was vaguely similar to a musical instrument he had seen in the past.


    "Yes, that''s right. To be precise, it is a mandolin. It is a stringed musical instrument belonging to the lute family." Mareo explained it to Hei. He had a vast knowledge of the various musical instruments existing due to his specialization as a martial artist musician.


    "So, is he a martial artist musician? If he managed to qualify in the main phase of the tournament, then he must possess special skills that differentiate him from normal martial artist musicians, right?" Hei asked another question. He appeared amazed that a support martial artist had come this far.


    This amazement, however, didn''t stem from Hei despising or underestimating supporting martial artists. It was just that, because they were supporting martial artists, their fighting ability would be ordinarily inferior to the other types of martial artists, precisely because they specialized in other fields. This should have been the norm, but like any existing rule, there were always exceptions.


    "As usual, you have good eyes. And as you said. Mario Rossi is a martial artist musician; only, his music empowerment techniques are specialized in empowering him and not the others. He can be defined as an offensive martial artist musician."


    "It''s not the only characteristic, though. That Mario Rossi comes from the Rossi Family, which has produced many talented martial artist chefs. The culinary specialty in which they specialize is Pizza. Consequently, Mario Rossi is also a martial artist chef." Haruno added alongside Mareo.


    After hearing this, everyone listening was amazed. A supporting martial artist who was able to fight face to face with other martial artists and qualify for the main phase of such a tournament was rare to find. However, this martial artist also possessed another specialization, which wasn''t of the attack type but a support one.


    "Maybe that''s why he managed to qualify for the main phase?" Hei wondered to himself. Come to think of it, with the empowerment coming from martial artist musicians and chefs, any martial artist, even the support ones, would have their strength greatly improved, coming to bridge the gap in fighting ability with the opponent.


    "He may be a supporting martial artist with dual specialization, but he won''t have an easy life. The opponent he has to face is not joking at all," commented Lilian, who had followed the conversation in silence until now.


    "What do you mean?" Mareo and Haruno asked in chorus.


    As martial artist musician and chef respectively, they had heard of Mario Rossi. He was an unusual existence, and yet he had demonstrated his strength with facts. Therefore, part of them couldn''t help but be proud to know that someone with similar skills of theirs could fight in the main phase of the tournament as a competitor.


    After all, other types of martial artists had always shown a certain contempt and air of superiority towards the category of supporting martial artists due to their inferior fighting ability. However, such episodes were only a small minority.


    Anyway, inside them, Haruno and Mareo were cheering for this Mario Rossi, and they didn''t think he would lose, at least not to someone as unknown as Carolina Saez, who wasn''t even part of a prestigious family, contrary to Mario Rossi, who belonged to the Rossi Family.


    "Carolina Saez. If Mario Rossi can be defined as an offensive martial artist chef and musician, then she can be defined as an offensive martial artist medic." Lilian answered.


    "We martial artist medics study the human body in all its characteristics, including the flow of spirit power within us. Therefore, we are trained to read and manipulate this flow to modify the human body from within. But some have wondered if this ability could be used in battle - to read and direct the flow of the enemy''s spirit power so they can take control of the battle." Mia added as she was also a martial artist medic.


    "Directing the flow of spirit power of the enemy? Is such a thing possible?" Haruno asked; he couldn''t believe what he had heard. Mareo also had a doubtful look but refrained from commenting, waiting for Lilian and Mia''s answer.


    "Yes, it is possible. It''s just bloody difficult. It takes incredible reflexes and processing skills to accomplish this. Not to mention that when you add the Elemental Laws, reading and redirecting the enemy''s flow of spirit power becomes even harder. The only solution would be to possess the same Elemental Law of the attack you want to influence.


    And this is where Carolina Saez comes in. She owns the Multicolored Chameleon Bloodline. When she activates it, she can change the nature of her spirit power in any of the Elemental Laws for a certain period of time. Obviously, her knowledge in other Elemental Laws other than her will remain the same, and consequently, the power of her attacks will be much lower than usual. But if she refrains herself from using the elemental techniques, focusing only on redirecting the flow of spirit power, then that''s another story." Lilian explained.


    "Her method of fighting is to cancel the enemy''s attacks and make them weary. Once her opponent is exhausted, she finishes them off using the Hand-to-Hand Combat Techniques of the Flowing Flow Style, a combat martial art that uses medical knowledge to maximize damage." Mia concluded the analysis.


    Like Mareo and Haruno felt admiration and envy for Mario Rossi, a martial artist chef and musician capable of qualifying in the main phase of the tournament, the two young martial artist medics, Lilian and Mia, had respect and envy towards Carolina Saez.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the two unusual support martial artists had begun. Between the two, Mario Rossi was the one who started the dances, attacking first.


    "Intent of the Mandolin, Placid Symphony!" Mario Rossi said aloud as he began to tap on the mandolin and move the musical instrument''s strings.


    Immediately afterward, a sweet and serene melody poured onto the battlefield, enveloping the entire stadium. The most na?ve spectators were captivated by the instrument''s melody, while those with experience focused their eyes on the space in which Carolina Saez was.


    Rip! Rip!


    A series of noises of something being torn apart was produced where the young martial artist medic stood. The young woman could see as if the air itself was being torn apart by nothing less than the sound produced by the mandolin.


    ''He is using his spirit power to increase the intensity of the vibrations released by his musical instrument. In that way, he can attack from a distance and stay safe. But if it''s just that, I have no reason to fear him. You will have to do a lot more to defeat me.''


    "Flowing Flow Style, Deviant Palm!"


    Carolina Saez mustered her spirit power into her right palm as her eyes were intent on analyzing the flow of spirit power that was driving the sound waves.


    Splash!


    Similarly, an object ended up sinking into a liquid surface, Carolina Saez''s spirit power entered the flow of spirit power produced by Mario Rossi.


    The attack, not visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye to the ordinary people, was influenced by that alien spirit power and diverted its trajectory, just enough to miss the young woman for a breath. Carolina Saez remained unharmed and confident as if she expected that result.


    "Hmm?" Mario Rossi murmured in surprise. He had sent that attack as a move to test the waters, so he knew full well it was bound to fail. But he thought that it would be canceled or dodged, not that it would be deflected, not to mention the ease with which his opponent had made it.


    "Interesting. Let''s see if it was just a coincidence or not." Mario Rossi said, starting to shake his mandolin even more.


    The melody produced took on a more chaotic tone as more spirit power attacks were directed in the form of sound waves.


    "If it were too simple, it wouldn''t be fun. Flowing Flow Style, Flow of Deviating Palms!"


    With that cry, Carolina Saez began to move her hands in a hurry. It seemed almost as if they were disappearing inside the air itself. Yet, each of her palms accurately hit the young martial artist musician''s dangerous attacks, easily deflecting their trajectories.


    Whoosh!


    After several minutes of siege, Mario Rossi stopped playing his mandolin while Carolina Saez remained standing unharmed, exactly where she was. Of the intense exchange of attacks remained only a slight wind, generated by the attacks of sound waves.


    ''Her skills in reading and analyzing the flow of spirit power are phenomenal. I can''t believe that someone at the rank of a spirit soldier is already capable of this. I heard of martial artists like that, but I didn''t expect to meet one so soon.''


    Mario Rossi was slightly troubled. His opponent''s ability prevailed against his sound wave attacks. If he were to continue like this, he would do nothing but waste his spirit power in vain.


    "Alright. Given the participants'' quality, it was obvious that I wouldn''t have passed the first round without revealing some of the tricks up my sleeve. Wind Law, Intent of the Mandolin, Cutting Symphony!"


    At the moment he said this, Mario Rossi''s hands began to move quickly along the mandolin''s strings. The speed was such that they even left residual images. At the same time, the sound waves produced increased significantly in quantity compared to before. Even their speed and destructive damage were enhanced.


    "Let''s see if you can divert this melody of mine, woman!" Mario Rossi confidently shouted.


    He had heard of this fighting style, which diverted the opponent''s spirit flow. Therefore, he also knew its weakness: this technique was usable only against attacks of neutral type or the same Elemental Law. Therefore, if Carolina Saez hadn''t possessed the Wind Law, it would have been impossible for her to divert the Cutting Symphony.


    "As you wish." Carolina Saez answered, smiling. Her face was calm and showed no concern at all. , as Mario Rossi condensed his spirit power into sound waves, the young martial artist medic cried aloud, "Multicolored Chameleon Bloodline, activate! Change Color, Green!"


    As soon as she said this, Carolina Saez continued to hurl palm after palm at the incoming sound wave attacks. Incredibly, the spirit power of the young martial artist medic managed to penetrate that of Mario Rossi. Within moments, the first sound waves to arrive were directed backward against the incoming ones, thus creating a blast of cutting wind.


    Boom! RIP!


    When the biting wind subsided, Mario Rossi''s face was dark. During the first exchange, he could hear what Carolina Saez had said while she was activating her bloodline.


    "Multicolored Chameleon Bloodline? I thought there were no more possessors with that bloodline. Didn''t the Bian Selong Family become extinct long ago? Anyway, now I understand how you managed to deflect my attack. You changed your spirit power into the color of the Wind Law, or am I wrong by chance?"


    "No, you aren''t wrong at all. And for the record, I''m not part of the Bian Selong Family. The Multicolored Chameleon Bloodline is a gift from my ancestors, but that doesn''t force me to identify myself as part of that family. My name is Carolina Saez, and I come from a family of ordinary martial artists, that''s all."


    "I got it. Well, not that I care much about your family situation. What matters is that you have the Multicolored Chameleon Bloodline. If that''s the case, I''m forced to change my plans."


    Immediately having said this, Mario Rossi put away his mandolin, placing it inside his space ring. Instead, he pulled out a war hammer. The weapon was made up of two parts: a dark wooden handle of 1.5 meters long and a metallic head, which was, in turn, divided into two. The two sides of the war hammer''s head were the flat part of the hammer and a pointed spike. In doing so, the weapon would possess both the characteristics of blunt damage and penetrating damage.


    After pulling his weapon from the space ring, Mario Rossi didn''t continue. But he turned to a specific spot in the stadium and said aloud, "Teacher Song Yazhu, I can use it, right? There won''t be any problems, will be?"


    Song Yazhu replied quickly, realizing what the young man wanted to tell him, "As a rule, it is forbidden to use objects other than personal combat weapons. But in consideration of the fact that you are a support martial artist, this rule doesn''t apply to you, as long as the object in question falls within your specialties. The same goes for Miss Saez as she is also a support martial artist."


    Hearing this, the gaze of the two young fighters became more intense. They had previously been told that they were allowed to use items from their specializations. However, hearing the tournament judge''s official consent in front of the entire audience removed any doubt about it, and they both prepared to reveal their secret weapons.


    "Spirit Neurotransmitter Pill, Glutamate, and Noradrenaline!" Carolina Saez said as she swallowed two pills in one gulp.


    "Secret Recipe of the Rossi Family, Pizza Margherita, and Pizza Capricciosa!" Mario Rossi shouted as he gulped two different pieces of pizza in one bite.


    Within moments, the ingested objects dissolved inside their stomachs and caused dramatic changes within the two young martial artists, particularly regarding their spirit power flow. And when even the last traces of the pills and pizzas were absorbed, Carolina Saez and Mario Rossi prepared to continue their challenge.

 Chapter 204 - Mental Illusion

    "Spirit Neurotransmitter Pill, Glutamate, and Noradrenaline? Lilian, Mia, what is the operating time that Carolina Saez has?" Hei asked, raising his eyebrows slightly in surprise.


    Hei was an offensive martial artist but also had a specialization as an alchemist. During this period, besides his fighting techniques, he had also refined alchemical skills, learning new recipes and methods of preparation. So, he knew the effects of the pills that the Carolina Saez had swallowed.


    Spirit Neurotransmitter Pills were particular pills. Once ingested, they would deliver a specific message within the body, intervening on the internal dynamics.


    For example, the Spirit Glutamate Pill influenced the brain''s ability to learn, data assimilation, and memory. On the other hand, the Spirit Noradrenaline Pill had effects on the respiratory and circulatory systems, increasing the amount of oxygen received by the muscles and on the attention capacity and alertness.


    "5 minutes. This is her limit at the moment," Mia answered.


    "5 minutes? What does this time frame indicate? "Haruno asked.


    "The Spirit Neurotransmitter Pills are particular alchemical products. In alchemy, the better the alchemist is, the stronger the effect of the created product will be. There is an upper limit dictated by the quality of the materials used, but the rule is that. Therefore the stronger an alchemical product is, the more difficult it will be for the martial artist to control and assimilate it. Not surprisingly, the use of pills, potions, or other objects during the fight is not recommended to avoid the danger of collapse deriving from the mismanagement of these alchemical products.


    Spirit Neurotransmitter Pills are no exception. Although they are designed to be ingested during combat, their effects are difficult to control. It''s already a great result if martial artists of the spirit soldier rank can control the effects for 2-3 minutes; even I can''t go beyond that time. The fact that she can do it for 5 minutes is proof of her incredible control and knowledge of the human body." Hei explained, working out a quick but straightforward explanation.


    Hearing this, all the listeners were amazed. They knew how resistant Hei''s body was, especially towards the harmful substances that entered his body. After all, he possessed the Poison Law and continually performed poison intake training to improve his body''s resistance. Still, despite that, he said he couldn''t handle those kinds of pills for more than three minutes while Carolina Saez could make it to five minutes.


    "However, the winner hasn''t yet been decided. Haruno, what kind of effects do those pizzas have?" Hei asked. He knew that the pieces of pizza Mario Rossi ate weren''t simple foods.


    "The Pizza Capricciosa serves to increase the explosiveness of the spirit power, increasing the damage of his attacks, while the Pizza Margherita serves to stabilize the spirit power. By now, his spirit power should have grown thicker than it was before." Haruno answered.


    "Thicker? If so, doesn''t that mean it becomes more difficult for Carolina Saez to intervene in his flow of spirit power?" Mareo asked.


    "Yes, but her processing capabilities have increased as well as her response time. Even with the enhancements resulting from the two types of pizza, Mario Rossi won''t have an easy life." Lilian added.


    Meanwhile, Mario Rossi and Carolina Saez were exchanging blows in the center of the stage. The young martial artist musician and chef was swinging his war hammer in a frightening rhythm. Everywhere it passed, you could feel the air being cut apart by the destructive force of the weapon.


    Still, the young martial artist medic would meet every blow of the hammer using her delicate hands. Thanks to her abilities, she could minimize the spirit power flowing into the hammer and reduce the damage. However, despite this, the weapon''s weight and the muscular form of Mario Rossi himself still represented a danger. Gradually, her defensive layer of spirit power was being reduced.


    However, this also applied to Mario Rossi. Even though he was in a dominant position and was the only one attacking, his consumption of spirit power was nearly double that of his opponent. If it weren''t for the pizzas he had eaten, he couldn''t have fought like this. Even so, it was only a matter of minutes before he lost his strength.


    ''I must end the fight as soon as possible before I lose all my spirit power.''


    ''I have to hold out until just before the five minutes are up. At that moment, when his spirit power is at its lowest, I will use my final blow. ''


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Carolina Saez''s hands had turned red from the blood that oozed every time they made contact with the hammer. Even her bones were starting to rupture, but the young woman showed no signs of giving up.


    "Shit ... DIE!" Mario Rossi yelled. He condensed as much spirit power as he could into the war hammer and made it descend from top to bottom with all his might.


    Crack!


    Carolina Saez intercepted the hammer with her hands. Although she redirected some of the spirit power, the power with which it traveled was too high. The hammer shattered the defensive layer of spirit power on her hands, and they gave way with the sound of breaking bones. But the hammer didn''t finish its advance; it continued to swoop down, straight into the woman''s chest.


    Crack!


    The defensive layer of spirit power on Carolina Saez''s chest also gave way. The young woman spat blood and collapsed to the ground from the damage received, which were added the side effects of the Spirit Neurotransmitter Pills that had finished their course.


    "The winner is Mario Rossi." Song Yazhu proclaimed the next instant.


    With the officialization of Song Yazhu, the battle ended. Carolina Saez was immediately brought to be medicated while Mario Rossi came down from the stage to return to his seat and rest. The fight had been much more complicated than he thought, but in the end, he had managed to bring home the result.


    "The next two fighters are Dae-Won, one of the Imperial Prince''s guards, and Shen Jun of the Shen Family." Song Yazhu said, calling out to the next contenders.


    Dae-Won and Shen Jun then left the area reserved for the fighters and headed to the stage. Unceremoniously, they took up their battle positions. Dae-Won pulled out his trident while Shen Jun brought out a pair of metal rings instead.


    "He Fen, aren''t they similar to your Wheels of Wind and Fire?" Leon asked.


    Indeed, those metal rings, at first glance, looked very similar to He Fen''s Wheels of Wind and Fire but had several differences. First, they didn''t have any protruding blades but instead was a perfect circle; second, the metal edge was sharp in its entirety and therefore didn''t have a handle.


    "They are similar, but they aren''t the same. Those are Chakram. They don''t have a handle, so they aren''t used for close combat. However, as thrown weapons, they are superior to my Wheels of Wind and Fire." He Fen answered.


    "I''m happy that my first opponent is you." Shen Jun told Dae-Won.


    "Really? And why?" Dae-Won asked in turn.


    "As one of the Imperial Prince''s guards, you are very famous here. But that''s not why I''m happy. Instead, it is because of being able to challenge a companion on the path of illusions. After all, unlike other Elemental Laws, those who possess the Illusion Law are fewer in number. Either way, be prepared to witness my Illusion - Illusory Mist." After saying this, Shen Jun spat a mist-like substance from his mouth that instantly covered the entire battle stage, reducing visibility to almost zero.


    ''Illusory Mist? Is this an illusion, or was he bluffing? ''Dae-Won wondered as he looked around.


    As an illusionist, he knew how to recognize illusions when he saw them, but that would take time. In consideration of this, some martial artists claimed to possess the Illusion Law when it wasn''t true. The trick was to use wide-ranging moves that caused effects that could be mistaken for an illusion, such as creating a mist that obstructed the view. Therefore, the victim would have wasted time trying to break an illusion that didn''t exist in the first place.


    ''No, this is an illusion. Even if he possessed the Gas Law and his technique has no offensive capabilities, the range covered is too broad for a spirit soldier. Also ... ''


    While Dae-Won was formulating his thoughts, a metal object came from behind him with a sibyl. The instant he entered his range of perception, Dae-Won spun his trident and hit the object. It was one of the opponent''s two chakrams. However, the chakram, as soon as it was hit, vanished into the mist.


    Slash!


    Suddenly, a gash formed on his defensive layer of spirit power around his left leg. Another chakram had suddenly appeared and hit him. Fortunately, the blow didn''t possess enough strength to dent the defensive layer of spirit power, let alone get to the flesh. But that put Dae-Won on alert.


    ''The previous attack was an illusion while the real one hit. With the reach of the chakrams, he will continue with this tactic to make me bleed until I lose consciousness.''


    Whoosh!


    Another noise of something approaching. This time Dae-Won decided not to repel the approaching fake chakram to remain attentive to the real attack instead.


    Slash!


    The chakram that should have been fake hit Dae-Won in the neck. This time the damage was greater than before, but even so, it didn''t go so far as to dent the flesh.


    ''I see. He''s mixing the order in which he hides his true attacks. What I see may be false or true, but I won''t be sure until I go and hit it.''


    Meanwhile, the audience in the stands were silently watching this strange fight. Indeed, all they could see was Dae-Won standing still as Shen Jun threw his chakrams. However, the peculiar thing was that the chakrams that Shen Jun was throwing were all headed in a different direction from where Dae-Won was.


    "Hehehe, trying to trick Dae-Won with an illusion. He practically shot himself in the foot. "Xinya laughed as he watched that scene.


    He said this because, although Dae-Won ended up in Shen Jun''s illusion, the same was true for the latter. Dae-Won was inside the illusory mist, but the ''Dae-Won'' that was being attacked wasn''t the real Dae-Won but an illusory copy. Shen Jun believed that the one he was attacking was none other than the real Dae-Won.


    ''Unfortunately, even though I tricked him, I can''t pinpoint his true location. His technique of concealment within his illusion is well solid. I should break it by force, but that would put him on the alert. Let''s see how it goes a little longer. I''m sure he''ll try to give me the last hit. After all, the longer the opponent is in the illusion, the higher the risk that he will break it, especially if he is a user of the Illusion Law.''


    And as Dae-Won predicted, Shen Jun launched his killing technique with the chakrams and, at the same time, positioned himself in front of ''Dae-Won'' to use a hand-to-hand combat technique.


    Slash! Crack!


    The chakrams severed the defensive layer of spirit power, causing two long, deep cuts on ''Dae-Won'' h.i.p.s as the punch technique smashed hard on his chest. Shen Jun smiled smugly for defeating Dae-Won in a battle of illusions.


    ''Your mistake was leaving me the initiative. Once in my illusory mist, you have no more escape. But consider yourself honored to be defeated by my technique because I will be the one to win the tournament. If not even you, who is the only one besides me to possess the Illusion Law among the participants, have managed to break it, then no one else will.'' thought Shen Jun smugly as he waved his chakrams to remove the illusory mist.


    At that point, as the mist began to thin out, something sharp pierced him from behind. He felt excruciating pain as his layer of spirit power was dented. Three sharp points reached the skin, but fortunately, the damage had been dampened and only caused three not too deep holes.


    "Dae-Won!" Shen Jun said with gritted teeth when he felt the pain coming from the trident''s three points. In an instant, he understood what had happened.


    "You are too full of yourself, and you haven''t understood that you have fallen into an illusion in your turn. But I must admit your illusory mist was well done. The only way to escape from there would be to destroy it. As a companion on the path of illusions, you have my respect." Dae-Won replied as he tried to advance his trident even deeper.


    "Shit!" cursed Shen Jun as he condensed his spirit power into his back to block the trident''s advance. "Damn! Mirage Clam Bloodline, Illusion Law, Mirage Beach!"


    Suddenly, the scenery around Dae-Won changed. Instead of the fighting stage inside the Academy stadium, he was now on a maritime beach. The sand was a mixed color of fiery red and burgundy brown, while the seawater was a deep blue, which prevented you from seeing what was on the bottom.


    "Welcome to my Mirage Beach. I hope you like the place I have chosen to continue our fight." Shen Jun said, appearing out of nowhere in front of Dae-Won.


    The young illusionist of the Shen Family had a smirk as if everything that had happened just moments ago hadn''t happened at all. Indeed, there were no traces of the three holes left by Dae-Won''s trident on his back.


    "I guess you''re confused; that''s normal. Now I''ll explain it to you, be calm. "Shen Jun continued to speak, "As you well know, illusions are divided into two categories, external type and internal type. The Illusory Mist before was of the external type, and at first glance, this technique of mine also seems to be of the external type, and yet ... "


    "Stop it with the explanations. You don''t need to tell me what it is. We are in your mind, no?" Dae-Won interrupted his opponent''s explanation.


    Shen Jun looked amazed that Dae-Won already knew where they were but didn''t pay much attention, "I guess being part of the Imperial Prince''s clique makes you quite cultured. Yes, we''re in my mind. And do you know what this means? That for you, there is no longer any chance of victory. At the rank of spirit soldier, none of the academy''s illusionists can produce a mental illusion. If it weren''t for my bloodline, even I wouldn''t be able to."


    Mental Illusion. It was another classification of the Illusion Law''s illusions, which was added to the two customarily known - external and internal. The external type of illusions affected the surrounding environment, while the internal ones affected the victim''s sense.


    Instead, mental Illusions weren''t real illusions because they didn''t consist of altering something existing in reality, blurring the line between what was true and what was false. Instead, they consisted of creating a bond with a person through one''s own minds. In this way, the victim''s consciousness would be projected into that of the technique''s user.


    After that, it would no longer be a battle in the real world, but in mind. Thus, things that were impossible to accomplish in the real world became possible in the mental world, albeit it depended on the illusionist''s skill in recreating reality with their mind.


    "Were you so desperate? Resorting to a mental illusion ... you know it''s not something you should mess with. Damage to the mind isn''t like damage to the body. Even with the care of a martial artist medic, recovery isn''t immediate. And in the event of serious damage, there is a risk of becoming brain damaged." Dae-Won asked Shen Jun.


    Hearing this, Shen Jun''s face darkened. Indeed, he would have preferred not to use something so dangerous, but he didn''t want to lose. Not against Dae-Won, an illusionist like him.


    "So? What problems are there? I just need to crush you, and I won''t run into problems. I admit it, you are a good illusionist, but if you know about mental illusions, then you know that it isn''t easy to create something inside your mind, let alone someone else''s mind. You are carefree, but I know you''re trembling with fear."


    "Evil Spirits of the Sea!" Shen Jun shouted.


    At his cry, the sea began to stir as bubbles formed in three places on the surface of the water. Then, from there, the bodies of three a.d.u.l.t men emerged. They all had skin the same color as the sea while wearing clothes that vaguely resembled a combat tunic. Each of them held a sword in their hands.


    "Unfortunately, the level of knowledge in the Illusion Law doesn''t yet allow me to create more than three bodies. But there are no problems; these are enough and advance. It''s time to take my victory once and for all." Shen Jun proclaimed as he twirled his chakrams with the index fingers of his hands.

 Chapter 205 - Greatsword vs. Bone!

    "Time to take my victory once and for all." Shen Jun proclaimed as he twirled his chakrams with the index fingers of his hands.


    The two of them were in his mind, and he knew that none of the illusionists at the spirit soldier''s rank at the academy were capable of fighting a mental battle. The only way Dae-Won had to break free was to break the mental connection between the two of them forcibly, but as long as he stopped him, they would continue to stay in his mind.


    "Attack!" Shen Jun shouted to the three ghostly men who appeared from the sea. The three rushed at full speed towards Dae-Won with their sharp swords.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Three metallic noises rang out, and the three ghostly figures were thrown back. Shen Jun was preparing to throw his chakrams, but he became speechless at the sight of what had happened in front of him.


    "It''s not ... possible ... how?" Shen Jun muttered with incredulous eyes and jaws wide open in amazement.


    Three familiar-looking figures appeared out of nowhere next to Dae-Won. These three figures were none other than Hide, Xinya, and William, the other members who made up the Imperial Prince Long Tian''s personal escort.


    "Do you believe that although I don''t have a bloodline, I can''t fight a mental battle? I am the head of the guards of the Imperial Prince Long Tian. If I am not capable of such a thing, then I wouldn''t have the right to remain by his side." Dae-Won said seriously.


    Even after hearing this, Shen Jun still couldn''t believe it. He shook his head in denial and protested, "It''s not possible. I refuse to believe it. How can you know how to create a Mental Illusion? You who don''t have a bloodline!"


    "Even if it annoys me to admit it, I haven''t reached that level, not yet at least. I cannot actively form a mental bond like you did and drag my opponent into my mind. But since you''ve taken the trouble to do this for me, all I have to do is create projections with my mind. Honestly, I could have forcibly broken the mental connection that unites us. However, I would have had to consume a lot of my spirit power. So I thought, as a fellow illusionist, to respond adequately to your attack."


    Then, the three figures of Hide, Xinya, and William swung the reproductions of the weapons the three used. Their target was the ghostly figures summoned by Shen Jun. As for Dae-Won, he pointed his trident at Shen Jun, saying, "Let''s finish the fight. What do you say?"


    Meanwhile, in the stadium, the audience was waiting. Unlike the other fights, this was an unusual fight. There was no use of flashy techniques or skills with weapons. It was a battle of illusions in which only the two fighters could see the strange phenomena that were being created. But, for those with attentive eyes and experience, it was possible to understand the fight''s course even without being able to see the illusions.


    "A mental illusion?" Hei wondered when he saw Dae-Won and Shen Jun stop so suddenly. They were so still that it seemed their bodies were statues.


    ''Yes, it is undoubtedly a mental illusion. I''m amazed that anyone at the spirit soldier''s rank can cast it. ''Xing replied. She was hidden in Hei''s head, watching the fight.


    Xing was a divine beast with a Bloodline of the Poison Law, but her second Elemental Law was the Illusion Law. Therefore Hei, taking advantage of the numerous contribution points and other resources acquired, bought manuals for his little sisters so that they could deepen their knowledge of their respective Elemental Laws. Although these manuals were written for humans, they could also work well for divine beasts, although some modifications were required.


    Consequently, Xing''s knowledge of the Illusion Law was in no way inferior to talented people like Dae-Won and Shen Jun. Indeed, by possessing more spirit power since she was a divine beast, she could cast more powerful illusions than these two.


    Meanwhile, exactly five seconds after Dae-Won was catapulted into Shen Jun''s mind, the two fighters returned to the real world. Shen Jun lost consciousness instantly as Dae-Won slid the trident from his opponent''s back.


    "The winner is Dae-Won." proclaimed Song Yazhu and immediately had Shen Jun recovered so that he could be medicated.


    ''Dae-Won should have contented himself with the damage. So Shen Jun''s mind shouldn''t be too much at risk.'' Song Yazhu analyzed; after all, he knew his students well.


    Dae-Won was linked to Long Tian and was limited by certain constraints. Excessively damaging a fellow student''s mind, especially if he came from a bloodline family, was unwise. It could cause inconvenience to Long Tian, ??even considering a future perspective. So Song Yazhu wasn''t at all worried about Shen Jun''s condition.


    "The next two to take the field are Leon and Sawa Takuboku." Song Yazhu announced, calling for the next two fighters.


    Hearing his name, Leon took a deep breath. His time had finally come.


    "It''s your turn to win now. Show everyone how much you are worth." He Fen encouraged, returning the favor of when it was his turn to fight.


    The others also gave their encouragement one by one until it was Hei''s turn.


    "Lian''s formations were perfectly engraved, and you have got used to how to use them. Now it''s your turn to put your results into practice. Don''t worry about what happens; show your strength."


    With encouragement from Hei and his other comrades, Leon exited the fighters'' zone and walked down the open corridor. His opponent had already taken the stage and was waiting for him.


    When Leon emerged into the sunlight, all the spectators, including the VIPs, couldn''t help but be marveled. This was because the young martial artist named Leon was wearing metal armor from head to toe. Even the face was completely covered except for two slits at eye level.


    "An armor? Really? I can''t believe it!"


    "Is he going to fight with that?"


    "Since when does the Royal War Academy teach to use armor?"


    Soon a chattering noise began to form among the spectators in the stands. Their disbelief was comprehensible: in the world of martial artists, the use of armor was practically non-existent, especially for high-rank martial artists. Even though they were only at the spirit level here, each of the students had a high level of talent. At the very least, achieving the rank of spirit master and spirit grandmaster shouldn''t have been a problem; some even qualified to become spirit kings or even spirit emperors. So, it was foolish to learn to fight using something that would no longer serve them in the future.


    After all, aside from Spirit Metal, no other metal or material could withstand high-ranking martial artists'' attacks without outside help, such as defensive formations. Not to mention that it would have been a hindrance to the fight itself, coming to disturb the flow of the user''s spirit power. Consequently, there were no points in favor of using armor, so much so that even most of the low-rank martial artists disdained their use.


    "Hey, isn''t that Spirit Metal?" Hu Luoyang asked. The Hu Family, due to their bloodline, were experts in metals and other materials used in manufacturing. In an instant, he recognized the type of metal that made up Leon''s armor.


    "Spirit Metal? What?"


    With Hu Luoyang''s report, the other VIP section spectators also took a closer look at Leon''s armor, and, as the head of the Hu Family said, it was Spirit Metal.


    "A Spirit Metal Armor? How is it possible?!"


    "It is unheard that someone dared to consume so much Spirit Metal. Moreover, to create an armor."


    "Who is this Leon? What kind of background does he have?"


    The VIP spectators didn''t understand. Even they had to be thrifty in using Spirit Metal. Only the best of their families received the right to possess a Spirit Metal weapon. Yet, at this time, a stranger of the unknown background was wearing a full armor made only of Spirit Metal.


    In the section assigned to the fighters, Long Tian turned his head to look in Hei''s direction but then returned to observe the fighting stage. An amused smile was drawn on his face. Hu Jie and Feng Chen also turned to look at Hei, but as Long Tian didn''t ask about it, neither did they.


    "Start fighting." Song Yazhu declared.


    Although he was also amazed at the sight of Leon''s armor, he continued his role as judge and host of the tournament as if nothing had happened. This action brought to calm the slight commotion that occurred in the VIP section. There was plenty of time to check out the details regarding this Leon; they would focus on the fight for now. They were curious to see what was the purpose of the armor.


    "It''s the big brother! Go, big brother! Win! "


    "Leon! Leon! "


    "Yay, big brother!"


    In one section of the stands, where the normal audience was, three children of different ages were jumping on their seats full of joy and excitement. The fights they had seen so far had thrilled them, but now their enthusiasm had reached the peak. They were none other than Leon''s younger brothers.


    "Be good, don''t jump on your seats." said a young woman of about 18 years old.


    "Ah, I knew we shouldn''t have brought them." said another young girl of 13 years old.


    These were always part of Leon''s family, his elder sister, and younger sister, respectively. Besides them, there was a couple, man and woman, who looked as if they were around forty. Their faces and hands showed signs of time and hard work.


    "That''s okay, Lucy, Jenny. Let them have fun for today." the woman said as she looked at the battle stage with her eyes full of tears. Hers weren''t tears of sadness but joy - joy and pride. Because her son Leon was advancing in his dream, and his efforts were finally paying off.


    "Son, whatever happens, we will always be proud of you. I just want to tell you one thing - go all out and have no regrets. If you lose, then so be it. You will have to stand up and continue forward as you always have done it. But I have a feeling that this time things will be different. I can feel it; my eldest son finally found what he was missing. The strength that I was unable to give him." said the man who was none other than Leon''s father.


    Meanwhile, on the combat stage, Leon had pulled out his greatsword. The sight of that weapon of such unusual size combined with the armor created another round of amazement in the spectators. In particular, the VIP viewers couldn''t help but widen their eyes at the sight of so much consumption of Spirit Metal. However, the fight had already begun, so they made no further comments - they wanted to see what this Leon was capable of. After all, if he had a background capable of giving him such huge amounts of Spirit Metal, there was no doubt that his talent must have been exceptional.


    "Phantom Law, Bone Swords." Sawa Takuboku exclaimed as he revealed what Elemental Law he possessed.


    Suddenly, two milky white objects popped out of Sawa Takuboku''s hands, precisely from his palms. The skin at that point split with incredible ease as if it never existed in the first place. Then, slowly, those two objects advanced more and more until they were completely visible.


    It consisted of two long bones ending in a sharp point. Although Sawa Takuboku had called them the ''Bone Sword Technique,'' those bones looked more like two large spikes than swords. However, considering their thickness and strength, it wasn''t wrong to consider it a real weapon.


    "So much fuss about nothing. Do you think you are cool just because you''re wearing armor? There''s a reason no one else wears them; yours is nothing more than a vain attempt to draw attention to you. But it doesn''t matter how you look. If your strength is insufficient, you can be the weirdest in the whole world, but no one will pay you any attention." Sawa Takuboku commented angrily.


    He was an independent martial artist. Like so many others, he had struggled hard for years and years to keep up with the children of influential families. It wasn''t easy, but in the end, he succeeded in his intent, thanks also to the little inheritance that his relatives had left him. Therefore, the tournament was the opportunity of a lifetime to make the leap in quality - to go from a modest family of martial artists to an influential family. Sure, he should have to start at the bottom, but he could get the support he needed to reach even greater heights if he did well.


    Yet now that it was his moment of glory, all the spotlight was on Leon instead. And it wasn''t because he was famous or came from an influential family. No, the only reason was that stupid armor and that giant sword.


    ''This is the most crucial moment of my life. I won''t let anyone take my moment of glory from me. ''Sawa Takuboku thought to himself.


    "If you want me to show you my strength, then let''s settle the fight. Diving Sky Slash!" Leon shouted, condensing all his spirit power into his weapon. His armor at the same time began to glow in a color that was difficult to describe. It was as if it had no shade, and yet, even from a distance, you could see some flashes of light that varied from white to gray in a single instant.


    "Bone Swords, Deadly Stab!" Sawa Takuboku responded with a resolute expression to Leon''s attack.


    Soon after, the spirit power concentrated in Leon''s broadsword poured into the weapon''s tip and then fired at high speed as a ranged attack. Seeing the arrival of such an attack of spirit power, Sawa Takuboku interposed his bony swords to block.


    ''This Leon''s cultivation is higher than mine, no, higher than anyone else who has fought... absurd. No! Mine bones are indestructible. I can''t lose!'' Sawa Takuboku tried to strengthen his fighting spirit.


    Indeed, the discovery of this cultivation gap unnerved Sawa Takuboku. He was only a beginner fifth stage while Leon had already reached the middle fifth stage. There were two phases of difference. And that was true for the other participants as well - aside from Leon, the cultivation of the other 31 participants ranged between beginner fifth stage and early fifth stage. This meant that, in terms of cultivation speed, Leon had even beaten Feng Chen, Hu Jie, Hei, and Long Tian, ??which caused even more amazement in the VIP spectators.


    Boom!


    There was a boom, and Sawa Takuboku was sent flying as a look of pure amazement was drawn on his face.


    Did I lose? In a head-on fight?


    Sawa Takuboku couldn''t believe it. Even if the gap of two phases influenced the fighting, that mainly applied to the amount of spirit power possessed by the martial artist and, to a lesser extent, to the attack power. It was the knowledge of one''s Elemental Laws that was the main factor affecting the attack power.


    Not surprisingly, once a martial artist formed their own Spirit Seed, they would hardly have used attacks based on pure spirit power. The reason was that it would only be a waste of energy since such attacks wouldn''t be dangerous enough to worry the enemy. Usually, such attacks were used as opening moves to study the enemy with moderate consumption of spirit power.


    Nonetheless, Leon''s attack had swept him with absurd ease as if he were nothing. It could only happen in the event of a clear gap between the two fighters'' cultivations or in the knowledge of their respective Elemental Laws. However, even this hypothesis was to be excluded; after all, they both possessed a similar age and cultivation, so the knowledge of their respective Elemental Laws shouldn''t have been so enormous.


    But it wasn''t just Sawa Takuboku who was surprised; the entire audience present was. Until now, the various clashes have seen fierce battles. Even when the winner was superior, the loser would have given all themselves to win. Yet, in the first confrontation, Sawa Takuboku was sent flying the instant after his bones touched the attack of spirit power generated by the greatsword.


    "How is it possible? What concept is this?" One of the VIP spectators exclaimed.


    From the start, Leon had produced nothing but surprise after surprise. But, as long as it was about the Spirit Metal, it was understandable. After all, even though it was a considerable cost, they could donate such amounts to a single member of their family. No, the reason this spectator exclaimed this was because Leon''s attack wasn''t as simple as it might seem.


    Yes, Leon had the highest cultivation up until now, and that astonished them. But it was the attack power that amazed them most of all. The power of Leon''s attack wasn''t something a middle fifth stage spirit soldier could exert. No, if you have to make a comparison, his strength was similar to the attack of a peak fifth stage. So four phases of difference from his opponent.

 Chapter 206 - Spirit Armors Defensive Formation

    "Could it be? Teacher Jing, can you tell us who that child is?" Feng Qing asked.


    As dean of the academy, Long Jing should know the academy''s most promising students well. It was he who informed the others about Hei''s talent. Yet, in this case, the dean Long Jing was also surprised. He knew the background of Leon''s story and how he got into the academy. He also received reports of his growth from time to time. But none of those reports mentioned the armor and especially the power of his attacks.


    "That boy''s name is Leon. He is a special student who was admitted to the academy even before he met the requirements. The reason is that the Test on the Elemental Law Affinity was negative even though he was able to advance to the sixth stage of the Spirit Apprentice rank. We speculated that it could be an anomaly concerning the Law of Energy. However, all tests came back negative, and no Elemental Seed was formed. Just in case, I allowed him to stay at the academy to evaluate his growth. Honestly, we had lost hope as all the experiments failed, but apparently, we were wrong." Headmaster Jing answered, explaining the situation behind Leon.


    Hearing this, all the VIP spectators couldn''t help but open their mouths wide. Even Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing stared in amazement at Leon.


    The Law of Energy. Leaving aside the Law of Space and Time, which could be learned later by anyone who had the ability and talent, it was the only Elemental Law among the groups of the Elemental Laws that could be awakened but which had never been confirmed. Only once it had happened, and it didn''t happen to a member of the human race or demon race, but a divine beast.


    Consequently, any information on the Law of Energy was valuable as there were only very few. Furthermore, the Law of Energy was said to be superior to other Elemental Laws except for the Law of Space and the Law of Time. It was no coincidence that these three Elemental Laws were cataloged together and separated from the others.


    "I would like to say one thing before all of you start to develop strange thoughts," said Long Jing, who knew well the implications of what was unfolding, "As you know, the academy plays the role of a training place for all the young martial artists. To protect the Sun Empire''s future, we welcome those promising seeds so they can be developed. For this reason, the rule of non-interference by families is imposed.


    In this tournament, there are unusually several promising independent youngsters; they aren''t affiliated with a specific faction. We all know its implications and how it could affect the balance of power between families and other organizations. But I warn you - as long as they are students of this academy, none of you are allowed to put pressure on these students. You are allowed to make proposals, but if I find that any of you have dared to threaten any of the students to force them to their side, the repercussions will be massive. Likewise, I, who represent the Imperial Family, will abide by the same rules."


    When Headmaster Jing finished his speech, most of the VIP spectators'' faces darkened as a shiver of fear ran over their backs. Indeed, this year there were many talented young people who didn''t yet have an affiliation, meaning candidates to join their families.


    It had to be known that in the system of powers within the Sun Empire, the acquisition of new blood was a fundamental factor. If they could get the right person, their families'' reputation and influence would rise, and they would have more resources from the empire. And it was also for this reason that the academies had been founded - to prevent the various families from biting each other to snatch talented martial artists for them.


    ''Long Tian¡­ you didn''t tell me anything about this in your reports. Weren''t you aware of it? If so ... ''Long Jing began to think. His intervention had momentarily slowed down the problem, and it hadn''t contained it. Unfortunately, however much authority he might have, there was a limit to that.


    Meanwhile, Sawa Takuboku had recovered from the attack. Even though he had been blown away and his defensive layer of spirit power had diminished a little, that damage wasn''t enough to make him unable to fight.


    "Shit¡­ you will pay for this, bastard. Ghost Type Elemental Essence, Bone Monster!" Sawa Takuboku shouted.


    In that instant, something inside his body began to glow, although it couldn''t be seen from the outside. Soon after, the bones in his body popped up all over his body. It was like sharp spikes had pierced Sawa Takuboku.


    "Take this!"


    Sawa Takuboku threw the two bone swords at Long Tian, who swept them away using his greatsword. Even though those two swords had been flung violently, the size of the greatsword combined with Leon''s muscular strength had no problem deflecting them.


    "Bone Knife Rapid-Fire!"


    Sawa Takuboku used another technique. Instead of making long bones like swords, he pulled short bones like little knives out of his wrists this time. Once created, he immediately hurled them against Leon while spawning two more. It was a continuous assault that left Leon with no room to breathe.


    "Heavenly Sweep." Leon tried to sweep away the rain of knives swooping down on him in one fell swoop. At the same time, he also aimed to hit Sawa Takuboku, who was approaching little by little.


    Sawa Takuboku, however, responded by creating bone spikes from under the soles of the feet to adhere to the floor of the fighting stage. That way, even if Leon''s attack power were greater, it wouldn''t blow him away as before. And indeed, his plan was successful.


    "NOW!" Sawa Takuboku told himself as he gleefully hurled himself at Leon.


    It should be known that, although his attacks were powerful, Leon needed a few seconds to charge the spirit power back into his weapon. It meant that he couldn''t use such powerful hits consecutively, thus leaving a margin of time between each attack.


    "Piercing Bone Fighting Style - Dance of Bone Spines."


    Sawa Takuboku then executed a series of blows performed at high speed against Leon. Whether given with his fist, leg, or any other part of his body, each of his attacks contained the power of his bones. Without a chance to react, Leon was overwhelmed by this avalanche of attacks.


    Peng!


    When Sawa Takuboku finished his last attack, it was Leon''s turn to be blown away. Given the violence of Sawa Takuboku''s assault, it was incredible that Leon had resisted standing to the last hit.


    "It''s over with this. You may have a strong attack power, but if you believe that stupid armor can make up for your poor defense, you are very mistaken." Sawa Takuboku said.


    The young bone manipulator firmly believed that the fight was over. The attack he had used was the killing move he used when he wanted to kill the enemy. Even though killing the opponent was forbidden, Sawa Takuboku felt it wasn''t a problem to use this technique. After all, not even Song Yazhu had stopped him, and there was no way that a Spirit King like him could misjudge the progress of the fight between two Spirit Soldiers.


    ''His defensive layer of spirit power was intact at the time of the attack. Considering the thickness of his spirit power and the armor on him, even if that armor has collapsed, he shouldn''t die.'' Sawa Takuboku thought to himself.


    Clang! Clang!


    Metallic noises rang out as Sawa Takuboku opened his eyes and jaw in disbelief. Across the fighting stage, Leon was rising to his feet. Since he was covered from head to toe in armor, it wasn''t possible to see his condition. However, the fact that he could get up so quickly was a sign that his injuries weren''t as threatening as Sawa Takuboku thought.


    ''Ouch. I feel pain all over my body. I felt the rumble of his blows, but I''m not hurt. Yes, the armor worked. I''m not hurt.'' Leon thought to himself as he let himself go in a smile full of excitement.


    The Spirit Metal Armor contained numerous formations ranging from speeding up the condensation rate of spirit power to stabilizing the flow of spirit power, and so on. In one of those formations, there was one that activated automatically as soon as the armor received a trauma. That is, the armor would automatically take the user''s spirit power to increase the toughness of the defensive layer of spirit power, creating an additional layer. It was like a kind of armor of spirit power added to the one martial artists usually used.


    "How is it possible?! How can you stand as if nothing had happened? "Sawa Takuboku asked. The young man''s face was pale, and his back was shivering at the thought that he might lose.


    Leon wasn''t listening to him, however. His eyes were still focused on examining his body. An attack like this previously would indeed have hurt him, but now he was unharmed. Yes, he had less spirit power because it had been consumed by activating the armor''s automatic defensive function, but that wasn''t a problem at all.


    "If so, then I don''t have to fear anything. I can continue to be by their side." Leon said as he condensed his spirit power into his left fist, activating another armor function that allowed him to gather the spirit power into a single spot and hurl it at great speed.


    "Fist of Heaven!"


    Leon''s left fist''s spirit power was projected out as a kind of bullet of spirit power. Given his speed and Sawa Takuboku''s momentary inability to think with a cool head, the punch attack hit his opponent hard.


    Boom!


    The punch landed violently on Sawa Takuboku, pushing him away for tens of meters. The bones he was so proud of broke under this attack''s power but still managed to do their job and reduced the damage inflicted on their user. Even so, Sawa Takuboku was now out of the game.


    "The winner is Leon." Song Yazhu proclaimed, ending the fight.


    With the formalization of the end of the fight, the audience exploded in a series of exciting cheers and whistles. In particular, in the stands, a family couldn''t contain their enthusiasm after Leon''s victory.


    "Yay, the big brother won! He did it!"


    Leon''s brothers and sisters were celebrating their brother''s victory with irrepressible joy. Leon''s parents were also happy and had tears in their eyes. Their son, of which they were so proud, had won in front of such a vast audience, not to mention the high-level figures in the VIP section.


    ''Go, son. Fly. Fly and change your destiny. Not for us, but for yourself.'' Leon''s father said in his mind.


    Meanwhile, in the area prepared for fighters, Leon had just returned but was overwhelmed by the cheering and the enthusiasm of his companions.


    "You did it!."


    "Good job. Now only Lang and Lian are missing to win their fights."


    While Hei and his companions were intent on celebrating Leon''s victory, Long Tian turned his gaze in their direction and sent a spirit message to Hei.


    ''I thought it was already amazing to use so much Spirit Metal for a greatsword of that size, but even armor? I have to admit that the final result is better than I thought, though.''


    Hearing Long Tian address him, Hei replied, ''Do you want to tell me something, Long Tian?''


    He knew Long Tian wouldn''t contact him so furtively just to compliment Leon''s armor functionality. There had to be more.


    ''Yes. You should be well aware of the consequences of this revelation, shouldn''t you?''


    ''Yes, I am aware of that. I already calculated the pros and cons when I gave Leon the Spirit Metal.''


    ''And despite the dangers and other inconveniences that may arise, you proceeded anyway.''


    ''I thought that even in the worst of cases, I could offer trading pieces to the right person.''


    While the two were speaking, Song Yazhu meanwhile proclaimed the next two fighters.


    "The next fight will see the battle between two beast tamers - Lang of the Ice Wolf Beast Family and Chloe Elliott."

 Chapter 207 - Wolf vs. Starfish! Ice vs. Seawater!

    "The next fight will see the battle between two beast tamers - Lang of the Ice Wolf Beast Family and Chloe Elliott."


    Song Yazhu''s announcement caused everyone present to focus their attention on the tournament. Although the previous match had left its mark, the tournament had to continue. Besides, the spectators were eager to observe the next fights, hoping they would take their breath away.


    But it wasn''t just the ordinary audiences to feel that way. No, even the high-ranking martial artists gathered there felt the same. The combat prowess achieved by these young martial artists was incredible. It was enough to give them, who had seen a lot of things in their life, amazement after amazement. After all, it was difficult to find talents of this caliber.


    Grrr.


    Meanwhile, in the VIP stand, a slight growl rang out. The creature that let out this growl was none other than a pure white wolf about three meters high and five meters long. It possessed deep yellow eyes, capable of paralyzing the enemy just by looking at it, and long sharp fangs capable of cutting anything.


    The huge wolf was lying on the ground with his eyes closed, heedless of what was happening around it. However, when it heard Song Yazhu''s announcement, it opened its eyes and let out its growl at the man, wearing a blue-white robe, who was sitting in front of him.


    This man possessed short gray hair and a short gray beard. He looked cold and detached, as if he wasn''t interested in what was going on around him. Yet his eyes were alert and sharp, not missing even a moment of the fighters on the battle stage or one of the many chatters that echoed in the VIP section.


    These were none other than the fathers of Lang and Fenrir, respectively, the Spirit Emperor and Householder of the Ice Wolf Beast Family - Eska, and the Pack Leader of the Ice Wolves - Amarok.


    Typically, members of the Beast Families avoided public events like these, preferring their homes'' tranquility. However, Eska had decided to accept the tournament invitation. The reasons behind this choice were two - the first was to participate in the meeting between the upper echelons in the Southern Region; the second was to observe his daughter and Fenrir''s progress.


    "They will be on stage soon, my friend. Also, the battle is between two beast tamers. So we will also be able to see how much your puppy has grown."


    ''It would be better if he grew up enough and reached a satisfactory level of strength. You know I never liked the idea of ??sending them to this academy rather than training them at home.''


    "Yes, I know. But you must consider the position of our family. We need one of our youths to stand out and make acquaintances with the upper echelons'' children. So that our chances of getting what we want will be higher.''


    While the two, man and wolf, talked, the two beast tamers were making their way down the open corridor towards the combat platform. Fenrir followed to Lang''s left side as he walked proudly and elegantly. On the other hand, Chloe Elliott didn''t have a spirit beast following her, but on her right side, there was a spirit beast bag, so her spirit beast must have been momentarily placed inside.


    The two young fighters positioned themselves inside the fighting stage. Fenrir took up his position in front of Lang. The young woman then shifted her gaze to her opponent. Lang didn''t know what kind of spirit beast Chloe Elliott possessed, but as a descendant of one of the Beast Families, she had excellent knowledge about spirit beasts. She was ready to issue specific orders to Fenrir based on the type of spirit beast they would face.


    "Come out, my Starry!" Chloe Elliot shouted as she released the creature that was inside the spirit beast bag.


    Soon after, a light emanated from the bag while a kind of slimy tentacle emerged before being followed by other tentacles. Finally, when the light subsided, the creature was revealed in full.


    ''A starfish? The number of arms is usually five, but this specimen has as many as 20. From its appearance and the shape of its body, it should be a Sunflower Starfish.''


    Within moments, Lang had quickly guessed what kind of spirit beast and the specific species of that creature.


    "Both fighters have only one spirit beast at their disposal. Therefore, they will fight a 2 vs. 2. Now, you can start fighting." Song Yazhu gave the official start of the fight.


    ''Fenrir, be careful. Every single arm has tiny feet in the shape of tubes that allow the body to move. These are very sticky, similar to suction cups. Additionally, starfish can regenerate their limbs. So don''t focus on creating stab wounds on the body but sever the arms cleanly. I will then freeze the wound so that no arms cannot be regenerated. But more than anything else, remember that starfish have one eye on each of their arms. So don''t aim for surprise attacks, but concentrate on overwhelming the opponent.'' Lang immediately warned Fenrir of the starfish''s most dangerous characteristics.


    Of course, there was other information that could be added, but the fight had already begun. So, Lang decided to mention only the most dangerous ones at the moment. Depending on the progress of the fight, she would provide other information to Fenrir.


    ''Got it, Lang. Leave it to me. You worry about blocking the woman. After all, my forte is attacking at full power.''


    ''Got it, partner. You will have the battlefield clear.'' Lang answered as she drew her sword.


    "Ice Law, Ice Dust!"


    With a high jump, Lang hovered through the air and dashed toward Chloe Elliot. A kind of wind was generated from her sword made of tiny ice crystals that were heading towards her opponent.


    Seeing her mistress under attack, the starfish Starry began waving her twenty arms, intent on blocking Lang''s attack. However, Starry was forced to change her mind as Fenrir was attacking her.


    ''Death Claws of the Wolf!''


    With an eardrum-splitting howl, Fenrir concentrated his spirit power into his claws, increasing their cutting power. His goal was to sever as many arms of the opposing spirit beast.


    "Starry dodges! Water Law, Veil of Salt Water! "


    Without wasting a second, Chloe Elliot gave an order to her spirit beast. At the same time, she performed an elemental technique to block the impending attack.


    ''I''ve heard of the Beast Families. They are considered among the best beast tamers in existence, and their knowledge of spirit beasts is unsurpassed by normal tamers. Therefore, I have to fight with the knowledge that my opponent knows the characteristics of starfishes.''


    Just as Lang and Fenrir had a strong bond and their teamwork was flawless, Chloe Elliot and her Starry were also used to fighting together. The young beast tamer drew her sword as she parried Lang''s following sword attack. Meanwhile, the starfish Starry flexed her body with incredible elasticity and dodged Fenrir''s sharp claws.


    ''Keep dodging if you can!'' Fenrir told the starfish as he unleashed one attack after another. The starfish possessed multiple arms, but Fenrir''s attacks had a strong cutting component. Therefore, it was likely that one blow would be enough for them to be severed.


    ''Stupid wolf. As soon as I memorize your attack rhythm, I will block you using my twenty arms. If you think you can beat me alone without your master, you are very wrong.'' Starry thought to herself. She wasn''t afraid about her mistress, Chloe Elliott. She knew how strong the latter was, and she trusted that Chloe could fight alone.


    "Water Law, Sea Foam!"


    Chloe Elliott generated another attack using the Water Law. Lang smoothly dodged this technique and performed another sword attack. Her goal was to keep her opponent busy so that Fenrir could defeat the opposing spirit beast. However, the seafoam Chloe Elliott produced was not created to hurt Lang. Its purpose was another one.


    Splash!


    The seafoam crashed to the ground, soaking the fighting stage, exactly where Fenrir and Starry were fighting. If it had been a confrontation between two simple animals, that factor could have affected Fenrir''s mobility. However, the wolf spirit beast only needed to insert his spirit power into his paws to avoid slipping during his movements.


    Still, while the foam didn''t affect Fenrir''s ability to move, it wasn''t the same for Starry. The starfish spirit beast cheered within as her tube-shaped feet slid across the battlefield floor, taking advantage of her natural predisposition for water combat.


    ''You are finished, stupid wolf!'' Starry yelled as she lunged at Fenrir.


    "Death Claws of the Wolf!" Fenrir answered in turn, howling. He knew he couldn''t dodge, but he didn''t intend to do that anyway. His goal was to destroy as many arms as possible.


    Slash! Grab!


    Claws and arms met, splashing water and flesh all over the place. It was to be known that starfish didn''t have blood, but the blood was instead replaced by seawater.


    "Auuuuhhh!"


    Fenrir howled in anger as Starry''s arms tied around his body. His claws had managed to sever eight of those arms, but the starfish had a total of twenty arms. Therefore, even though he tried to free himself, he couldn''t do so.


    ''Get ready to be eaten!'' Starry said as the mouth in the center of her body began to wiggle.


    It had to be known that the starfish didn''t ingest their prey like other animals, but instead made their stomachs come out and then wrap the prey and drag it inside as it was being dissolved.


    "Ice Law, Freeze!"


    As soon as she saw Fenrir in that situation, Lang decided to intervene. First, it was her fault for dodging instead of destroying the seafoam technique if Fenrir had been tangled by the opponent. Without the increase in speed resulting from the water on stage, Fenrir would have been able to dodge the attack.


    "Like I''m letting you do it! Intent of the Sword, Water Law, Sword of the Sea! "Chloe Elliott exclaimed as she condensed her spirit power into her weapon.


    ''As high as the understanding of the Ice Law may be, you still need a few moments to freeze from here the area where our spirit beasts are fighting, let alone freeze my Starry. Yours is a useless move.'' Chloe Elliott said to herself as her sword descended on Lang.


    Still, Lang seemed to have no intention of stopping. Her sword was still stuck to the ground, and the ice had reached Fenrir and Starry, forming a thin layer of ice on the starfish''s tube-shaped feet. Although the ice sheet wasn''t that thick, it was still enough to disturb the starfish''s movements.


    "What?!" exclaimed Chloe Elliott, who didn''t believe her eyes. Lang had given up any intention of defending herself, concentrating on attacking the starfish. And as expected, the seawater-covered sword descended on Lang''s body violently.


    Slash!


    The defensive layer of spirit power over Lang''s body abruptly diminished, but the young woman was still unharmed for the time being. But a whitish pallor could be seen on her face due to the rapid consumption of spirit power.


    Auuuuhhh!


    Fenrir howled as he freed himself from the starfish''s grip. Part of his fur was gone, swallowed up by Starry''s stomach. Fenrir had detached with his teeth the part of the flesh trapped by the stomach while using Lang''s ice to destroy the tips of the starfish''s arms and thus free himself.


    ''From the beginning, you called me a stupid wolf. If so, you are a starfish idiot. Wolf King''s Death Claw!''


    Fenrir''s spirit power peaked as he concentrated everything into one claw of his right paw. Starry focused what was left of her arms forward to block her enemy''s attack.


    Slash!


    There was a glow, and more splashes of water and flesh flew into the air. Fenrir''s claw severed the rest of Starry''s arms and even caused a medium-sized cut in the center where the spirit beast''s mouth was. The starfish let out a silent cry of pain, audible only by her mistress.


    "Starry!" Chloe Elliott moved her eyes from Lang to Starry. Thanks to the connection created at the time of the spirit pact, she could sense her spirit beast''s emotions. She knew Starry was alive, but she ran to see what her conditions were anyway. Even though Starry wasn''t dying, the starfish''s wounds weren''t even light.


    "Ice Law, Finger of Death - Brinicle!"


    Lang pointed her sword at Chloe Elliott. A tornado of ice only a few inches thick emerged from the tip of her sword. Yet this tornado of ice accurately pierced the area where the Achilles tendon of Chloe''s left foot was located.


    Stab!


    Chloe Elliott fell to the ground. Because she was concerned about her spirit beast''s condition, she had failed to keep the defensive layer of spirit power homogenous. So Lang''s technique managed to shatter it, reaching the flesh and the bone. Chloe Elliott, however, didn''t allow herself to be stopped and continued to advance. Her foot hurt, but she wanted to reach for her Starry.


    "Starry ..." the young beast tamer m.o.a.ned.


    "Fenrir." Lang said to Fenrir.


    Fenrir immediately understood what she wanted to tell him, and he approached Chloe Elliott. The woman, seeing Fenrir coming over, shuddered with fear and stopped. She was afraid that the wolf was going to knock her out.


    "If you want to fight, I''ll satisfy you." Chloe Elliott said as she struggled to her feet, prying on her sane foot. Even though she had been injured, in the end, her spirit power wasn''t exhausted. Besides, she hadn''t received any other injuries. As a result, she still had the ability to fight.


    Seeing this, Fenrir stopped and turned his head elsewhere. He went to the starfish and sank his teeth into the spirit beast''s body. Chloe tried to stop him, but Lang launched her sword to make it pass in front of Chloe and stop her.


    Unexpectedly, Fenrir''s teeth didn''t sink into the flesh but got stuck on the outermost layer. In that position, Fenrir began to drag the starfish towards its master.


    "Your starfish is strong. She will be fine. Call her back into the spirit beast bag and let her rest. With enough rest and food, she will recover. My Fenrir has been careful not to damage her spirit core." Lang said as she approached Fenrir, Chloe, and Starry.


    "I am your opponent ... why are you treating me this way?" asked Chloe, who couldn''t understand. They were opponents in this tournament, and yet she was receiving comforting words from Lang.


    "You aren''t my mortal enemy. I don''t see why I shouldn''t help you. You fought well, and it is clear that you love your spirit beast. As a representative of one of the Beast Families, it would be a disgrace for me not to recognize the bond between you and your Starry." Lang replied as she motioned for Fenrir to let go of the starfish so she could be called back.


    "The winner of this match is Lang!" Song Yazhu announced.


    Chloe Elliott''s spirit beast was out of the game, and even the young woman seemed to have lost the will to fight. But Lang and Fenrir, although they were wounded, didn''t seem to have lost their fighting spirit and possessed enough spirit power to continue to fight. Therefore, Song Yazhu decided to end the fight.


    The audience meanwhile began to applaud Lang''s behavior. Although it seemed hypocritical given the selfish and self-centered nature of martial artists, seeing such a display of respect towards the opponent was heartening. After all, regardless of their heritage, no one liked someone who tormented the losers to show off themselves.


    "What do you think, my friend? Are you satisfied?" Eska asked Amarok. A faint smile was imprinted on his face, a sign that he was proud of the attitude shown by his daughter.


    "Umph .. that fool Fenrir has let himself be fooled by such an elemental tactic. He still needs more experience. But all in all, I can''t complain. Apparently, I have to change my mind about these academies created by you humans. They''re not so bad."


    Eska smiled, and his eyes followed Lang and Fenrir as they left the fighting stage. ''My little one. I was worried you might not be comfortable here due to your nature. After all, I''ve always treated you harshly to prepare for the burden you have to carry, and you ended up developing an aloof behavior like me. But my worries were wrong. Let me see all your strength, my daughter. You are our hope in realizing our family''s longed-for dream.''

 Chapter 208 - Foxs Pride

    The fight between Lang and Chloe Elliott was over. Victory had gone to the young beast tamer of the Ice Wolf Beast Family. The affinity and cooperation between her and her spirit beast, the wolf Fenrir, had allowed them to prevail over their opponents.


    As the four fighters left the stage to make way for the next match, Song Yazhu announced the next two challengers.


    "Taking the field for the next match are Huli Xieren of the Huli Family and Bao Yeong-Cheol of the Bao Family."


    "Bao Yeong-Cheol? Is he related to Bao Jong-Su?"


    Upon hearing that name, He Fen, whom he had confronted Bao Jong-Su on his rounds, couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yes. Bao Yeong-Cheol and Bao Jong-Su are brothers, twins to be precise."


    The one who answered was Feng Chen. As a member of one of the Eight Big Families, he knew the names of the principal members of the younger generation of each bloodline family, especially those in the Southern Region and therefore within the area administered by the Feng Family. The young man then turned his gaze to the young woman with fiery red hair, preparing to leave the stands dedicated to the fighters.


    "Xieren, go and win. With your skills, you will have no problem facing Bao Yeong-Cheol. But be careful; he could turn out to be an insidious opponent."


    Hearing Feng Chen''s recommendation, Huli Xieren nodded her head. Her purple eyes with a slight reddish tinge looked in the direction of Feng Chen. The intensity of her eyes'' color was so bewitching that she would be able to captivate people with little willpower with just one look.


    "I''ll be back as a winner as soon as possible."


    Leaving those words, Huli Xieren made her way to the fighting stage. As she exited the fighters'' stands, she met her opponent, Bao Yeong-Cheol, who was also heading to the stage.


    "And so my opponent is someone from the Huli Family. You know, I confess I was hoping for a better opponent for the first round, especially after my little brother lost his match and was eliminated from the tournament. To regain the lost face of my family, it would have been better to face someone strong. And instead, I have to put up with someone from a shameful family like the Huli Family. You and all the other families who submit to the Eight Big Families are just trash. To avoid seeing your prestige ruined by your ineptitude, you are willing to lick the asses of those who would not hesitate to kill us if they could."


    Hearing those words, Huli Xieren said nothing but just continued walking in the open corridor that connected the stands of the fighters with the fighting stage. Seeing this, Bao Yeong-Cheol came out with a smile as if he was expecting a similar reaction.


    His earlier words weren''t a provocation to influence Huli Xieren''s heart and her clarity in combat. It was his honest consideration of the Huli Family, shared by the Bao Family and the other bloodline families.


    It had to be known that, although the Sun Empire appeared strong and firm in their bonds, in reality, it wasn''t. The Imperial Family had always been wary of the Eight Big Families and tried to increase their authority and prevent the Eight Big Families from gaining too much power. Similarly, the Eight Big Families had constantly monitored the Imperial Family''s movements to prevent them from achieving the Empire''s supremacy while taking advantage of every opportunity to increase their influence.


    But it wasn''t just these nine noble families who wanted a piece of the pie. Even the smaller families, especially those with pure bloodlines, wanted their share; no, they wanted an even bigger slice. After all, those at the bottom of the ladder would always envy those above and go to great lengths to climb up and replace whoever was above them.


    Consequently, for the smaller families who saw the Eight Big Families as their target, there was nothing more repulsive than someone who gave up their independence to submit to one of the Eight Big Families. This was because the act of submission did nothing but widen the gap in strength between the minor families and the Eight Big Families. And it so happened that the Huli Family was just one of those families who had given up their pride in order not to lose their prestige.


    ''No reaction? It wasn''t like I was aiming to undermine her concentration but even so¡­ if an attack on her family''s honor doesn''t affect her, why not try a personal attack? '' Bao Yeong-Cheol thought to himself.


    He wasn''t normally the type to use such tactics, but his opponent came from a family for which Bao Yeong-Cheol had no respect. Therefore, he decided to provoke Huli Xieren seriously. Not only would he get his first tournament win and regain face for his family, but he would also teach a heavy lesson to the traitors who had turned their backs on the other bloodline families.


    "I guess your life must be easy. You just need to open your legs, and that c.o.c.ky Feng Chen gives you some resources to cultivate in exchange. I guess he told you he loves you or something like that. That''s nonsense. He''s just using you for his pleasures. As soon as the Feng Family finds someone for him to marry, he will throw you away or keep you as a concubine to use when he feels like it at most. If I were you, I''d leave such a guy, but considering you''re part of the Huli Family, I guess you''re used to throwing your pride in shit to stay in your fake position of prestige."


    Bao Yeong-Cheol''s words were malicious and contemptuous. He poured out his contempt and hatred for the Huli Family directly on Huli Xieren as she belonged to that family. He also brought up Feng Chen, insinuating that the latter was only exploiting the young woman for his pleasures.


    Once again, Huli Xieren said nothing. However, this time, some twitchings could be seen on the edges of her eyes and forehead. The young woman had been influenced by Bao Yeong-Cheol''s words, although she was doing her best not to show it.


    "Let the fight begin." Song Yazhu declared as soon as the two designated fighters arrived at the center of the fighting stage.


    "Come on! Won''t you respond to what I said? Not even a word? Or do you know that everything I''ve said is true?" Bao Yeong-Cheol was smiling gleefully. He didn''t care about playing the bad guy; no, considering the other party came from a traitorous family, regardless of what he said, he could never be considered the villain of the situation.


    Hearing this, Huli Xieren eventually could no longer remain silent, "How much do you speak? I hope your strength matches your ability to get your tongue moving. As for what you said about my family, I can''t blame you. We sold out to avoid the destruction of our family. For the other minor families, we are traitors, and indeed we are. But I don''t care. We of the Huli Family have long since given up our pride and no longer have the right to be angry if someone insults us.


    However, it''s another question if you start insulting Feng Chen. You don''t know him. You don''t know what kind of person he is and about his situation. Yet don''t hesitate to tarnish his name as well as his relationship with me.


    Therefore, as a representative of the Huli Family¡­ no, that''s not correct. As the personal guard assigned to the young master Feng Chen, I, Huli Xieren, will face you with my full strength. You will experience first-hand what it means to piss off a woman."


    After saying this, Huli Xieren released her spirit power. An intense fighting aura enveloped Bao Yeong-Cheol, who could sense the young woman''s anger even from his position.


    "Hahaha, do you think you can scare me just because you''re pissed? What bullshit. Well, if you really have the strength to support your words, then let me experience this so-called anger of yours!" Bao Yeong-Cheol yelled as he pulled out his weapon.


    The weapon of the Bao Family''s young man was a metal staff a meter and a half long. The unusual thing was that the ends of the staff, which should have been flat, contained a triangular blade, like a spear. Moreover, the blades themselves weren''t smooth but serrated, thus chopping the opponent''s flesh rather than cutting it.


    Slash!


    Bao Yeong-Cheol moved his staff forward, aiming one of the blades at Huli Xieren. The young woman had drawn her sword but didn''t receive the weapon''s impact coming from the front. Instead, she dodged to the side and then advanced towards Bao Yeong-Cheol, who was exposed.


    ''Stupid.''


    As he thought like this, Bao Yeong-Cheol quickly backed his hand back, bringing his staff''s shaft behind his back. From that position, he switched the weapon from his right to his left hand and brought the staff forward, just in time to meet Huli Xieren''s sword. All this was done with a speed and fluidity that demonstrated Bao Yeong-Cheol''s mastery with his staff.


    After doing this, Bao Yeong-Cheol put his right hand back on the staff''s shaft and thrust his weapon forward, leveraging the edge that wasn''t blocked by Huli Xieren''s sword. Having two blades at his staff''s ends, Bao Yeong-Cheol could block with one of the two and then attack with the free one.


    Slash!


    Huli Xieren avoided the oncoming attack in time but had to prepare to dodge another blow quickly. ''His rotation skill is of a high level. He manages to rotate his staff with his body, preventing me from taking advantage of the disadvantage of long weapons, which is close combat. First, I have to understand the pattern of his attacks. Only then will I be able to match the rhythm of my movements with his and create a breach in his defense.''


    Like Feng Chen, Huli Xieren was also a fighter who favored a more calm and composed approach than an aggressive one like Hu Jie''s. Despite her anger, she was still lucid enough not to abandon her fighting style. She would study her opponent''s attack pattern, and only then would she make her move and deal heavy damage.


    "Intent of the Sword, Fire Law, Burning Blade!"


    It didn''t take Huli Xieren long to memorize her opponent''s pace. Despite Bao Yeong-Cheol''s constant assault, she was able to dodge and parry every blow as she examined every single detail of his movements. And when Bao Yeong-Cheol was performing his arm-to-arm shift again, Huli Xieren made her move.


    Quickly increasing her speed, she quickly bridged the gap between her and Bao Yeong-Cheol while using a Fire Law technique. Just by looking at how quickly she completed her technique, it could be seen that her knowledge of the Fire Law was quite high for someone at the spirit soldier rank.


    Slash!


    The blade of the sword flew down in the direction of Bao Yeong-Cheol. If the latter did nothing, he would be cut from the shoulder to the hip. He obviously had his defensive layer of spirit power active. But, even if he weren''t to take damage, there was no doubt he would consume a great deal of spirit power.


    Split!


    At that moment, a sharp crack could be heard, as if the padlock or lock of something had been opened. And indeed it was so.


    Peng!


    At the moment when Huli Xieren''s sword was coming down, Bao Yeong-Cheol smiled despite his situation. Then, the serrated ends of the staff broke away from the shaft. No, breaking away wasn''t the correct term. Instead, they stretched out while a metal chain joined the two serrated blades with the staff''s shaft. Thus, one of the blades went to intercept the descending sword while the second flew into Huli Xieren''s chest. With one simple move, Bao Yeong-Cheol had reversed the situation, and now it was Huli Xieren who was in danger of being hurt or otherwise losing a great deal of spirit power.


    Peng!


    Huli Xieren''s sword collided with the first of the serrated blades. Since the serrated blade was supported only by Bao Yeong-Cheol''s spirit power, it couldn''t withstand the impact with Huli Xieren''s sword but was deflected. However, it bought enough time for the second serrated blade to land on its target.


    Chop!


    The serrated blade sank into the young woman''s chest. A grimace of pain crossed Huli Xieren''s beautiful face as the defensive layer of spirit power around her body grew thinner. Although she wasn''t visibly injured, she had received frontal damage. Thanks to her quick battle instinct, she moved backward, slightly decreasing the damage she received.


    "Don''t think it''s over here! Intent of the San Jie Gun, Black Panther Bloodline, activate! Lightning Law, Claw of the Panther King, Storm Mode!"


    At Bao Yeong-Cheol''s cry, his staff''s serrated blades filled with lightning in an impressive amount. Only from the rumbling sound of the lightning one could imagine their power. The terrifying thing was that the serrated blades were connected by metal chains to the staff, thus following Bao Yeong-Cheol''s movements. Also, they could be shortened and lengthened as needed, thus increasing the effective range.


    "You lost! Panther Acceleration!"


    Bao Yeong-Cheol used his speed technique and headed at high speed against Huli Xieren. As he moved, his arms were spinning the staff, and so were the two jagged blades full of lightning.


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline, Dance of the Red Moon!"


    Huli Xieren obviously wouldn''t have passively waited for her opponent to arrive. So she activated her bloodline and prepared to meet Bao Yeong-Cheol.


    ''I have no interest in my family''s prestige. I''m not fighting to make the Huli Family''s Head or the Elders happy. But Feng Chen told me to win, so I''ll do it. But first, I''ll let you taste the burning flame when a fox''s pride is wounded.'' Huli Xieren thought to herself. The pride she spoke of was not related to the Huli Family, but Feng Chen.


    Boom! Boom!


    The two serrated blades swooped down on Huli Xieren. The young woman had already prepared herself and therefore avoided the attack without problems. However, that was all. She could dodge, but she couldn''t parry. The power of lightning within the serrated blades was problematic, considering her strong point wasn''t the brute force or frontal fighting.


    Slash! Boom! Slash! Boom!


    When Huli Xieren dodged, Bao Yeong-Cheol didn''t slow down the pace but somewhat increased it. Continuously rotating his body and staff, he waved the serrated blades as if he were a whirlwind of blades. The rumbling sound of the lightning was so deafening that ordinary spirit soldier martial artists would have difficulty concentrating and maintaining balance.


    Yet, despite the ferocity and speed of Bao Yeong-Cheol''s attacks, Huli Xieren dodged every move with absolute elegance and skill. Her delicate and graceful figure was like a small fire at the mercy of the storm, which, however, despite its ferocity, couldn''t put out that small fire.


    "I don''t think you''ll be able to dodge forever. And when that time comes, it will be the end for you! " grinned Bao Yeong-Cheol. He had the upper hand over his opponent, yet he wasn''t landing any hits. Even though Huli Xieren was dodging, with no sign of being able to fight back, the young man from the Bao Family couldn''t help but get nervous.


    ''Shit, Storm Mode is one of my trump cards. The more I use it, and the more my next opponent will know my attack pattern. But at the moment, I can''t slow down, or I''ll finish losing the initiative.''


    This was a tournament, not a single challenge. Every move the fighters revealed would be one less hidden card. Therefore, almost the majority aimed to win without revealing too much about them. But this wasn''t a tournament like any other. It was a tournament between the younger generation members with the most talent among the Southern Royal War Academy students. No wonder that even in the early rounds, they had to show their best and killing moves.


    ''He''s starting to get nervous. It''s time to fight back.'' Huli Xieren said to herself as she used her fire tail as an additional limb, making dodges unthinkable for a normal human being. Like Feng Chen, who generated a wing made of spirit power, Huli Xieren could also generate something similar - in her case, it was a fox tail.

 Chapter 209 - Specter vs. Smoke

    ''He''s starting to get nervous. It''s time to fight back.''


    As soon as Huli Xieren thought so, her eyes lit up with a fighting spirit. Harnessing her tail made of spirit power, she slammed into the fighting stage floor to rise into the air.


    "Fire Law, Wisp!"


    Quickly in the free hand that wasn''t holding the sword, a small ball of fire the size of a fist formed. Soon after, the young woman hurled this fireball at Bao Yeong-Cheol.


    "Break!"


    With a scornful cry, Bao Yeong-Cheol made one of his jagged blades move against the fireball. The rumble of lightning struck the spherical flame and tore it apart. Then he too jumped up and moved his second blade.


    Slash!


    The blade whipped through the air but missed Huli Xieren once again. Even though they had shifted to air combat, she hadn''t lost her agility of movement. However, she soon brought the fight back to the ground.


    ''Air combat is not recommended given the range of his blades. I still don''t have enough flight maneuverability that can match my movements on land.''


    It was right. Even though spirit soldiers could fly, they would rarely fight using their flight ability. This is because their amount of spirit power and their ability to control it still weren''t enough to match their ground fighting skills. Thus, Huli Xieren decided to bring the fight back to the ground where she could use the floor to bounce her body thanks to her tail.


    "Fire Law, Wisp!"


    Even though the idea of ??air combat had been discarded, Huli Xieren didn''t just defend herself. Whenever she got a breather, she would send a fireball towards Bao Yeong-Cheol. However, each of these fireballs contained low attack power and were all easily destroyed by Bao Yeong-Cheol''s attacks.


    "Can''t you do anything else? Such a poor technique can never defeat me!" Bao Yeong-Cheol said as he smiled. He was initially concerned because Huli Xieren had started attacking. As a result, he feared he was on the verge of losing control over the course of the battle. Fortunately, Huli Xieren was always using the same technique, which didn''t have enough attack power to worry him.


    ''Considering my attack pace, she probably doesn''t have the time and clarity to use other techniques. She uses the same move because it''s easy to create and doesn''t consume much spirit power. Is she trying to create an opening so she can hit me? I''m sorry, but you''re off track if you think you can screw me like that.'' Bao Yeong-Cheol analyzed, reinvigorating his fighting spirit. Now that he knew what his opponent was aiming for, he just had to pay attention to it and wouldn''t lose.


    Indeed, Bao Yeong-Cheol''s reasoning wasn''t wrong. Huli Xieren was using the same technique with little power to breach into Bao Yeong-Cheol. But the young woman didn''t want to strike using an opening in Bao Yeong-Cheol''s fighting stance. Instead, she wanted him to believe that she was aiming for it so that he didn''t notice the real trap.


    ''Time to finish the fight.'' Huli Xieren told herself as she gathered her spirit power.


    "Fire Law, Adherent Flame!"


    As soon as she said this, tiny red granules lit up all over Bao Yeong-Cheol''s body, including his staff. But it wasn''t just Bao Yeong-Cheol. The spot on the floor he was stepping on was also full of red granules, as well as other areas on the fighting stage. By analyzing the granules'' conformation, it could be deduced that these formed a trail that mimicked the movements that Bao Yeong-Cheol had made. And the next instant, all the grains of fire away from Bao Yeong-Cheol poured towards the young man.


    Blaze!


    It all happened in an instant. The granules on Bao Yeong-Cheol''s body exploded, generating a purple and red flame that increased in intensity as the other granules of fire fell upon Bao Yeong-Cheol.


    "Arghhh!"


    Seeing himself engulfed in flames, Bao Yeong-Cheol tried to move from where he was. And yet, strangely, he couldn''t. It was like he couldn''t move from that point at all.


    "What is happening? It is as if I am glued to the floor. I can''t even get altitude."


    At this time, Bao Yeong-Cheol''s confident and bold attitude was gone. Fear had taken its place - the fear of defeat. He knew very well that if he didn''t free himself soon, he would end up losing. Therefore, he began to unleash more spirit power to infuse greater power into the lightning, covering his serrated blades.


    ''If I can''t move, then I''ll get my weapons moving. Once that bitch''s concentration is destroyed, I can free myself from this technique. '' Bao Yeong-Cheol thought as he tried to calm down.


    Despite his efforts, however, his weapons also suffered from the same effect. At the moment, it was at the mercy of the flames, and although they wouldn''t have melted that easily, they were stuck in place with no sign of moving.


    "Fire Law, Fox Hold."


    Seeing Bao Yeong-Cheol struggling, Huli Xieren intervened. Now that she had him, she wouldn''t let him free himself for the world. She then approached Bao Yeong-Cheol''s burning body and then wagged her tail of spirit power. The tail wrapped around Bao Yeong-Cheol, breaking away from Huli Xieren''s body. At that point, the flames surrounding the Bao Family''s young man rose in intensity so much that you could smell the smell of burning flesh.


    "The winner is Huli Xieren." declared Song Yazhu, who saw, beyond the block of flames, the breaking of Bao Yeong-Cheol''s defensive layer of spirit power. Without that layer to protect him, the young man''s body would soon be charred.


    At the proclamation of Song Yazhu, Huli Xieren didn''t immediately put away her flames but left them for a few more seconds. She hadn''t forgotten the insulting comments about Feng Chen, and her anger still hadn''t subsided. Luckily, she wasn''t a woman who would get overwhelmed by emotions and didn''t forget about the current situation. Thus, although her flames had burned Bao Yeong-Cheol, the latter wasn''t injured so badly as to risk his life. Then, without giving Bao Yeong-Cheol another look, Huli Xieren turned and walked back to the battle stands.


    Such an action obviously provoked the Bao Family members'' anger, who had come to watch the tournament. Initially, they were overjoyed to have two family members among the 32 fighters qualified for the tournament''s main stage. Yet despite everything, both of their representatives had lost in their first round.


    This might also have been acceptable if the opponents were powerful and famous, such as Long Tian, ??Feng Chen, or Hu Jie. However, those who had beaten their promising martial artists came from two families they didn''t hold in high regard - the He Family and the Huli Family.


    And it was mainly because they had lost to the latter that they felt anger and hatred. But since the Feng Family was behind the Huli Family, they could only grind their teeth and congratulate the Huli Family members in the VIP stand.


    "The next fight will see the last of the Imperial Prince''s guards, Hide. His opponent will be Wei Yaling." Song Yazhu proclaimed the names of the next challengers.


    The first was Hide, the last of Long Tian''s four guards. His three companions had all won and advanced to the next round. So he was the only one left, and the Imperial Prince''s faction would achieve a complete victory. His opponent for the first round was Wei Yaling, a woman with long black hair and a complexion rather pale as if she were ill. She had a lit smoking pipe over her mouth and occasionally released puffs of dark gray smoke.


    "Let the fight begin."


    At Song Yazhu''s signal, Hide proceeded to draw his weapon, a spiked mace also known as the morning star. The shape of the weapon and the spike''s presence gave the morning star a terrifying power capable of smashing the opponent''s bones on impact if the latter hadn''t had the defensive layer of spirit power active. Soon after, without waiting for Wei Yaling''s response, Hide swooped in on her, raising his morning star spiked mace.


    Peng!


    There was a loud bang of something crashing to the ground, and this something was none other than Hide''s morning star. The weapon ended up hitting the floor even though it should have touched Wei Yaling''s body first. But this wasn''t the most unusual thing. No, instead, it was the fact that the young woman had been split in half as if a vertical line had separated her body. But there were no traces of blood and entrails leaking out, but the body''s areas along the vertical cut possessed a dark gray gaseous form.


    "Gas Law. Specifically, the Smoke Law. I see." commented Hide, who immediately understood what had happened.


    "Even if you have understood it, it is now too late." Wei Yaling replied as her body vanished from sight, leaving behind only a cloud of smoke. Soon after, she reappeared behind Hide and, inhaling with her pipe, released more smoke from her mouth. This smoke engulfed Hide in a vise until it even covered his head.


    Clench!


    The smoke closed tightly on Hide without letting him escape. Unless he possessed a speed that far exceeded that of a spirit soldier, Hide couldn''t dodge that grip using a displacement technique. After all, Wei Yaling had impressive control over the smoke she generated and had carried out her attack within seconds.


    Boom!


    There was another bang, and Wei Yaling flew several meters while spitting blood. Her mind was in chaos as she tried to figure out what had happened. Obviously, given the participants'' combat skills, it didn''t take long to get to the answer.


    "Ghost Law, specifically the Specter Law. It''s rare to meet someone with that kind of Elemental Law. " Wei Yaling said as she wiped the blood from her mouth. Even if her defensive layer of spirit power had parried most of the damage, the impact had been so powerful that she still lost blood.


    Regarding the Ghost Law, it had to be remembered that the latter was divided into three: corpse manipulation, bone manipulations, and specter mode. If the first allowed you to control corpses and the second to manipulate your body''s bones, the Ghost Law''s specter mode allowed its user to become a specter, capable of making one''s body immaterial and passing through everything.


    It was thanks to this that Hide freed himself from the grip of smoke. Making his body spectral, he effortlessly went through the hold of smoke and, as soon as he made his body tangible again, he moved his morning star, landing a direct attack on Wei Yaling.


    "I am also surprised. After all, it isn''t so common finding someone of the rank of a spirit soldier who cultivates the Smoke Law and can break down their entire body into smoke. I''m curious to see how long you can keep that state." Hide answered Wei Yaling''s comment. Then he attacked again.


    From that moment, a kind of cat and mouse game began, with Hide playing the part of the cat and Wei Yaling, the mouse. Wei Yaling would use her pipe to create smoke and limit Hide''s movements continually. However, the latter possessed a high-level movement technique and, even when he ended up in a dead-end, it was enough for him to make his body incorporeal to free himself quickly.


    However, even though he couldn''t get trapped, Hide couldn''t land another hit. In fact, Wei Yaling would break down her body into smoke and bring the distance back to how it was before, thus nullifying the advantage of the morning star - its enormous impact power. Therefore, the fight turned into a tiring struggle of nerves, where the first to get caught would lose.


    ''Her mastery of the Smoke Law is greater than I expected. I have to take the initiative, or she will understand the weakness of my technique.'' Hide thought quickly before making a decision.


    The Ghost Law had one major flaw - it had no offensive techniques. After all, it didn''t manipulate a specific element but focused on making the body immaterial. For this reason, the fighters of this Elemental Law compensated for this defect by using weapons with great impact power. However, even if they compensated for this flaw, another problem had to be considered - the difficulty in learning the Elemental Law itself.


    Unlike the other classical Elemental Laws, it was difficult to find anything in nature that could give the martial artist insights into cultivating the Ghost Law. After all, was there anything in nature capable of making one''s body incorporeal?


    Nevertheless, if one had mastered the Ghost Law, one would indeed become the nightmare of almost any martial artist. It was no coincidence that the few Spirit Emperors in history who possessed the Ghost Law were all frightening existences.


    "Ghost Rush."


    Hide activated his displacement technique and sped toward Wei Yaling. The young woman tried to hit him with projections of smoke but in vain. Any projection of smoke would pass through Hide''s body without causing damage. So Hide was once again in enough range for his morning star.


    "Intento of the Morning Star, Star Crush!"


    Hide stood in front of Wei Yaling and was lowering his spiked mace. He had analyzed the time it took for Wei Yaling to make her body smoke, and that was why he had increased his speed. He wanted to catch her off guard and stop her from dematerializing her body.


    "Smoke Elemental Essence, Smoke Impalement!"


    Anticipating Hide''s plan, Wei Yaling activated her Elemental Essence, which increased the power of her elemental techniques. Then, instead of using that power boost to escape, she chose to attack instead.


    "As long as you remain incorporeal, I cannot attack myself, but the same goes for you. You also can''t hold that state for a long time. Therefore, the moment you become corporeal again is my chance of victory. " Wei Yaling revealed with a fierce look.


    Only one chance. She could only use this trick once and had to achieve victory right now, or else she would have to continue with the battle of attrition.


    ''He possesses the Ghost Law. Since it is a law focused entirely on support, it is unthinkable that he will get tired before me. I have to close the fight now!''


    "Specter Law, Partial Specter."


    Boom!


    It happened in an instant. The spiked mace that should have been without force crashed into Wei Yaling''s head. The young woman took the full blow and became disoriented as she struggled to focus. Unfortunately for her, however, another spiked strike came soon after and broke her defensive layer of spirit power, sending her flying again.


    "The winner is Hide." proclaimed Song Yazhu, who called the support martial artists to assist Wei Yaling.


    Hide raised his head in triumph and put his morning star back in his space ring as he let out a sigh of weariness.


    Partial Specter.


    As the name suggested, it was an advanced technique that allowed only a specific part of the body to be made incorporeal while leaving the rest of the body tangible. Using this technique, he made the area affected by the smoke spikes immaterial while leaving his arm intact. In doing so, his morning star didn''t lose strength and struck Wei Yaling with full force. However, because it was an advanced technique, and the normal specter state was difficult to maintain for long periods, Hide felt tired.


    On the other hand, however, he had obtained the victory, not losing face towards his other comrades who had all won.


    "Closing the first day of the tournament will be Lian, the second young promise from the Forgotten Ocean, and Tu Ling of the Tu Family." Song Yazhu then called the last two challengers for the first round of the tournament''s main phase.

 Chapter 210 - Ribbon vs. Rabbit

    "Closing the first day of the tournament will be Lian, the second young promise from the Forgotten Ocean, and Tu Ling of the Tu Family."


    As Song Yazhu called the last two remaining fighters, Lian rose from her seat. Her face had the usual expressionless expression but looking closer, you could see that her eyes were full of determination. After all, Hei and the others had won their respective fights. So Lian didn''t want to be outdone.


    "Good luck, Lian."


    "Show her what you got."


    ''Kick her ass!''


    ''Ye, don''t be vulgar! Anyway, good luck Lian! ''


    Ye, Xing, and all the others began to encourage the young woman to show her their support. However, Lian''s eyes were fixated only on a single person - Hei.


    "I have the utmost confidence in you. Go and come back to us."


    Hei just said that. Then he beckoned her to go. Lian replied with another nod and made her way to the fighting stage. Her every step was delicate and graceful and yet contained an impressive resolve.


    Meanwhile, her opponent, Tu Ling, had also come out and made her way to the fighting stage. She had long brown hair wrapped in a braid and smooth white skin that made one think of a perfectly polished jade statue. Or at least that would have been the impression one would have had if it weren''t for one particular trait - her legs.


    Tu Ling''s upper body was thin and petite, which accentuated her being cute. But her lower body was incredibly muscular, which ruined the young woman''s slender figure. Yet she didn''t seem bothered by this at all, so much so that instead of wearing a long robe, she wore only a white shirt and very short shorts that left her legs completely exposed.


    "Is there a particular reason why she has such developed legs even though they are out of proportion to the rest of her body?" Hei asked Long Tian. As an Imperial Prince, Long Tian had extensive knowledge about the families of the Empire.


    "The Tu Family possesses the Moon Rabbit bloodline. While not a royal bloodline, the Moon Rabbit bloodline holds a particular position as it is one of the few bloodlines of the Light Law. As for their fighting style, the Tu Family specializes in the use of leg techniques.


    Strength and speed. These are the main characteristics of their fighting style. To maximize it, they have decided to give up a proportionate body to focus everything on their strong point: their legs. So the upper part remains underdeveloped so as not to weigh down the body."


    "Then she is a martial artist specializing in close combat." Hei deduced it from Long Tian''s description.


    "Yes. But it''s not just the kicks to watch out for. The Tu Family also specializes in submission moves. If she were to catch Lian in a vice with her legs, then the chances of Lian getting free are slim."


    "If she specializes in submission moves, then Lian''s victory is more than certain."


    At Hei''s statement, Long Tian and all the others present made a confused expression. They didn''t understand how Tu Ling''s strong point could be favorable for Lian. But Hei didn''t answer and focused on the fighting stage. Only Ye and Xing knew what he meant and grinned at each other.


    ''Big brother and Lian have been training together for years. Lian knows perfectly well how to break free from submission moves, whether used with arms or hands. '' (Xing)


    ''Right. Even I find it hard to pin her down with my tail. If that Tu Ling were to really aim for such a move, then it will be the end for her.''


    Meanwhile, Song Yazhu had started the last match of the first round of the tournament. Viewers had witnessed breathtaking fights one after another, and even the high echelons were impressed with the fighters'' quality. Therefore, everyone was eager to see what the last two participants had in store for them.


    "Moon Rabbit Bloodline, Light Law, Light Boots!"


    Without wasting time chatting or studying her opponent, Tu Ling activated her bloodline from the start. A glow of white light shone and condensed on the young woman''s legs, forming two white light boots that completely covered her legs, her thighs included.


    ''Everyone close to Hei turned out to be strong martial artists. You, who are one of the people closest to him, then you shouldn''t be any different. Therefore, I will be serious from the start. '' thought Tu Ling. As a classmate, she noticed the closeness between Hei and Lian. Some even rumored that they were lovers even though there was no concrete evidence of that rumor.


    "Tu Style - Rabbit Jump."


    Suddenly, with impressive speed, Tu Ling shifted from her position to position herself next to Lian. The latter, remaining calm, waved her right hand and pulled the white silk ribbon out of her sleeve. This ribbon swooped down to where Tu Ling had moved.


    Boom!


    The ribbon crashed violently into the stage floor but missed its target. Tu Ling had moved just before being hit. Fortunately, Lian had two ribbons at her disposal and, waving her left arm, sent the second ribbon to attack.


    Boom!


    This, too, swooped down on Tu Ling. Yet, just as before, Tu Ling dodged Lian''s ribbon just before she was hit.


    "Light Kick!"


    Tu Ling made a straight movement with her right leg, and a beam of light was generated towards Lian. Taking advantage of the range advantage, the latter quietly evaded the attack and waved her ribbons again.


    Thus began a strange sinuous dance between the two women.


    Lian would wave her two ribbons gracefully and elegantly, moving her body in a circle as if she were doing a waltz with herself. In this way, not only could she direct her ribbons wherever her opponent went, but she could dodge any attack that was sent against her.


    On the other hand, Tu Ling would dodge every attack thanks to her legs'' power and speed, jumping frantically between the spaces left by the ribbons. Moreover, whenever she had the opportunity, she would send a beam of light against Lian to disturb her movements, and slowly she was approaching inexorably towards the latter.


    ''Her ribbon skills are incredible. Even though she is controlling two at a time, she manages to attack even while dodging. All the openings she leaves in her guard are nothing more than traps to get me to take a misstep.'' Tu Ling analyzed as she kept jumping from place to place.


    ''Her technique bears similarities to Hei''s. She uses her feet'' soles to kick the floor and push her body in the desired direction. Yet despite sending out light attacks, she only manages to dodge my hits by a whisker. Either she has extraordinary reflexes, or she''s limiting her speed to lure me into a false sense of security.'' Lian reflected as her gaze remained blank on her opponent.


    Because she periodically sparred with Hei, she knew that martial artists who used many movement techniques often aimed to change their movements'' pace, especially against a new opponent. Hei himself would rarely use his full speed from the start but would limit himself and then take the opponent by surprise.


    ''If so, then I have the right solution.''


    After deliberating what to do, Lian increased the flow of spirit power in her ribbons. These became more chaotic and were shaken faster. This increased the frequency of Lian''s attacks but left her more exposed to possible counterattacks.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Each time the ribbons hit the floor, they made a metallic noise as if they weren''t made of silk but pure metal. Meanwhile, Tu Ling had assumed a frown as she had been pushed back against the wall.


    ''I can''t hold back anymore, or I''ll end up losing. I wanted to continue with the charade for a while longer, but you don''t seem to be willing to play my game. Never mind, the important thing is to get close to you in any case.''


    Holding back nothing, Tu Ling kicked the floor of the stage in a sequence of sideways movements. Her speed was faster than before, thus confirming Lian''s hypothesis.


    "Rabbit Long Jump!"


    Focusing the spirit power on her legs, Tu Ling''s muscular thighs swelled further as the veins became visible. Tu Ling then further increased her speed to such an extent that she resembled a white dart hurled at great speed at Lian.


    "Rabbit Vice!"


    Taking advantage of the legs'' propulsion, Tu Ling arrived in no time in front of Lian. Soon after, the legs still covered in the light boots went into a vice against Lian''s neck. As these muscular legs closed tightly on her neck, Lian felt a strong pressure in that area that prevented her from breathing properly.


    "Accept defeat, or I''ll have to break your neck." Tu Ling ordered in a tone that sounded like she wasn''t joking at all. And in fact, she wasn''t doing it. After all, the Tu Family''s most common killing method was to snap the necks of their enemies.


    ''Even if she doesn''t want to give up, teacher Song Yazhu will give me the victory. And even if I break her neck, she won''t die instantly. If I quickly block the flow of spirit power right after I snap her neck, there will be no consequences with the medical team nearby,'' thought Tu Ling in case Lian wouldn''t declare her defeat.


    She wanted to win, but she couldn''t ignore the tournament rules. Luckily Lian was strong enough that she wouldn''t die instantly even if she used her lethal move. And in any case, she had allowed Lian to surrender. Therefore, she wouldn''t be held responsible even if an unexpected accident happened.


    At Tu Ling''s warning, Lian replied not with words but with her actions. She waved her arms to recall the ribbons she had sent to the attack earlier. She clearly had no intention of giving up without a fight to the end.


    "As if I let you!" Tu Ling shouted before using another technique, "Light Law, Blinding Light!"


    The boots of light around Tu Ling''s legs melted, giving off a blinding white light that veiled the figure of the two fighters from the public eye.


    "You asked for it. Rabbit Vice!"


    With her eyes closed due to the blazing light, Tu Ling tightened her grip on Lian''s neck even more tightly. She knew she had no time to waste, or she would lose the initiative. For this reason, she had activated a double-edged move like that; doing so, she would blind Lian momentarily, preventing her from reacting in time. Since she was already in position, Tu Ling didn''t need her eyes to execute her attack.


    Crack!


    Tu Ling heard the unmistakable cracking sound. She knew the power of her legs well, especially during the Rabbit Vice.


    ''Judging by the impact, I should have broken her defensive layer of spirit power. If so, then the victory is mine. I just need to apply a little pressure, and I''ll break her neck.'' Tu ling rejoiced within herself as she looked forward to victory. However, Song Yazhu''s expected victory announcement didn''t come.


    ''I don''t understand. I have broken her defensive layer of spirit power. If it weren''t for my leniency, I would have broken her neck already. Why haven''t they yet declared an end to the fight?'' Tu Ling wondered in shock.


    Her eyes were still blinded by the light from before, even though she was gradually returning to focus. But before she could regain the use of her sight, she noticed an important detail.


    ''How strange. The neck of people, especially those of women, is smooth. But why do I feel roughness in contact with my legs? ''


    When Tu Ling could see again, she immediately saw why. The area around which her legs were wrapped was covered with a brown layer that resembled a tree''s bark. Furthermore, even though that layer had been cracked, it hadn''t dissolved completely.


    "Shit!" Tu Ling cursed when she realized her mistake. As soon as she closed her legs on Lian''s neck, she thought the victory was now her. She didn''t think Lian would have such readiness to protect her neck instantly.


    Woosh! Woosh!


    Two whistles resounded, and immediately after two objects of white silk - they were Lian''s ribbons.


    In fact, Lian hadn''t lost her focus during all this time. She instantly recognized the pressure her neck was receiving, and, as she did so many times against Hei, Xing, and Ye, she created a protective layer with her Wood Law. In addition to that, she also activated the Love Lotus bloodline. If Tu Ling had gone to great lengths to use this move, it certainly had to be a finishing move, and she couldn''t allow herself the luxury of limiting herself.


    Thus, Tu Ling''s Rabbit Vice crashed into Lian''s wooden barrier. With the Love Lotus bloodline empowering her, the Bark Coating technique withstood the intense pressure it received. However, Lian didn''t just defend herself. Instead, she readily assessed that it was an excellent opportunity to end the fight and guided her ribbons to Tu Ling. Even though her eyes were still closed due to the light, she didn''t need sight to guide her ribbons to her target.


    Bind!


    Tu Ling quickly released the grip on her neck and jumped up to run away. Unfortunately for her, Lian''s ribbons were now beside her and pinned her legs. Then they began to climb all over her body until leaving only her head free.


    "Accept defeat."


    As Tu Ling did earlier, Lian ordered her opponent to surrender. They both said the same thing from a position of absolute domination, yet the difference between them was evident. When Tu Ling told Lian to surrender, it seemed more like a warning; when Lian told Tu Ling to surrender, it was more like a sentence.


    "Not a chance!" Tu Ling cursed as she tried to spur her spirit power and break free. Flashes of white light could be glimpsed within the ribbons, yet they wouldn''t move no matter how much effort Tu Ling put in.


    "The winner is Lian." Song Yazhu declared after evaluating Tu Ling unable to break free.


    At Song Yazhu''s announcement, Lian moved her arms slightly and loosened her ribbons'' grip, gently placing Tu Ling''s body on the ground. Then she gave her a short bow and returned to the stand intended for the combatants.


    "Shit!" Tu Ling cursed with anger and tears in her eyes. However, she immediately got up and walked off the stage as well.


    "And with this, we conclude the first day of fights of the Southern Royal War Academy tournament. Of the initial thirty-two participants, sixteen remained. We will therefore see sixteen battles tomorrow. Spectators are invited to leave the academy''s grounds except for distinguished guests who will be guided to their quarters. As for our valiant fighters, please return to your quarters. Whoever has won must prepare as best they can for tomorrow while whoever has lost should reflect on the reason for their defeat."


    With that, the first day of the tournament ended. At Song Yazhu''s call, the spectators, one by one, began to leave the large stadium set up for the tournament. After such an exciting day, all they wanted to do was go to some pub or inn and discuss the fights and brag to those who couldn''t get tickets for such a show.

 Chapter 211 - The Second Day Begins!

    It was the evening of the first day of combat of the Southern Royal War Academy tournament. In one of the VIP rooms on the academy castle''s top floor, three figures were seated on armchairs - they were Hu Luoyang, Feng Qing, and Principal Long Jing. At the moment, the three of them were drinking hot tea isolated from the ongoing chaos on the ground floor where the canteen was located.


    The students were, in fact, eating in the canteen, and with them, there were also young people from important families who came with their elders and family heads. After all, the tournament was an excellent opportunity to show one''s strength and make the younger generation socialize with each other.


    Fortunately, the VIP rooms dedicated to teachers and leading figures who came for the tournament were all equipped with soundproofing arrays. Therefore, they were excluded from all the noise generated by thousands and thousands of young people.


    "Dean Long Jing, the situation is more serious than expected. We are talking about two new bloodlines. And they aren''t normal pure bloodlines, but royal bloodlines. This could generate a great deal of commotion among the forces of the Empire if not managed." Feng Qing said in a serious tone.


    The three had withdrawn from the time to talk about the tournament on purpose. They decided this soon after Lian''s fight when they realized that the young woman also had a royal bloodline.


    "Indeed. If it were only one, it would be a different story, but here we are talking about two royal bloodlines in the hands of two young people from the same place. It''s too much to pass as a coincidence." Hu Luoyang added.


    "I know what you are saying - did something happen in the Forgotten Ocean that caused royal bloodlines to appear, or have they always been there? I think the first hypothesis is more credible given that during the Human Civil War, the Forgotten Ocean was turned upside down in search of resources to exploit." Dean Long Jiang answered.


    "Did something happen? And what if ever? How could two royal bloodlines appear out of nowhere? Divine beasts don''t have such a long lifespan, not to mention that spirit beasts can no longer reach that rank. Therefore there is no way to generate new divine beasts." Hu Luoyang was perplexed; he couldn''t understand how Hei and Lian had managed to obtain their bloodlines.


    "The reason should be related to the destruction of the Spirit Artifact who dwelt in the Forgotten Ocean. As you know, the Spirit Artifact left there wasn''t of high quality and had long since been unimportant. Of course, its size was considerable, but its functions were limited, as was its power." Long Jiang deduced.


    "The Spirit Artifact? Dean Long Jiang, are you saying that-" Feng Qing said before Dean Long Jiang completed his sentence and confirmed his hypothesis.


    "Yes. In the Forgotten Ocean, no one can hurt the Spirit Artifact, much less destroy it. If it was destroyed, it should be because it tried to open a spatial rift to a Secret Dimension and suffered the backlash, eventually being destroyed. Spirit Artifacts have a conscience of their own. It wouldn''t surprise me if it were trying to get merit outside of its ordinary duties. In the end, more than death, the Spirit Artifacts fear being abandoned without ever being used again."


    "If so, then it might make sense that the two youths from the Forgotten Ocean have royal bloodlines. If the link between the real world and the secret dimension has collapsed, likely, the secret dimension has also met the same fate. If I''m not mistaken, there are precedents in history regarding this event, and sometimes some objects end up falling back into the real world rather than getting lost in the unknown space forever." Hu Luoyang''s expression relaxed when he came to a plausible hypothesis of events.


    "If so, then there is another question to ask. Does anyone else in the Forgotten Ocean have a royal bloodline, perhaps even not absorbed as they were incompatible? Or do Hei and Lian have other bloodlines on them?" Feng Qing immediately analyzed the deriving consequences from the hypothesis of the Secret Dimension.


    "Even if that were the case, it wouldn''t change much. What are the chances that there are other bloodlines? We don''t have the luxury to start a treasure hunt in the Forgotten Ocean, nor can we force two young promises to deliver them. Do you really want to risk two talents like the one possessed by the two youths for a vague chance? The most sensible thing to do instead is to provide them with the resources they need and let them develop calmly.


    I am well aware that you have agreements with the other factions of the imperial family, and during the day, I have already said that it is fine. Therefore, you can make as many offers as you like, but you have to accept it if they refuse you. However, make these offers only after the tournament is over."


    The two family heads, Hu Luoyang and Feng Qing, nodded their heads in understanding. While it was tempting to acquire more new royal bloodlines, the things Dean Long Jiang had said made sense. Not to mention that forcing two young martial artists to reveal their secrets using their power would be a stain on their honor.


    *


    Hei and Lian''s room.


    At the moment, the two youths who, unbeknownst to them, had been the subjects of an important conversation were busy preparing tomorrow''s battle plan. They knew the name of their opponent, and they also knew what techniques they employed. However, this was also true of their opponents, and therefore they had to decide well how to proceed.


    "Pablo Cort¨¦s is a beast tamer with four spirit beasts - a Condor, a Luciferase Tree, a Giant Pangolin, and a Sea Lamprey. In terms of power, they are quite similar, but they are different in terms of danger. The Sea Lamprey''s parasitic ability is worth keeping an eye on, but the most fearsome element is the crowd control ability of the Luciferase Tree. Following is the Condor which has the aerial advantage while the Giant Pangolin is the last as it used direct attacks." Hei gave a summary of the information about Pablo Cort¨¦s in his possession.


    His little sisters, Ye and Xing, sat on the bed listening to him intently. Since it was a beast-tamer battle, tomorrow they would fight alongside Hei.


    ''That Sea Lamprey is no problem for me. I can take care of it as well as the Giant Pangolin. My scales are hard enough not to let the lamprey''s bite penetrate the flesh, thus nullifying its parasitic ability. As for the Giant Pangolin, I can keep it busy with my tail. Once the Lamprey is taken care of, I''ll deal with the pangolin.'' Ye promptly gave her opinion.


    She had carefully observed the progress of the fights that took place during the day, especially that between the spirit beasts of Pablo Cort¨¦s and the corpses of Hyong Yong-Sook. She hadn''t participated in battles against multiple spirit beasts in a long time, and her fighting spirit was boiling.


    ''I can block the Luciferase Tree. My spiderwebs can bind its branches and undermine its crowd control ability. I can do the same for the Condor even if its aerial advantage has to be considered. In addition to that, we cannot even use our Elemental Laws. So Ye, don''t expect an easy battle.'' Xing also intervened.


    As always, despite feeling the same excitement as Ye as a spirit beast, Xing didn''t let her mood affect her ability to reason. As a result, she immediately revealed the difficulties of the fight.


    "As for the Condor, leave it to me. Pablo Cort¨¦s is a pure beast tamer. Therefore his battle skills aren''t as elevated as pure attack martial artists. On top of that, according to today''s fight, he should be fighting on his Condor tomorrow as well, making it difficult to face him alone.


    Xing, you rather take care of binding the Luciferase Tree and, when you are done, provide support to Ye. After that, we will deal with Pablo Cort¨¦s and his Condor by exploiting the numerical advantage, thus taking our victory."


    With the battle plan set, Hei glanced at Lian sitting next to them. At the moment, Lian was meditating. However, Hei knew that Lian wasn''t cultivating, but it was a simple meditation waiting for Hei, Ye, and Xing to finish organizing.


    "Lian, how do you feel about tomorrow? Have you found a suitable strategy to counter Hide?


    Hearing Hei''s question, Lian opened her eyes from her meditation. Her sapphire blue eyes looked straight into Hei''s dark brown ones.


    "Hide possesses the Specter Law of the Ghost Law. Therefore it will be difficult to immobilize him with my ribbons. He can also transform only part of his body, and his mace, the Morning Star, possesses a strong destructive power. However, while he can traverse my ribbons whenever he wants, he cannot reuse the specter state after he materializes. I already have a plan on how to move; the unknown is being able to grab him long enough to score it."


    To Lian''s answer, Hei replied with a nod. He had absolute faith in Lian and didn''t need to hear the complete plan. If Lian already had an idea, then there was no reason to worry.


    "Let''s go to sleep. Tomorrow will be another long day. We have to be full of energy. "


    *


    The second day began similarly to the first. Normal spectators were already waiting early in the morning to queue to enter. After the exciting battles of the previous day, they wanted to see more breathtaking challenges as soon as possible. On the other hand, the VIP spectators were in no hurry; after all, their seats had already been reserved. Therefore they could take it slow and enjoy the finest cuisine prepared by the Academy.


    In the fighters'' room, the sixteen qualified students waited for the people to finish taking their seats. Each of them looked calm and composed as if they weren''t at all agitated. But that was only because they were concentrating on the impending start of the second round of fighting.


    "Welcome to all of you from the audience. Since you''ve all taken your seats, it''s time to start this second day of the tournament. Today''s challenges will be only 8, half of yesterday. However, the fights'' quality will undoubtedly be as good as the previous day if not higher. That said, let''s officially start the second day." Song Yazhu announced before clearing his throat quickly to build suspense before the challengers were announced.


    "The first two fighters to take the field are the winners of the first two fights yesterday - the Hu Family representative, Hu Jie, and the representative of the Wani Family, Wani Garrett."


    As Song Yazhu predicted, the first challenge was already of a very high level. There was no question about Hu Jie''s skill while Wani Garrett was also a highly talented martial artist. There was also the rivalry between families for the number one Metal Law family. After all, anyone from the Southern Region knew how much the Wani family wanted to outdo the Hu family.


    "Hahaha, the time has finally come. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. I''ll show you who the best of us is. Today the crocodile will eat the tiger."


    Wani Garrett displayed a euphoric smile as his Spirit Metal''s teeth and nails glinted menacingly in the sunlight. If one also considered the scars that decorated his body, then Wani Garrett looked just like a crocodile with a human form.


    "Ahahah! Garrett! Don''t you know that tigers hunt crocodiles? Do you really think your teeth are strong enough to break my diamond body?" Hu Jie replied in the same euphoric tone as Wani Garrett. Evidently, he too was eager to fight.


    "Let the fight begin!" Song Yazhu announced, giving the go-ahead of the first match of the second round of the tournament.

 Chapter 212 - Crocodile vs. Tiger

    "Let the fight begin!"


    With Song Yazhu''s go-ahead, Hu Jie and Wani Garrett sprinted forward without hesitating a second. They had known each other for years now and didn''t need to study their opponent. They just wanted to come to blows as soon as possible, as evidenced by their crazy excited smiles on their faces.


    "Metal Crocodile Bloodline, Activate! Metal Law, Bronze Scales!"


    The pale scars on Wani Garrett''s body glowed with a bronze glow as they formed a pattern similar to the scales of a crocodile.


    "White Tiger Bloodline, Activate! Metal Law, Diamond Body!"


    Hu Jie''s body also lit up, giving his body a diamond light.


    PENG!


    A loud metallic noise rang throughout the stadium. It was as if two large blocks of metal had crashed into each other at high speed. Yet, they were only two young spirit soldiers.


    In the center of the fighting stage, the two fighters were grappling in a show of strength. Their hands were locked onto each other, and they were trying to push their opponent back. But neither of them gave an inch as they created sizzles of light generated by their metallic skin contact.


    "You have improved in power since the last time we have seen each other." Hu Jie commented.


    "And not only that. Intent of the Claws, Crocodile Vice!" Wani Garrett answered.


    Screech!


    Wani Garrett''s Spirit Metal claws glowed with spirit power before sinking into the back of Hu Jie''s diamond hand. Since the diamond skin wasn''t so easy to penetrate, the claws didn''t sink into the flesh but scr.a.p.ed the outside, generating loud screeches.


    "Huh? Don''t you try to overpower me by force alone like last time? Ahahah, Tiger Grip!"


    Like Wani Garrett, Hu Jie buried his hands on the back of his opponent''s hand even though he didn''t possess Spirit Metal claws. Yet he too generated screeches of scraping, and the reason was his impressive grip strength. If given the opportunity and enough time, Hu Ji could destroy his enemies'' defensive layer with the power of his fingers alone.


    Screech!


    ''Shit. I can''t go on like this.'' thought Wani Garrett before lifting his right leg and hitting Hu Jie in the stomach.


    Peng!


    Hu Jie''s left leg intercepted Wani Garrett''s kick. The former had seen his opponent move his leg and intercepted the blow by hitting the ankle, thus canceling the kick''s momentum and power.


    "What''s up? Didn''t you want to do a strength showdown? Or do you know that your Bronze Scales aren''t as tough as my Diamond Body?" mocked Hu Jie; he was in control of the situation.


    "Don''t claim your victory, Hu Jie. We have just started. Metal Law, Silver Scales!"


    The scars-scales on Wani Garrett''s body lit up again. The former bronze color faded to be replaced by a silver tint. At the same time, Wani Garrett''s muscular body visibly deflated like a balloon that had been punctured.


    Slip!!


    Wani Garrett''s now thin hands slipped out of Hu Jie''s grasp, thus freeing himself from that dangerous situation. However, soon after, the former launched another kick, this time a roundhouse kick aimed at the head.


    Peng!


    Hu Jie received the kick in full without batting an eye. The non-kicking power wasn''t enough to hurt him, but it still left him slightly stunned. He was unable to anticipate it as he had done with a low kick before.


    "Get ready, Hu Jie! Wani Family Technique, Crocodile Swimming!"


    Wani Garrett moved from where he stood. His speed had reached an impressive level, far surpassing what he had previously demonstrated. And with his new speed, he began to fill Hu Jie with blows.


    Peng! Screech! Peng! Screech!


    Rather than punches, Wani Garrett clawed with his Spirit Metal claws. Even if they couldn''t penetrate Hu Jie''s skin, it was uncertain whether this would last throughout the fight. But the most important thing was that Hu Jie was unable to respond. Or at least that was how it seemed.


    Peng!


    Wani Garrett''s claw crashed into Hu Jie''s closed fist. The former was baffled because his attack had been anticipated despite his speed while the latter responded with a roundhouse kick, similar to the one he had received.


    Woosh!


    The kick cut the air like a blade but didn''t reach its goal. Wani Garrett was faster and ducked down quickly to avoid the impact. However, Hu Jie also anticipated this response.


    Peng!


    Seeing Wani Garrett come down, Hu Jie stopped his kick as soon as he passed him. Then, at the same time, he grabbed Wani Garrett''s outstretched hand with the arm used to counter the claw attack while bending the leg used for the kick so that it dropped down.


    In an instant, he had blocked his opponent''s arm, preventing him from escaping, and with the heel of his raised leg, he struck Wani Garrett''s face. But it wasn''t over there. The ram served only to disorient Wani Garrett momentarily to gain the few moments he needed for the next move.


    "Tiger Armlock!"


    Hu Jie took the already trapped arm''s wrist in both hands and twisted it to contort it. He then pushed his right elbow down on the twisted arm, forcing Wani Garrett to fall to his knees to the ground due to the sudden movement.


    At that point, he quickly moved his right arm over Wani Garrett''s left shoulder as his left arm hooked his neck and pushed him forward, causing him to fall to the ground. Finally, he placed his left knee over his opponent''s neck as he twisted his arm again behind his back.


    A few seconds. This was the time it took for Hu Jie to reverse the situation he was in. Not only had he defended himself and blocked Wani Garrett''s rampage of attacks, but he had counterattacked, forcing the latter to the ground in a submission hold.


    ''What an amazing technique. There are no flaws in his technique, and his speed of execution is impressive. It wasn''t a fortuitous situation; he was aiming for an armlock from the start. ''


    Hei was surprised. It was rare to find someone versatile in submission holds, especially at such a high level. Apart from when it came to ambush, even he rarely used such moves because of the difficulty of execution during a fight.


    "It''s amazing that such a light-hearted guy is capable of such analytical skills, isn''t it?" Long Tian commented next to Hei. "If it weren''t for his nature, he would be an excellent commander. But come to think of it, it wouldn''t be the Hu Jie we know. Rather than glowing within a group, he shines better alone."


    "I agree, although a little responsibility wouldn''t hurt him. But aside from that, it''s definitely dangerous to face in a 1 vs. 1 fight." Feng Chen added. The latter spent a lot of time with Hu Jie and had learned to appreciate him despite their different natures.


    Meanwhile, the fight was still ongoing even though it had reached a stalemate. Hu Jie still kept Wani Garrett trapped on the ground without giving him a way to free himself. Metallic screeches filled the air as the metal skins of the two were in contact.


    From what it looked like from the outside, it was only a matter of time before Wani Garrett''s silver scales collapsed. At that point, it would be a child''s play for Hu Jie to finish the fight and take the win.


    "Don''t make me laugh. I didn''t train so hard just to lose in this ridiculous way. I will show you how the Crocodile eats the Tiger!" grunted Wani Garrett before pulling out the card he had in store. It was the same card he had used in the first turn, but this time he would use all his power.


    "Metal Law, Gold Scales! Wani Family Secret Technique - Golden Giant!"


    At that cry, Wani Garrett''s body began to expand rapidly. Hu Jie''s hold on him was shattered, leaving the Hu Family''s young man empty-handed but above all exposed to a counterattack.


    BOOM!


    A golden fist flew in Hu Jie''s direction, who was suspended in midair after he had to release Wani Garrett''s arm. This punch made Hu Jie roll backward, generating a roar.


    "Much better. Time to repay the favor. Crocodile Bite! "


    The three-meter-tall golden giant, aka Wani Garrett, ran at full speed towards Hu Jie. His every step thundered on the floor as if an earthquake was in progress. His resentful eyes were fixed on his prey still in midair.


    Hu Jie, meanwhile, regained his concentration and stabilized after being thrown backward. It had no damage thanks to the diamond body but still suffered from the blow. With a more serious look than before, he prepared to welcome the golden giant coming towards him.


    "Tiger Lariat Tiger!"


    Extending his right arm, Hu Jie lunged forward to meet Wani Garrett. His diamond arm glowed with spirit power as it swelled up to become double in size.


    Boom!


    Hu Jie ducked down with quick aerial movements to dodge Wani Garrett''s bite, right up to his neck. At that point, the combined momentum of the two crashed into each other right on the golden giant''s neck.


    There was a boom, and the golden giant''s advance was incredibly stopped as he opened his mouth and spat out saliva. Even though his skin wasn''t cracked, he had suffered from the impact. He quickly searched for Hu Jie to take revenge with his eyes but didn''t find him in the position he thought he was in.


    "Tiger Direct!"


    Boom!


    Another boom, and once again, the golden giant was hit. Hu Jie had taken the opportunity to move quickly to the back of Wani Garrett''s head and had launched a direct from there.


    Wani Garrett took a few steps forward from the blow, but this time he didn''t allow himself to be destabilized by the impact. Using the forward movement to his advantage, he quickly turned his body to hit Hu Jie with a spinning kick.


    Peng!


    Hu Jie put his arms forward and welcomed the full impact of the kick. This time he wasn''t rolled back as before but was forced to take only a few steps back.


    "Tiger Front Kick!" Hu Jie immediately replied and executed a straight front kick on the golden giant''s nose.


    At that moment, a back and forth confrontation began between the two. Both of them would receive the blow of the other without backing off or trying to dodge and then respond in turn. It remembered the ancient fairy tale about the clash between a young human and a giant spirit beast.


    The spirit beast was tens and tens of meters high and sowed terror in the human world. Various heroes tried to take it down but in vain. Finally, the nightmare ended when a brave young boy stepped forward and exploited his ingenuity by hitting the creature''s weak points.


    The ongoing scene, therefore, reminded the audience of this fairy tale. However, Wani Garrett wasn''t a ten of meters high spirit beast, but a human who had inflated his body thanks to a special technique. On the other hand, Hu Jie wasn''t a frail human who had to use his wits to win; it was more like a tiger excited in front of prey worth hunting.


    The two kept hitting each other relentlessly, and finally, the sound of something shattering could be heard - it was Wani Garrett''s skin. The golden giant had reached its limit before Hu Jie.


    "Ehehe, it''s time to end it. Hu Family Secret Technique - Fighting Tiger!"


    Hu Jie took a big breath of air before his muscles swelled out of proportion. It was similar to the technique he had used during the Lariat, but this time it was the whole body that was affected.


    "I don''t usually use it that way because it drastically drops my speed but with such a large target in front of me¡­ hehe. Tiger Assault!"


    Hu Jie unleashed an outburst of deadly punches at Wani Garrett. Part of the scales covering Wani Garrett''s body would shatter and crumble on contact with the floor with each blow.


    It was a real beating. Wani Garrett had no way to fight back, and it was only until all the scales on his upper body were destroyed that Hu Jie held back his barrage of blows.


    "You fought well, I have to admit. If it continued further, my diamond skin would give way. You can be proud of yourself. Tiger Direct!" Hu Jie said before delivering the last punch in Wani Garrett''s face, who was back to his normal state.


    The latter smiled before receiving the punch and passing out instantly. Even though he was regretful of the defeat, he couldn''t deny Hu Jie''s strength. They had a frontal confrontation, and he had lost, end of the story.


    "The winner is Hu Jie!" Song Yazhu announced as soon as Wani Garrett lost consciousness. As the tournament progressed, the fights would become more and more intense, and therefore his interference in the fight would be less.


    For this reason, he didn''t stop the fight immediately after Hu Jie shattered Wani Garrett''s skin. Sometimes to grow, especially for martial artists, it was necessary to crash violently into a wall to understand your shortcomings and overcome them.


    Hu Jie nodded to the unconscious Wani Garrett and returned to the other fighters. Even though he was unharmed on the surface, he still suffered from the blows he received. Furthermore, his spirit power had been enormously spent, and fatigue was making itself felt.


    "The first challenge is over. We will now proceed with the second challenge that will see two beast tamers compete against each other, the winners of the third and fourth matches of the first round - Pablo Cort¨¦s and Hei."


    Hearing his name, Hei rose from his seat. Now it was up to him and his little sisters to take the field.


    "Ye, Xing, let''s go," Hei said as Ye and Xing increased in size and regained their true appearance. There was a mad desire in their eyes to fight, especially after an intense fight like the one they had just witnessed.

 Chapter 213 - Clash Between Beast Tamers!

    "Ye, Xing, let''s go," Hei said to his little sisters. This time, they would fight all three together.


    ''Wait, big brother. We have to coordinate first about our entry. '' (Xing)


    ''Right. Yesterday it was your turn to fight so we didn''t say anything. But today, it''s our turn to be in the spotlight. We need to shine and let everyone know how terrifying we are.'' (Ye)


    "Terrifying?" Hei asked before smiling at his little sisters'' words. As always, they managed to keep their playful side even during a serious moment like this.


    "Okay, if you have something in mind, tell me, and I''ll help you." Hei finally answered, making Ye and Xing happy.


    *


    On the fighting stage, Pablo Cort¨¦s had already taken his seat and was waiting for his opponent.


    ''What is happening? Why doesn''t he come out? He doesn''t have changed his mind, I hope. Yet, he didn''t seem like the type. You didn''t want to show up after talking so big yesterday? ''


    Screech!


    A loud hiss and a huge dark shadow came forward - it was a dark purple spider with silver patterns. Sitting on the spider was a young man with long, pitch-black hair, around whom a long black snake with golden patterns waved. The snake''s tail held a dark purple spear on its tail that followed the snake''s movement. With each step of the spider, the young human would generate an incomprehensible yet at the same time audible hiss throughout the stadium.


    They were Hei, Ye, and Xing.


    As wanted by the two divine beasts, they made their entrance attracting the whole stadium''s attention. Those who watched couldn''t help but admire and at the same time be horrified by the terrifying appearance of the two creatures.


    "You came. I thought you weren''t showing up anymore." Pablo Cort¨¦s said with a smile. He then opened the leather bags tied on his belt and summoned his four spirit beasts - Sea Lamprey, Giant Pangolin, Luciferase Tree, and his Condor Pasa.


    "Since it''s a fight between beast tamers and Hei is the one with the fewest spirit beasts, Pablo Cort¨¦s, you will have to choose two of your four spirit beasts to fight with." Song Yazhu warned, remembering the rules regarding beast tamers.


    "What do you want to do? You said yesterday that your two spirit beasts could beat all my four ones. Are you willing to verify it?" mocked Pablo Cort¨¦s. Even though Hei was superior to him in a 1 vs. 1, he didn''t believe he would lose if he could use all four of his spirit beasts.


    Hei didn''t reply directly to his opponent but turned to Song Yazhu. "Teacher Song Yazhu. Yesterday, Pablo Cort¨¦s and I agreed on a 3 vs. 5, me and my two spirit beasts against him and his four spirit beasts. I hope the teacher can make an exception to the rule."


    At Hei''s request, Song Yazhu raised an eyebrow. Normally he would have warned the young man not to be presumptuous and not to underestimate the enemy, but he knew Hei''s character. He wasn''t the type to make such a mistake.


    "Why do you want to put yourself at a disadvantage of your own free will?" Song Yazhu asked.


    "To defend the honor of my spirit beasts. I want to show him and everyone that my spirit beasts are inferior to none." Hei quickly replied, arousing the surprise of the spectators.


    Put yourself at a disadvantage to demonstrate your talent. This wasn''t something too unusual; after all, those who were called geniuses or defined themselves as such had to prove it with facts by facing increasingly difficult trials. Yet, it was rare to see someone willing to put themselves at a disadvantage during an event as important as this for someone else, let alone for the honor of two spirit beasts.


    "Defend the honor of his spirit beasts? Interesting." Eska commented from the VIP stand. As the head and member of the Ice Wolf Beast Family, he appreciated the reason behind Hei''s choice.


    ''Those spirit beasts¡­ there''s something strange about them.'' thought the Ice Wolves'' pack leader, Amarok, to himself. Yet something inside him kept him from reporting his thoughts to Eska, despite being lifelong companions.


    Meanwhile, Song Yazhu, at Hei''s response, quickly turned his head towards Dean Long Jiang. The latter nodded his head, giving his consent.


    "Alright. Pablo Cort¨¦s, you are allowed to use all four of your spirit beasts. Now start the fight," Song Yazhu announced as if nothing had happened.


    Pablo Cort¨¦s was stunned by all this; he didn''t believe Hei would have had the courage to fight under those conditions. But soon, his bewilderment turned to anger.


    "Do you think you''re cool by throwing a statement like that in front of everyone? You wanted it. My spirit beasts and I will crush you and your spirit beasts. You signed your sentence." threatened Pablo Cort¨¦s before addressing his Condor, "Pasa! Let''s go up! "


    Pablo Cort¨¦s positioned himself on the head of Pasa, his Condor, and together they took off. Meanwhile, the Luciferase Tree began to insert its roots inside the tiles'' cracks that made up the combat stage. At the same time, it began to move its branches, ready to engage.


    Stomp! Stomp!


    The Giant Pangolin stomped the ground ferociously with its paws, ready to charge. The Sea Lamprey rested upon the Pangolin, and it too opened its mouth as if to intimidate the enemy.


    Ye and Xing responded the same way. They opened their mouths and showed their fangs, making screeching hisses. Their fighting intent was at its peak.


    "Ye, Xing. Let''s start." Hei said to her little sisters.


    Let''s start¡ªa simple command but which contained a myriad of words.


    Hiss!


    Xing advanced on her eight legs with Hei and Ye still on her back. Waiting for them were the Giant Pangolin and the Sea Lamprey. Further back the Luciferase Tree and above them, Pablo Cort¨¦s and his Condor.


    "Ye."


    Hearing her name, Ye wrapped the tip of her tail around Hei''s waist. She then waved it, throwing Hei at the opponents above them.


    "What?!" exclaimed Pablo Cort¨¦s, who didn''t expect such a move. However, he quickly composed himself and prepared to welcome Hei.


    "Pasa, get ready to pierce him with your beak." commanded the beast tamer to his flying spirit beast. The Condor responded by shaking its head and directed its pointed beak along Hei''s path of ascent.


    Meanwhile, immediately after throwing Hei, Ye lunged forward, sliding off Xing''s back. As planned, her targets were the Giant Pangolin and the Sea Lamprey. With her mouth wide open and her teeth in plain sight, she tried to bite the latter''s body as she pinned the former with her tail.


    Xing instead leaped into the air to get past the three spirit beasts entangled in a writhing struggle and headed for her target - the Luciferase Tree. The latter waved its mighty branches to crush the approaching purple spider while moving its roots simultaneously.


    However, Xing was too fast to be trapped by the branches and roots. She had eight legs, each of which could become support and propel her body at high speed. Not to mention her spider sensing ability - the hair that covered her body. Thanks to these, she could detect each branch or root in advance even without seeing them directly.


    Ye was doing fine as well. She had failed to sink her bite into the Sea Lamprey''s body, but she had slightly injured the latter. At the moment, she was in a violent vice on the Giant Pangolin as the Sea Lamprey attempted to hit her in the flanks using the Pangolin as a shield. However, Ye''s scales were stronger than expected, and the Sea Lamprey found it hard to dent them.


    Hei finally, after being thrown high, was greeted by the pointed beak of the falling Condor. Even if he were a talent like Hei, such an impact would consume much of his spirit power. Therefore, it was considered a suicide move, similar to what Pablo Cort¨¦s'' previous opponent did in the previous round.


    "Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode, Aerial Mode."


    Just before impact, Hei kicked the air under him. In an instant, he stepped aside as if he had just kicked something solid, thus dodging the Condor''s beak. Then, using the same move, he circ.u.mnavigated the spirit beast''s body to come face to face with his human opponent.


    "Intent of the Spear, Spider Thrust."


    Stab!


    As soon as Hei was in front of Pablo Cort¨¦s, he aimed his spear forward, aiming at the stomach of the young beast tamer. The latter replied by drawing his sword, but he didn''t have the time to defend himself since he had been caught off guard. Fortunately, his Condor had noticed the dangerous situation and rotated its body in a circular motion.


    Peng!


    The blade of the half-drawn sword collided with that of Hei''s spear. Thanks to the circular motion of his Condor, Pablo Cort¨¦s had to suffer only a small portion of the power behind Hei''s attack.


    "Snake First, Leg Mode."


    Slash!


    As he thought he was out of danger, Pablo Cort¨¦s found something flashing before his eyes before being scratched in the face. The damage he received wasn''t so great to break his defensive layer of spirit power. However, the speed behind that blow had left him stunned, especially considering it had come out of nowhere.


    Hei took off his shoes during his ascent, dropping them to the ground and leaving his feet bare. When his body passed past that of his opponent as the latter was riding his flying spirit beast, Hei used the Snake Fist variant and landed a kick with his feet'' claw-like nails. Even though he hadn''t done any physical harm, he had still managed to do some mental damage. In that unlikely situation, Hei had hit his enemy with an unthinkable attack.


    "Bastard. Pasa! Combined technique, Feather Storm! " shouted Pablo Cort¨¦s.


    Suddenly, his spirit power and that of his Condor merged, reaching a greater power than the two had individually. Pasa then flapped its great wings, raining feathers full of spirit power against Hei.


    "A technique combined with his spirit beast? Has he already reached a similar level?"


    From the stands came comments of surprise at this display of skill. This achievement alone was enough to put Pablo Cort¨¦s among the younger generation''s best beast tamers in the entire Sun Empire.


    In response to the combined technique of his opponents, Hei did nothing. He just smiled as he descended at an insane speed downward, thus dodging the feather storm generated by the Condor. It was as if he was being pulled down by something, and indeed he was.


    At Hei''s feet was tied a silk thread that was almost invisible if not observed carefully. That thread was tied to the body of Xing, who, seeing her big brother in danger, pulled it with all her might, saving Hei from being hit.


    This was one of the moves they had come up with to cope with the air superiority possessed by their enemies, although they had to admit that they didn''t think they had to use it so soon, a sign of their opponents'' strength.


    "Xing! Spider Push!"


    At Hei''s cry, Xing promptly responded by taking flight. Although she was a spider, after reaching the second level, she had acquired the skill of flight. Although not her forte, she could fly at high speed for short periods.


    She quickly got to where Hei was falling and positioned herself underneath with her legs stretched out towards him. Hei responded by bending his legs towards his chest before kicking down. Xing, at the same time, moved her mighty legs and hit Hei''s feet.


    Hei then received the propulsion forces from both Xing''s push and his own. His target was again Pablo Cort¨¦s and his Condor. This time, however, his ascending momentum was higher.


    "Darkness Law, Spider Carapace + Snake Tail Blow, Dark Carapace Tail Blow!"


    Knowing that the Condor would intercept him and that Pablo Cort¨¦s wouldn''t be caught off guard as before, Hei braced himself for a head-on collision.


    "Pasa! Pierced him!" urged Pablo Cort¨¦s with his sword drawn entirely, ready for a possible counterattack.


    Peng!


    There was a loud crash as the human and spirit beast were in a head-to-head force. Hei''s arms, protected by Spider Carapace enhanced by the Darkness Law, coupled with the crushing force of Snake Tail Blow, halted the advance of the Condor''s beak, stunning the spirit beast and its tamer.


    "Pasa, hold him!"


    Seeing that his Condor had been stopped, Pablo Cort¨¦s lunged from the head of his spirit beast to join the battle and hit Hei while he was busy. However, his move had already been seen through.


    Woosh!


    An object whipped the air at the beast tamer in mid-air. Pablo Cort¨¦s halted his advance and parried the incoming object, which was none other than Hei''s spear controlled remotely via the spirit imprint on the weapon.


    ''Now.'' Hei said to himself as he stretched his hair against the human opponent. However, the Condor glimpsed in his plan and spawned more feathers. Without the combined spirit power of Pablo Cort¨¦s, these feathers had less power than before but were still dangerous to receive at full impact.


    Seeing this, Hei promptly changed the direction of his hair. He thus created a protective veil that protected him from the feathers but had to divide his spirit power, thus losing the confrontation of strength with the Condor. Quickly, however, Xing once again tugged at the thread tied to his feet.


    "Pasa, chase him," ordered Pablo Cort¨¦s as he swooped down to chase Hei. He wouldn''t allow him to use the same tactic as before and decided to activate the secret tactic they had prepared for this fight.


    "Lucy, use the Luciferase Light!"


    Flash!


    The Luciferase Tree that had been maimed of many branches after Xing swooped down from above responded with a furious roar. Soon after, it lit up with a luminescent green-yellow light that dazzled Hei and his little sisters. However, Pablo Cort¨¦s and the other three spirit beasts had prepared in time, nullifying the dazzling effect of the Luciferase Tree move.


    ''Shit! Stupid tree! '' Ye swore as she closed her eyes.


    ''Shit, big brother!'' Xing also swore as she realized the danger.


    "Lampry, now! Cut that thread! Pangu, keep the snake busy! Lucy stops the light and blocks the two spirit beasts!"


    Under the orders of their tamer, the three spirit beasts did as ordered. The Sea Lamprey, Lampry, cut neatly the thread that bound Hei to Xing; the Giant Pangolin wrapped itself with all its strength on Ye, pinning her to the ground. The Luciferase Tree finally stopped its dazzling technique and began to move its roots.


    ''Even if Lucy''s technique has been disabled, you still need some time to recover your sight.'' gloated Pablo Cort¨¦s as he opened his eyes. "Pasa, let''s end it here! Stealth Mode! We will make sure he doesn''t avoid it."


    Chirp!


    Pasa cried out as it deactivated its spirit power. It could hear the euphoria in its master''s voice, and it too was infected with that euphoria. It would defeat the enemy and deliver victory to its master.

 Chapter 214 - My Spirit Beasts Are The Best Of All!

    Hei was currently stuck in midair. The blinding technique of the Luciferase Tree had taken him in full, blinding his sight.


    ''I didn''t expect the ability to generate light to reach this intensity.'' Hei thought to himself.


    Although he may have been taught by Bao Bei since his childhood and continued to study today, there were too many varieties of spirit beasts, both animal and plant types, to know every detail of them. In addition to that, there was the fact that Tree Luciferase was a rare type of spirit tree beast; consequently, it was normal that there wasn''t much information about it. Fortunately, even with his eyesight out, it wasn''t as if Hei didn''t have the means to keep fighting.


    ''My Spirit Sense is unable to reveal them. Did he cancel his spirit power to activate it at the last moment and take me by surprise? Indeed, with the advantage brought by his Condor, it is undoubtedly an effective tactic. Unfortunately for him, it''s not as effective against me.''


    The Spirit Sense of a martial artist was a technique that consisted of sending waves of spirit power around him. These waves were harmless but could detect any presence of spirit power within the area they covered. Pablo Cort¨¦s had canceled his spirit power and that of his Condor to not be detected by Hei''s Spirit Sense. Having blinded Hei''s sight and spirit Sense, Pablo Cort¨¦s was certain that Hei wouldn''t be able to dodge his move.


    However, Hei hadn''t been only taught to fight with his sight or Spirit Sense. Bao Bei, a divine beast with incredible power and an incredible amount of experience, had taught Hei other techniques to use in these situations.


    ''Spider Hair.''


    As Hei stood still in his place, the hairs on his body began to flail as if they had a life of their own. Quickly, his body was able to pick up any movement of air around his position. No, more than the air movements, it was the vibrations of sound that it picked up. Suddenly, the position of Pablo Cort¨¦s and his Condor became visible.


    ''Found them.'' Hei thought as he remained impassive. He certainly wouldn''t reveal any clue that might make Pablo Cort¨¦s desist from attacking.


    ''Pasa. Now!'' shouted Pablo Cort¨¦s to his flying spirit beast. He used the mind link that united the tamer and the spirit beast, formed at the Spirit Pact creation. With all the effort he had made to gain such a favorable situation, he wouldn''t blow it all up just because he had gotten into the heat and revealed his position by speaking aloud.


    Chirp!


    Pasa also mentally screamed through their mind link and prepared to activate its spirit power. Being a flying spirit beast, it didn''t need spirit power to fly; it only used it to avoid getting too tired and last longer. But there was no need for that at the moment - it would finish the enemy in that instant at any cost.


    Stab!


    The condor''s spirit power exploded and gathered instantly in its beak - its target was the human standing in mid-air. However, when its beak reached Hei''s position, something amazing happened. Hei, in fact, dodged the attack, although his vision and his Spirit Sense should have been blocked.


    ''What?!'' Pablo Cort¨¦s was baffled. Even his condor was. ''I can''t waste a good chance like this, damn it!''


    Even though he didn''t know how Hei dodged his condor''s attack, it didn''t matter. Hei had dodged them, period. Therefore, he leaped from the head of his spirit beast to reach Hei''s position. Since it was only his condor who had activated his spirit power, Pablo Cort¨¦s thought he would release his own spirit power at the last minute to take Hei by surprise.


    Seeing Pablo Cort¨¦s approaching his position, Hei responded just as quickly. ''I cannot feel your spirit power, so you must still be deactivated it. If so¡­ Snake Fist! ''


    Hei, this time didn''t just dodge at the last moment but went to counterattack. Before Pablo Cort¨¦s reached his position and attacked him, Hei sprinted forward towards the latter. His goal was to injure him before his opponent''s defensive layer of spirit power could fully form.


    Slash!


    "Argh!" Pablo Cort¨¦s yelled as his left shoulder suffered a deep wound, and his blood began to flow.


    Snake First was a technique that focused on execution speed; it didn''t have a powerful piercing power like that of Spider Lance. However, in that situation, it was able to easily break through the enemy''s weak layer of spirit power as the enemy hadn''t had time to activate it fully.


    Unfortunately for Hei, however, Pasa, Pablo Cort¨¦s'' condor, had left on its tamer one last protection - some of its feathers. As Hei dashed forward, these feathers activated at Pasa''s will and pushed Pablo Cort¨¦s aside, allowing him to dodge Hei''s lightning-fast Snake Fist partially.


    Chirp !!!


    The condor was furious. Its master had been injured even though he had its feathers on him. This was inadmissible and tainted its honor as a spirit beast. It really wanted to tear Hei apart, but its duty was to assist its master first and then worry about the enemy. As a result, it summoned more feathers and sent them against Hei. It wasn''t an attack designed to hurt the enemy but rather to buy time - time to recover Pablo Cort¨¦s, who was falling to the ground and reunite with its other teammates.


    As Pablo Cort¨¦s'' main spirit beast, Pasa was allowed to act on its own initiative and direct the other spirit beasts if Pablo Cort¨¦s could not. Quickly, it decided it was best to get its master safely into the roots of the Luciferase Tree. From there, Pablo Cort¨¦s could safely direct their movements and attack from afar.


    Unfortunately, however, this decision meant the defeat of Pablo Cort¨¦s and his team of spirit beasts.


    "YE! XING! SPIDERWEB TRAP! " Hei shouted with all his voice. His shout echoed throughout the stadium.


    ''Yes, big brother!'' the two divine beasts answered together.


    Taking advantage of the confusion generated by the wounding of Pablo Cort¨¦s and alerted by the cry of Hei, Ye, with all her strength, wrapped her tail around the Giant Pangolin and sank her teeth on the Sea Lamprey. She didn''t care that these two were hitting her violently or that the Luciferase Tree roots were imprisoning her. The only goal she had in mind now was to block these two spirit beasts without letting go, all to allow Xing to perform her technique.


    The divine beast spider had indeed jumped up. Initially, she seemed to want to interfere with the condor''s plan, and consequently, Pasa prepared for a head-on collision. However, Xing surpassed the condor carrying its tamer and continued her ascent. Only after passing the condor Xing stopped.


    ''Mother. While it isn''t as impressive how you used it and I don''t yet have complete control, I want to show you the results of my training. SPIDERWEB TRAP! ''


    Still in midair, Xing concentrated all her spirit power in her spinneret, mimicking the technique her mother used long ago to create a giant spider''s web dome. Of course, Xing hadn''t reached that level, yet the result she achieved was still extraordinary.


    Quickly, an incredible amount of spiderweb flowed from her spinneret. Since she was midair, this spiderweb descended downward at high speed, covering the entire combat stage and trapping every fighter inside - Pablo Cort¨¦s, his spirit beasts, and Ye.


    Chirp! Stomp! Hiss! Boom!


    The four spirit beasts of Pablo Cort¨¦s instantly realized the danger they were in. However, even if they knew about it, they couldn''t do anything. Ye was blocking the Giant Pangolin and the Sea Lamprey while the Luciferase Tree wasn''t a mobile creature per se, not to mention that it had its roots embedded deeply in the ground. The only one with a chance to escape was the Condor. But because it was focused on its descent, it could not change direction in time and dodge the spiderweb generated by the spider.


    "Excellent, Xing. Good job." Hei said as he positioned himself under Xing to support her.


    Spiderweb Trap was a technique that still placed too much effort on the young divine beast. In fact, Xing had exhausted her spirit power and had no strength left to move her body. As a result, Hei rushed to her so that he could safely carry her on the ground.


    ''It went well. Definitely better than expected. I was afraid of failing as we are in a real fight rather than training.'' Xing said in an exhausted voice as she let herself be carried by her big brother.


    "Insane. Can a second-level spider spirit beast spawn that much spiderweb at one time? "


    "Not to mention that snake. It has repeatedly suffered the blows of three spirit beasts all at once and has never let go of the Pangolin or the Lamprey. What kind of resistance do its scales possess?"


    From all the stands came comments of surprise and interest towards Hei''s two talented spirit beasts. Hearing this, Hei remained unmoved as he descended on the ground with Xing.


    ''As we move forward on our path, it will be impossible to keep the talent of Ye and Xing hidden. Or rather, it would be a waste to do so. If they don''t fight difficult challenges or even life and death battles, they will never grow. I have yet to think of a way to make sure they can use their Elemental Laws without any problems, but for now, both of them can be said to have done a great job. Now it''s my turn to end this fight.'' Hei reflected as his feet touched the spiderweb that covered the stage.


    Plop!


    Hei gently placed Xing''s body on the spiderweb and then set his gaze on the situation unfolding before him.


    ''Ye still keeps the Pangolin, and the Lamprey locked, so they aren''t to be taken into account. Xing''s web has blocked the branches of the Luciferase Tree. Considering its low mobility and its main means of attack has been thwarted, it isn''t considered a threat except for that blinding light technique. Therefore, only Pablo Cort¨¦s and his Condor remain.'' thinking that far, Hei shifted his gaze to a specific spot - the spot where his opponent was.


    Upon impact with the web, Pablo Cort¨¦s had been enveloped by the wings of his Condor, avoiding coming into direct contact with the spiderweb. However, because his Condor had been hit in full, he was also stuck between his own spirit beast''s wings.


    "Poison Law, Spider Run, Four Legged Mode + Spider Hair, Spiderweb Walk."


    Getting on all fours, Hei began to move towards the position of Pablo Cort¨¦s. Incredibly he was able to walk on the sticky spiderweb effortlessly as if he were a real spider.


    Seeing this, many onlookers were left speechless, especially those who in the past had fought with spider-type spirit beasts or likewise species capable of generating sticky silk. All of them knew the only way to escape was to destroy the web itself; it wasn''t possible to walk on it. Yet Hei was doing just that.


    ''Spiders can generate various types of silk with different strengths of adhesive capacity, ranging from non-sticky to super-sticky. Xing''s has a high viscous capacity so that not even I could normally walk on it, and neither could Ye. But by modifying Spider Hair and merging it with the Poison Law, I am capable of it. '' Hei smiled to himself as he walked forward.


    It should be known that spiders have various ways of walking on their webs. One is to use non-sticky threads that run through the entire web and use them as roads to get around. Another is to use some oily substance to nullify the viscosity of the spiderweb. And finally, spiders also have small claws under their legs to move along the web.


    Hei had therefore devised a technique that would combine the last two of these three methods. Without forcing Xing to leave a hole in her completely sticky spiderweb, Hei had modified Spider Hair to create tiny claws made of spirit power on the fingertips of his hand and feet. More than claws, they were like small, thick hairs just an inch long. By combining the Poison Law to create an acidic substance on such hairs, he could now move on all fours without being trapped in Xing''s web.


    "Lucy, Luciferase Light! And don''t stop for any reason! " ordered Pablo Cort¨¦s, who could see what was happening from a gap in the feathers of his Condor.


    The Luciferase Tree Lucy did as requested by its master and again unleashed its blinding technique at maximum intensity. But this time, Hei was prepared and closed his eyes. He didn''t need sight as he could perceive sounds coming from Pablo Cort¨¨s.


    CHIRP!!!


    At that point, Pasa, without being ordered, let out a piercing cry that could split the eardrums. The spirit beast had observed how Hei had dodged previous attacks in their Stealth Mode. It had therefore deduced that Hei could possess a technique that allowed him to perceive sounds. Therefore, it started screaming as loud as it could to upset Hei''s sensory technique. The other three spirit beasts did the same, thus further confusing Hei. And indeed, they succeeded in their intent.


    Spider Hair was very sensitive as a technique, and the noise generated by the spirit beasts covered that of Pablo Cort¨¦s. It wouldn''t have been a problem if the spiderweb had also tied Pablo Cort¨¦s, but he hadn''t been hit directly. At the moment, he was only blocked because he was wrapped in the wings of his Condor, but it wasn''t like he couldn''t fight back from there.


    Seeing that Spider Hair had been rendered ineffective, Hei didn''t demoralize and used his second sensory technique - Snake Tongue. With Snake Tongue, Hei was able to pick up smells in the surrounding air. So, as if nothing had happened, he continued undaunted on his journey.


    "How the f.u.c.k does he do it? How?!" Pablo Cort¨¦s swore quietly. He was astonished at the oddities that his opponent was bringing out one after the other.


    ''Pasa, give me your remaining spirit power. Let''s try the Sword Cannon.'' ordered Pablo Cort¨¦s. The Condor responded promptly, pouring out the remaining spirit power to use the Sword Cannon combined technique.


    Sword Cannon was like the Feather Storm technique. Only, this time, it wasn''t Pablo Cort¨¦s who sent spirit power to Pasa but the opposite. The two''s spirit power would be concentrated on the pommel and the sword''s tip, which would then be hurled at full speed against the enemy.


    Bang!


    There was a loud sound, and from the gap between the condor''s feathers came a metal sword hurled at high speed. His spirit beasts'' noise obscured the technique''s sound, so Pablo Cort¨¦s did not doubt that Hei couldn''t dodge.


    ''Pasa told me he probably has a sound-based sensory technique. Since he still manages to know where I am despite my spirit beasts'' interference, he must have another sensory technique, probably based on smell. That is why I sent my sword forward. I want to see how you will dodge it.'' the young man laughed to himself.


    However, Pablo Cort¨¦s had made an elementary mistake, dictated by the difficult situation he found himself in. It was true that Hei used two sensory techniques based respectively on hearing and smell. Still, the reason why he used them was not only because of the blinding ability of the Luciferase Tree but also because Pablo Cort¨¦s had deactivated his spirit power to make himself invisible to Hei''s Spirit Sense. But now he had activated his spirit power again, and the sword itself contained spirit power.


    Woosh!


    The sword, thrown at high speed, sank into where Hei was, ripping apart part of the web. But Hei had dodged the attack by sensing it thanks to his Spirit Sense. Spider Run, Four Legged Mode was the fastest movement technique he possessed. So it wasn''t difficult for him to dodge the incoming attack considering it was just a sword without its master.


    Plop! Plop! Plop!


    Moving at incredible speed, Hei came in front of Pablo Cort¨¦s. The latter looked with terror in his eyes at his inexorable end approaching. By now, he had lost the will to fight back.


    "Snake Tail Blow!"


    Hei folded his hands back and brought them forward. The technique struck powerfully on the poor Condor''s wings to finally end up on the body of Pablo Cort¨¦s. The latter felt his spirit power being shattered as he spat blood from his mouth. Even the condor let out a groan of pain and fainted without strength.


    "The winner is Hei." Song Yazhu proclaimed. Hei had thwarted every attempt of a counterattack by Pablo Cort¨¦s and had seriously injured him. There was no longer any reason to continue.


    When Hei''s victory was proclaimed, he raised his left hand high and let out a powerful hiss. Normally he wasn''t the type to brag about his victory, but this was a struggle to prove his little sisters'' strength. For them, he would do something he unusually didn''t do.


    His hiss, which should have been incomprehensible, was understood by all onlookers - my spirit beasts are the best of all!

 Chapter 215 - Flame Winners

    "The winner is Hei." Song Yazhu proclaimed. After that, as soon as Hei finished his victory cry, the teacher continued, "Given the conditions in which the fighting stage is, we will take a break before the next challenge."


    Indeed, the combat stage was in an unusable state. The material used to build it was very resistant, and in fact, the tiles hadn''t been damaged. The problem was that most of the surface was covered by Xing''s web. With a web of such sticky properties, how could the next two fighters fight?


    Therefore, Song Yazhu proposed a break to clear the stage of the web and rescue Pablo Cort¨¦s and his spirit beasts still trapped in the web.


    "Well done, Ye, Xing. Now you can rest. Tonight I''ll get you all the food you want, "Hei said to his little sisters as he walked back toward the other tournament participants.


    ''Yeah, yippee!'' Ye yelled with joy.


    She was the one in better shape of the two spirit beasts in a certain way. Her body was bruised everywhere and was covered in blood, both her own and her opponents''. Although she possessed the Metal Law, she couldn''t use it during the match. As a result, she had to fight, relying solely on her body''s basic resistance and her defensive spirit power layer. Against two spirit beasts at the same time, it was normal for her to have been injured.


    Xing, on the other hand, didn''t respond. Even though she hadn''t suffered as many injuries as Ye, the technique she had used had drained her strength. At the moment, she was in a deep sleep as she let herself be dragged by her big brother.


    Seeing this, Hei stroked her face gently and then stroked Ye''s head. Ye rubbed her face against his hand, a sign that she liked the caresses she was receiving.


    "Hurray Hei, Ye, and Xing! Congratulations on your victory!" Hei''s companions exclaimed when he returned to them.


    Hei replied by putting a finger to his lips and gesturing to be quiet. When he pointed to the exhausted Xing over his shoulder, the others realized that she was sleeping and postponed their congratulations.


    "Congratulations on your win. It looks like we will be opponents tomorrow. I can''t wait." Hu Jie said in a low voice.


    "It seems so. I also am eager to fight you." Hei replied.


    Although he normally had a calm nature, Hei also possessed a strongly combative nature. Hu Jie was a genius among geniuses and had awakened Hei''s fighting spirit to the peak.


    "The next to take the field will be Feng Chen of the Feng Family and William, one of the Imperial Guards of the Imperial Prince Long Tian."


    Hearing their names, the two fighters stepped forward and headed for the fighting stage, now cleared of any spiderwebs.


    "Feng Chen, it''s an honor to challenge someone as strong as you," William said with a slight bow of his head.


    "William, you don''t need to use formalities here. Instead, I am curious to see your true strength. Knowing Long Tian, ??his judgment is quite far-sighted when it comes to assessing a person''s talent." Feng Chen answered as he drew his sword.


    "Let the fight begin!" Song Yazhu announced.


    Crack!


    As soon as Song Yazhu gave the go-ahead, William pulled out his glass vials containing his blood. This time, however, the vials were larger than before. Each was capable of occupying the entire palm of a hand. But the procedure didn''t change anyway; William smashed them with his Katar daggers, and the weapons drank the blood contained in the vials.


    Stab! Stab!


    Two consecutive stabs to the abdomen flew into Feng Chen, who parried using his sword after covering it with his spirit power. William didn''t undertake a challenge of strength, however; as soon as Feng Chen interposed his sword, William quickly moved aside.


    ''Feng Chen''s knowledge of the Fire and Ice Laws is first class. If I give him the initiative, my defeat will only be a matter of time. So, as long as I keep breathing down his neck and don''t give him a moment of breath, I still have a chance at victory.'' William pondered as his eyes moved at high speed to detect possible gaps in Feng Chen''s posture.


    ''He won''t give me the initiative? Considering his fighting style and his Elemental Law, it is the best choice. However, even considering that, not many people would be able to attack so aggressively without creating flaws in their guard. As predicted by one of Long Tian''s men, he is powerful.'' Feng Chen analyzed in his mind.


    From the stands, especially from the VIP grandstand, compliments came on William''s foresight. Normally it would be difficult for a person to admit they were inferior to their opponent, especially at such a young age. Yet William did; after all, his opponent was Feng Chen, someone who could give even his boss, Long Tian, a hard time. So, he gave up any tactic or strategy to devote himself to a pure frontal attack. And as soon as he made a mistake, the victory would go to Feng Chen.


    The two stayed in that furious dance for a while. As time passed, Feng Chen became more and more surprised by William''s fencing skills with daggers. Despite trying in every way to destabilize William''s rhythm, he could find no opening. Not only that, apart from lighting the flames on his sword, he hadn''t been able to use any other elemental techniques.


    ''Since you don''t fall for tricks, I''m forced to break through your guard with sheer force.'' Feng Chen said to himself before activating his bloodline, "Phoenix Bloodline, Activate!"


    After activating his bloodline, the flames on his sword rose and reached an impressive temperature. William standing right in front could feel the heat of the sword breaking through his body. Soon, drops of sweat began to cover his whole body.


    ''Shit. Even if it''s just a basic Fire Law technique, the power he can unleash after activating his bloodline is incredible. I even struggle to breathe by being so close, but I can''t let go.''


    Despite the difficult situation he was in, William didn''t want to slow down for a second. Unfortunately, as time went by, it became evident that his body was starting to have difficulty maintaining this rhythm. Then again, it was already difficult to maintain a flow so fast and steady of attacks with no drop in intensity, let alone while facing such flames.


    The situation came to a turning point when all the blood on William''s Katar blades evaporated. Now, his blood injection technique was useless as there was no blood on his weapons.


    Seeing this, Feng Chen smiled and made his move. So far, he had held back for fear of the high penetration of the Katar daggers and Hide''s Blood Law technique. But if the blood on the weapons had evaporated, he didn''t need to worry.


    "Intent of the Sword, Fire Law, Phoenix Blaze!"


    Another bunch of flames added to the sword''s flames before condensing and fired like a beam of flame at William. The young imperial guard had no way of dodging or blocking and fully embraced Feng Chen''s flaming technique. However, William stuck one of his daggers to the ground, not to be thrown away by the flames.


    ''The moment I let go, it''s over. I won''t have another chance to regain the initiative. I must win now, or I will lose!''


    Without letting go of the dagger stuck to the floor, William stretched out the arm that held the other dagger Katar. "Blood Law, Blood Spike!"


    Stab!


    Suddenly, William''s blood oozed from small wounds on his hand caused by the Katar dagger. The weapon drank that blood and glowed red. Not only that, the blood that had been evaporated condensed again on the tip of the weapon; together with the new blood extracted from the body of its user, the Katar dagger''s blade lengthened, forming a spike of blood.


    Stab!


    The spike generated by the Katar dagger''s blade went to lodge itself in Feng Chen''s stomach, who was caught off guard. The Feng family''s young man fell backward as his defensive layer of spirit power was shattered around the area where the spike had stuck.


    Seeing this, the spectators were incredulous. William had managed to penetrate Feng Chen''s defense despite being entrapped inside the latter''s flames. Everyone still remembered the blood technique William used in the previous round. If he were to use it now, would Feng Chen be able to resist?


    But William didn''t resort to that technique. The reason wasn''t that he didn''t want to win; his blood simply had failed to penetrate his opponent''s flesh. ''Another protective layer, probably an Ice Law technique.''


    Thinking this, William smiled bitterly. Feng Chen was too far-sighted to be caught off guard like that. It was obvious that he had left behind countermeasures in case of a surprise attack.


    "But that doesn''t matter. What I have to do is attack! " William shouted as he ran towards Feng Chen with all his strength.


    "Phoenix Flame Field."


    Feng Chen, noticing William''s advance, plunged his sword to the ground. After that, three circles of flames were generated around him, one larger than the other.


    William then ran straight to those flames without caring for the damage. He passed the first layer, but his defense was beginning to show signs of failure. At the second layer, his defensive layer of spirit power was on the verge of collapsing, and once he reached the third layer, that layer collapsed completely.


    "Blood Spike!" William shouted with a last desperate attack.


    Unfortunately, Feng Chen was already ready and easily avoided it as he put away the flames. Wiliam''s defense had now been reduced to ashes, and if he hadn''t put away the flames, he would have burned his body too.


    "The winner is Feng Chen!" Song Yazhu proclaimed.


    Seeing his victory awarded, Feng Chen put down his sword and leaned over to William. The latter, although he had burn wounds, wasn''t in such bad conditions. So Feng Chen helped him to get up, and together they went back to the fighting room.


    "The next two to take the field are Xinya, another of Prince Long Tian''s Imperial Guards, and He Fen of the He Family." Song Yazhu called the next two fighters.


    As before, the battle involved one of Long Tian''s imperial guards and a Fire Law user in possession of a fire-type bloodline.


    "He Fen, I advise you to get serious right away. Since William has lost, it is up to me to avenge him by defeating Feng Chen. I''m not going to lose." Xinya announced, pulling out his Urumi swords.


    "I''m sorry, Xinya, but even I can''t allow myself the luxury of defeat." He Fen answered smiling and pulled out his Wheels of Wind and Fire.


    It was a challenge between two people who could consider themselves friends in a sense; there were no enmities between them, and they had collaborated several times. However, this wouldn''t affect their desire for victory in the slightest.


    "Go my Urumi, cut!" Xinya shouted, waving his Urumi swords.


    The flexible Urumi swords boomed like thunder as they crashed into He Fen. The latter was ready and began to move to the fighting stage to avoid being cut by those flexible swords. At the same time, he threw one of his Wheels of Wind and Fire at Xinya to disturb his movements. However, the Imperial Guard had mastered controlling his multiple Urumi and dodging He Fen''s ranged attacks.


    ''This won''t do. If I continue like this, I''ll never be able to touch him. Remember what Hei told you.'' He Fen said to himself as he continued to move to the combat stage.


    "Your problem is that you don''t have strong close combat techniques. Normally that wouldn''t be a problem because you have the range advantage thanks to your Wind and Fire Wheels. But as soon as you find someone with a higher range or covers a larger range, such as Lian, you no longer know how to move, and you end up losing."


    This was what Hei told him long ago during one of the usual workouts between them. Despite being of the same age, Hei had an incredible ac.u.men in detecting flaws in others'' fighting techniques. He Fen, Leon, Mia, Lilian, Haruno, Mareo, and even Lang and Fenrir often came to him for advice.


    "What do you advise me to do then? Should I opt for a more close-up style?" He Fen asked.


    "Changing your style isn''t advisable. Your way of fighting suits your weapons, but above all, it is something you have chosen yourself. To change it would be to change your whole nature. Instead, it would be best if you thought about how to fill in those gaps of yours without changing your style but using what you already have. "


    Hei''s words were difficult to understand at first, but thanks to his guidance and the help and advice of his other companions, He Fen had developed countermeasures for situations like these.


    "Bifang Bird Bloodline, Activate! Intent of the Wheels of Wind and Fire, Fire Law, Burning Meteor!"


    He Fen''s Wheels of Wind and Fire began to swirl around him as they generated high-intensity flames. In an instant, he was engulfed in an envelope of flames. At that point, He Fen moved forward at full speed - his target was Xinya.


    Seeing him advancing covered in flames, Xinya waved his Urumi. The flexible swords crashed into He Fen to curb his advance. However, the continuous emission of flames from the Wheels of Wind and Fire repelled the Urumi even before touching He Fen. Their extreme flexibility was compensated for by their low weight, making it easy to move them with shock waves or similar attacks.


    "Intent of the Urumi, Poison Law, Blade Acid Rain!" Xinya yelled as he generated several small razor blades from his Urumi. Each of these blades was coated with poison to overcome He Fen''s barrier of fire and flame.


    Drip! Slash!


    The blades fell like hail against the fireball that was He Fen. The flames'' envelope this time began to show disintegration signs, but the structure itself still held up; it was strong enough to last until the end.


    Boom!


    He Fen struck Xinya with the power of his flames. As a last resort, Xinya tried to interpose his Urumi in front of him as a shield. However, the Urumi weren''t designed for that purpose and could only cushion part of the damage.


    Cough! Cough!


    Both Xinya and He Fen spat blood as they collided. His flames flared across Xinya''s body as the rest of Xinya''s razor blades of spirit power slammed into He Fen''s back, which was now uncovered.


    Thud!


    The two fell to the ground, close to each other. However, neither of them was out of the game yet. Their will to win was too great to give up like that.


    "Bifang Flame Pillar!" He Fen yelled as his hands tightened their grip on Xinya''s left ankle. From his body, red-green flames began to rise and covered the two fighters.


    "Cut him, Urumi!" Xinya shouted in a worried voice. If he stayed inside He Fen''s flames too long, he would surely lose. Therefore, he ordered his Urumi to crash on He Fen, who was on the ground.


    "Wheels of Wind and Fire, protect me!" He Fen ordered as his Wheels of Wind and Fire rotated above him. Using the spirit imprint, he could mentally manipulate them as he continued to unleash his flames.


    It thus became a competition to see who resisted the most. Xinya kept waving his Urumi to hit He Fen while He Fen used his Wheels of Wind and Fire to protect herself and at the same time unleash his flames.


    Crack!


    Eventually, a familiar noise and the defensive layer of one of the fighters finally gave way - it was Xinya.


    The young Imperial Guard failed to break through He Fen''s defense in time before giving in to the latter''s flames. With this, the clash could now be declared over.


    "The winner is He Fen!" Song Yazhu announced, officially declaring He Fen as the winner.


    These two fights had lasted less than the previous two of the second round, but this wasn''t due to a noticeable difference between the participants'' skills. In both of these last two fights, two of the fighters opted for an explosive offensive to immediately end the fight. Only, the two got different results.


    William tried to block Feng Chen''s versatility with a continuous onslaught of quick attacks but without success. Feng Chen had proved to be too powerful and cunning and had achieved victory. He Fen instead bet everything in a single attack; he put all his spirit power into this offensive, eventually managing to win.


    Therefore, the winners were Feng Chen and He Fen, both from families with bloodlines of the Fire Law. In addition to that, both bloodlines came from two divine beast birds. As a result, their confrontation would surely be a fiery battle, and only the fiercest flames would win.

 Chapter 216 - Long Tians Power

    With Feng Chen and He Fen''s victories, the challenges of the second round of group A ended. Now it would be the turn of group B, and the first to take the field was none other than the Imperial Prince Long Tian.


    "Let''s start now with the challenges of Group B. The first ones to take the field are the Imperial Prince Long Tian and Mario Rossi of the Rossi family." Song Yazhu announced.


    Upon hearing the Imperial Prince''s name, the eyes of the spectators, especially those in the VIP gallery, rested on the young Long Tian. Those who frequented the Sun Empire''s high society knew of the internal situation of the Imperial Family.


    The Yellow Dragon Faction was the weakest of the Five Factions of the Imperial Family. Long Tian should also have been the weakest of the Five Imperial Princes next in line to the Empire Throne. Yet, in the previous confrontation, Long Tian had brought out extraordinary strength, questioning the knowledge these ill.u.s.trious guests had about the Sun Emperor Candidates.


    "It is an honor to meet you and to be able to fight against you, Your Highness Long Tian." Mario Rossi greeted him respectfully. Even though he came from the Imperial Family''s weakest faction, the other side still had an authority incomparable with that of the Rossi Family.


    "Same to you." Long Tian said with a nod. His calm demeanor made him seem like he wasn''t worried about the challenger in front of him.


    This annoyed Mario Rossi slightly, but he knew it was an understandable reaction. After all, he was a support martial artist, while the other side was one of the Five Hereditary Imperial Princes. On paper, there should be a colossal difference.


    However, Mario Rossi wasn''t willing to give up without a fight. "I came this far to demonstrate the capabilities of us support martial artists. Prince Long Tian, ??prepare for the worst!"


    "Let the fight begin!" Song Yazhu started the fight.


    Therefore, Mario Rossi quickly ate two pieces of pizza, Pizza Margherita and Pizza Capricciosa, and pulled out his war hammer. Then he activated his mandolin, "Sonata del Mandolino - Crescendo!"


    His musical instrument began to swing its strings by itself, producing a musical melody. It was as if someone was playing it, although it was fixed on Mario Rossi''s waist, and the latter was holding his war hammer, without therefore being able to play the musical instrument.


    "An automatic boost melody? You combined music and cooking to empower yourself and be able to fight alone? By doing this, you are certainly superior in a 1 vs. 1 compared to other supporting martial artists. But from a military point of view, your value is lower than theirs. " Long Tian revealed.


    "What do you mean by that?" Mario Rossi asked. Even though he had activated his buffs, he hadn''t yet launched an attack. ''He should have seen my previous fight, and yet he did nothing to stop me. Is he so confident he can defeat me that he lets me empower me?''


    "You said that the reason you fight is to show the skills of supporting martial masters. Many attacking martial artists and of other types indeed deride support martial artists for their inferior fighting ability. But those with good eyes and a functioning mind are well aware of the vital importance of supporting martial artists, thus recognizing their value."


    "So what? Get to the point!" Mario Rossi urged with increasing nervousness. Just watching Long Tian stand up without worry as if he didn''t exist made him restless.


    "You are not fighting to honor the category of supporting martial artists. You are fighting instead for yourself even if you don''t seem to notice or maybe you don''t want to. Something must have happened in your life, or maybe they are a collection of smaller events. Anyway, at some point, you chose to change: instead of empowering others, you had to empower yourself."


    Long Tian''s words were like boulders on Mario Rossi''s heart. What the Imperial Prince said was true. During his life, although he was considered one of the geniuses of his city as regards the speed of cultivation, he wasn''t considered in high regard in the panorama of the younger generation.


    He was talented, yes, but in the end, he was just a support martial artist, and his fighting power was low. Sure, it could empower other people, and as a result, he was considered useful but never indispensable. He would never be considered a leader or a prominent figure everyone else aspired to be. He wouldn''t receive honors and glory and won the affection of beautiful girls and males'' envy. He would always remain in the shadows, and his contribution would only create the legends of others.


    Growing up in a family specialized in producing supporting martial artists, he was aware of this from the very beginning. And he didn''t really care at first. He didn''t have a great predisposition to combat and, in any case, preferred to devote his time to the study of music, his great passion.


    Yet, as he grew older, his desires for glory and to become a protagonist before the eyes of others made themselves felt more and more. Unfortunately, however ardently he dreamed of it, he failed.


    The impassable wall against which other supporting martial artists crashed ended up stopping him as well. Instead of resigning, however, Mario Rossi became obsessed with changing his destiny. He puzzled over a possible solution for days and days until he came up with an answer: Why empower others when I can empower myself?


    In doing so, he was able to bridge the gap dictated by his low fighting ability. He focused all his studies on ways to empower himself, devising his fighting style from scratch. At the same time, he swore that he would no longer be the shadow of someone else but would become the protagonist of his story.


    "What could you possibly know¡­ you who are one of the main characters since birth. What can you know about what an extra like me feels?!" Mario Rossi shouted.


    His eyes were slightly red. Long Tian''s words reopened an old wound, reawakening his anger and frustration. Since he had devised his fighting style, no one had dared to look down on him. Even now, in a major tournament like this, where the best students of his academic year were gathered, hadn''t he stood out from the rest? Hadn''t he made it to the stage and was performing as one of the main actors?


    Yet, in front of Long Tian, ??someone who was destined to be one of the great characters in the Sun Empire''s history, Mario Rossi couldn''t help but recall the feelings of inferiority he thought he had forgotten.


    "Take this! Intent of the Mandolin, Fortissimo! "


    At Mario Rossi''s cry, the mandolin emitted a melody with a powerful sound that made the eardrums crack. The veins of the young man''s body became visible as his breathing became labored.


    Fortissimo. It was a term used in music to indicate a very, very loud sound, hence the mandolin''s loud noise. However, in this situation, it represented Mario Rossi''s secret technique, his supreme power-up technique.


    The power-ups that Fortissimo brought were superior to any of his other techniques. The problem, however, was the large load it carried on the user''s body. In particular, it was the organs that suffered the most, especially the heart. It was no coincidence that it was a generally prohibited move and would only be used in extreme cases.


    "Spirit King Song Yazhu, stop the fight!" shouted the head of the Rossi family. Mario Rossi was one of his family''s most promising geniuses; therefore, he knew his techniques well. Never would he have thought Mario Rossi would use the Fortissimo during the tournament. If he continued like this, Mario Rossi risked serious internal damage.


    "Teacher Song Yazhu, leave it to me!" Long Tian said to Song Yazhu. Without waiting for an answer, he exclaimed, "Yellow Dragon Bloodline, Activate! Concept of Authority, Earth Law, Authority of the Earth - Fist of the Yellow Dragon!"


    It happened in an instant. As Mario Rossi ferociously advanced against Long Tian, ??the latter responded using one of his secret cards. The Fist of the Yellow Dragon condensed Long Tian''s spirit power into his fist, to which the ability of Attraction and Repulsion was added. Doing so would generate an insane power punch that would first attract the enemy, destabilize them, then repel them, generating even more power than would normally be produced.


    Boom! Crack!


    Mario Rossi was thrown for meters and meters. A single punch from Long Tian had destroyed his defensive layer of spirit power and landed on his body. Surprisingly, instead of shattering the bones and reaching the organs, the power of the fist was dispersed throughout Mario Rossi''s body, stopping the arrival of musical vibrations and stopping the Fortissimo technique.


    Cough!


    Mario Rossi spat blood because of the blow he received and the forced cancellation of his technique. Fortunately, he wasn''t seriously injured as he was stopped in time. Nonetheless, he couldn''t move at the moment.


    Step. Step.


    Footsteps echoed near Mario Rossi. Long Tian was approaching his position. The Imperial Prince''s arm still shone with a yellowish light that was gradually fading.


    "You asked me what I could know about what an extra feels. True, I''m in no position to know their feelings. On the contrary, my blood and my ancestry put me in the role of what can be considered in others'' eyes one of the important characters of the stage that is this world. I don''t deny it. But just because I''m one of the important characters, let me tell you something. To give depth to a scene are the extras, not the protagonist or other primary characters: only they complete it. Without it, one would have the feeling that something is missing.


    Your choice to change your fighting style has certainly paid off in the past, but you too should be aware that you are close to a dead end. As you progress, your fighting style will become unable to bridge the gap, and eventually, that discovery will lead you to despair. No, he''s already taking you there.


    Your obsession is destroying you. Let it go. Focus on what you have, on what you can do best. And if you really want to become one of the protagonists, do it using your music and your recipes instead, like a true support martial artist.


    In my eyes, it is certainly a more difficult and admirable achievement than dedicating your life only to yourself."


    At that point, Long Tian finished his speech while Mario Rossi was stunned. Every word of the Imperial Prince lodged itself in the latter''s mind as if written in stone.


    "The winner is Long Tian." Song Yazhu exclaimed as he called a medical team to check Mario Rossi''s condition. Although Long Tian had stopped the latter, Song Yazhu still wanted him to receive treatment just in case.


    "He''s really strong." Hei commented in a low voice, "The power of that punch is incredible. With the same cultivation, the normal Spider Lance would lose in a power battle. And even if I used the other variants of the Spider Lance, I''m not sure of the result."


    It was the first time this had happened to him. Spider Lance was the most lethal and powerful technique left by his Bao Bei; not surprisingly, it was also his final move. Without using Elemental Laws or combining it with other Spider and Snake Styles'' techniques, the normal Spider Lance already possessed incredible power. Yet, after seeing Long Tian''s technique only once, Hei judged that the regular version of Spider Lance wasn''t its match.


    "It''s not just the power of impact that is terrifying. Its ability to transmit the energy of the punch throughout the body from the point of impact is the same. It is not just a single-layer dispersion but instead reaches the organs and the internal flow of spirit power. " Lian analyzed with a serious expression.


    During their stay in the Forgotten Ocean, Lian had learned the Vibrating Fist technique, which allowed her to transfer her spirit power onto others, ignoring some of the defense provided by the defensive layer of spirit power. Since the two techniques had similar characteristics, Lian could immediately analyze the real danger behind it.


    Yet, although they were similar, they were different. Lian''s technique was more like the waves generated by the fall of a body into the water. Long''s. Tian was more like an earthquake: devastating shocks would start and hit the whole body from the point of impact.


    "Let''s move on to the next match. The next two to take the field are Dae Won, one of the Imperial Prince Guards and Leon."


    Seeing that the next two fighters had been announced, Hei and Lian stopped talking to each other. This was no time to analyze the Long Tian fight; they would have plenty of time when this second day''s fighting was over. Besides, it was also Leon''s turn. As friends and comrades, they wanted to follow his fight carefully and cheer him on.


    So, the two fighters, Dae-Won and Leon, reached the fighting stage. However, before Song Yazhu could give the start, an unprecedented thing happened.


    "Teacher Song Yazhu, I wish to surrender."


    The speaker was Dae-Won. Initially, both Song Yazhu and the rest of the audience thought they had misunderstood. This was a tournament organized by the Southern Royal War Academy. There were also important guests from all over the Southern Region and not. An infinity of younger generation martial artists would have killed for a chance to be on that stage. Yet Dae-Won was really giving up without a fight.


    "May I ask the reason for your surrender?" Song Yazhu asked. Dae-Won wasn''t the type to back out if there was a fight, especially if Long Tian''s honor was at stake.


    "I''m an illusionist. My illusion techniques are my main weapon, while my trident is the key to finishing off the enemy. Had he been another opponent, I would have fought, but Leon possesses more spirit power than anyone should normally possess to our cultivation, not to mention his thickness. Also, adding his armor, even if I were to make him fall into an illusion, I would have no way to break down his defenses. Hence my surrender." Dae-Won answered in a calm voice, giving valid reasons for his surrender. Indeed, everything he said in his analysis wasn''t wrong.


    "Wait, Dae-Won!" Leon stepped in. Even though he was being given the victory, Leon wanted to stop Dae-Won. He had trained hard and wanted to prove the results of his training in a fair fight. He didn''t want to win like that.


    "Aren''t you one of the guards of Long Tian? Then why do you give up? Don''t you think it''s better to fight me and, even if you should be defeated, make me as tired as possible or hurt me?" Leon asked. In a way, they were similar; after all, if he had been in Dae-Won''s place and Hei had been in Long Tian''s place, he would do anything to make things easier for Hei.


    "If it was a matter of life and death, then yes. However, this isn''t the case. Furthermore, if my boss really needed such tactics, he wouldn''t be my boss to begin with. I am one of his guards, but our job is not just to protect him. Our main task is to make him reach his goal at all costs. To do so, he constantly needs greater and greater challenges. That is why I want him to fight against you when you are at your peak.


    Besides, everything I said before is true. At the moment, it would be difficult for me to win against you. And even if I win, I would still have given up the next round. I could never turn my trident against Long Tian, ??not even during a tournament of this caliber."


    That said, Dae-Won began to head back to the designated area for the fighters. The audience was speechless; they never thought anyone would actually give up during the tournament. The young Imperial Guard was indifferent to all of this as he walked as if nothing had happened.


    "The winner is Leon." Song Yazhu proclaimed Leon the winner. Even though it was a shame, it wasn''t as if they could force Dae-Won to fight.


    Hearing this, Leon shook his head in disappointment. He didn''t want to win like that, but he couldn''t do anything about it now, and he came back to the rest of the fighters.


    "I''m sorry, boss. I hope you can forgive me." Dae-Won apologized once he found himself in front of Long Tian.


    "Don''t worry. I trust your judgment." Long Tian replied without reproaching his subordinate for his behavior. However, he secretly sent him a Spirit Message. ''Did you sense anything?''


    ''Just a feeling. My body instinctively told me I shouldn''t have to fight Leon. That''s all.'' Dae-Won replied.


    ''Okay. Your Concept of Destiny has never been wrong so far. If you have perceived that, there must be a reason, but we still don''t know why. Furthermore, I don''t mind facing Leon. It will be an interesting confrontation.'' Long Tian replied, thus closing the mental connection with Dae-Won.


    Concept of Destiny. It was a very peculiar Concept. It had no combat enhancements or helped with cultivation. As the name implied, the user would have sudden sensations about places, objects, and people that greatly influenced the user''s destiny in the future.


    In a sense, it was as if one could look into the future, although it was only sensations and not clear images. The Concept of Destiny was also why Dae-Won held the chief guard''s position between the guards under Long Tian''s service.

 Chapter 217 - Ice vs. Fire

    "Let''s move on to the next fight now. To take the field are Lang of the Beast Family of the Ice Wolf and Huli Xieren of the Huli Family."


    Since the previous fight ended in an immediate surrender, Song Yazhu went straight to the next fight. After all, the spectators had come purposely to witness the clashes between the younger generation''s geniuses.


    The two young women, hearing their names being called, began making their way to the fighting stage. Their determined gaze hinted that this time there would be no instant surrender but a heated confrontation.


    Huli Xieren and Lang positioned themselves in the center of the fighting stage. Behind Lang, but off the stage, was Fenrir, looking proudly at her mistress. Unexpectedly, it seemed she had no intention of going up and fighting.


    "Lang, as a beast tamer, you are allowed to use your spirit beast in this fight. If your wolf doesn''t take the stage, I will consider it as your waiver of that right. Should your spirit beast take the stage during the fight, you will be instantly disqualified. Are you okay with this?" Song Yazhu asked, reminding the tournament rules.


    "I''m fine with it. A beast tamer doesn''t have to rely solely on their spirit beast. They must also be able to fight alone so as not to be a burden for the latter." Lang answered firmly.


    As a member of one of the Beast Families, Lang honored and eagerly followed the beast tamers'' path. Therefore, she didn''t mind giving up such an advantage in such an important tournament if it meant defending and showing her pride as a beast tamer.


    "Alright. Then you give up your right. You can continue now. Let the fight begin! " Song Yazhu proclaimed with a smile. As a martial artist who had earned her fame on the battlefield, Song Yazhu really liked people who spared no effort to improve themselves and their fighting skills.


    Clink! Clink!


    The two young fighters simultaneously drew their swords and pointed them at each other. Huli Xieren hadn''t commented on Lang''s decision or taken it badly. After all, Lang was already a strong opponent per se, so facing both Lang and Fenrir would be very difficult. Simultaneously, she knew that Lang''s decision wasn''t based on a contempt or superiority complex towards her but her honor as a beast tamer.


    "Fire Law, Fire Sword." Huli Xieren said as she waved her sword. Soon, red flames ignited on the sword, covering the blade.


    "Ice Law, Ice Sword," Lang responded with a similar but at the same time opposite technique. In fact, she covered her sword not with flames but with a thick layer of ice.


    Peng!


    The two young fighters moved in unison and made the blades of their swords collide. Thus, flames and ice flickers were created when the two swords came into contact.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    One sword stroke followed another. Both Huli Xieren and Lang displayed incredible fencing skills, not giving in to the pressure generated by their opponent in the least and counterattacking at the same time. However, after several exchanges, a change in Huli Xieren''s pace could be noted.


    ''In terms of physical strength, she is undoubtedly superior to me. If so, I must aim for a battle approach based on the Elemental Laws. Lang doesn''t have a bloodline; in that case, if I activate my bloodline, I''ll be the one with the advantage.'' Huli Xieren analyzed as she took a series of quick steps backward to gain distance.


    ''Regarding raw strength, I am superior to her. And we are even about our knowledge of the Elemental Laws. But she has a bloodline; once she activates it, I will no longer be on par with her. In that case, I must aim everything for a close-range match.'' Lang pondered as she pursued her opponent. Knowing she had the advantage in close combat, she certainly wouldn''t give up on that so easily.


    "Fire Law, Wisp!" Hui Xieren exclaimed as she summoned three palm-sized fireballs. This was the same technique she used in the previous fight that had earned her the victory.


    "Go!"


    With a hand movement, the three balls of fire shot in the direction indicated by Huli Xieren. Their target was none other than Lang, who was approaching at full speed.


    ''Those spheres are dangerous. I must avoid touching them with both my body and my sword.'' Lang thought as she remembered well the previous fight of Huli Xieren and the danger of this technique.


    Lang stopped her footsteps and rolled sideways with a decisive movement, just in time to avoid the three fireballs. Even though she had to interrupt her charge, she kept the flames from sticking to her.


    "Ahh!" exclaimed Huli Xieren as she moved the hand that wasn''t holding the sword. The fingers of that hand closed on the palm except for the index and middle fingers. After that, Huli Xieren bent her wrist in Lang''s direction. Incredibly, the three fireballs arched through the air and changed their trajectory, heading to where Lang was.


    ''Can she change their trajectory so quickly? If so, I have no way of getting rid of them if I just dodge. I have to destroy them.'' Lang analyzed before using another technique.


    "Ice Law, Frost Slash!"


    Crystalline flakes of ice were generated from Lang''s sword. These flakes crashed into the three fireballs, destroying them and generating a light curtain of vapor.


    Slash!


    Suddenly a sword strike came at Lang. Huli Xieren, who had opted for a ranged approach based on elemental attacks, came running as soon as Lang left an opening when she used her ice attack to destroy the fireballs. In an instant, she had changed her battle approach again.


    The flame-covered blade descended menacingly from above. Without delay, Lang stepped aside to dodge. However, Huli Xieren had already foreseen a similar reaction and quickly rotated her arms to keep her sword from losing momentum.


    Slash!


    Lang once again found herself under attack. Unable to get out of that difficult position, she chose to avert the threat momentarily by stooping. So she bent her knees as fast as she could, and the flame-covered sword passed over her head.


    Seeing Lang dodge once again, Huli Xieren didn''t demoralize but continued to attack relentlessly. So she let go of the sword, opening her palms. Soon after, the sword spun in midair, redirecting the pointed end at Lang. At that point, Huli Xieren moved her arms downward.


    Stab!


    Huli Xieren''s sword stuck to the ground, missing Lang. Lang, noticing the danger, had in turn driven her sword to the ground. Then, pivoting with her left hand on the pommel of her sword, she somersaulted in mid-air and sent a kick with her right leg in response against Huli Xieren.


    Woosh!


    The kick moved quickly against Huli Xieren''s face. The latter, however, responded by lowering her back and bending obliquely forward. Her eyes contained no hint of fear but were locked on Lang. At the same time, her arms were ready to rise for another sword attack.


    Wham!


    Before Huli Xieren could bring her arms back up, once again pivoting her left hand on her sword''s pommel, Lang made a 180¡ã rotation and landed a kick with her left leg on the head of Huli Xieren. The latter received the full impact, but instead of resisting, she accompanied the kick''s movement with a series of somersaults on the ground. After all, in that situation, rather than resisting the impact and ending up on the defensive, it was better to use the blow''s momentum to gain distance and avoid being cornered.


    ''Do you want to take back the distance? I won''t let you do that.'' Lang thought quickly as she followed Huli Xieren as soon as the latter began to roll to the ground to get away.


    ''You don''t want to let me go?! Then ... '', "Fire Law, Adherent Flame, reveal yourself!"


    Seeing Lang rushing towards her, Huli Xieren was forced to reveal in advance the trap she had hidden on her opponent.


    Blaze!


    The right foot that had missed Huli Xieren''s head in the first exchange caught fire as Huli Xieren activated her technique.


    "Freezing Fist!"


    When the flame appeared on her foot, Lang halted her run. After that, a layer of ice formed on her right hand as it descended violently on her right foot, which was in flames. The instant the fist made contact with the flame, it lost its heat and froze, eventually breaking into the air.


    At that point, Lang raised her head to look at Huli Xieren, who was back on her feet. Both had their chests going up and down due to breathing heavily, a sign of the exchange''s intensity between the two.


    "As I thought. I can''t beat you unless you activate my bloodline." Huli Xieren said in a quiet voice before activating her bloodline, "Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline, activate!"


    Blaze!


    Huli Xieren''s sword''s flames grew larger as a tail of flames settled behind the young woman''s back. At the same time, the color of the flame took on a purplish sheen.


    Seeing Huli Xieren activate her bloodline, Lang didn''t demoralize. She knew from the beginning of her disadvantage and had already prepared herself to respond to this situation.


    "Beast Tattoo - Wolf Mode!"


    At the same time that Huli Xieren activated her bloodline, Lang also activated her final card. On the skin of the young beast tamer, several symbols lit up that went to form the figure of a wolf. At the same time, Lang''s forearm and calf muscles thickened. Rather than increasing their size, it was as if the muscles were condensing inside, being hardened to an amazing level.


    "Secret Technique of the Ice Wolf Beast Family, Wolf Charge!"


    "Fire Law, Wisp!"


    Lang charged forward once more as Huli Xieren spawned her fireballs again. The fireballs were even faster than the previous ones, and the control Huli Xieren had over them was also better.


    Woosh!


    The spheres quickly swooped into Lang. However, the latter was now much faster than before. Effortlessly, she avoided the spheres and moved away from them, heading for her true target - Huli Xieren.


    Beast Tattoos, unlike bloodlines or elemental essences, which provided a boost to the Elemental Laws, provided a certain physical increase depending on the blood of which spirit beast the Beast Tattoo derived.


    In Lang''s case, her Beast Tattoo was derived from none other than Fenrir. Since Fenrir was a wolf, the boosts increased speed and grip strength while maintaining a light and flexible figure.


    "Ice Law, Ice Claw."


    Seeing that she wasn''t far from the target, Lang created a layer of ice on her hands, like a kind of ice glove that ended in pointed points, thus recalling the claws of a wolf.


    "Fire Law, Wisp!" shouted Huli Xieren, caught off guard by Lang''s sudden speed increase.


    Two more fireballs were thrown from Huli Xieren''s sword and went to obstruct Lang''s advance. However, with swift readiness, Lang cut the two fireballs with her sword. Once this was done, she let go of her weapon to avoid the effect of Adherent Flame.


    Slash! Slash!


    Without her sword, Lang sent her ice-covered hands forward. Using the pointed tips on her fingers, she made a series of cuts against Huli Xieren. The latter, however, responded with a dodge, pivoting to the ground with her tail. In a moment, she moved to the side and continued to hit the ground with her tail to regain distance.


    "As if I let you do it!" Lang shouted in a roaring voice.


    Lang''s Beast Tattoo wasn''t a normal Beast Tattoo. It was a variant created by the Beast Families only. Users of such Beast Tattoos would get a greater boost than normal ones but with the side effect that their behavior would be affected by the blood of the spirit beast used as the core of the tattoo.


    Therefore, under this state, the usual cold and rational Lang was replaced instead with a more ferocious and irascible Lang. Fortunately, however, Lang was inherently calm. Therefore, the side effect wasn''t so problematic when it manifested itself.


    Thump!


    Lang crashed her whole body into Huli Xieren. In the struggle, the young woman from the Huli Family lost her grip on her sword. However, even now, Huli Xieren wasn''t showing signs of giving up.


    "Fire Law, Fox Hold!"


    The tail of flames behind Huli Xieren''s back dissipated and then reformed on Lang''s body. However, the young beast tamer wasn''t worried at all. Instead, she moved her hands to Huli Xieren''s neck and closed her grip violently.


    ''You want to finish me off by taking advantage of your physical advantage?! I won''t let you do it!''


    Huli Xieren increased the intensity of her flames to the maximum. As Lang was above her, they both ended up covered in flames. As the user of the technique and possessing the Fire Law, Huli Xieren suffered little from the effects of the flames produced by her own spirit power, but it wasn''t as if she were immune. Nonetheless, the main problem was Lang''s ferocious hold on her.


    The young beast tamer didn''t even blink at the Huli Xieren technique. All she could think of was to condense her spirit power to the maximum and put as much pressure on Huli Xieren''s neck as possible.


    ''If I can destroy her defensive layer of spirit power, the victory is mine. Therefore, I must ignore the flames until Huli Xieren reaches the limit. ''


    ''She is betting everything on this attack while ignoring the defense. As long as my flames can break through her defensive layer of spirit power, then the victory will be mine. ''


    Each of the fighters had no intention of giving up. Lang knew very well that if she let go, she could very well say goodbye to victory. Huli Xieren was superior to her regarding elemental law techniques, not to mention her prowess in battle. Certainly, she wasn''t going to get caught off guard a second time.


    Huli Xieren instead knew that Lang wouldn''t give up for any reason due to the Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline''s influential advantage. Without the possibility of freeing herself, she, therefore, decided to concentrate all her spirit power to cover her neck and generate her flames. If her opponent had given up everything to focus on attacking, then she would take advantage of it to land as much damage as possible.


    The two remained like this for some time, and the spectators in the stands began to worry about the two fighters'' conditions. Even Hei, Feng Chen, and the other fighters watching the fight began to feel concerned.


    Flash!


    Suddenly a flash of white light appeared, and the flames covering the two young women died instantly, vanishing into thin air. Simultaneously, Lang''s grip on Huli Xieren''s neck loosened, and the young beast tamer fell backward against the floor of the fighting stage. Huli Xieren, on the ground, likewise showed no signs of getting up.

 Chapter 218 - Specter vs. Roots

    Lang had fallen to the ground unconscious while Huli Xieren showed no signs of movement and continued to lie on the floor.


    Whoosh!


    In that instant, Feng Chen stepped out of the designated combat station along with another person - the medical martial artist hired by him for himself and Huli Xieren. There was a worried expression on his face as his eyes didn''t take their gaze away from the still body of Huli Xieren.


    Under the tournament rules, it was forbidden to cause interference during the fight, including the intervention of support martial artists if one of the fighters was injured. Therefore, only when Song Yazhu declared the winner would it be possible to proceed with the treatment. Fortunately, however, the fight was interrupted by Song Yazhu himself, who considered the situation dangerous. Therefore, Feng Chen''s actions didn''t constitute a violation of the rules.


    "Mia, Lilian, come with me. You others stay here." Hei said to his companions, who had worried expressions on their faces. Considering the intensity of the confrontation between the two young women, they were afraid that Lang might have been seriously injured. So, Hei quickly called Mia and Lilian, who were martial artist medics, and personally escorted them to the fighting stage.


    There, the two young women lay motionless and unconscious. Song Yazhu got down on the fighting stage, but his face was impassive, clearly not worried about the two fighters'' conditions. He had monitored the fight from the beginning, and it was impossible that with his perception of Spirit King, he could be wrong in reading the course of the fight.


    "Lang and Huli Xieren are injured but not life-threatening. At the moment, they are just unconscious." Song Yazhu said, seeing two groups of people approaching. He knew they must be worried, so he immediately told them the two young women''s conditions.


    Hearing Song Yazhu''s words, both groups breathed a sigh of relief. Song Yazhu was a renowned Spirit King who had a good chance of becoming Spirit Emperor. If he said Lang and Huli Xieren were fine, they obviously wouldn''t doubt it. In any case, Mia, Lilian, and the other martial artist medic began to examine the two fighters'' bodies and treat them.


    "Teacher Song Yazhu, in this situation, how are the winner and the loser evaluated?" Hei asked Song Yazhu. Lang had fought hard to win, so he wanted to know if the young beast tamer''s efforts had paid off.


    Song Yazhu turned his head to look at Hei before replying, "Lang and Huli Xieren had reached a deadlock. The problem is that their level of resistance is quite similar, so it was unlikely for either of them to give up before entering a critical state. If I had let the fight go on, there would have been a winner, but both would have been seriously injured if not fatal."


    At that point, Song Yazhu cleared his throat and raised his tone of voice, using his spirit power to reach all the stadium spectators. "The fighters Lang and Huli Xieren fought valiantly. However, according to my powers as a tournament referee conferred by Principal Long Jing, I declared it dangerous to continue. Therefore the fight ends in a draw, and consequently, both are considered defeated and are eliminated from the tournament."


    Song Yazhu''s decision left many people amazed, but thinking about it was the most logical thing to do. The fight had been tight from the start, and proclaiming one winner would have been a disservice to the other. Of course, both could have been declared winners, but doing so would have done a disservice to those who had lost in the other fights. Therefore, double defeat was the only solution.


    "It seems to be an acceptable result," said Feng Chen, who had resumed his composed expression. Although he felt sorry for Huli Xieren, he couldn''t deny Lang''s prowess during the fight. The double defeat was the only result that left all parties involved without too much bitterness.


    "I agree," Hei said in turn. He, too, shared Feng Chen''s opinion.


    With the double defeat of Lang and Huli Xieren, Group B''s penultimate match of the second round ended. It was now the turn for the last match that saw Hide, the remnant of Long Tian''s Imperial Guard, and Lian.


    "Come, let''s leave the stage free for Lian," Hei said to his companions.


    Fenrir, who had approached to see Lang''s condition, nodded his head, carried his mistress on him, and followed Hei. Mia and Lilian followed from behind; they would continue Lang''s treatment in the fighters'' area. Feng Chen also took Huli Xieren in his arms and returned with his martial artist medic.


    At that point, Song Yazhu announced the remaining two fighters, "There are now only two fighters left for this last match of Group B, which will conclude the second day of the tournament. So now, taking the field are Hide, the remaining Imperial Guard of Imperial Prince Long Tian, ??and Lian, the second young promise from the Forgotten Ocean."


    Hearing the name of the last two fighters, the audience became euphoric again. But it wasn''t so much because of Hide, one of Long Tian''s Imperial Guards. After all, the strength of the Imperial Guards was known. No, what attracted the most attention was none other than Lian.


    This young beauty with an expressionless expression like a statue had left a considerable impression on the spectators, especially the VIP ones. Also, she came from the Forgotten Ocean along with Hei. Considering Hei''s performance in his previous fights, they wanted to see how far this beauty''s strength went.


    In the center of the stage, the two challengers exchanged a silent glance. Hide, in particular, was nervous inside despite not showing it to the outside.


    ''Lian, Hei''s companion. The boss said her talent is comparable to that of Hei, who in turn is capable of posing a threat even to geniuses like Hu Jie, Feng Chen, and the boss himself. If I had another Elemental Law, the only outcome would probably be defeat. But the Specter Law offers me a real possibility. If I play my cards right, I can do it.''


    It was true. Although she wasn''t as eye-catching as Hei since he served as the leader of his group, Lian had participated in all the fights that had involved Hei. She had always been by his side and had shown a strength that didn''t lose against his. Therefore, it wasn''t even wrong to consider Lian as one of the strongest contenders competing for the tournament winner''s title.


    "Let the fight begin." Song Yazhu proclaimed, starting the fight.


    Hide pulled out his Morning Star as two silk ribbons appeared from Lian''s sleeves. The two ribbons were like the roots of a flower waving in the air, simulating the swaying of water.


    Whoosh!


    One of the ribbons shot forward at high speed in Hide''s direction. Lian said nothing or made a move; her thought alone was enough to move her ribbons.


    Boom!


    The ribbon landed on the spot where Hide was, but the young man was already ready. With a side jerk forward, he dodged the approaching ribbon.


    ''The range of the ribbons gives Lian an overwhelming advantage in ranged combat. However, my Specter Law allows me to nullify that advantage. So, I just have to worry about getting close and attacking.'' Hide thought, formulating the battle plan he had devised to counter Lian''s range advantage.


    Seeing him approaching, Lian stood there with an impassive face. She made the second ribbon move with another thought of her mind as she recalled the first one back.


    Boom! Boom!


    The ribbons crashed into Hide, who dodged again using his footwork. So far, he hadn''t needed to activate the Specter Law yet, but he knew it wouldn''t continue for long.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The two ribbons began to move faster as Lian finally began to move her arms and dance in place. Her every step was graceful as if she had no weight and a gust of wind would be enough to carry her away. Her arms followed every movement of the body, directing the ribbons in an elegant but lethal dance.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Blows after blows followed, and Hide was now at the limit of what he could dodge using only his movement techniques. "Specter Law, Intangible Body!"


    When one of the ribbons was about to hit Hide, Hide made his body intangible. The ribbon then passed through Hide''s body, who was able to advance undisturbed towards Lian.


    "Intent of the Morning Star, Star Crush!"


    Hide''s spiked mace filled with his spirit power as the impact power soared. But even then, Lian made no sign of being worried. Instead, without moving from where she was standing, she just raised her arms slightly, dropping the sleeves of her robe.


    There, the ends that connected the two silk ribbons to Lian''s body were tied. Usually, Lian would hold them on her so that she could move the ribbons according to her body''s movements. But this time, she untied the knot on her arms, and these ends of the two silk ribbons joined together to form a sort of shield in front of Lian.


    Peng!


    The Morning Star fell violently on Lian''s silk ''shield.'' This, despite the soft material, resisted without problem as if it were made of pure metal.


    "Water Law, Flowing Vibrating Fist."


    It was then that Lian went on the counterattack. So far, she had only used her ribbons to attack, but she was using herself this time. Her fist contained her spirit power and the Water Law''s ability to resonate the spirit power and transmit it within the target as a wave.


    Whoosh!


    There was the hiss of something whipping the air instead of the thud that the punch should have made. Hide had, in fact, dematerialized his body, making it intangible. Thus Lian''s fist and Lian herself passed through the body of the Imperial Guard.


    "Intent of the Morning Star, Specter Spin!"


    As soon as his body completely surpassed Lian''s, Hide rematerialized his body. Then, creating propulsion with his spirit power, he pivoted on his left ankle to quickly rotate in place. His spiked club took such speed of rotation and transformed it into impact power.


    Peng!


    Lian''s ribbons bent back, obstructing the movement of the spiked club. This time though, the ribbons didn''t hold up as they did before but buckled shortly after the impact as if they couldn''t hold the force behind the move. They resisted just the time to give Lian time to get away. However, instead of being blown away, the ribbons wound around the weapon more and more, taking advantage of the spinning effect.


    Boom!


    Hide''s rotation was stopped when Lian, who had advanced, took the two ends of her ribbons, previously used to attack. Then, pulling with her strength, she had slowed Hide''s spinning motion and tied his weapon simultaneously.


    "Such a thing cannot stop a user of the Specter Law!" Hide said aloud as he made his weapon intangible to free it from the grip of the ribbons. Inside, however, his mind was in the midst of a turmoil of thoughts.


    ''What are you aiming for? I cannot understand. If she continues with such tactics, she will never be able to touch me. Are you aiming for a fight of attrition? No, it must be under something else. I''m sure.''


    Hide was nervous and hesitant. Lian was someone capable of standing side by side with Hei. There was no way such a person would resort to tactics so simple. In any case, regardless of his thoughts, he had to attack. The Specter Law was all about close combat; there were no long-range attacks.


    ''It doesn''t matter what plan you have in mind. As long as I''m in my specter form, you can''t touch me.''


    Hide charged forward. His Morning Star was ready to swoop down on its target again. Lian watched Hide approach as she waved her ribbons to obstruct his charge. As before, however, she was unable to prevent the Imperial Guard from reaching her. However, Lian was already aware of this and had prepared accordingly.


    "Your weakness is that you are unable to return to your specter form immediately after rematerializing. Instead, you need a few moments between one activation and the next." Lian said as she let go of the ends of the ribbons attached to her arms.


    Hide was surprised to hear her speak because Lian wasn''t the type to say a word during the fight except to use her techniques. However, he instantly pulled himself together and smiled, "So what? What if you know it. I won this exchange."


    ''While it is true that I need time between activations of the specter form, the partial specter form follows a different path. I can activate it right away even if I have just used the full specter form.'' Hide analyzed while being full of confidence.


    Peng!


    It all happened within seconds. Instead of forming a shield, Lian''s ribbons went straight to the source of the problem - Hide. In fact, Lian aimed to thwart the attack and immobilize her opponent. Hide responded by using the Partial Specter technique instead. In doing so, he made his weapon intangible just long enough to break through Lian''s defenses. After that, he rematerialized his Morning Star, which landed into Lian''s face, or rather, it should have landed.


    Suddenly, the weapon was tied by pink-brown roots that halted the advance of the spiked club. These roots not only covered the Morning Star but went so far as to cover the entire arm that supported the weapon. Beyond that, the roots possessed thorns embedded deep in Hide''s defensive layer of spirit power.


    Soon after, another light was generated under Hide''s feet and formed another set of roots that went to bind his legs. Unfortunately, these roots also contained thorns that dug deep into the defensive layer of spirit power.


    Seeing this, Hei smiled and proclaimed to his other companions, "Lian has won."


    Hearing this, the others were perplexed. After all, Hide could easily break free using his Specter Law. Moreover, Lian''s technique would only immobilize him for a short time.


    "You will soon understand," Hei replied, not revealing what Lian had in mind.


    Meanwhile, in the fighting stage, Hide was immobilized by these thorns that appeared in thin air. Although they hadn''t reached the flesh, his situation was not good at all.


    ''How did they appear so out of nowhere and penetrate so deeply. I never took my eyes off Lian, yet I didn''t notice movements in her spirit power that indicated the use of a technique except for her ribbons'' movements. However... ''


    "Specter Law, Intangible Body!"


    No matter how Lian did it, as long as he had the Specter Law, he could easily break free from such a technique. With a smile on his face, Hide used his technique again. However, to his amazement, his body didn''t become intangible. He was still in the clutches of those thorny roots.


    "What is happening?!" Hide exclaimed, completely stunned. ''I don''t understand. Why can''t I become intangible? Yet I made no mistakes in activating the technique.''


    Hide was speechless but soon realized the reason his technique had failed. At this sight, he was even more shocked. "You! You''re pouring spirit power into my spirit power flow! "

 Chapter 219 - End of the Second Day

    "You! You''re pouring spirit power into my spirit power flow! "


    Upon Hide''s revelation, Lian responded by waving her ribbons. The two silk ribbons began to wrap around the young Imperial Guard''s body, crushing it with ever-increasing force.


    "A combination of curse and trigger formation. The whole thing has been prepared to provide Hide spirit power so as to prevent him from using his specter form. " Long Tian commented as he sighed for Hide''s imminent defeat.


    ''I have to admit it. Lian''s level of knowledge in the formations is higher than I imagined. She conducted the fight from the start in the manner she had foreseen, tricking Hide and giving him a false sense of security so he wouldn''t notice the real trap.''


    Long Tian''s analysis was correct. With her knowledge of formations, Lian had carved a curse formation on her ribbons. This curse consisted of releasing fragments of spirit power when something came in contact with the ribbons. Such fragments were difficult to notice as they would pose no danger until activated.


    In addition to that, Lian had created a formation on the ground called a trigger formation or commonly known as a trigger trap. It was called that way as the formation would only activate when someone stepped on it.


    "Lian must have placed the curse on Hide''s weapon when she wrapped her ribbons and held back his rotation. Using Then the cover of her ribbons, she quickly created a trigger formation to prevent Hide from moving. But the decisive factor is the use with which these formations were conceived - not to harm but to empower the enemy by pouring one''s spirit power into them. It is undoubtedly something few would have been able to come up with." Feng Chen analyzed in turn.


    "Yes. The disadvantage of the Specter Law is that each time you cross something possessing spirit power, the specter mode''s duration is reduced. And this is even more true when it comes to living beings. After all, during the specter mode, the flow of spirit power becomes extremely complicated, and even a small variation reduces its stability. This is why, when you face someone from the Specter Law, ironically, you should face them in their field, which is close combat." Hu Jie also inwardly praised Lian''s battle prowess.


    Hearing the praises of the three, Hei smiled. "Lian must have been inspired by Hyong Yong-Sook. Put yourself at a disadvantage in order to win. Pouring her spirit power directly to Hide reduces her uptime, but at the same time blocks Hide''s specter abilities."


    On the stage, Hide was struggling as best he could. The ribbons were tightening their grip every second that passed while his techniques were undone.


    ''Calm down. Don''t panic. Analyze the situation...'' Hide tried to reason as he concentrated on resisting as best he could.'' The thorns in my arm and legs aren''t meant to attack but serve as conductors of spirit power. She is pouring out her spirit power to stop me from using the specter form. However, by doing so, her expenditure of spirit power increases dramatically. Consequently, I have to think about what to do with this information in hand.


    I could absorb this spirit power, but I would end up hurting myself internally as I am in the middle of the fight. So it''s best to use it roughly to create an extra layer of spirit power. While that layer won''t be as stable as a normal one, it can save me time. As long as this situation persists, Lian will be the first to exhaust her spirit power. At that moment, she will no longer be able to fight, and the victory will be mine. And even if she were to stop pouring out her spirit power, it wouldn''t be a problem as I would be free to use the specter form again.''


    Hide''s confidence was restored. With a clear plan in mind, the Imperial Guard concentrated only on defense, interrupting any attempt to wriggle out of the ribbons. In any case, without using specter mode, he couldn''t break free from that situation.


    Seeing this, Lian moved on to her next move, "Intent of the Ribbon, Snake Vice."


    Lian''s ribbons changed. The spirit power within increased, as did the crushing force. In an instant, the pressure Hide felt grown a lot. Even with the extra layer of spirit power provided by Lian''s spirit power, Hide didn''t think he could hold out to the end.


    "The winner is Lian." Song Yazhu proclaimed after deeming Hide unable to break free or resist until Lian had exhausted her spirit power.


    When she was declared the winner, Lian loosened her ribbons'' hold on Hide, freeing the young man. He was quite pale from the crushing force he suffered but didn''t have any obvious injuries.


    "In the end, I lost anyway. I guess only someone at the level of the boss can beat you. Thanks anyway for the fight and not taking it easy," Hide thanked with a short bow of his head.


    "You are stronger than you think. If I didn''t know the formations, I don''t think I could have immobilized you as I did." Lian quietly replied as she stepped off the fighting stage.


    Lian''s words left Hide amazed and pleased at the same time. Even though he had lost, his strength was still recognized by someone on the level of his leader, the Imperial Prince Long Tian.


    "And this concludes the second day of the tournament. I thank the audience for coming, and we will be back tomorrow with the tournament''s quarter-finals. Like yesterday, I remind the spectators, who don''t have accommodation inside the Academy, that they aren''t allowed to stay in the Academy territories except during the tournament. Any violator will be severely punished."


    And so Song Yazhu ended the second day of the tournament. Regular spectators went back to where they came from while VIPs returned to their quarters in the Academy Castle, as did the students.


    *


    Hei and Lian''s room.


    At the moment, Hei and his companions were gathered to take stock of the situation. After all, they had reached the third day, and the opponents to face this time were on a different level from those met before.


    "Tomorrow, it will be me, He Fen, and Leon who will take the field. Our opponents are Hu Jie, Feng Chen, and Long Tian, respectively. On the other hand, Lian will have no opponents to face as the fight between Lang and Huli Xieren ended in a draw." Hei took stock of the situation for the following day.


    "I wanted to challenge you, Lian, but it looks like I still have a lot to learn," Lang said bitterly in a dejected tone.


    "Huli Xieren is a formidable opponent. You shouldn''t be feeling too down about the draw. Besides, when the tournament ends, we can fight whenever you want." Lian answered.


    Lang nodded and didn''t reply. ''Even though I''m bitter, Lian is right. Huli Xieren is strong enough to make me use my full strength. But in any case, I still have a lot to learn and improve.''


    ''I will be there with you. And remember that your true strength is not what you possess alone but what we have when we are united. I am your spirit beast, your partner. My strength is your strength, to be used at your discretion.'' Fenrir hastened to cheer up his mistress.


    Lang smiled and gently stroked Fenrir. Her fingers moved through the wolf''s soft fur, and he felt a pleasant sensation where Lang''s fingers passed.


    Seeing that Lang''s mood improved, Hei then turned to his two teammates, who would take the field tomorrow with him.


    "He Fen. I guess you are well aware of your possibilities, right? "


    "Yes," He Fen replied, "If we analyze the various aspects of a martial artist, Feng Chen is superior to me in every respect. His knowledge of the Elemental Laws and how he uses them, his ability in close combat and in range combat, his ability to read the flow of battle and generate appropriate plans according to the situation. I know that my chances of winning are almost zero. But even so, I want to try. I want to give my best and try to win."


    He Fen''s gaze wasn''t discouraged or frightened at the idea of ??having to face Feng Chen, the representative of one of the Eight Big Families. Instead, his determination had peaked.


    "Feng Chen represents the peak of the young generation of the Eight Big Families. If I want to succeed in saving my sister from her fate, I cannot back down. I have to reach that level at all costs."


    "If you are already aware of your possibilities, then that''s fine. But having a low chance of winning doesn''t mean it''s absolutely impossible to win. Feng Chen''s most terrifying ability is his analysis of the opponent and his ability to respond based on the latter''s characteristics. Therefore, you don''t have to challenge it in terms of planning. Instead, aim for a straightforward and simple approach. You both possess the Fire Law and Fire-type Bloodlines. If you are aiming for a fight between flames, you should have a better chance of winning than using other types of tactics."


    Hearing Hei''s advice, He Fen nodded in understanding. Even though he was full of determination, he knew deep down that it was improbable he would win. Yet Hei truly believed he had a real chance so much that he had suggested the most effective battle approach against Feng Chen.


    "Leon, you will have to face Long Tian instead. Do you already have in mind how you want to deal with him? " Hei asked Leon.


    Feeling questioned, Leon scratched his head in embarrassment, "About this point. I actually intended to give up. Dae-Won gave up without a fight for some reason that I don''t understand. So, I don''t feel I deserve to stay on the same stage as you others who have achieved your victories with effort."


    At Leon''s response, Hei sighed inwardly, ''I figured he would say something like that.'' Fortunately, however, Lian immediately intervened.


    "It''s not a good idea what you have in mind."


    "What do you mean?" Leon asked with a confused look.


    "The Academy has organized this tournament for the young talents of our year. Yet, the final test of the first year has always been of another type and not a tournament. Why was our year that had such an exception?"


    "You mean the tournament decision has something to do with Long Tian?"


    "Not only Long Tian. The presence of Feng Chen and Hu Jie also influenced this decision. If you think about it, the choice of appointing Song Yazhu as our teacher is also unusual." Hei intervened in favor of Lian''s hypothesis.


    "If you think up to this point, then you will understand that it isn''t a good idea to give up the match. The Academy has even called every important family in the Southern Region. All to put on display the talents produced by the Academy. But what if this weren''t true? What if, in reality, the purpose of the Academy is to show off the talents of Long Tian?"


    Hearing the hypothesis conceived by Lian, Leon was speechless. The others were somewhat perplexed, but what Hei and Lian said had a logic of its own. And if they thought about it, it smelled quite fishy.


    "It is likely to have to do with the choice of the future emperor."


    It was Lang who broke the silence.


    Seeing the gazes of the others staring at her, Lang hastened to explain, "My father explained to me that over the years, there has been an increase in skill level in the younger generation. Geniuses at the level of Hu Jie, Feng Chen, and Long Tian have always been present but never in such a large number."


    "Right, the Best Generation." He Fen commented, recalling something he had heard in the past.


    "Best Generation?" Hei asked.


    "It''s a term little used in the Bloodline Families. That term means eight youths from the Eight Big Families and the Five Imperial Princes. Each family in the Eight Big Families respectively produced a talented youth like never before. Likewise, the Imperial Family produced five youths with similar talent." He Fen explained.


    "Wait, are you saying that there are six other people strong like Hu Jie and Feng Chen and that there are four other Imperial Princes powerful like Long Tian?" asked Lilian, who had remained silent until now. Mia, Haruno, and Mareo were also amazed at the news.


    "Yes. But to make matters worse, the term Best Generation doesn''t only refer to these thirteen individuals. Demons have also generated such talents, even though I''m not familiar with the specifics. But I know for certain that the upper echelons of the Sun Empire are planning something.


    My father hasn''t told me about it, but normally I should have been trained by the Beast Family experts. Yet, I was forced to come here. From the few snippets of conversation I have perceived, it must be because of the selection of the future emperor." It was Lang who answered once again.


    Lang and He Fen both belonged to families with ties to the upper echelons of the Empire. He Fen, however, had a marginal role in his family and was treated with little importance. Lang instead had a more relevant role; she was the future head family after all.


    "I see. I don''t know what the Imperial Family or the Eight Big Families have in mind. At the moment, it has nothing to do with us. We need to focus on what''s ahead - the tournament. Leon, if you want, you can give up fighting, but I don''t recommend it. Not so much for the implications on Long Tian but yourself. If you want to move forward, you have to face stronger and stronger people. This was also Dae-Won''s request. If you feel you don''t deserve the victory, then prove your worth by facing Long Tian and giving your all." Hei said firmly.


    At Hei''s words, Leon thought carefully. He honestly wanted to face Long Tian and prove himself. However, the guilt haunted him, and he thought he wasn''t worthy enough to take the field the next day. In the end, though, Hei made him change his mind, "Okay. Then I''ll face Long Tian. Do you have any advice?"


    "Face him head-on. Just that. With your armor, you don''t have to fear close combat."


    Leon fixed Hei''s advice firmly in mind and recalled what he had seen in Long Tian''s previous fights. He had to prepare well not to waste this opportunity and show that he had earned his place in the tournament.


    "And you Hei? Are you ready?" Haruno asked as he handed out food so that the fighters could recover some of the energy they spent in the morning.


    "Hu Jie specializes in close combat. With the strength of his diamond body, I doubt I can keep him at a distance with the techniques at my disposal. Instead, I would end up wasting my spirit power in vain. All things considered, facing him in hand-to-hand combat is good for me too. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to destroy his diamond body. "


    Facing Hu Jie in hand-to-hand combat?!


    Hearing the response from Hei, Haruno, and everyone else except Lian, Ye, and Xing were astonished. Hu Jie was arguably the strongest of all the first year when it came about pure martial arts. No, he could be the strongest in the whole academy. Only a fool would face him in that field. But Hei wasn''t a fool. He knew well what he could do and what couldn''t. So they decided to believe him. If he said he could do it, then it was true.

 Chapter 220 - Hei vs. Hu Jie - 1

    "Welcome to the third day of the tournament organized by the Royal Southern War Academy. We have now reached the quarter-finals of the tournament. Today we will see three fights while Lian, the winner of Group B''s last match of the Round of 16, will pass directly into the semifinals due to the double-elimination in the match before her. Even so, today holds high-level fights, and I''m sure you will be surprised and excited by the matches of these quarter-finals."


    As soon as the audience settled inside the stadium, Song Yazhu began with the classic announcement that kicked off the day''s matches. Of the three fighters, there were only 7 left, and the first match to open the dance was a match comparable to the final of the tournament.


    Hu Jie vs. Hei.


    "During these two days, you got to know the best first-year students that our Academy has trained. So, without further ado, I call the first two fighters - Hu Jie of the Family Hu and Hei."


    Hearing the two young fighters'' names, the audience began to feel the excitement of the impending confrontation. Both young men had demonstrated exceptionally high battle skills for someone who was only at Spirit Soldier''s rank. But the audience knew that they both didn''t have shown all their cards. Because their talent was so high, it was logical to assume that only an opponent just as strong could unleash their true potential.


    "Ye, Xing. Stay here with Lian." Hei said, passing his two little sisters to Lian. He had decided that he wouldn''t fight alongside one of them against Hu Jie from the beginning. So instead, this would be a 1 vs. 1 match.


    "Be careful. We will wait here." Lian answered as she took over Xing and Ye. Her tone of voice was calm but contained a slight trace of concern. Not so much because she thought Hei couldn''t win, but because she knew that to do that, Hei would have to go all out. As a result, the chances of him getting hurt were high.


    "Don''t worry. I can''t promise I''ll be back in one piece, but I''ll be careful. Besides, Teacher Song Yazhu is here to referee if anything happens. However, I''m not going to give up, at least not as long as I have strength left." Hei tried to reassure as he began to undress.


    ''Hu Jie knows many martial arts styles and is likely to have at least the basics of judo, a style that uses the opponent''s clothing as a grip point. Meaning, I have to reduce the surface covered by clothes. These shorts I had Ye make me should more than enough.''


    Normally Hei would fight in a classic martial artist''s robe as everyone else. The only difference was that he also fought barefoot when he wanted to use his sharp toenails. However, this time, he chose clothing that covered only a small portion of his body. After all, in front of a hand-to-hand combat expert like Hu Jie, there was a chance that clothes would become an obstacle.


    ''Don''t worry, Lian, Hei is strong. I am sure he will win.'' (Xing)


    ''Yes, there is no doubt. Hei will win!'' (Ye)


    Meanwhile, Ye and Xing Hei tried to reassure Lian by inciting Hei''s victory. So, the young woman put her worries aside, "Then go and come back victorious."


    It wasn''t just Lian and the two little divine beasts though, all the other members of their group were confident in Hei''s strength as well. Throughout the year, they had seen the intensive workouts Hei underwent day after day. They had also seen his real battle skills in sparring and during the test in the forest. So although Hu Jie was strong, Hei wasn''t inferior.


    Therefore, urged on by his companions, Hei began to walk up to the fighting stage. Waiting for him at the beginning of the long open corridor that separated the fighters'' area from the fighting stage, there was none other than his opponent - Hu Jie.


    He also wore only a pair of combat shorts. As a hand-to-hand combat expert, Hu Jie didn''t like to be limited by bulky clothing, especially since he knew the opponent could exploit them.


    ''No clothes that cover the top? Did he know that I was skilled in judo, or he based the choice for greater mobility?'' Hu Jie mused, but regardless of the reason, he didn''t think too much about it. He knew so many different styles that not being able to use one or two would make no difference.


    "Apparently, your teammates believe you can beat me. The same goes for Feng Chen and Long Tian. And, to be honest, I share their opinion too; I firmly believe that you have what it takes to beat me. So don''t let me down and show me your best. I want to fight until I can''t stand up anymore." Hu Jie said.


    Hu Jie''s face was painted with a euphoric smile. He was a straightforward and sincere person. He wasn''t afraid to say what he thought, even if it might be inappropriate. He had come to the Royal Southern War Academy to find worthy adversaries outside the high society circle of the Sun Empire and had been successful.


    So how couldn''t he be pumped when he could finally fight to his heart''s content against someone he considered his equal? ??No, against someone who might even have been stronger than him?


    "You better honor those words because I also have high expectations of you. Stay up to the end, and I will satisfy your urge for battle." Hei was excited too. His fighting spirit was on top, and he couldn''t wait to start.


    The two challengers then positioned themselves in the middle of the fighting stage. Around them, there was absolute silence. The audience was afraid to make a single noise so as not to miss a moment. Even the VIP spectators, figures of great caliber even within the Sun Empire, were silent.


    Hu Jie, the Hu Family''s future head and one of the Best Generation members against Hei, a boy who came out of nowhere but created one miracle after another. So far, Hei had overcome strong opponents who weren''t at the peak of the younger generation. However, this time, the opponent to overcome represented the best of the best that the Sun Empire could offer. So, Hei''s victory could change the cards on the table of many things inside the Empire, and for this reason, the VIP spectators were eager to know the outcome of the battle.


    "Start. " Song Yazhu proclaimed. Even he, a Spirit King and their teacher for a year, dared not give a prediction.


    Whoosh!


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate! Poison Law, Poison Coating!"


    "White Tiger Bloodline, Activate! Metal Law, Diamond Body!"


    Both of them activated their bloodlines from the beginning; since they already knew the danger of their enemy and his way of fighting, they didn''t need to hold back to probe the waters. Therefore, Hu Jie covered his body with the super-hard diamond layer while Hei coated his fingernails and toenails with poison.


    "Snake Fist!"


    "Tiger Jab!"


    The fingers of Hei''s right hand closed forward in one place. Then, using the technique''s speed, the sharp nails of that hand landed on Hu Jie''s throat, right on Adam''s apple. Simultaneously, Hu Jie''s right fist moved fast forward and landed on Hei''s nose.


    Peng!


    Hei''s claws scratched the diamond surface, leaving not even a mark. Instead, Hu Jie''s jab went to sink into Hei''s defensive layer of spirit power without doing any damage.


    "Tiger Assault."


    "Snake Run + Snake Coiling, Snake Dodging."


    Without warning, Hu Jie released jab after jab at devastating speed in Hei''s direction. The latter, however, didn''t dodge by moving away from that dangerous position. But he stayed where he was and waited for the punches to arrive. Whenever one of Hu Jie''s punches was about to hit him, Hei just had to bend his body slightly to dodge the attack.


    ''His flexibility is incredible. Although he doesn''t have a minute frame, he is capable of such movements. Hehe, he''s just like it''s a snake.'' Hu Jie chuckled to himself as he continued hitting.


    Although he couldn''t hit, Hu Jie didn''t care; there was only a big smile on his face. This was because not only was Hei constantly dodging, but he was landing one Snake First after another, crawling between Hu Jie''s onslaught of attacks.


    ''With Snake Fist speed, I can land as many hits as I want. The problem is that none of my attacks are strong enough to break his defense. In fact, they can''t even stop his charge. However, it is something I expected.'' Hei also smiled as he continued to attack and dodge at the same time.


    "Tiger Knee Kick!"


    Hu Jie took a step forward, interrupting the jab assault on Hei. Instead, he raised his right leg to strike Hei''s left side.


    ''He took a step forward to make sure his kick hit me even if I tried to move backward.'' Hei analyzed quickly. Actually, Hu Jie''s leg was more extended forward than a normal kick, so much so that more than a kick, it was rather a knee to the side. By doing so, Hu Jie made sure that Hei had no room for maneuver behind him.


    Whoosh!


    Hu Jie''s kick lashed the air as he passed over Hei. In fact, the latter had bent his back, always remaining in place, and had avoided the kick. However, Hu Jie wasn''t that easy to stop.


    As soon as he saw Hei bend backward, Hu Jie restrained his horizontal kick and swooped his leg down, concentrating the force in the heel of the foot. He made this move so smoothly that Hei had no way of avoiding it this time.


    Peng!


    Hei put his hands forward to curb the landing heel. Again, his claws created sparks as they made contact with the diamond layer. But as before, they didn''t create any fractures.


    "Tiger Stomp!"


    Hu Jie used the fact that Hei was holding his heel to climb with the rest of his body. Then he dropped his free foot with all his strength against Hei''s head.


    Peng!


    Hei''s hair stopped in front of his head. With both hands occupied, his hair was the only defense left. Hu Jie wasn''t impressed and kept dropping his left foot repeatedly against the hair shield.


    Peng! Peng! Peng!


    Hu Jie''s stomps gained more and more strength, forcing Hei to touch the floor with his back. Yet the shield of hair didn''t give out, and despite his difficult position, Hei wasn''t at all intimidated.


    ''Spider Lance, Kick Mode.''


    Whoosh!


    Hei was on the verge of using his Spider Lance variant with his left leg, but as he began to gather his spirit power, Hu Jie stopped his attacks and quickly walked away from there, relinquishing the lead position he had gained.


    ''Chills¡­ it''s been a long time since my instincts told me to dodge against someone on my level. However, my instincts have never let me down before, and I am aware that Hei possesses a technique with strong penetrating power. Nonetheless, is that technique really so much power that it can break through my diamond skin? I guess I''ll find out just by experimenting with it.''


    "HAHAHA, you become more and more fun with each passing second." Hu Jie said loudly.


    "Thank you. The same goes for you. " Hei answered as he drew his spear from his space ring. The match had started right after the start and had been so tight he hadn''t had a chance to get it out before.


    The dark purple spear was twisted in his hands a couple of times before being grabbed by his hair as if it were another limb of his body.


    "Intent of the Spear, Snake Sting."


    Hei''s spirit power focused on the tip of the spear as the bundle of hair maneuvered it from the shaft. At that point, the bundle of hair dropped the spear from above against Hu Jie as if it wanted to impale him.


    Stab!


    The tip of the spear hit the floor of the fighting stage, missing Hu Jie. However, Hei''s offensive wasn''t that simple: the bundle of hair immediately brought the spear back up and then brought it back down to where Hu Jie had moved.


    Stab!


    Once again, Hu Jie dodged with speed, but the spear had already risen to descend once more. Therefore, a shower of stabs was created, which acquired more and more momentum and penetration power each time the spear rose.


    "Tiger Dance."


    Hu Jie was forced to activate a movement technique. As a result, his movements became smoother and faster as he used his whole body to dodge. In particular, his feet came under severe pressure as they provided the momentum for his movements. But Hu Jie knew how to disperse the pressure on the feet throughout the body. Indeed, more than a movement technique, it was a real dance - a war dance.


    "Muay Thai, Tiger Flying Knee!"


    Hu Jie, in the midst of the flurry of spear strikes, shot forward like a spring. His right leg was raised as his knee was brought forward. This surprised Hei, who had to stop his attacks to dodge with a shift to his left.


    "Capoeira, Monkey Tiger."


    Seeing his knee being dodged, Hu Jie put down his raised leg to restrain his forward movement. Then with his back to Hei, he brought his body backward as his hands touched the ground. Simultaneously both of his legs lifted and landed on Hei, who was forced to parry using his arms.


    Peng!


    It was as if a hammer had hit his arms. Despite the defensive layer of spirit power, Hei felt his arms tremble with the violent power of impact. Nonetheless, it wasn''t something he couldn''t stand.


    "Tiger Kick Rain."


    Still using his hands to support his body, Hu Jie started flapping his legs back and forth, going to beat Hei''s arms. In a way, it was as if the previous situation had been reversed: first, it was Hei who attacked Hu Jie with a barrage of blows; now, it was Hu Jie''s turn to give Hei no respite.


    "Snake Fist Storm, Kick Mode."


    Hei''s left leg went up and hit Hu Jie''s body with crazy speed. The latter remained indifferent, however, as if the move had had no impact on him. But Hei didn''t stop and kept clawing his opponent with the claws of his feet.


    "Snake Tail Blow, Leg Mode:"


    After an impressive number of consecutive quick strikes, Hei bent his left leg back as far as he could. Then, he brought his leg forward as if it were a spring, and with the acquired momentum, he hit Hu Jie''s side violently.


    Peng!


    Hu Jie, this time didn''t remain unperturbed as before. Hei''s blow made itself felt and sent him flying a few meters. It wasn''t enough damage to break his diamond skin, but it was enough to feel pain.


    "Hahaha, now we are talking. No matter how quick hits you can land, if they don''t have a strength equal to the move you used just now, they are useless." Hu Jie laughed, at the same time urging him to do more damage.


    Hei didn''t answer immediately but smiled in response. Then he reached out with his left hand and folded his fingers except for the thumb back and forth as if to tell Hu Jie to step forward.


    "Then make me!"

 Chapter 221 - Hei vs. Hu Jie - 2

    "Then make me!"


    It was Hei''s response to Hu Jie''s provocation. The latter didn''t get angry but replied in a joyful tone, "All right. Then get ready."


    "Tiger Breathing."


    Instead of going on the attack as he had done up to now, Hu Jie stopped where he was. He began to exhale and inhale rapidly as his muscular c.h.e.s.t moved up and down, following his breathing rhythm.


    ''Whatever you have in mind, I won''t give you time to do it.'' thought Hei. Even though he didn''t know the technique Hu Jie was using, he knew it wasn''t good. It was stupid to give Hu Jie the time to charge this technique.


    "Intent of the Spear, Snake Sting!"


    Even if he had to attack, it wasn''t as if Hei had to expose himself. After all, just as it was true that he couldn''t allow Hu Jie to finish his technique, at the same time, it was true that attacking at that moment could leave him exposed to that unknown technique. So, attacking with his hair from a distance was the best method he came up with.


    Peng!


    The tip of the spear hit Hu Jie this time, but he remained motionless as if nothing had happened. He was continuing to circulate his breath. The spear rose again and fell once more. But Hu Jie showed no signs of being affected. Finally, however, when the spear was about to strike a third time¡­


    Whoosh!


    Hu Jie suddenly took off and found himself in front of Hei in an instant. Hei was amazed by Hu Jie''s explosiveness and acceleration and found himself completely unguarded.


    Bam!


    Hei was hit hard in the face by Hu Jie''s punch and backed away slightly. His mind was spinning at full speed to regain control of the situation. Of course, however, Hu Jie wouldn''t give him that opportunity.


    "Tiger Assault, Jeet Kune Do Style!"


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Faced with this assault, the only thing Hei was able to do was to place his arms in front of him to decrease the damage and the affected area. However, the power behind each hit was enough to cause pain even though his defensive layer of spirit power still held up.


    ''The damage and speed of execution are impressive, but that''s not what makes this move so suffocating. No, what''s really scary is his lung capacity. His breathing can sustain a similar rhythm, and with each breath, he takes, the amount of oxygen incorporated increases. If that continues, it will come to a point where he could perform an entire combo with a single breath ... if that happens, I''d be in even more trouble.''


    After thinking carefully, Hei decided to go on the counterattack. Of course, doing so would leave him more exposed, but it wasn''t as if he could devote himself to defense and hope that Hu Jie would get tired. At least not with the breathing technique Hu Jie was performing.


    "Darkness Law + Chameleon Tongue, Ink Saliva."


    Spit!


    A pitch-black liquid was ejected from Hei''s mouth. This black ink-like liquid precisely hit Hu Jie''s eyes, catching him off guard. The young man with the diamond body wasn''t expecting such a move and his punch missed the target.


    ''Now!'' Hei began gathering his spirit power in his left arm to execute Spider Lance.


    ''I can feel the chills again. This flow of spirit power ... is he going to use Spider Lance?!''


    Even without seeing, Hu Jie could still use his Spirit Sense to keep track of Hei''s location. Thanks to it, he realized that the latter was beginning to condense his spirit power in the arm.


    "As if I''m letting you do it!"


    Though deprived of sight, Hu Jie had been training to reach the pinnacle of hand-to-hand combat. So, by using his Spirit Sense, he could still fight without sight. But of course, he wouldn''t reach such a mastery level as Hei since the latter used special techniques to compensate for the lack of sight. Either way, he was at a level he wouldn''t panic even in a situation like this.


    "Tiger Suplex!"


    Hu Jie sprinted forward and then circled Hei with quick steps. The pressure from moving so quickly weighed on his feet and ankles, but this was no time to stop due to the pain.


    With a sharp movement, he put both hands around Hei''s waist and pulled with all the strength he had: his purpose was to crash Hei back into the floor and thus interrupt the charge of Spider Lance. Unfortunately, however, things didn''t go as he wanted.


    Sizzle!


    ''He doesn''t move?!'' Hu Jie exclaimed in amazement. Despite his strength, he couldn''t bring Hei''s body up, as if something was still holding him to the ground. And he soon understood what this object was.


    "Shit!" cursed Hu Jie when he noticed that Hei''s legs had unexpectedly tangled around his ankles. It was as if Hei''s leg bones had suddenly disappeared, making them absurdly flexible.


    Stab!


    Suddenly, as Hei''s legs trapped Hu Jie, the dark purple spear that had been on the sidelines during the Tiger Assault sank into Hu Jie''s right flank. And to everyone''s astonishment, the diamond layer covering Hu Jie''s body shattered, and blood leaked out, staining the spear blade.


    BAM!


    Hu Jie slammed both fists violently against Hei, but by now, the young man had released his grip on Hu Jie and, retrieving the spear, had stepped back just in time to dodge the attack.


    Peng!


    With blood still leaking from his hip, Hu Jie put his left hand to his face forcefully and tore the sticky, pitch-black substance that obscured his vision. His eyes were now glowing with a wild light, like a mad beast after suffering a wound. However, it only lasted a moment, and the next instant, Hu Jie had resumed his usual playful aspect.


    But if Hu Jie had managed to regain his calm in the blink of an eye, that couldn''t be said of the wide-eyed audience. Hu Jie was the Hu Family''s future head; he possessed the strongest Metal Law Bloodline of the entire Sun Empire. He also managed to absorb the strongest material in nature - the diamond. So it was no exaggeration to say that he possessed the highest defense of all the participants. Yet now he had been injured, and it hadn''t even been that long since the fight began.


    "How did he do?! Did he really manage to pierce through Hu Jie''s body?!"


    "Am I dreaming or what? Is the impenetrable defense about to be defeated?"


    Voices of astonishment emerged from the audience. In particular, the Academy''s students and other members of the younger generation from outside were the most amazed. They had seen how hard Hu Jie''s body was, and inside them, the conviction had formed that his body was indeed an impenetrable defense. Yet, the reality before their eyes at this moment was quite different.


    But if they were lost in amazement and couldn''t understand how Hei had managed to break through Hu Jie''s defenses, the latter already had a clear understanding of the dynamics behind the incident.


    "Your knowledge of the Poison Law is very high. All this time, you have been aiming to hit me with quick attacks to spread your poison and reduce the diamond layer on my body. Not to mention that you used a delayed poison to lure me into a false sense of security and strike at the right moment. Even though I had foreseen such a tactic, I admit that I got too caught up in the heat. But don''t think that you are the only one who has thought of such a tactic."


    After saying this, Hu Jie placed his hand on the wound on his side. With his spirit power, he stopped the blood from flowing and restored the broken diamond layer. Nonetheless, even though on the outside it might look like he was unharmed again, he wasn''t. Restoring the shattered diamond layer consumed far more spirit power than creating it the first time and keeping it active during battle.


    ''Does he want to leave the offensive to me?'' Hei wondered as he watched Hu Jie''s actions. Having restored the shattered diamond layer, his opponent didn''t move but took up a fighting stance and remained in place.


    Watching this, the spectators in the stands became speechless. It was the first time Hu Jie had assumed a fully defensive fighting stance, leaving the offensive entirely to the opponent.


    "Since you insist, then I won''t back down," Hei said without dragging it out for too long. ''Even though I hurt him, it''s only a marginal wound. If I want to win, I have to hurt him seriously. To do that, I have to get close. My most powerful attacks are all close-combat moves. So if he wants to focus on defense, that''s good for me too.''


    "Snake Fist Storm."


    Hei threw himself into the attack: his goal was to hit Hu Jie''s body again with quick attacks to reduce the stability of the latter''s diamond skin. It was a tactic that had worked, and although Hu Jie might have countermeasures, it was worth a try.


    ''Before, I had to hold back the amount of poison so as not to alert Hu Jie immediately. However, now that I can''t fool him as before, I might as well use a higher dose.''


    The spirit power on Hei''s fingers increased in intensity as they took on a more purplish hue, a sign of the greater presence of spirit power.


    Peng!


    Hei''s Snake Fist dashed forward, but this time, instead of dodging or taking damage, Hu Jie parried the attack. He parried it using his elbow, aiming at the wrist of Hei''s outstretched arm. In doing so, he managed to deflect Snake Fist from his trajectory and at the same time leave Hei partly unguarded.


    Peng!


    Hei reacted using his other hand, but once again, Hu Jie parried using his elbow and returned with a straight punch. Hei dodged the punch and resumed his attacking stance. Nonetheless, Hu Jie''s defense technique was impregnable: he would always deflect any blow with his elbows or dodge using his footwork.


    ''Is he using silat? As expected by Hu Jie: you have an immediate answer to every situation. But what about this?''


    "Snake Whip + Snake Fist, Whip Snake Fist."


    When the right fist was blocked for the umpteenth time by Hu Jie, Hei used Snake Whip and Snake Fist to use a combined technique. Snake Whip allowed him to soften the bones of his arm, increasing its attack range and flexibility. So, joining it with Snake Fist caused the fist to bend at the contact between his wrist and Hu Jie''s elbow and stretch again.


    Scratch!


    Hei''s Whip Snake Fist struck Hu Jie in the face, and the latter was surprised to see his silat defense being penetrated like that. But Hei hadn''t finished his attack yet.


    "Intent of the Spear, Poison Law, Poison Crescent Blade!"


    Hei''s hair carried the dark purple spear towards his left arm. Then, using both the strength of his arm and his hair, he waved the spear diagonally from bottom to top.


    A diagonal gash was drawn on Hu Jie''s body, going from his right hip to his left shoulder. This time there was no blood mark, but the area of ??broken diamond was wider, which was what Hei was aiming for.


    "Spider Lance!"


    So, he condensed his spirit power to use Spider Lance; This time, however, he wouldn''t fail. With Hu Jie''s defense broken, the damage would be much greater than if he had used it against a full-strength Hu Jie.


    "Lethwei, Tiger Headbutt!"


    Stab! Crack!


    Hei''s left arm advanced towards Hu Jie''s stomach and pierced the diamond layer reaching deep into the flesh. However, some of Spider Lance''s power was dispersed because Hu Jie had counterattacked at the same time.


    Tiger Headbutt. It was the move used by Hu Jie, which consisted of a simple headbutt. Yet, it wasn''t that simple as it instantly shattered Hei''s spirit power. But it didn''t just stop there: it broke Hei''s nose, causing blood to spill over his face, and made him roll backward for several meters.


    "Hei!" Lian called out Hei''s name. She was fully aware of the danger of that technique, and Hei had received it in full. The damage didn''t have to be limited to just a broken nose. The other teammates watching the match also had worried faces, especially Ye and Xing, who wanted to enter the field and support their big brother.


    "He took the Tiger Headbutt in full¡­ I can''t imagine what kind of damage he received internally," commented Feng Chen, who had a fearful expression as if he remembered something unpleasant.


    "Do you think this is the end?" Long Tian asked him.


    "I don''t know. The first time I received the Tiger Headbutt from Hu Jie, I almost fainted on the spot. Luckily Hu Jie hadn''t mastered that technique yet. But now, I don''t know how scary it could have become. After all, since that day, I have promised myself not to allow Hu Jie to use the Tiger Headbutt."


    Feng Chen''s comment left everyone speechless. Even he, with all his talent and strength, was afraid of receiving Hu Jie''s technique in full.


    Cough!


    Hu Jie spat blood and fell to his knees. His hand was placed on the stomach wound he had received. The blood fell copiously to the ground without a sign to stop.


    ''Shit¡­ it really pierced me right. But even if it''s deep, I can still keep fighting for a little while longer. I just have to finish as briefly as possible.''


    Hu Jie f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y stopped the bleeding again and restored the diamond layer on his body. His dark skin now had a faint pallor from blood loss. His spirit power was also beginning to show signs of instability.


    Meanwhile, Hei was still lying on the ground with his eyes closed. Blood was running copiously from his nose, and he seemed apparently unconscious.


    "Get up. I know you can still fight." Hu Jie said as he spat the blood acc.u.mulated on his mouth on the ground.


    ''In the same way that I dispersed the power of his technique, Hei did the same. If it weren''t for the pain I felt at the time, I would have inflicted even more damage. But even so, I don''t think I would have knocked him out on the spot. His bones¡­ at the moment of impact, they became incredibly soft. Instead of resisting by condensing the spirit power, he used the tactic of the soft to mitigate the damage. Not to mention the backward movement to accompany the momentum of my head¡­. he really has an instinct out of the ordinary.''


    While Hu Jie analyzed what had happened, Hei stood up. His nose didn''t seem to stop bleeding, but he wasn''t that worried. Instead, he brought his hand to his nose and forcefully straightened it, ignoring the pain.


    ''His headbutt¡­ if it weren''t for Spider-Lance that has despaired some of the power and for the training Mother subjected me to, I don''t think I could have stood up. You are really a first-class hand-to-hand fighter.''


    "Well, how about we end the dance, Hei?" Hu Jie asked.


    "I agree. I''m ready when you want." Hei replied.


    The fight between these two first-class martial artists was coming to an end.

 Chapter 222 - Hei vs. Hu Jie - 3

    Hei and Hu Jie faced each other. Both were visibly injured, and their spirit power had dropped a lot and was running out. Therefore, the fight between the two was about to enter the final stage.


    "Sumo Style, Tiger Charge."


    Hu Jie spread his legs and lowered his back. Then, concentrating his spirit power in his legs, he charged forward against Hei.


    "Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode."


    Hei chose not to receive Hu Jie''s charge head-on but opted to dodge altogether instead. He tasted on his body what Hu Jie''s full power could do. Receiving another blow like that could make him lose the match.


    Stomp! Stomp!


    Hu Jie''s feet thundered like drums every time they hit the floor, demonstrating the explosiveness behind this running technique. Indeed Hei had done well to dodge, but Hu Jie''s technique was not as trivial as a simple run.


    Crack!


    Hu Jie''s ankles rotated following Hei''s movement. The diamond layer on that area began to shatter due to the pressure, but in that way, Hu Jie could change direction without losing the momentum gained.


    ''The situation is dangerous.''


    Hei quickly realized that Hu Jie''s movement technique was gaining speed, even surpassing Spider Run. Although he was using the Two-Legged Mode, it was still the technique his mother had taught him. However, it was the first time he had met someone who could really surpass it.


    ''If I can''t face it openly, then I''ll just have to slip through.''


    Hei whirled around and then ran to meet Hu Jie. The latter was surprised but didn''t hesitate. He had reached a high enough momentum not to be afraid of anything.


    Stomp! Stomp!


    "Snake Coiling, Snake Flicker!"


    Slip!


    Hei had now come within collision distance with Hu Jie, but the vicious crash didn''t occur. Instead, unexpectedly, Hei had twisted his body to such an insane level that he practically wrapped himself around Hu Jie''s body.


    "F.u.c.k!" Hu Jie cursed, but it was too late now. Hei had slid his body, using Hu Jie''s, to position himself behind the latter, thus dodging the deadly Tiger Charge.


    "Snake Binding + Snake Coiling, Choking Snake Hold."


    Hei''s right arm tightened around Hu Jie''s throat while his left arm went behind Hu Jie''s head to keep him from freeing himself from the submission hold. At the same time, Hei wrapped his legs around Hu Jie''s h.i.p.s as his hair released its grip on the spear and went to lock the young man''s diamond arms.


    "His flexibility technique has reached an amazing level."


    "While it''s not that influential on its own in the course of combat, when combined with all the other techniques shown so far, it''s certainly a lethal weapon."


    "That boy''s flexibility technique may have even surpassed that of the She Family."


    "Are you joking? How could someone who comes from an unknown place possess techniques that can overcome the Eight Big Families?"


    "Yet it is the reality before our eyes. An unknown martial artist with no background, coming from a place far below the Continent in all aspects, is winning over the best of the best that the Sun Empire has to offer. "


    While the spectators were in raptures, Hei was choking Hu Jie with all his strength. The diamond layer provided nearly perfect protection against any kind of physical or elemental damage, limited only by knowledge of the Metal Law and the user''s spirit power. However, even the most powerful technique had its flaws.


    Aside from the damage caused by the Illusion Law that attacked the mind and senses, the diamond layer had a weakness against impact damage as it couldn''t completely block the vibrations resulting from contact. And although Hei''s wasn''t an impact damage technique, it was still true that it created pressure around Hu Jie''s throat, approaching the diamond layer''s maximum tolerance threshold.


    "You are really f.u.c.k.i.n.g strong. Forcing me to use it ... you''re the first one I use it against." Hu Jie said in a low voice because of the strangulation he was receiving, "Metal Law, Mercury Body."


    Suddenly, the diamond layer covering Hu Jie''s body vanished under everyone''s eyes. However, soon after, Hu Jie began to dissolve in a silver-colored liquid substance, freeing himself from Hei''s hold.


    It was the reaction shared by everyone watching, except for one person - Hu Luoyang, Hu Jie''s father. Even Feng Chen and Long Tian looked completely surprised.


    "So he managed to do it? I didn''t think it was possible, yet he really did it." Long Tian commented.


    "Yeah, that madman did it for real. That''s very typical of him." Feng Chen answered with a slight smile on his lips.


    "What''s going on with Hu Jie?" Leon and He Fen asked together. Feng Chen and Long Tian were familiar with Hu Jie''s techniques, but even they were impressed. But they still had to know something from their words.


    "The Metal Law allows its users to tune with one or more elements according to their inclination. Usually, these are metals or other rather hard solid substances. Naturally, the better the material, the more difficult it is to understand the Law, but at the same time, the resulting technique will be stronger. Hu Jie, after great efforts, managed to tune with the Imperial Diamond, the hardest material that can be found in nature. But despite this, even the Imperial Diamond has its limits." Long Tian explained and then left the word to Feng Chen, who continued the explanation.


    "Hu Jie saw the problem and tried to find a solution. First, he researched the entire Sun Empire, using the resources of his family as well. Unfortunately, however, there was no other material superior to the Imperial Diamond in terms of hardness. At that point, he decided to opt for another path: rather than looking for something that surpassed the Imperial Diamond, he would choose something that could make up for its shortcomings. Eventually, he came to select a specific material: the Mercury Hydrargyrum, a liquid-type metal.


    Only, no one had ever managed to tune with that material. Not even his father, the head of the Hu Family, or any of his ancestors. Even in the entire history of the Sun Empire, this is the first time this has happened. From now on, regardless of what Hu Jie does in the future, his name will forever be remembered as the first person to have absorbed Mercury Hydrargyrum as material for the Metal Law."


    Hearing this, everyone nearby opened their eyes wide. The creation of a legend was happening before their eyes at this very moment. And the protagonist of that legend wasn''t Hei, but his opponent.


    Slip!


    The silver liquid moved and slid along the floor, coming up behind Hei, who was also surprised like everyone else. At that point, the silver liquid resumed a human form before solidifying and showing Hu Jie''s body again.


    "Tiger Back Breaker!"


    Hu Jie''s left arm aimed at Hei''s throat while his right arm aimed at his t.h.i.g.hs. The cubital fossa, the part that joined the arm and forearm, of the left arm was positioned over Hei''s Adam''s apple and pushed down. Simultaneously, Hu Jie lowered himself by moving his head forward so that Hei''s falling body was positioned above his back. Finally, the right arm pushed down to the area just above the knee.


    Crack!


    Hu Jie''s movements were fluid and rapid. In an instant, he had immobilized Hei, and by pushing with both arms, he was creating painful pressure on the latter''s spine. If this situation continued, it was only a matter of time before Hei''s back gave way and snapped. The only consolation the Hei had was that he had managed to get his hands around his neck before it was too late. Otherwise, he would have had to worry about both the strangulation and the pressure in his back.


    Crack!


    Hei tried to resist by pushing his hands forward and lifting the arm, holding his upper body locked. However, given the peculiar position his arms were in, the strength he could exert was limited. He also tried to use his abs'' strength, but even that was little against the strength contained in Hu Jie''s muscular arms.


    "Hei, give up. You cannot break free. Don''t make me break your back for real."


    Hu Jie''s voice contained a slight plea. He liked Hei as a person and considered him a rival. This fight was the proof: Hei had pushed Hu Jie to the limit, even making him use his most secret card. Yet, even if he were to lose, Hei still showed his strength and talent.


    Hei didn''t respond with words but used his actions: he concentrated his spirit power in his claws of his hands and closed his fingers on the exposed flesh of Hu Jie. Simultaneously, he used the spirit imprint on his spear to maneuver it with his mind.


    "And so be it. But you wanted it, remember it." Hu Jie replied, recreating the diamond layer on his body. Even though he was tired after activating the Mercury Body, he could still activate his Diamond Body one last time.


    Peng!


    Both Hei''s fingernails and his spear failed. Hu Jie was betting everything in this move: he wanted to end the fight right now. So he concentrated all his remaining spirit power on his body and prepared to resist any attack from Hei.


    Nails, spear, hair, and even teeth. Hei tried hard to free himself, but Hu Jie''s defense was too strong. And finally, what Hu Jie warned happened.


    Crack!


    There was a sharp crack, and Hei''s body took an unnatural arch as he fell to the floor. It was difficult to understand Hei''s precise conditions from the stands, but one thing was sure: Hei had lost, and the winner was Hu Jie.


    "VICTORY!"


    Hu Jie screamed at the top of his voice, raising his right fist high. His diamond body had been deactivated, revealing his battered appearance. He was covered with various wounds blocked by the last glimmers of spirit power left in him and which he had kept aside not to lose blood.


    Clap! Clap!


    The public in the stands stood up, applauding and cheering Hu Jie''s victory. The fight had been exciting from the start, full of twists and turns. Finally, however, the young man from the Forgotten Ocean had fallen in front of the wall of the Sun Empire.


    However, although the audience was applauding, the VIP gallery spectators were still seated in their seats and were looking with sharp eyes at the battle stage. And this didn''t go unnoticed, also attracting the attention of Hu Jie.


    "What happens? Why does my father have such a serious look on his face?" Hu Jie was perplexed. He had broken Hei''s back, and Hei lay motionless on the ground. No doubt he was the winner, and yet something was missing. "Song Yazhu teacher! He didn''t declare the end of the fight ... "


    Clench!


    A menacing figure swooped in from behind Hu Jie: this was none other than Hei. As before, Hei blocked Hu Jie''s throat in a strangling move.


    "You!" Hu Jie exclaimed in amazement as he felt Hei''s arms tighten around his neck.


    "Shit. I have no more spirit power left to use Diamond Body, let alone Mercury Body. So is that how this fight is going to end? Am I going to lose? NO? ! Not yet. Not as long as I have strength left."


    Hu Jie placed his fingers on the arm that was choking him, "Tiger Grip!"


    Rip!


    Hu Jie''s fingers sank into Hei''s flesh and tore it apart. Splashes of blood wet Hu Jie''s hands, but Hei didn''t let go even after this.


    ''He reduced his spirit power to condense it on the bones, thus leaving the skin unprotected? All to make sure not to let go? '' Hu Jie thought before saying to Hei, "You are so funny..."


    Hu Jie lost consciousness shortly after saying this and fell to the ground. Accompanying him on the ground was Hei, who let go of his neck, freeing Hu Jie.


    "The winner is Hei!" Song Yazhu declared, putting an end to the fight.


    The audience was stunned by this scene. Until a few moments before, they had been celebrating Hu Jie''s victory, and yet now the winner was Hei. So how come Song Yazhu had declared the end of the fight now and not before when Hu Jie broke Hei''s back?


    Seeing the doubtful looks from the audience, Song Yazhu explained, "In the previous exchange, Hu Jie didn''t break Hei''s back. Rather, it was Hei who broke his. He used a hard-to-notice technique with which he loosened the cohesion of his spine. In doing so, he made Hu Jie believe that his back had been broken and he had been defeated."


    Hei broke his back of his own free will? Dissolving the cohesion between the bones? Was such a thing possible?


    The low-rank or less talented martial artists who made up most of the audience hadn''t noticed anything strange and therefore had a hard time accepting Song Yazhu''s explanation. But all the VIP grandstand guests had noticed it: Hei had really done what Song Yazhu said.


    "And thus, Hu Jie lost. I''m shocked," said Feng Qing; he didn''t expect such a result.


    "Son ..." Hu Luoyang muttered in front of his son''s defeat.


    Hu Luoyang knew of Hu Jie''s talent: the highest talent ever produced by the Hu Family. Although he didn''t agree with some of his choices, such as focusing solely on hand-to-hand combat instead of using a weapon, he had always supported him. He had provided him with the best resources and techniques, even exploiting the family''s resources to find rare materials. Yet, despite all these efforts, Hu Jie had lost.


    "Are you okay, Luoyang?" asked Feng Qing with a worried expression. As the head of the family, he could understand more or less what Hu Luoyang was going through.


    "Hahaha! So my son lost?! Well, very well. Headmaster Jing, it seems I have to compliment you. The Academy has produced a martial artist capable of beating the best genius of the Hu Family."


    Unlike what one might have expected from someone in his position, Hu Luoyang wasn''t angry or humiliated by his son''s defeat at the hands of an unknown martial artist with no background.


    "Hu Jie fought to the fullest of his power, using all his cards at his disposal. If even so, he failed to beat him. The result can only be blamed on Hei''s superiority. My son still has a lot to learn. I hope you can continue to follow and train him." Hu Luoyang bowed his head towards Principal Long Jing, sincerely expressing his request.


    "There is no need for you to bow Luoyang. Your son is part of this Academy, so it is more than granted that he will be raised to the fullest." Long Jing replied diplomatically.


    Meanwhile, the two fighters had been transported off the battlefield to be treated. Both had serious injuries that needed to be treated as soon as possible.


    "Mareo, power us up. Haruno, start preparing something warm and easy to eat to restore Hei''s spirit power. Mia, you hold his spine still while I examine giving." Lillian immediately gave a series of orders to her fellow support martial artists.


    Mareo began to sing, empowering Mia and Lillian as Haruno began cooking something in the corner. Hei''s injuries were pretty serious, not so much to be life-threatening, but due to the difficulty of treatment and the long recovery period. His backbones were currently barely attached by spirit power, and a long operation was required to reattach them.


    "Sorry for the trouble." Hei apologized weakly, struggling to keep his clarity.


    "Hei!"


    ''Big Brother!''


    ''Big Brother!''


    Lian, Xing, and Ye came to him worried. Although Hei wasn''t life-threatening and was being treated, they couldn''t help but feel pain when they saw him on the ground, unable to get up.


    "It''s all right. I''ll recover soon. Rather now, there is something more important: He Fen''s match. Lian, Ye, Xing help me look while others heal me, okay?" Hei asked, hinting a smile to reassure them.


    "Stupid ... focus on getting well. I''ll record the fight for you." Lian scolded him, but she had a better complexion after hearing Hei''s request.


    Hei smiled back and did as Lian said. Then, he closed his eyes and let Mia and Lillian do their work as he fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 223 - Bifang vs. Phoenix

    "How is he?" Leon asked Mia and Lillian. Beside him were also He Fen, Lang, and Fenrir.


    "His conditions are stable, and he has no internal bleeding. However, there is a lot of work to be done in resealing the spine." Lillian hastily replied.


    "I see," Leon answered with a serious face.


    ''Hei fought Hu Jie, but he had to push this far to win. This means that if I want to beat Long Tian, ??someone comparable to Hu Jie, then I have to put the same will as Hei.''


    It wasn''t just Leon who thought so. He Fen was also thinking the same thing.


    "The next two fighters to take the field are Feng Chen of the Feng Family and He Fen of the He Family." Song Yazhu called the next two martial artists to the combat stage.


    Hearing his name being called, He Fen took a breath before walking to the stage.


    ''Hei fought hard, but in the end, he succeeded. The Eight Big Families aren''t invincible. If I''m willing to use every bit of my strength without sparing anything, then I have a chance.''


    "It seems you have found your resolve." A voice came from behind. It was Feng Chen. "Very well, I''m happy about it. I honestly never considered anyone other than the Best Generation to be my rivals before coming here. But then I met Hei, and I changed my mind. Especially now after he beat Hu Jie in his field, the hand-to-hand combat.


    However, I must confess that I have begun to be curious about you. In a short space of time, you made amazing progress, winning against opponents who looked stronger on paper. I know this is partly related to Hei, but I also know that if it weren''t for your determination, you wouldn''t have made it this far."


    "Why are you telling me all these things?" He Fen asked, somewhat taken aback. He didn''t expect to receive such compliments from Feng Chen.


    "It is for the reason that you are fighting. As the son of the family head, I am familiar with the privileges that I have. At the same time, I am also familiar with the duties that this legacy brings. I know very well how vicious and overwhelming the rules imposed by the Bloodline Families can be. In other words, I''m saying that I cheer for you. If you show them that you can stand up to me or even outdo me, you could make those old people in your family change their minds."


    "You know about it?!" He Fen was amazed. He hadn''t told anyone but his closest companions about why he wanted to become stronger: to free his sister from the fate of unhappiness that awaited her. But thinking about it, it was normal for Feng Chen to be informed. After all, he was part of one of the Eight Big Families, who, along with the Imperial Family, monitored every movement within the Sun Empire.


    Feng Chen didn''t reply but motioned for him to keep advancing. Together they went up the battle stage and faced each other. The chatter was over; now it was time to fight.


    "Let the fight begin!"


    At the start of Song Yazhu, both Feng Chen and He Fen drew their weapons. Feng Chen drew his sword while He Fen his wheels of wind and fire.


    Peng!


    Feng Chen''s sword blade made contact with the circular blades of the wheels of wind and fire, creating a metallic noise.


    Both the sword and the wheels of wind and fire became covered with flames. Sizzles of flames flew around the two fighters creating a picturesque image as if the viewers were standing in front of a painting.


    Peng!


    Seeing that Fen He had resisted the first hit, Feng Chen withdrew his sword to attack another part of He Fen''s body. The latter, however, had his senses to the fullest and promptly followed the movement of the sword. He parried using one of his two circular weapons while attacking with the other.


    Slash!


    The flaming circular blade was avoided with ease. Feng Chen wasn''t caught off guard and just moved his body. At the same time, he took advantage of such forced displacement to withdraw his sword and direct it elsewhere.


    An intense exchange of blades and flames was created. Small residues of fire colored the surrounding environment red and orange whenever the sword and the wheels of wind and fire met. Furthermore, these residues made the air blurry, giving the impression that the fight was taking place inside a fire.


    Bam!


    Suddenly, in the middle of the confrontation between blades, Feng Chen performed a horizontal kick, hitting He Fen''s left leg at the calf from the side. While this didn''t do real harm given the presence of the defensive layer of spirit power, it was enough to destabilize He Fen momentarily.


    "Shit!" He Fen swore; he had made the mistake of paying attention only to the sword. After all, in his previous matches, Feng Chen had achieved his victories thanks to his sword. So it was clear that the core of his abilities was concentrated there.


    After performing the sweep, Feng Chen spun around quickly and then made a kick into his opponent''s stomach. He Fen was pushed back as he felt his spirit power shrink slightly to the height of his stomach.


    ''I let myself be fooled. He''s unexpectedly good with kicks.'' thought He Fen.


    Slash!


    As He Fen backed away, Feng Chen didn''t stand still. Instead, he followed up as he rested his leg on the ground while his sword was ready to strike. Fortunately, He Fen had noticed Feng Chen''s pursuit and dodged the approaching sword.


    At that point, the two returned to collide their weapons covered with flames. However, this time, a change could be seen: first, He Fen''s attacks were faster and more decisive; now, however, they were more contained for fear of counterattack by his opponent''s legs.


    ''He''s going to do it again.''


    He Fen noticed that Feng Chen had started to lift his right foot again. With the experience of a while ago, he had purposely limited the intensity of his attacks so as not to be caught off guard. But unfortunately, Feng Chen proved more cunning.


    Wham!


    Feng Chen pretended to raise his leg and use the same attack as before. But, instead, he thrust his right arm forward in the form of a closed fist, "Fire Law, Fire Fist."


    Slash!


    The flame-covered sword rose high and then fell back. He Fen didn''t have the time to dodge this time and could only place his wind and fire wheels in opposition to avoid being cut.


    Peng!


    The descent of the sword was stopped, but He Fen wasn''t in a good position. He knew he had to fight back, or he would end up falling into Feng Chen''s battle pace.


    "Fire Law, Flame Torrent!"


    Two streams of flames were released from the two wheels of wind and fire, hitting Feng Chen in full. The latter promptly backed away to avoid unnecessary damage. But, aside from a reduction in his spirit power, he was virtually unharmed.


    "Bifang Bird Bloodline, activate! Intent of the Wheels of Wind and Fire, Remote Control Mode! Fire Law of Fire, Fire Fist!"


    As soon as he had a breather, He Fen decided to go all out. He activated his bloodline, and his fists were covered in fire. Simultaneously, its wheels of wind and fire were placed at his sides as they were mentally commanded.


    ''Hei said my only way to win is to turn the battle into a contest between flames. Then so be it.''


    ''I''m not as good at hand-to-hand combat as Hei; however, it isn''t even necessary. My main assets are my flames. My body is just a means to spread them and make them reach the target.'' He Fen braced himself for the counterattack, determined to use his full power.


    ''So he resolved himself. Well, then it''s my turn, I guess.'' thought Feng Chen before getting really serious, "Phoenix Bloodline, activate!"


    A fire wing appeared from his back and spread out into the air, causing the temperature to rise. Seeing this, He Fen smiled bitterly at the overwhelming sensation he was feeling when facing his opponent.


    "It is truly incredible. I can feel my whole body tremble before the authority of his flames. But even so, I''m not going to give up. Wheels of Fire and Wind, attack!"


    The two circular weapons moved forward, aiming at Feng Chen. The latter was already ready and was waiting for the right moment to dodge. However, he found that he had miscalculated his calculations: instead of trying to cut him, the wheels of wind and fire moved to his sides and then poured red-green flames on him.


    Whoosh!


    Feng Chen dodged the two blazes using his incredible reflexes and speed. Nonetheless, the attack left him in the open.


    Bam! Blaze!


    He Fen''s punch came as Feng Chen dodged the two blazes. However, as soon as he made contact with his target''s body, He Fen''s fist generated more flames that assaulted Feng Chen.


    "Intent of the Wheels of Wind and Fire, Flamming Bombardment!"


    The wind and fire wheels began firing fireballs at Feng Chen, who was forced to use his footwork technique to keep up with the bombing. But He Fen wasn''t going to limit himself to just that.


    "Wheels of Wind and Fire, come!"


    He Fen recalled his wheels of wind and fire into his hands. But, unfortunately, his weapons contained only a part of his spirit power which was quickly exhausted to carry out the blaze and bombing. If he wanted to continue with his tactic, he had to reinsert more spirit power.


    "Intent of the Sword, Fire Tear!"


    Feng Chen took advantage of the end of the bombing to wave his sword. A blade of fire escaped from the weapon and crossed the air vertically in He Fen''s direction.


    Peng!


    Seeing the blade of fire approaching, He Fen placed one of his wind and fire wheels under his feet and kicked it, giving himself the necessary thrust to propel himself diagonally forward and thus dodge the attack. Then he did the same thing again, using the other wheel of wind and fire. This time, the push placed him behind Feng Chen.


    "Fire Fist!"


    "Phoenix Wing Phoenix!"


    Fists and wing collided, creating a burst of flames. The two fighters were pushed back as their respective flames ate each other. From the exchange that just took place, it could be seen that incredibly the flames of He Fen hadn''t lost in power against those of Feng Chen.


    "Were the flames of the Bifang Bird Bloodline that powerful?" asked a young man in the VIP gallery. He was one of the many youngsters brought to attend the tournament to broaden their vision of the art of fighting. Even though he was only a spirit apprentice, he had good talent and high potential. Yet, faced with He Fen''s show of strength, he couldn''t help but be incredulous. The same was true for the other young people in the VIP stand and those in the other stadium sections.


    Feng Chen, the representative of the Feng Family and one of the Best Generation, was drawing in a fight of flames against someone from an inferior family like the He Family.


    However, more experienced viewers could clearly observe that Feng Chen''s flames weren''t yet at their peak. Nonetheless, they had to admit that He Fen''s performance was better than what they had thought, so much so that they began to reconsider the He Family''s potential.


    "Are you aiming for a fight of flames?" Feng Chen asked after stabilizing himself from the outbreak of fire techniques. His eyes had an amused light as if he found He Fen''s approach extremely interesting.


    "Yes," He Fen admitted without hiding it, "it''s the only way I can beat you. After all, you are superior in me in every other respect."


    "I congratulate you on your choice. Not many would be willing to do this against me. Most would attempt to use their secondary Elemental Laws or other types of tactics. Nonetheless, there is something you are wrong about. As strong as the Bifang Bird flames are, the flames of the Phoenix burn more intensely. Now I''ll show you."


    When Feng Chen said so, suddenly, his wing of fire behind his back began to crumble into little flames. These flames then began to condense on his mouth, being swallowed one by one.


    At this sight, the spectators who had personally witnessed the fight of a Feng Family representative couldn''t help but widen their eyes.


    "The Phoenix Breath? So young but already able to use it?"


    "Is he exaggerating? There is no way that the young man from the He Family can resist it."


    "You are right. If he can''t control it, there is also the danger that He Fen will die."


    When they saw Feng Chen''s technique, these battle-experienced spectators declared the end of the fight within themselves. In their memories, it was well printed how powerful the Phoenix Breath was.


    "Bifang flames! Give me your strength!" He Fen yelled as he concentrated all he had on producing the most powerful flames he had ever generated.


    ''You''re playing it all out now, He Fen. Hold nothing back but release the strongest flame you have.'' He Fen told himself as red-green flames gathered in his hands. Even if the opponent were someone as phenomenal as Feng Chen, he wouldn''t back away. He had promised he would no longer hesitate with insecurity. He would keep moving forward, one step at a time.


    "Fire Law, Phoenix Breath!"


    "Fire Law, Flame Torrent!"


    The two flames exploded forward and met halfway with incredible violence. The moment they met, they began to devour each other without giving in an inch. The two young men were continuously emitting more flames to provide more fuel to their flames.


    ''I can do it! I can beat him! ''


    He Fen''s conviction strengthened with each passing second. Finally, his flames, in which no one but his companions had ever believed, were now getting the respect they deserved. But, unfortunately, the flames of the Phoenix weren''t so easy to take down.


    Blaze!


    Feng Chen''s blaze began to advance, literally devouring He Fen''s. It began by advancing a few millimeters and then gaining more speed until it eventually hit He Fen.


    Blaze!


    He Fen was swept away by the Phoenix Breath. His defensive layer of spirit power held out for a few moments before crumbling to the destructive power of that flame. Fortunately, Feng Chen immediately canceled the technique after winning the battle of force. Despite this, however, he couldn''t avoid causing severe burns in He Fen.


    "The winner is Feng Chen."

 Chapter 224 - Leon vs. Long Tian

    "The winner is Feng Chen."


    Song Yazhu declared the end of the fight. As expected, Feng Chen was the winner. Yet, the opposition shown by He Fen had amazed everyone. A young man who had previously been a complete nobody had managed to advance to the quarter-finals of a first-class tournament.


    Not only had he beaten strong opponents with an impressive background, but he had also managed to put Feng Chen in trouble enough to make him use the Phoenix Breath, one of the most powerful techniques in possession of the Feng Family. This alone was an amazing result.


    "Your flames are still too little intense. But there is indeed a possibility that the Bifang Bird could fly at the same altitude as the Phoenix. I hope that day will happen as soon as possible." Feng Chen whispered to He Fen.


    Although the latter was unconscious, Feng Chen wanted to compliment him for the way he had fought. Meanwhile, the Academy''s supporting martial artists took the unconscious He Fen away to medicate him.


    Those who lost were treated directly by the Academy staff to ensure the martial artist''s complete recovery. After all, serious or even fatal injuries were a real risk: a simple spirit soldier was unable to heal such wounds alone and in a short time. And that was to Hei''s advantage.


    Mia, Lilian, Mareo, and Haruno were currently busy healing Hei. His injuries required the intervention of all four of them if they were to get him back in the optimal fighting condition the next day. Therefore, they wouldn''t have had the opportunity to deal with Feng Chen as well. Either way, they trusted the Academy staff and knew He Fen was in good hands.


    "And now the last match of the day. To take the field will be the Imperial Prince Long Tian and Leon."


    Song Yazhu called out the names of the next two fighters. This match would also be the last of the tournament''s quarter-finals and decreed the four semi-finalists'' last.


    Long Tian and Leon answered Song Yazhu''s call. There was no chatter between them as they approached the fighting stage. Both were full of determination and could see the d.e.s.i.r.e for victory in the opponent''s eyes.


    "Let the fight begin!" Song Yazhu started the fight.


    Peng!


    The two fighters instantly activated their spirit power and dashed forward as they summoned their weapons. Leon''s greatsword then fell from top to bottom, taking advantage of the size advantage. Still, Long Tian''s hooked swords, however thin they looked when compared to such a greatsword, didn''t move at all. Instead, they took full impact and stopped the greatsword in midair.


    ''As I thought. Although they appear thin, they are heavy. Is it because of the material they were made of or because of a technique?'' Leon analyzed as he tried to push his greatsword down.


    "Repel."


    Long Tian used his repulsion technique, thrusting Leon''s sword upward. Then he tried a thrust using his right hook sword.


    Stab!


    The hook sword moved quickly forward, but Leon deftly dodged to the side. Even though he had Spirit Metal armor weighing him down, he had trained hard to learn how to fight without it being an obstacle to his movements. Of course, in that state, he couldn''t hope to match martial artists like Hei in speed who possessed swift movement techniques or quick attack fighting styles. However, there was to be said that with the defense provided by the spirit armor, he had to worry much less about being hit.


    ''My armor gives me an extra layer of protection. But even it has a limit. As far as I can, I must avoid the blows.''


    Leon made his greatsword descend again. Once again, the hook swords blocked his attack without a hint of vacillation.


    "Repel."


    Leon''s greatsword was raised high again as Long Tian tried another thrust. This time, however, the speed of the thrust was faster than before. Fortunately, Leon was already ready.


    "Sky Fist."


    Peng!


    Leon''s left fist filled with spirit power as he advanced. The armor and sword collided halfway, making a loud clang.


    ''It feels like I hit a mountain wall ... If it weren''t for my armor, even a normal hit like this could do me damage.''


    "Double Repulsion."


    As Long Tian said this, Leon felt something pull his fist outward. Simultaneously, he felt his greatsword being pulled back so that he couldn''t lower it forward.


    Long Tian gave a heavy kick to the pit of his stomach, hitting the metal armor. This made Leon take several steps back, but he remained standing. However, although he hadn''t taken any damage, he felt the power of that kick that took his breath away for a second.


    "Your armor is as strong as I thought it would be. Surely there is to congratulate the blacksmith for creating such a piece. Nonetheless, in the end, it remains just an armor. The engraved formations are what make it special. I have to confess that Lian''s skill as an array maker amazes me." Long Tian said with a smile. He was sincerely impressed by that masterful work of union between blacksmithing and arrays.


    "Thank you. But its toughness isn''t the only thing it has. Offensive Array, Continuous Emission, activate!" Leon activated one of the arrays engraved on his armor.


    ''According to Lian''s analysis, Long Tian can manipulate the spirit power in the air to attract or repel the targets he selects. To prevent him from doing this, I should use a technique to disturb or destroy the external environment''s spirit power. Alternatively, I should emit an amount of spirit power capable of overcoming the attractive or repulsive force.


    Unfortunately, I don''t have such a technique, but luckily Lian doesn''t have a match to fight today, and she could work all night on the array. So now, let''s see how effective the new array is.''


    Offensive Array, Continuous Emission. It was the name of the new array installed by Lian in Leon''s armor. More than a new array per se, it was a modification of the previous model she had created. As a co-creator, it wasn''t wrong to regard Leon''s armor as her own creation. Therefore, also taking advantage of the fact that she had no matches to play, she made her best to help Leon.


    Leon charged forward with his greatsword raised. This time, instead of a slash, he tried a horizontal cut as Long Tian had easily countered it in the previous two fights.


    "Repel."


    Long Tian pointed his right sword at the approaching greatsword. This time he had decided not to use both swords to defend himself. Instead, he would block with only a single sword so as to counterattack immediately.


    "Advance!" Leon yelled as he heard his greatsword stop.


    As if responding to his cry, his armor lit up, revealing a series of engravings that were previously invisible. Then his spirit power flared up as if it had been set on fire and covered the greatsword. As a result, the weapon gained even more power and advanced.


    Rip!


    There was a sharp crack as if something had been torn. The sword''s blade overpowered the force that was repelling it, thus managing to move forward.


    Bam!


    The greatsword unexpectedly overcame Long Tian''s technique, striking the latter in the flank. The Imperial Prince was made to fly for several meters as he slammed violently several times against the combat stage floor.


    At that view, all the spectators were speechless. Long Tian, ??one of the Imperial Princes and Candidate Emperor, was hit like that. Previously, Long Tian had dominated his matches using the techniques of repulsion and attraction. The conviction was formed in the spectators'' collective imagination that these two techniques couldn''t be hindered except by someone on a level equal to that of the Imperial Prince.


    Yet, exactly as in the previous battle, a martial artist, who was basically a nobody until the tournament began, had done something impossible: to put one of the Best Generation into trouble.


    Clang! Clang!


    Seeing his opponent on the ground, Leon wasted no time: he had to strike while the iron was still hot. So he ran at full speed to Long Tian with the greatsword in his hands.


    "Yellow Dragon Bloodline, activate! Earth Law, Embrace of Mother Earth."


    Still lying on the ground, Long Tian raised his left hand to Leon. Then he closed his fingers, forming a fist. At that moment, Leon felt as if the air itself had become solid and was squeezing him from all sides.


    Cough!


    Leon spat blood from inside the armor. Despite the double protection he had, Long Tian''s technique had hurt him. Luckily it was a minor injury. At the same time, the overwhelming sensation he felt was fading. His array was still active, and his spirit power was being released to counter the force that was crushing him.


    ''Shit. What kind of pressure can he exert?'' Leon swore as he gritted his teeth. He couldn''t believe the overwhelming pressure Long Tian could exert. This move was locking him in place: if it weren''t for the array Lian had prepared, he wouldn''t even have had a chance to move.


    "Forward! Come on!" Leon said through gritted teeth. Even though he felt like he was climbing a mountain in a blizzard with every step, he was inexorably approaching Long Tian. Also, as the seconds went by, Leon''s movement speed was increasing.


    "Intent of the Greatsword, Diving Sky Slash!"


    By taking advantage of Long Tian''s motionlessness due to his technique, Leon concentrated his spirit power in his greatsword. The massive weapon vibrated intensely before releasing a blade of spirit power that spread towards Long Tian.


    "Intent of the Hook Swords, Devianting Cut!"


    Long Tian canceled the technique he was using. Leon felt the pressure on him drop drastically, but he still needed a few seconds to recover. Meanwhile, Long Tian raised his swords and brought them down, placing them in front of him as they intersected each other, forming an x.


    The blade of spirit power smashed against the hooked swords. Then, incredibly, the blade was cut into exact halves that slid to the sides of Long Tian. Despite the power behind Leon''s move, Long Tian had dissolved the threat in a seemingly simple way. Yet, it was based on an advanced application of his repulsion technique.


    "Rotating Cut!"


    Leon had reckoned that Long Tian could undo his technique. Certainly, he didn''t expect such simplicity of execution from Long Tian, ??but he had already prepared for the eventuality.


    So, he ran to Long Tian, taking advantage of the fact that the latter was busy defending himself. This time, however, he didn''t immediately attempt to hit him with his greatsword. Instead, from about five feet away, Leon began to spin around like a top. A spray of spirit power poured from his elbows to increase the spinning motion as he activated another array in the lower armor whose purpose was to stabilize his body as he moved.


    In doing so, the sword''s destructive power reached the peak of power that Leon could exert, superior to the technique he had used before. It was obvious that he wanted to corner Long Tian and not give him a chance to breathe.


    "Intent of the Hook Swords, Earth Law, Immovable Mountain!"


    As before, Long Tian crossed swords in front of him. However, instead of using his repulsion ability, he instead used a technique similar to the crushing technique used on Leon previously: this time, the target was none other than himself.


    PENG!


    The unstoppable force represented by the greatsword met the immovable object represented by Long Tian. The greatsword crashed into the hooked swords. It was amazing to see how such thin blades could withstand a force confrontation with that large greatsword. Yet, in Leon''s eyes, those thin swords were like a mountain.


    Long Tian took the full impact but didn''t retreat an inch. On the contrary, even his arms remained where they were as if Leon''s attack was something trifling as if it posed no danger. But this didn''t correspond to reality at all.


    ''What a monstrous power. If it weren''t for having fixed my body in the position I am in, I would have been thrown off without a doubt.'' thought Long Tian with amazement drawn on his face. However, his keen eyes had allowed him to sense the danger behind that attack immediately. As a result, he spared no effort in using one of his advanced defense techniques.


    "Offensive Array, Total Emission!"


    Seeing his attack being blocked like this nearly caused Leon to fall into despair. His timing had been perfect, and Long Tian had no way to avoid the attack. The size of his weapon and his build should have given him the advantage in a confrontation of strength, yet Long Tian had casually blocked his every move.


    Nonetheless, Leon was unwilling to give up. He deactivated the safety lock Lian had installed on the array. That way, he could generate even more power. The problem, however, was that the consumption of his spirit power would increase by several times. It was like adding oil to a candle that was already burning with great intensity. Also, the increased outflow of spirit power would strain Leon''s body enormously.


    ''If I use Total Emission for too long, my body won''t hold up. However, right now, it is my only hope for winning. Long Tian''s defense is monstrous: I don''t think I can break it with my other techniques.''


    ''Did his power increase again? It is amazing. I doubt it will continue like this for a long time, though.''


    Long Tian began inexorably to be pushed back. Slowly he felt his arms tremble with the force of impact they had to bear. His technique, foolproof as it might appear, wasn''t something he could use without worry.


    ''Even if I am the user of the technique, if I remain under the crushing effect for a long time, my body would be affected as well. But I can''t undo it now. If I did, I would definitely be blown away. Not only that, the power of Leon''s technique would be enough to cause me some damage, although not enough to knock me out.''


    Without hesitation, Long Tian emitted more spirit power than before, without concern about the consumption. By doing so, his body became heavier, and the mountain that was being pushed back resumed its immovable state.


    "Break through!" Leon yelled as he began to bleed from his ears and the corners of his mouth. His complexion had turned pale white, but no one could see him as he was inside the armor.


    However, despite his best efforts, Long Tian remained there: firm and immovable.


    One wanted to advance at all costs, while the other didn''t want to retreat for anything in the world. Eventually, however, the challenge between the unstoppable force and the immovable object ended. The winner of this challenge turned out to be the immovable object.


    "Shit," Leon swore as he lost consciousness and fell to the ground with a thud.


    As soon as he fell, Long Tian immediately deactivated the technique he was using. And after that, he let out a breath of fatigue.


    ''If I knew that he could produce such a power, I wouldn''t have taken him head-on with so few preparations. It seems I made some miscalculations.'' Long Tian thought to himself while smiling, amused.


    <div id="gtx-trans" style="position: absolute; left: 285px; top: -6px;"><div class="gtx-trans-icon"></div></div>

 Chapter 225 - Hei vs. Feng Chen - 2

    That dark mass still blocked Feng Chen''s sword, and, despite having the advantage over the Elemental Laws, he couldn''t immediately burn that dark mass. Besides, now he had to face Hei''s attack.


    With no better alternatives, Feng Che chose the least risky solution and let go of his sword, backing away. His choice left the public amazed because they didn''t expect that he would abandon his weapon, which was his main source of attacks, without resisting.


    "Spider Lance, Palm Mode + Intent of the Spear, Spear Throw."


    Seeing Feng Chen back away, Hei didn''t let go but continued to attack. Instead of following him, however, he decided to throw his spear. He then hit the flat end of his spear with his palm, imbuing Spider Lance''s strength into his weapon.


    "Ice Law, Ice Armor!"


    Stab!


    The spear was hurled with incredible speed at Feng Chen, who received a direct hit. The young man''s figure flew for about ten meters as the spear plunged deep into his stomach.


    "Come back," Hei recalled his spear back into his hand and saw that the tip was free of bloodstains. Instead, it contained small ice crystals that melted shortly after.


    ''The Ice Law ... he must have created armor or something similar to block the damage. But the unknown is how much damage my attack did.''


    Hei pulled his hair back to its position. However, Feng Chen''s sword was still attached to the dark mass and, although it tried to return to its master, it was unable to. Meanwhile, Feng Chen stood up as nothing had happened.


    "Congratulations on capturing my sword. Would you be kind enough to give it back to me?"


    "Even if I gave it back to you, you wouldn''t use it anyway, would you? So I think I could also give it to you at the end of the fight."


    "Hahaha. You''re right. I wouldn''t use it or not directly anyway. Before continuing, let me ask you a question. What are the two best types of weapons in our world? "


    Hei was slightly taken aback by the question but answered nonetheless, "Weapons made of Spirit Metal and those derived from Divine Beasts."


    "That''s right, and the reason is because of the ability to store a part of the martial artist''s soul, giving way to the Weapon Materialization. However, when the owner of one of these weapons dies, what happens to that weapon?"


    "The soul contained within begins to wear out until it disappears. At that point, the weapon returns to its original stage and can be used by another martial artist," replied Hei, who had studied the theory behind the Weapon Materialization.


    "Yes, it''s correct. The stronger the martial artist, the more the wear of the soul is slowed down. At the same time, as long as the soul is present, the weapon cannot be used by another martial artist as the soul contained in the weapon rejects anyone who tries to wield it. However, there are exceptions. There are cases where the soul inside the weapon accepts someone and allows that person to wield it. In addition to this, the soul gives a gift to its new owner: fragments of memories and experiences lived by the previous owner."


    After saying this, Feng Chen pulled a red-gold-colored sword out of his space ring. The blade was covered with patterns that resembled the feathers of a bird, while two golden wings with red feathers opened from the hilt.


    "This is my real weapon, the sword that once belonged to the First Family Head of the Feng Family. This is the first time I''ve taken it out in a fight, and I''m not going to lose my first fight with it. I''m about to get serious. Hei. So get ready. Phoenix Bloodline, Activate!"


    Feng Chen activated his bloodline. He then took the sword in both hands and rested his forehead on the blade as he closed his eyes.


    "Phoenix Wings!"


    Chirp!


    A bird''s cry was heard echoing throughout the stadium. And then, two red-gold wings sprouted from Feng Chen''s back, extending two meters each. At the same time, his sword flared with red-gold flames that possessed an intensity greater than the ones shown in his previous fights.


    "Feng Qing. What a shrewd bird. You hid such a card." Hu Luoyang commented, laughing.


    "You aren''t alone in having an exceptionally talented child." Feng Qing replied before explaining, "As you know, the Feng Family owns a sword created by the phoenix from which our bloodline is derived. The First Family Head used it, but the sword was kept as a ceremonial object after his death due to its importance. After all, there is part of the soul of our progenitor inside. It isn''t something we can afford to lose, or our honor would be affected. Thus, we slowed down the wearing away effect of the soul through special formations.


    "But when Feng Chen had his Awakening Ceremony, the sword reacted to his spirit power. This had never happened before. And as Feng Chen got stronger, the more the sword asked to join him.


    "Since the death of the First Family Head, we of the Feng Family have hoped to find someone who could inherit his memories and experiences. But for my son being that person... I have to thank the Heavens for such an honor. However, the fact that I have entrusted the sword to Chen''er means that in a short time, the residue of the soul inside the sword will disappear once and for all."


    A hint of reproach could be seen in Feng Qing''s voice. The First Family Head was almost regarded as a deity; he had created the Feng Family. By giving the sword to his son, Feng Qing had decreed the irreversible disappearance of the last existing object belonging to that character.


    "You don''t have to blame yourself. You did what you thought best. Furthermore, the sword itself asked to be wielded by Feng Chen. Not to mention it was only a matter of time before it happened. Even if your formations can slow down the wear of the soul, they cannot stop it forever.


    This was also the wish of the ancestors of the Feng Family. Finding someone who could wield that sword and paying homage to its previous owner. Besides, it was the sword itself, or the fragment of the soul of your First Family Head, that named your son as his valid successor." Principal Long Jing spoke a few words to ease his old student''s guilt.


    "Thank you, Principal Jing. But it doesn''t change the fact that my actions will lead to the definitive disappearance of the First Family Head. Nevertheless, I don''t regret it. I am convinced of my choice. I am convinced that my son can take our family to a new peak. Thanks to the memories contained within the sword, we recovered some incomplete techniques never disclosed before. At the moment, we''ve only managed to complete one, but that''s more than enough for Chen''er to win this match and the tournament as well."


    In the meantime, in the fighting stage, Hei had witnessed Feng Chen''s change. In particular, the red-gold flames along the sword gave Hei an oppressive and suffocating feeling.


    Without thinking twice, Hei sprinted forward. He quickly began to think about how to move now that the situation had taken such a turn.


    ''I planned my battle plan based on the intensity of the flames emitted by Feng Chen in the previous battles. I knew he hadn''t used all his strength, but I didn''t think the gap was that big. If I want to win, I have to understand firsthand how dangerous those flames actually are.''


    Hei''s plan had initially proceeded much as he had planned. He had managed to block his opponent''s sword and hit him with a heavy attack, but he hadn''t expected Feng Chen to have such a card. It wasn''t just a matter of having a replacement sword; the power of the flames had grown to a level beyond what Hei had anticipated.


    "Snake Fist + Spider Carapace."


    Hei moved his arms forward as his spirit power formed a kind of armor over them. Even though he had decided to attack, he wasn''t so reckless as to attack without protection.


    ''Even though the intensity of his flames has increased, Caparace Spider should be able to resist. At least it should give me time to figure out how to act.''


    Peng! Peng!


    Hei''s quick blows landed on Feng Chen, who parried them using his sword. The red-gold flames burned so intensely that the poison on Hei''s claws evaporated before it even landed on the blade, creating a purplish smoke.


    Peng! Peng!


    Hei continued with his assault, but he could feel his poison turn gas and shrink with each hit. At the same time, the armor provided by Spider Carapace was thinning visibly.


    "Phoenix Blast."


    Feng Chen''s wings extended entirely behind his back and then flapped violently back and forth. Thus a fiery wind was generated, raging fiercely on Hei.


    Hei put his arms forward to reduce the damage but was pushed back several meters by the technique''s power. Spider Carapace''s armor on his arms had melted entirely, and even part of his defensive layer of spirit power had similar conditions.


    "Phoenix Feathers."


    Flapping his wings, Feng Chen took off. Then dark red lights flew from the wings behind his back and bombarded the stage below from above like rain of fire and flames.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Each feather would crash heavily to the ground, generating small bursts of flame that looked similar to the blooming of red-gold flowers. At the same time, these explosions superheated the air, increasing the temperature on the battlefield. With such a drastic temperature rise, Hei found himself having a harder time since his breathing became heavier.


    ''He doesn''t want to give me even a second of rest, affecting the surrounding environment as well. By doing so, however, it means that he is attacking without taking into account his expenditure of spirit power. Could it be a state of limited duration? If so, I just have to last until the end and then counterattack at full power.''


    Hei''s hypothesis was correct. But even if he had guessed correctly, it didn''t improve his situation. If he didn''t think of something right away, he would be suffocated by the flames before he could even launch his counter-offensive.


    ''Fortunately, the speed of the feathers was slower than Spider Run, and the total amount he can use at the same time isn''t enough to cover the entire stage. So I can continue to dodge even if moving within such a temperature requires more effort. But I can''t even go up to the sky, or I''d end up even more at a disadvantage. With his wings, it goes without saying that he can move more freely and faster than me.''


    Despite the difficult situation, Hei was dodging every blow by running hither and thither at incredible speed. His movements were fluid and contained no trace of uncertainty. This was due to his great mental capacity, which allowed him to focus on the movement of the feathers and move his body at the same time.


    ''I''m not going anywhere like this. Even though I am cornering him, it isn''t enough to close the fight. I have to go with something heavier. Hei! Let''s see if you can block this.''


    "Phoenix Descent!"


    Seeing Hei dodge his attacks, Feng Chen swooped down from the elevated position he was in. His wings gave him a faster movement speed than the Two-Legged Mode of Spider Run, so much that it was comparable instead with the Four-Legged Mode.


    Boom!


    When Feng Chen touched his ground, an explosion was generated from his position, and the flames flared up within three meters, engulfing Hei, who didn''t manage to distance himself in time.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of something cutting the air and then something heavy hit his body. Hei could only hear this before being thrown back several meters. His defensive layer of spirit power featured several zones that were melting like burning paper. His c.h.e.s.t also had evident signs of a severe burn.


    Cough!


    Hei spat out a mouthful of blood from the violent impact. But he didn''t have time to rest. Feng Chen had gone up to the sky again and was preparing to swoop down as before.


    ''Shit. His flames are too powerful to bear with just the normal defensive layer of spirit power. Not to mention that even using Spider Carapace, I can''t resist unscathed. Furthermore, there is also the problem of his wings. Even though they are made of fire, they are heavy on impact.''


    Hei touched his c.h.e.s.t where he had been hit just before. The heavy thing he felt was one of Feng Chen''s wings that had even shattered his defensive layer of spirit power upon impact. Fortunately, this wasn''t a long-lasting technique. Otherwise, if he had been exposed to such flames for a long time, his spirit power wouldn''t have been able to keep up, and Hei would only have to admit defeat.


    ''I have to win. Against Hu Jie, I had the advantage of the Elemental Laws, but now Feng Chen has that advantage. Even so, I can''t lose. I still have some cards to play.''


    Thinking so, Hei made his decision. Resolutely, he recreated Spider Carapace on his arms. In addition to it, he also added his Darkness Law to give his arms a further defense. Finally, he resolutely took his spear and aimed it at his hair.


    Slash!


    His long pitch-black hair was cut at the height of the neck, shocking all onlookers. Hei''s hair had been an important weapon during all these fights, yet now Hei had cut it without a second thought.


    "Come."


    The cut hair moved as if it was animated and clung to the arms, enveloped by the Darkness Law. By that time, Hei''s arms had become two thick pitch-black blocks, and only his hands held their shape, albeit covered in a layer of darkness and hair.


    "Dark Carapace Tail Blow!"


    When Hei finished his preparations, Feng Chen had also finished his. As before, he swooped down with his sword clutched in his hands. This time, however, Hei didn''t choose to dodge. Instead, he folded his arms back and then pulled them forward again, colliding with his opponent''s burning sword.


    Boom!


    There was a violent roar, and the flames flared up again. However, unlike before, these flames were deflected back by the impact power of Dark Carapace Tail Blow, leaving Feng Chen speechless.


    "Dark Carapace Whip Tail Blow!"


    Still holding the Snake Tail Blow stance, Hei softened the bones in his arms to increase his attack range. Then he spun on himself, his arms fluttering in the wind as if they were liquid.


    BOOM!


    Hei''s joined hands landed on Feng Chen''s left side like a pitch-black hammer. The latter felt a violent impact take his breath away as a sharp pain began to spread from where he had been hit.


    Cough!


    Feng Chen spat blood, but before he could even understand what had happened, another blow came. This time it was his right side''s turn to be hit hard.


    BOOM!


    Cough!


    Feng Chen spat blood again as his eyes finally managed to focus on what was happening in front of him. He saw Hei''s arms, surrounded by that thick pitch-black armor, descend upon him once more. This time the target was his head.


    "Shit!" Feng Chen swore, realizing the gravity of the situation. Such a blow was no different from receiving a headbutt from Hu Jie, and the last time he received such a blow, he nearly passed out on impact.

 Chapter 226 - Hei vs. Feng Chen - 3

    Blaze!


    One of Feng Chen''s wings overlapped between his head and Hei''s arms. The wing, despite being made up of fire and flames, was incredibly heavy and sturdy. Therefore it could also act as a defensive shield in case of need.


    BOOM!


    Under the incredulous eyes of Feng Chen and the spectators who were watching, Hei''s hammer-arms broke the red-gold wing, spreading the flames all around. However, despite paying a high price, Feng Chen had managed to distance himself and regain his clarity.


    "Phoenix Blast!"


    Using the last remaining wing, Feng Chen recreated the fiery wind that had previously blown Hei away. However, this time, it didn''t have the same effect shown earlier as Hei could now counter Feng Chen''s flames.


    BOOM!


    Using his arms'' twisting motion and flexibility, each stroke gained greater momentum, enough to easily blow Feng Chen''s wind away.


    Whoosh!


    Seeing his flames being blown away like that, Feng Chen ascended to the sky once again. His face wore a frown from the precarious situation he was in.


    ''My attacks don''t hurt him. The power behind his technique is so insane. Furthermore, the triple protection he put on his arms keeps my flames from getting through.


    Of all my techniques available, only two have enough power to hopefully beat Hei''s attack power: Phoenix Descent and Phoenix Breath. If I concentrate enough spirit power, my Phoenix Descent can break his technique. At that point, I would be left with enough spirit power for a short Phoenix Breath.''


    ''Yours is not a state that you can maintain for much longer. Before the intensity of your flames drops, you will try to finish it once and for all. Come. I wait for you. My Spider Style and my Snake Style won''t lose to your flames.''


    "PHOENIX DESCENT!"


    Feng Chen mustered as much spirit power as he could handle. Then, on his back, his broken wing reformed once again. Then, the two wings joined forward, forming a single body, before Feng Chen descended at full speed towards the ground.


    Hei, who was waiting for him, started spinning as fast as he could. He was ready to receive the full impact of Feng Chen''s technique, whatever the cost.


    BLAZE! BOOM!


    Wings and arms crashed into each other, creating a crazy roar and spreading flames everywhere. The spectators in the stands were shocked at this sight. They thought they had a deep understanding of Hei''s abilities by now, but once again, Hei had surprised them.


    "Phenomenal. I thought that against my son, he had already revealed all his power but apparently, I was wrong. While he doesn''t have a dark-type bloodline, his unusual techniques allow him to bridge that gap, matching your child''s flames. I wonder where the hell did he learn such techniques to succeed in such a feat without using a bloodline." commented Hu Luoyang as he watched the scene unfolding on the combat stage.


    Feng Qing didn''t answer. Instead, his eyes were focused on his son, Feng Chen, and he was no longer paying attention to what was around him.


    ''Chen''er. You inherited the sword of the First Family Head. You can do it. I know you can do it.''


    Two meters away from each other, Hei and Feng Chen stood facing each other. Both faces were pale white due to the blood they had lost and the degree of extreme fatigue they felt. Even so, they were far from declaring surrender.


    ''This is the end ...'' thought Feng Chen as he struggled to concentrate all the spirit power he had left.


    His heart was beating wildly from the strain he was undergoing as his legs trembled, struggling to hold him. Even so, he still managed to muster the forces needed for one final attack - the one that would decide whether he would win or lose.


    Feng Chen''s wings reformed once again but were less impressive than before. Their length was much shorter, not even reaching half a meter. The intensity of their flames paled when compared to those of before. However, considering the state he was in, the very fact that he could use the Phoenix Breath was astonishing.


    "Snake Coiling, Flesh Ball!"


    Seeing the wings disappear into Feng Chen''s mouth, Hei recognized what move his opponent was about to use. By bending his legs and body as much as he could around his arms, Hei transformed into a ball of flesh ready to withstand the impact of the flames. Spider Carapace armor and the pitch-black layer from the Darkness Darkness were still present, albeit on the verge of collapse. Instead, the layer of hair that once formed Snake Hair''s defense had dissolved in the exchange from before.


    ''I still don''t have enough experience with Spider Carapace to form full body armor. My limit is only up to two limbs. But it doesn''t matter; it''s better this way. If I were to expand the area to be protected, I couldn''t cover such a large area with my Darkness Law''s comprehension level. By wrapping myself up, I should be able to protect my whole body by using my arms as cannon fodder. However, I''m afraid this will have some repercussions on my back.


    Sorry, Mia, Lilian, Mareo, Haruno. But Feng Chen isn''t an opponent I can beat if I don''t give my all. So I can only hope that the effort isn''t too much for my back to bear.''


    "Instead of attacking, he chose to defend himself. This was a choice derived from deep confidence in his abilities and a careful analysis of his and his opponent''s condition. It isn''t a choice that everyone would make, especially if you aren''t a martial artist specialized in defense." said Principal Long Jing waiting for the outcome of this exciting battle.


    "Phoenix Breath!" Feng Chen proclaimed.


    BLAZE!


    Red-gold flames escaped from his mouth, forming the shape of a phoenix. This phoenix spread its wings and landed on the ball of flesh that was lying on the ground.


    Peng!


    Hei''s spear that had been on the sidelines landed behind its owner''s back, crashing into the floor.


    "Since he has to concentrate totally on defense, he cannot move his spear. But rather than leave it on the ground, he placed it behind him so as not to be jolted by Feng Chen''s Phoenix Breath. At the same time, having the spear behind his back allows him to have a constant point of reference and not lose his sense of direction in that sea of ??flames." Long Tian was also watching the fight with extreme attention. His eyes were fixed on Hei, wondering if he would actually hold out until the end.


    Crack! Crack!


    There were two sounds of something breaking. But when the second noise rang out, the flames also ended their course, revealing the hidden ball of flesh.


    Step!


    The ball of flesh rose, revealing Hei''s figure. He took the spear behind his back using one of his feet and inserted the shaft of his spear between his teeth. From his actions and the charcoal black appearance of his arms, it could be concluded that he could not use his upper limbs. Even so, though, his eyes held a bright light as they were fixed on the opponent in front of him.


    Feng Chen was also standing. His hands held his red-gold sword, but other than that, there were no signs of reaction to Hei''s advance. It was as if he was still. If it weren''t for the slight movements of his c.h.e.s.t and mouth due to his labored breathing, one might have believed that he had passed out on his feet.


    2 meters ... 1.5 meters ... 1 meter ...


    When they were half a meter away, Feng Chen finally moved. Using his last strength, he tried to hit Hei. However, the latter interposed his spear, gritting hard with his teeth to resist the blow.


    Peng!


    The sword and spear collided. Both possessed an incredibly lower power than that shown before, but this exchange of attacks was more intense than all those exchanged before.


    However, the spear eventually gave way. Hei let go with his teeth, and his weapon fell to the ground with a thud. But it did its job: Feng Chen''s attack had lost its momentum, and the young man could only lightly scratch Hei''s left leg.


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate! Poison Law + Chameleon Tongue, Poisonous Spiderweb Saliva!"


    Suddenly, Hei activated his bloodline, and then a purplish-white substance came out of his mouth. This substance was incredibly sticky, so much that it instantly stuck to Feng Chen''s face, who fell to the ground on his back. At the same instant, Hei fell to the ground on his side. Soon after, however, he began to squirm as if he were having convulsions.


    Blargh!


    More white-purplish substance leaked from his mouth, but rather than being saliva-like as the one before, it was more like vomit.


    Seeing this, the majority of the spectators made expressions of disgust. After all, it wasn''t a pretty sight to see someone throwing up. Others wondered if Hei was okay and turned to Song Yazhu, who was the referee. It wasn''t normal for someone to throw up like that, especially in the middle of a fight.


    Song Yazhu, however, didn''t react and remained in his seat with his arms folded. He didn''t have the slightest hint of wanting to step in and check what was going on.


    Seeing this, the spectators turned back to the fighting stage and found that little by little, Hei''s substance/vomit was moving towards Feng Chen as if it had a life of its own. It started with wrapping Feng Chen''s legs and then moving up, covering his entire body.


    Blaze!


    Feng Chen tried to ignite more flames, but by now, his spirit power was exhausted. Furthermore, what little substance he had burned had become poisonous smoke, making his situation even more difficult.


    It was at that point that Song Yazhu intervened.


    "The winner is Hei!"


    As soon as he proclaimed Hei as the winner, Song Yazhu approached Feng Chen and dissipated the substance that held him captive. The young man had fainted and showed no signs of movement. However, he was still alive and didn''t show life-threatening conditions.


    Hei also wasn''t in imminent life-threatening condition. Instead, compared to the fight against Hu Jie, his injuries were less complicated. However, he had consumed a greater amount of spirit power and was in a severe state of dehydration due to the loss of fluids from this last move.


    Without wasting a moment, Lilian and Mia took the stage to retrieve Hei, who could not stand, let alone walk. Together they brought him back to the space dedicated to the fighters to provide the necessary care.


    Meanwhile, the audience finally broke into applause as they realized what had happened. Incredibly, that vomiting was part of a technique. And although there was some debate on the way of execution, it couldn''t be denied that it had had its effectiveness.


    "With this victory, Hei beat both the representative of the Hu Family and that of the Feng Family. Although he had the advantage against Hu Jie Hei because of his Laws, it was the opposite in this fight. Feng Chen had the advantage of the Laws, and yet despite this, Hei still won."


    "Yes, there is no doubt that his level undoubtedly places him among the strongest of the younger generation. No, considering his young age and what he has accomplished, shouldn''t he be included in the Best Generation? "


    "I agree. If it had only been Hu Jie, one might have talked about the newcomer''s luck. But now Feng Chen has lost too¡­."


    As the other onlookers talked, Feng Qing finally came out of his isolation. He let out a sigh and told the two next to him," Chen''er fought with all his might, but he lost anyway. It wasn''t luck, carelessness, or dirty tricks. Chen''er lost in a fair fight while giving his all. There''s nothing more I can say about it."


    "Don''t pull such a long face. Defeats are useful for young martial artists, especially at this young age. You will see that your son will be able to ascend to the sky and rise higher than before. The same goes for my Jie. Knowing him, now he must be full of euphoria after seeing such a fight." cheered Hu Luoyang.


    "Luoyang is right. Without defeat, there is no growth. Otherwise, one day you might hit a wall too thick and not be able to withstand the impact." Principal Long Jing also gave his opinion as he mentioned to Song Yazhu to announce the next fight.


    Long Tian vs. Lian.

 Chapter 227 - Hei vs. Feng Chen - 3

    Blaze!


    One of Feng Chen''s wings overlapped between his head and Hei''s arms. The wing, despite being made up of fire and flames, was incredibly heavy and sturdy. Therefore it could also act as a defensive shield in case of need.


    BOOM!


    Under the incredulous eyes of Feng Chen and the spectators who were watching, Hei''s hammer-arms broke the red-gold wing, spreading the flames all around. However, despite paying a high price, Feng Chen had managed to distance himself and regain his clarity.


    "Phoenix Blast!"


    Using the last remaining wing, Feng Chen recreated the fiery wind that had previously blown Hei away. However, this time, it didn''t have the same effect shown earlier as Hei could now counter Feng Chen''s flames.


    BOOM!


    Using his arms'' twisting motion and flexibility, each stroke gained greater momentum, enough to easily blow Feng Chen''s wind away.


    Whoosh!


    ''My attacks don''t hurt him. The power behind his technique is so insane. Furthermore, the triple protection he put on his arms keeps my flames from getting through.


    Of all my techniques available, only two have enough power to hopefully beat Hei''s attack power: Phoenix Descent and Phoenix Breath. If I concentrate enough spirit power, my Phoenix Descent can break his technique. At that point, I would be left with enough spirit power for a short Phoenix Breath.''


    While Feng Chen devised his battle plan, Hei continued to rotate on himself, not to disperse the momentum gained from his arms. But his eyes were fixed on his prey high in the sky.


    ''Yours is not a state that you can maintain for much longer. Before the intensity of your flames drops, you will try to finish it once and for all. Come. I wait for you. My Spider Style and my Snake Style won''t lose to your flames.''


    "PHOENIX DESCENT!"


    Feng Chen mustered as much spirit power as he could handle. Then, on his back, his broken wing reformed once again. Then, the two wings joined forward, forming a single body, before Feng Chen descended at full speed towards the ground.


    Hei, who was waiting for him, started spinning as fast as he could. He was ready to receive the full impact of Feng Chen''s technique, whatever the cost.


    BLAZE! BOOM!


    Wings and arms crashed into each other, creating a crazy roar and spreading flames everywhere. The spectators in the stands were shocked at this sight. They thought they had a deep understanding of Hei''s abilities by now, but once again, Hei had surprised them.


    "Phenomenal. I thought that against my son, he had already revealed all his power but apparently, I was wrong. While he doesn''t have a dark-type bloodline, his unusual techniques allow him to bridge that gap, matching your child''s flames. I wonder where the hell did he learn such techniques to succeed in such a feat without using a bloodline." commented Hu Luoyang as he watched the scene unfolding on the combat stage.


    Feng Qing didn''t answer. Instead, his eyes were focused on his son, Feng Chen, and he was no longer paying attention to what was around him.


    ''Chen''er. You inherited the sword of the First Family Head. You can do it. I know you can do it.''


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the flames had finally subsided so that everyone could see what was happening.


    Two meters away from each other, Hei and Feng Chen stood facing each other. Both faces were pale white due to the blood they had lost and the degree of extreme fatigue they felt. Even so, they were far from declaring surrender.


    ''This is the end ...'' thought Feng Chen as he struggled to concentrate all the spirit power he had left.


    His heart was beating wildly from the strain he was undergoing as his legs trembled, struggling to hold him. Even so, he still managed to muster the forces needed for one final attack - the one that would decide whether he would win or lose.


    Feng Chen''s wings reformed once again but were less impressive than before. Their length was much shorter, not even reaching half a meter. The intensity of their flames paled when compared to those of before. However, considering the state he was in, the very fact that he could use the Phoenix Breath was astonishing.


    "Snake Coiling, Flesh Ball!"


    Seeing the wings disappear into Feng Chen''s mouth, Hei recognized what move his opponent was about to use. By bending his legs and body as much as he could around his arms, Hei transformed into a ball of flesh ready to withstand the impact of the flames. Spider Carapace armor and the pitch-black layer from the Darkness Darkness were still present, albeit on the verge of collapse. Instead, the layer of hair that once formed Snake Hair''s defense had dissolved in the exchange from before.


    ''I still don''t have enough experience with Spider Carapace to form full body armor. My limit is only up to two limbs. But it doesn''t matter; it''s better this way. If I were to expand the area to be protected, I couldn''t cover such a large area with my Darkness Law''s comprehension level. By wrapping myself up, I should be able to protect my whole body by using my arms as cannon fodder. However, I''m afraid this will have some repercussions on my back.


    Sorry, Mia, Lilian, Mareo, Haruno. But Feng Chen isn''t an opponent I can beat if I don''t give my all. So I can only hope that the effort isn''t too much for my back to bear.''


    "Instead of attacking, he chose to defend himself. This was a choice derived from deep confidence in his abilities and a careful analysis of his and his opponent''s condition. It isn''t a choice that everyone would make, especially if you aren''t a martial artist specialized in defense." said Principal Long Jing waiting for the outcome of this exciting battle.


    "Phoenix Breath!" Feng Chen proclaimed.


    BLAZE!


    Red-gold flames escaped from his mouth, forming the shape of a phoenix. This phoenix spread its wings and landed on the ball of flesh that was lying on the ground.


    Peng!


    Hei''s spear that had been on the sidelines landed behind its owner''s back, crashing into the floor.


    "Since he has to concentrate totally on defense, he cannot move his spear. But rather than leave it on the ground, he placed it behind him so as not to be jolted by Feng Chen''s Phoenix Breath. At the same time, having the spear behind his back allows him to have a constant point of reference and not lose his sense of direction in that sea of ??flames." Long Tian was also watching the fight with extreme attention. His eyes were fixed on Hei, wondering if he would actually hold out until the end.


    Crack! Crack!


    Step!


    The ball of flesh rose, revealing Hei''s figure. He took the spear behind his back using one of his feet and inserted the shaft of his spear between his teeth. From his actions and the charcoal black appearance of his arms, it could be concluded that he could not use his upper limbs. Even so, though, his eyes held a bright light as they were fixed on the opponent in front of him.


    Feng Chen was also standing. His hands held his red-gold sword, but other than that, there were no signs of reaction to Hei''s advance. It was as if he was still. If it weren''t for the slight movements of his c.h.e.s.t and mouth due to his labored breathing, one might have believed that he had passed out on his feet.


    2 meters ... 1.5 meters ... 1 meter ...


    When they were half a meter away, Feng Chen finally moved. Using his last strength, he tried to hit Hei. However, the latter interposed his spear, gritting hard with his teeth to resist the blow.


    Peng!


    The sword and spear collided. Both possessed an incredibly lower power than that shown before, but this exchange of attacks was more intense than all those exchanged before.


    However, the spear eventually gave way. Hei let go with his teeth, and his weapon fell to the ground with a thud. But it did its job: Feng Chen''s attack had lost its momentum, and the young man could only lightly scratch Hei''s left leg.


    "Nightmare Spider Bloodline, Activate! Poison Law + Chameleon Tongue, Poisonous Spiderweb Saliva!"


    Suddenly, Hei activated his bloodline, and then a purplish-white substance came out of his mouth. This substance was incredibly sticky, so much that it instantly stuck to Feng Chen''s face, who fell to the ground on his back. At the same instant, Hei fell to the ground on his side. Soon after, however, he began to squirm as if he were having convulsions.


    Blargh!


    More white-purplish substance leaked from his mouth, but rather than being saliva-like as the one before, it was more like vomit.


    Seeing this, the majority of the spectators made expressions of disgust. After all, it wasn''t a pretty sight to see someone throwing up. Others wondered if Hei was okay and turned to Song Yazhu, who was the referee. It wasn''t normal for someone to throw up like that, especially in the middle of a fight.


    Song Yazhu, however, didn''t react and remained in his seat with his arms folded. He didn''t have the slightest hint of wanting to step in and check what was going on.


    Seeing this, the spectators turned back to the fighting stage and found that little by little, Hei''s substance/vomit was moving towards Feng Chen as if it had a life of its own. It started with wrapping Feng Chen''s legs and then moving up, covering his entire body.


    Blaze!


    Feng Chen tried to ignite more flames, but by now, his spirit power was exhausted. Furthermore, what little substance he had burned had become poisonous smoke, making his situation even more difficult.


    It was at that point that Song Yazhu intervened.


    "The winner is Hei!"


    As soon as he proclaimed Hei as the winner, Song Yazhu approached Feng Chen and dissipated the substance that held him captive. The young man had fainted and showed no signs of movement. However, he was still alive and didn''t show life-threatening conditions.


    Hei also wasn''t in imminent life-threatening condition. Instead, compared to the fight against Hu Jie, his injuries were less complicated. However, he had consumed a greater amount of spirit power and was in a severe state of dehydration due to the loss of fluids from this last move.


    Without wasting a moment, Lilian and Mia took the stage to retrieve Hei, who could not stand, let alone walk. Together they brought him back to the space dedicated to the fighters to provide the necessary care.


    Meanwhile, the audience finally broke into applause as they realized what had happened. Incredibly, that vomiting was part of a technique. And although there was some debate on the way of execution, it couldn''t be denied that it had had its effectiveness.


    "With this victory, Hei beat both the representative of the Hu Family and that of the Feng Family. Although he had the advantage against Hu Jie Hei because of his Laws, it was the opposite in this fight. Feng Chen had the advantage of the Laws, and yet despite this, Hei still won."


    "Yes, there is no doubt that his level undoubtedly places him among the strongest of the younger generation. No, considering his young age and what he has accomplished, shouldn''t he be included in the Best Generation? "


    "I agree. If it had only been Hu Jie, one might have talked about the newcomer''s luck. But now Feng Chen has lost too¡­."


    As the other onlookers talked, Feng Qing finally came out of his isolation. He let out a sigh and told the two next to him," Chen''er fought with all his might, but he lost anyway. It wasn''t luck, carelessness, or dirty tricks. Chen''er lost in a fair fight while giving his all. There''s nothing more I can say about it."


    "Don''t pull such a long face. Defeats are useful for young martial artists, especially at this young age. You will see that your son will be able to ascend to the sky and rise higher than before. The same goes for my Jie. Knowing him, now he must be full of euphoria after seeing such a fight." cheered Hu Luoyang.


    "Luoyang is right. Without defeat, there is no growth. Otherwise, one day you might hit a wall too thick and not be able to withstand the impact." Principal Long Jing also gave his opinion as he mentioned to Song Yazhu to announce the next fight.


    Long Tian vs. Lian.

 Chapter 228 - Lian vs. Long Tian

    "Hei! How do you feel?" Hei''s comrades asked together, rushing towards him as soon as he returned to the section dedicated to fighters.


    "He is fine. The injuries aren''t life-threatening. The most serious problem is his severe state of dehydration. Haruno, can you make some soup quickly? Hei needs to drink lots of fluids." Lilian informed everyone.


    ''Big Brother!'' Ye and Xing yelled, diving into their big brother''s c.h.e.s.t to make sure he was actually okay.


    "I''m fine, really. It is as Lilian says. You don''t have to worry." Hei got ready to reassure his companions before turning to Lian, who was watching him silently. "Lian, don''t be worried. Everything will be fine. Now, you should focus on the battle in front of you. Don''t let your guard down even for a moment, and give your all. Whatever happens, we will be here waiting for you."


    "The next fight will see the Imperial Prince Long Tian vs. Lian. I ask the two fighters to go on stage." Song Yazhu''s voice rang through the stadium, calling for the next two fighters.


    "Go," Hei said to Lian as he nodded toward her to let her know that he trusted her.


    "Alright. I go and come back." Lian answered and reciprocated Hei''s nod. She then exited the fighters section while receiving encouragement from her comrades.


    "How''s Hei?" Long Tian asked as he too began to make his way toward the stage.


    "Hei is fine. He has no serious injuries. With a little rest, he will recover completely." Lian answered briefly.


    "Good. It''s better this way." Long Tian said nothing more, and together they took the stage in silence.


    "Let the fight begin!" Song Yazhu gave the go-ahead soon after.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The instant the fight was kicked off, the ribbons wrapped around Lian''s body were released. The two silvery-white silk ribbons revealed themselves to the audience and moved at full speed towards Long Tian.


    Boom!


    One of the ribbons crashed like a whip to the floor where Long Tian had been before. The Imperial Prince was unimpressed by the sight of the ribbons and dodged the attack while pulling out his two hooked swords at the same time. His actions were so fluid that it seemed to be all one movement.


    Boom!


    The second ribbon went on the attack soon after the first, taking advantage of the fact that Long Tian was still moving.


    The timing between attacks was nothing short of perfect. But that still wasn''t enough to worry Long Tian.


    "Repel."


    Pointing one of his swords at the approaching ribbon, Long Tian activated his familiar repulsion technique. In doing so, the ribbon appeared to be pushed back by an invisible hand, thus losing the opportunity to hit Long Tian.


    But just as Long Tian wasn''t impressed by the sight of the ribbons, Lian was also not upset that her attack was repulsed. Both were now familiar with the other''s attack patterns. After all, they had witnessed each other''s matches, not to mention the various incidents that had occurred over the course of the year.


    To put it simply, they both knew their opponent wasn''t someone to take it easy on. The problem was how accurate their analysis of the opponent''s strength and what their opponent kept hidden as a secret card.


    The instant the second ribbon was repelled, Lian quickly redirected the first one so she could attack while Long Tian was still engaged in his repulsion technique. It all happened so quickly as if she had planned it from the start.


    When Long Tian saw the first ribbon return to the attack, he smiled. Then, in a moment, he canceled the repulsion effect on the second ribbon so he could dodge the first.


    ''He doesn''t need to repel the attack for meters and meters. Just pushing it away by a little is more than enough to dodge and prepare his next move. By doing so, Long Tian can also retain more spirit power and minimize waste.'' Lian thought as her opponent dodged the first ribbon.


    Seeing this, Lian also called the second ribbon to attack. A strange chase followed, where Lian would attack with her ribbons, paying particular attention to their timing. Each of her attacks was insidious because they always aimed at moments when Long Tian was engaged in action so as not to give him breath and reduce his chances of dodging or blocking.


    ''The timing of her attacks is exceptional. Maneuvering two weapons like that at the same time and with such mastery requires incredible concentration and analysis. Yet from her unperturbed gaze, it seems as easy as breathing.'' analyzed Long Tian as he thought about how to get out of this passive situation.


    However, it wasn''t Long Tian but Lian who made the next move. In fact, the young woman directed her ribbons while Long Tian was moving so that they attacked at the same time. So far, she had alternated her attacks perfectly, but she was attacking two different points from two different directions this time.


    "Earth Law, Double Repulsion."


    Peng!


    Long Tian spread his arms sideways, directing the tips of his swords towards the two approaching ribbons. Immediately, the two ribbons seemed to collide with something hard and were thrown back.


    Long Tian wasn''t done yet, however: now that both ribbons had been rejected in unison, he had a limited window of time to carry out his counterattack.


    Whoosh!


    Long Tian shot forward at full speed towards Lian without worrying about the movement of the ribbons behind him. Thanks to the repulsion technique, he had gained precious seconds, which were enough to bring down his attack.


    "Wood Law, Flower Petals."


    Lian waved her hand, and a handful of petals was thrown at Long Tian. These petals weren''t ordinary flower petals but were created with the spirit power of Lian through the Wood Law. Therefore, although they appeared light as they floated in the wind, they were heavy as rocks, not to mention their impact damage.


    "Intent of the Double Swords."


    Long Tian concentrated the spirit power in his two hooked swords, and with a series of cuts, he easily ripped apart the handful of petals in front of him. Such a move was nothing more than a vain attempt for Lian to buy time. Or so the public believed.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Lian let go of the ends of her ribbons attached to her arms. These, along with the two extremities that usually went on the attack, focused their attacks on Long Tian using a pincer tactic.


    Seeing this, the audience was amazed. From the way things had gone, it felt like everything had been planned from the start to create that scene. After all, Long Tian was under attack from four different directions. As strong as his repulsion was, the maximum he had repelled was two attacks together.


    "Multiple Repulsion."


    Long Tian halted his advance and pointed one sword in front of him while the other was pointed at his back. When he did this, the four ribbons stopped once again and were thrown backward, leaving the audience in disbelief that they didn''t believe Long Tian could fend off four targets at a time.


    "Attract."


    Long Tian immediately concentrated his spirit power on the sword before him and activated his second technique: Attraction. This technique was the opposite of Repulsion and called selected targets toward the user rather than repelling them. And the target selected was none other than Lian.


    In fact, Lian had left the two extremities gone, which she usually kept as her last defense. Therefore, it could clearly be said that she was fully exposed, and her ribbons wouldn''t have the time to shield her. Especially not now that she was under the influence of Attraction.


    Bam!


    Incredibly, the audience was left speechless again. Lian, who was being drawn to Long Tian''s hook sword, punched straight into the face of the Imperial Prince. The latter was so confused that he forgot to react, allowing Lian even to land a kick in his face.


    Nonetheless, as surprised as he was, Long Tian was still Long Tian. As soon as he also received the kick to the head, the astonishment abruptly subsided. Then, he directed his hooked swords towards Lian.


    However, the young woman wasn''t na?ve and didn''t let herself be carried away by the heat of the moment. After landing the kick, Lian had already planned to back off. So she smoothly dodged Long Tian''s sword attacks.


    "Attract."


    Slash!


    The hooked swords cut the air. Lian had lowered herself at the last second, despite the effect of Attraction. Then, in a twisting motion, she swept her legs, targeting Long Tian''s feet.


    Bam!


    Long Tian felt his foot being hit and his balance destabilized. Normally, the first instinct that one would have in front of something like this would be to find the balance, even with sprawling movements immediately. Instead, however, Long Tian let Lian''s sweep destabilize him. In doing so, his body fell to the ground on its side but didn''t touch the ground.


    Long Tian, in fact, opened a hand to pivot on the floor and made a cartwheel. In this way, he could distance himself from Lian just enough to avoid the arrival of the ribbon that hit the floor hard. Unfortunately for him, however, there were two ribbons.


    "Repel."


    Long Tian resorted to his Repulsion technique, but like the Attraction technique, something didn''t work as it should. The ribbon continued its advance as if nothing had happened, and Long Tian could only place his hooked swords in front of him to lessen the damage.


    Peng!


    The ribbon violently collided with Long Tian''s hooked swords, pushing the Imperial Prince for several meters. His speed of reaction had allowed him to avoid taking direct damage. But even so, this was only the beginning of his problems.


    Lian came up behind him. Then, taking advantage of Long Tian''s confused state, Lian immediately went on the attack to strike while the iron was hot.


    "Water Law, Flowing Vibrating Palm!"


    Bam!


    Lian''s palm landed on Long Tian''s back. The impact damage of the technique wasn''t such that it could affect Long Tian''s defensive layer of spirit power; however, the Imperial Prince was still injured.


    ''This attack uses the flowing property of the Water Law. With this, Lian can let her spirit power flow through the opponent''s body, partially ignoring the target''s defensive layer. What a problematic move.'' analyzed Long Tian as he felt Lian''s spirit power penetrate his body.


    Slash!


    Long Tian promptly responded with another swipe of the sword that struck the air once more. Lian aimed only at a single attack; as soon as she landed it, she quickly retreated.


    ''The damage dealt is negligible. Since I aim for a hit-and-run tactic, I can only infuse a certain amount of spirit power before backing off. Therefore, even if I landed other attacks, they wouldn''t affect Long Tian''s movement range. But if he suffers too many, even if I don''t have a penetration technique like Hei''s, I could still cause him serious damage.''


    ''Attraction and Repulsion don''t work. It''s probably due to a formation. If I''m guessing correctly, it has to be engraved on her ribbons. Yet even Lian is affected even when she isn''t directly connected to her ribbons. I need to understand what formation it is and what it is capable of specifically. Only then will I be able to evaluate how to act.''


    Lian and Long Tian briefly analyzed the situation before returning to fight. After Lian''s palm hit Long Tian, ??Long Tian returned her ribbons to the attack. The difference, however, was that she, too, would actively participate in the attack. Therefore Long Tian had to face as many as 5 attackers: the ends of the ribbons, for a total of four, and Lian.


    "Incredible. I''ve never seen Lian fight like that before." Mia said in amazement, unable to take her eyes off the figure of Lian.


    The same was true for the others. Everyone was staring at the battle stage with disbelief. Lian usually fought with grace and elegance, making the ribbons float in the air with such skill that the viewer would believe they were at a dance show. However, although this elegance and grace were still present, there was an additional component: ferocity.


    "It''s normal. Lian usually fights from a support position, using her ribbons as her primary weapon. However, the one she is using now is Lian''s Full Combat Mode instead. She completely ignores the defense, separating herself from her ribbons to focus on the attack. Thus her attack rate increases at an astonishing rate, and it is complicated to defend yourself against this technique.


    However, even though I said it ignores the defense, this isn''t entirely correct. As she attacks with the four ends of her two ribbons, Lian is also complicated to hit. Her ribbon control ability is such that she can manipulate the ribbons to intercept or dodge attacks while still attacking. It only requires a great deal of concentration and greater consumption of spirit power." Hei explained to his companions.


    Of those present, only he, Ye, and Xing weren''t surprised. As much as they had bonded with their companions, there were things only the four of them knew as they were a family.


    "Actually, this is the first time Lian has used it in a real fight. While it may seem strong, and it is, it still presents an extreme danger as Lian is virtually devoid of her usual ribbon defense.


    But with an opponent like Long Tian, ??her usual attack patterns are useless. So we can only hope that Lian can finish Long Tian before he can compose himself."


    "One thing I don''t understand, though, is why Long Tian''s techniques don''t work anymore." He Fen asked.


    "It has to be a formation. Like the one that Lian did for Leon." Lang suggested.


    "Yes, it''s a formation. Although it''s is a different type from Leon''s." Hei answered.


    Meanwhile, on the fighting stage, Long Tian was smashing his swords violently against the ends of Lian''s ribbons. Since Attraction and Repulsion were out of the question, when he couldn''t dodge, he could only use brute force to fend off the ribbons.


    "Full Combat Mode, Bubble Ribbon."


    At Lian''s command, the ribbons quickly arranged themselves around Long Tian, ??creating a sort of invisible circle. Long Tian tried to escape from this bubble but suddenly found in front of himself Lian who attacked him.


    Peng!


    Lian''s palm hit the flat part of Long Tian''s sword, knocking him back into the center of the bubble.


    "It seems the only way out of here is through brute force. All right, then let me see how strong your technique is." Long Tian exclaimed, appearing not at all worried about finding himself at the mercy of Lian''s technique.